Aeris lay sprawled across her bed, her phone pressed to her ear while she stared at the ceiling.
"I'm telling you, Nyra, it was a disaster," she groaned, rolling onto her stomach. "Ten minutes. Ten. Minutes."
On the other end of the call, Nyra burst out laughing.
"Girl, ain't no way he took you to one of those billionaire restaurants and sent you home in ten minutes."
"He did!" Aeris insisted. "He literally ordered takeout and dismissed the entire restaurant like he owned the place."
"Well… does he?"
"That's not the point!" Aeris buried her face in her pillow.
Nyra's laughter softened into a teasing hum.
"So what did you do?"
"What do you mean what did I do? I sat there and ate steak like a confused raccoon."
"Aeris!"
"I didn't understand the menu!"
Nyra laughed again, this time harder. Before Aeris could complain further, a knock sounded at her door.
"Hold on," she muttered into the phone, pushing herself up from the bed. She padded across the room and opened the door. No one was there. But sitting neatly on the floor was a large box wrapped in cream paper, and beside it, A bouquet of flowers.
Aeris blinked.
"Nyra…" she said slowly into the phone. "There's… flowers."
"Oh?" Nyra's voice sharpened immediately with interest. "What kind?"
"I don't know, I'm not a botanist," Aeris said, crouching down to pick up the bouquet. "They're white… and pink… and fancy looking."
"Does it at least come with a package?"
"Yeah."
"Girl open it!"
Aeris carried everything inside and shut the door with her foot. The flowers smelled faintly sweet, something delicate and expensive. Tucked between the stems was a small envelope. Her stomach flipped.
"Nyra…" she whispered. "There's a letter."
Nyra gasped dramatically.
"READ IT."
"Relax," Aeris muttered, though her fingers were already trembling slightly as she opened the envelope. Inside was a simple card. Thick paper. Elegant handwriting. She read silently at first, Then her eyes widened.
"What?" Nyra demanded. Aeris cleared her throat and read aloud.
Miss Aeris,
Last night did not go as intended.
Your discomfort was… noted. I do not tolerate situations that place you in embarrassment or unease.
Dinner should have been arranged more appropriately.
Accept these flowers as a small apology.
— Caelum
There was a long pause, Then Nyra squealed.
"AERIS."
"What?"
"HE SENT YOU FLOWERS."
"That's not the point!"
"That is exactly the point!"
Aeris stared down at the bouquet, her cheeks warming. "I think he felt bad," she murmured quietly.
Nyra snorted.
"No, honey. Billionaire men do not send apology flowers unless they care."
"Nyra."
"I'm serious!"
Aeris flopped back onto her couch, staring at the ceiling again while holding the bouquet awkwardly in one hand.
"I literally embarrassed him in public."
Nyra hummed thoughtfully.
"Or maybe… he was embarrassed that you felt embarrassed."
"That makes no sense."
"It makes perfect sense if he likes you."
Aeris' heart skipped traitorously. "Stop saying that."
"I'm just saying… the man took you to a fancy restaurant, failed miserably, and then sent apology flowers." Nyra paused. "That's boyfriend behavior."
"He is not my boyfriend!"
"Yet."
Aeris groaned loudly, covering her face with the bouquet. "Nyra, please."
But Nyra was already giggling again.
"Girl… what kind of flowers are they exactly?"
Aeris lifted them closer and squinted.
"…Wait."
"What?"
"There's another card."
Nyra gasped again.
"READ IT."
Aeris flipped the small card over slowly. Her brows furrowed. "…Oh."
"What does it say?"
Aeris swallowed. "It says… These are peonies."
"Okay?"
She paused again. "…Apparently they mean something."
Nyra's voice dropped into an excited whisper. "What do they mean?"
Aeris read the small printed line beneath it. And suddenly her face turned bright red.
"OH MY GOD."
"WHAT?"
"I am not reading that out loud!" Aeris was still staring at the bouquet when Nyra's voice came bursting through the phone again.
"Are you seriously refusing to read it?"
"Yes."
"Aeris."
"No."
"Aeris!"
"Nyra, I said no."
Nyra groaned dramatically. "You are the worst kind of friend."
Aeris rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. She placed the flowers carefully on the small table beside her couch, still feeling the faint warmth creeping into her cheeks. "I'm not reading it."
"Fine," Nyra huffed. "But I'm Googling it later."
Before Aeris could respond, another voice suddenly joined the background.
"Well, good morning to you too."
Aeris immediately recognized the voice. Taylor. "Taylor?" she said, surprised.
"Miss Aeris," he greeted warmly. "Long time."
Nyra groaned loudly. "Why are you stealing my phone?"
"Because my wife has been gossiping for twenty minutes straight."
"She's going through a crisis!"
Taylor chuckled softly.
"Aeris, I hope you're doing well."
"I am," she replied politely. "How's married life treating you?"
"Oh, it's wonderful," he said dryly. "Except my wife spends half the day interrogating her friends about mysterious billionaires."
Nyra gasped in the background. "I do not!"
Taylor ignored her. "How's work?"
"It's been good," Aeris said. "Busy though. Photography shoots back to back this week."
"That's good to hear," he said kindly. Then there was a brief pause before his tone shifted slightly. "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to steal my wife now."
Nyra protested immediately.
"Excuse me?!"
Taylor laughed. "Come on, we're supposed to be leaving."
"For where?"
"You'll see."
"That's suspicious!"
Aeris smiled to herself as their bickering continued. Taylor spoke again into the phone.
"It was nice talking to you, Aeris."
"You too," she said warmly.
"And… good luck with your flowers."
Nyra shrieked. "GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK!"
The call abruptly ended.
Aeris stared at her phone for a moment before laughing softly. The apartment suddenly felt quiet again. Her eyes drifted back to the bouquet. The peonies sat on the table, delicate and almost glowing in the morning light. And beside them, The letter. She picked it up again, rereading the neat handwriting. Your discomfort was noted. Her heart fluttered strangely.
He noticed.
Aeris exhaled slowly and shook her head. "Stop it," she murmured to herself. She set the letter down and stood up.
Work.
She needed to focus on work. After a quick shower, she dressed in a loose blouse and fitted trousers, tying her hair back as she moved around the room gathering her camera bag. But even as she packed her equipment, her thoughts kept drifting, Back to the restaurant, Back to the moment he had suddenly ended dinner, Back to the flowers,Back to the letter.
Back to him.
Aeris groaned softly. "This is ridiculous." She slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her keys. And Just as she was about to leave, she paused. Her eyes drifted back to the bouquet one last time. After a moment's hesitation, she walked over, picked one of the peonies from the arrangement, and tucked it carefully into her bag, Then she left for work.
But the faint scent of the flower followed her the entire way. And somehow, So did the thought of Caelum.