Elijah stood up, brushing off the dust from his pants and gulps. The shine from the string didn’t fade nor dim, and Elijah cursed at the light. The sensation he feels from his string tightens, creating pressure on his pinky, tugging him to the direction of his soulmate. But he refrains to move beyond his space and his toes curled to prevent it. His body even tensed at the push and slips his hands inside the pocket of his hands. 

The man’s eyes followed the movement of his left hand and while Elijah attempt to hid his pinky entirely. The string prevents the anonymity but Elijah was fine with the failed attempt. Unlike the red string of fate, his pinky can’t pass through the physical elements of his jeans.

Nevertheless, the man didn’t falter at his action and as the hand was left hidden inside his clothes. His soulmate cleared his throat and Elijah evades the stare that faced him.

“Uh, hi?” The man greeted, waving his dominant hand to Elijah. The string floats along to the gesture, causing waves that reached the other end of the string. “So… we’re soulmates huh?” The man added, chuckling at the end with a smile on his face.

Elijah notices a dimple on the right cheek and snaps his attention away from the detail. Looking beyond the obvious and see the night greeting the street outside. The city lamps were lit up and vehicles were crowding the roads. There were also people passing by his shop, busy with their phones or the thought of home.

“I’m Lorenzo,” the man introduced himself and extended a hand to Elijah. Thankfully, it was the left hand. “Lorenzo Reyes,” the man continued, “and you? What’s your name?”

Lorenzo sounded eager and he didn’t hide it. He approached Elijah, closing in on the distance between them with his hand still unphased by the lack of answer, both verbal and physical. Then, the smile began to falter and Elijah immediately felt guilty from his silence.

In an instant, he grabs Lorenzo’s hand, shaking it to appease the man. Elijah’s hold was loose, cautious to lay his palm against Lorenzo’s, however, the man wasn’t content with the bare minimum and intertwined Elijah’s fingers with his own. The grip was firm, warm too.

Lorenzo was giddy and loudly giggled at the contact. Elijah notices the tint of red on the tip of Lorenzo’s ears.

Elijah looks away, gazing from his behind and recognize the panic from his employees’ faces along with the stutters Oak had done to address the topic.

“Um, Mister Ocampo.” Oak walked up to him and holds Elijah on the forearm. “It seems we have a customer,” Oak whispered, harshly. Hissing at the end to emphasize the word and Elijah nodded.

Customer, Elijah thought, and corrects his posture. His expression shows a polite smile, one that he used for customers of his shop. He dissociated the moment with the everyday situation he dealt with his shop and the method seem comforting enough to pursue further.

He glances from the corner of his eye, watching Lorenzo’s lips thinned at the interaction and felt the grip loosen around his hand. Elijah hadn’t slid his hand off just yet and engage at the warmth his soulmate had provide, uncertain at the want he feels within him. The shop wasn’t cold since the air conditioning was turned off but its air has yet to lose its cool to the humidity of the season.

Elijah resided on the reason than lurk for the exact explanation.

“Welcome to The Flower Bee,” Elijah tells Lorenzo, presenting a professional tone. “How may I help you?”

“I’d… like a bouquet – it doesn’t have to be anything special,” Lorenzo requested and finally let go of Elijah’s hand. Elijah relieved off the tension with a deep exhale through the nose and guided Oak to the counter, knowing that his soulmate follows them from behind.

“What’s the occasion?” Elijah asked, deepening his voice, trying to come off as serious to the task than he really is. His heart was beating fast, his breaths shallow at the sensation of his soulmate’s stare piercing right through him. His string indicated at the short distance they have in between.

“A friend is celebrating her birthday and thought I’d give her bouquet as a last-minute gift,” Lorenzo replies back, losing the excitement and eager he had a while ago. But it seems he understood what Elijah’s trying to do. At least, that’s what Elijah believes.

“I tend to forget birthdays and anniversaries unless someone reminds me about it,” Lorenzo added, trying to lighten up the mood with a chuckle after that.

Elijah had barely nodded at the fact and only answered, “I see.”

He stood on one side of the counter as Lorenzo faces him from the other end. Oak started taking out the wrapping paper from one of the open shelves behind them as Iris began to pick flowers they have around. Oak had dumped scissor on top of the counter and began cutting the ribbons he had pulled out from the drawer.

Three stocks, two Peruvian littles and a yellow rose are the flowers Iris had chosen and Oak instantly cut out the stems to shorten their height. They were a little damp from their pots and Elijah pats the remaining moisture off with a cloth. Iris had nothing to do after her task and stood beside the counter, tapping her fingers on top.

“So, what do you do for a living?” Iris questions the man, unafraid and straightforward. “You dress nice, are you rich? You smell good too, what kind of cologne do you use? Are you lying about buying a bouquet as a birthday gift for a friend so you can spend more time with my boss?”

“Uh,” Lorenzo voices out, shock.

Elijah sighed at the intrusive nature of Iris and looks at her, watching the shrug that came after. He gazes to Lorenzo, looking unsure on what to do with the questions he received all at once.

“You don’t have to answer her,” Elijah reassured his soulmate.

“You’re right, boss,” Iris nodded and looks at man with a thumb’s up. “I really don’t know what personal space really is and sometimes I make people uncomfortable because of it. So, I’m going to the floral design room and shut up.

“Sorry, Lorenzo,” Iris apologized to Lorenzo and patted the man on the shoulder. She left afterwards, continuing to wave at the group before she completely entered the floral design room. However, Elijah predicted at the continuation of her behavior soon.

