Alexandra entered past the open red door of the shop while Daniel followed her from behind and looked around. Roses seemed to be in season even though it's not Valentine's Day. The different variations of it—red, pink, yellow, orange and white are colorfully displayed on each container. Glistens of water can be seen on the petals. Freshly blooms of orchids are also hanging by the windows and close to the ceilings. Lilies of varying colors are put in the corner. Their colors mixed in delight. And as she drew closer to the cashier area, she saw pink tulips only about to bloom below and on the counter beside the cashier.
A bright and cheerful voice greeted her startling Alex by surprise.
"Bright and Sunny Flowers, Good Morning!"
Alex tried to find the voice but no cashier is found.
"Hello?" she greeted back with question.
"Hello. Bright and Sunny Flowers, Good Morning!"
"Where are you?"
A flap of red wings jumped up on the counter machine surprising Alex at sight.
"Oh gee! I didn't know a parrot mans the cashier now," she said looking at Daniel. He only returned her gaze.
The red parrot looked at Alexandra, then at Daniel who was standing behind her. The bird seemed to have recognized him for it said, "Bright and Sunny Flowers, Good Morning Daniel!"
"Hello, Pecko."
"Gotta report." The red bird said and flew past a rectangular open window built above a closed door to the side of the cashier counter. "Daniel's in the shop and a female stranger." The bird said behind the closed door.
Alexandra faced Daniel and looked at him suspiciously.
"The bird knows you," she said wistfully. "This is her shop, isn't it?"
"What's her name, St. Claire?"
"Sarah Kale."
Silence passed between them. Then, the door from the counter side opened and Alex heard a woman's voice.
"Daniel."
It was bright and cheerful. Like the voice of the parrot.
"Sarah."
Daniel said as if mesmerized seeing her.
Alexandra turned quiet observing how the two exchanged with their names.
She waited for the woman to walk past the counter hidden by the woven baskets of tulips and she turned around to face Alex.
Sarah was a beautiful woman. Not simply beautiful but breathtakingly beautiful with face of a young woman whose face features were like that of an exquisite doll. She has long curly bright brown hair secured in deep turquoise headband. Her face is concealed in straight fringes, she has a slim nose and she was wearing red rimmed circular glasses hiding a pair of beautiful deep turquoise eyes. She was wearing a checkered white and sky blue colored top with laced baby collar and puffed long sleeves buttoned to the cuff that matched her knee-long skirt which edges was sewn in laces, too. A white apron covered it and underneath the skirt Alex noticed that Sarah was wearing a white fitting pants where the bottom looped on the arch of the feet concealed by cream bunny shaped fluffy sleepers.
Alex took a step back and looked away or she will gape at her face. Sarah Kale looked ordinary at first look she surmised but there's like a quiet force that made you draw to her more. She looked more like a girl than a young woman. A young doll of a woman. That presence pulled one to her and made one stepped back.
She took another step back. Alex felt Daniel standing beside her. He slid his fingers through hers.
"Sarah, I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Alexandra Jane Diaz."
Sarah studied her for a moment and Alex caught herself staring at Sarah's deep turquoise eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Alex," said Sarah coolly. "You're staring at me."
Sarah crossed her arms.
"Sorry," mumbled Alex. "You just have beautiful eyes."
She admitted with honesty.
Sarah looked at her through half-closed eyes. Then, removed her arms from her chest and took something from her pocket. She gave chocolate kisses each to Alex and Daniel and opened one for herself.
"I usually carry these so when I'm hungry, it's easy to pop in the mouth," she said, opening its wrapper, "so excuse me if I'm going to eat this in front of you two. By the way, thanks for the compliment, Alexandra. I get that a lot," said Sarah impassively, chewing her chocolate.
"I was out in the backyard as there was no customer dropping by. I'm re-planting geraniums in the pot. They have to be delivered tomorrow to Clarissa's home."
"She's a new neighbor in town. Fond of geraniums and bought a dozen so she puts them in her front yard. Her husband Fred is going to get it by tomorrow morning though I said I can deliver it, but that would save me the trouble of delivering it personally."
Sarah chatted talkatively.
"Would you two like refreshments?" asked Sarah, after a moment.
Alex was caught mute by the question. She didn't expect that the supposedly quiet woman at first look could be so talkative.
"Wouldn't that be a bother?" Alex asked back when she finally found her tongue.
"St. Claire just introduced me to his fiancée, you," she said pointedly looking directly at her, "so I should show my courtesy."
"You two can go at the back. Pass through this door. There's a long table there with fairy seats and we can prolong our chat. I'm just going to the kitchen to prepare us refreshments."
Sarah said taking the parrot with her and went back to the door. Alex and Daniel followed suit.
"I didn't know she could be so talkative. I thought she was a quiet one."
