Get Rhythm

[FLORA]

Fiona and I sat at the bakery, browsing through various gossip magazines. She was on break for lunch and I figured I could take a break as well. "So in gossip a little closer to home... Tim said John has been kind of moody lately."

I shrugged. "I actually haven't talked to him since the day they left for the lake aside from him letting me know they all got home alright."

"I think that's why he is upset, " Fiona said. She rolled her big eyes fiercely.

"John and I don't have to talk everyday... And for the record, if he wanted to talk to me he would have made some sort of contact... He hasn't tried to speak to me at all."

At this Fiona actually looked surprised. She sipped on her glass of soda and looked thoughtful. "Well that certainly is interesting ... We had all assumed he did something and you were ignoring him. How do you feel about this?"

"We don't have to talk everyday... Besides it made me realize that with all the guys out of town I don't really have many friends. I'm thinking about making more." I shrugged.

"So you're sure that nothing happened between you and John?" Fiona asked, looking intently into my eyes.

"Not that I'm aware of, no." I replied. My hand was planted firmly on my hip.

She shrugged. "Alright. Well I need to get back to work. Have a good day!"

"You too, Fi."

I sat back down on the couch. The shop was fairly slow so I decided I can afford to finish reading this magazine.

"Excuse me."

I looked up to see a man standing in front of me, two red velvet cupcakes in his hands. "Yes?" I asked with raised eyebrows. My eyes wandered over to Jenny and Cara behind the counter shaking with giggles.

"Well I just saw you sitting over here and you're a beautiful girl, he said running his free hand through his hair. "These cupcakes are amazing, I thought I would buy you one and we could chat." Again I looked at the girls behind the counter. Both were nodding rapidly.

"I suppose I can oblige you."

He smiled and sat down. He smoothed out his jeans and handed me a cupcake. "My name is Karl."

I smiled and took my cupcake. His hair was a dirty blond and his eyes were blue. "I'm Flora."

"Is that short for anything?"

"Florence."

"That face tells me you aren't a fan of being called Florence."

I shrugged. "My sister teased me a lot as a kid. But I love the name, I just like Flora better. It sounds more like flowers, I love flowers."

He nodded. "So what do you do."

I bit my lip. "Uh, I own this place actually."

His cheeks turned a little pink. "Oh shit, then I'm making an ass of myself."

I shook my head, "No, no! Don't think anything of it. I'm sure my girls behind the counter didn't try and stop you."

"Encouraged it," he chuckled.

"Well anyway, I just moved here so it's nice to meet someone new."

"Oh? Where are you from?"

"North Carolina."

"Nice! I have cousins there, it's really beautiful."

"Oh my gosh, what part?"

"New Hanover County, like in-"

"Wilmington! Yeah, I lived there for awhile. I grew up mainly in Yadkinville."

"My Grandparents grew up there," he laughed. "Then they moved out here when my Mom was ten and we've been in Arizona ever since. How are you liking Arizona?"

"Pretty good actually! I've met a lot of great people so far, business has been excellent. I'm really happy with the way things are going."

"That's great. Well uh, I need to start heading back to work but uh, could I maybe get your number?" The smile on his face was charming. Everything about Karl was charming. He was polite, funny, knew how to dress...

"Yeah, sure." I typed my number into his phone and smiled. "Nice meeting you, Karl."

"Same to you, Florence." He winked, and then walked out of my shop.

"He is so hot," Cara exclaimed.

"You should have gotten his number," I replied.

"Please! My parents won't let me date yet, not to mention he's obviously a business man. He's probably way too old for me!"

I laughed. "I forget how young you are sometimes, you're seventeen going on forty seven."

I got back to work and let the girls go early. Cara's parents were especially strict so I told them they should go have a little fun before her shift technically ends. I got lucky when I hired my employee's. They're all really great people. I needed to start coming up with a plan of how to keep hours fair once school starts. Currently all my under twenty one people only work day. Since they can't legally pour any drinks, I didn't really have a reason to have them here at night since more people come to drink then. That's something to occupy my mind with, definitely.

The rest of the day went by really slow.At two thirty I was nearly bored to tears when a bell sounded, finally meaning a customer came in. "Hey John Oh." Surprised, I walked around the counter and fell into his open arms. I hadn't realized just how much I missed him until now. It hit me all of a sudden how weird it actually was that we had gone so long without really talking.

"Mmm I missed you, Florence." John sighed. We stood there holding onto each other for a few more minutes. When he let me go he held flowers out to me that I hadn't even realized he had.

