White Lily

"No, I am busy."

Lucia turned around and started walking.

"…."

"W-wait, miss Lucia…" Ash ran after her catching up to her in nearly a few seconds considering how long his legs were.

Appearing right before her, he blocked her way with his tall stature.

"You have to hear me out." Ash looked like a big puppy as he begged her to listen to him with his round and wet eyes.

Lucia felt herself softening somewhere in her heart but soon shrugged off that feeling.

"I know you are desperate and well I am too." Lucia decided to decline him once and for all. "But like I said, I need a top tier manager who can actually help me in my career."

Ash could not butt in here since his records were not that good since he could never provide his ex-artist that was under him with good resources and exposures.

Looking at the silent Ash Lucia continued, "I am not saying I am worthy of a top-tier manager but if I m to get one I need to see the quality of the one who will be my manager."

"You understand what I am saying right?" Lucia asked the man who stood there like a bullied puppy.

Ash nodded his showing that he understood what she wanted to say.

"Good, then I am going now. Take care." Lucia patted the man on his shoulder like an elder sister even though she was two or three years younger than Ash.

Basically speaking, the body was young but the soul was old so Lucia did what her elder and mature instinct asked her to do.

But before she could take even a step further from where she was standing a strong hand grasped her wrist.

She glanced at the seemingly thin but string hand that had a firm grasp on her write.

"Now what?" Lucia looked at the pale blue eyes of the man who was looking at her with a pleading expression.

"I understand what you are saying but still can I take few of your moment?" Ash asked nervously while his grip tightened on her wrist, the strength applied increasing with each passing time.

"Oww….you are hurting me!" Lucia tried taking her hand back when it stared to hurt.

Realizing what he had done, Ash let go of her hand acting as if he had been touching a time bomb all this time, his face showing a hint of fear.

"I am sorry…" He bowed down his head in apology.

"Baammm!!!!"

Two drop of tear fell down from her eyes as a response to the buzzing sound in her ear and the splitting pain on her forehead.

Rubbing the place where their heads just collided Lucia looked at the culprit who was also rubbing his fore head.

"Hey…..Are you trying to kill me?" Lucia had never experienced a head butt as painful as this in both of her life.

"What's your head made up of?? Stone?" Lucia glared furiously at Ash who was getting paler every second as he fucked up everything, making a mess out of anything.

Now, he did not even have words left to apologize. He felt he was just too clumsy at everything.

'Should I just give up on her?' Ash looked with sad eyes at Lucia as if saying 'I lost, you won.'

He wondered if being a scout agent and a manger was not for him no matter how much he tried to be a good one.

"Thank you for your time." Ash averted his gaze from Lucia. Taking two steps back he gave a slight bow and walked back the path he had come.

.

.

"Good riddance." Lucia let out a sigh inwardly and went on her way.

After walking a few steps she stopped and turned back to look at the sad back of the stalker....ahemm..I mean the scouting agent.

"Tsk...Why are you making me feel guilty."

She half-shrugged her shoulder and went on her way. She had much more important thing to do than feel sad for some one she did not know.

She halted on her steps when she reached a flower shop. Through the transparent glass she could see a white lily on a glass vase on the counter of the shop.

"A white lily!!"

With a smile she entered inside the shop.

.

.

Hearing the door opening, the shopkeeper woman who was an old woman in her late fifties turned around to greet the new customer.

"Welcome…Ohh..such a beautiful young lady." She gave a surprised face when she noticed Lucia.

"Thank you…you are really charming too." With a polite smile Lucia responded bowing down and gave a playful wink as she looked at the woman.

"Oh my my, this young lady has such a smooth tongue." Flattered, the woman gave a smile.

"So ,what are you looking for? Its' unusual to see young ladies entering a flower shop…" She went to the section of roses and picked out a blood red rose.

"Is it for your boyfriend?" She held out the rose to the young lady.

"Oh no no..not for my boyfriend." Lucia shook her head declining the rose. "I don't have one….hehe" She gave a smile but it was forced out and both her and the woman could feel the depressing tone in her last sentence.

'Might be a bad memory…poor girl.' The middle aged woman did not want to lengthen the topic anymore.

"Then what are you searching for?"

"That flower." She pointed at the white lily on the counter. "I want that lily for my mom." Lucia turned around to look at the florist.

"Today is her birthday." Giving a wide grin she looked at the shopkeeper woman.

"And my mom loves white lily." An image flashed through her eyes of her mom catching a white lily when she was young wearing a pure white dress, as white as snow.

She looked like an angel then.

.

.

The face of the florist turned a little pale when she heard the girl.

"Err…do you want that particular flower?" She hesitated but decided to ask anyway.

"Umm yes." Lucia nodded her head in agreement. But since the way the florist asked her question was a little different she felt something was wrong.

"Is there something wrong with the flower?"

"There is actually nothing wrong with the flower but….."

Before she could complete her sentence, the door to the shop opened with a creaking sound.

"Hello, Ms. Botania." A male voice spoke from the entrance grabbing attention of both ladies.

Clad in neat and well tailored business attire was a man wearing glasses.

"I am here for the white lily our boss ordered this morning."