[DBJ] Chapter 2

The street, visible through the window, was dark and deserted. It wasn’t surprising because, at 10 p.m., it was already late in the evening. As Isaac prepared to leave, he looked around the shop he had managed to tidy up to some extent.

All the shops in downtown San Diego close at 9 p.m. During weekends, lights would go out and doors would be shut as early as 8 p.m. During the day, it would be crowded and bustling, but after work hours for the offices occupying most of the surrounding buildings, the place would become quiet and inactive.

Compared to that, Isaac’s shop stayed open until quite late today. Of course, Isaac usually closes and goes home at around 9 p.m., like all the other shops. However, there were a few backlogs of orders today, so he had to stay longer. It wasn’t in his character to work in haste, after all.

Only after checking the flower baskets and the flower pots, which needed to be delivered in the morning, did he finally decide to pick up his bag. Jingle— The sound of the bell hanging on the door was exceptionally loud.

Isaac absently looked up. At the same time, he was saying “We’re already closed”, three muscular men rushed in. The men were so rowdy that Isaac’s quiet voice got drowned out.

“See?  I told you there’s still a place open!”

The man leading them chuckled. Isaac tried to inform them again that the shop was already closed, but his voice was once again drowned out by their noisy chatter.

“Goodness, who would’ve thought there would still be a place open at this time?!”

“This can’t be!”

“Why can’t it be? Right, how much did you guys bet again? Hand it over.”

The man who entered first proudly held out his hand to the other two burly men who followed him in. The man used one hand to reach out toward his companions while the other was in his pocket. He looked to be enjoying himself. His cheeks were slightly flushed, indicating that he was intoxicated. The smell of alcohol also gradually got stronger.

Drunks. Looks like this’ll be troublesome. Isaac put down the bag he was holding and scratched his cheek. Meanwhile, the drunk man snatched 100-dollar bills from each of the two men following him and shoved those into his pocket.

“Good! Now that I’ve made some money, why don’t I buy a bouquet for a cute miss?”

The drunk man walked over with a huge grin and rested both his hands on the counter where Isaac was standing behind. The man came to stand under the bright lighting, and only then was Isaac able to get a full view of his face.

His hair was a mess, but the color was an eye-catching bright blond. His eyes were a deep Prussian blue. He had a tall nose bridge and thick, sensual lips. The man was so handsome that Isaac thought he could be a Hollywood actor.

In addition, his height which towered over most people, his broad and solid shoulders, and the exposed forearm muscles under his sleeves he carelessly folded a couple of times, were all extraordinary features.

“A flower bouquet—”

“I apologize, but this shop is already closed.”

Isaac, after admiring the drunk’s handsome face for a while, finally declared firmly that business hours were over. The drunk man who got interrupted by him tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“What an incapable idiot! Is this how you should treat your customers? What do you mean it’s already closed when you have the lights on and the door open?! You wanna see this tiny shop get trashed today?!”

The burly man, who was in a bad mood after losing 100 dollars, shouted fiercely after suddenly interrupting the blond man and Isaac. This is really going to be troublesome. Right from the moment these people walked in, he already noticed the unusual atmosphere surrounding them. He could only sigh when the man with a huge body started screaming at him, insisting he should make a flower bouquet.

“Jack.”

However, contrary to what he was expecting, the handsome drunk man simply raised a hand to tap at the chest of his big companion yelling threats, signaling him to step back. With just one, insignificant gesture, the huge man glaring at Isaac immediately shut his mouth. The blonde man turned back to Isaac and gave him a smile.

“Look, how about this, Mr. Florist? Make me a bouquet and I’ll pay double the price. There’s a thing called overtime pay, after all.”

“…”

“Make me a bouquet worth 100 bucks, and I’ll give you 200.”

The drunk man took out the 200 hundred dollars he had extorted from the other two huge men when they first walked into the shop, and then lightly slapped the bills on the counter. The two big guys behind him both let out a sigh in the background. Isaac stared at the two bills and secretly clicked his tongue.

Since it has come to this, I guess I have no choice.

“Please choose the flowers you want then.”

When the troubled Isaac replied reluctantly, the drunk man put on a satisfied smile.

“You can choose them yourself.”

“Is this for a date?”

“That’s right. It’s for a cute miss with brown, curly hair. Oh, she hates red roses, so make use of anything other than that.”

The drunk man waved a hand when he saw Isaac walking towards the roses. The hand that was about to reach out for a rose paused on instinct. Not long after, Isaac returned to his workbench with an armful of beautiful flowers he had selected with utmost care. Among several blooms, there were lilies, lisianthus, and carnations of different colors.