"Thanks, John. These are pretty, what are they?"

"Wildflowers. I picked them the day we left for home from the lake. I saw them there and they reminded me of you."

I grinned. "Well I love them. Thanks." I went behind the counter and placed them in a cup.

"Wasn't that your drinking water?"

I shrugged. "Now it's theirs."

"What were you up to while I was away?"

"Oh just working mainly. Fiona and I snuck in a girls night. That was a lot of fun. She's been really busy lately."

"Yeah, this weekend Tim was talking about how awesome of an employee she is. I'm pretty sure Pat is crushing hard on her."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

He grinned. "I know! That's what I'm saying! I could never see them together!"

"Opposites attract," I shrugged. "But Jesus, poor Pat! Fiona would dominate him."

John wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe he's into that."

"I forgot how much I like having you around," I giggled and bumped his hip.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," I giggled. The shop bell alerted me again to a customer. John and I pulled away from each other and saw Cara and Jenny entering the shop.

"Didn't I give you two the day off?"

"We were coming back to pick up our cars. We've just been walking around and stuff. We came in for some water," Cara explained. I nodded and began making the girls to-go cups of water.

"Hey John, long time no see!"

"Hey ladies," John smiled. "I've actually been at a lake house with some friends of mine."

"Oh I love lakes. They're so much fun," Jenny gushed.

"So before we leave," Cara giggled.

"Will you please give us the scoop on the hot suit?" Jenny exclaimed, making the three of us girls laugh.

"I'm... Missing something," John said with a confused smile.

"This guy came in earlier and wanted to get her number so he approached her by buying her a cupcake... We didn't bother to tell him that she's the owner," Cara explained.

"There isn't really a scoop to give," I shrugged. "His name is Karl, I gave him my number, we'll probably never see each other again."

"I don't see why not! He was way cute and soo into you!"

"Alright girls, have a good day." I shooed them away. John looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What?!"

"I'm only gone a few days and you're already trying to replace me! I'm crushed!"

[JOHN]

Flora rolled her eyes. "No one could replace you, John." She hit my hip and said it as though it was the dumbest thing she had heard in her life. A round of chills hit my body.

I pulled her into a hug. "You're sweet."

Flora smiled up at me and turned in my arms so her back was leaning against my stomach. "Anyway it isn't anything serious. You and the guys are way cooler than him and probably his friends as well."

The girls chatted for a few more minutes before they left the shop. Flora sighed and remained leaning against me. I wrapped my arms around her waist. "Should we have a sleepover?" I mumbled. Any resolve I had to spend less time with Flora dissolved when I saw her.

"We should have a group sleepover."

"I like that idea." I pulled out my phone and sent a mass text to all the guys. I included Fiona since Flora would be there anyway and Fiona has come to be one of our really good friends as well.

"I think I'm going to close shop early."

"What, why?"

"It's a slow day," she shrugged. "I just want to hang out. I'm bored. Please?"

I laughed at Flora. "You don't have to ask my permission, Flora. Do whatever you want with your own business."

She nodded. "Sometimes it doesn't really feel like I'm an adult at all..."

"I know that feeling," I chuckled.

"Does it ever go away?"

"For most people, I think," I shrugged. "I still have it... Not as often, I guess it fades in time or you find some way to ignore it. I have no idea."

Flora started to say something but shook her head a little. "Just let me close up shop and we can leave.

&&&

"How typical," Flora sighed. I chuckled and shut the door of my truck.

"You're getting your sleepover later, quit bitching," Fiona exclaimed, shoving Flora into me and running to the door of Tim's house where music could be heard out here. Everyone was down for a sleepover, but Tim was throwing a party so we were having the sleepover at Tim's. Flora didn't want to party, we held a vote but it was the two of us against everyone else wanting to get wasted.

"We're all still gonna be hanging out together," I said, squeezing her hand. Continuing to hold her hand I led us into Tim's where the party was full swing. "C'mon, Florence you get that pout off your face. You and I both know we would have been drinking party or not and you know damn well you want me to make you a drink now."

A smile began in the corner of her lips and spread throughout. "I sort of do want you to make me a drink."

"You got it, Floral. C'mon."

"There is that beautiful face," Halvo exclaimed. He tackled me when Flora and I walked into the kitchen, ending up with all three of us in a heap on the ground.

"Shirt, sorry Flora! I didn't mean to take you down too!"

"Are you okay?" I exclaimed.

"I'm alright, I'm alright," Flora said, shushing me and accepting Halvo's help to her feet.

