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Ken thought that Fate or something probably equally playful had something to do with the irony and cliché that had become his life, because nothing short of divine intervention would have put his flower shop, Thorn, right across from the tattoo shop, INKLined .
He remembered the first time he’d heard of the shop and its owners. He had been checking out the vacated shop that would eventually become Thorn with Paulo, his older brother, and Jenna, his assistant.
The neighborhood was the good sort, safe with a lot of foot traffic, and was close to both the residential and the business district. It was next door neighbors with a pet shop and a laundry shop and was across the street from a really striking tattoo parlor which, according to the realtor, had been one of the first businesses on the block and was very well-known.
“Who owns it?” Jenna had asked curiously.
“Mr. Josh Santos and Mr. Stellvester Ajero co-own it,” the realtor had said. “They’re lovely young men. They’ll be good neighbors, and you might get along, Mr. Suson.” She motioned to the visible tattoos on Ken’s arms.
“Their place looks pretty cool,” Paulo had said, leaning against his motorcycle as he studied the shop across the street.
Ken had been wary, but he was always nervous about meeting new people. That was why he had Jenna, who was the one in charge of customers and being all hospitable and friendly. Ken was really just the flower guy here.
“Anyway, can we see the back?” Ken had asked, more excited to see his new shop.
Ken hadn’t thought much of it at the time. He had tattoos himself, as did his brother, so maybe they’d meet the owners someday. So long as they were good people, that was fine.
But they were probably just going to be neighbors, that’s all.
At first glance, it might seem unusual for someone like Ken to be interested in flowers—with his rather rough demeanor and his awkwardness and his arms full of tattoos—but he had always had a green thumb and a love for nature growing up. He had inherited it from his father, and Ken had fond childhood memories of the both of them taking care of their garden and his father growing flowers that he often gifted to Ken’s mother, their neighbors, and their family members. After his father had passed, Ken had lost his passion for growing things for quite a long while. Then Ken’s mother remarried and he found an older brother in Paulo, and slowly, he found himself wanting to feel the earth between his fingers again.
So he did, and he eventually put up Thorn with Paulo and Jenna’s help.
Everyday, Jenna opened up the shop at eight o’clock sharp. She lived far closer than Ken, who walked or rode his bicycle from his apartment a few blocks away, though sometimes Paulo took him on his motorcycle if he had time. Between Ken and Jenna, all orders and arrangements meant to be picked up were ready by nine o’clock, right on time for one of the part-timers they hired to deliver the flowers. Everything was then out the door by nine-thirty, leaving them to spend the rest of the day doing their respective tasks—Ken with cleaning up shop and tending to the plants, and Jenna handling customers and doing front of house work. Thorn closed shop at around six, extending their hours only if they had a big order to fill, and then Ken would head back home to the apartment he shared with his brother.
The fateful day he met the owner of the well-known tattoo parlor across the street had been a sunny Wednesday.
A friend of his had called and had ordered a rush arrangement for an important client they were seeing for a breakfast meeting. Ken was used to such emergencies, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle, and the pricey rush fee was a good start to the day too. They also had several other deliveries, netting them quite a good profit for the week.
Just after lunch, as Ken worked on an arrangement, he noticed someone enter the shop. He had pale skin and dark hair, and was decked out in a dark blue sweater and tight jeans. Ken coughed, trying not to look at how well those jeans fit.
But Ken kept on working, knowing Jenna would handle it, and he got a little lost in his arrangement as he did.
“Excuse me?”
The soft voice cut through Ken’s concentration and he looked up to see the man standing on the other side of the counter. Ken glanced behind the customer and noticed that Jenna was busy talking to two women.
Ken cleared his throat and faced him. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t handle customers. He was just a bit awkward about it.
“Uh, yes, sir?”
The man smiled. “Sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering what that arrangement is?” He motioned to the one Ken was doing.
This close, Ken noticed that the man had really pretty brown eyes and he actually had a lip ring, but he blinked and mentally shook his head so he would concentrate.
“Uh, it was a request by a couple for their daughter’s tenth birthday. She likes purple flowers.” He smiled down at the flowers—lavender roses, lavender button spray chrysanthemums, white spray roses, pink alstroemeria, and white carnations, among other leaves and ferns, all displayed in a lavender cube vase.
“It’s really beautiful,” the man commented.
“Thank you.” Ken beamed. It was always nice to hear compliments for his work and his flowers. “So, uh, are you interested in an arrangement for yourself, sir?”
The man rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, actually. It’s for a friend of mine and I want to apologize for taking a client from him. Someone he was supposed to work with ended up liking my portfolio more. He’s not really mad about it because it’ll help our business, but I still want to apologize.”
That was interesting, but not so unusual or surprising. They’ve gotten more memorable requests. (There was this woman who bought roses by the dozens and once let it slip that she liked tossing the petals all over her bed and rolling around in them during intimate moments.)
This one was actually a nice gesture.
Ken nodded. “All right, we can do an ‘I’m sorry’ bouquet.”
He reached towards the shelves where they kept the photo books full of their set arrangements for bouquets and wreaths, as well as other reading material. He plucked out the well-worn blue one at one end, and propped it open on the book stand.
“What’s that?” his customer asked curiously.
