The Gang Lords Florist

Chapter 1 My Shop I am on my treadmill in my home gym at 6am on a Wednesday morning in beautiful Seattle. My name is Gabriella Flores and I am 22 Years old. I am running fast as I flash back on all I accomplished to get me to where I am. My Mother died when I was 13 leaving my father to raise me during a time, I needed her the most. My mother was the epitome of a beautiful loving stay at home mom. She radiated kindness and femininity wherever she went. My dad is a car mechanic in Port Angels, and found his passion restoring cars when he could. After my mothers passing my father made it his mission to toughing me up. I would help him around the shop he owned. I spent most of my teenage years in that shop after school, until I turned 16. I found a part time job working at the local flower shop and immediately fell in love with it. Like my mother I absolutely loved being around flowers. Something about them just created this positive feeling. My father would always kid at me that I was like my mother during the daytime and I was like him during the night. Not only did he teach me about cars, but he also taught me how to fight. He had a friend that specialize in mixed martial arts and would come to train with me and dad. I felt like my dark side was unleashed feeling the adrenalin rush through me. It was the perfect outlet for my grief over my mother. I used to cry myself to sleep missing her. Fighting became my second love. In high school I participated in street fighting to satisfy my dark side. I went by the name ‘RED’ as I always painted my lips red for the fight. I earned lots of money to set me and my day up for the next 20 years. I fought both women and men, and almost twice my size. I was undefeated for two years until I found myself in the middle of a gang shootout after one fight. That night made me realize that I had to stop and think about my dad and my future.   After high school, I went to Seattle university double majoring in business management and interior design. I was a nerd in high school allowing me a full academic scholarship. I also found a part time job at wedding floral design studio for experience, I really did not need the money. That is where I meet my best friend Trina. She is the same age as me, but instead of college she just worked at the studio full time.   Now here I am owning my own Floral shop. I have a live/workspace that’s just perfect. My shop has a front retail space for daily purchases and displays, a lounge area for my meetings with clients for floral design on their events, and a workshop area with a large cooler in the back. Upstairs of the shop is where I live. A nice Three-bedroom one bathroom small flat perfect for one, me. I converted one room as a gym to work out my dark side, while another I made my office leaving the last and biggest room mine to sleep in. After finishing my 5 mile run I go to my hanging punching bag and work on my combos. Once the sun beams through my closed blind I feel my dark side soften and the brightness shine through me. I stop my workout and head over to my bathroom to take a shower. I get out and decide to wear skinny jeans, grey ankle boots, and a band t shirt since I did not have any meetings today. I make my way downstairs to my shop and begin to turn on and open shop. I hear the front door bell ring indicating someone passed through the front door.  “Good Morning Gaby! I brought you coffee and a beagle!” Trina greets setting down a white paper back and two coffees on the front checkout counter. Yes Trina does work for me, once I told her that I was opening up my own shop she insisted on working for me. “Good morning Girl! Thanks for the food and coffee!” “No problem, So, do you have the list?” She asked. “Yea its in the back on the worktable” I say “Good I hope they show up early today. I don’t want to keep John and Nina waiting for the flowers for too long today.” John and Nina were our two extra floral designers. We hired them a year ago when Trina and I could not handle the extra workload from the many events I was booking us during the weekends. Me and Trina made a name for ourselves and became one of the top florist in the city. “Good morning loves.” John says. Him being gay he always likes to tease us girls. He was our gentle giant and we loved being around him. He not only had an eye for design and fashion, but he also had the physique of a model. “Hey where is my coffee!” Nina whined as we hear her coming through the front door. We all greet each other before I bring us down to business explaining this week’s events and scheduling. Being the owner and operator of this shop, I get to have full control of business hours. I would close the shop on Monday’s and Tuesday’s for my days off so I could have fun and occasionally visit my dad. This was my life and I loved it. “Good news though… We don’t have anything scheduled on Sunday, so I am closing shop and we all get an extra day off.” I say to them as we close our little huddle. They all light up with excitement and start to plan an outing to the bar. “So you in Gaby?” John asks “Sure, but you better not try to hook me up with anyone like last time.” I point to them. I have never had a boyfriend, thus never experiencing my first kiss. I was not you average girly girl that would crush hard on a hot guy.  “When are you going to give into the pull of attraction? You are a young woman that deserves to be sought after. I mean look at you. You are so beautiful and sexy. You should see the heads you turn walking down the street.” John said motioning his hand up and down my body. I never considered myself beautiful, but I guess my toned hourglass figure, long legs, tan skin, dark burgundy long thick curly hair, and green eyes is sultry looking. “When it comes it comes. I just don’t want to give up what I worked so hard to have.” “Ok but we three are making it our mission to take you out as much as possible because you deserve fun and a guy to cater to you.” Trina states outright. “I am not arguing with you. I am always down for the bar or a club. I know it’s time to venture out more now that I am stable in my life and in the shop.” I say boldly. “Good… maybe we should go to the club on Saturday after our install? That way we have Sunday to recover!” Nina suggests. “Even better! We can get Gaby looking extra sexy, like a huntress on the prowl.” John say as he shimmies his shoulders. “Guys… lets focus on flowers now please, not on me.” I whine. Before they go to say anything else, we hear a knock at the back door indicating our wholesale flower delivery is here. We start to unload the flowers and begin to process them. “Don’t think we are done talking about this weekend missy, we are going shopping Thursday for a perfect clubbing dress.” Trina points to me. I roll my eyes eager to start working. I hope this is going to be a long week because I am already dreading what I agreed to.