"Rana, why are you once again receiving flowers from Ethos?" Ethiara asked as she came from the hallway holding a bouquet of fresh flowers in her hands. She just met a flower delivery guy on her way out for work walking by the gate when she was stopped by the guy.
It's the third day Rana had been receiving flower deliveries from Ethos. Anisa was the one who received them in the first two days but unfortunately this morning it was Ethiara who had to face the delivery guy.
She stretched her hands giving it to Rana who had just come down from her room to take her breakfast. Rana took it from her and found the nearest vase in their living area and took it with her in the kitchen to put water in it.
Ethiara followed her in the kitchen and watched her in the sink.
"Is he courting you again?" Ethiara asked with a raised brow.
Rana continued what she was doing and replied to her.
"I don't know. Maybe."
She said with a noncommittal reply.
Ethiara crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
"Ethos is clearly against you marrying Enos. What do you have to say about it?"
Rana filled water in the vase after cleaning it and put the bouquet of yellow tulips in it.
They walked back to the dining room.
"Isn't he supposed to be over you?" asked Ethiara. "Maybe this is another bout of his phase of wanting to win against Enos this time."
"Are you jealous, sister?" Rana asked Ethiara directly.
Ethiara looked at her with scrutinizing eyes.
"Look, I love Ethos and he can send you endless flower delivery as much as he wants. I don't care at all," Ethiara said reasonably. "He doesn't feel anything towards me so even if I honestly admit to you that I'm jealous with him bringing you flowers, Enara, it won't make sense anyway."
Rana shrugged her shoulders at her reply.
"Will you give up on him when he goes seriously for me this time?" Rana asked with a pensive tone in her voice.
Ethiara released a strangled sigh.
"I know you love him, sister—"
Rana started but she was cut off by Ethiara.
"Loving him doesn't mean he's going to love me back, Enara," said Ethiara in a defeated voice. She looked at her watch. "I'm going to work. I'll talk to you later."
Ethiara said in a rush.
"By the way, you said that you plan on opening a furniture shop in the city. Are you going out later to check where you're going to open your shop?" she asked Rana.
"Yeah, I'm doing that."
"Then, I'll see you later. I'll try to come over to that place you decided to go for."
"I'll see you later then, Ethiara."
Rana said bidding farewell to her sister.
Ethiara left the room and went out of the house to go to work. She worked in the Council. She is the chief senior head of the Wise Council of Lunara.
Rana pulled a chair in front of the table and had her breakfast. After she ate, she went to bathe and changed her clothes to go out.
Rana was on her way out of the house when Shane appeared at their gate.
"I see you're going out."
He said as he approached her.
"I am," Enara replied as she walked past the gate. "I'm going to the city to visit the place I'm planning to open my furniture shop in."
"I'll go with you then, Ran."
Shane said easily and followed her out.
They walked to the center of the city. It was just a nearby walking distance. A twenty-minute walk at most to reach the center.
"Have you found where you're going to buy the furniture to display in your shop?"
Shane inquired her.
"We'll go and see where they are made but I have to check and see the location first."
People crowded in the streets walking and passing by doing their whereabouts. Shane and Rana kept their stride until they reached Center Street where all stores for almost everything were sold. In a far-end corner of the street, they went to a store glass window and entered a brown oak door.
A pair of white sofa and a big white sofa was placed across the room under a mosaic gray carpet. A beautiful wintry landscape picture in golden frames hanged on its cream wall.
They went in and sat on the two white metal chairs with a cream cushion placed in front of a white birch wood desk to the side of the room. No person was in sight so they waited until the white door to the side behind the desk opened and a woman in a dark navy dress with black hair twisted at the back of her head wearing black-rimmed glasses came in.
"Hello, I'm Sherida. Welcome to Oak Bridges. How can I help you?"
The woman asked in a pleasant voice.
Rana and Shane waited for the woman to sit down in front of them before Rana spoke to inquire.
"Hi, Sherida. I'm Enara. I've been to this place once. I come here to ask about the open space next door that is for lease," said Enara explaining herself. "I want to know if it's still open and if I can get that space to be my furniture shop."
"Give me a second, Enara, and let me check about it."
The woman checked her book for the inquiry. Then, she lifted her eyes back to Rana.
"The one you inquired about has been taken last week. I'm sorry. A man who will be selling knives and all sorts of kitchen wares have taken the next-door space but don't worry," she said informing Rana.
Sherida's face brightened as she flipped the next page of her file.
"The space after next door is not taken and you can check it. It's built the same size as the previous door. Plus, it has a second floor that you can use, too."
"Okay. We can check that."
Rana agreed immediately.
Sherida took the keys from one of the drawers of her desk and stood up. Shane and Rana rose from their seats, too.
"Then, let's go check the place."