“This is The Book,” Ken said as he showed it off. “It contains a catalog of flowers and their meanings. I know most of them off the top of my head, but it’s always good to check.” He flipped the pages, showing his customer the photos and the little notes written on the sides, like ‘thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ ‘Marry me,’ and more.
“Not everyone knows what flowers mean. Most people just pick what they think is the prettiest, which means sometimes we do what we call a pretty set based on the look or color of the flowers. But we’re still careful over the ones we give out because just because the buyer doesn’t speak flowers doesn’t mean the receiver might not have an idea.”
“Oh, that’s pretty smart,” the man said.
“Thank you, sir,” Ken said. He wiped his hands on his apron and then pushed the sleeves of his shirt up his arms. “Anyway, let’s arrange a bouquet for you.”
After clarifying the details with his customer, Ken got to work and pulled out some purple hyacinths, hydrangea, and little spots of yellow tulips, and wrapped them in a pretty bow. They were quite striking and the customer seemed pleased.
“An apology, gratefulness for being understood, and tulips for a smile,” Ken said, pointing at each one.
The man smiled at the arrangement. “This looks great.”
It was then that Ken noticed Jenna was free, so despite how nice it was to talk to this particularly handsome customer, he passed on the rest of the transaction to her so that Ken could go back to his arrangements. He tried to keep an ear out for them, but he found himself getting immersed in his work.
He snapped out of it when he heard someone clear their throat. It was the handsome customer again.
“I wanted to thank you for your help,” he said, smiling. “This is my first time in your shop. It’s actually a really good addition to the street.”
That had Ken puffing up proudly.
“I have to admit…” The man tilted his head to the side, studying Ken curiously. “I didn’t expect you to be the owner. Your assistant said so.”
Ken shrugged. “I get that a lot. But I inherited my green thumb from my dad, and Jenna handles most of the customers because she’s better at it.”
“I think you talk to customers just fine.” The man held out his hand. “I’m Josh, by the way.”
Ken took a moment to wipe his hand on his apron, but Josh didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m Ken. It’s really nice to meet you.”
Josh smiled, and Ken had to try his best not to flush. That lip ring was really distracting
“I’ll see you around, Ken. Thanks again.” He made to leave, but turned back at the last moment. “Oh, and nice tatts, by the way.” He pointed to the tattooed ivy winding up and around Ken’s left forearm. “If you’re interested in getting some ink, just drop by our place.”
Ken blinked, confused. Before he could think to ask, Josh had left, waving amiably. What did he mean by that?
He watched Josh exit Thorn and cross the street.
“He’s heading for the tattoo shop,” Ken murmured.
Jenna, who was putting away some vases, heard him. “Well, yeah. Sir Josh is one of the owners.”
At Ken’s confused face, she sighed. “Boss Ken, that’s the Josh that the realtor told us about.”
“Oh.”
Kenna poked his arm. “Yes, oh. You should really pay more attention sometimes.”
“Isn’t that why I have you? To pay attention to things for me?” Ken asked, chuckling when Jenna stuck her tongue out at him.
Ken glanced out the window. That meant he might get the chance to see Josh more often.
That sounded… that didn’t sound too bad.
To be honest, even just to himself, Ken was a bit of a romantic, especially having grown up with affectionate parents and being surrounded by flowers and beautiful things. And while he loved Thorn , he sometimes felt depressed at the regular flow of people (mostly men) who had forgotten their wedding anniversaries and were looking for a quick fix, or men ordering a bouquet for their ladies on the side, or women buying flowers for themselves just because their boyfriends or husbands hadn’t ever gotten them one (he tended to sell those at a discounted rate, if not for free), or teary-eyed customers buying flowers for deaths and other heartbreaking reasons.
That day of all days, Ken felt particularly somber after serving several of those sorts of customers. Jenna, sensing his mood, made sure he kept working on their flower arrangements to cheer him up and fielded most of the customer inquiry.
She had always said that Thorn seemed to match Ken’s mood. When Ken was happy, the flowers seemed a lot perkier and brighter, but a sad Ken meant slightly droopy and dull flowers.
Thankfully, a few nice customers dropped by—a sweet, young man named Justin, who bought different flowers for his family members every week, a kind elderly gentleman who bought flowers for his wife, and a few lovesick couples who could be nauseating but seemed genuinely happy. They were honestly the reason Ken hadn’t just curled up into a ball in the back room and let Jenna handle all of the customers herself.
But then suddenly, in the middle of their shift, she called out to him.
“Boss Ken, a customer for you!”
It snapped Ken out of his musings and he looked up to see a familiar face.
“Hi, good afternoon,” Josh said, waving a hand as he approached the counter. Today he was in a black band shirt, and ripped jeans. He had a stud in one ear and was still wearing his lip ring.
“Ah, you too.” Ken couldn’t help smiling. “What can I do for you, sir?”
Josh chuckled. “Sir? Sounds so formal. Just Josh is fine.”
“I feel embarrassed,” Ken admitted, wringing his hands together. “You should have told me you owned the tattoo shop across the street.”
“I was going to, but I got distracted,” Josh said. “You were really focused on your arrangements. It was beautiful.”
Ken beamed. “Thank you. I’m always happy to hear that people like my work.”
Josh raised an eyebrow at him. “I wasn’t just talking about the flowers.”
