“Are you fuckin’ around?”
“No, and I don’t have time for your smartass comments. I gotta get over to Lust, so let’s do this so I can get going.”
Goldie stared at him for a few seconds then erupted in laughter, and a woman came out from the back carrying wire cutters in one hand and ribbons in the other. “Is everything okay?” she asked, her gaze moving back and forth between Army and Goldie.
Still laughing, Goldie nodded over and over.
“It’s fine,” Army said, his insides tightening.
“Okay,” the employee said. Doubt laced her voice as she slowly walked to the back room.
“Are you fuckin’ finished?” Army asked as he walked to the counter.
Wiping his eyes with his palms, Goldie went over to the computer. “Sorry, dude. I haven’t had a good laugh in a while.”
“If you spread this shit around the club, I’m gonna beat your ass,” Army growled.
“Then let’s go out back and face off, because there’s no fuckin’ way I’m keeping this one under wraps. You gave me so much shit when I was dating Hailey, and you ragged on and on about Paco and Chelsea. No way I’m not spilling my guts.” He started laughing again.
Army clenched his fists. “You gonna do this, or do I go to Rambling Rose and givethemmy business?”
Goldie cleared his throat. “Okay. Let’s be professional.” He snorted as he slid the book over to Army. “Pick something out of here because I don’t know shit about doing a custom order.”
Army flipped through the pages, but each snicker from Goldie pissed him off more and more. He pushed the book back at him. “I’m not ordering from you. Tell the chick in the back to help me, or I’m outta here, dude … I’m not fuckin’ around.”
Goldie held up his hands and pivoted. “That’ll work for both of us ’cause there’s no way I can keep a straight face.” He popped his head in the doorway. “Petra, can you come out here and take an order?”
“Sure,” a high-pitched voice answered.
Army pointed his finger at him. “And you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut, or go outside and smoke a damn joint if you can’t.”
Goldie just laughed and settled on the stool behind the counter. Petra ambled over, her dark brown apron speckled in glitter and globs of glue. “Did you pick something out?” she asked, looking at Army over big red-framed glasses.
“He’s new to this,” Goldie said, then smiled when Army threw him a dirty look.
“Did you want something already made or a custom?”
“Not sure.” Army refused to even glance at Goldie, who was enjoying this way too much for Army’s liking.
“Do you know what kind of flowers she likes? That’ll help.”
“I’d say sunflowers and some purple flowers and green stuff.” Army’s jaw tightened at Goldie’s snicker.
“Let me see,” she said, flipping through the plastic pages in a big binder. “Here we go.” She turned the book upside down so Army could see the picture. “Something like this? It has sunflowers mixed with miniature scarlet carnations, bronze daisies, orange chrysanthemums, and large lavender asters. Bold red roses would be a pretty addition. Just a suggestion. Of course there’ll be autumn greens like in the photo. It comes either in an angular vase or a large, rectangular basket.”
Army felt Goldie’s gaze on him. “I like that. The colors complement her eyes.”
“What color are they?”
Army wished like hell Goldie wasn’t there. “Amber.”
Petra looked up at him. “True amber? I mean a lot of people think hazel eyes and amber ones are the same, but they’re not.”
“True amber.”
“Wow … that’s rare. This arrangement will be beautiful. Do you want it in a vase or basket?”
“Vase.”