Page 7 of They Love Me Knot (Starsfalls Omegaverse #2)

Daphne

A leaf pokes me in the forearm, and when I jerk away, another jabs me in the back.

I’m not really mad at our customers, or even the plants, even though I’ve been poked and prodded an inordinate number of times today (by the plants, not the customers).

What I’m really mad at is myself. If my half-asleep brain hadn’t snoozed my alarm five times this morning, then I wouldn’t have been running late, and I could have stopped at Flourist on my way to work.

But since my big stupid brain snoozed my alarm, I had to rush to get ready and ran straight to work.

Well, I walked swiftly straight to work. I’m not a runner (weak ankles).

I finish the container arrangement with only a few more pokes and pricks, and then check the clock for the thousandth time, counting down the seconds until it’s time for my lunch break. Then I can powerwalk to Flourist and finalllyyyy get more cookies.

It’s 9:13 a.m., so a long two minutes have gone by, and that’s two minutes closer to cookie time.

“Is that for Bank of Ploutos?” Anicka asks as I take the flowers to the walk-in fridge, so they’ll stay fresh until they’re picked up.

“Yes, this is the last one. Their other arrangements are in here if you want to look them over. Otherwise, I can notify the bank that they’re ready,” I say.

Anicka opens the fridge door and follows me in, looking things over while I set down the container.

“They look wonderful. The white snapdragons and black hellebore are perfect for the bank lobby with its black and white mosaic floors. You really picked up on the elegance of the monochromatic color scheme. Very well done,” Anicka says.

“Thank you.” I preen at her compliment, perking up at the distraction from my cookie lust.

I look over the cluster of arrangements. I did do a good job, despite the fact that my thoughts wandered while I worked. I must be pretty skilled at floral arranging if I can do it on autopilot.

“I’m always happy to look at your work, but not because it needs to be checked. You’ve been here long enough that I can see you’re knowledgeable, and you always produce great work. I trust you can create what our customers want without getting my approval.”

That pushes all other thoughts from my mind.

I’ve always worked under other people in floral shops.

Even when I was promoted to a manager position, there was still someone above me who would check up on my arrangements or look over my records.

This is the first time I’ve felt like I could run a shop on my own and work independently.

It feels amazing to be trusted like this.

I know I still have more to learn about the industry, but this affirmation feels good.

“I’m glad. I love working here and learning from you and Poppy, and it’s been great to connect with our customers and this community,” I say.

“Happy to share what I know. Speaking of which, did you want to help me put together the florals for the grand opening of that frozen yogurt shop? They requested a mix of tropical flowers and fruits. Many florists rely on pineapples, coconuts, palm fronds, and ginger for tropical themes, but I like to create more unique arrangements unless requested otherwise. I’ll show you how I use ferns, rambutan, and trailing begonias to create shapes reminiscent of tropical areas, with tall and draping elements. ”

“I’d love to! I think fuchsia or amaranth could be a good fit too,” I say.

“That’s an interesting idea. Let’s pull it all and see what works,” Anicka says.

I could also learn to be more assertive like Anicka. If I had her poise, I might have told my exes what I thought of how they treated me when we broke up. Instead, I just left and let them get away with using me as a placeholder until someone better came along.

Sure, maybe it was the mature thing to move on without argument, but it might have felt nice to give them a piece of my mind on the way out. They deserve to hear about how much they hurt me, though I can’t imagine they would care, otherwise they wouldn’t have treated me like that to begin with.

Before I presented as an omega, I knew I wanted to work with plants, and I always dreamed of being recognized for my hard work.

I didn’t daydream much about finding a partner, or, after I presented, about finding a pack.

I always assumed I would, but even after presenting, I still dreamed of having a successful floral career.

When I started dating them in college, things seemed to fall into place. My exes acted like they supported my choice to have a career and wait to settle down. We were still so young anyway. I didn’t think it was strange that they weren’t more eager to bond, even after we’d been together for years.

I don’t miss anything about having alphas. The only minor issue is that I’ll have to find a few to help me through my heat when it comes. I got suppressants after we broke up, so I have awhile until I need to worry about that.

I can always use that Heat Seekers app to find temporary heat help.

That way I don’t have to worry about getting entangled with the wrong kind of alpha again.

For alphas to join the app, they have to agree to leave after the heat and not pressure omegas into something more.

The app vets its users and checks in with omegas afterward.

It’s only at the omega’s request that the alphas would be allowed to see them again, if they wanted to.

And why would alphas want to see omegas outside of a heat? The alphas can simply stay single and use the app to get with a bunch of different omegas, without having to commit to anyone.

My nose wrinkles.

That’s what I want though. I don’t want alphas hanging around if they don’t want to be with me. It will be amazing to have them leave me alone after my heat without a fuss.

Right?

Right.

I focus back on the task at hand, holding the summer lilacs while Anicka pins them in place. I’m back to being immersed in my work, so I don’t even realize I haven’t checked the clock for the last few hours, and I’ve practically forgotten about the cookies.

Anicka puts the last flower in place and gives it another look, fluffing a few leaves here and there.

“I’m happy with how it turned out. Do you want to adjust anything?” Anicka asks.

I tweak a few flowers, but it’s mostly just for show. The smaller details will have to be adjusted again since they’ll shift in transit.

“I think they’re ready. I’m sure the customer will love them.”

I sweep up the clippings from our work area while Anicka returns the unused flowers. I’m picking up the tools when Anicka comes back and glances at the clock, reminding me I’m eagerly awaiting my lunch break.

I check the clock too and see it’s 9:53 a.m. Not as much time passed as I thought. I’ll have to get started on our next order and hope it’s as absorbing as this one was.

“We’re caught up on orders now,” Anicka says.

Well, there goes that plan. Taking stock and changing the waters isn’t very engaging. Guess I’ll keep suffering as a cookieless worker drone until lunch.

“You can take a break now if you want to visit Flourist. Poppy mentioned you were very interested in their desserts at the bonding ceremony. I know it’s hard to find them on the weekends, so you probably haven’t had a chance to get some yet.

If you wanted to grab some extras to bring back and share, I can give you some cash. ”

A clattering sound makes me realize I dropped the clippers on the table. The thought of getting those cookies made my mouth water and the rest of me feel liquidy. I grip the edge of the table so I don’t melt into a puddle, while Anicka waits for my response with a small smile.

I realize that her question requires a verbal response.

“Oh, you don’t have to give me money. I’m happy to bring back desserts for everyone. If you’re sure you don’t need me…” I say, edging toward the break room where my purse is.

“Take your time and enjoy your break.”

I think Anicka’s smile grows, but I don’t get a good look at it since I’m making off for the back of the store.

I barge through the “Employees Only” door, hurrying to untie my green apron as I go. I yank it over my head and stuff it inside my locker. I grab my purse and rush through the back exit.

I already calculated the fastest route to Flourist, and if I take our back alley over to Sunbeam Street, I can shave thirty seconds off the time. The sound of my pounding feet echoes off the brick walls as I aim for the end of the alley where the sun’s shining through.

Just as I’m about to turn onto the sidewalk, something knocks me back, stopping me from getting to my cookies.

Shadows descend as a monster looms over me, bulky arms sticking out at odd angles and antennae twitching as it hovers over its prey.