Happiness Delivered

On the first of November, the first bunch of flowers arrived.

It was a beautiful arrangement that did not focus on only a single flower type of the same color, but rather used combinations of flowers to create an eye-catching image. Courtney was delighted by this mixed bouquet. But when she looked to see who had sent it to her, she was puzzled because there was no card or any other way of identifying the sender.

She assumed that the card must have been lost. Ethan must have sent them, though her husband was not given much to romantic gestures. True, he knew how much she loved flowers. But usually, he only sent them on her birthday or Valentine’s. Or when he’d screwed up. Had he screwed up? she wondered, while prominently displaying the flowers on the dining room table. She’d find out when he got home from work.

But when Ethan did, he denied sending the flowers to her and in fact accused her of having a secret admirer.

“Well, what if I do?” she said playfully, refusing to take the matter seriously.

While Courtney didn’t really believe she had a secret admirer—that was just in books—she found the mysterious bouquet intriguing and flattering. She knew that during the Victorian era, flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. Could that be what was happening?

            When she focused on the individual flowers, she found an orange lily, a yellow iris, and a purple orchid. No roses, but this trio could be sending a more subtle message. She looked them up online. Both the orange lily and yellow iris symbolized passion. And the orchid was a symbol of exotic beauty, refinement, and mature charm.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Courtney asked why should it be so unthinkable that she had an admirer? Even if she did, she wasn’t going to do anything about it. But it wouldn’t hurt for Ethan to wonder a little bit. The flowers had certainly gotten his attention.

*

On the first of December, another mixed bouquet arrived. This time, Courtney began to believe that she might have a secret admirer. What other explanation was there? And Ethan, who was not amused by the first bouquet, suddenly felt sure that his wife was cheating on him. It was irrational, he knew. But he couldn’t help himself. He was jealous. He had to know. So, he began spying on her but could not catch them together.

*

On the first of January, a third mixed bouquet of flowers arrived. Having noticed the pattern of dates, Ethan had not gone to work that day. When the flowers were left on the doorstep, he followed the man who had delivered them to a bar. At the bar, Ethan happened to catch the attractive bar maid’s eye, which proved to him that he was still attractive to women. It also reminded him that men might find his wife attractive, too. Like this guy, who at that moment was presenting the barmaid with a red rose and receiving a passionate kiss in return.

Curiously conflicted by the sight of the secret admirer two-timing his wife, Ethan waited in the alley outside the bar imagining strangling the driver with his bare hands. When the guy came out, that’s what Ethan did, then stole away hoping he hadn’t been spotted.

*

On the first of February, Ethan was flabbergasted when more flowers were delivered, only this time by a different man.

“You’ve probably been wondering about the floral arrangements that you’ve been receiving over the past few months,” the delivery man said. “You weren’t supposed to get them. What happened was that the correct address got transposed into yours.”

Ethan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean they were delivered here by mistake?”

“That’s right. Turns out, the person who was supposed to get the flowers told the giver she wasn’t getting them. He complained to us, and we figured out the delivery problem. I’ve just come by as a courtesy to let you know what has been happening and why. You won’t receive any more flowers—unless, of course, you have enjoyed the mixed bouquets so much you’d like for the deliveries to continue. That could be arranged at a very reasonable price. Here’s a description of our service.”

He handed Ethan a brochure and went back down the steps.

No matter what the occasion, Ethan read, we have the perfect flowers to gift. Send farm-fresh ones today. Beautifully packaged. No hidden fees. Happiness delivered.

Ethan felt a thrill of horror run up his spine when he saw the police car pulling up to the curb in front of his house.

© 2024 Rick Neumayer

“Happiness Delivered” will appear in the forthcoming THREE FOGGY MORNINGS: Stories by Rick Neumayer. If you like this one, I’d love to hear from you.

 

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