“She’s, uh, curious,” Lorenzo commented, hesitant to say his statement. Whether it was a compliment or not, Elijah couldn’t point out exactly.

“Don’t worry, Mister Reyes,” Oak intervenes with the conversation, “she’s okay with being called annoying, at least that’s what she tells me.” The wrapping paper crumpled from his grasp but the dents can be ironed out easily. He tied the ribbon on the center of the bouquet and placed the bouquet on the counter, pushing it slightly to the end where Lorenzo stood.

Elijah said the total price of the bouquet and Lorenzo handed a card he took out from his wallet. Oak awed at it but Elijah brushed off at the implication the card had defines its users. It now became a reason at Elijah’s disinterest with anything personal towards Lorenzo and he hope his soulmate could understand that.

Which the man won’t but he will, soon.

“I’m not too sure if I can call that though,” Lorenzo said to Oak while doing some things for his purchase. “I guess she can be overwhelming – maybe even straight to the point but that’s not a bad thing.”

“She thinks you’re lying with the birthday thing, though,” Elijah points out.

Lorenzo nodded and answers back, “Well, she’s not wrong to think that way. I never really thought of buying my friend a bouquet but then fate led me here… and I didn’t want to leave so soon.”

Elijah stayed quiet, his brows furrowed at the romance his soulmate was indulging with the scenario and hands Lorenzo his card. Hoping to end their time after the exchange. Although, he didn’t mean to plant it on the man’s chest.

Elijah likely placed his hand for far too long but he couldn’t leave it as it is without Lorenzo reciprocating the act. The card would fall to the ground and that wasn’t what he wanted. But he didn’t mean for Lorenzo to holds his wrist, pressing his palm down until there wasn’t a space in between. Elijah was shock at the reaction and didn’t retract his hand as Lorenzo’s moves it slight above its former place.

There, he feels it. A heartbeat stronger than his own, it thumps hard and fast and probably loud as well. Elijah gulps, realizing what the act was intended for.

Oak gasped beside him, widening his eyes and hitting Elijah with his elbow. His employee mutters, intangible and nonsensical despite the short distance between them. Elijah just looks at Oak from the corner of his eye, furrowing his brows at the words his employee was trying to convey but failed to do so. It didn’t take long for Oak to give up his charade, ending it with a sigh and his eyes rolled at Elijah.

“Can you feel it?” Lorenzo starts, “my heart, that is. Beating like it has its own set of drums just like mine at home. I wonder how yours feel, would it feel like the vibration from the strings of your guitar?

“I just wanna know, that’s all. Our love is like the music we create – the harmony we make. Our passion will never die if we swore to follow our own set of rhythm.”

“So, please! Even if the band disband, it doesn’t mean our music has to follow its downfall!” Oak enthusiastically chimes in the end of Lorenzo’s speech with his own. He posed, as well, raising his hands over his head, seemingly holding something within it.

Elijah tries to follow what the two were spouting about. He doesn’t know how to play the guitar nor was he even in a band as well. He only met Lorenzo today too, so the part of them being band members were inaccurate to their supposed timeline of introduction. He glances back and forth at Oak and Lorenzo, hearing his employee squeal at the end of his speech and the bashful expression his soulmate had show off.

“I never thought to meet a fellow Love Beat fan!” Oak said to Lorenzo, “it’s such an underrated show. It sucks that it was overshadowed when all the second seasons of other shows premiered at the same time.”

“Thanks,” Lorenzo replies back, loosening his hold on Elijah’s wrist. Elijah immediately retracts his hand back to his side of the counter and trying to divert the moment to the bouquet.

He cleared his throat, bringing in the attention onto him, knowing what it will bring. Lorenzo could never hide his smile; his expression brightens as it directs back to Elijah once more. Oak, on the other hand, cursed under his breath but the attempt hadn’t been done quietly.

“I-uh, I think I have to clean up the rest of the mess in the floral design room, Mister Ocampo,” Oak excused, stuttering at the beginning and bringing his uncertainty at the end of his sentence. “I think I heard Iris wanting some help, so I’m going to check up on her – now, I guess.”

Oak strides to the floral design room, never looking back at the counter and pushed the curtain to enter the room. There were muffled noises coming from it, then the sounds of a chair getting dragged. Afterwards, there was nothing – not a single sound to distract Elijah from the main topic.

“We have to close the shop soon,” Elijah tells Lorenzo, handing the man with the bouquet he had purchased. Lorenzo took it from his hold with their fingers lightly touching from the exchange. Elijah wipes his fingers with his jeans afterwards, trying to kill the sensation he felt back then with the rough texture of his denim.

“Oh.” Disappointment. It was all he heard and saw on Lorenzo, the smile faltered to a frown and attitude showed the sadness his soulmate couldn’t contain. The hunch shoulders and a slight display of a pout weren’t a compatible expression due to Lorenzo’s mature facial feature but the contrast fits nonetheless.

Nothing was honestly ugly or unappealing when the person is already beautiful. It was unfair, Elijah thinks.

“Can I have your number?” Lorenzo requests, “I didn’t even get your first name too.”

Elijah thinks for a second. Rarely do people never meet their soulmate and all the prayers he had done to be part of the percentage were crushed at the sight of Lorenzo in front of him. It was unfair, he thinks again, but Lorenzo would think the same at the chance too. They were two sides of the same coin.

Besides, Lorenzo knows where he is most of the time and his business can also be found in the internet. So, Elijah couldn’t hide behind a lie either.

He sighed and reluctantly answered, “Eli.”