Elly In Bloom

  It was 3:30 am when Isaac walked her to the shop door. While Elly hoped that the night would never end, her body felt very differently and was screaming for bed. Trying to make light of what was sure to be an awkward moment, she stepped up onto the doorstep and took out her keys. Isaac reached for them, turning over her brass antique key in his hand.

  “This is really cool,” he murmured. He pulled himself up to the step and breathed his warm breath on her face. He smelled like scotch and blueberries. “It fits you. You’re different. Smart.” He traced the side of his finger down her face.

  “Amazing,” he growled, and then he covered her mouth with his.

  CHAPTER

  EIGHT

  Kim swirled angel hair pasta around in its garlic sauce and slurped it into her mouth.

  “So then he kissed you?”

  Elly ripped off a hunk of bread and pulled it through some vinaigrette.

  “Ohh...” she sighed, her mouth full of food. “And what a kiss it was.”

  Kim gave her an approving look. “Yes? Go on.”

  Elly put her finger to her lips. “A lady never kisses and tells.”

  “But you’re not a lady. You wore flip flops to an Italian restaurant.”

  Elly looked at her feet. “They’re comfortable…”

  They were having a late dinner on the patio of Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant. It was a hushed, clear evening outside, with hundreds of large white light bulbs draped overhead.

  “Okay...back to the kiss!” Kim demanded.

  Elly’s thoughts raced. How could she explain what was probably the most magical fifteen minutes of her life? The way he gripped her face so softly, and yet clung to her so fiercely? The way he whispered things into her lips – intoxicating, secret things? How he had left her, his hand lingering in her hair, looking back and then heading across the fire escape? She had not been able to make it up the stairs at first, and getting to sleep had been impossible with the taste of him still burning on her tongue. She lay in her bed, hands clutched to her heart and Cadbury across her legs, murmuring “Isaac…Isaac…” Her uncanny resemblance to a 14 year old girl embarrassed her.

  Elly put her fingers on her lips.

  “It was incredible. I don’t think I have ever…ever been kissed that way. His mouth…”

  Kim made a disgusted face. “Okay, okay, that’s enough. You are still my friend. I don’t want to hear about mouth details. Tell me more about him.”

  Elly took a sip of wine. “He’s introspective. Smart. Artistic.” She grinned. “Passionate. I feel like he woke me up. I never want to work again. I just want to be kissed. By Isaac. All day long.”

  Kim clapped excitedly.

  Elly continued. “You should see the way he talks to people. He just oozes this confidence. At the jazz club, he would take my hand and count out the beats with my fingers. He ordered drinks for me. And he seemed to know everyone!” Still, Elly thought to herself, he couldn’t keep his eyes off me.

  “Let’s just say, I certainly wouldn’t mind being his instrument.”

  Kim grinned. “Naughty girl, you are glowing.”

  “It feels…” Elly trailed off.

  “Yes?” said Kim.

  “It feels like falling in love. I haven’t felt this way, not since Aaron.” Her heart felt a pang at the name. She smoothed it over with the memory of Isaac’s soft lips against hers.

  “I’m so happy to hear it. Just be careful.”

  Elly was jerked out of her kissing daydream. “What do you mean ‘be careful?’”

  “Nothing. I didn’t mean anything. He sounds amazing. I can’t wait to meet him. You look so happy.”

  Elly smiled. “I am glowing. I feel alive for first time in years. He’s coming over for dinner on Wednesday.”

  “Fantastic!” Kim replied. Elly hailed the waiter for another glass of wine. “You should make your red wine pot roast. That will make him want to kiss you all the more.”

  Elly winked. “Oh, I’m not sure I need it…”

  “Also?” said Kim, “Don’t wear your reindeer pants.”

  Elly made an exaggerated sad face. “Well, he’s going to have to get used to them eventually.” They laughed and continued working on their pasta.

  “So,” asked Kim, “What’s our week like?”

  Elly felt the mood sober immediately. This week was Kim’s last week and the kick-off of wedding season. She groaned.

