Florista
1133 Words
The entire week passed in a blur.
Ever since becoming Adrian Stormfield’s temporary secretary, Elena barely had time to breathe properly anymore.
Meetings.
Schedules.
Business reports.
Conference calls.
Emails.
Every second inside Stormfield Corporations felt carefully calculated.
And Adrian?
He was exhausting to keep up with.
Not because he shouted.
Not because he lost control.
Because he expected perfection naturally.
Without needing to ask for it twice.
Yet strangely…
Elena was adapting.
Faster than she expected.
She memorized Adrian’s schedule within days. She learned how he liked documents organized, which coffee he preferred during meetings, and exactly how quiet the executive floor became whenever he was in a bad mood.
And somehow—
Adrian trusted her work enough to stop checking every small thing she did.
That alone felt terrifying.
By Friday evening, Elena’s body ached from exhaustion.
Still, after office hours ended, she went directly to Florista like always.
The soft scent of flowers greeted her warmly the moment she entered the shop.
Instant relief.
Like finally breathing properly after being underwater all week.
Mrs. Silvy Waynes looked up from arranging roses and smiled immediately.
“There’s my exhausted girl.”
Elena laughed softly while placing her bag behind the counter.
“I look that bad?”
“You look sleep-deprived.”
“That too.”
Mrs. Waynes shook her head before gently fixing a strand of Elena’s hair behind her ear.
“You’re working too hard again.”
Elena smiled faintly.
“I’m okay.”
“No, sweetheart. You’re surviving. That’s different.”
The words hit a little too accurately.
Before Elena could answer, the shop bell above the entrance door rang softly.
A customer walked in.
Then another.
The evening became busy quickly.
For the next hour, Elena helped arrange bouquets, wrap flowers, and manage deliveries while soft music played quietly throughout the little shop.
And slowly—
The stress from Stormfield Corporations disappeared from her shoulders.
Mrs. Waynes noticed immediately.
So did someone else.
Outside Florista, a black luxury car remained parked quietly across the street.
Inside the backseat, Adrian Stormfield looked through the glass windows of the flower shop silently.
Ethan glanced at him once from the front seat.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Adrian had attended an investor meeting nearby only twenty minutes ago.
Yet somehow…
They were now sitting outside a flower shop.
Watching Elena Hart smile.
Inside Florista, Elena laughed softly at something Mrs. Waynes said while arranging white lilies carefully.
The warm yellow lights inside the little shop softened her features beautifully. Her long dark hair rested loosely over one shoulder while her soft smile transformed her entire face into something unexpectedly gentle.
Different.
Very different from the guarded girl sitting silently inside corporate meetings every day.
Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on her.
“She smiles differently here.”
Ethan almost sighed internally.
There it is.
“You noticed that too?” Ethan asked carefully.
Adrian ignored the question completely.
Then suddenly—
A young delivery worker entered the flower shop carrying several flower boxes.
“Evening, Elena.”
The familiarity in the man’s voice immediately caught Adrian’s attention.
Elena smiled warmly.
“Hi, Noah.”
The man grinned while placing the boxes near the counter.
“You missed me this week?”
Mrs. Waynes laughed immediately.
“Don’t flirt while working.”
Noah looked completely unapologetic.
“I’m serious though.”
Elena shook her head while laughing softly again.
And something inside Adrian’s expression darkened instantly.
Interesting.
He didn’t like that.
Not one bit.
Ethan noticed the mood shift immediately.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Without another word, Adrian opened the car door and stepped outside.
Ethan blinked once before quickly following him.
Inside Florista, the small bell rang again as the door opened.
Mrs. Waynes looked up first—
And nearly froze.
The entire flower shop suddenly felt too small for a man like Adrian Stormfield.
His black tailored coat alone probably cost more than the entire monthly earnings of Florista.
Even Noah looked intimidated immediately.
Meanwhile Elena turned around—
And completely froze.
Her breath caught instantly.
Adrian Stormfield stood inside Florista.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Mrs. Waynes recovered first.
“Welcome,” she said politely. “How may we help you?”
Adrian’s gray eyes shifted briefly toward Elena before returning calmly to Mrs. Waynes.
“I need flowers.”
Noah quickly stepped aside.
“Of course, sir.”
Mrs. Waynes glanced between Adrian and Elena once.
Then suddenly smiled very slightly.
“Elena,” she said calmly, “help the gentleman.”
Elena internally panicked.
“Me?”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
Adrian watched the interaction silently.
Sweetheart.
Interesting.
Elena slowly walked toward him while trying not to look nervous.
“What kind of flowers would you like?”
Adrian looked directly at her.
“You choose.”
That somehow felt more dangerous than giving instructions.
Elena swallowed slightly before walking toward the flower shelves.
“What’s the occasion?”
“No occasion.”
Elena glanced back at him briefly.
Most people bought flowers for reasons.
Birthdays.
Anniversaries.
Apologies.
Love.
But Adrian Stormfield stood inside a tiny flower shop asking her to choose flowers without explanation.
Nothing about this felt normal anymore.
After several quiet moments, Elena carefully selected white lilies and dark red roses.
Elegant.
Controlled.
Beautiful.
Just like him.
As she arranged them together carefully, Adrian watched her hands silently.
Gentle hands.
Soft movements.
Completely different from the cold corporate world surrounding him daily.
“You like flowers.”
It wasn’t a question.
Elena nodded softly while tying the bouquet ribbon.
“They make places feel less lonely.”
The answer unexpectedly lingered inside Adrian’s mind.
Less lonely.
For a moment, neither of them spoke again.
Then Noah suddenly returned carrying another delivery box.
“Elena, can you help me with—”
“No.”
The cold interruption stunned everyone slightly.
Adrian’s expression remained unreadable.
“She’s busy.”
The silence afterward felt dangerously heavy.
Even Noah looked confused.
Meanwhile Elena stared at Adrian in complete disbelief.
Because that sounded suspiciously close to possessiveness.
A few moments later, Elena finally handed him the bouquet carefully.
Adrian accepted it without looking away from her.
“How much?”
Mrs. Waynes smiled politely.
“It’s on the house.”
Adrian’s gaze shifted toward her immediately.
“I don’t accept free things.”
Something about those words made Elena look at him differently for a second.
Because somehow—
She understood exactly what he meant.
Adrian paid calmly before turning toward the exit.
But just before leaving—
His eyes moved toward Elena once more.
“Don’t stay too late.”
The words were simple.
Controlled.
Yet strangely personal.
And before Elena could even process them properly—
Adrian Stormfield walked out of Florista carrying flowers she had chosen for him.
- Writer
