Hidden Truths

Chapter 2: Fifty Dollars?

Rachel’s POV

“How long have you owned this shop?” He asked with a firm voice.

After ignoring me God knows how long, he really decides to ask me this?

“You don’t expect me to answer that now do you?” I said as I folded my arms.

He looked at me like I had offended him.

He just continued walking around the store until he stopped in front of another display.

My eyes were fixed on him the entire time. There was something about him that felt…off, I just couldn’t pin what it was exactly.

His gaze lowered unto a fresh bouquet of red roses.

He lifted them up and took a sniff.

“That one costs eight dollars.” I said while still looking at him.

“I didn’t ask” He replied.

I frowned.

“Well, you don’t have to be rude about it Mr. Firefighter.”

“I’m not being rude…” He dropped the bouquet back on the shelf.

“And my name isn’t Mr. Firefighter, It’s John. If you wanted to know my name so badly, you could’ve just asked.”

The nerve of this man.

I took a slow breath. I wouldn’t let an annoying stranger ruin my day.

“Look, If you have nothing to buy here, kindly leave my store… I have other important things to do with my time.” I said sternly.

He looked round the store one more time and immediately fixed his gaze on the old flower pot I found earlier.

He gave it a puzzled look like he was trying to remember something.

“That one… how much does it cost” He pointed to the flower pot.

“Are sure about that one?” I asked confused.

Because out of every bouquet… Every vase… Every arrangement in the shop.

He wanted the one thing that no one ever looked at when they came into the shop.

“Please… Just tell me the price.”

He looked uneasy, like he wouldn’t survive if he didn’t get that particular flower pot.

“Well if you really want it, you can have it…” I glanced at the flower pot and back at him.

“It’s been in this shop for so long that I can’t really attach a price to it.”

Without hesitating, he walked towards the flower pot, picked it up and walked to the counter where I had been standing.

He reached into his wallet.

“I’ll pay fifty” he said and placed a fifty dollar note on the counter.

“NO, that’s far too much… I can’t accept it.”

“Well, suit yourself” He said and carried the flower pot, leaving behind the fifty dollar note.

“Have a nice day.” He said again without turning back.

Before I could react, he had already disappeared through the door and all I heard was the sound of the bell above the door.

“What a strange man.” I muttered.

DING DING

The bell rang again.

“Oh God, please let it not be another weird customer.” I prayed.

Instead…

It was a familiar voice.

“Good Afternoon boss!”

I looked up just in time to see Anya walking in with a cheerful smile on her face.

She was holding her handbag on one hand and a coffee tray with a small white paper bag on the other hand.

“You’re late again.” I said, trying to sound annoyed even though it wasn’t working.

“I know, I know.”

She placed the coffee tray and paper bag down on the counter.

“I just had to get you these” She said as She opened the bag and brought out a packet of chocolate chip cookies.

I gasped.

“No wayyy.”

“Yup, your favorites…”

She barely even finished her sentence before I stuffed the cookies into my mouth.

She burst into laughter.

“Someone must be really hungry.”

I finished chewing before speaking.

“You have no idea”

Then I grabbed one of the coffee cups.

“You literally just saved me.”

She placed her right hand dramatically on her chest.

“Call me Superwoman then.”

We both laughed.

I really don’t know what I’d do without Anya.

She truly is a breath of fresh air, I could be having the worst day ever and just one interaction with her would change everything for the better.

Anya took a sip of her coffee before focusing her eyes on me.

“What?” I asked.

“What do mean ‘what’?”

“You’re literally staring at me.”

She pointed her coffee cup towards my legs and strained her eyes.

“You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“The thing where you repeatedly tap your foot on the floor.”

I didn’t even realize I was doing it until she mentioned.

I stopped immediately.

“Oh.”

“Something is clearly on your mind, Rachel.”

“You know me too well.”

“Of course I do.”

She folded her arms.

“Now, tell me what happened.”

I hesitated, then took a quick glance at the door.

“I just had the strangest customer walk in here like two minutes ago.”

Her eyes shot up.

“REALLY?… Stranger than the man who tried to get a refund from the flowers he bought because the girl he asked out told him ‘No’?”

I burst into laughter.

“Definitely stranger.”

“Oh, I have to hear this”

She leaned against the counter completely invested in what I had to say.

“So… what’s the tea?”

I took another sip from my coffee before answering.

“A firefighter came in.”

“Firefighter?”

I nodded.

“He ignored me for almost five minutes.”

“He just ignored you?”

“Completely.”

Anya’s face changed into a frown.

“Well, that’s rude of him”

“I know right?”

“He kept walking around the shop and scanning every corner like he was looking for something.”

“But he never told me what it was.”

“And then…”

I pointed to the shelf where the old flower pot used to be.

“He bought that flower pot”

“Wait, you mean the old dusty one that has been sitting there forever?”

“Yes, that very one.”

She blinked twice.

“ But why?”

“I wish I knew.”

I shrugged.

“And that’s not even the strange part.”

“ Wait… there’s more?”

“Yup.” I said as I reached into the cash register and pulled out the fifty dollar bill he left.

“He left this.”

Anya’s eyes widened.

“Fifty dollars for that old pot?”

“I would have happily given the pot away for free too.”

She stared at the note.

“Well… looks like today was your luckiest sale yet.”

“I guess… But there was just something about him weird about him.”