The drunk man, who had been watching Isaac select the flowers, also chose that time to walk towards a chair near the door and slumped into it. The bear-like man who growled at Isaac followed suit. Isaac glanced at them sideways, and then he proceeded to trim the flowers in silence.

While he was managing a small flower shop by himself, there were times when he would run into some unexpected things. Even drunk men coming in late at night, right on closing time, wasn’t something unusual. However, it was also something that Isaac couldn’t help but be concerned about.

“Are you always this quiet?”

He was in the middle of trimming the flowers, trying his best to ignore the drunk man and his huge companions, when the blond man asked a question out of nowhere. Isaac turned his eyes to him. He gave him a look and showed an expression that conveyed he didn’t understand the point of the question.

“This job’s also in the customer service industry, right? Then, shouldn’t you be more polite towards your customers and initiate small talk? It seems you don’t have the aptitude for this business.”

The man placed an elbow on the armrest, his palm supporting his chin, as he stared at Isaac. His deep blue eyes, just like the color of the deep ocean, were frighteningly sharp. His gaze was unnerving.

“Well, I’ve always been bad at making small talk.”

Isaac averted his eyes and took out some pink and pale purple wrapping paper. As he was about to focus on wrapping the bouquet with the pre-cut paper, the drunk man spoke again.

“How are you going to keep customers like that?”

“Doesn’t he only need to be good with flowers?”

Before Isaac could respond, the man called Jack, who was sitting beside the blond, grumbled. However, the drunk man simply warned him to shut up.

However noisy they got, Isaac chose not to say anything. The rustling sound from the wrap was loud, but his hands were a little sluggish as he tied a pink lace ribbon around the pink and purple wrap. Wrapping flower bouquets had always been a challenge for him, especially when he was pressed for time.

“It’s done.”

“Do you need a card with it?” Isaac mechanically asked. He placed a huge flower bouquet on the counter after a long while. Most people who buy bouquets often write a simple message, or simply add a card to the bouquet. Because of that, there were also several kinds of cards displayed on the counter. However, the drunk man only shook his head.

“What’s the use of giving something like that?”

He spoke bluntly, taking the huge flower bouquet with one hand. “Hmm.” The man huffed. He swung the bouquet around to the point he was being rude.

“The flowers are pretty, but…”

Then, he quickly lowered the bouquet to stare at Isaac. His expression was unenthusiastic.

“The wrapping is awful.”

“Do you not like it?”

“What an interesting florist. How do you make a living like this? You’re unsociable, and you’re even terrible at wrapping.”

The drunk man spoke harshly, but Isaac himself knew how bad he was when it came to wrapping bouquets, so he felt indifferent. He did think of returning the money anyway.

It was a pity he had to waste time on these people who suddenly barged in even after business hours were over, but this was something that couldn’t be helped. Because if something went wrong, they would no doubt wreck his shop, so he had to cater to them.

“Would you like a refund?”

Without explaining what the bouquet signifies, Isaac asked briefly. A refund would be better. It would be much more troublesome if the man asked him to redo it.

The 200 dollars were still on top of the counter. The drunk man hovered his fingers over the bills. So, he was looking to take his money back. Isaac thought. However, the man used his fingers to slide the two bills forward, right in front of Isaac.

“Keep your money safe. What if some bad guy is determined to steal from you? Business seems hard already. Won’t it be more frustrating if a thief robs you?”

“Thank you…”

The man said such unexpected words. He tossed the bouquet to the bear-like man before turning around. At the same time, Isaac was bewildered, not knowing how to react to the strange development. When the drunk man turned, a card sticking out from a pile of notebooks on one side of the counter grazed his arm. Naturally, his gaze fell downward.

“Dear Benjamin.”

A low voice came out of those beautiful lips.

“What neat handwriting.”

Isaac, who had been standing absent-mindedly, came to his senses and quickly snatched the card seen by the drunk man. The man’s gaze naturally followed Isaac’s hand. He looked closely at the cute card, which didn’t seem to be something Isaac would choose, and then he smirked before letting out a laugh.

“Your lover? The first sentence is quite sweet. Rather unexpected from someone with a personality like yours. “

“I believe this is a personal matter.”

His usually unfriendly tone had a sharp edge to it.

“Of course.”

The blond man shrugged his shoulders, but the big man behind him was glaring daggers, sending Isaac a warning. The big man made a motion with his finger, imitating a blade cutting his neck. Isaac pretended not to see him and shoved the card into a drawer.

“But it did make me curious.”

The drunk man took a step back. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tilted his head to one side. Before Isaac could ask what he was curious about, the man raised the corners of his lips and asked a question in a low voice.

“Does Mr. Florist wear the same expressionless face during sex?”

That, certainly, was a much more unexpected question.

