He made love to her that night, and held her close. The sun rose too abruptly, and the glare from the three-carat ring blinded Gerald. “Probably should’ve gone for something smaller.”

Kim elbowed him. “You could’ve gone for something bigger.” She teased.

He pulled her tighter, and grabbed her side.

Kim squealed, “Ge!”

“So what time do you have to be in today?”

“I think it’s only fair the boss and newly engaged takes a day off. I don’t want to move,” she sighed sated. “I just want to stay here forever.”

“Well, let me ask the owners.” He said. “Ms. Do you mind if we stayed here?” He looked at her from behind.

Kim raised her eyebrows. “What?”

“Well, my beautiful fiancée!” He loudly kissed her cheek. “Would like to stay here forever, and I was wondering if we could.”

She pushed his hands off and stared at him with wide eyes. “Shut up!”A smile crossed his lips and she covered . “Shut up, shut up, shut up! Are you kidding me!?”

“I signed off the papers yesterday, and all that’s needed is yours.”

“You bought this house? Gerald….”

He grabbed her hands and kissed her. “I didn’t buy this house. We bought this house. This is ours.”

“You are…unbelievable.” Kim slipped her legs underneath her, cupped his face and stared at him. “What did I do to deserve you? Deserve all of this?”

“Well, you could sleep with me again, again and again.” He laughed.

“I’m serious,” she said. “What you did last night. That video.” She looked out the window and knew her Dad was watching her. Her breath caught in and she quietly sobbed.

“Hey,” he cooed, tipping her chin up making her meet his gaze. “Your dad told me to show you that video when I was ready to marry you. And it worked. You said yes. He wants you happy, and I promised him that I would make you happy.”

“Thank you.” She whispered. “Not just for showing the video, or knowing exactly what I needed. A thank you doesn’t even fit for what I feel.”

He wiped her tear that teetered down her cheek and grabbed her. “I promise you that we will be happy. And I promise you that I will love you today, tomorrow, and everyday after that because there’s absolutely no one else for me. You make us click,” he told her. “You listen to me, and you hear me, and by just one look at you I fall in love all over again. Don’t ever doubt it.”

Kim smiled, and kissed him. “You keep talking like that, we’ll never leave this bed.” She laughed, pushing him down and crawling on top of him.

“Then I guess I need more lines.” He chuckled.

Gerald drove her to the shop midday and walked her inside. Monica was dealing with a customer when they walked in, and when Gerald had a smile of an elephant on his face, she winked at him.

The shop was a little more busy than usual, and Kim went straight to the back, placed her things on the table and walked back to the main showroom and helped Monica. On the other hand, Gerald walked to the front and watched her work.

It was something he never did, he noticed. Just sitting there at her desk, watching her talk flowers with everyone, smiling, being courteous. She was so passionate, so knowledgeable. She walked from corner to corner to find the exact one customers wanted, and then she’d hit the next. She made reasonable suggestions that only made everyone gasp and smile. She made a difference, he realized. With such a small gesture, she made a difference.

There was non-stop line up for a couple of hours straight. One person left the store, and five would enter. It was just passing five in the evening, and Monica continued working with more of the customers, and Kim went to Gerald at her desk. “Hey. Sorry about that. I didn’t know it’d get this busy.”

He pulled her onto his lap and shrugged. “I guess it was a good idea that I dragged you out of bed then. And it’s okay, because while you were doing your work, I was doing mine.”

He pushed a couple of sketches towards her view. “Wow, you did all of this?”

“This shop was way too small for today, and it could only get busier and busier during the holiday seasons, Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day?”

She nodded, “The good thing about flowers is that there isn’t an off season. I really like this though.” She said staring at the plans.

“I was watching you today.”

“What?”

“I watched you today, working. I’ve never done that.”

Kim shifted uncomfortably. “Well good, it’s a little creepy.”

“You know you smile to everyone?” He asked.

Kim laughed, “Yeah, it’s called customer service. What’s your point?”

“It’s fascinating.”

“Smiling?”

“No, to see what you do. It’s more than selling plants and pretty roses. It’s…”

“Life.” She finished. “Every flower, plant, arrangement that leaves this shop becomes a part of someone’s important event. Whether it’s a wedding, or a funeral, or a party for your boss, or even if it’s just to look at on your dining room table, it’s a part of your life.”

