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The snow was falling gently outside the shop window, covering the sidewalk outside with a faint dusting of white. It had only just begun, so there was no danger yet of ice or of customers dragging it inside and kicking their shoes against the doorframe, leaving trails of it as they looked around for the perfect bouquet to present on Christmas Day. Flowers weren’t the most obvious of gifts to purchase in winter. They weren’t in season. They also were notoriously difficult to hide. It was much easier to bring them home and present them as an immediate surprise upon entering. Still, Gabe knew there were customers who expected him to be open until the very last minute on Christmas Eve. There were also customers Gabe was hoping to see before the store closed through the new year.
The metal chimes on the door clanged together, signaling someone entering. Gabe looked up at the handmade wooden clock on the wall. 7:45 pm. Right on time.
“Jack,” Gabe called out from the backroom. “Just give me a minute.”
“Take your time.”
Jack’s voice was as pleasant as ever, soothing something deep inside Gabe even when saying the simplest, most inane comments. That was just one of the ways that Gabe knew he had it bad. He was mooning over the guy’s voice.
Wiping his hands off on his maroon apron, Gabe took a moment to collect himself. He knew Jack would be coming in today. He’d been preparing for it all week. Still, it was an unexpected surprise to realize he was actually going to miss seeing Jack next week. It was only one week, after all. He should be able to handle that.
Shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts, Gabe headed into the main room and looked around. Jack was bent over the most recent display of Mexican poinsettias--considered nearly universally to be the Christmas flowers, and so an absolutely vital item to stock once it hit the end of November.
Gabe walked over, smiling as he saw Jack tentatively touch a petal. “You should know by now that flowers can take a bit more pawing than that.”
Jack stood up straight, caught unawares but trying not to show it. “I thought you had a policy? You tear it, you buy it?”
“Have to protect the merchandise from the kids,” Gabe explained. “And overexcitable older gentlemen.”
Jack snort-laughed, an ugly sound that had Gabe’s eyes softening. “I’m too excitable, huh?”
Gabe nodded. “Your eyes light up whenever you laugh.”
Jack’s mouth curled upwards, an old scar across his lips always pulling them a bit off-center. “I’ve been spending too much time here if you’ve been studying my eyes.”
“Maybe I just have an eye for details,” Gabe stated. “You don’t get to be a successful florist otherwise.”
Jack nodded. “Fair enough.” He gestured to the poinsettias. “Do you have the time to make up a bouquet?”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Come on, man. I got you one set up in the back already.”
“You do?” Jack seemed surprised.
“You’ve been coming in once a week for a year,” Gabe replied. “Of course I do.”
He took a minute to go and retrieve it, bringing it to the front counter and carefully placing it down so Jack could inspect it.
“You know, you’re like this flower,” Jack mused.
Gabe smirked. “Am I?”
Jack turned the arrangement around, taking the time to appreciate Gabe’s handiwork. “Sure. You both prefer winter to summer.”
“Summer gets too hot,” Gabe said defensively.
“Agreed,” Jack stated. “And you’re both Hispanic.”
Gabe snorted, finding a shared ethnicity with a flower to be quite amusing. “That’s true.”
“You’re both gorgeous,” Jack said, rushing out the statement on an exhale.
That was unexpected. Gabe smiled, though, happy to accept the compliment. “That a fact?”
“A professional opinion,” Jack said, a slight blush falling across the bridge of his nose.
Before Gabe could respond another door chime rang, welcoming in a young lady who seemed overly eager. She made a zippy beeline to the roses and quickly turned her head this way and that, inspecting the different colors.
Gabe chuckled, having seen this type of behavior countless times before. “Young love,” he murmured. “You can always tell.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder. “I guess you’re in a romantic business. You must deal with people in love all the time.”
“That, and people who don’t know what to get family members or teachers. And people trying to apologize.” Gabe shrugged. “Takes all kinds, I guess. You ready to pay, or should I go help her out?”
Jack blinked, startled. “Oh, um…” He glanced quickly around. “I think I’d rather wait, if that’s okay with you?”
