AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maxine has the list taped to the light above my worktable. Today’s orders include a funeral spray with white roses, greenery, and baby’s breath as well as two hospital bouquets, ten baby shower corsages, and the arrangements requested by the realty company.
“Damnit!” Maxine’s voice drifts through the doorway. I look through the crack to see her scowling at the screen of her phone. Candy Crush can be a bitch. No wonder she likes it.
I work feverishly and resentfully, placing each arrangement in the cooler as I go. At three she comes in demanding the arrangements for the showing. I tell her third shelf in the walk-in. She mumbles something about how I should help her take them to the van, but I still have the corsages to do. She doesn’t acknowledge my work or thank me. I hate it here, but at least I’m finally doing something about it. As I’m walking out the door, I get a call from the garden center manager asking me if I’d like to come in for an interview tomorrow.
That was fast. It’s like the magic of last night has somehow rubbed off on me. I’m thrilled, both at this opportunity and also that I now have someone in my life I can share things like this with. I can’t wait to give Tandy the good news now that I’m off work. Green Eyes is outside the shop smoking when I pull up. She walks up to my car as I park.
“Back again?”
“Yeah.” I reach in the passenger’s seat for my purse. I can feel her dislike for me as if it’s a palpable thing. I get out of the car and head for the shop. She walks past me and turns, blocking my path.
“What are you even doing?” she asks.
“What do you mean what am I doing? I’m going to see Tandy.”
She looks at me like I’m trash. “I hate girls like you, you know.” The sentence is punctuated by a sneer.
I move past her but after a moment I stop and turn back to her. “Why would you say something like that? You don’t even know me.”
She flicks the stub of her cigarette away and glares at me. “I don’t have to know you.” She shakes her head in disgust as she approaches to stand so close I can smell the smoke on her breath. “I see right through you—playing gay to make your ex jealous. Or are you hoping it turns him on enough to take you back?”
“You couldn’t be more wrong.”
“Spare me the innocent act. You think you can go from pining for some guy to being Tandy’s girlfriend without pushback from people who care about her? Let me tell you something, cunt. No one will ever accept you as her girlfriend, you got that? You don’t know her. You never will. You won’t be able to please her. You’ve got pillow princess written all over you. If you had any decency, you’d get in your piece of shit car and drive away.”
“Bliss!”
I look around as my name is called.
“Up here!” From above, Tandy is waving. “Just take the door at the end of the hallway and come up the stairs.” she says. “Inez, go ahead and lock up the shop.”
Inez scoffs as Tandy ducks back inside the window. “Closing the shop early just for you?” She looks me up and down one last time. “I sure hope she comes to her senses soon and gets rid of you like she did the last one.”
I’ve never been good with retorts. Inez’s comments have left me rattled and I desperately try to shake the uneasiness as I head inside. I feel Tandy’s gaze burning into my back as I open the door at the end of the hall. I don’t go up immediately but stand in the stairwell with my head against the wall. It’s easy to get lost in the illusion that it’s just me and Tandy in this relationship but she has other people in her lives, people who may harbor the same suspicion Inez voiced in the parking lot. I lack lesbian street cred. I’m a newbie and there’s no certification, no Official Lesbian card to flash to anyone who questions my orientation.
“Bliss?” I hear Tandy’s voice from the top of the stairs.
“Coming.” I head up, trying to put what just happened behind me.
“Wow.” I’m impressed by what’s behind the simple metal door she holds open for me. “You live here?”
“Yep. The whole upstairs is my hacienda.”
“It’s beautiful,” I say, and it is. Tandy’s apartment is huge and open with old pine wood floors and massive window that let in the afternoon light. The décor is minimalist and eclectic, the art colorful and edgy. There’s some sort of soft indie rock playing on the stereo, the beat competing with the sounds of the city street below.
“I’m glad you like my place.”
“I love it!”
“I saw you talking to Inez.”
“Yeah.”
“What was she saying?”
I don’t know much about Tandy’s receptionist other than that she hates me. I don’t know how close they are. I don’t want to say anything that will put me between her and the woman she works with.
“Oh, she was just asking me how I was doing.” I turn away and take my sweater off so I can avoid her gaze.
