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soft music lightly played in the small, local 'ivy garden' flower shop. kiara worked hard to perfect every flower in their position, as she wanted to make everyone's valentine's day perfect. this tuesday evening, the shop was quiet, and kiara didn't anticipate seeing many more clients over the day, as they had all came early in the morning. as she began wrapping the last order of tulips, the store bell rang, signalling that someone had entered.
while she was lost in her world of petals and stems, she looked up to see a tired looking man standing there, and something stirred within her.
clearing his throat nervously, the mystery boy finally spoke, "hi, i'm romeo. i couldn't help but notice your shop from across the street. it's beautiful."
kiara smiled warmly, her cheeks tinted with a faint blush. "thank you, romeo. i'm kiara, the owner. what brings you in today?"
romeo's gaze softened as he replied, "i'm searching for the perfect bouquet for valentine's day. she adores flowers, and i wanted to surprise her with something special."
the girl was gutted at the mention of him picking up flowers to give to a valentine, however she remained a tight smile and continued assisting him. "well, you've come to the right place. let me help you find something she'll love," she said, leading him through the colourful aisles.
after explaining many different types of flowers, romeo had finally settled on a breathtaking arrangement of sunflowers, daisies, and lavender, bound together with a pink satin ribbons. as romeo paid for the bouquet, he glanced at kiara with a soft smile.
"thank you for your help, kiara. i'm grateful to have stumbled upon your shop today," he said, his eyes lingering on hers.
"it was my pleasure. i hope your girlfriend loves her gift," she replied.
"girlfriend?" he laughed.
"or boyfriend! sorry i'm just assuming these are for a special someone." she nervously laughed, moving the hair out of her face.
"oh no, these are for my mum." he chuckled, "and i'm not gay."
"i'm so sorry, i'm so stupid." she said, her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.
"no it's okay. no valentine this year though sadly." he mumbled, scratching the side of his head.
"that's two of us. i gave up with valentine's day many years ago."
kiara reached behind the counter and plucked a delicate pink rose from a vase. "here," she said, offering it to him. "consider this a gift from me to you."
"thank you, i really appreciate this." he smiled, "haven't got a flower from a girl since year 6."
"i'm glad to be the most recent then." she laughed.
as he turned to leave, he stopped in his tracks, his voice filled with warmth and sincerity. "hopefully next year we'll have valentines."
and as romeo disappeared into the rain-soaked streets, kiara couldn't help but hope that his heart would find it's match.
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in the heart of london, amidst the soft glow of streetlights and the lively chatter of pedestrians, the three best friends—kiara, azara, and sabrina —embarked on a much-needed night out. their laughter echoed through the streets as they strolled arm in arm, searching for a bar to spend the rest of their night in.
