Chapter Text
“So for the first meeting, I usually like to get to know the couple well enough to gather a general idea of the relationship. It makes it easier to make floral arrangements, but since Eddie isn’t here, you’re gonna have to help me out, Dani,” Jamie says, pulling out a small notebook and pen from one of her many pockets.
“Of course! What do you want to know?” Dani finds that she would rather talk about literally anything else and doesn’t want Eddie to ruin this or be involved in this.
“Let’s start off with how did you guys meet?” Jamie twirls the pen in her finger as she waits for Dani to answer.
“We met in elementary school, and he asked me out officially in the fifth grade,” Dani trails off, wondering how different her life would be if she had said no, “it sort of just happened, and here we are now, I guess.”
Jamie hums, and Dani watches as she writes 'childhood lovers (lucky eddie)' in big loopy scrawl causing Dani to burst out laughing, relieving some of the tension in her chest. Jamie raises an eyebrow at Dani’s outburst.
“Something you’d like to share with the class, love?”
Dani’s heart does a traitorous somersault at being referred to as love again by Jamie.
“Nothing, it’s just - you wrote lucky Eddie that made me laugh,” Dani trails off, unsure what to say.
“And I meant every word of it; that bugger better know how damn lucky he is,” Jamie says as she fixes Dani with a look she can’t quite decipher. They hold eye contact for a few more moments when Dani’s phone vibrates with an incoming call.
The photo strip of Eddie and her in a photo-booth lights up her screen, and Dani hastily answers. Dani finds herself hoping for some odd reason, Jamie didn’t see it. All she knows is that the joy she felt in the moment had long worn off, and she’s beginning to think she might’ve been faking it then too.
“How’s it going? What is she like? She sounded a bit… odd on the phone so - ”
“Eddie. It’s good. Jamie is, well, she’s...” Dani trails off, eyes drifting towards Jamie, who looks equal amounts amused and endeared. She licks her lips when Jamie smirks at her, unfamiliar with such nerves.
“Dani?”
Dani then realizes that she had yet to answer Eddie’s question, too caught up in all that is Jamie.
“Yes! Sorry, I got distracted,” the moment she says it, she regrets it because when she glances at Jamie she is full-blown smiling, looks borderline close to laughing, and Dani’s entire face heats up, “She’s nice and funny and is going to do a great job with our wedding.”
That’s the first time it really hits Dani that the reason she’s here, with Jamie, getting to know her is that she’s marrying Eddie. Her heart hurts at that thought for some inexplicable reason, and she feels her face fall.
Jamie must notice it too as she tilts her head and offers a concerned look.
“Are you sure? Because we could get someone else to - ”
“Yes, Eddie, I’m sure. I don’t wanna go with anyone else," she says looking at Jamie, "any other florist that is.”
Eddie hesitates in response, most likely because Dani hasn’t taken a strong stance on anything in the wedding, mostly going along with whatever he or his mom suggested. Dani really didn’t care about the planning, but for some reason… she feels very adamant about Jamie. A thought that both stresses her out and excites her.
“Why do you care so much, Danielle? You’ve been with her for like fifteen minutes. She’s impossible to understand - ”
“She is not impossible to understand, Edmund. I actually kind of like her vo - anyway, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to talk to her about this wedding.”
She hopes Jamie didn’t catch that bit, where she almost said she liked her voice and chances a look at Jamie, who’s biting her lips to refrain from smiling, and there’s an intense flush on her cheeks. Dani ducks her head, embarrassed by being caught.
“Dani… why are you being so weird. Also, what types of flowers are you guys thinking about because my mom had some great - ”
“I’m not being weird, and we haven’t gotten to that bit yet because you keep talking. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m hanging up to continue to talk to Jamie.”
Dani ends the call, nearly slamming her phone on the table in frustration. She can’t handle how controlling he is, he’s sweet, but when things get tense, he gets like this.
“You alright there?”
Dani looks up, and it’s only when Jamie appears ever so slightly blurry does she realize she has tears in her eyes. She sniffles, wiping at her eyes, hoping Jamie doesn’t notice.
She does. Of course, she does. Because for some reason, Dani feels like this woman understands her and sees her so well.
“Oi. Chin up there. I was right, you know?”
“Right?”
Jamie smiles a cheeky grin and says, “He is lucky. You’re much prettier than he deserves.”
Dani laughs a loud, free laugh, and the tears are gone, and she’s feeling better already by this practical stranger who doesn’t feel like one.
“He’s not - c’mon... I mean, he’s cute, Jamie.”
Dani flushes and doesn’t know why it’s so hard to find something about the man she’s supposed to be marrying. She definitely doesn’t think about the fact that she had come to Jamie’s defense much quicker than Eddie’s.
“Sure, he’s cute. But, Dani, you’re like stunning.”
Dani adores the way her accent roles over the word stunning, and it has her heart doing backflips. She finds herself wanting to reach out and touch Jamie but settles for words instead.
“Says you, wow, I mean. Have you seen yourself, Jamie?”
“I do happen to own a mirror,” Jamie says with a chuckle as she looks down, catching sight of the notebook, and her face immediately changes. Dani doesn’t like that it changes at all. She wants that beautiful smile to grace Jamie’s features again. Jamie clears her throat and begins to ask more questions.
