Axel's Daisy

22 • Destiny

  I woke up with one thought on my mind: the meeting.

   Yesterday's whirlwind left me feeling dizzy, with snippets of my conversation with Axel replaying in my mind. I had this frustrating habit of voicing my feelings while I slept. Groaning, I slumped back into bed.

  My best option was to call Jade; I needed to vent to someone. As I sat up, I realized I was still in my clothes from yesterday, and my cheeks flushed at the thought that Axel had taken off my shoes.

 "You what?!" she shrieked. "Tell me you had a dream and didn't spill the beans to Axel."

  I stood up, picking at my nails as my anxiety peaked. I was going to see him today, and confrontation was never my strong suit—it usually only happened when I was mostly unconscious.

  "I don't know how to act. What if he brings it up?"

  "Tell him it was just a rumor or something, make up a story," Jade suggested. It wasn't a terrible idea, so I rummaged through my closet for a good dress.

  I felt like dressing up today for my interview. I liked my dad's latest birthday gift—a black floral dress—and paired it with my black Uggs since it was chilly. I could add a murky coat for extra warmth.

  "I guess I'll avoid the conversation. I might not see him today," I said, holding my phone between my shoulder and ear as I pulled out the dress and laid it on my bed. "He has practice, and I have the meeting and prep for my chemistry final."

  "We'll figure it out later. Don't you have a meeting today?"

  Oh, crap.

  It was 7:30 a.m., and the meeting was at 8:00 a.m. I had half an hour to go and still hadn't done anything.

  "Catch you later!" I told Jade and hung up. I rushed to the bathroom to start my morning routine, my nerves on edge and nausea rising at the thought of the meeting and the interview that followed.

  I managed to get ready in record time. Dad came in with a wrapped sandwich and kissed my cheek.

  "Don't forget to eat it before the interview; we don't want you passing out," he warned. "Oh, and by the way, you look beautiful in that dress." He twirled me around with a compliment.

  "You're turning into an old sappy man," I said, giggling as we danced around and I embraced him. We only had each other, and I was eternally grateful to have the best dad in the world. "I love you, Dad."

  "Now you're going to make this old sappy man cry," he said, holding me tighter as he expressed his love. I laughed on his shoulder. "I love you too. You are the best daughter in the world."

  "So I'm at the top of your list of favorite things?"

  "Don't push it, Des."

  We laughed together.

  The transparent door revealed the top five florists chatting and preparing papers. My stomach was in knots, and I fidgeted with my hands—a habit I picked up from Dad. Mrs. Alberta was by my side, gesturing for me to enter.

  "Miss Sanders, good morning. Please have a seat," the renowned Calline Stewart greeted me as I sat in front of five pairs of eyes. With around a hundred flower shops across America, she had a radiant glow and cerulean eyes that met mine with a warm smile. "Alberta here showed us your designs, and we are fascinated and honored to present our opportunities to you. We think your floral artwork is absolutely stunning, even though we saw it thanks to your boyfriend."

  I blushed deeply at the mention of "boyfriend." They remembered him, and I had to stifle a laugh at the thought of him storming in to show them my work. Nonetheless, I was grateful for his help.

  "Thank you. I'm really happy you liked my work," I said, almost not recognizing my own voice.

  "Can you tell us your story?" Lena Pierce, known as the flower queen and one of my top three favorite florists in Wisconsin, asked with genuine interest. Although she wasn't as big as Calline, she had made a name for herself.

  "Well, my mom used to come here and taught art lessons. I wanted to be like her ever since I was a kid. She didn't just create flowers; she brought meaning to life. She taught me the strength behind masterpieces that I will never forget—she influenced me and made me want to make her proud after she left us, leaving her own mark on the world."

  They all looked at me with newfound understanding after my mini-speech, and I fought back tears as memories of her surfaced. Lena kindly handed me a tissue, and I smiled at her before dabbing the corners of my eyes.

  "This is our list of offers, including job descriptions and salary details," said the burly Dantè Rose, owner of the most luxurious flower shops in Wisconsin, LA, and Chicago. He handed me the list with a small smile. "Call us at the number at the end of the page if you're interested. We wish you the best."

  "Thank you so much for your support."

  I was thrilled as I shook their hands, took a picture with them, and danced in the car, feeling like I had come back to life. I carefully placed the papers on the passenger seat.

  I drove to school and parked in a rush to share the news with my best friend. I wanted to tell everyone at school too. I was practically buzzing with excitement as I put my keys in my bag.

 Jade was at the entrance, her eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on me. She waved and sprinted over.

  We squealed and hugged as if we hadn't seen each other in ages.

  "I did it! I finally did it...oh gosh, I feel like crying," I said restlessly as we pulled apart, both of us with sparkling eyes.

  "I'm so freaking proud," she said fondly, then shouted to the few groups loitering around, "That's my best friend right here, bitches!"

  Everyone stared at me for a moment before returning to their conversations.

  "You need to come over today," I told her.

  "I'll bring snacks and girl magazines—are they still a thing?" she quipped when she saw my grimace. "Yeah, they're not, but I don't care!" she shouted as we did a little dance and hugged again.

  "I didn't know there was a party this morning," Brady interrupted as Jade pulled away to give him a kiss on the cheek.

 We definitely needed some girl time.

  "Our queen here just aced her review and is now a working lady."

  "Yes, get your money. Good job," Brady said, fist-bumping me. I laughed at his playful attitude.

  We walked to our first class, and Axel was standing just outside the classroom, arms crossed.

  Jade muttered a "yikes" under her breath and glanced at me. I wanted to run from the inevitable confrontation.