Opposites Attract

2.

Hope is like the thing with feathers,
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops, at all.

°°°°
A week later

Those messy hairs, those big brown eyes, that careless smile. These traits of her are nagging me ever since that day.

It's like someone is poking the back of my head with a knife.

The stargazers kept in one corner of the office aren't helping much either. But I'm glad Wren didn't accept them. They're too good for her.

The file lies in front of me, on the desk, unopened. I don't have the courage to do so. I shouldn't. 'It's called invasion of privacy Jacob', I remind myself.

I swear I have never done this before. But something about Sierra has me hooked. Usually the attraction fades away after four to five days but it's not happening right now.

No, I don't have time for this.

My hand creep close to the file without my permission. Fuck it. I open the file.

Name: Sierra Lynch
Age: 22, still in college, senior year
Race: Indian-American

Well that would explain the light honey skin tone.

Height: 5 feet 2 inches
Weight: 41kg

Family: Lives with her little sister. Sina Lynch, age 17.
Adress: French quarters, New Orleans.
Job: Owns a flower shop downtown. Works two other part time jobs.

And that's it.

That's it!? What about parents? Is she from here or somewhere else? How long has she been here? This file has nothing important.

I sigh and lean back in my chair.

It's not enough. I have to know her more. I have to see her.

"Emily. Cancel all the meetings for next two hours." I instruct my PA.

She looks up slyly. "Sure thing." She says in a tone she believes is sexy. But it's plain irritating.

Finding a new PA is definitely on the top of my to-do list.

The bell chimes again when I enter the little shop. The familiar scent of the shop hits me with vigor. It's not just the flowers, it's Sierra too.

I must be sounding insane.

Sierra lifts her head up. Her eyes widening slightly upon spotting me.

Her avocado brown hairs are in a messy bun which looks so naturally good on her. Her lips curl up with that friendly warm smile. Her eyes blinking rapidly to assure it's not some sort of hallucination.

"What brings you here again?" She questions in her sing song voice. She has a different slang which cannot be found anywhere in America. And it's weirdly soothing.

But something is different today. There is a palpable tiredness to her otherwise perfect face. Her eyes are not so jumpy and energetic as they were last time.

"You remember me." I state proudly as if I've won some kind of award.

"Of course I do. It's not everyday that a man in an armani suit comes here." She replies, setting the pen in her hand on the desk. She walks over to the white roses kept in one corner of the shop. There is a slight wobble in her walk. "Stargazers again?" She questions while watering the roses.

"Oh, no, I'm not here for flowers." My answer makes her freeze for a second. "Actually, I feel bad for the way I behaved the last time I was here. It was kind of a stressful day." It's true. Dealing with Wren isn't easy.

She cranes her neck and gives me her cuter than hell teeth smile. It's breathtaking. "Everyone is allowed to have a bad day. I won't hold it against you." Ever so kind and good.

I cannot even imagine this ever showing any negative emotions like anger or hatred. She makes everything happy around her. Like flowers. She is a flower.

There is an awkward silence after that.

"I should get going. I must be wasting your time." I say.

"No stay." She says way too quickly. "I mean if you are free that is. There are almost no customers this time of the day. It's too hot to shop for flowers." She covers up.

"Ok then." I accept her offer.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." She points to a love seat on one side of the shop.

I get seated there. It suddenly crashes down on me how big I seem in this place. Everything here is small. Even Sierra is small. Gorgeously small.

"Coffee?" She asks.

"Sure." I reply. She nods and goes to the coffee maker. "So.. tell me about yourself Sierra."

She pauses when she hears her name. "What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you want to tell."

She sighs. "Well, my name is Sierra Lynch. I'm 22 years old. I do college from home. I'm studying interior designing. I have a little sister. Her name is Sina and.."

"What about your parents?" I cut in. It can be considered rude but I'm just genuinely curious.

She shifts on her feet. "They.. well.."

Before she can answer, her knees give up and she falls on the floor. I rush to her and make her sit upright. Her eyes are barely open.

I check her pulse. "When was the last time you ate?" I ask her.

"Yesterday.. breakfast.." She answers, overwhelmed with exhaustion.

"You shouldn't skip meals." I scold her. I scoop her up in my arms and take her to the loveseat. "Let me take you to my house. The doctor will give you the treatment you need."

She shakes her head. "Shop.. Sina. ." She argues.

The windchime rings again and in comes a teenage girl. Maybe 16 or 17. She sees Sierra and runs to us.

"You idiot. How many times have I told you not to skip meals?" She scolds a barely awake Sierra.

"Are you Sina?" I ask.

That's when the girl acknowledges me. "No, I'm Melanie. I work here. Part time." She tells.

"Can I take her with me? She needs medical attention."

She narrows her eyes at me. "I've seen you some.. Oh my goodness! You're Jacob Woods. Yes! You can take her. I'll take care of everything here."

With a nod, I pick Sierra who is now unconcious, up in my arms and take her to my car.

Now that you've entered my life Sierra, I'm not letting you out anytime soon.