Too Late for Roses
"Ms. Bell, I can't make the decision about subletting the flower shop. You'll need to speak to the landlord yourself."
At three that afternoon, I arrived on time at the office building where I was supposed to meet the agent.
In the ornate hallway, through a door left slightly open, I saw Lucas.
He was wearing a well-fitted suit, head lowered as he played with his phone.
Beside him, a well-dressed woman leaned intimately against his shoulder.
I recognized her almost immediately.
Two days ago, my flower shop had received an order for nine hundred ninety-nine roses.
Because the customer specifically requested that the thorns not be removed, my hands were covered in blood by the time I finished