“Hm?” Ken asked, a bit confused.
Josh just grinned, shaking his head. “Never mind. I came over to say that your first arrangement went well. Stell really liked it.”
Ken wracked his brains. “Stell… he’s the other owner of your shop, right? He’s the one you stole a client from?”
“Sort of.” Josh chuckled. “It was a first timer getting a tattoo and he liked one of my works more than his and changed his mind on the spot. Stell was a good sport about it though.”
“But flowers are always a good gesture to soothe any annoyances,” Ken pointed out.
Josh nodded. “Yes. So I’m really grateful.” He leaned against the counter. “And since you did a good job, I thought I’d ask for another arrangement, please?”
Ken nodded. “Sure, what do you need?”
“A client is coming and they don’t like flowers very much,” Josh said.
Ken blinked. “Uh… I need a few more details? And as a florist and shop owner, I’m obligated to tell you that it is irresponsible to expose people to allergens or—”
Josh shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. It’s more like an inside joke.” He chuckled. “Aries, our other staff, has been having a difficult client, and since she likes flowers I thought of getting her something that would cheer her up while she worked on the guy. Thankfully it’s his last session, and we all hope she can get through it without punching him in the face.”
Ken couldn’t help giggling. “Oh. That’s sweet, and sort of hilarious,” he replied, already thinking of what flowers he could put together as he pulled out The Book.
Josh peered at it and Ken noticed he looked excited.
“Do you have an, ‘I hope you don’t punch your client’ arrangement in there?’”
Ken laughed. “Nothing that exact, but maybe we can find something sort of similar.”
Ken and Josh looked through The Book and eventually threw together a small bouquet of snapdragon with little chamomile flowers and rhododendrons.
Ken pointed them out one by one. “So we have snapdragons for graciousness and strength, while also being devious, and chamomile flowers for being patient and calm during times of adversity.”
He showed Josh a small flower. “Oh, and these rhododendrons mean danger or beware, so she might point the flowers out to her client, if she feels like it. Maybe even give him one.”
Josh laughed out loud, deep and rich and full and it made Ken feel just as warm, like flowers looking to sunlight. “That looks amazing! I’ll take it.”
Ken grinned. “Okay.”
Ken made Josh a pretty arrangement, with a couple of extra rhododendrons thrown in, much to Josh’s amusement. Josh bought a vase too so that they could display it in his shop.
“Thank you, Ken. This is great,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” Ken said. He decided to be a bit brave and added, “And, uh, the koi fish looks really cool.”
Josh smiled down at the watercolor tattoo on his arm. “Thank you. My sister chose it.”
Ken waved a hand as Josh left with his latest purchase.
Jenna was looking at Ken through a few plush arrangements of white camellias. She giggled.
“What?” Ken asked, confused.
“Nothing,” she said in a sing-song manner and walked off with a bounce in her step.
The same pattern followed over the next few weeks: Josh came in, asking for this or that arrangement for his staff or Stell or some other friends, and Ken amused the man with The Book and with his knowledge of flower messages. They talked about their shops too, and their staff, and even their tattoos—Josh’s watercolor tattoos, the tribal marks around his arm, and the compass on the ball of his shoulder, as well as and the flowers and butterflies along Ken’s arm, three flowers for his mom, dad, and stepdad, and two butterflies for himself and Kuya Pau.
It was nice to have made a friend, though Ken had to sometimes stomp down on the fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever Josh smiled at him.
On one particular day, Ken was fixing one of the high shelves in the shop when Josh visited him. It had been a bit tilted, which had sent one of their round vases sliding off. Thankfully no one was hurt and the vase was plastic, but Ken wanted to fix that as soon as possible, so he had decided to get to it at a time when there weren’t any customers around.
Ken was just checking the screws to make sure they were steady when Josh popped up and nearly killed him.
“You shouldn’t do that when you’re the only one in the shop.”
Apparently, Ken had been so busy, he hadn’t heard the bell ring above the door, and Josh’s sudden appearance startled him badly. Ken flailed ungracefully atop the stepladder he was perched on and he wasn’t able to catch himself before he fell right off the step.
He landed right into Josh’s arms like one of those damsels in distress on TV, his eyes wide from shock and his heart pounding from his mini heart attack.
Thankfully, Josh had good reflexes, not to mention strong arms, easily taking Ken’s weight. He looked just as wide-eyed as Ken.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Ken! I shouldn’t have startled you!”
“It’s okay,” Ken said, taking a shuddering breath.
Josh looked pained. “I was concerned that you’d fall, but I ended up being the cause of it. Sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Ken assured him. “And sorry for falling on you. I’m probably really heavy.”
Josh shook his head. “You’re really not, and it’s nothing I can’t handle anyway.”
Josh held Ken’s waist gently as he helped him to his feet.
Now that Ken thought about it, Josh might have a slight figure, but he actually had really muscled arms and a really firm and well-defined chest. Ken felt his face flush and coughed, trying to stop his thoughts. Thankfully, Josh didn’t notice his dilemma.
“So, what were you doing?” the tattoo artist asked curiously. “And why were you doing it alone and leaving Jenna or me to find you probably on the floor with your head cracked open?”