Sherida went ahead to the door and opened it. Shane and Rana followed and they passed the space next door, an empty glass window space though they were able to see a bit had been added to its inside. A counter was built to the back though plastics hang above the wall. They continued walking and walked past the next glass window. The window store was framed in brown oak varnished wood. They stopped before a brown oak wood door built with a rectangular glass window.
Sherida put the key in the brass knob and with a soft click, opened the door.
"This is it."
She said as her heels clicked on the gray floor. They entered the room. Rana looked around it.
The place was big enough for her to put the chairs and tables and maybe some floor lamps on the first floor, she thought. The walls were painted white but she can change its color to cream or coffee.
"It will do."
Rana said as she looked at the space.
"Let's go to the second floor."
Sherida said as she led them on the brightly varnished wooden stairs. Rana and Shane checked the room.
"The room here has a good space."
Shane observed though he wondered what Rana will put on the second floor. The last time he entered her shop, he only managed to see the first floor of the shop as Katarina bought a red vintage necklace out of whim for their engagement announcement then.
" You think so?" She asked seeking his approval.
Rana looked around the room.
Just like the first floor, its walls were also painted in white. A large glass wall window was built in front of the room that gave the room good lighting.
Rana thought she can put dining tables and dining chairs and maybe hang watercolor paintings to display in the second-floor room. Her mind was already washed with ideas. She couldn't wait to get her shop started.
Rana clapped her hand and whirled around the room.
"This will do, Sherida," she said enthusiastically to the woman. "I'll take the lease."
"Alright, then. That's great to hear from you, Enara" Sherida replied showing her enthusiasm. "Let's return to the office and let me prepare the lease contract to your future furniture store."
Sherida smiled at her.
They went back down to the first floor. As they were about to leave the space, Rana saw Ethos and Ethiara from the glass window. They saw her, too, and entered the room.
"So, is this the place, sis?"
Ethiara asked as she looked around the room.
"It doesn't have enough light," said Ethos looking about the room.
"We can fix that."
Rana said at once.
"I'm planning to change the color of the walls, too."
She added looking at him.
Ethos just looked at her in silence.
"Well, at least you finally found the place, Enara."
Ethiara said with a bright smile on her face looking at her little sister.
"Have you found where you're going to get the furniture from?"
Ethos asked her.
"We're just about to go and see where," said Rana and admitted. "Though I don't know anyone who makes them Shane will help me look around and find furniture makers."
"I can help you, Enara," offered Ethos. "I have some friends who make them and know who makes them."
Rana's eyes brightened.
"You do?" she asked eagerly. "That would be a lot of help."
Sherida went to the door and they all followed her. They went out of the place and they went back with her inside the first door of the building.
Sherida went to sit while Rana sat from across her. Shane, Ethos, and Ethiara took the white sofa and lounge sofa on the other side of the room.
"I'll draft your lease contract, Enara," she informed her. "Come back after tomorrow to get it."
"Okay. Thanks for your help, Sherida."
Rana rose from the chair.
"See you the day after tomorrow."
She said as the three joined her and they left the place.
The next day Rana directly received flowers from both Ethos and Shane. Shane brought her wildflowers from the wildflower field while Ethos gave her a bouquet of fresh white lilies. They went to her house to get her so they can visit the furniture makers.
"Ethos, Shane," said Rana feeling hesitant for the first time as she greeted the two men in her house. Something must have happened between the brothers back at home, she thought as she observed the unspoken tension between the two.
"Ethos, Enos. Wonderful to see you two together," said Amara who saw the brothers by the doorway talking to her daughter.
"Come in, you two."
She went beside Rana and let the two men enter the hallway. She noticed the two bouquets Rana was holding.
"Enara, you have two suitors?" she asked uncertainly as they walked to the living room. "I thought you're marrying Enos?"
Rana hesitated to answer but she gave her mom a reply.
"It's rather complicated, mom," she said trying not to sigh in front of her mother.
"Ethos hasn't approved me of marrying Enos so he's doing this."
She briefly explained.
"Why doesn't he just court Ethiara and move on from you, dear?" her mom asked mildly.
"Mom, don't tell him that," said Rana in a low voice. "That will anger him."
"But you don't love him, do you?" her mother asked her quizzically boring her eyes on her daughter. "Unless…"
Rana touched her mother's hand as they went into the living room. The men sat down on the olive-colored sofa. She turned to her mother.
"Mom, they're going to help me find furniture makers for my shop."
She turned to the two men.
"Give me five minutes, will you? I'll change my dress quick," she said and hurried to her room.
After five minutes, Rana went down and re-entered the room while Shane and Ethos were chatting with her mother, Amara.
"I'm ready. We can go now."
She said looking at them.
Ethos looked at her with his deep chocolate eyes. He opened his mouth.
"By the way, Enara, Shane acceded me to court you. If you choose me over him, you two aren't getting married."
He said in a serious tone.