Flower Shop Camellias

Violets

Keith was on his millionth imagining of how the night might go. Time seemed to be passing painfully slow. Keith guessed that his eyes had been glued to the front door for about an age when in reality Lance had only left for his delivery about 20 minutes prior. No words had really been exchanged between them save for the usual teasing remarks that Lance usually made when he greeted Keith. Keith had awkwardly handed him the bouquet of tiger lilies that he had arranged, fixed the milk crate to his bike and then Lance was on this way. Nothing had been said about their plans to hangout that night. Keith wondered if Lance had forgotten. It wouldn't surprise him. 

Outside of the shop, the downtown area appeared to be getting busier. On a Friday night the residents of Altea Bay could be found anywhere: on the beach, at the restaurants or the pubs, or in The Alley: a little cubby of shops surrounding a greening copper fountain. Keith wasn't one for "going" out but it being his last summer in Altea, he figured that it would be fun to give a try. He was sure that Lance and his friends had done that before. 

Further way he sea glistened once again with the setting sun: Keith's usual closing shift show. The sunrise looked a little different that evening, it was a more vibrant orange with accents of pink. The streaky clouds emulated the sea foam that was gathering on the beach. Kelli had left the door to the shop open that day, and the breeze that waded in carried the scent of salt water married with the sweet smell of the flowers surrounding the silent boy. The serenity of the evening almost let Keith forget everything that he had been overthinking. 

Lance's bicycle bell chimed in the distance causing Keith to jump in his stool. Hurriedly he took off his red apron then put hon his hoodie. The shop had a few more minutes till closing but he figured that it would be okay just to leave a little early, maybe it would give us a little more time... In his head Keith hoped that no one else was intending on visiting the shop 10 minutes before 7:30. 

Keith locked up the front door before Lance could even walk in. The delivery boy skidded to a stop in front of the store like he ways did: it was his own type of grand entrance. His chest rose and fell ferociously as a crazed expression lit up his face. Lance took his delivery jacket off and shoved it to conform to the box shape of the milk crate on his bike. Lance took a tanned arm and swept sweat from his forehead. For the first time Keith noticed that he had freckles adorning his shoulders and his arms under the coral colored tank top he had worn that day. They suited him. 

"Aren't you glad that I didn't wreak the flower box thingy again?" Lance slapped his hand on Keith's back, causing him to recoil a bit. 

"Knowing you it'll happen again." Keith frowned. 

"I accept this challenge." Lance proudly nodded. "No more wreaks or I'll owe you..."The boy's brown eyes floated upwards in thought. 

"I'm not expecting you to pull this off." 

Lance paused after a moment moment of thinking, a mischievous grin growing on his face. "You have to do The Poppy Dance"

"NO." Keith's face tuned bright red. The Poppy Dance was this performance put on by the older folks in town at the Poppy Festival during the middle of the summer. They performed it for the whole town as a type of tradition.  "If I have to do the Poppy Dance so do you!" Keith cringed at the thought. 

"Deal! I don't care about doing it but I'm sure that you do," he winked. 

Keith shyly looked away. There was no way that he could rival Lance's unbridled confidence, Keith felt majorly out of his league. 

"Well, what do you say to getting some food before I crush you in some of your nerd games?" 

Keith's head snapped back. "They're not nerd games."