“What do you mean?” she asks, before glancing at her watch.
Clearly, I’m taking up her time. She’s supposed to be packing her bags to sail the world by now, no doubt.
“I mean, is someone going to buy the store? Will it reopen?” I ask.
I don’t want this place to stand empty, though – not when I’ve come to love it this much. Marsha gives me a puzzled look, then puts some files from the office into her purse.
“I don’t know, eventually, but it will probably just end up being empty for a while. No one wants to own a flower shop. It’s a lot of work for little profit, unless someone is truly passionate about it. Whoever buys this building will probably turn the store into something else. Sure, I’ll miss working with the flowers and even with the customers sometimes, although some of them can be grumpy and ridiculous. But I don’t want to worry about that now,” she rambles on.
I’m only partially listening to her. Instead, I’m busy thinking about how this could be my chance to make my dream come true but it’s slipping away. I don’t have the money to afford this place, no matter how badly I want it. In my head, I’m adding up all the money I have in my bank account, but it’s still nowhere near enough. I know I’m being naïve.
My mom always said I was a big dreamer. I like to think I’m a big “doer,” too, but so far all I’ve done is work here and dream about owning it, since I don’t have a way to actually make that happen.
Marsha looks at me again. Her eyebrows have calmed back down but now her lips are pursed in a small, thoughtful frown.
“Why are you so interested in what happens to the store?” she asks curiously. “Are you thinking of buying it?”
She sounds amused by the thought. Then she even laughs a bit. I can tell she’s tossing out the suggestion as a joke, to break the ice, rather than because she thinks I actually could buy it.
“Well….” is all I say.
I’m about to admit the truth, that I want to, but I have no money, so that would be a stupid thing to say. But then a thought occurs to me.
“Um, actually, maybe,” I reply.
My words obviously startle her for a second. Her expression quickly changes to one of disbelief. I expected her to react this way but it’s still rather stinging. I guess she doesn’t think I could actually pull it off.
“If it’s okay, I’ll be back in a little bit to talk to you some more about this opportunity?” I ask, trying to put on my most professional tone.
I’m not used to trying to do business. I’m used to stocking the store with flowers and ringing up customers. I’m not even sure how one makes the transition from employee to owner, but I’m willing to fake it ‘till I make it, as the saying goes.
She gives me an amused little smile.
“Sure, I’ll be here a while longer. Take your time,” she replies.
She’s going through all the files and papers she had in the office, which I now see that she had brought out and sat on top of the counter where the register is. It’s obvious that she was doing her work out here while waiting for me to come in so that she could break the bad news to me right away.
I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed. Then again, I don’t know how I hadn’t noticed a lot of things. She had clearly been ready to get the heck out of dodge for quite some time now, and I had been oblivious, lost in my dreams of having the kind of career I would love – and, more recently, in thinking of the hot guy who could take my virginity.
Maybe these two things are related, in the pursuit to make my dream come true, I now realize.
I try to keep my nerves calm as I grab my purse and walk outside. I walk quickly to my car and sit inside. I take a few deep breaths, then finish planning out my idea.
This would be the perfect opportunity to follow Tammy’s advice and take Brian and Andrew up on their offer. I’m still nervous though, and my stomach is in knots as I think about it.
I can’t afford to be scared now, though. This might be my only chance at owning my own shop. I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.
Besides, I know Marsha. She’s a nice person. She’ll probably let me have it at a good price. It’s not like she needs the money. She’ll be off in Barbados with her rich hubby, smiling while they toast to her graciousness at giving me such a good deal.