“I’m curious about the sounds and expressions you would make in bed.”

Isaac still remained expressionless while facing the drunk man. One would wonder if he did hear the question that was close to sexual harassment— no, it was indeed sexual harassment.

The drunk man openly staring at Isaac’s indifferent face shrugged again and straightened his back when he didn’t receive a response even after a long time. And then, he took one of the business cards stacked on the counter. A wide smile appeared on his face when he read what was written on it.

“Mr. Florist, Isaac. Thanks for your hard work even at this late hour.”

The drunk man lightly waved the business card he held between two fingers as a farewell before turning his back.

Jingle— The bell on the door rang as cheerfully as it did when he first opened it. The man, who seemed to have already sobered up, stepped out without any hesitation. And as if he merged with the pitch-black darkness outside, his back disappeared in an instant.

While he was silently staring at the place where the man disappeared just like a mirage, another 100-dollar bill was quietly pushed on top of the counter in front of Isaac. Only then did Isaac divert his thoughtful eyes.

Among the three men, the oldest-looking one who had never spoken, except when they first came in and he lost their bet, was the one holding the bill.

“A tip. Thank you for working hard this late at night.”

Contrary to his intimidating appearance, the older man left with a polite farewell before turning his back as well. Isaac was embarrassed. His mouth was half-open, but he couldn’t say anything. Meanwhile, the man left quickly, leaving the shop empty soon after.

Isaac looked down at the bill. Another 100 dollars. He just sold a poorly wrapped flower bouquet, originally worth 100 bucks, for 300 dollars. Is this really okay? Isaac rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment. He then decided he could just take it as actual overtime pay.

Thanks to such an unexpected event, he felt more tired than usual. The clock read almost 11 p.m. when he glanced at it. It seemed like he would be going straight to bed as soon as he got back home today.

 

***

 

The little shop was filled with all kinds of flowers and shrubs. Most flower shops were like this, but Isaac’s was particularly so. The place was filled with flower pots to the brim, and there was almost no space to step on.

In fact, Isaac preferred the potted shrubs and plants more than the cut flowers. Because, the cut blooms were already at the end of their lifespans, and were just waiting for the day they withered. No matter how nicely they were wrapped and adorned, they could only last for a short while.

On the other hand, a potted plant was life itself. Even if a plant was moved to a flower pot instead of being planted in a spacious garden, it would still live, and under his touch, it would grow up green and lush. The more effort he spent, the more the green leaves sparkled and the brighter the flowers bloomed. He liked how it worked that way.

For that reason, Isaac would rather recommend potted flowers like orchids as presents, rather than flower bouquets. However, it was still dependent on the situation and whether a flower bouquet was more appropriate for the person receiving it.

“Hello, Mr. Florist, Isaac.”

Isaac stopped moving the potted plants outside so they could get some sunlight. A pair of men’s shoes was visible in his field of vision, and they were without a speck of dust.

Isaac’s eyes started moving from the pair of designer leather shoes, climbing up long legs clad in jeans, past the firm chest clothed in light gray knitwear, until they finally stopped on the man’s handsome face. In the end, the feeling of embarrassment he briefly felt disappeared when he recognized who the man was.

For Isaac, it didn’t seem like their relationship was close enough to exchange greetings and call each other by name… But more than that, why is this man walking so nonchalantly around the streets of San Diego?

Isaac asked the question to himself, letting go of the flowerpot he was about to lift, and then he straightened his back.

“You’re here again.”

The man’s smile grew wider. It seemed like he was pleased with the reluctant greeting he received. His golden hair, falling lazily on his forehead, danced with the breeze. Indeed, he really was undeniably a dazzling and beautiful man.

“You remember me?”

“Yes… Because you’re very good-looking.”

“Wow, I didn’t know I’d get to hear a compliment from a cold florist like you.”

The man exaggeratedly raised both of his arms in delight. Isaac wasn’t sure if his reaction was genuine. He dusted his apron and led the blond man into the shop. The man looked happy, following after him.

As for the person called Jack, that bear-like man was not here today. The only person who was with the blond man was the quiet guy who gave Isaac a tip that night.

“What are you looking for today?”

Isaac went behind the counter.

Click— Alongside the sound of metal clicking, he felt a cold object touch his temple. Isaac resisted the instinct to raise both of his hands. Instead, he only moved his eyes to look at the other man.

The man, still as beautiful as ever with a bright smile on his face, was holding a glock. The glock’s cold muzzle was pressed against Isaac’s temple.

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

Such an unusual question was accompanied by a smile. Isaac swallowed dryly. He turned his eyes away and kept his face forward. The space, densely packed with flowers and potted plants, suddenly looked very messy.