  “This week is going to be absolutely horrible. I’m sure you remember that its Brooke London’s wedding. You know, our resident bridezilla? I’m buried in tiny details bordering on insane. I want to shake her. She’s giving me stress dreams in shades of wisteria. Thank God I have you for the weekend.”

  Kim circled her plate with her finger. “I have something to tell you.”

  Elly looked up in alarm. “Please do not tell me that you won’t be around this weekend.”

  Kim frowned at her. “Elly, just LISTEN. I know that you don’t understand why I quit so suddenly…”

  Elly interrupted her. “We don’t have to talk about this, we’ll just fight again.”

  “Elly. Listen,” Kim said softly. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you more reason. It broke my heart not to. I can tell every time I look at you that it still bothers you. And I regret that I abandoned you to shop with our young apprentice.”

  “Yes” said Elly bitterly, “That was…a new experience.”

  “Elly.” Kim smiled and paused. “I’m pregnant.”

  Elly sat in shocked silence. She noticed Kim’s water glass next to her wine glass.

  “Oh my GOSH!” she shrieked. Her voice was so loud that restaurant patrons held their forks aloft and stared. She leapt up from the table and threw her arms around Kim, kissing her cheek. “What?! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!! A baby!” she put her hands on Kim’s flat belly. “How long? How far?”

  Kim face was beet red. “Please sit down and stop groping me!”

  Elly laughed and sat back down. She felt tears on her face. Elation mixed with love flooded her body. She looked at Kim in amazement.

  “How did this happen?”

  Kim laughed at her. “Well, by the sounds of your night on the doorstep with Isaac, you have an idea.”

  “No, I mean, I’m sorry, I’m just so shocked! How far along are you?”

  Kim smiled. “About three months. Don’t hate me.”

  Elly gasped. “I DO! How could you not tell me?”

  “Well, we only found out about a month ago. Sean and I were surprised, to say the least. We had no idea. I had felt…off, but just thought that I was moody. I started getting suspicious when I almost murdered Sean for forgetting to bring me Chinese food one night.”

  “I love Chinese food…” murmured Elly.

  Kim shushed her. “We went to the doctor, and found out that I was about two months along. Sean was thrilled, he’s wanted a baby for a while. I kept putting it off, as you know. He could not have been happier – he’s absolutely beside himself. But…it has taken awhile for me to get used to it.”

  Kim paused and ran her fingers over the tablecloth. “I didn’t have an ideal childhood. My mom wasn’t really mom material. I took care of her most of the time, the reverse of the way it’s supposed to be. She was very unstable, very narcissistic. A terrible mother in most respects.”

  Elly nodded. There had been many long conversations covering this topic between the two of them.

  “I wasn’t sure I ever wanted a child. I always was afraid that I wouldn’t be a good mom, and that my child would suffer the same way I did. I’m still a very selfish person, Elly.” She took a deep breath and her watery eyes smiled. “I knew Sean wanted one and so I thought to myself that maybe someday – in the far future – we would talk about it. I didn’t expect to be pregnant. We were using protection.” She put her hands on her belly. “What I’m trying to say is that it was very, very shocking for me. I didn’t tell anyone right away because I didn’t feel the way that pregnant women are suppo
sed to feel. I was scared and upset, and I felt more like weeping that jumping for joy. I felt like some sort of parasite was taking over my body.”

  Elly took her hand. “Kim, you could have told me. I would have understood.”

  “I know you would have. But I wasn’t ready to hear the words out loud. I needed time. Lots of time to adjust to this new idea. This new…life and the idea my body that wasn’t mine alone anymore.” She took a drink of water. “But then one day, I just woke up and went for a walk. I saw a little girl running around her front yard with her mom. I watched them for an hour. They probably thought I was a stalker. The little girl looked a lot like Sean –blond hair, deep laugh. She made me smile and when I got home…” Her eyes filled with tears “…I was in love with my baby. I really struggle to put it into words. It’s an overwhelming and totally encompassing love. And I knew right then that I wanted to spend every moment with this little person.”

  Elly smiled proudly, so desperately happy for her. “So that’s why you quit?”