"Good to see you, buddy." I clapped Halvo's shoulder. I made my way to the counter and began making two drinks. Vodka and soda for Flora and Whiskey and soda for me.

"Thanks John Oh."

"Pat, will you make me another drink?" Fiona asked. Pat nodded and began mixing the drinks. I kind of wanted to tease them but decided not to. Fiona's way too scary of a chick to mess with. Pat walked back over to Fiona and handed her the glass. She leaned against his body as they stood casually, discussing when the next tour would be.

I nudged Flora. "Check out your sister."

A smile appeared on her face so wide that she had to take a drink to cover her face.

"What?!" Fiona exclaimed, immediately defensive because she knew exactly why Flora was smiling.

"Nothing," Flora replied, throwing her hands up.

"Oh my gosh, shut the fuck up!"

"You're making it so much worse!"

We all stopped talking to watch the two sisters bicker back and forth. In no time Fiona was throwing her hands in the air in a huff. "Come with me outside!" She practically threw Pat out the door to the porch, closing it tightly behind her.

"Oh my gosh, she's so funny when she's angry," Flora laughed.

"I can't believe her and Pat are into each other!"

"Is it that obvious?" Jared asked Halvo.

"Hell yeah! I mean, I've known Pat a long time so I can read hip of course, but she's so obvious!"

"Right? I think they're cute together," Flora sighed.

"Florence?" We all turned towards the porch where a few people were coming in.

"You know Flora?" Tim asked, surprised. The guy with the lighter brown hair shook his head in confirmation. The other chuckled.

"That's all Karl has fucking talked about." Something about the statement didn't sit well with me. What right did he have to talk about Flora or waltz in here and call her Florence? The way he looks at her irritates me, too."

"Hi Karl," Flora smiled. "Didn't expect to see you so soon! Karl came into the bakery today."

That Karl.

"This is my friend, Evan."

"Nice to meet you," she smiled. To my annoyance Tim said that the two should hang out with us.

"So what do you do exactly?" Flora asked.

"I'm a concierge doctor," he replied.

"Oh that's pretty cool, there's a show like that, right? Like Hank Med, right?" Jared asked.

"Oh I love that show," Flora and Kennedy exclaimed.

Karl laughed. "It's not quite as exciting as on the show and I'm definitely not as clever with substitutes, but it's a great job. I love it."

"So how is 8123 going, man?" Evan asked.

Through out the night Karl kept inching closer and closer to Flora and throwing his arm around her shoulder. She didn't bother to stop him or push him away though... She laughed at all his jokes, like everyone except for me. After an hour and a half I couldn't take it.

"I'm going for a smoke," I said, holding up my pack of cigarettes in the air. I walked outside quickly and was lighting up almost before I was even out the door.

"You look disgruntled," Fiona commented, pulling me out of my tunnel vision of the moon high in the night sky.

"I'm not... That Karl guy is just a fucking tool."

"What? Who is Karl?" Pat asked.

"Some guy that came to the bakery and hit on Flora."

"He got her number too," I added.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing I guess... I just don't like him."

Pat rolled his eyes. "You're real mature."

"I just don-"

"Shh!" Fiona exclaimed quickly. I shut my mouth and took a drag instead. Two arms slid around my back and warm air hit my skin through my thin t-shirt.

"Dude, Pat! I forgot you and Fiona were out here," Jared said, Tessa on his arm.

"Can I have a hit?"

I spun around quickly. "No fuckin' way! You smoke?!" Flora's cheeks lit up to a bright pink in no time. "Flora Glenanne! You fucking smoke!"

"No! Only when I'm a little closer to drunk than tipsy." I smiled down at the look on her face. I took one more hit and handed her the cigarette.

"Finish it, doll."

"You're the best," she mumbled and found a place underneath my arm. I smiled and moved so we were in a more comfortable position. She rested her head against me. I saw the smoke come out of her mouth every so often. I stood with Flora in my arms and looked up at the moon, not paying any attention to what the conversation was at the moment. Flora in my arms and my best friends around me... I leaned down and put my mouth against Flora's ear.

"That movie is shitty! I promise you that you would love zombie movies if you just watch this one tonight Fiona!"

"If this isn't nice then I don't know what is, Florence." I pulled back up with a smile on my face. "You probably won't be into zombie movies any more than you already are now... But it is a decent movie." Flora squeezed my hand. She put out the cigarette and then turned to me and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. We stood like that, comfortably, listening to our friends bicker.

Fiona chuckled, "I cave, I cave. I'll watch all the zombie movies you want!"