Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“Um, Tammy?” I turn to my side and see a young teenage girl with a smile on her face. I feel like a bit of an idiot, hornily eating ribs as if no one can see me. Putting the food down, I pick up a napkin and wipe the sauce off my fingers and from around my lips.
“Yes?” There’s still some food in my mouth, so the word comes out all muffled. “Sorry.” I cover my mouth. This is so embarrassing. I can’t seem to stop doing things to embarrass myself these days.
“No worries. I was told to take you to the greenhouse. I have the key, so I can let you in if you want to go.”
“Oh! Yeah, of course. Thank you.” With that, the girl starts walking away, but I’m still standing here with a plate of ribs. She stops when she notices I'm not behind her.
“I’m sorry. Did you want to finish eating? I should have asked you.” I know I’m not about to bring all of this food around those gorgeous plants. I don't think that's even allowed. So I shake my head and toss the remaining food in the trash.
“I’m done eating. We can just head over.” She smiles, and I follow her in the direction of the greenhouse. She leads me where not many people are hanging about, and once we’re away from the hubbub, she shoots me a quick glance with a smile.
“I’m not sure if you’ve been to the greenhouse before, but it’s pretty easy to navigate. All of the plants have little name plates, and there are information pamphlets all over if you want to grab one. The pamphlets have a little map that lists the different sections and provides information about the featured exhibits. We have a few going on right now. Everything should be open, except for the desert plants. That area is going through maintenance today, so there’s no access.”
“That’s fine. I’ve actually been here before, uh…I’m sorry. What’s your name?”
“Tiffany.”
“I’ve been here before, Tiffany. I love coming to this greenhouse… when I have the time, that is. It’s one of my favorite places in town.”
“Oh, that’s great! I love it here, too! That’s why I applied for this job. Make some cash while also doing what I love.” She reminds me of myself a bit. If I weren’t going through a very weird week, I might have tried to talk to Tiffany about my love of plants. Maybe when I’m not dealing with a crazy billionaire, I can come back.
We get to the door to the greenhouse, and she lets me in.
“You can take as much time as you need. Don’t worry about coming to find me once you’re done in here. When you leave, the door will lock automatically behind you. If you happen to get locked out, you can go up to any employee and just tell them Teddy is okay with you being in the greenhouse. They should let you right back in. I don’t think there’s anything else you need to know. Do you have any questions?” I shake my head. “Great! I hope you have fun in the greenhouse!”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Okay, bye!” she waves.
I walk inside, and Tiffany closes the door behind me. I’m left alone in the greenhouse. It’s so different being in here by myself. It’s quite amazing. The air has this stillness that takes over the entire room because no one else is here, but the flowers keep the space from going completely dead.
It's a dynamic stasis. I’m not sure if that makes much sense, but it’s the general feeling this space gives me.
“Wow,” I whisper to myself. I begin going down one of the walkways, taking in the sights and smells. There are all kinds of local and foreign flowers here. Not a lot of towns have such intricate greenhouses, so I’ve always appreciated the one here in Merryton. It’s a little something that makes our small town special. Makes it stand out. Plus, this greenhouse is exquisitely cared for. I absolutely adore it.
I haven’t been here in a while, and there has been some turnaround with the plants on display. Looking around, I see some of what we have growing in our own garden back home. When it comes to my personal garden, I mainly stick to local plants and fruits and veggies. At least for the time being. It would take a lot of funds to maintain a non-regional garden. Another big goal of mine is to be able to have an international garden. Until then, I satiate myself with trips like these.
All of the flowers in this greenhouse are amazing, but what catches my attention are the rare beauties. There are rows and rows of different plants, some of which you wouldn’t get to see in person unless you traveled to very specific regions or paid an exorbitant amount of money to have them flown out to you. My heart swells at all of the sights and smells. I let out a deep breath while continuing to walk through the greenhouse.