“And now it’s a part of mine.” He smiled.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I got compliments on my engagement ring. Says he’s a lucky guy,” she smiled.

Monica slipped in the back room and grabbed her Polaroid and started snapping photos.

Kim turned and shielded her eyes from the blinding flashes. "Cut it out," Kim complained.

"And look at the size of that rock. You did good," she focused on Gerald's glow. Apparently, love suited him. "So it worked. You're engaged. I knew it'd work."

"Knew what would work?"

"Come on, you really think Gerald could come up with something as romantic as that?" She pointed to herself all smug and proud.

Kim directed her eyes at Gerald who simply shrugged. "If I told the usual crowd, the secret wouldn't be a secret, and I needed you to be surprised."

"And come on now. We need photos for the scrapbook. Smile! Happy. You just got engaged." Flash, flash, flash. Shutter, shutter, shutter shutter. "You guys are too cute together, it puts everyone to shame."

"Okay, I got to go. I have a late meeting on-site.” He pushed her up, and smiled at her. “See you tonight?”

Before Kim answered, she turned to find Monica swooning in the corner. “Don’t you have anything else better to do?”

“And miss this?” Kim glared at her friend and coworker.

“I guess there’s a couple of fake papers conjure up.”

Kim smiled, and wrapped her arms around her new fiancé. It was weird. Fiancé. “I better see you tonight.” She whispered, her breath hot against his.

“Is that a threat?” His smile widening.

“Let’s just say that there’ll be consequences if you’re late.” She pressed against him, and really kissed him.

His beeper went off. “Oh, I got to go. Or we’d have to kick out Monica and close down the store.  But I will see you tonight. Five minutes early.”

She laughed when he pecked her cheek and ran out the store.

“Is it clear?” Monica stepped out and saw Kim flush.

“I’m engaged.” She said, her eyes watering.

“Oh, sweetie. Come here,” Monica walked on over and hugged her friend. “I better have a part in your speech.” Monica laughed.

He made love to her that night, and held her close. The sun rose too abruptly, and the glare from the three-carat ring blinded Gerald. “Probably should’ve gone for something smaller.”

Kim elbowed him. “You could’ve gone for something bigger.” She teased.

He pulled her tighter, and grabbed her side.

Kim squealed, “Ge!”

“So what time do you have to be in today?”

“I think it’s only fair the boss and newly engaged takes a day off. I don’t want to move,” she sighed sated. “I just want to stay here forever.”

“Well, let me ask the owners.” He said. “Ms. Do you mind if we stayed here?” He looked at her from behind.

Kim raised her eyebrows. “What?”

“Well, my beautiful fiancée!” He loudly kissed her cheek. “Would like to stay here forever, and I was wondering if we could.”

She pushed his hands off and stared at him with wide eyes. “Shut up!”A smile crossed his lips and she covered . “Shut up, shut up, shut up! Are you kidding me!?”

“I signed off the papers yesterday, and all that’s needed is yours.”

“You bought this house? Gerald….”

He grabbed her hands and kissed her. “I didn’t buy this house. We bought this house. This is ours.”

“You are…unbelievable.” Kim slipped her legs underneath her, cupped his face and stared at him. “What did I do to deserve you? Deserve all of this?”

“Well, you could sleep with me again, again and again.” He laughed.

“I’m serious,” she said. “What you did last night. That video.” She looked out the window and knew her Dad was watching her. Her breath caught in and she quietly sobbed.

“Hey,” he cooed, tipping her chin up making her meet his gaze. “Your dad told me to show you that video when I was ready to marry you. And it worked. You said yes. He wants you happy, and I promised him that I would make you happy.”

“Thank you.” She whispered. “Not just for showing the video, or knowing exactly what I needed. A thank you doesn’t even fit for what I feel.”

He wiped her tear that teetered down her cheek and grabbed her. “I promise you that we will be happy. And I promise you that I will love you today, tomorrow, and everyday after that because there’s absolutely no one else for me. You make us click,” he told her. “You listen to me, and you hear me, and by just one look at you I fall in love all over again. Don’t ever doubt it.”