  Kim nodded. “I needed time to prepare, and I get so tired designing. I can’t be on my feet for very long. And I’m having problems remembering things. Like, the other day, I made three of the same corsage. They only needed one!”

  Elly laughed. She had seen the corsages in the trash and wondered what that was about. Of course, she had blamed it on Snarky Teenager. Oops.

  “Kim, I am SO happy for you. Have no fear - you are going to be the most incredible mother. I have no doubt in my mind about that. Besides my mother, I have never known a more loving or generous person. You saved my life, and your child is going to be very, very lucky.”

  She looked up at Kim, her long toffee hair flowing over her tan shoulders, her blue-green eyes shimmering with tears. She had never been more radiant, and Elly wondered how she had never noticed this pregnancy glow before.

  “Your child is also going to be ridiculously good-looking.”

  “You mean your god-child is going to be ridiculously good-looking,” corrected Kim, and the two started crying all over again, each soaking her checkerboard napkin.

  CHAPTER

  NINE

  Two days later, Elly was still basking in the light of what might just have been the best week ever. She had been kissed, Kim was pregnant, and Cadbury had only pooped in the house once. The dinner with Isaac had been spectacular. There had been music, perfectly cooked meat sautéed in wine, great conversation, candles and some serious snogging on the roof deck. Elly had never invited a man up there before. She had never imagined her roof deck to be a romantic place, but it turned out that the cool air, the plants and comfy couches made for the ultimate ambience. Isaac had played his guitar for her, and Elly lounged back on the soft fabric and watched his hair in the moonlight. A perfect night. A perfect kiss at the end. A perfect…..

  “Look at this jerkbag!” Elly suddenly remembered that she was sitting in the car with Snarky Teenager, who was swerving all over the road.

  “Look, I know you got your driver’s license, like, YESTERDAY, but try not to kill us on the way to the wedding!”

  Snarky Teenager leaned on the horn. “Get out of the way, you FREAKS!” Elly covered her eyes, trying to forget that the Posies label was plastered on her back window.

  In one hand she held Brooke’s bouquet – a breathtaking cascade, with cream gardenias, lavender sweet pea, periwinkle scabiosa, and rich purple ocean song roses that had blown open to perfect centers. Pearl acacia wisped over the sides. It was glorious…and it was swinging all over the place.

  “STOP driving like a maniac. We’re almost there!”

  Snarky Teenager pulled the van up to a screeching halt in front of the City Museum. The City Museum in St. Louis was another one of Elly’s favorite wedding venues. The main hall was an oceanic wonderland, filled with glistening fish scales of glass and resin. The room was dominated by colossal statues of twisting fish that hovered below a mosaic ceiling. It was romantic, different and beautiful in an edgy, urban way. Elly had enjoyed it for about two seconds before she heard the clattering of heels rushing down the hall.

  Brooke was running towards her. Her eye make-up was smudged and messy, and her veil was hanging crookedly on her head. She was wearing a thin white tank top with the words “Bride” in rhinestones across the chest, with purple sweat pants that read “Mrs. Penkitt” across the butt. Several concerned bridesmaid were trailing behind her.

  “Elllyyy….” she wailed.

  Elly stuck the bouquet in front of her in a defensive measure. Brooke stopped dead in her tracks.

  “Oh …it’s AMAZING! Oh my gosh, it’s so beautiful!”

  All her bridesmaids circled around her making cooing sounds. “Is it real? What are those? It is so gorgeous.”

  Brooke clutched it to her body. “Elly. It’s perfect.” She paused dramatically. “Too bad nothing else is!”

  She grabbed Elly’s arm.

  “The venue floor looks like it hasn’t been swept. They just told me that the minister is wearing a black suit instead of navy, and they ran out of jumbo shrimp so they are just serving regular size!” She let out a loud cry and leaned against Elly. Elly pushed her away with a gentle arm.

  “Brooke. Where is your wedding coordinator?”

  Brooke gestured to a young, alarmed looking woman. “This is my friend Tara. She’s my wedding coordinator.”

  Elly glanced over Brooke’s shoulder. Tara appeared to be about fifteen years old and was wearing a very short bright red dress. She was obviously NOT a wedding coordinator.