“I mean, the first thing he asked me was ‘how long have you owned this shop’ after ignoring me for minutes. ”

Anya shrugged with a faint smile.

“Hmm… maybe he was just having a bad day.”

“Not everyone who walks into this shop is going to be as nice as you.”

I giggled.

An awkward silence followed and the shop became quiet again.

None of us said anything for a few seconds.

The only sound there was from the faint music playing from an old radio behind the counter.

Anya looked around the shop for some time.

Then, she slowly walked towards one of the empty vases sitting on the shelf.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

She picked up the vase and held it towards the light.

“Helping.”

I frowned.

“You know you really don’t have to… I didn’t ask for help.”

“Good thing I didn’t ask for permission then.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

She placed the vase gently back on the shelf before reaching for a stack of wrapping paper that had become slightly rough.

“You’ve been busy today”. she said while neatly refolding the wrapping papers.

“More than I expected.”

“And yet...” She glanced at the overflowing bin beside the counter. “You still haven’t taken out the trash.”

“I was getting to it.”

“Mhmm sure, I believe you.” She replied sarcastically.

I chuckled.

Just as she finished arranging the wrapping papers, she proceeded to pick up a pair of scissors beside the shelf.

I watched her as she carefully used it to trim the stems of a few white roses.

“You know…” I said. “You don’t have to come here every single day.”

She didn’t even look up.

“And let you run this place all by yourself?… Never!”

“I’ve been doing just fine.”

She laughed.

“Rachel… You’ve had coffee for lunch four days in a row.”

I just froze there.

“You’ve really been keeping count?”

“Yes, I have.”

“That’s creepy.”

“Nope, It’s called ‘caring’.”

I sighed dramatically.

“Anyways, enough about me.”

“How’s your dad?”

Anya let out a little sigh.

“Same old dad.”

“He still refuses to let anyone fix things around the house.”

I laughed.

“He still thinks he can’t do everything by himself?”

“He thinks he’s still twenty-five.”

We both laughed.

“Yesterday, he almost climbed onto the roof trying to fix the broken chimney.”

I looked at her surprised.

“What? You’re Joking.”

“I wish I was.”

“He said hiring someone would be a waste of money.”

I shook my head.

“One day, he’s gonna give you a heart attack.”

“Tell me about it.”

Anya looked at me, her eyes softened.

“What about your mum?.. How’s her health?”

“She’s been taking her meds regularly, so she’s fine.”

“She actually called earlier.” I added.

“Oh?”

“To remind me about the storm.”

Anya rolled her eyes.

“Storm this, storm that… Every year they warn us about a ‘storm’, would it ever end?”

“I know right? I said the exact same thing.”

“My mum made me promise to close the shop early if the weather gets bad.”

She laughed.

“Will you?”

I shrugged.

“If customers keep coming…”

“Maybe not.”

“Rachel!”

“What?”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“I’ve been told.”

She laughed.

Ten minutes later,

DING DING

The bell rang once more.

And this time, an elderly man walked through the door.

He took a quick look around the store before smiling.

“Hello.” He said cheerfully.

My face suddenly brightened.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?”

Anya whispers…

“Look who suddenly has energy.”

I elbow her lightly.

“I am looking for flowers for my granddaughter, today is her graduation.”

“Oh! Then you are in the right place.” I said with a smile.

“Here, these should fit the occasion just right”. I said while lifting a bouquet of bright sunflowers.

“Lovely.” said the elderly man.

Anya quickly retrieves the bouquet from my arms and wraps it in brown paper.

“Congratulations to your granddaughter, sir.” She said while handing the bouquet to him.

“Thank you very much.” He said and proceeded to make payment.

He smiles at both Anya and I standing by the counter.

“You two make a great team.”

I look at Anya.

“We’ve been told that before.”

I noticed her smiling a little.

“Have a nice day, sir.” Anya says as she waves at him.

“You too, dear.” He replies and makes his way out of the shop.

I glance at the wall clock.

“Already six?”

Anya streches and yawns dramatically.

“My feet are officially protesting.”

I laughed

“Drama queen.”

“Uhmm… I prefer the term exhausted princess.”

I walked to the front door and flipped the sign from OPEN TO CLOSED.

I return back to the counter and start tidying up.

Anya joins me shortly.

I count the money in the register while Anya refills the watering can and sweeps the petals from the floor.

We just joke around and chat about random things while cleaning.

I find myself staring at the shelf where the old flower pot used to sit.

Anya must have noticed because it didn’t take long for her to snap me out of my thoughts.

“You’re thinking about him again aren’t you?”

“Not him, I’m thinking about the flower pot.”

“mhmm.”

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

“It just feels odd.”

Anya looks over to the shelf.

“Don’t worry, it’ll feel normal tomorrow.”

I nod.

“Yeah… Probably.”

We eventually finish cleaning and we make our way outside the shop.

Anya just watches me and smiles as I lock the door.

We start walking across the street together. The setting sun paints the entire street orange, giving us a beautiful view.

We finally stopped at the junction which meant we now had to our separate ways.

“Same time, tomorrow?”

I smile.

“If you aren’t late.”

“Hey I was only twelve minutes late today.”

“Wow, I should probably give you an award for that.”

“You really should.”

We both laugh as we hug ourselves goodbye.

“Bye, boss!” she said as she waved at me.

I shook my head and chuckled a bit.

“Goodbye, Anya.” I waved back.

I just stood there, watching her walk away before turning in the opposite direction to continue my own journey home.