Read Playing for Keeps for Free Online Page B

was too unusually nice outside to be cooped up in the office, and the prospect of lingering over flowers always psyched me.
    I got into my old heap of a car, turned up the music, and took off.
    My Civic was old when I bought it. Everyone—my family, Celeste, Pete, the kung fu students—kidded me about it. It’d gotten to a point where I kept the pile of junk out of defiance. I didn’t fix it cosmetically in any way just to piss everyone off. I only suped it up in ways that weren’t noticeable, like the stereo system.
    I love music. Rock and alternative in particular. Having a good sound system was important, so I researched it until I found a nice balance between affordable and acoustically satisfying. I installed it myself.
    I bopped along to Maroon 5 all the way to the first florist shop and for the fifteen minutes it took me to find parking.
    A wave of cool air hit me as I walked into the store. I inhaled. It smelled green and fresh. I loved that smell.
    There were buckets of all sorts of flowers arranged by color around the small room. Heliconia, ginger, and protea demanded attention in the middle while stargazer lilies and blue irises rested demurely to the side. Against the far wall, there was a refrigerator case full of roses.
    I was examining a variety of pure white rose when I heard someone come out from the back room. “Can I help you?”
    I turned and smiled at the woman. “I wanted to get some pricing for flowers and bouquets.”
    “Of course. Is this for a special occasion?”
    “My sister’s wedding.”
    I swore I saw dollar signs light up in her eyes. She waved me to follow her. “I have some books here you can look at. I specialize in weddings.”
    Sure she did. I followed her docilely to the counter and watched as she pulled out album after album, each one three inches thick. She pushed one at me with an eager smile. I gulped and opened it.
    The first pictures hit me with the force of a Mack truck, the arrangements were so heavy-handed. I’d never seen anyone make flowers look gaudy before. I flipped through the album in horrified fascination.
    She stared at me the whole time but waited until I was done to say anything. “See anything that appealed to you?”
    “I was thinking of something simpler. Maybe with less color.”
    “Oh no.” She shook her head vigorously. “You want the flowers to burst out and be lively. It creates a feeling of happiness and joy.”
    There was a balance between joy and sending someone into an epileptic fit. “Maybe I can look at another album.”
    She smiled and handed me another one. After the first page I could tell the arrangements were every bit as garish as the first.
    Cross this one off the list. “These aren’t quite what I had in mind.”
    “Maybe you should come in with your sister. It’s her wedding after all.”
    I bristled. “Excuse me?”
    Her smile never faltered. “Brides love our arrangements.” Her eyes dropped down to my empty ring finger and arched a brow as if to say I obviously wasn’t in the know.
    That was it. I was so outta there. “Thanks.” I strode toward the door.
    “We’re open till seven tonight,” she called after me.
    “Good for you,” I mumbled under my breath as I walked out.
    The next florist wasn’t any better, nor was the one after it. I was getting a little discouraged, not to mention browbeaten, when I finally found The One.
    It looked unassuming, like every other flower shop, except everything was shinier. The floors gleamed, the flowers were vibrant, and the glass counters were immaculate.
    Even the woman who looked up from the basket she was designing radiated joy. She smiled at me and it was so bright it almost knocked me over. “Can I help you?”
    “I’m interested in your wedding arrangements.” I braced myself for her reaction.
    She lit up. “Oh, I love designing for weddings. I have some pictures of past weddings we’ve done that you can look at.”
    I tried not to grimace. “Okay.”
    She bent