Elly in Love (The Elly Series) Read Free Page A

give it that organic, harvest feeling.”
    Jonna climbed down from the table and crept forward hesitantly. “This might be a lot to ask, but is there any way that we could still have some orange in this? I mean, I know we took out the oranges but I would still like that orange color….”
    Elly silenced her with a raised eyebrow.
    Jonna gave an apologetic shrug. “Actually, you know what? I think this will be fine.”
    Her mother looked at her with disbelief. “But honey … if you want orange….”
    Jonna waved her hand. “I think that the goddess inside is telling me that orange is not in the plan today. Let’s trust her kind spirit. The oranges can return their energy to the Earth now.”
    The goddess would not be the only one telling her that there would be no orange today. Jonna looked down at the bouquet, and the smile Elly was waiting for finally crept across her face. “Actually, it’s perfect. More perfect that I could have ever imagined.” She reached out and pulled Elly into a tight hug while Elly held her orange-tainted hands out in front of her, not wanting to touch the bride. She cleared her throat.
    “I’m so glad. Everything else is ready for you, blessings on your wedding, and thank you for using Posies florist!”
    Back in the hallway, Elly leaned her head against the cool cement walls. These brides will kill me someday. Allergic to oranges? Seriously.
    The maid of honor poked her head around the door. “Pssstt….”
    Unsure of what was happening, Elly crept forward to her. “Um, yes?”
    “She’s not really allergic,” the maid of honor whispered. “She just really doesn’t like oranges. She thinks she is allergic, but she’s not. So don’t worry too much.”
    “Good to know,” Elly whispered back. So glad I just had a heart attack. She made her way out to the hallway, gathering buckets and tools along the way. “Note to self,” she said out loud, “add fruit-allergy question to consultation form.”
    Arriving in the sculpture atrium, Elly pursed her lips together and gave a low whistle. Snarky Teenager trotted around the corner, a phone number written on her tiny hand.
    “Elly! Oh my gosh . You should see the guy I just talked to. I’m pretty sure he surfs . Like, in the ocean. I didn’t know it until now, but I think I have a thing for surfers. Actually, I think I’m going to marry a surfer.” They had entered the museum’s ballroom, which was a gross exaggeration in Elly’s mind, seeing how it was a small windowless concrete block. The only bright spot in the room was the flowers on their Posies cart.
    “So, what happened to Basir?” Elly asked. Her assistant’s last boyfriend had been Russian. Or something. Either way, he was a sweet boy and up until recently, she had been crazy about him.
    Snarky Teenager gave a nonchalant shrug. “I got the feeling that he was more into the relationship than I was. When went out to the clubs, he wanted to dance with me as opposed to just dancing around me.”
    Elly started placing square cherry wood boxes bursting with white anthurium onto the tables. “I don’t know how to say this, but that doesn’t actually sound like a real problem.”
    “It is when he thinks he owns you. He wanted to hold my hand everywhere we went, wanted me to meet his mother, bought me a necklace….”
    Elly started adding tiny chocolate cosmos to a perfectly square white cake as sarcasm dripped from her mouth. “You’re right. That sounds absolutely awful. How did you ever live with him for so long?”
    Snarky Teenager rolled her eyes. “Elly. You don’t understand. He looked at me like I was the center of his world. Those brown puppy dog eyes were cute at first, but then all the sudden it was absolutely suffocating.” She gave a loud sigh. “He did look fantastic in the nylon briefs I bought him, though.”
    Elly raised her hand. “I really don’t want to hear about that.” Okay, maybe a little . “Can you go set up the bar and the buffet