Kim smiled, and kissed him. “You keep talking like that, we’ll never leave this bed.” She laughed, pushing him down and crawling on top of him.

“Then I guess I need more lines.” He chuckled.

Gerald drove her to the shop midday and walked her inside. Monica was dealing with a customer when they walked in, and when Gerald had a smile of an elephant on his face, she winked at him.

The shop was a little more busy than usual, and Kim went straight to the back, placed her things on the table and walked back to the main showroom and helped Monica. On the other hand, Gerald walked to the front and watched her work.

It was something he never did, he noticed. Just sitting there at her desk, watching her talk flowers with everyone, smiling, being courteous. She was so passionate, so knowledgeable. She walked from corner to corner to find the exact one customers wanted, and then she’d hit the next. She made reasonable suggestions that only made everyone gasp and smile. She made a difference, he realized. With such a small gesture, she made a difference.

There was non-stop line up for a couple of hours straight. One person left the store, and five would enter. It was just passing five in the evening, and Monica continued working with more of the customers, and Kim went to Gerald at her desk. “Hey. Sorry about that. I didn’t know it’d get this busy.”

He pulled her onto his lap and shrugged. “I guess it was a good idea that I dragged you out of bed then. And it’s okay, because while you were doing your work, I was doing mine.”

He pushed a couple of sketches towards her view. “Wow, you did all of this?”

“This shop was way too small for today, and it could only get busier and busier during the holiday seasons, Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day?”

She nodded, “The good thing about flowers is that there isn’t an off season. I really like this though.” She said staring at the plans.

“I was watching you today.”

“What?”

“I watched you today, working. I’ve never done that.”

Kim shifted uncomfortably. “Well good, it’s a little creepy.”

“You know you smile to everyone?” He asked.

Kim laughed, “Yeah, it’s called customer service. What’s your point?”

“It’s fascinating.”

“Smiling?”

“No, to see what you do. It’s more than selling plants and pretty roses. It’s…”

“Life.” She finished. “Every flower, plant, arrangement that leaves this shop becomes a part of someone’s important event. Whether it’s a wedding, or a funeral, or a party for your boss, or even if it’s just to look at on your dining room table, it’s a part of your life.”

“And now it’s a part of mine.” He smiled.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I got compliments on my engagement ring. Says he’s a lucky guy,” she smiled.

Monica slipped in the back room and grabbed her Polaroid and started snapping photos.

Kim turned and shielded her eyes from the blinding flashes. "Cut it out," Kim complained.

"And look at the size of that rock. You did good," she focused on Gerald's glow. Apparently, love suited him. "So it worked. You're engaged. I knew it'd work."

"Knew what would work?"

"Come on, you really think Gerald could come up with something as romantic as that?" She pointed to herself all smug and proud.

Kim directed her eyes at Gerald who simply shrugged. "If I told the usual crowd, the secret wouldn't be a secret, and I needed you to be surprised."

"And come on now. We need photos for the scrapbook. Smile! Happy. You just got engaged." Flash, flash, flash. Shutter, shutter, shutter shutter. "You guys are too cute together, it puts everyone to shame."

"Okay, I got to go. I have a late meeting on-site.” He pushed her up, and smiled at her. “See you tonight?”

Before Kim answered, she turned to find Monica swooning in the corner. “Don’t you have anything else better to do?”

“And miss this?” Kim glared at her friend and coworker.

“I guess there’s a couple of fake papers conjure up.”

Kim smiled, and wrapped her arms around her new fiancé. It was weird. Fiancé. “I better see you tonight.” She whispered, her breath hot against his.

“Is that a threat?” His smile widening.

“Let’s just say that there’ll be consequences if you’re late.” She pressed against him, and really kissed him.

His beeper went off. “Oh, I got to go. Or we’d have to kick out Monica and close down the store.  But I will see you tonight. Five minutes early.”

She laughed when he pecked her cheek and ran out the store.

“Is it clear?” Monica stepped out and saw Kim flush.

“I’m engaged.” She said, her eyes watering.

“Oh, sweetie. Come here,” Monica walked on over and hugged her friend. “I better have a part in your speech.” Monica laughed.