Chapter Text
You look up from your phone as the door opens, signaling a customer. A tall man walks in, thin brown hair framing his face and... was that a metal arm? You dismiss the idea, deeming it too stupid to actually be the case.
"Um, good afternoon! How can I help you?"
The man looks over at you, blinking slowly. You swallow nervously, because while this strange man is incredibly attractive, he is also incredibly intimidating. Most of the people that visited the shop were old ladies for the church or stupid guys who'd angered their girlfriends. Tall, muscular men that might have a metal arm? Definitely a first for this old place. He doesn't reply, but walks over to a display of flowers.
"What are these?"
His voice is deep and husky; it's a sound that was really easy to listen to. You stood up from behind the counter, making your way over to where he was standing.
"These are blue salvia," you tell him. "In flower languages, they're usually used to say something like 'I think of you'."
He nods, still studying the display. You wait a few moments before heading back to the counter, assuming he didn't need anything more. From your placement in the room, you can see everything in the shop, so it's very easy to watch him as he looks at other flower arrangements.
"Are you looking for something in particular?" You call out, wondering what he was doing in the shop at all. You didn't really think he was a flower enthusiast or someone who would keep flowers in his house, so his presence was strange and unnerving. "What do you need the flowers for?"
The man looked at you again, this time in front of a display with daisies and violets. Why doesn't he speak? you wonder, frowning slightly. It was confusing and mildly terrifying how silently he moved, let alone his lack of interaction with you. Desperate for any kind of conversation, you introduce yourself, hoping he might share his name, something. He blinks at you- once, twice, three times- before turning away again.
"Just killing time." he finally says, much to your relief. Any words were a blessing at this point. You still wondered what his name was, because calling him "the man" and "he" inside your head was getting old very fast. He didn't say anything more, and left as quickly as he'd come.
"That's it?" you call out to the empty shop. "No purchases or even a name? Jackass!"
You wait out the rest of your shift somewhat moodily, scrolling through Facebook silently during the long spaces between customers. You greet your friend Anais as she comes in to take over for the closing shift at six o'clock, grateful that the day was finally over.
"Oh, I added new playlists to the store's computer yesterday," Anais chatters as you gather your stuff and clock out. "I don't know if you noticed or anything, they probably played today. Oh well. Was your shift interesting? Any weirdos I should be on the lookout for?"
"It was relatively normal, I guess," you reply, shouldering your bag. "Oh, well, there was this total asshole who was here for like twenty minutes and didn't buy anything at all. He didn't even like, talk, either. Totally silent and intimidating and it was really annoying. He didn't even say his name before leaving."
"What did he look like? I'll keep an eye out and see if I can get a name from him."
"He was pretty tall- almost 6 feet tall, I think. He had brown hair that was thin and like, chin-length... He had a muscular build, blue eyes... Oh, and he may have had a metal arm? It was kind of hard to tell-"
"A metal arm?!" Anais interrupts you, slamming her hands down on the counter. "That's- that's something you mention immediately! You said that so casually- I can't believe-"
You look at her quizzically. "It's not that big of a deal, Anais- just an advanced prosthetic, probably." You look down at your watch, noticing that it was already 6:15. You thought about the audition packet waiting for you at your apartment, sighing internally. You wanted to be an actress, but the forms to get on the list to even try out? They were a special kind of hell. "Anyway, I gotta go complete a packet, so I'll catch you later. But seriously- call me if you get his name, I want to talk so much shit."
"You bet," Anais replied, pulling an apron over her head. "Later!"
You leave the shop, sighing as you made your way down three blocks to your apartment building. You looked at the setting sun, wishing you had a different shift so you could enjoy the sun- or rather, tan. You disliked how pale your complexion had gotten after high school, missing the days when you could sit in your backyard until the sun went down and gain color.
You walked into your building, making your way to the fifth floor where you lived. It was quiet, which wasn't unusual for the time of day, but you suddenly wished for a little noise to distract you from your thoughts of a stupidly attractive man at work whose name you didn't even know. You frowned as you opened your apartment, recalling his face and not being able to get rid of the image.
You sit at the kitchen counter with the audition packet, carefully filling it out, trying to do it perfectly. If you could do that, you thought it might help your chances. It wasn't a certainty, but it couldn't hurt. After reading several pages of twelve-point Times New Roman or whatever font it was, you drop the pen and walk from the counter.
"Can't do anymore tonight- nope, I'm done."
You look at the time- 9:15. You briefly wonder how it got to be so late that quickly, since the packet hadn't seemed that long when you picked it up initially. You shrug and start getting ready for bed, deciding to call it a night earlier than usual. A certain metal-armed man might have had something to do with that, but you refuse to acknowledge that as you lay down. You begin to drift off into sleep, thoughts of him finally beginning to fade.