A Different Form of Art

Chapter One

Liam POV

"Ah, this is quite a beautiful bouquet. For someone special?" I asked. It was true, the man had indeed picked out a lovely bunch of my flowers.

"Yes, it's my girlfriend and I's anniversary today, and I thought she would enjoy them." The man replied.

"Well, I'm sure she's going to love them." I said nicely. I wish I had a special someone, like most of the people who came into my shop. Granted, I didn't exactly put myself out there, but that wasn't the only reason. I'm not exactly into girls, and around here it isn't common for another guy to be the same way I am. One day, I'll find someone, I keep telling myself.

"Good luck tonight," I say to the man, and hand him his flowers with a smile.

"Thank you, have a good day." He responded, and walked out of the shop.

After the door closed, I went to water the flowers in the windows, which were still planted. I caught a glimpse of one of the tattoo artist next door, I've seen him before, although I still do not know his name. Watching the precision with which he worked, I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't really see him too well across the street, but I knew he was quite beautiful.

A customer walked in, and I went back to watering the flowers and not staring at the gorgeous raven-haired man.

"Let me know if there's anything I can help you with." I said to the lady who had walked into my shop.

"Thank you, dear. I'm looking for some flowers to decorate my kitchen with, my grandkids are coming over tomorrow for lunch." She responded. She was an older lady, maybe in her late sixties, and reminded me of my own grandmother.

"Oh how lovely! How old are they, if you don't mind me asking?" I said, simply trying to make conversation.

"Five and nine, the nine year old just had her birthday earlier this week. They're coming over tomorrow for her birthday, actually. After this, I need to go find her a present and a cake. I haven't seen them in almost six months, they live a few hours away so I only get to see them on special occasions."

"Oh, that kinda sucks. Well, I'm sure you truly treasure your visits then." I said, smiling.

"Yes, we really do. Tell me, which would look better in a red kitchen, this blue and white bouquet or these rainbow gerber daisies?" She asked, holding up two differnet bouquets.

"I think the blue hydrogenas amd white easter lilies would look perfect." I replied, they were one of my favorite combinations and would look excellent in a red kitchen.

"Well then, that's what I'll get." She said, handing me the bouquet.

I rang her up at the register, and when the transaction was complete, I handed her the bouquet.

"Have a great day, and good luck with your grandkids." I told her before she left.

"Thank you, have a nice day yourself." She replied with a big smile.

I smiled back, and she walked out the door, the little bell at the top of the door frame ringing as she left.

I went back to watering my flowers, and saw the beautiful man talking to the same customer, who appeared to be done with his tattoo now. His eyes flickered over to me, and I quickly looked away. How embarrassing! He defiantly saw me staring. I kept my eyes on my flowers, and pretended to not notice him at all. I had seen that he had stunning blue eyes, even from across the street I could see them. I wanted to see them in person, up close. What the hell am I thinking, he's never going to talk to me. He probably thinks I'm some kind of crazy person now, staring at him across the street.

I remembered I had dyed some roses last night, and decided to go check on them and make some new combinations. I also had some special black roses that I bought on special order, I'm not sure about selling them now though, I might just use them for myself. The only reason I had ordered them was because they reminded me of the man across the street, beautiful and black. Maybe I'll make a bouquet after him, with some dyed blue roses and the black roses. Maybe, just maybe, I can try to learn his name. Maybe not, I've never been the social butterfly, and plus, he probably thinks I'm crazy now that he's caught me staring.

I hear the door bell chime, this will probably be my last customer, it was getting close to seven, i.e. closing time. Time for me to go home by myself and contemplate my life choices.

I walked out of the back room, to see a mother and her two young boys looking at the same bouquet of rainbow colored gerber daisies the older lady had been considering earlier.

"Will these dyes hurt my cat if she tries to eat them?" The woman looked at me and asked.

"No, I only use non-toxic dyes, for reasons like that." I said smiling. It's not the first time someone has asked me something like that.

"Perfect. I love the wide color variety in them, but my cat likes to jump on things and I like to make sure she's safe." The woman said, with a little laugh at the end. She looked at her younger son, who seemed to be about four, picking random flowers out of different bouquets and putting them together.

"Timmy, don't do that." She exclaimed, taking the flowers out of her sons hands.

"I'm so sorry," She looked at me and said.

"Don't worry about it! It's totally fine. If you want, he can keep them actually." I said, I didn't want this lady to feel bad. The boy looked really sweet, and his mom exhausted. It really wasn't a big deal either, he'd only grabbed flowers from about four different bouquets and it would be an easy fix for me.

"Are you sure? I feel really bad about it, it must be difficult to make bouquets as perfect as this." She said, smiling.

"Yes yes, I'm sure. And thank you, by the way. I really enjoy it though, so it doesn't even feel like work to me." I replied.

"Well then, I guess we will take both bouquets. Both yours and little Timmy's." She said, looking at her son, who was clutching his flowers in his small hands.

"I saw over there on your sign that people can make their own bouquets?" She said motioning to one of my various signs, "I'll just pay for a custom bouquet, for Timmy's bouquet, if that's alright?"

"That sounds perfect." I said with a smile.

I rang her up for both her rainbow bouquet and her sons bouquet.

"Muuuuuum, I want flowers toooooo." Her older son complained.

"Well, I guess since Timmy's getting flowers, you can get some too." She said to her son.

He went over and grabbed some that I had seen him looking at earlier, a dozen small sunflowers, and brought them to the counter.

"I like these ones, mum." He looked at his mother with wide eyes.

"Okay then Zach." She reached into her purse and handed me her credit card.

I slid her card and handed her the bouquets, smiling a wide smile.

"Thank you so much." She said smiling.

I watched as she and her boys walked out of my shop. I glanced at the clock, and saw that it was 7:02. Time to close up, I thought to myself, walking to the door and locking it up. I glanced out the window and, while closing the blinds, looked and saw that the man was giving another tattoo. I smiled to myself, finished closing the blinds, and walked to the back room to grab my stuff. Not a bad day.