“It wasn’t even that high,” Ken protested, pouting. “Jenna popped by the bank and I thought of fixing the shelves because they’re not level.”
“It’s still not safe to do it alone,” Josh pointed out. “Come on. Let me help.”
“I’m not going to fall again,” Ken said.
Josh grinned teasingly. “Well, even if you did, you can fall right into my arms anytime.”
Ken poked his chest—oops, bad move—before flushing at the realization, and then going back up on his step stool. Josh stepped close, keeping a hand on the stool and another on the back of Ken’s leg. It felt tingly.
After making quick work of the shelves and making sure the vases were well supported, Ken went back behind the counter.
“So do you need anything today, Josh?” Ken asked as he put on his apron.
“I actually wanted to request another arrangement, please?” Josh said. “And actually it’s for an anniversary.”
Oh, so did that mean Josh had a…
Ken blinked, clearing his throat.
“Uh, what kind of anniversary?”
“Of when INKLined opened.”
Ken perked up. “Really? When is it?”
Josh looked excited, eyes bright and smile wide. “It’s in two weeks. We’re going to have a little party, and I actually wanted to invite you and Jenna, if you two can come.”
He handed over a little red and white invitation card. “It’ll be on Saturday two weeks from now. We’ll have food set out in our shop, and we’ve invited some friends, guests, and frequent customers who’ll come anytime of the day. It’ll be very casual.”
“Of course we’ll come,” Ken said, studying the invitation. He wasn’t much for parties because of his shyness and awkwardness, but since Jenna would be coming, it would probably be all right. And Josh would be there and Ken wouldn’t mind going for him.
“And I’ll make you some arrangements, free of charge,” Ken said.
Josh’s eyes widened. “What? No way. I can’t ask you to—”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering,” Ken pressed. “Please. I would love to do it for you… Er, I mean your shop.”
It took a bit of haggling, but eventually Josh agreed to accept a discounted price instead, and after talking about the arrangements, he left with a smile.
Ken looked at his notes and grinned excitedly.
Except, on the day of INKLined ’s anniversary, Thorn ended up with a bit of a problem.
The day of INKLined ’s party wasn’t just any weekend. It happened to coincide with a national holiday, which meant a ton of orders for arrangements, bouquets, and deliveries from Thorn . While their shop was a small business compared to other shops, they still ended up with a lot of commitments, including being outsourced by a much bigger flower shop from the other side of town to fill up some of their smaller orders. They had expected so much work that they had already decided to decline walk-ins for the day.
“I’ll skip work and come with you,” Paulo said, catching Ken as he was almost out the door at an early six in the morning. “I know I’m just a silent partner and all, but I want to help. You look like you’ll need all the people you can get.”
Ken wanted to protest since he didn’t want to bother his brother, but he noticed that Paulo was dressed, which meant he had probably decided on this last night. Also, this wouldn’t be the first time Paulo had volunteered for a shift to help them.
So on that day, Thorn had all hands on deck with Ken, Jenna, Paulo, and their small group of part-timers and delivery boys. Jenna was their head of logistics, with her cellphone, her planner, and their timeline on the wall board at her disposal. In anticipation for today, Ken had already pumped up their inventory of flowers and had planned out all of the arrangements, so it was just a matter of the part-timers putting some last minute orders together under Jenna’s watchful eye. He and Paulo were instead assigned to join the delivery boys, since they needed more feet on the ground than at the shop. Ken would handle the bigger orders thanks to the van they had rented for the day. Paulo had his motorcycle, so he would take the easier and faster deliveries.
“Kuya, don’t drive too fast,” Ken told his brother.
“I’ll be good,” Paulo said. “You’ll be busier than me, so you be careful, all right. And don’t get too anxious or nervous.”
Jenna clapped her hands together. “It’s going to be a busy day, so let’s work hard and make a lot of people happy today, okay?”
Ken checked his phone for his deliveries and started packing up with the two guys who would be assisting him that day. Just before he left though, he checked the board.
INKLined was still a big priority for him, and he was a bit relieved to see that Jenna was going to be handling that herself. It might just be across the street, but Ken didn’t want to disappoint Josh.
Jenna walked up beside him. She noticed what he was looking at and smiled, patting his arm.
“Don’t worry, Boss Ken. I’ll make sure everything’s perfect. I’ll send you photos every minute.”
“Thanks.”
Jenna frowned. “You’ll be out on the road until six o’clock though. What should I tell Sir Josh?”
Ken shrugged. “He’ll probably be too busy to notice I’m not there.”
Jenna scoffed so loudly that it made Ken flush. “No, he won’t. He’ll ask about you the moment he sees I’m the one doing his arrangement. So what should I tell him?”
“Uh, well…” Ken rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little shy. “Just tell him I’ll try and make it.”
“Okay.” Jenna said, brow furrowing. “But six o’clock is already pretty late because I added in some contingency hours. Hopefully you’ll be done by four o’clock so you can come to the party.”
Ken nodded. “I’ll try.”
And Ken did. He really did try, but he didn’t make it, though it was no fault of his own.
It was mostly because of the traffic, which wasn’t surprising. Traffic in their country was insane. Thankfully, Jenna had superior planning skills, so despite the hurdles, they had enough time to deliver and arrange all of their orders and would have had enough time to catch up to INKLined by six-thirty at the latest.
