It's a quiet and rainy day. Business is slow. Jayme is unconcearned, next week he has a commision to do all the flowers for a bridal show. He sits behind the counter reading a book about plant alchemy. He is merely minding the shop while everyone is out at lunch. After another page he puts the book down. His attention wanders and he practices pulling orchids out of his hand for a while. He looks up as the bell on the door clatters.

"Hi, can I help you?" he calls setting down the orchid he was holding and walking out from behind the counter.

He's wearing a pair of khakis and white buttondown shirt with a nametag. The top of his head practically glows in the flourescent lighting.

(Note:Something Blooming is the shop's name)

Viv sighed, the manager wasn't even here. She was hot and tired. Slung over one shoulder was a black leather motorcycle jacket, in the other hand she carried a long red metal tool box. "I'm here to get a check." she said doing her best to sound less irritated than she was. "I came and fixed the toilet last week." Her braid was coming unraveled after walking in warm afternoon rain. She pulled down her dark sunglasses to peer over the tops at the bald square. He was nodding and went behind the counter and produced an envelope that said Miss KilDare.

She took the envelope and ripped it open to be sure the check was in there. She was pleased to find it was cash instead. Saved her a walk to the bank and she'd be able to put gas in her car now. "Thanks, call the motel if you need me to fix anything else." she said and then departed.

Jayme watched the strange woman go after he paid her. There was a quality about her he couldn't place, but she seemed familiar somehow. He went back behind the counter and thumbed through his book again. He had no recollection of ever seeing the woman at all, how strange she should seem familiar. He grew bored with the book again and set about dusting the shop. He didn't know anyone named KilDare either.

He dusted the windows and watched her denim clad form moving down the sidewalk under teh awnings to stay out of the wet. She moved away with a rolling but purposeful swagger until she was too small for him to see.

A few weeks have passed, it is a warm and sunny morning and Jayme goes outside after unlcoking the shop to hang out a sign.


"Now Hiring Office Manager. Apply Within."

He whistles happily while he hangs it up and finishes quickly before going back inside to call and place a similar classified ad over the phone.

Lin walked along the city streets. She wasn’t heading anywhere in particular, just looking around. Eyes glanced inside a flower shop, not paying much attention to the sign until she started walking again. She stopped and backtracked to the flower shop window once more. Hiring huh? Manage? She laughed at the thought of her being a manager, but it was a job that paid. Good enough for her, even if it was in a flower shop.

She opened the door, bell ringing as it did, and walked over to the counter. Lin is wearing khaki capri’s with side pockets, a black t-shirt that says ‘Huntress’ in a tiger design. Her black sneakers barely made any noise as she walked.

Reaching the counter she rested her elbows on it and crossed one foot behind the other.

”Heard you were hiring.” She blinked once, flashing emerald eyes at him. Her black hair was tied back into a small pony tail.

Jayme smiled "Yes, we need an office manager and also a part time deliver driver. Which position were you interested in?" he asked as he visually assesed her and sized her up.

He offered his hand, "I'm Jayme." he said simply introducing himself.
He gave no further elaboration, his nametag told the rest reading Jayme MacAllaisdair, Owner.

”Either one works.” She said with a smile. She didn’t have much office experience, but hey, she was open for learning. He stretched out a hand said his name was Jayme. She offered her hand and shook his with a firm grip. Perhaps she was too strong for her own good at times.

”I’m Lin Parker.” She stated in a calm matter-o-fact tone. ”So how long have you own this shop?”

"Since my wife died five years ago, it was her shop." Jayme answered and got her an application packet and a pen.

"Come on back here to the break room, you can sit down and fill this out, Lin." he said leading her into the break room. "Can I get you anything, coffee, water, some orange juice?" he asked her once he'd shown her to a table.

”Oh. I’m sorry for your loss.” Wait again Lin. Bringing up sad memories. She followed him back to the break room. Great. Forms to fill out. Perhaps that was why she was always avoiding jobs. She hated the paperwork. She sat down at the table and listened as he asked her if there was anything he could get her.

