Volunteer by Robin Roseau

Author:Robin Roseau [Roseau, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robin Roseau
Published: 2016-01-20T07:00:00+00:00

Amaryllis

It was a Friday evening three weeks later that Amaryllis was to come for dinner. A week early, I called a florist and told them what I wanted. Amaryllis had set a naming convention that was followed by many, although not all of the ETs. The flowers chosen by the more famous ETs had become popular, and so of course the greenhouses and florists had responded to the demand. But I wanted to order ahead, and so I did.

I also warned Bluebell what I was doing. She told me there would be a cart waiting for me.

Friday after my last class, I let the car do the driving. I had no choice, of course, but I had already become quite spoiled, and I wouldn't have overridden the car, anyway. I studied. We stopped by the florist, and a nice girl helped me to load the car with everything I bought.

I was in Boston an hour later. The car came to a stop. Sure enough, there was a cart that was practically screaming my name. It was too small, so I loaded it for the first trip and told the car to stay where it was. I unloaded the cart and made my separate trip. When I was done, I returned the cart where I'd found it and told the car it could go park. It chirped at me and rolled away.

Nice car.

I'd bought a lot of flowers. There were two potted amaryllis. I put those in the entrance. I wondered if Amaryllis would notice them. Whether or not she did, they added a bit of cheer.

For the rest, I had bluebells, azaleas, and, of course, violets, along with a mix of greens and a few other flowers. These were all cut flowers, and I bought them unarranged. I spent an hour and a half arranging them, all of them in a small, simple fashion. I spread them throughout the apartment, and I decided it all looked much cheerier.

I was just fiddling with some artwork when I heard the front door open and close. There was a pause, and then Violet called out, "Skye?"

"Game room!" I yelled to her.

It took her a minute to find me, and when she did, she was moving slowly, looking all around. I stopped to watch her. Finally she looked at me. "You've been busy."

"Please tell me they look okay."

"They're beautiful," she said.

"So I don't have to throw them all away before anyone else sees?"

She snorted. "No. But what are you wearing?"

"I was working," I said. "And I'm going to need a shower, but if you play your cards right, I'll let you wash my back."

"I always play my cards right." She crossed the room and pulled me into her arms, but she muttered when she found my back wasn't bare.

"I'm probably stinky anyway," I said.

"Probably," she agreed.

"Brat." Still, I accepted a tentacle, and we teased each other for a minute or two before I pushed her away. "Did you notice the art?"

"Art?"

I gestured. "Is it straight?"

She cocked her head one way.

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