But then, the wheel of their van burst right in the middle of the road. It was only a relief that their deliveries had been done at the time.
Ken checked the time. It was almost nine o’clock and they were only just getting back to the shop. He studied the photos Jenna had sent him throughout the day. She made it a point to report all orders to him, so that he knew everything was all right. He scrolled over to the arrangement for INKLined , still pleased at the arrangement of violet, blue, and white. (No particular meaning this time, except only happy thoughts and well wishes.)
He also reread Jenna’s earlier messages.
jenna25: i took kuya pau w me to inklined
jenna25: i saw him talking to sir stell
jenna25: they look like theyre getting along
jenna25: their staff is cool esp the pretty one
jenna25: i think aries is her name
jenna25: everyone likes the flowers! yesssss!
jenna25: and i’m right, boss josh asked for you the moment he saw me
Jenna also took pictures of the party. She had attended for a bit, before going back to Thorn , and then went back to INKLined after the flower shop closed by seven o’clock, staying until the party ended at eight.
Ken sighed. Just his luck, he didn’t get to go.
By nine thirty that evening, Ken and his boys finally arrived at Thorn and parked the van out back. He vaguely noticed his brother’s motorcycle, but no doubt Kuya Pau had been too tired to drive. Ken thanked the boys with him, promising them additional pay for all the trouble, and let them leave first. Ken wasn’t too much of a saint to work through the night, so aside from putting away the essentials, he decided to leave everything for tomorrow.
He entered Thorn from the back, sighing in relief at his shop’s fragrant and calming embrace, and went about checking everything and saying hello to his pretty flowers.
Suddenly, there was a knock, which made him jump. He whipped around and was surprised when he saw a familiar face by the back doors. It was Josh, in a red and black shirt, and skinny jeans.
Ken jogged towards the door and pulled it open.
“Hi,” Josh said, smiling.
“Hey. How was the party?” Ken asked, leading him inside. “Sorry I couldn’t come.”
“It’s all right. Jenna told me what happened,” Josh said. “I was worried when I didn’t see the van come back to the shop, so I thought I’d wait for you.”
“You didn’t have to,” Ken said, though the gesture made him feel a bit warm inside. “You must be tired.”
Josh scoffed. “I was in the shop all day looking after guests and handing out food. We didn’t even have clients. You spent all of today out on the road, dealing with people—which I know stresses you out—and delivering bouquets of flowers. I know you enjoy it, but you’re probably even more tired than I am.”
Ken shrugged. “I’m used to it, and everyone’s happy, which makes up for it.”
“Have you eaten dinner?” Josh asked, and when Ken shook his head, he added, “We still have some leftovers—some chicken wings, pizza, a few sandwiches and some soda.”
Were it a different day, Ken would decline, feeling shy at such consideration. But tonight, after a long and stressful day, it would be such a relief to not have to worry about a good meal.
Josh seemed to feel his relief, because he immediately set about helping Ken clean up and then close Thorn , before leading him across the street with a gentle hand on Ken’s back. Now that Ken thought about it, some of INKLined’ s lights were still open. He had probably been too tired to notice.
“Is it okay if I come in?” Ken asked.
Josh nodded, smiling. “Of course. Honestly, you’re welcome here anytime.”
As someone who had been to a few parlors for his own tattoos, Ken found himself charmed by the place. INKLined was really pretty in a different way from Thorn . The waiting area was comfortable, with two leather sofas, a few colorful stools, and a wide L-shaped counter in a striking red and white. Vintage light fixtures hung from the ceiling and there were several artworks and photographs and shelves on the walls. The main floor had several tattoo chairs and beds lined up, but there was a hallway down one side leading to some private rooms.
There was also a floral smell to the place, which was probably because of the flowers scattered around.
“I’m so relieved the arrangements turned out well,” Ken sighed deeply.
Josh smiled, touching his arm. “Everyone loved it. Stell and I are actually thinking of ordering some every few weeks.”
“Flowers in a tattoo parlor,” Ken mused. “Some would think it’s a weird mix.”
Josh chuckled. “Definitely not. To be honest, I like that combination.” He touched Ken’s arm, looking at him a bit heatedly.
Ken averted his gaze. For some reason, he felt a bit tingly at that look.
“Uh, anyway, is it just you here?”
“Stell’s still here. I think he’s doing paperwork in the office or he fell asleep. I’ll wake him up later.” Josh shrugged. “Come on. Let’s get you something to eat before I show you around.”
In the end, Ken and Josh ate dinner together first, because Ken was famished and Josh wanted to feed him. They sat in the parlor’s pantry, eating the leftovers and talking. It was really nice, and Ken had to consciously stop himself from staring too much at Josh’s handsome face or being too swept away by how absolutely cozy and sweet it all felt.
In the middle of Josh recounting a hilarious story about one of their customers, there was a dull thud somewhere in the parlor. Ken was a bit alarmed, but Josh just sighed.
“What the hell is Stell up to?” He stood up, wiping his hands on a napkin as he did.
Ken stood up too. “I should probably go say hi. I was so hungry I forgot.”
Together, they walked over to Stell and Josh’s shared office. Josh threw open the door and he and Ken gaped at the scene.
“Kuya Pau!” Ken immediately wailed, covering his eyes.
