Yvonne and Harrison (Part 2)

I hated how tense things became between Yvonne and me in the basement. Despite the pleasure of meeting her and Stephanie for lunch, I still managed to ruin things with my cold, unfriendly demeanor. Now she must think of me as an entitled snob who’s reluctant to open up to other people—not the impression I meant to give her. I’d be damned if I ever saw her again, but I wanted her to understand my apology. I just thought warning her about how high-maintenance my family—especially Jayna—could be was the right thing to do. I wanted to be absolutely clear with what she and Stephanie had gotten themselves into by agreeing to work for us.

The afternoon hadn’t been a complete loss in getting to know more about Yvonne and her dedication to running the shop. I knew she’d lost her mother at 19, so I only imagined how rough that must’ve been for her, especially when she had to make a life-changing decision to give up her dreams at school to run the shop full-time. Yvonne seemed the type of person to make sacrifices for the people she cared about, even if it meant tough decisions like that.

I also knew Stephanie—along with her aunt and her grandmother—helped run the shop, determined to make her mother’s legacy continue. I just hated thinking my family could be the type of people to take advantage of what the shop meant to Yvonne and her family. Worse enough, I had to sound like an asshole to warn her about my family’s true intentions.

For the rest of the afternoon until dinner, I spent time in my room, wondering how it all went wrong. One minute, Yvonne and I bonded until I ruined it. We talked about James Dean—and here he was, smiling at me on the wall as if to make me feel guilty for ruining my chances with a beautiful woman unlike any other I’d been with in the past.

I opened Yvonne’s Instagram; I followed the shop, but didn’t know if I should follow her personal account without coming off as a stalker. After our tense encounter, I didn’t want her to block me before we got the chance to really get to know each other and connect on a deeper level.

From her feed, I learned more about her. Her username, yvonne397, had a line of captions underneath that read: GH FAN. SOAP FAN. ARIES. Greenwich HS ‘15. RIP MOM 9/16/. Two emojis—a woman and an angel—showed her mother had passed away seven years ago in September.

I moved to a random post from nine months ago, in March, on her birthday: Tuesday, the 21st, she’d just turned 26. She rocked a spaghetti-strap, yellow floral dress, daffodils as an accessory in her straight hair. Her hair looked straight in the photo, so I assumed she must’ve taken some time in advance to style it neatly for this special day. That photo held a gallery of birthday photos with her and Stephanie posing together. Other photos in the gallery included a few friends of theirs posing together, probably from school. Definitely a social person outside of her shop. But damn! She looked so beautiful.

Until she and Stephanie left, I never realized Yvonne McCarter’s inner beauty. Her Jimmy Choo fragrance really stood out to us, and it had been very nice getting to know her and her friend. A girl that gorgeous, and I had to blow it with her. I should’ve kept my stupid mouth shut, instead of trying to openly talk her out of catering to my family. I really hoped that, by the time the wedding date approached, things would smoothen themselves out without getting too crazy along the way.

I turned to the shop’s account, hoping to contact the number to catch the store open. Since Yvonne and Stephanie made time out of their day to come over to our place for a nice brunch, I assumed she’d left someone in charge of the shop, such as her aunt or grandmother. I wanted to see who’s in charge at the moment.

Saving the number into my phone, I began dialing.

A younger woman’s voice on the line said, “Hi, this is Lillian of Jenna & Yvonne’s Flowers. How may I help you?” She sounded polite and friendly, a little young to be Yvonne’s aunt. But it made perfect sense if her mother had her at 17. Her aunt must not be that old.

“Hi, sorry…” I cleared my throat. “I was just calling to see if the shop was still open.”

“Yes, we are.” Lillian sounded pleasant. “May I know who I’m speaking with?”

“I wanted to stop by to see…” I cleared my throat again. “I’m so sorry. Do you know if Yvonne is available at the shop right now?” I didn’t mean to come off sounding like a stalker; I just wanted to know if she’s there so I could arrange to meet her in-person and apologize for my shitty behavior.

“No, she is not,” Lillian replied. “She’ll be taking the rest of the day off, but she should be back tomorrow morning to run things if you’re available then. The shop’s hours of operation are 8am-8pm, so feel free to drop by at your earliest convenience, and we’ll be there to help you out in any way we can.”

“Thank you so much. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” I said.

“You too, sir. Have a good evening.”

I hung up and took a deep breath. Well, that went well, I thought. I realized I forgot to give Lillian my name, but I had a feeling Yvonne must have told her about our disastrous interaction, so I wouldn’t put it past her if she’d even recognize me if I introduced myself as “Harry.” She’d put two and two together to realize “Harry” was me, Harrison Whalen—the jerk, the entitled snob, trust fund guy, and a million other not-so-nice nicknames Yvonne must have for me.

