“Welcome to The Flower Bee.” It’s Eli! “How can I help you with? Orders, questions and specials?”

“Eli,” Lorenzo said his soulmate’s name, breathlessly enjoying it roll his tongue. He smiles, wide, turning it to a grin at the shuffles he heard from the other side of the call. His stomach flutters, his toes curled and he slouched his shoulders.

“Lorenzo.” Eli said his name, in a low voice. Like a whisper and Lorenzo didn’t mind the secretive tone he hears from his soulmate, shaking his head at the pain he has towards it. No matter, he tells him, coming up with excuses. Like a private dinner his soulmate is in and Lorenzo just pulls his soulmate out of the scene.

“Is it a bad time?” Still, he asked, because he wanted to be polite to his soulmate.

“Not unless you plan to buy something from the shop,” Eli answers back, “but anything else is something I forbid when it comes to using the shop’s phone number.”

“Oh damn,” he voices out, trying to sound disappointed, but an opportunity had opened for him to barge through and he immediately chimes in with enthusiasm. “Welp, it can’t be help. How you give your personal number then, so I can call you without disrupting the flow of phone calls and messages from customers.”

There was a sigh, long and heavy and filled with emotions he can feel from the call. Lorenzo retracts his offer, afraid at the impression he’s showing to his soulmate.

“But if you don’t want to then it’s okay. You must be busy to even message me or something, but I understand,” Lorenzo added, reassuring his soulmate and felt his heart heavy at the distance between him and Eli.

“And you’re okay with that?” Elijah questions, uncertain at the statement Lorenzo had spouted before.

He nodded, trying to agree with his terms and said, “Yeah, yeah. I know how uncomfortable you were with me at you shop and, now, I’m here – talking to you. You’re probably that kind of person that takes time to warm up to someone.”

“Huh?” Lorenzo listens in to the sounds of a child talking from the background and Eli answers back. The voices were muffled, however, with Eli probably covering the phone with his hand, so the conversation incomprehensible from the other side of the phone.

“Sorry, someone was asking me for something.” Eli didn’t mention that it was a kid and Lorenzo didn’t bring up the obvious.

“Anyways,” Eli added, changing the topic in an instant and Lorenzo hums as a response, wanting his soulmate to continue. “I thought you’re an assertive type of guy too. So, I don’t think you’d back out.”

“I don’t want to burden you,” Lorenzo tells his soulmate.

“Even if it’s your soulmate?” Eli questions.

“Nobody wants to burden their soulmates with their selfishness,” he explains then waits for a rebuttal, a denial to his statement but nothing came up. It’s weird to think about, really, with a soulmate that is intent in opposing him. But it wasn’t like he’s expecting his soulmate to be a carbon copy of him, excluding their appearances.

Lorenzo just never thought arguing with his soulmate to be draining. Were they even arguing, though? He barely argued with anyone, be it friends and families and his patients were cooperative. Do soulmates even argue? He can’t rely on fiction but the characters from his shows do argue – shouting, cursing and insulting their soulmates before making out seconds after.

He can’t imagine Eli to reciprocate a kiss if Lorenzo tried to silence him with it.  

“Eli?” Lorenzo said his soulmate’s name, clinging on to the conversation as it hits a wall. The quiet was ominous and he sighed at the doom he’ll face. He wouldn’t be mind being a regular, however, he’d be cautious to bring any sort of flowers to work.

Children have sensitive noses.

“I’ll think about it…” Eli replies back, leaving Lorenzo to inflate his chance at a proper communication with his soulmate. He grins, of course, chuckling at the ticking noises Eli had utter under his breath.

“Okay,” Eli said, after a while, “I’ll send you a message.”

“What kind of message?” Lorenzo retorts, lacking the curiosity he drawls out of his voice. Anything, Lorenzo thought, anything with Eli’s name to clarify the message was fine than nothing.

“Just a simple hello and say my name,” Eli listens, “why are you asking? Do you have a request? I might have to decline if it’s weird, though.”

“I have something in mind,” Lorenzo confesses, giddy, and tells Eli about it. In his head, it sounded fantastic but stupid, however, something to brighten his mood for the party. When he said it, he realizes that the request was as mundane as the white walls Cindy has painted for her kitchen. He was embarrassed at the enthusiasm he had shown and bit his lip as he ended his request, wondering at the thoughts Eli has about it.

“It’s stupid,” Lorenzo said as a finality of his demands. “I think I’m fine with a simple hello.”

“I’ve heard weirder requests at my job than this,” Eli reassures.

“But it’s kinda selfish of me to push you to something you might not want to.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being a little selfish, especially to your soulmate,” Eli said to him, assured at the statement he’s pushing to Lorenzo who recollects their talk minutes ago. Ironic, he’s aware about it and leans against the counter of the kitchen.

Lorenzo’s phone vibrated and he checks at the notification that pops-up at the screen above. He checks the unknown number and reads the message they send out: ‘Hello! You must be Eli’s Soulmate. It’s Eli! Don’t forget to save my number 😊’

He grimaced but nevertheless saved the number.

“Thanks,” he said.

“No problem,” Eli replies.

Eli didn’t seem bothered about it and his reply was simple. Nothing more nor less, a shrug of nonchalance that was a contrast to Lorenzo’s excitement in his head. It made him feel better, he wasn’t showered by shame. Guess, florists have seen enough from people that they became numb at the oddest of requests which Lorenzo never thought about. But drama resides in every corner of humanity and tending and arranging flowers wasn’t excluded to the equation.

It made him think of his job.

“I could, like, give you a discount to check-ups,” Lorenzo offers, knowing the limitations he has with his work. “Although, I’m a pediatrician. So, I mostly work on kids and teens – but! It doesn’t mean I’m not good with adults, though.”

“Is that so?” Eli sounds interested and Lorenzo can’t help but continue, sinking in his soulmate to his promises.

“Yup, I know a good gynecologist too, for Iris that is, and other doctors you might need for your health. I could like notify them if you want, coupling in with a talk here and there and you won’t have to wait in line for an appointment, you know.”

“I don’t feel like abusing the system.” Eli did sound uneasy at the deal and Lorenzo bit his lip, cutting in the benefits of his offer.

“Call it a favor for the phone number and, besides, I don’t mind being a little selfish for my soulmate,” Lorenzo continues, “and this is a one-time deal, one request for a check-up to any kind of doctor and that’s it.”

“Okay.” The reply was instant and Lorenzo was ready. Heart? Hormonal problems? Stomach? Even the male reproductive organs were also noted in his brain. He knows people and some of them owed him a favor.

“How about I’d drop by to your office for a check-up?"