How Myra found herself walking around a show garden at 10 o’clock in the morning with Dacien standing far too close to her, she really didn't know. She was no doormat yet despite saying no, she followed him anyway.

“Oh, these ones are pretty! And I've never seen any like that before!” Dacien pointed from one flower to another, his head hadn't stopped whirling around all morning. 

Myra was a little less enthused, but she wouldn't deny her love of flowers. 

Honestly Myra was surprised to be taken to a garden. Even more surprised when Dacien explained himself. “Your shop is very floral, and you have your teas. I thought you might like this place?” He had asked with uncertainty.

Myra would admit, that was pretty cute. But no cuter than a child, a woman, or anyone considerably older than her doing the same. Hopefully this act of thoughtfulness wouldn't get Dacien's hopes up any further.

Though so far it didn't seem to matter what Myra thought. No amount of thoughtfulness from Dacien would change how aggravated that made her.

“You'll break your neck if you don't stop.” Myra said with the smile of amusement.

“There's too much to look at to stop!”

“You just brought me on this trip because you wanted to see the flowers.” She shook her head.

Dacien stood up straighter, turned to look at Myra. “Are you not enjoying yourself?” He asked with upturned brows.

“I am, I guess. I never thought I'd say that to you.”

“My company is too compelling, you can't refuse such charm. It's factually impossible.” Dacien smirked with a strong stance. Myra would definitely admit that his looks fit nicely with such a pompous attitude.

“Right. It had nothing to do with your droning insistence.” She began walking again, moving on to the next booming display of flowers and shrubs.

Dacien wasn't far behind, closing the gap to Myra’s personal bubble again. Though, sure, Myra's preferred bubble of space was about the size of three cows standing rump to nose, but that kind of space was certainly manageable in such a large garden.

She held her tongue. Dacien had paid for her ticket. And he was paying for food at the Bud and Petal festival at noon. She could stay silent for that.

Something caught Myra's eye and her feet moved without her mind asking them to. She thought about calling for Dacien, but figured he'd find his way: apparently he was good at hunting Myra down.

Steps of dark stone lead up to a higher portion of the gardens, the edges lined with purple flowers blooming onto the path. Trees rose up high there, they darkened the area, cast it in a warm shadow that felt no less inviting.

Myra caught the sound of trickling water get closer and closer, golden beams from the sun lit up the way through the leaves of the trees. At the top, in the centre of the opening, a fountain. Small but sweet. Myra stood steps away from it, watching it sparkle in the day. A small gust of wind brought butterflies of black and gold and blue out from the foliage. They fluttered here and there, scattering off into the sky.

Alone, Myra smiled. This was a peace she could hold forever.

“Hey, there you– Wooaah.” Dacien's voice ripped through her peace. She grit her teeth. “What a hidden gem.” He said, slowly turning around with his eyes set up and his mouth hung open.

“It was.” Myra replied.

Dacien grinned. “There's no way the festival can top this.”

It didn't. At least not for Myra. Booths were open selling flowers and jewellery and food. Bunting of dried flowers lined the sky above them, the occasional petal was plucked off by the wind and taken around the streets in winding paths.

People were everywhere, laughing and talking and playing. That's what made this so hard for Myra to bear.

“Here's your cupcake.” Dacien's cheery voice and wide smile was certainly opposite to Myra. But she took the butterfly-topped cupcake from his extended hand anyway.

“Thanks.” She half mumbled.

“Is something wrong? You look depressed.” Dacien said as he took a seat next to her.

“Gee, thanks. I'm glad I'm appealing.” She plucked the butterfly from the icing.

“Sorry, you just…You were having fun earlier, what happened?”

Myra looked up at him, caught the eyes and the risen shoulders of his. “Do you care? You didn't seem like you would the first time we met.” 

“Well…” He shifted uncomfortably – an action he did often, Myra started noticing. “You didn't know me then.”

“I don't think I know you now either.” She reminded. She finally slipped the butterfly into her mouth, looking over the crowds of people. Some of them were watching her, some seemed to be talking about her. She tried to focus on the ones who didn't know she even existed.

“Would you like to?” He asked, leaning back against the bench. His eyes swept over the people too.

Myra humphed a laugh. “No.”

“So you won't accompany me somewhere else? I need a guest and I thought you'd be a good choice. Plus, I have no one else to ask.” 

“Where?” Myra asked.

“Are you interested?” Dacien smiled because he knew he would be getting what he wanted.

“I'm not interested in dating you.”

“That's not what I asked.”

Myra grit her teeth again. She grumbled. Then she sighed. “Fine, I'll go with you. Where to?”

She feared his smile, something sadistic and ominous. Something to let her know she had just dug her own grave. But instead, she looked up to see his smile of genuine delight. Wide and bright.

“To a work party.” He happily cheered.

Myra's face fell.

Dacien laughed and knocked her shoulder. “No take backs!”