"You've got a nice place." William said as he followed Cassie into the flower shop.

"Thank you."

Cassie hanged her tweed jacket on the coat rack,before leading William to the table and chairs she had set up behind the dandelion Rack,which was beside the door.

She had gone to the store yesterday after calling William,it was there she found a well used plastic table and three chairs.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." Cassie motioned for him to sit in the chair before going into the small kitchen which was located at the back of the store beside the changing room.

She found William at the black rose rack when she returned from the kitchen with a tray which held two cups,one was filled with cool lemonade while the other one was filled with coffee. A small bowl,which held milk,another small one which held sugar and finally,four of Ella's famous strawberry cup cake.

Cassie set the tray on the table,then stood back to watch William. There was something about him that she couldn't explain. He made her feel comfortable and she felt as if she could tell him anything without fearing that he would use it against her.

He was clearly what every girl would want as a husband.

Cassie was curious about who he really was. And whoever he turned out to be, she was sure that he was from uptown and he was rich. If anything,his shiny silver car on the other side of the street proved that he was rich. Which only heightened her curiosity.

Who was he?

"What flower is this?" William asked without turning around.

Cassie joined him by the rack. "These are black rose."

"Why would anyone want a black rose?"

"For funeral." Cassie traced one of the petals with her index finger. "Black rose signifies death and hatred."

William turned his gaze on her."why do you plant and sell it?"

"I am a florist William." She snatched her fingers away from the petals. "It's not about what I want, it's about what people want."

"Will you take me on a tour of your shop?" He motioned to the rest of the racks. "I'm curious about flowers now that I seen them. You seem to be an expert when it comes to flowers."

"Sure." Cassie smiled at him.

By the time they toured the shop and returned to the table,Cassie was thirsty and elated.

She was thirsty because of all the talks about flowers and elated because he was the first male to be really interested in what she did.

"The lemonade has gone hot." William said as he sat on one of the chairs.

"The coffee has gone hot too." Cassie said with a smile.

William smiled back as he reached for one of the cupcakes the same time as Cassie. Their fingers brushed,they both felt the electricity zing through their fingers then circulate all through their body.

Cassie snatched her back,her mouth forming a perfect 'o'. William did the same thing,while staring at his hands as if searching for the source of the electricity.

Neither of them moved or say anything for about two minutes. But when the silence became unbearable, William cleared his throat before reaching for one the cup cakes.

Cassie also picked up the coffee cup,forgetting that she didn't add milk or sugar,she drank half of the coffee all in one gulp. She grimaced but didn't spit it out.

"So, tell me more about you." Again, he was the first to speak.

Cassie replaced the cup on the saucer,then reached for a cup cake too. "My name is Cassandra Milton. Twenty-three years old and a graduate too. Huh... I have one Best friend and one other friend,Josie and Ella. I live with my mother,Beatrice Milton and I lost my father when I was eighteen." She paused for a breath. "He owned and loved Milton's flower shop and.... Why are you giving me that 'sorry' look?"

"You miss him,don't you?" He placed his un-eaten cake in the tray.

Cassie took a deep breath to keep the tears, that were threatening to spill, at bay.

"Sometimes." She admitted.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not like it's your fault." Cassie gave him a watery laugh. "If I want to blame anyone,I'd blame fate and God. I wished that he should have killed my mother instead."

William scooted his chair until he was sitting beside her. He turned in his chair so he could capture her hands in his.

"Don't say that." He used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear that was running down her right cheek. "God is not to be blamed and he does nothing without a reason. There must be a reason why he kept your mother alive."

"You are saying this because you don't know Beatrice." Cassie withdrew her hands from his. "Beatrice was willing to trade me in exchange for money."

William frowned."your mother was willing to trade you for money?" His frown deepen when Cassie nodded. "To who?"

"No one other than K----" Cassie frowned when her phone began to ring.

Of all the time,the dratted thing had to go off now?

She fished it out from the pocket of her jeans. An unknown number was displayed on the screen.

"Just a minute." She told William as she pushed her chair back. She got up and walked down the aisles until she was out of hear-shot. "Hello...Josie?... You got the job?... Oh,okay... See you in five."

Cassie was surprised to see William standing by the door with a worried look on his face.

"Is everything alright?" She inquired as she walked over to stand before him.

"I gotta go. My sister is not feeling too well and she has been asking for me."

"Oh."

William moved closer so that they were almost touching. "We'll do this again?"

