Drabble Cascade #103 - "multiply"

[charisstoma]

FB3X Drabble Cascade #103– “multiply”

Title: The Gift of Roses (Contemporary, m/m, PG)
Author: charisstoma
Word count: 300
How to not multiply your troubles; use a good, considerate, discretely sensible florist.
This fic brought to you by: http://charisstoma.livejournal.com/841135.html




Aaron was calmly snipping off thorns from rose stems when Chad found him, there were roses lined up all with their cut ends capped with water tubes.

“Someone’s getting lucky,” Chad grinned.

Aaron looked up from the stem he was working on, “Not really.”

Chad counted quickly, “That’s a dozen roses. I would think so.”

“Nope. Guy called in and requested these special for someone he works with,” Aaron replied.

“Business place romance,” was cooed.

Breaking into a grin Aaron said, “From what the guy said, I do believe he’s going to tell his boss he’s quitting. Said he’s going to give them to his asshole boss and asked for a tasteful card.”

Chad nodded at the wisdom of this, “Always leave a current job on a good note. You never know when you might need a reference or your old job back.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. I took down the card’s message.” Aaron paused then recited, “Take these and stick them in a suitable vase, ie. Up where the sun don’t shine.” Aaron picked up the next rose.

“Thought I better prune off the thorns to be on the safe side, just in case. The boss is male and it ‘was’ an office romance from what the guy said.” Aaron shrugged, “thought I’d do the guy a favor and not let him quite burn all his bridges in case they had a chance of getting back together. Boss might be kinky.”

Chad had been cringing, “This isn’t you and me, is it?”

Putting down the rose that he’d been working on, Aaron turned grinning and slid his arms around Chad’s waist. “No ‘Boss’. For you I’d leave the thorns on. You’re smarter than to stick them up our asses. Still the thorns would add teeth to the gift.”

Comments

[beren-writes.livejournal.com]

LOL - and ow at the idea of thorns.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*nods head* ow. There was a 'Black Adder' episode but that involved the use of a feather.

[frogs_of_war]

Aaron is very literal, isn't he?

We sell the tubes for 75¢ each, so they would almost double the price of a dozen roses. They also ruin the look of the wrap because they are so bulky.

Scissor or snips can't get a good angle on the thorns (you can cut the tips but not the whole thing). The pocket knife we use to cut the ends when we arrange works (as long as you aren't too enthusiastic and slice into the stem) but the best way is just to push the thorns to the side. They come off cleanly with no extra stem (just a flat spot). But the takes longer than the knife.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*grins* I knew that you'd have the inside info on this.
Can see in my mind's eye how you'd push the thorns from the side. Can also see me missing and gouging my thumb across the thorn. 'Klutz' here.
Do you automatically trim the thorns? Lately it seems like those I've seen are removed or trimmed but I remember them coming with thorns too. Does thorn removal impact the duration of the flower life?

[frogs_of_war]

Your thumb never gets near the tip and the only thorns that bite are the thin ones (or ones with thin tips). You roll the flesh part of your thumb against the stem at the bottom of the thorn.

I only trim the thorns when asked (I've been asked maybe a handful of times in the years I've worked over there), when I'm making singles (rolling a single rose stem with baby's breath in cello and tying ribbon around it) because customers have to pick them up by the stem, and when making an arrangement so the stem will slide easily though the mesh of leather leaf (ferns) I've made to hold the flowers in place.

Lots of roses don't even have thorns and some of the ones with monster thorns come with the tips cut off.

No. The stem is umarred, so it's fine. Really the length of the stem makes a great difference in flower life. The shorter the stem, the shorter the distance between water and the flower's head, so the longer it stays nice.

[thwax.livejournal.com]

Interesting use for roses! Ow, thorns, ow - very sensible of Aaron to remove them!

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

I agree, very sensible of Aaron to remove them.
Frogs *points above* works in the florist industry. Trimming the thorns isn't always done and usually when only one rose is bought, in Frogs' experience unless there's 'monstrous' thorns.

Yes, OUCH. You'd really want to hurt someone to put thorns in that vase.