Jason
“Tamara, will you please just listen to me?” I’m following her around like a little puppy. “C’mon,” I say with a down heart.
She flits around the building doing this and that, as I plead my case. She stops for a second and stares me in the face. If her eyes could shoot lasers out of them, I certainly would be dead by now. Without a word, she takes off behind me. I finally come to the conclusion that she’s done with me. Written off her list for good.
I spot Ken coming in the door. “Man, it’s not going to happen,” I say to him crestfallen. “I hope your day is going better than mine,” as I look up to him.
Ken’s looking sullen and he’s very quiet. He pulls me into a room and shuts the door. “Did you try talking to her yet?”
“I’ve tried all morning, with not so much as a word,” I tell him once we’re behind closed doors. “She’s refusing to talk to me.”
“When I left last night, I went to her place,” Ken says to me. “I tried to smooth things out with her, but no dice. In fact, we got into an argument,” he says, taking a chair and turning it backward. He sits down, resting his arms on the back of the chair.
He puts his head on his arms and looks at me. “It didn’t go well last night. Tamara’s angry and I tried talking sense to her, but she’s so upset with you,” he looks down at his feet and then back up to me. “And I really can’t blame her.”
“And she can’t blame you, it’s my fault,” I feel like all the wind has been let out of my sails. I shake my head and sit down, waiting for the other shoe to kick me.
That shoe belongs to Tamara, too.
If it were me in her shoes, I’d be all kinds of things, not just angry. “I fucked up, that’s all there is to it.” I lean back and sigh a heavy sigh.
“My purpose in going to her wasn’t born of comforting her, but of defending you,” Ken looks over at me, still in his same position. “She wasn’t having any of it then and I bet it’s the same now.”
“Well, I guess I’d better scratch her name from my list,” I look at Ken, wondering what to do.
“I wouldn’t do that just yet, pal,” he looks off in the distance, as if searching for an answer in the darkness of life. “But I would be looking for something to help make it up to her.”
“I don’t even have a clue how to do that,” I say, flailing around, trying to figure something out to make up with Tamara.
“Why don’t you do something a little old fashioned?”
“What would that be?” I ask him, now hopeful and searching for something, anything. “It used to be that chocolates and flowers would do some good at soothing an angry woman,” I look out the door to see if anyone else is around and I grab a card from my bag. Coming back into the room, I hand Jason the card. “Here, this is my flower guy. Give him a call,” he pats me on the back, with a smile.
“Thanks,” he nods his head in appreciation. “For everything.”
“No worries and good luck,” Ken leaves the room and heads out to the field while I walk to the supply room. I glance down at the card and decide to try the flowers. I can’t see it getting any worse from doing it.
I’ll go after work and bring them to her tomorrow morning.
Right now, I’ve got to get working.
After the day ends, I drive to the florist that Ken gave up to me. Sighing and wondering if I’m just losing money on this. On Tamara.
I know it’s necessary, and it would say something about my intentions. I shrug my shoulders and leave my car. Opening the door to the store, my nostrils have the attention of the smell of a mix of several differing flowers.
“What can I do for you today, young man?” an elderly man walks from the back. “You appear to be in need of something.”
In surprise at his perceptiveness, I look at him and walk to the counter. “Well, I kinda need to make amends with a certain woman.”
With a knowing eye, he winks at me. “An apology said with flowers. Wait here,” he says, walking away.
“Absolutely,” I wait for him to return.
The man is overtaken by a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and purple wisteria. It smells heavenly and is perfect for my needs. I pay the man, thanking him with a generous tip.
“Thank you. And just remember that love is worth everything you put into it and the same for not giving in to it.”
I smile as I leave the store, feeling buoyant by this kind old man and his words. I stop at a chocolatier to get a box of chocolates.