Josh immediately pulled the door shut.
They heard muffled shouting coming from the other side. Some of it sounded like apologies, but no amount of sorrys was going to bleach Ken’s brain.
“D-does your brother have a… a lower back tattoo?” Josh asked.
“A tramp stamp?” Ken asked, far too busy clawing his eyes out.
Josh coughed. “I try not to use that term, but, uh, yes?”
“He does. And I hate that my first impression of Stell is that apparently he’s pretty flexible,” Ken said. Damn his brother. He was tempted to poke his motorcycle wheels.
They decided to leave the pair alone, retreating to the safety of the pantry.
“I think I’m going to have to buy a separate desk,” Josh murmured.
“You probably should.” Ken still felt traumatized, rubbing his eyes.
Josh chuckled and the next thing Ken knew, he smelled something subtly spicy and familiar and opened his eyes to see a white carnation.
“Here, to cheer you up,” Josh said. Apparently, he’d plucked it from a nearby vase.
Ken smiled. It did cheer him up, flowers always did. Josh’s sweet gesture helped too.
“Thank you, Josh.”
Josh smiled. “Come on. Let’s eat and we can give them really judgmental looks when they come out later.”
Ken laughed, following after him.
A white carnation.
Ken blushed, twirling it between his fingers as he looked at Josh’s broad back. He tucked it safely in the front pocket of his shirt.
Josh probably didn’t know what it meant anyway.
After that first visit and Josh’s sweet gesture—not to mention Kuya Pau’s shamelessness—Ken found himself becoming a frequent visitor of INKLined. He liked the place. There was something calming about it, though that was probably required in a place that required poking needles in someone.
The staff were kind too. Stell was fun and funny and Ken genuinely liked him, even though it was a bit awkward thinking that he and Kuya Paulo were… uh, well… whatever it was they were doing. Aries was cool, with her bright pink hair and her piercings, and she and Jenna got along really well. The others were kind and welcoming too, and they all liked Ken’s flowers.
They were endlessly curious about Ken’s tattoos, just like Josh, but were far nosier about it. Ken felt a bit awkward as Stell and Aries looked at his half-sleeve tattoos.
“Your tattoos are really nice. We need to add more to them,” Stell said. “Just a suggestion though. I mean, we all know you probably wouldn’t want a tattoo from any of us.
Ken frowned as he pulled down his sleeve. “Of course, I would. I mean, if I was getting one, I’d pick INKLined .”
Aries, who apparently had no filter at all, suddenly said, “I meant we know you’d prefer it if Josh did it, not us. Not that we mind.”
“Oh, uh… I… It isn’t like that,” Ken said weakly, but she ignored him.
“But where’d you get yours done?” Aries asked, poking his arm. “They’re really good.”
Aries was into color and art and did really good watercolor tattoos, so she was the one most interested in Ken’s colorful ink. Apparently, she had also done Josh’s koi fish tattoo. Stell had steady hands and his specialty was in geometric designs and line art, and did most of the shop’s piercings. He also had the best stamina in the team, often fulfilling the really big orders for their more adventurous clients. Ken had seen their portfolios and had been really impressed. Now he knew why INKLined was so renowned.
They were getting deeper into conversation, but were interrupted by a familiar voice that immediately had Ken smiling.
“Ken? Hi, I didn’t know you were dropping by,” Josh said, moving close. He stood behind Ken’s stool, placing a hand on his back at the base of his neck.
“I just wanted to visit,” Ken said, smiling up at him. “But Stell and Aries said you were in an consultation, so they kept me company.”
“You mean they were harassing you.” Josh glared at the two. The pair just giggled.
“Fine, fine, we’ll leave,” Stell said, tugging Aries along. “Play nice you two.”
Aries snorted. “You’re one to talk. You already poked Ken’s brother… or gotten poked.”
Ken groaned, covering his ears at that. At least Stell looked a bit embarrassed, before fleeing the scene.
Josh sighed. “Sorry about them.” He sat down on the table at a corner from Ken, their arms touching. “So what’s up?”
For a moment, Ken wished he had some sort of legitimate excuse to come and that he didn’t cross the street just because he suddenly thought of Josh.
“Nothing,” Ken said. “Just, uh, thought I’d say hi?”
Josh smiled, tilting his head to the side. He was really handsome, and it made Ken blush.
“Hi, Ken.”
Ken pressed a hand to his face, looking down. His face felt hot and he suddenly felt embarrassed. He scrambled for a topic.
“Oh, and uh, Stell and Aries and I talked about tattoos.”
Josh perked up. “You’re thinking of getting some?”
Ken eyed the ones peeking from Josh’s sweater sleeves. For his personal ink, Josh and Ken were similar in that they liked getting tattoos with meanings and weren’t really choosy over color or style so long as it fit the thought and heart of it. But as a tattoo artist, Josh was known for his minimalist yet intricate style, and his portfolio was full of beautiful line art, delicate pieces, and artful words and phrases. According to Stell, he often handled the more meticulous tattoos.
“Well, uh…” Ken wiggled in his seat. “I love your portfolio and I’ve never had line art before, so I thought maybe something like that.”
Josh looked really excited. “I can sketch some stuff for you, if that’s okay?”
