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“Have you tried tapping the pot?”
“Yep.”
“Twisting as you pull?” I ask.
“Miss Montgomery?”
I turn to Roman, who’s a handful of feet away now.
“May I?” He gestures toward the pot.
I step out of the way, waving him forward. “Simon, Bonnie, this is Roman. Roman, this is Simon and his assistant Bonnie. He likes to call himself my plant dealer,” I whisper conspiratorially.
“You don’t have someone else, do you?” Simon asks, sounding suspicious. He holds out a hand to Roman, eyeing him, not even trying to hide his curiosity.
Roman’s lips twist, but he shakes Simon’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Simon glances between the two of us, obviously adding two plus two and getting five.
Bonnie waves, and Roman gives her a nod, then reaches for the pot. Simon steps around and grabs the trunk that’s as thick as his wrist.
“How old do you think it is?”
“Forty, maybe fifty years,” Simon answers and for a moment, we all pause, looking at each other.
I peg Simon at maybe thirty-five. And Roman? Late twenties. Same for Bonnie.
This plant could be older than all of us.
“Let’s be careful,” Bonnie murmurs, adjusting her grip.
Roman nods. “Ready?”
“Go.”
They tug.
Roman’s biceps bunch beneath his inky dark shirt. Simon and Bonnie look like they’re in the fight of their life. And then, as if deciding that they’re really just trying to help, the plant pulls free, and Roman lowers the pot to the floor.
The root ball resembles a piece of petrified wood. Call me crazy, but I’m glad this old plant found its way to Simon’s doorstep. He’ll take care of it.
“Nice job,” Bonnie says as they lay it down.
“Thank you, Roman.”
“Yes, thank you. That was intense,” Simon murmurs.
“No problem.” He returns to his spot by the door.
Bonnie hops down from the workbench and disappears into the back of the store.
Once they’re out of earshot, Simon glances my way with a gleam in his eyes. “I want to hear everything.”
“I just came for a plant,” I quip.
He makes a tsking sound, waving his finger back and forth. I feel like I’ve known him forever. He took care of plants for my grandmother years ago. When she passed, my grandfather did away with his services because he didn’t care for most living things. Certainly not green things.
I still have most of Grandmother’s collection, though.