Two Hearts That Could Never Meet novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: The Cold Room

I took the phone.

"Roxy's Flowers."

"Millicent," Leona said.

Her voice was lighter on the line, almost cheerful.

"I heard you were here. I hope you don't mind. I wanted the best."

"What do you want?"

"Four hundred white roses for the anniversary dinner. Delivered to Lawrence's office on Friday morning." She paused. "Lawrence says you've got an eye."

"Lawrence says a lot of things."

"I'll pay double for a rush. Cash, if you like."

I looked at Roxy.

Roxy mouthed a number with her whole face, and the number was a rent payment.

"Payment up front," I said. "No refunds. No changes after tonight."

"That's fine."

"Roses cost what they cost this week. It's February."

"I know what month it is, Millicent." She laughed. "I've been gone a long time, not stupid."

Leona read out a card number, and Roxy read it back twice.

I hung up.

"You are not delivering those to his office," Roxy said.

"No. I'm making them. Somebody else can carry them."

"Why take her money?"

"Because she owes me three years," I said, "and I'm starting with the roses."

We worked until nine that night.

I had never in my life cut a stem.

Roxy showed me, with the knife at an angle.

The first time I tried, the whole rose fell apart in my hand.

"Again," she said.

I did it again.

Around nine, I was alone in the back, hauling the last buckets into the cold room, when the bell over the front door rang.

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