Alex said when Sarah disappeared on the staircase before she and Daniel reached the long table with six fairy seats, two placed on the width of the table. She observed more flowery plants were planted on raised columned plots. Six geraniums are potted neatly and six more empty pots are left out to be finished. At the far corner she noticed a net stretched covering the edge of what appeared to be an orchard in the backyard.
"I'm actually keeping my own beehives for fresh honey that's why they're located at the far back corner," said Sarah walking close to them bringing a cold jar of pineapple juice with lemon slices and three glasses. She set them on the table and sat on the nearby head chair.
She looked at Daniel to her right who was also observing her garden yard and said dismissively, "I'd terribly appreciate it Dan if you could get the cookie jar I have on the table and some salad and cupcakes on the fridge."
Daniel looked at Alex sitting across.
"She's going to talk about me so I'm being dismissed."
He said rising from his chair. Sarah rolled her turquoise eyes at him.
"Girls talk, Daniel. Now, shoo."
"I'll take my own sweet time, Sarah doll," said Daniel affectionately retreating and walking towards the stairs.
"Don't eat all the cookies and cupcakes. Save some for Alex and me."
"I won't," he said and disappeared upstairs.
Sarah started the conversation.
"So, how do you find Daniel St. Claire, Alex?"
Alex studied Sarah for any expression of jealousy but the young woman appeared unaffected by her recent relationship with Daniel St. Claire.
"He's okay," Alex said off-handed.
Sarah released a disappointed frown.
"Is that all you have to say about him?" She asked gaping at her for more answers.
Sarah poured the pineapple juice on a glass and gave it to Alex. Then, poured one for herself. She took a sip of it.
"There should be more, right?" Sarah asked persistently.
Alex thought about her conversation with Daniel last night. How his face lighted up talking about his niece.
"He's a sweet uncle."
"Oh, you could say that."
"I'm actually going to do an illustration for a game he's developing for his niece so kid her age can have an easy game play."
"That's cool of you, Alex," said Sarah, pausing, "by the way it's okay to call you Alex, right? Alexandra is a mouthful."
"My dad calls me Alexa," Alex informed Sarah, "but I'm more accustomed to being called Alex. You got a second name, Sarah?"
"Geneva."
"Want me to call you that?" asked Alex with a smile. She took a long drink of the pineapple juice.
"Only my mom called me that when I was a kid, Alex," said Sarah.
She refilled Alex glass.
"She died when I was ten."
"Oh—sorry," mumbled Alex.
"Don't be, silly. It's a long time ago anyway. My Aunt Isabel raised me after her passing. Dad worked overseas so he couldn't take care of me. He remarried when I was fifteen. They're living abroad."
"Hasn't he killed you yet?" asked Sarah with puppy dog eyes. "He can be so quiet at times, I just want to kill him."
Alexandra laughed at her statement.
"Oh, that. Yes. He can be so that you wouldn't know he's actually there."
"I guess that guy loves being invisibly quiet."
"Sarah, are you done talking about me yet?" Daniel's voice boomed airily from the top stairs. "I'm going down now."
"That guy can be such a dope, Alex," said Sarah in a whiny tone. "So, you have to bear that side of him. And he's so helpless in the kitchen."
"Hey, I'm not so helpless in the kitchen. I popped some popcorn. In cheese and caramel flavor."
He said catching the last sentence as he's already walking close towards them. He put the bowl of mixed caramel and cheese popcorn in front of them. He put the bowl of salad next, then put out the different muffins—blueberry, peanut butter, vanilla, chocolate and carrot cupcake. Then, lastly, the plate of chocolate cookies.
They ate while exchanging conversations about the latest news or gossiping about celebrity news or simply chatting about shops.
Sarah got up from her seat.
"Don't leave yet," said Sarah all of a sudden. "Let's have ice cream before you two go. It'd be quick."
So, after Sarah returned back to the table, this time carrying Pecko the parrot which ate the remaining popcorn from the bowl, the trio enjoyed the mixed flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream that Sarah created herself on her past time because she prefer healthier food and considered them healthier when it's made by her.
"By the way, Alex which flower would you like to order for your engagement party?"
Alex threw back the question at Sarah.
"What flower would you like to have on your engagement party?"
Sarah looked at her confused but shot her an honest answer.
"I'll say the pink tulips. They have the serenity and beauty for an auspicious occasion."
"Then, I'll order a bouquet for the Friday event," agreed Alex.
"As you say so, Alexandra."
"You're the flower expert, Sarah."
As Alex and Daniel were leaving the door, Sarah tugged her hand at Daniel's wrist. Daniel stopped and looked at her. Sarah was smiling at him though he couldn't trace if it was sadness or if she was just being wistful.
"Thanks for getting over me now, Dan." She said with a light tone.
Daniel looked annoyed at her statement.
"Join us on Friday. You're welcome to enjoy my engagement party."
He said with tensed jaws, not looking at her anymore.