”Water would be fine.” And a slab of meat. But she wasn’t about to add the meat request. It probably wouldn’t be the smartest way to start off trying to apply for a job.

He got her some water and the bell rang as someone opened the front door."I'll be right back." he said smiling.

In the main room he could be heard conversing with the woamn who came in.

Hey Jayme. Did you find anyone yet?" A pleasant female voice asked.

"Now Marla, How could I ever replace you?" he asked with a hearty laugh and then, "So far I have five applications. Are you here for your check?" he asked.

Yes, please came her answer.

Jayme led the woman, a very pregnant woman, past the break room to the office and got her check for her. Then they went back out into the main room of the shop and hugged. "Call me when you have the baby, I want to know how she is." He said before ethey said their goodbyes.

He came back into the breakroom "Sorry, that was Marla, she was my manager, but she's going to stay home and be a Mommy now." he said all of this with amusement. "Did you have any questions for me about either job?" he asked Lin.

Sensitive ears heard the bell as someone opened the door. He walked out of the room and to the front after bringing her some water. She leaned back in her chair, balancing on the back two legs, and peered out the open door to see who it was. Excellent hearing picked up on their conversation. So other people have applied for the job to huh?

Quickly she leaned back to sit on all four legs as they walked passed. She looked the other way so it didn’t seem like she was ease dropping. Picking up her water glass she ‘lapped’ up the water much like that of a cat.

He came back into the room as she set down her empty water glass. Going to be a mother eh? She did look quite scrumptious. Wait. That was the Were talking. She quickly shoved the creature back and resumed to listening. She tapped the pen on the table.

”So what exactly does this manager position consist of doing?” She crossed her legs and continued tapping the pen.

"Being here to open the store, place the orders, set up the flower shows, manage the orders from hotels and restaurants we put flowers in. Check invoices, filing, making the store schedule, and just working in the store answering phones and helping customers." Jayme told her. Probably not the best description but he does have that attention span problem.

Yuck. How come a good job always had to require so much work? Oh well. Perhaps she could handle it. If not he could always fire her right?

”Sounds interesting.” She began to fill out the application. Besides, if he didn’t want her for the job it sounded like he had other applications to accept as well. Didn’t bother her.

Jayme fiddled with things around the shop while she filled out the application. Stragithened out flowers, cleaned the windows, swept the breakroom.....The man has a hard ime holding still, and it's very obvious. Again a result of having an attention disorder and the primary reason he doesn't wholly trust himself to manage the place. He tries his best not to disturb her while she fills out the application.

Lin leaned back in the chair setting the pen down and crossing her arms to make sort of a pillow behind her head. Didn’t take too long. Of course it didn’t take too long as she didn’t have any references. She did have a few jobs that she’d listed though, but she doubted any of the experience in taking care of a shop or flowers. Most of them had been jobs in butcher shops, for obvious reasons. And of course the most obvious reason she was fired was due to her eating various cuts of meats when she wasn’t supposed to. Hey. She couldn’t help it if her appetite got the better of her at times. That’s why she thought a job at a flower shop would be better. Nothing to make her senses run wild.

She got up and headed out to the front of the shop. She paused for a moment in the doorway as she watched him run about not able to stay in one spot. It was actually quite entertaining to watch.

”I’m finished.” She said setting the application down on the counter.

"Oh good." he said picking up the application and smiling. "I'll be calling people back on Monday to let them know either way." he let her know.

He put the application on a small stack of other applications and then picked up a flower. "Have a flower." he said handing it to her while they walked towards the door. It was a tiger lily.

”Sounds good.” She said in response to him getting back to her. Eyes went a little wide as he gave her a tiger lily. How appropriate for her. She would have laughed if she didn’t think it would have stirred questions.

”Thanks. See you around.” She waved and then walked out of the door, heading down the street.