The Pink Flower

The pink flowers reminded him of that day.

Other things reminded him, too.

White lace, a clear blue sky, and the sound of the ocean.

He picked up the bouquet of pink flowers and held them to his nose.

The scent took him back.

He closed his eyes and there it was.

He had been anxious all week waiting for the weekend.

It couldn't come quick enough.

As the tasks on his list dwindled down, his nerves only became more tangible.

If someone were to walk by him, they would surely feel the nervous electricity surrounding him. At least, that's how he felt.

When the day came, he couldn't contain himself.

All the hard work from the past week was finally coming to fruition.

He was prepared for any mishap and he was not disappointed when they did happen.

Calmly, he would flip through his notes and find his plan b or plan c or plan d…

It depended on the situation.

As he directives were handed out, he felt a certain satisfaction.

He knew a lot was riding on this, but he was in the home stretch.

It was time for all the final touches.

Tweaking this and that, straightening linen here and there, making sure that everything was just so.

Everything had to be perfect.

Nothing could be missed.

He was often asked, "how do you do it?"

And he would laugh and say, "I have no idea." But, he did.

He wasn't going to admit to the bottles of tums that he would go through a week. Nor the hours of planning, researching, crying, and screaming.

The social life that was lost and any idea of a relationship a thought in the wind.

He decided what was more important and this was it.

Besides, if he didn't put in the hard work now, how will he survive?

Things out there are so competitive.

He refused to be just another face in the crowd.

Standing out was his standard.

This is why everything had to go right.

Every choice he made could make or break him.

The wrong color, the wrong fabric, the wrong anything and he was done.

As people passed by, he flashed his megawatt smile.

No one could see the wheels that were turning in overdrive, checking off the mental checklist as the minutes crept closer to the start.

Once it started, there was no turning back.

He took a final walk around, reviewing each detail, comparing it to the mental pictures in his head.

Not a thing was out of place.

Even the pink flowers, those hideous pink flowers, worked.

It softened his hate for them.

He walked over to a centerpiece and inhaled the sweet aroma.

It seemed to reassure him, letting him know that the right choice had been made.

He stepped back from the table and went to get them.

Part one was over, the part he really didn't have to do much for.

Now it was "prime time."

He adjusted his ear piece and made sure he had enough battery life.

He made it into the lobby just as everyone was arriving.

By the look on his assistant's face, everything had gone on without a hitch.

But this was the time when things could go horribly wrong if not dealt with quickly and effectively.

Any mistakes made needed to be hidden by all means possible. OK, within reason.

This isn't a Navy SEALS mission after all.

He was greeted by grins when he saw them, smiling and waving back, he approached them.

"Is it time to see it?! I have been waiting so long!" his client gushed.

He couldn't help but smile.

"Of course. Right this way."

He led the way down the corridor to a set of heavy wooden, gilded doors. He gave a gentle knock and the door softly opened as if by themselves.

Placing some people behind them waiting to open them was a last-minute touch.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Jason…this is beautiful!"

He stepped back and watched the couple as they wandered around the ballroom, enraptured.

"This is exactly how I pictured it!" The bride gave Jason a kiss.

"Anything for you." He smiled down at his new wife.