Cassie gazed up at him. "Yes." She said a little breathless.

That voice was not mine,right?

"I'll call you." He leaned down to brush his lips against hers in a feather light kiss.

Cassie stood transfixed as he walked out of the shop. Her breath, which she didn't know she had been holding,came out in a rush.

Did he just kiss me?

###

Whew! Disaster averted.

Ansela turned her face the other way just as William walked out of the flower shop and crossed to the other side of the street where he parked his silver Audi R8.

She had seen the car when she arrived in the taxi that brought her downtown whenever she wanted,but she had assumed that William was not the only one who owns an Audi in the whole part of philly. She had proceeded to the flower shop door just as Cassie was about to tell William about Kaden.

She nearly had a coronary on the spot.

Ansela knew that if Cassie mention Kaden's name to William, everything would be over before it even started and that would only create a drift, the size of a canyon, between William and Kaden. She panicked and did what she could only think of at the moment.

She dialled Cassie's number. Through the transparent glass door,she saw Cassie excuse herself to receive the call.

"Cassie!... It's Josie... I got the job... Ah,and yes can I stop by the shop,you know, just to celebrate?... Okay,see you in five minutes."

Disaster one averted.

She very well knew that William,being a very inquisitive person, would pursue the matter once Cassie returned. She searched her brain for what would make William leave without hesitation.

Mom?... He would call her. So she's clearly not an option.

Dad?... Not a good idea.

Kaden's not an option too except... Ah!

She dialled William's number and was happy when he picked it on the first ring.

"William." She said a very weak voice. "I've got... Achoo!" She sneezed. "I've got the flu... Yes,come right now... Mom?... She's not around....." Another sneeze. "Dad and I are not on good terms.... I want you home,Will...." A sneeze. "iam. Come right now."

And that's how two disaster were averted.

I should be given an Oscar.

Ansela hurried to the taxi which was parked at the end of the street.

"Games can be really hard." Ansella murmured as she opened the door and hopped into the taxi.

"Where yo talkin' to me,miss?" The driver turned in his seat to stare at her.

"I was not talking to you." She waved her hand in dismissal. "How fast can you drive?"

"Yo never know."

"Then can you beat an Audi?"

"I'll try."

And he did try.

The taxi got to the back fence just as William waited for the gates to open. After paying the taxi man,she dismissed him and hurried to the low part of the black fence.

Not caring that anyone might see her,she scaled the fence. Her ankle twisted the other way when she landed on the grassy floor. Pain shot up her ankle but she didn't dwell on the pain.

Ansela limped to the back of the house,where the rope she tied to her window sill,which was on the second floor. Ignoring the pain in her ankle,she used the rope to climb into her room. Pain lanced through her when she landed on her twisted left ankle.

Groaning in pain,she closed her window before hurrying into the en-suite bathroom. She removed her wig and contacts,she stored it away inside the cabinet under the washbasin. Her cheap wool skirt and faded blouse went next.

She wiped the make-up away and added new one which made her look as if she has got more than flu itself. She released her hair from the bun style and ran her fingers through several times so that it looked bed ragged. She reached for the bottle of Ethylene and sniffed a bit of it.

She sneezed almost immediately and her eyes began to water. Dressed in only her lacy blue panties and bra,she hurried back into her room and was about to slide under the covers when the door slide open.

Ansela went still.

She can imagine how she looked right now. Her good leg was under the covers,while she was standing on the bad one. One hand was clutching her pink bed spread and her hair was sticking in every direction.

She looked comical.

"Annie?"

From the corner of her eyes Ansela watched William and her parents hurry into the room. William got her just as she sneezed again.

All thanks to the sensible makers of Ethylene.

William took her shoulders in his arms and Ansela leaned into him just as the room began to spin. A weak moan escaped her lips when her mother unknowingly hit her bad leg.

Getting dizzy was not part of the plan.

"Annie." Arabella pushed her hair away from her face. "What happened to you?"

"Mom." The world was suddenly going black.

"Get the doctor." Steven shouted to one of the maids who had appeared in the doorway.

Ansela couldn't stop the blackness from taking her into it's embrace.

So much for getting an Oscar.

Can we get a star for our mischievous little Annie?

That is William's car, An Audi R8 above.

Little mischievous Ansela,I hope she would not get into trouble with her little stunt.

Who is your favourite character in this book? And why do you like he/ she?

I await your comment and votes.