“Sure,” Ken said. It made him feel happy to see Josh so excited. “I’m still not sure if and when I’ll get it though.”
“It’s okay,” Josh said, already grabbing his sketchbook.
Ken’s face was a bit hot, but talking about tattoos with Josh was fun. Being with Josh was always fun, and Ken really liked spending time with him.
After some little sketches, Josh stopped at a line art he made of a rose, with the stem spelling out the word Thorn . It was beautiful and elegant.
“It’s lovely,” Ken said, stroking the page. He took a photo of it, smiling.
Josh actually looked embarrassed. “It’s not that smooth, but thank you. I’m glad you like it. I’ll make a better design for you next time.”
Eventually, Ken had to leave, and Josh escorted him out the door, a hand on his back.
“Oh, by the way, how were the flowers you asked for yesterday?” Ken asked just before he walked out.
Josh paused and for a moment Ken thought he looked uncomfortable.
Josh still ordered flowers from Thorn . Sometimes they were for his shop or for his friends or his family, but sometimes he’d suddenly ask for specific flowers, like gardenias, daisies, and some yellow pansies. Yesterday he had asked Ken if he had heliotropes, which he did, and while Josh said they were pretty, he still had a weird frown on his face when he had left.
“They were fine, Ken, really beautiful,” Josh said.
He was smiling right now and it seemed sincere—if a bit oddly fond and exasperated?—so Ken decided to let it go and said his goodbye, touching Josh’s arm with a smile before leaving.
It was probably nothing.
Then there was the time Josh asked for edelweiss.
Ken gave it to him.
Josh let out an aggravated sigh, paid for the sprigs, and then placed lunch on the table. Apparently, he had bought Ken shawarma and soda. Ken invited him to stay, but Josh just stroked his arm warmly, said he had work, and left.
Then another day, Josh was looking for some baby's breath.
Ken found pretty ones and gave them to Josh.
Josh groaned out loud and then curled up on the counter, nearly face planting on the surface.
Behind him, Jenna was smacking herself in the face.
What was wrong with them?
During a particular rainy day, Josh asked for red chrysanthemums. Ken didn’t have those at the shop, but when he said he was going to order some for Josh, the man just tossed his arms in the air and walked out of the shop without another word.
Ken ran after him, because the idiot forgot an umbrella. (It was just across the street, but still.)
For a moment, Josh had looked hopeful, but then he just sighed at Ken’s explanation. He let Ken take him to INKLined , only to grab an umbrella, escort Ken back to Thorn , and then go back to his shop. It was so confusing.
Jenna was making weird noises against the counter, and was sort of pulling her hair out. Maybe she needed a day off.
“Hey, Stell?”
It was a Tuesday and Stell had popped by Thorn to help them arrange some of the new deliveries that had arrived. Ken thought it was probably because Kuya Pau was helping Ken for the day since Jenna had the day off—for some reason, she had been mad when Ken had offered it, though she had taken it anyway—but Stell really seemed interested and between the three of them, Ken might be able to close up shop early today.
“Yes?” Stell asked, looking up from the sunflowers. Ken thought they fit him, all pretty and sunny.
“I, uh, I need a favor,” Ken said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What is it?”
Ken took a deep breath. He was a bit nervous about this, but he really wanted it so…
“Before I say what it is, let me tell you that I know Kuya Pau is a bit flighty, but I know every trick in the book if you’re serious about landing him.”
Stell looked surprised. He glanced over to the side. Kuya Pau was out back cleaning out some vases so he hadn’t heard them.
“Well… I won’t say no to that?”
Ken nodded and when he finally asked for his favor, Stell just chuckled.
“Ken, you don’t even have to ask. I’d do it for you even without your offer of how to nab your brother.” He reached out, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “We’ll do it later. I can just grab the stuff from the shop and bring it here.”
“Thanks,” Ken said, shyly.
“No problem.” Stell winked at him. “Though since you offered, maybe you can give me a hint on how to compete with how absolutely in love your brother is with his motorcycle.”
“That’s easy.” Ken scoffed. “Have sex on it so he’ll only think of you when he rides it.”
Ken wasn’t the type to be mean, but seeing Stell jerk in surprise, slip, and then fall on his butt was kind of satisfying.
Then one day, on a sunny Wednesday that mirrored the first time Ken had met him, Josh suddenly barged into Thorn. It was quite a racket too, surprising some of the patrons. He had a bouquet in his hands.
Jenna, who had opened the door for him, giggled behind her hand.
“Hello, Kuya Josh,” she greeted.
“Hello, Jenna. Excuse me, Jenna,” Josh said, walking right past her.
“Uh…” Ken watched as Josh stomped closer. He looked at the bouquet in his hand. He couldn’t help blurting out, “Did you replace me with a different florist?”
“No,” Josh said, stopping right by the counter. He had a rather stern and determined look on his face.
“Oh.” Ken blinked, looking at the bouquet. “It doesn’t seem like it. And I should probably say, as a businessman, that you’re not allowed to bring flowers from another place into my shop.”
Josh sighed. “I didn’t replace you with another florist, but I had to find a different one for this purpose.”
Ken was confused. “What purpose is that?”
Josh handed the bouquet to Ken, who took it with confusion.
Ken looked at it. It was a haphazard arrangement of different flowers wrapped in red with a pretty black bow. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at. He was a bit jealous though.
