Page 4 of Iris
Chapter Two
The toast Igor made me is perfectly crunchy with just the right amount of butter and jelly. She’s grumbling about being a servant, but I don’t take it seriously. She likes to help me however she can. She might be a grumpy, bored prankster, but she still loves me.
The store was opened a few minutes ago. it's my pride and joy. I come from a prominent family of witches from the far side of town. I left the coven when they figured out I really only have magic over plants. I can cast small spells, but they tend to short out on me if they are complicated. When I try for something big, say a hex I had meant for an ex-boyfriend after he’d broken up with me at prom, it usually blows up in my face. I had been the color orange for a week. I deserved it since the hex was black magic.
I took my strength, my love for flowers, and got a loan to open Floriography Flower Shop. Or FFS, for short. It’s exactly what you’re thinking, too. My little twist of humor.
The front of the shop is painted a deep blue. The windows are a bright white that I make sure to paint every few months to keep everything bright and clean. The plants outside are my potted plants that can be used in a garden. My green house is located in the back where I park my car. I live in the shop in a separate area no one can see thanks to a dimension spell that was a congratulations gift from my mom.
The inside of the shop is wide open, with a large table in the middle that holds my freshly cut flowers. I don’t need a cooler to keep the flowers fresh, my magic handles that easily. My flowers stay alive longer because of it. The average cut flower lives for a week or two. Mine live for a month. My potted plants are so hard to kill, it’s basically impossible.
The walls are filled with vases of any kind you could imagine. I order a few every day. I know I have an obsession with fuzzy slippers and vases. Sue me. The vases became an obsession after I figured out that the delivery driver was the same every time.
“Buttercup is a genius. An absolute genius!” Igor munches on her candied flies happily. “Nothing has ever tasted so good! Do you think she could do this with fruit flies?”
The bag of candied flies is gone after the last one I’ve just handed her.
“I don’t see why not. I’ll ask her tomorrow.”
Igor gives a loud burp, making me laugh.
“That wasn’t very ladylike.”
“I’m not a lady.” She snipes at the air. “I’m Igor.”
Giggling, I started to arrange a bouquet for an order that came in last night. The woman who ordered it wants to give it to her daughter who has sold her first piece of artwork. The bouquet is simple with her wishes of good luck and fortune. Peonies and a few narcissus’ are all that I will use with a few sprigs of peppermint for a color contrast.
“Heads up. Your hunk with the hamburger buns just pulled up.” Igor has moved from the counter to the table in the middle of the room. “Watch those buns bounce. I wish I remembered to grab a quarter every day so I could throw them at his butt.”
“Don’t you dare say that to him!” This time I hiss at her as the delivery man walks into the shop carrying a small box. “Hi, Noah.” I have to clear my throat before saying it.
Noah is six feet of sex on a lollipop. He is handsome; he looks like he’d be a bad boy in another life. My eyes roam over his triangular shaped face. He has a strong jawline with a rounded point to his chin. He has a full lower lip with a thinner cupid’s bow top lip. I forget how many times I’ve imagined running my tongue along them. He has long enough chestnut brown hair that he tends to run a hand through while talking. His wings are iridescent with hints of pink and yellow. He’s a fairy. Add on top of all this hunk burger, his eyes, which are big with a puppy-like quality to them, are the color of his hair.
It isn’t all about his hot bod, either. Noah is always kind. I enjoy our talks. Sometimes he flirts back with me. Those days really make my week. He even plays guitar on his off days.
“Morning, Iris. Have your pair of new vases.” His dark chocolate eyes dance with amusement. “Are you sure you can fit these on the wall?”
Resisting the urge to giggle, I just grin. “Magic shop, remember? It’s bigger on the inside.” Ah, quoting a classic.
Noah easily catches on to my reference and chuckles low. “You win this round.”
“I always win.” I push the bouquet aside so I can open the box he has handed me. “Oh! These are a lot cuter than I thought they’d be!” I hold the first vase to the light. The glass is a pale purple. In the center of the vase is an etched rose. The other vase is a lighter blue with the same etching.
“That’s what she said.” Igor’s voice reaches us from where she’s moved to again.
“Good to see you, too, Igor,” Noah says over his shoulder before looking back at me.
“So, did you go out with that hot vamp you were telling me about? Wasn’t his name Jacob or something?”
His lips turn up into a smirk. “His name was Steve. He was hottttt. Great in the sack and left before I woke up. It was the perfect date.”
Shaking my head, I snort. Noah is notorious for hitting and quitting it. He will sleep with anything that’s willing. Except for me. He isn’t into fat chicks.
He hands me his electronic pad to sign. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I feel that stab of sadness I feel every time he leaves. “Thanks, Noah.”
He is halfway to the door before he stops. “Oh, I forgot!” He comes back to the counter, pulling a book out of his shoulder bag. “I saw this next to your car when I was driving around to the front.”
