shades, placed in Adam’s arm and asked him to help me in the window.
Eyes roam the room as I spot the red envelope that has become familiar each day, placed upon a white silk scarf with delicate hand-painted violets that had been laid on the table in front of yesterday’s arrangement. My eyes flit to Adam’s as in recognition he walks forward with me and runs his hand along the delicate piece. “This is beautiful, Violet, you should wear it,” he states as he places it into my hands. The pure silk runs through my fingers with ease as I think of the time and effort “Mr. Casanova” has put into each and every piece he has picked out for me as I tie the scarf around my neck in a pussycat bow and reach for the envelope.
4 days to go
Your giggles of happiness
Talks about me
I talk about you too
My heart beats so fast as my smile feels like it’s going to crack my face, this guy is really trying as Adam looks on at me, he just smiles back like a recollection of truth he knows. This bond between us he can read so well. “Violet, I need to head off to catch up on my rest, but I will be here in the morning, bright and early again. After Valentine’s we will have a night together or something when the rush calms down, if you fancy?” He says as he notices the fact I’m caught in the moment, dragging my thoughts from the possibility of who this guy could be.
“Of course, we will,” I say as I make a start on today’s display.
With the beauties arranged and Annie not due in until after lunch my work was cut out. I had decided to create a curtain of flowers that trailed down the window, using see-through wire to thread the flowers it made an eye-catching piece with all the large exotic pieces overtaking centrally and delicate strands faded to the outer edge.
The bell went at the door whilst I was serving customers in a slow trickle fashion today. I noticed that Annie rocked up, two hours early for her shift and slid behind me focused totally on the phone. Being preoccupied she didn’t attempt to make any contact, actually it was like she was attempting to avoid contact with me which made me question her motives more. As the last customer made his way out, I hovered nearby and listened in on the conversation. “Come on, let me know quick before she catches on, hmmm yep she’s with customers, do you need me to keep Violet busy tonight or are you fine with the plan yourself?” Just then I trip and knock the vase of flowers over by my feet and curse. “Shit, got to go.”
Cleaning the mess as quickly as I can, Annie comes out. “You alright, Violet?” I say as she grabs my hand and helps me to my feet.
“Yep, always falling over my feet, you know me,” I say as I discard the broken vase and damaged flowers and head back to the till, as Annie grabs her apron. “Sorry I’m early, got my times mixed up,” she says as she looks at the scarf around my neck. “Is that from our ‘swoon-worthy mystery man’?”
Confusion washes as a combination of that call and the scarf she knows who it is. “Yes, and another note,” I say as I show it to her, telling her about the next letter and how busy the day had been.
The trickle from earlier turned into a mad rush and I had been glad of Annie’s early arrival but couldn’t wait to escape her endless bouts of romantic energy, it was enough to drive the sanest of women mad. I was contemplating wearing earplugs if she carried on but then how would I serve the customers.
For now, though, I will play along with the secrets and the unknown but tonight, Violet will become detective, they won’t know what’s hit them.
Chapter Twelve
Adam
That much-needed rest was essential today but the wave of sleep I endured was disturbed thanks to an irate Annie and the fact that I wasn’t at the shop when she arrived, seriously she was calling me two hours earlier than I had expected of her. I couldn’t comprehend why she would logically think turning up to work so early would be a good idea. The realisation of her need to see everything planned out before her eyes had taken over, she