“Whoever your new florist is, they’re… pretty?”
Josh rubbed his face. “Oh, for—I don’t have a new florist.” He pointed at the bouquet. “Look at them.”
“What am I looking at?” Ken asked.
Josh rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Usually, I agree with your idea that sometimes flower arrangements can be made to just look pretty. But not this time.” He reached for the nearby shelf for The Book and put it on the counter between them. He then motioned to the arrangement.
“So, look, Ken. Look. ”
Ken looked—daffodils, red tulips, bell flowers, and a rich red rose right in the middle.
They’re all about…
They all meant…
Ken fidgeted on his feet. “That’s, uh… that is a lot of ways to say ‘I love you.’”
Josh snorted, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips. “You’re telling me.”
Ken looked at the flowers, tilting them this way and that.
“Do you need me to make a bouquet out of them?”
Josh groaned, loud and frustrated and annoyed. Surprisingly, there was a similar aggrieved sound from the other end where Jenna was peeking in on them from behind the shelves.
“Boss Ken, seriously?” she hissed.
“Fucking hell, I am in love with an idiot,” Josh hissed, tossing his hands in the air. He then grabbed the red rose from the set and thrust it at Ken’s face.
“Ken, I am in love with you! You! You idiot with roses for brains!”
Ken blinked.
Huh?
Oh.
Oh.
Ken opened his mouth. “I… it’s… uh, me?”
Josh sagged against the counter. “Oh my god. I have been trying to tell you for weeks!”
Ken blinked.
Oh, fuck.
Ken was an idiot.
He was. He’d admit to it.
Josh looked so upset that Ken immediately put the flowers down and sprinted around the counter.
“Josh. Josh. Josh. Wait. ”
As he walked towards the other man, he untied his apron and then tossed it on the counter. He then reached for the edge of his shirt and lifted it.
Josh jolted. “Ken, what the hell—”
There was a squeak from Jenna’s direction.
Josh bounded over, holding onto Ken’s arms. “Why are you getting naked here? Now? In broad daylight?”
“Boss Ken, it’s the middle of our shift! ” Jenna cried out.
Ken paused. “What are you two…” He then realized what he was doing and he felt like melting into the ground.
“I wanted to show you something, Josh! I’m not trying to—to get naked right now!” He wailed. “That’s for later!”
“Later?” Josh sputtered.
Ken’s face felt so hot. “I mean… it wasn’t… I just… just look at this!”
He lifted his shirt, not by much just a bit to show Josh his left side below his ribs.
“What’s that?” Josh’s brow furrowed. “Is that—did you get inked?”
Ken shook his head. “Just a temporary one. I asked Stell for a favor. But look at it.”
Ken held still as Josh moved closer. He shivered when he felt Josh’s fingers rub his side. They were warm. He did it again and Ken had a feeling he was tracing the line art he’d done himself several weeks ago, which Ken had taken a photo of and finally had the courage to get drawn on him, even just a temporary one. It was actually starting to fade.
“I wanted… I liked…” Ken took a deep breath. “It was beautiful and I wanted to get it, but I didn’t know how to ask, so Stell drew it on me temporarily until… until I can ask you to tattoo it on me.”
Josh blinked. “Oh, that’s… I would… definitely…”
He touched Ken’s side one last time, before letting Ken smooth his shirt back down. He looked so happy, even prettier and brighter than the flowers in Ken’s shop.
Ken smiled back, feeling something hopeful blooming in his chest. “So, uh, all this time, it’s all been for me?”
Josh looked exasperated, if fond. “Yes, you silly, oblivious man.”
The next thing Ken knew, Josh had reached up to cup his face between his gentle hands. He tugged Ken forward and pressed their lips together gently.
Ken could be stupid, but he wasn’t that stupid. He surged up against Josh, snaking his arms around Josh’s neck as Josh placed his hands on Ken’s waist.
For long minutes, there was nothing but this, the slow slide of Josh’s lips against his and his tongue tracing Ken’s lower lip. Ken shuddered when he felt Josh’s hands come up under his shirt, warm palms landing on the small of his back and sliding gentle fingers across the skin until one hand landed right on his side where his temporary tattoo was. They pulled back, lips red and sticky sweet and breaths a little labored.
“That was… uh…” Ken took a breath. “That was… yeah.”
Josh chuckled and sighed. “Now he gets it. Literally everybody on our street knows, Ken.”
“Everybody!” came a distant call from Jenna. Ken looked and she was standing guard by the door, giggling behind some vases.
“I’m sorry,” Ken murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.
“It’s all right,” Josh said, leaning forward to kiss Ken again, making him whine when he bit Ken’s lower lip teasingly.
“I got it in the end though,” Ken pouted.
“Thank god, because I was running out of flowers.” Josh rolled his eyes and laughed.
It took a few months of dating before Ken eventually got Josh’s line art permanently tattooed on his side. Josh also had a black rose added to his arm. Jenna still teased her boss endlessly for being so clueless, and netted a pretty sum from the neighborhood betting poll she and Aries had been running on when Ken would finally get Josh’s hints.
Also, Stell successfully got Paulo to be more obsessed with him than his motorcycle. Ken never rode his brother’s motorcycle again.