  “Okay. I need to get your flowers set up and ready. After I’m done, I will come back to your room and see what I can do. Does that sound alright?”

  Brooke nodded frantically.

  “Okay. Go fix your make-up and get into your dress. You are getting married today.”

  Brooke hurried off, bridesmaids and Tara in tow.

  Snarky Teenager came in behind Elly, carrying the ceremony décor. “Whoa. What a train wreck,” she breathed, giving a subtle eye-roll.

  Elly turned on her. “She might be a crazy bride, but she’s my bride. Don’t be mean. Let’s go set up the ceremony.”

  Setting up flowers always took longer than Elly imagined it would. In front of a line of white chairs with lavender bows, Elly and Snarky Teenager hung up dangling white dendrobium orchids strung on fishing wire. Each aisle chair got a small bundle of wildflowers: black velvet delphinium, grape hyacinth, vendella roses and white stock that made the air in the museum smell of fresh cinnamon. They lined the aisle with white football chrysanthemums, which gave an appearance of poofy white clouds. Shimmering with the spinning fish, the room looked like an underwater meadow. Snarky Teenager snapped a picture behind Elly.

  “It looks nice!” she declared. “Okay, let’s go get the reception set up.” Elly wiped some sweat off her brow. Even here, in the air conditioning, she was…moist.

  The reception was located in the Vault Room, which was filled with St. Louis artifacts and a kaleidoscope of mirrors that reflected hundreds of candles and twinkling lights above. Huge beautiful vaulted doors led to an outdoor patio, complete with views of downtown St. Louis and its famous Arch. Working in perfect synchronization, Elly and Snarky Teenager placed the long centerpieces of pale blue hydrangea, hyacinth and lavender parrot tulips on the tables, surrounded by tiny mirrors. The overall effect was of ghostly romance, and it was sheer perfection.

  Snarky Teenager was staring out the window at the groomsmen. “Hey – could I pin that guy, you think?”

  Elly rolled her eyes and shoved the boutonnieres toward her.

  “Yes. Go, and try not to give ALL of them your number.”

  Snarky Teenager tightened her ponytail with the determination of a soldier going into battle and trounced out the door. Elly straightened her apron, sighed loudly, and headed toward the bride’s room. From outside the door she heard a heated argument, accompanied by loud shrieks, which were no doubt coming from Brooke. Oh Lord, she said in her he
ad, please don’t make this last very long. She pushed open the wide door, which was flanked by stone gargoyles. Brooke stood in front of her in a white corset and a thong…and nothing else. Elly tried not to stare at Brooke’s bare cheeks, and instead focused her gaze on the ceiling.

  “How are things going in here?”

  Brooke let out a warbling sigh and threw herself dramatically on the couch, veil and all.

  “I can’t believe so much has gone wrong.”

  Elly patted her head. “What’s wrong?”

  “The deejay isn’t here yet…..I don’t think he’s coming!” Elly glanced at the clock. It was still two hours before the ceremony.

  “What time is he supposed to be here?”

  Brooke looked up from her Kleenex. “3:00?”

  “Brooke, its 2:15.”

  “So? He should be early!” Brooke wailed.

  Elly rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he’ll be here. You seem really upset. What is your actual problem?”

  Brooke pointed toward the bathroom. “My mother won’t wear the dress I picked out for her, and the dress she wants to wear is HIDEOUS!”

  Hanging on the bathroom door was a pale lavender dress with an overlay of intricately beaded plum flowers. It was a perfect gown for the mother of the bride. The door swung open, revealing a short, solidly built woman with short, no-nonsense hair. She was smacking her gum loudly.

  “Brooke, honey, I can hear you talking about me. Who is this?” she asked in a flat Western accent.

  “It’s my florist. MOM, just put on the dress!”

  Brooke’s voice was now reaching banshee levels. Her mother’s steely gaze lingered on the hanger.

  “I am not wearing this fancy, expensive, ridiculous dress. I’ll be the laughing stock of my friends. What I’m wearing is just fine.”