18 Yellow Roses Arrived Today

Eighteen yellow roses arrived today. There was no note.

My first thought.... these can't be for me. I am new in town; barely here a week. I hardly knew a soul and nobody I knew would send me flowers. It would never even cross their minds.

I'd picked up the package after looking up and down the street to see who or what could have dropped them here. I was sure someone had made a mistake.

It was not my birthday, though I had celebrated with my friends before I'd left home. It had been a going away / birthday thing as I had just turned eighteen.

Many of my friends were heading off to university, but not me. I'd been told in no uncertain terms that eighteen was my limit of life at home. My stepfather, Gary had been adamant about that. I'd seen him stack my brother's gear out on the front step within a week of his eighteenth birthday. He hadn't thought Gary would pull that kind of thing, but he had and I decided to get out before he did the same to me.

My place wasn't much, but it was all mine. Now with this unknown gift of flowers I was feeling a little nervous about the giver. Who could it be? And where were they?

I took the bunch of flowers into my small basement apartment. The bit of colour was welcome. It was the anxiety of the unknown I could do without.

Unwrapping the package I searched for some kind of iclue, anything to give me a hint at where I could start to make heads or tails of this mystery. The flower shop name was stuck to the inside cellophane and I cut the information off and set it aside before putting the roses in the biggest thing I could find - a empty juice container. Once the flowers were arranged, I set about contacting the florist to see if they knew who the flowers were supposed to go to and who had sent them.

"No name just the address," the florist told me.

"But there are three apartments here...." I began to tell the florist.

"Basement was listed."

"Could they have been for the old Tennant? I only just moved in."

"Doubt that." Was all she said.

"Why?" I could not help asking.

"Mrs. Rutgers was a witch of a woman. She died and all I can say is good riddance."

That knowledge sent a tremor running along my spine. "Oh... well..." I began unsure what more to say after that bit of information.

"She didn't have anyone who would send her flowers." The woman said mater-of-fact.

"Can you remember who may have placed the order?" I asked trying to rouse myself from the building anxiety.

"Can't say."

"Because it's a secret..." I said, fighting to keep my voice calm despite the roll of anxiety that threatened to take me out.

"No, sorry. I didn't' take the order. Jeb did and he's not in today."

"Oh."

"He'll be in tomorrow."

"Okay.... then I'll call back tomorrow then."

After I hung up the phone, I sat there staring at the flowers willing them to tell me something, anything. But time was running out and I had to get ready for work. I would have to leave the mystery of it for now and just appreciate the gift of the flowers. Setting aside the unknown was harder, but I managed it as I got ready and headed off to work.

The bookshop was already filled with a few regular customers when I arrived. I said hello to each of them, as well as my boss, as I made my way into the back room to hang up my jacket and napsack. As I passed back along the magazine section I noticed the tall, good looking guy I had noticed in a couple of other times and I smiled at him. He smiled back.
I took my chance and asked, "You need help with anything?"

He shook his head to decline, then stopped and seemed like he was going to say something else. I stopped sensing his need to speak.

He bit his lip and looked a bit self-conscious before asking, "Did you... did you... like the flowers?"

My eyes widened. "You sent them.... oh," remembering my manners I added, "thank you. Yes, they are lovely. There was no note."

"No note.... I'm sorry. I forgot...." I saw him blush as he stammered. "I just wanted... to welcome you.... and..."

I waited feeling the anxiety uncoil and slip away. What replaced it was a ripple of awareness and pleasure. I smiled giving him further encouragement.

"I was wondering if you would care to.... go to a movie with me?"

"Well," I hesitated, "That is tempting, but," I saw him almost deflate so I hurried on, "I don't' know your name."

"Oh, It's Jeb."

"From the florist?"

He nodded.

"Well then, yes. A movie would be great."

He smiled then and I could not help smiling back.

After a bit more fumbles we decided on Saturday night. He even suggested dinner beforehand. It seemed I had met a new friend and solved the mystery of the flowers. Things were looking up. Maybe this whole new town thing was going to be good for me after all.

Words = 891.
Genre: Mystery

Writer's Cramp entry - 891 word mystery ▼

Use the first line of this Bobby Darin song as the first line of your story or poem - bolded:
"Eighteen yellow roses arrived today"
You must choose Mystery as one of your genres.