Every Rose Has Its Thorns

The day of her brother's wedding, Jo was running late. The maid of honor for her sister-to-be, she ran through the grocery store, hair and makeup done, her bridesmaid's dress gathered in her hands as she picked through what was left of the day's flowers. Panic began to gather in her chest. Nothing but a pathetic bunch of baby's breath and chrysanthemums remained in the white florist buckets. Nothing fit for a wedding. She took a deep breath, thinking through her options. Her phone rang and she answered it quickly.         "Hi. Yes a dozen pink roses, no problem at all...No don't worry, give me ten minutes, everything is going to be perfect," Jo's voice was calm and steady but her face was panicked. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around in surprise. A man stood in front of her - tall, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to cut right through her. She held his gaze, steadily, speaking into the phone, "I've got to go, ten minutes and I'm there."           "Didn't mean to scare you," his voice was deep and sent an indescribable chill down Jo's spine. "I overheard your conversation on the phone. Looks like you could use these more than me." He held out a bouquet of one dozen pink roses.          Jo gasped, taking the bouquet in her hands. A wide smile broke across her face and when she looked back up at the man, a small fire seemed to burn behind his eyes.          "Your a life savor! This has to be the last bunch of pink roses in San Francisco," Jo said. "I'm Jo." She held out her hand.         "Jo?" he said, shaking her hand, his eyes sparkling in amusement.          "Short for Joyce," she replied.         "You can call me Jack. Somebody getting married, Jo?" he asked. Jo looked at him confused. "Your dress, the flowers," he said, gesturing to her outfit. Jo looked down at herself and began laughing.        "My brother. I'm the maid-of-honor so when the florist never showed I ran out to buy flowers for the bouquet and, nothing! My sister-in-law, she adores pink roses, you've really saved the day, Jack, thank you." Jo beamed at him as she hurried to the cash register.          "They're already paid for," he called after her. She stopped and looked at him in surprise. "Consider it my gift for the happy couple," he said.          "Thank you!" Jo looked at her phone as it rang again, answering as she turned to run out the door. "Hi, just a minute...Thanks again, Jack, I don't know what I would have done without you...yes I'm on my way, roses in hand." Jo ran out the door, a whirlwind of flowers, her dress still bunched in her hand as she waved down a taxi and disappeared down the street.  What Jo didn't know is that something sinister stirred in her shadow that day. Jack watched her disappear, drinking in every detail of her. "You won't be without me for very long, sweet Jo."