***

By 8:00 the next day, I prepared to head down to the shop, catching Yvonne while I still had the chance.

When I arrived, I couldn’t help feeling mesmerized by the allure of the shop’s Christmas decorations. The scent of pine, cinnamon, and fresh camellias filled the air. Twinkling fairy lights draped across the front windows, illuminating a festive display of floral arrangements nestled among pinecones, ornaments, and vintage-inspired lanterns. The front door was wrapped with a garland of fresh cedar and eucalyptus, dotted with clusters of red berries and tied with a deep burgundy velvet ribbon. A handcrafted wreath of holly, white roses, and pine hung in the center, a signature piece by Yvonne.

The main display table consisted of gold-rimmed vases filled with red and white amaryllis, lush evergreens, and sprigs of mistletoe. Delicate snow-dusted roses and poinsettias in soft blush and ivory added a modern touch. Near the register was a tiny Christmas tree decorated with miniature dried flower bouquets tied with silk ribbons, each tagged with a heartfelt holiday quote. By the counter was a chalkboard sign that read: "Merry & Bright—Holiday Floral Orders Now Open!🎄✨ Need a last-minute bouquet? Just ask Yvonne (she thrives on holiday chaos 😉)." I thought it was adorable, given Yvonne’s creative spirit. Gently playing in the background was the hum of classic holiday jazz, ringing in the holiday festivity.

A woman with long blonde hair came up to me and smiled as we shook hands. “Hi, welcome to Jenna & Yvonne’s Flowers. I’m Lillian.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “My name is Harrison. I was the one who called yesterday, asking if Yvonne was here today.”

“Yes, she’s here.” She smiled, turning to Yvonne and Stephanie as they helped out a female customer.

After a minute or two, the woman left and I used my chance to approach Yvonne once and for all. “So, you love spreading some holiday chaos, huh?” I smiled, hoping to break the ice forming between us as a result of my own actions.

Avoiding eye contact with me, Yvonne said, “Steph, would you mind tending to Harrison while I perform other tasks around the shop?” She had a frosty tone in her voice. I couldn’t blame her; I knew she’d still be mad.

“Sure.” Stephanie replied tentatively, then turned to me. “How can we be of service to you this morning, Harrison?”

“Well, I’d like to have a word with Yvonne privately, if you don’t mind.”

“She’s busy right now. Is there anything I can help you out with?” Stephanie glanced over at Yvonne, who then nodded to her.

“Actually, I really need to speak to Yvonne privately,” I repeated. “I’m not leaving until I do. I can stay here all day if I have to. It’s not like I have other plans for the rest of the day.”

The three women exchanged glances with each other across the room, with Stephanie glancing back at Yvonne and mouthing something to her. Yvonne then shrugged in response, sighed and came up to me. “Sure… I don’t mind. Let’s go to the back and we can talk.”

Finally, I thought as she and I went to the back room, and she shut the door after us so we could have our private conversation.

“So, what makes you think you have every right to barge into my shop, demanding to speak to me when I’m on the clock?” She glared at me.

“I wanted to apologize for our conversation yesterday afternoon when we were in the basement. I had a feeling you’d still be mad at me, so…”

She scoffed. “Mad? Why would I be mad… Just because a random guy I barely know who’s the brother of the sister whose wedding I’m working my ass off for the next five months tells me that I’m not capable of doing my job I’ve been very passionate about and successful at for the past seven years of my life. Why the hell would I be mad, Harrison?!”

I sighed. “I never meant to imply you couldn’t do it. I’m just giving you a warning about what you’re getting yourself into by choosing to cater to my family. Jayna can be a lot to deal with. That’s why I wasn’t so enthusiastic about this whole meeting my parents arranged yesterday. They just wanted to use that opportunity to ‘pretend’ to know you and Stephanie and then as time goes on, with the wedding coming up in five months, they’ll see you girls as nothing more than just florists. You, especially.”

She gave me a baffled glance as I continued. “I’m sorry if I’m not making much sense, but hopefully, what I’m trying to tell you so far is for your own good. I want to do whatever I can to make sure my family doesn’t mistreat you or Stephanie during this time. Please just trust me. Okay?”

Yvonne sighed as she took a moment to consider everything I just said. “I guess I should apologize too, for all the mean stuff I said yesterday. We both got a little carried away at the moment, and I don’t know… This is new for me, Harrison. I’ve never been told before I couldn’t handle a certain task. That really shattered my confidence."

“I know, and I’m sorry, Yvonne.” I glanced into her beautiful, bright blue eyes. “And just so you know, I don’t really like to consider myself to be someone with a lot of ‘privilege’… Whatever that means.”

