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Comforting me when theybroke apart.
Then again, if she was here, maybe he would still be here too.
The clash of clinking glasses always gets my adrenaline pumping and tonight is no exception. Tomorrow is the big opening event and I have been working my ass off the past week to get everything ready. I know it is my own fault setting such a short window to get things done, but I also work well under pressure so it was worth all the sleepless nights and pulling my hair out knowing it is almost here.
"Cheers to Dee, may she repair marriages with her elegant bouquets all over town." Bryn shouts over the mumbling crowd and music that is two levels too loud. I shoot my friend a smirk, knowing damn well that she will take any reason to overindulge on cheap shots and put on her shortest dress. Tonight, my dream becoming a reality is that reason.
We toss back the dark amber shots and the burn trickles down my throat as the whiskey finds it's way to my stomach.
"This tastes exactly like those red cinnamon candy things we had as kids. Do you remember those?" Carina asks around her pursed lips, no doubt still tingling from the shot.
"Wait, you mean Fireballs?" I wait for it to click and then see her mouth turn up with the realization.
"Stop, that's why it's called Fireball, isn't it?"
The three of us burst into laughter, the alcohol starting to warm us from the inside.
"Are you ready for the big opening tomorrow night? I have been telling everyone I run into about it, even though tickets sold out already. I figure a sold out page is great publicity for you." Bryn is my biggest cheerleader and without her constant need to have her nose in a magazine, I would have never thought to have an event like this to launch my shop into the community.
When she saw the spread in Ovis highlighting the new trend of flower arranging parties, I knew it would be perfect for Thornes In Bloom. And now, after months of renovations and preparations, it's finally time to cut the ribbon and open the doors.
My aim was to have a soft opening, something small and intimate to gradually get my name out there. Instead, I will be teaching thirty people how to arrange the perfect fall flower centerpiece. Think autumnal simplicity with harvest flair. We got lucky with the weather, the mini sunflowers I planted bloomed just in time for their debut in the class. Those, mixed with fluffy, bright Dahlias, deep wine Chrysanthemums and some dry wheat stalks to add extra texture, will give the perfect basic PSL bitch vibes.
I even went as far as to get assorted vases and baskets from a local thrift shop to give some variety for my clients. Celebrating tonight seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse. We don't know if the event will besuccessful, but I suppose we can be proud I got this far and that is good enough reason to celebrate. If tomorrow is a total bust, at least I have proven I could make this happen.
So tonight, I plan to shake my ass to the music we loved back in high school, drink to the women we have all become, and let the flashing lights blur the edges between reality and the dream life that I can almost touch.
"I just have the tables to set up, shouldn't be too hard to do. Dare said he would come help."
"Is he bringing his adorable new girlfriend? I swear I want to put her in my pocket and keep her forever." Bryn fake pinches cheeks in the air, as if to symbolize what she would do to Ella if given the chance.
I roll my eyes. "I'm sure Ella will tag along. And please don't say that shit to her face, you weirdo." My brother came to Costa Rica to help me with the wedding I did the flowers for and on his way there he ran into Ella. The two basically had a whirlwind vacation romance that they continued after they got back. I have never seen my brother infatuated like he is with her and it warms my whole freaking soul to see him happy.
"Look, she has to know how fucking cute she is. And such a lucky bitch to get Darren locked down. Let me be jealous of her, okay?"
Bryn has had a crush on my brother since we bonded on the playground over Backstreet Boys. Having an older brother has its blessings and curses, the scale always tipping between the two. Having someone to drive you to school and the mall? Definitely a perk. Knowing all of your friends are picturing him while they practice kissing on their shower wall? Not so much a perk. Bryn was the only one to make it known that she was gunning for Darren's attention, but he was never interested. Their age difference had been a bigfactor, but Darren was never in the right place for romance. It's safe to say she might still be bitter about that.
Lucky for me, Carina Valentine came late to the game in our friend group, so all she has ever known is brooding Darren who is now smitten and hooked on his girl.
"I am jealous of her, too. Not for the same reason obviously, but have you seen how amazing she is at drawing!" The best part about drinking is how much I start loving everyone in my life. Ella's talents, Darren's loyalty, Bryn's determination, Carina's lack of knowing what Fireball is named after. I love them all, these are my people.
"Your logo is seriously so fucking cute. She nailed it." Bryn swoons as she takes another shot, the small high-top table quickly becoming a shot-glass graveyard. I was honored that Ella offered to design the logo for my shop even on such short notice. Her creativity is unmatched and the sign that sits above the door to my shop is perfection.
"To Thornes In Bloom. I'm so fucking proud of you, Dee." Carina raises her glass into the air for yet another clink all around, before we drain the last of the cinnamon whiskey and kiss our night goodbye.
"Ohemgee, this is my song!" I exclaim, getting out of my chair a bit too fast for my alcohol-infused brain to catch up.
"Do you remember that time at Homecoming when you danced with ..."
"Can we not?" I interrupt Bryn, not looking to take a trip down memory lane in these heels or on this night. It's been years since we talked about our high school adventures which means Carina is completely in the dark. If we start this discussion, we will have to divulgemore than I care to right now. Better to shut it down instead of losing all the whiskey joy in memories.
"I just wanna dance, let's go!" I grab both of their hands, dragging them towards an empty spot on the dance floor. The sultry sound of Christina Milian telling me to dip it low has me lost in the music, in the movement my body drifts into naturally.
But my mind is back in senior year, at Homecoming, with his hands on me and his breath on my neck as we rolled our bodies together to the same song.
It's mine. This place, this life, this job. It's all mine. I woke up this morning and I could barely get my feet on the floor fast enough. The clock only reads half-past seven in the morning and I have twelve hours before we officially open the doors, but my excitement couldn't be contained at home anymore.
From the vines crawling up the brick on the façade that I couldn't bear to remove, to the new black and white tile I installed myself on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
