A Box Of Roses

Chapter 6: Solo

Chapter 6: Solo

For now, I may not be with a man, I may be flying solos, but I am doing it in style. My store is all ready and tomorrow is the opening day. I have put fliers up and have been advertising for the last two weeks about opening day. My heart is thumping in my chest so hard that I think I might faint and it's been doing that for the last two hours. I have been up since 4:00 this morning getting everything set out and doing the finishing touches on everything.

I had Justin come in with his friend and help me set reasonable prices for everything a few days ago and I learned a lot from that day. I hurry around trying to get everything just right. I want to make a good first impression on my future customers. Calm down, everything will be fine. Oh, that's not right. I'll just put that there, like this. Maybe it would look better over there. Justin said he'd be the first person here, he'd be my first customer and be the first to buy something. I told him he didn't have to, but he insisted so I let it go.

I still have another two hours before I open shop. I go behind the counter and check the register. There's lots of change in here, maybe I should put more just in case. It feels like there's so much to do and so little time to do it in. I will be just fine, everything will be just fine. I hear a car honk just outside the shop. I walk over to the window, curious of who or what it could be.

A smile touches my lips as I watch Justin set out of his car. I wave and he rushes to the door.

"Hey! I thought you could use a hand." A smile from him and my nerves start to calm. I open my arms and hug him. This is just what I needed, he always seems to help when I'm stressed or overworking myself.

"I could always use a hand from you."

"So, what can I help you with? Hey, it looks great in here, I actually don't think it needs anything."

"Really?" I can feel my face brighten being told that I did a good job on the set up. "You really think so?"

"I do, it looks even better than I thought it would look. Not that I thought it wouldn't have looked good."

"Okay, I just need to bring out a few more things from the back and arrange them out here. I was thinking about arranging the, in front of the window. You know, to advertise little more. I am really nervous about opening for the first time."

"Don't worry about it, it'll be fine, you'll get a few customers, sell a few products and all will be well." He follows me into the back to get the products.

After setting out the last of my product, we sit and talk, willing the time to go by so I can open shop. He kept telling me not to worry the whole time and made sure that I didn't get up to go and 'fix' things. He said that everything looked just fine and I would make a great impression.

When 8:00 rolls around, I unlock the doors and turn on the big sign outside as well as the small 'We're Open' sign. I set the bell and the 'Please Ring for Assistance' sign on the front counter and go to the back room. I busy myself rummaging through different boxes of extra product for no reason at all while Justin watches.

The first ding from the bell comes only a half hour later. I walk around the corner with a friendly smile on my face. "Hello, what can I do for you?"

I was wondering if you had anything that would make a good gift for my mother-in-law because her birthday is tomorrow and I've been searching every store in the city for the last two weeks to find the perfect gift for her. She is not a big fan of me and I really want her to like me. So I need something really special." Her face looks at me full of hope and desperation.

I smile, "I think I have the perfect thing, if you will please follow me." I lead her to a bookshelf that I have little nick-knacks on. I reach up and grab an antique, fifty-year old jeweler box and she it to her.

She looks at it, eyes glowing and I know I've found the perfect item. She beams at me, eyes filled with the most happiness I think I've ever seen. "Thank you, thank you so much. It's perfect. I just know she'll love it. Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome. This product in particular I find very beautiful, it is a fifty-year old antique jewelry box. Will you come over to the counter now?"

She follows me back to the counter and I ring in the transaction. She walks out the door with the gift all wrapped up with a bow and everything. I have never seen someone look so happy and relieved in all my life. My first customer and I set the bar high. This is great!

That day I get several other customers. One man came in looking for an anniversary gift for his wife and he bought my beautiful antique, diamond bracelet made by a self-employed jeweler in 1910. An older lady came in wanting a new painting to spice up her dining room for when she has guests over and she bought my antique painting of a forest from far away made by an artist who was famous in the time of 1930. I also had a boyfriend wanting to buy something for his girlfriend that he wanted to give her when he proposed. He bought my antique pair of hope rings. One is for the man to wear and one for the woman. There were a few others that just bought curtains or old clothes for an older themed movie set in the 1950s.

After the clock chimes 9:00, I lock up and head home. I give Justin a call saying that things went great and telling him about a few of the customers and he seemed thrilled that it went so well. Justin had left around 1:00 for lunch and said he most likely wouldn't be coming back, which I had expected.

My antique shop has really taken off in just the first day of being opened. I love that I was able to help people who were desperate for gifts today. It felt great. It feels great being able to stand on my own two feet and not be running my own business with no one to tell me what to do.

Now, I think to myself, all I need is a man. He can give me the family I've always dreamed of. A caring, kindhearted, amazing man who will love me more than anyone else and would go to the ends of the earth for me. A man who is made just for me.