The Mystery woman
900 Words
Emma paced back and forth in her shop, phone in hand, trying to come up with the perfect text message to send to Elliot Mitchell.
"Hey there! This is Emma from Bloom & Co. Just wanted to check—who were the flowers meant for?"
She frowned. "Too stiff." She deleted it and tried again.
"Hi Elliot! I’m Emma, the florist handling your order. Just a small mix-up—who should I deliver your flowers to? Thanks! :)"
She nodded. That was friendly, professional, and got to the point.
"Alright, message sent," she muttered.
Claire, watching from behind the counter with a mischievous glint in her eye, smirked. "You texted him? Why not just call?"
Emma shot her a look. "Because it’s 2025, and normal people don’t call strangers unless it’s an emergency."
Claire shrugged. "Fair enough. But I hope he answers soon. I can’t handle the suspense."
Emma sighed, placing her phone on the counter. "Me neither. I just want to fix this mess and—"
Ding!
Her phone screen lit up. Elliot had replied already.
"Hey, Emma! Thanks for reaching out. The flowers were for Charlotte."
Emma’s eyebrows lifted.
"Charlotte," she said aloud.
Claire gasped. "Who is Charlotte?"
Emma quickly typed back, "Great! And where should I send them?"
A moment later, the dots appeared as Elliot typed.
"That’s the tricky part. Charlotte and I broke up two weeks ago."
Emma stared at the message.
"Oh, come on," she groaned.
Claire burst out laughing. "This just keeps getting better."
Emma exhaled and typed back, "I see… so do you still want the flowers delivered?"
Elliot responded almost immediately.
"Honestly? I don’t know. I ordered them before we split, but now I’m not sure if it’s a good idea."
Emma tapped her fingers against the counter. "Okay, so he did mean to send the flowers, but now he’s second-guessing it."
Claire leaned in. "Text back and say yes, obviously, because flowers are always a good idea."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, let me just overstep and make decisions for my customer."
Instead, she typed, "Totally understandable. If you change your mind, let me know—I’d be happy to send them along."
Elliot’s response was quick.
"Thanks, Emma. I’ll think about it."
Emma sighed and set her phone down. "Well, that’s that. Now it’s up to Elliot."
Claire rested her chin in her hand. "So… do we think this Charlotte girl is the one that got away? Or do we think she dumped him and now he’s debating a grand romantic gesture?"
Emma shrugged. "No clue. But I do know I’m officially out of this mess now."
Or so she thought.
**An Unexpected Visit**
The bell above the shop door chimed.
"Welcome to Bloom & Co.—" Emma started, then stopped short.
Ryan Mitchell.
Again.
He stood in the doorway, looking just as sharp in his tailored suit, but this time, his arms were crossed.
Emma sighed dramatically. "You have got to stop showing up here. People are going to think you like me."
Claire snorted from behind the counter.
Ryan gave her an unamused look. "Trust me, this is not a social visit."
Emma put a hand over her heart. "Ouch. You could at least pretend to enjoy my company."
Ryan ignored that. "Did you get in touch with Elliot?"
Emma nodded. "Yep. He told me the flowers were for someone named Charlotte. But—and here’s the fun part—he and Charlotte broke up two weeks ago."
Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course they did."
Claire whispered, "This family has drama."
Ryan ignored her. "So what’s the plan?"
Emma shrugged. "I told Elliot to let me know if he still wants the flowers sent. If not, I’ll refund the order."
Ryan frowned. "And in the meantime?"
"In the meantime, you stop worrying about flowers and go back to whatever serious business things you were doing before I derailed your entire week."
Ryan studied her for a moment. "I don’t worry about flowers."
Emma smirked. "Sure, Mr. Mitchell."
Ryan exhaled. "Just keep me updated. If Elliot decides to send them, let me know before you deliver them. I don’t need any more surprises."
Emma gave him a mock salute. "Aye, aye, captain."
Ryan muttered something under his breath and turned to leave.
Just before he stepped out the door, Emma called after him. "Hey, Ryan?"
He turned, looking mildly irritated.
"Did you ever consider that maybe Elliot wants to fix things with Charlotte? Maybe sending flowers is the right move."
Ryan’s jaw tightened. "Or maybe it’s a waste of time."
Emma tilted her head. "You don’t believe in second chances?"
Ryan’s gaze held hers for a moment, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. Then he simply said, "Not really," and walked out.
Emma watched him go, a strange feeling settling in her chest.
Claire leaned against the counter, smirking. "Oh, honey. You are in trouble."
Emma blinked. "What? No, I’m not."
Claire grinned. "You totally are. You’re intrigued by him."
Emma scoffed. "Please. He’s a control freak. The human embodiment of a ‘no fun allowed’ sign. So not my type."
Claire hummed. "Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that."
Emma groaned, rubbing her temples.
First, the flower mix-up. Then the mystery of Charlotte. And somehow, she was stuck dealing with Ryan Mitchell.
This was not how she’d expected her week to go.
---
- Writer
