Inked Flowers - Moxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter Five

Patton smiled as he waved goodbye to the customer he had been helping. It had been a pretty peaceful afternoon, not too many customers and definitely not too little. As he glanced around his store, he checked off that all his employees were taking care of a customer and that there were no customers without assistance. 

He exhaled happily as he started to tidy some things up. The store was always spotless thanks to his dedicated staff, but every so often, things would get misplaced. With nothing left to do out in the front, he retreated to his office to go over the special orders that were in progress.

It was about five minutes later that the florist heard the bell on the front door jingle. Peering out into the store, he realized the other employees were still working with their customers, so Patton stood up, straightened his name tag, and ran his fingers through his hair. With a deep breath in through his nose, he was ready to go help the shopper.

"Good afternoon sir!" he greeted cheerfully as he walked toward him. 

Patton almost froze on the spot at the man his eyes landed on. He was dressed in ripped purple jeans, a loose muscle tank, and a black leather jacket. His lips were lined with black and tinted with the slightest bit of red. His eyelids were coated with black eye shadow, and on his cheeks under them was a layered pattern of dark red and black. Dark black gauges were in his ears and when he looked closely at the collar bone that was exposed by the slightly see-through tank, the florist could see the ink.

His eyes widened as he looked him up and down, finding himself speechless. This man was gorgeous and a polar opposite of himself. "I- Uh, Patton!" he managed, shaking his head as he recovered with a blush. "My name's Patton, how can I help you?"

"I want to get flowers for... my mother," the man replied, shifting uncomfortably at the mention of the woman. 

He was curious where the discomfort came from, but decided it was better not to ask. Patton smiled brightly with a nod. "What kind would she like?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips as he looked around the shop at the many flower options. "We've got almost any flower you can think of! Freshly grown in the greenhouse behind the shop!"

"Really?" the man asked, eyes widening a little in surprise. The florist nodded happily. "That's... that's really cool, actually."

"Yeah! It's really cool! Having our own supply of flowers makes it easier to take specific requests for bouquet orders," Patton explained. "So if you were looking to get your mother a special flower arrangement, you came to the right place! May I get your name?"

The man flushed a little, or appeared to behind his white foundation. "My name's Virgil, and I was just gonna get her lilies..." he said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. 

"Oh! Lilies are beautiful!" the florist gushed as he steered toward them. "Does she have a favorite type of lily or a color she might prefer? Because we've got all sorts of types! The most popular are the stargazer lilies, but the white ones are so elegant-"

"You know, I um... I kind of lied about the getting them for my mother thing," Virgil cut in, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I grew up in an orphanage, so I don't know her."

Patton felt his mouth go dry as he gasped in horror. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," he hurried out. He placed a hand on his arm comfortingly, making the man look at him shock. "I can't imagine how hard that must be."

"O-Oh, uh, it's fine, I don't know why I lied about it..." he said, clearing his throat. "I just want some flowers for my apartment."

"Well, I can certainly provide that," the florist replied. Virgil smiled a little as he pick out a bouquet of lilies and handed it to the man. "Perfect for brightening up any home, regardless of how many people live there."