She gave me an amazed look. “You don’t?”

“No, of course not. One thing you said yesterday that you were spot-on about… We don’t really give a damn about others but ourselves. The country club my family runs, they do it to put on a show, hosting all these events for charity and what have you. It’s all an illusion, showing we’re this perfect family who cares about the greater good, but for me it’s a little stereotypical. Why do you think I became a lawyer?”

I shrugged. “Exactly. So I can create my own path away from my family’s expectations without having to associate myself with any of that. I want to be my own person. I don’t want to be the type of person who feels the need to appease his family by doing every single thing they expect from me. They have control over all my life choices, including the woman they want for me. So, it’s always been a challenge for me.”

I sighed as she and I took a small walk around the room to alleviate some of the tension. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spill all this out on you.” I smiled wryly.

“No, it’s okay; I liked getting to know more about you.” She smiled. “That really explains a lot. If it weren’t for my off-handed remark I made yesterday about how you’re a snob, I wouldn’t have had the chance to learn more about you. I apologize again for that.”

“No, don’t worry about it,” I reassured her. “You were just hurt, and you had every right to be. I shouldn’t have said anything to discourage you. I should’ve been a little more subtle about it. I never meant to give you the impression you couldn’t do your job.”

She chuckled. “No, I was the sensitive one, I hate to admit. You had every right to let me know what your family is really like, though I kind of got a sense of that when Jayna waltzed in the other night, acting like we owed her a favor. Speaking of… You don’t know what she really wants for the service? Something elaborate, like you said?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Chances are, that’s what she really wants. So I’m just telling you now in advance to prepare yourself for when she changes her mind about the smallest thing. Just try your best with her, okay? I’d hate to feel like she and my parents are only taking advantage of you and your shop’s services.”

“I know.” She moved a little closer to me, to the point where we felt the urge to hold hands. Her hands felt smooth against mine. “But that’s why I have Stephanie, Lilly, and my grandmother. They’re all there for me, if and when I need them. I’m not alone in this, Harrison, so you don’t need to worry so much about me.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m positive.” After a moment of silence and taking in the moment with each other, she said, “I really appreciate you coming by. You were the last person I expected to see here this morning, but it was really nice seeing you. Do you think I’ll see you again?”

“That depends.” I grinned. “Do you plan to see me again after this?”

“Well…” She smiled as she took her phone out of her pocket. “I’d like to give you my number. My personal number, along with my email.” On her Contacts list, she showed me her number, and I took out my phone and saved her contact info.

“I’ll call you, if that’s okay.” I smiled. I wanted to talk about finding her profile on Instagram without sounding like a creep. Against my better judgment, I decided to, anyway. “Also, I see you’re active on Instagram, which I’m not sure if…”

She chuckled. “If you’re asking for permission to follow me, you don’t have to ask. I saw you on Instagram the other night, doing my research on you, your family and the Russos. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to follow you then.”

“Well, I guess we can follow each other?” I shrugged.

“Let’s.” She opened the app on her phone and followed me, justharry. Now I’m following yvonne397.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“What for?”

“For giving me a chance to say what I needed to say. You took time to hear me out. I expected you to keep giving me the cold shoulder, but instead, you took time out of your schedule to meet me back here.”

“Are you kidding me, Harrison?” She put her phone back in her jeans pocket. “I wanted an explanation for why you said the things you said, so I knew I wasn’t going to keep avoiding you forever. I have to work with your family for now, so I know I’ll always see more of you. I know we’d have to interact with each other again, at some point.”

Nothing truer than that. “I’d like to see more of you, too, outside of my family.”

Her eyes brightened. “What did you have in mind?”

“I’d like to come over to your place for dinner. I want to know the real Yvonne McCarter and her amazing family. Do you think that’s possible?”

She looked like she was either about to pass out or scream… With joy. “Are you serious?” she cried. I was convinced that Stephanie and Lillian might have heard her, with how excited she seemed.

“Yes, I mean it. I wouldn’t joke about something like that, Yvonne.”

For a moment, she seemed speechless, but she nodded. “Yes, yes! Please come over tonight. I’d love that. I’ll text you my address.”

“Great.” I gave a thumbs-up. “What time do you expect me over?”

“We’ll have dinner at 7:00, and it’s just going to be a casual evening, so you don’t need to get all suited up. You should dress like you’re going to the gym in the winter. I’m joking,” she added with a little laugh. “You can let loose with whatever outfit you have and not worry about anything.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.” I saluted her like a soldier. “Also, if we have a little bit of time afterward, can we watch an episode of General Hospital?” Now I spoke her language as a soap opera fan.

“Yes, we can. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” She winked.