Chapter 3

• BLYTHE
• He fell asleep right away, and once I was sure that he had fallen deeply asleep, I started fixing myself. When I looked at the glass wall, I realized that I was on top of the most expensive building in the city. I looked at the man again and I realized how good looking he really was.
• It was the first time that I ever slept with a stranger, and I was already feeling guilty about it, thinking that I just cheated on Finnian.
• I picked up my clothes that were scattered on the floor and started putting them on. When I reached the elevator door, it opened right away when I pressed the button. There was only one button inside it, and when I reached the ground, I realized I was on the parking level. I started walking towards the parking entrance. Luckily, I didn't have a hard time getting a cab.
• It was four in the morning when I checked the time, and after cleaning myself up, I immediately went to my bed. There were still so many thoughts running inside my mind, I was feeling exhausted already that I didn't realize I just fell asleep immediately.
• I was awakened by a phone call, and the moment I opened my eyes, my vision started to spin. My head was also aching so I could not easily get up. It was Finnian calling me up, I didn't know whether I would cancel it or pick it up. I chose the latter, and there was not anything surprising about it at all. No matter how mad I got, I just could not drop him easily.
• “I have been trying to call you since this morning,” he said on the other line.
• “What time is it?” I asked in reply.
• “It's already one in the afternoon, your staff has been looking for you too,” he told me, sounding as if we weren't in a serious fight the day before.
• “Home. I will just get myself ready. Bye.”
• “Hey, about…I am really sorry, okay. Can we talk this over?” He asked.
• “I don't know,” I replied in a very monotonous tone.
• “It's not gonna happen again, I promised.”
• “I'll see you later,” I told him, after that I took the initiative of ending the call.
• It was already past two when I reached my flower shop. My assistant looked relieved when she saw me entering. I noticed there was one woman in the working area, and even before I could ask about her, my assistant informed me that she asked her friend over to help her.
• I checked the orders, and I was surprised to see a long list. her friend was already saying goodbye, but I asked her to stay if she would like to take a part time job.
• By 4 PM, we were already done with the orders, although some of them were yet to be picked up. I asked my staff and her friend to take a break, and instructed her to get me a cup of coffee and something to eat. I was really starving because I hadn't eaten any since last night.
• After the last order was picked up, I took a deep breath and started pondering on what happened last night. I didn't get his name, and I guessed it wasn't necessary. I just could not take him off my mind, and I remembered how great he made me feel. He was better than Finnian, he was rough but suave.
• I was busy cleaning up some mess on our work station when I heard the wind chimes hanging on the door. I didn't pay attention to it because I thought that my staff had come back from their break.
• “Hi, good afternoon, I am thinking if you are still taking orders?” He asked as he was approaching my direction.
• “Hi, of course….”
• I almost cut my throat and I couldn't finish with what I was saying when I saw his face. “I think I still can. Are you looking for anything in particular?” I asked.
• When he realized that it was me, he started showing awkwardness. When he was about to speak up again, my assistant and her friend showed up at the door.
• “Oh, hey, Ellis, can you please assist him?” I approached my assistant and took the cup of coffee from her. “I am really starving right now,” I added.
• “Hi, sir. How can I help you today?” Ellis asked him, while I could see from my peripheral that he was staring at me. “Sir?”
• “Hi, I'm thinking of a huge arrangement, all white and some daffodils. My wife loved them, and if you have peonies, please include some as well,” he instructed Ellis.
• My heart started beating fast, and when I heard him telling my assistant that the flower arrangement was for his wife, I started feeling nauseous. I could not take the fact that he cheated on his wife with me, in the same manner that I cheated on my boyfriend.
• I started pressing my temples and gently massaging them. I was trying to avoid looking at him, but my office was right across our work station, and my glass wall gave me a view of it.
• ‘'Hey, Blythe, I forgot how to fold the Aralia leaf, can you show me how to do it again?”
• When Ellis called me, the man was also looking in my direction. I wish I could say no to her, but I reminded myself that when it comes to work, I had to be very strict with quality.
• I stood up and took the cutter from my own pen holder. As I was getting closer to them, the man was looking at me intensely as if he was undressing me with his eyes.
• I could not really focus, with him standing right in front of me. Ellis went to the counter to settle the payment, while I was working on the finishing touches of the arrangement.
• “Should I put a card on it? We also do calligraphy here,”’ I told him while I was still trying to avoid eye contact.
• “That won't be necessary, Blythe,” he replied.
• I should not wonder why he knew my name, Ellis called me a few moments ago in her usual loud voice.
• I noticed one stem of leatherleaf that looked off on the left side of the arrangement, so I decided to cut some off. My hand was shaking terribly, the cutter fell off. And because my concentration didn't seem to work fine that time, I tried catching the cutter, and when I did, I accidentally cut my finger.
• He noticed when I winced and he furrowed his brows upon seeing me doing that. I immediately squeezed it with my other hand trying to put some pressure on it. I reached for the box of paper towels that was resting near the upper left corner of the table.
• The blood was continuously dripping and I was to get the second paper towel when he held my hand. As soon as he held the finger that was bleeding, he immediately put it in between his lips and suckled on it.
• My heart beat speeded up and the once painful sensation was replaced by something that sent shivers down my spine. I remembered how his mouth tasted last night, and that sensation brought back so many other memories of what we did the night before.
• After a few seconds, he stopped with what he was doing and then raised my hand upward. “Stay that way for a little while so the bleeding will stop immediately.” He uttered while still supporting my arm.
• Ellis came and noticed the blooded paper towels scattered on the counter, and I heard the man asking her to get the first aid kid if we have any.
• “Thank you,” I told him, and I was still avoiding eye contact with him.
• I went back to my office, and I only got to breathe normally when I saw him stepping out of the shop.
• “Is it still bleeding?” Ellis asked me.
• When I told her that it was just a small cut and there was nothing to worry about, she started talking about the man.
• “I don't want to think that the reason you lost your focus was because a handsome man in a fitted white polo was standing in front of you. He was so hot, wasn't he?” I could only smile at what Ellis was saying.
• She was right, that man looked exactly like those men on the cover of a magazine. I wish I could also tell Ellis how the man looked even hotter without his clothes on. His body was to die for, and what was inside his boxers made him even more interesting.
• “Blythe, are you still with me?” She asked, trying to get my attention back.
• “I'm sorry, you know, I had a couple of drinks last night and I went home really drunk,” I uttered.
• “Oh yeah? Why don't you tell me more about what happened last night?”
• “You know what, Ellis, we already have enough sales, why don't we call it a day? I mean, you and your friend seem to have a lot of catching up to do. And please tell her that while she is in town, she can work here for the meantime.” I told Ellis, trying to avoid the conversation.
• “Sounds nice to me, but it seems that my secretive boss is trying to hide something from me again,” she teased while giving me a sassy look.
• “I will go ahead, Ellis. I will see you tomorrow.” She looked at me as if she was very disappointed to not get more of what she wanted.