Gabe winked at him. “Stay out of trouble, soldier.”
He walked over to the young woman, leaving Jack to entertain himself by the register. It took him about ten minutes to help her, which was lucky because it was getting very close to closing time. He put together a simple but elegant bouquet of roses for her and sent her on her way.
Double-checking the time, Gabe flipped the sign to closed and locked the door. He walked back over to Jack, who was already looking at him.
“Find what you were looking for?” Gabe asked.
Jack’s face flushed. “I think so,” he said. “Let me just pay and I’ll get out of your hair.”
“You know what?” Gabe waved his hand at Jack. “This one’s on the house.”
Jack’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I can pay, Gabe.”
Picking up the poinsettias and handing them to Jack, Gabe smiled softly at him. “I know, but you don’t have to. Consider it my Christmas gift to you.”
Jack looked floored. “Oh.”
Gabe shook his head. “Let me get my jacket and I’ll walk you out.”
He walked to the small closet next to the register and took out his jacket, shrugging it on in an easy, practised move before zipping it up. At least, he tried to, but the zipper got caught half-way up.
“Damn,” he muttered. “Stupid thing.”
Jack walked over, cradling the poinsettias in his elbow as he reached down and began fiddling with Gabe’s zipper. “I happen to have a natural affinity for unschmucking problems.”
Gabe snorted.
It took Jack a minute, but he did detangle the zipper. Gabe smiled at him, ready to say thanks, but when Jack’s head lifted up, there wasn’t nearly as much space between them as either man expected. They both took a step back.
“Thanks,” Gabe said, his voice a bit hoarser than usual. “Let’s go.”
They walked to the front door. Gabe let them out, locking up behind them and taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He turned around and smiled at Jack.
“What?” Jack asked.
“Well, I was going to wish you a Merry Christmas,” Gabe said, “but now I feel like I should say something sassy.”
“You? Say something sassy? I would never have guessed.”
Gabe laughed, pulling his coat closer to protect against the cold. The snow was collecting still--now about an inch on the ground, He playfully kicked it in Jack’s direction. Jack looked down then back up, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m too old for rolling around in the snow,” Jack stated.
Gabe took a deep breath. The chill filled his lungs, biting into him and giving him that bit of extra courage. “How about rolling around in another way?”
Jack stared at him.
Gabe stared back. He could back down. He could say it was just a joke, or he didn’t mean it, or he didn’t mean it that way, but all of that was a lie, and he just didn’t feel like pretending anymore. It was Christmas Eve and he was standing in the snow in front of the man he’d been dreaming about for about ten months. If not now, when? There would never be a better opportunity and he knew it.
“I’m gay,” Jack stated.
Gabe waited. After a fews seconds, he replied, “I know. You said so when you bought flowers for Pride.”
Jack stumbled a bit over his next words, but eventually got out, “Y-Yeah, but you never said if you--I mean...” He cleared his throat. “Of course anything’s, well, fine. I mean, I wouldn’t--”
“You wouldn’t?” Gabe asked, now one hundred percent confident what was going on, but completely unable to stop himself from enjoying Jack’s adorable concern.
“Um. Uh, want you to feel, you know.” Jack’s eyes fell to the ground. “Pressured.”
Gabe stepped in close, leaving less than an inch of space between their bodies. “Jack,” he murmured. “You’ve been awkwardly flirting for a year. If anything, I’m feeling the opposite of pressured.”
Jack looked up hopefully. “What’s that?”
“Ready.”
Gabe tilted his head and pressed his lips gently against Jack’s. Jack moved his head forward, meeting Gabe’s lips with his own. They stood outside for longer than they should have--long enough that snow began to collect on their hats and the shoulders of their coats. When they finally left, Jack invited Gabe back to his place for dinner and entertainment. Gabe accepted. He was prepared to be disappointed for white people’s cuisine, but the idea of finally getting some ‘entertainment’ from Jack was more than enough for Gabe to sacrifice one Christmas Eve dinner. In the grand scheme of things, he figured he’d have plenty of chances to rectify that situation in the new year, and in all the years to come after that.
fin.