“If you really are the infamous Felix Felice, then I have seen you in the newspaper.”

Isaac responded meekly. It wasn’t easy to come up with something in that kind of situation. But Felix, who was staring at Isaac, suddenly laughed.

“So you really know me? I wasn’t sure at first.”

This time too, Felix shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly, as if he thought it was a pity. Isaac looked away, feeling bewildered once again.

When the muzzle pressed to his temple was taken away, the silent man standing a step behind held out his hand in front of Felix. Felix clicked his tongue, took out a 100-dollar bill, and grudgingly placed it on the older man’s palm.

“I’ve never won against Tony when it comes to these kinds of bets.”

“Because you’re simply clueless when it comes to these things, boss.”

“Pretty sure I’m normal. You’re the one with the unusually sharp senses when it comes to these.”

The man called Tony looked at the grumbling Felix with a triumphant expression. He shook his head and inserted the bill into his wallet. Isaac watched their interaction and forcibly swallowed a sigh of relief.

He had no idea what the hell was going on. The man pulled out a gun on him… and now it turned out they were simply betting.

He wondered if this man was actually the Felix Felice he knew. Although he couldn’t go wrong about the man’s unparalleled gorgeousness and beautiful features, what Isaac knew was that Felix Felice shouldn’t have the time to be leisurely wandering through these bustling streets. This man’s demeanor and manner of speaking were also very different from what Isaac had expected.

Felix Felice, an Italian-American in his mid-thirties, was a man famous for being a major arms dealer. On the surface, he pretended to take legal routes, but he was a man who had gained his wealth and power from developing and selling weapons illegally.

Having the means to distribute and succeed in such a dangerous business, he was a man no less dangerous and cruel than the mafia. And although nothing was verified, there was even a rumor that his grandfather was once a high-ranking executive of the giant Italian mafia, Cosa Nostra.

Because of that, a lot of intelligence agencies were after him. The CIA and the FBI were among them, of course, so he couldn’t help but wonder how this man was out here walking in the streets openly. Was there some sort of agreement between this man and the organizations? Even though the blond man appeared to have been lying low these past four years, his behaviors were still worthy of being questioned.

While he was organizing a lot of thoughts in his mind, Felix lifted Isaac’s chin with a long index finger. On instinct, Isaac met those deep blue eyes head-on. And in those eyes, there was a barely suppressed hint of playfulness.

“By the way, I’m curious about that news article you said you had seen me in. I wonder what they wrote about me.”

If you’re really curious, then I’m sure you don’t really have to ask me anything.

“Four years ago, they said they discovered your secret base on a small island in South America. An immediate search, led by the CIA, was conducted, but they didn’t find anything. You were also arrested, but they couldn’t prove the charges against you, so you were eventually released…”

Felix tilted his head after listening to Isaac’s calm recollection.

“I see you’re well-informed. I did give quite some trouble to the CIA. But well, I am also still suffering because of what happened.”

Felix snickered as if what they were talking about was some topic from some gossip magazine instead of his own affairs. But his blue eyes weren’t showing amusement anymore. Isaac wasn’t surprised when he felt a dull pain coming from his chin as Felix’s hold tightened.

“So, is that all?”

“…”

“I asked if that’s all you know about me.”

Isaac looked into his Prussian blue eyes and got lost for a moment.

Of course, he also knew that Felix Felice, this dangerous arms dealer, was the most dominant type of alpha which couldn’t be easily found in most places. Therefore, Isaac also knew that due to his exceptional abilities and appearance, Felix was a huge playboy who constantly messed around.

“That’s all of it…”

Isaac felt there was no need to tell him about the extra stuff he knew. Felix smiled, narrowing his eyes.

“So you’re saying, you recognized me just from a news article?”

“As I said earlier, it’s because you are very good-looking.”

It was his way of feigning ignorance even though he’d known for a long time that the man with a very handsome face was a notorious arms dealer. Felix hummed, giving Isaac a look still full of doubt.

“You knew who I was from the beginning, but you still acted so indifferently?”

Felix’s thumb slid up Isaac’s chin, stopping just below his lower lip. He wanted to turn away from the ticklish touch, but he didn’t. He was afraid the glock’s muzzle would snap back onto his temple.

“Because a customer is still a customer. And it’s not like there’s anything I can do about it.”

“What an interesting guy. Or should I say, you’ve got nerves of steel? How could you be indifferent despite what you knew?”

“You could say that’s just how my personality is.”

Felix’s smile subtly turned into a frown.

 

 

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TL’s Notes:
– if there are any errors (grammar, punctuation, or translation), please let me know in the discord server so they can be corrected, thanks!
– you can reach me on tumblr, or come find me in KnoxT discord~