They’re pretty easy questions for the most part. They get through a round of them pretty quickly, only taking twentyish minutes - first kiss, how did the proposal happen, daily routines, etc. - none of them really gave Dani any pause until she asks her what she’s most excited about for her future with Eddie.
Her stomach drops at that thought. She’s been taking it one day at a time with this whole marriage thing, never thinking about an actual future. Dani finds herself in disbelief if not slightly disgusted at the idea she will be with Eddie forever. Her heart starts to race, and she feels her palms getting sweaty as she deliberately ignores that her body is telling her.
“Poppins, you alright?” Jamie asks, breaking Dani out of her panic. Her voice grounding Dani immensely.
“I - Poppins?”
Dani’s astonished at how Jamie somehow manages to calm her down so quickly.
“You said you were an au pair?”
“Oh. Yeah, I did. I was…” Dani says, trailing off.
“You’re also pretty easy on the eyes and practically perfect.”
Dani ducks her head, trying to hide her blush, to hide the apparent physical effect this other woman has on her.
“I - okay, stop,” Dani says, lightly laughing, trying to stop the blush that’s quickly spreading through her body.
“Blimey, alright,” Jamie says as she throws her hands up in mock surrender, a smile gracing her features, “so next question, what’s your favorite type of flower and why as well as Ed’s?”
Dani releases a sigh of relief and appreciates Jamie immensely for skipping over the question that had thrown her into a near panic.
“I guess roses. Is that too basic of an answer? I’ve just always thought they were pretty.”
Jamie tilts her head and gives her a soft smile.
“Not basic. Just means you’re a romantic and passionate person.”
And for the hundredth time in their short conversation, Dani finds herself amazed at how this woman just seems to know her.
“Did you get all that just from roses being my favorite flower?”
“No,” Jamie says, smiling and offering no further explanation.
“Um - and for Eddie, he probably would say that was a stupid question,” Dani says, giving a self-deprecating laugh at the reality of her fiancé.
“He sounds like loads of fun at parties.”
Dani bites her lip, giggling.
They continue on like this once more, except they eventually find themselves moving away from questions about Eddie and instead about each other.
Dani finds Jamie fascinating, witty, and beyond intelligent; she is captivated by every word out of the woman’s mouth and wants to hear more. The craziest thing, Dani realizes, is that for the first time ever, she’s found someone who feels the exact same way when she speaks as well.
Before Dani knows it, they've been talking for nearly two and a half hours, way beyond the original time expected.
“So you genuinely enjoyed teaching ten-year-olds? Like no bullshite? I’d lose my mind and yell at those little fuckers.”
Dani’s near tears as she and Jamie exchange stories about their jobs. Jamie has just told her a story about when a small child, no older than ten, came into her store and purposefully pushed over an ‘ungodly fucking shite load’ of pots over, and how the mother had to restrain her from yelling at her child.
“They’re so sweet, Jamie, seriously! I know they can be handfuls, but, God, it’s worth it!”
Dani’s phone buzzes and Eddie breaks them out of yet again another fantastic conversation.
“Fuck,” Dani curses under her breath when she realizes the time.
“Danielle! Where are you? You were supposed to be home by now. I’m starving. I’ve been working all day. What were you thinking? ”
“Eddie! Stop, just. Fuck, okay. I’m sorry, We were talking, and I sort of,” Dani pauses, looking at Jamie whose face is etched with concern, “got distracted.”
“Got distracted? Dani, you know I’ve had a long day. I’m incredibly hungry - ”
“Then make yourself a microwaved meal! Jesus, Eddie. I’m on my way; I’ll be home soon. Goodbye.”
Dani hung up her phone and shoved it into her pocket. She starts to collect her items frantically as she speaks.
“I - I have to go. I’m sorry, Jamie. I was supposed to be home an hour ago, and it’s my job to make dinner for Eddie. I told him I would be back, and I don’t know. I just got distracted by our conversation; it’s the first real conversation I’ve had in a while, you know? God, now Eddie’s upset,” Dani stands up, throwing her purse over her shoulder about to leave, “Jamie, I had a lovely time. I’m really sorry I just - ”
“Poppins,” Jamie says, lightly gripping Dani’s hands, squeezing, and then letting go, “It’s quite alright. How about you get my number from your fiancé, and we can figure out more details about the flowers, yeah? Let me walk you to your car, alright?”
Jamie doesn’t let Dani protest as she takes her arm and leads her out of the front door.
“Alright, now, which way is your car. You bloody Americans and your stupid wrong side of the road.”
Dani laughs and leads them to her car. It’s too short of a walk, and soon they arrive.
“Thank you, Jamie. For today. I’ll get your number from Eddie.”
Jamie stands there for a second and turns to leave when Dani impulsively grabs Jamie’s hand, pulling her back to her.
“I’m serious. I had a great time,” Dani whispers.
They stand there, looking at each other for a few seconds, Dani’s hand in Jamie’s.
“Me too.”
Dani squeezes her hand and lets her thumb rub against Jamie’s fingers for a few seconds before letting go.
“Goodnight, Jamie,” Dani says, getting into her car.
“G’night, Dani,” Jamie says as Dani drives off into the night.