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[littleshopofaudrey1]

Happy Birthday, Seymour: Evening

“Audrey, I’m home!” Seymour called out as he made his way through the door. He hung his jacket up and set his briefcase down. “Audrey?” He wandered into the living room in search of his wife and stopped dead in his tracks.

The room was covered in banners that read ‘Happy Birthday’, an array of multicolored balloons and a stack of gifts. In the middle of the room, his wife stood with a cake in her hands and a smile on her face. “Happy birthday, Seymour.”

Overcome with emotion, Seymour sunk to his knees and put his head in his hands.

“Seymour?!” Audrey gently set the cake down and ran over to her husband, crouching down next to him. “Seymour, are you okay?”

He sniffled and looked up at her with tear stained cheeks. “Audrey, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in my entire life. I love you.” He flung his arms around her and sobbed into her dress.

With sweet understanding, she ran her hand up and down his back. “These are happy tears, right?”

“Happy tears? They’re elated tears. They’re I-can’t-believe-I’m-so-lucky tears.” He wiped his face and she helped him back up to his feet. Looking deep into her eyes, he smiled “Thank you so much, Audrey.”

“You’re adorable, you’re gonna make me cry in a minute!” She kissed him deeply, knowing from experience that that always managed to calm him down. “Come on! You have some gifts to open!”

Holding his hand, she led him over to the pile of presents as he sat down on a plastic covered chair. They were wrapped beautifully and Seymour remarked on the flawless presentation of everything causing Audrey to get all flustered.

Thoughtfulness was one of his favorite things about her. He opened new socks, new ties, gardening equipment, plant seeds and a book that included just about every single flower there was, even the strange and unusual ones. Unbeknownst to Seymour, she had made a point of tearing out the page that recalled Skid Row’s remarkable ‘Audrey II.’

He was starting to lose count of how many times his wife had rendered him speechless that day. “Wow, just wow. This is more than I could’ve ever asked for, Audrey. Thank you so much!”

“There’s one more thing…” She grabbed a wrapped gift out from behind the chair. “Here you go.”

Seymour opened it and just stared. It was a gorgeous silver frame and inside, a picture of Audrey and Seymour sitting together on their front porch, lovingly looking deeply into one another’s eyes. Sometimes he needed to remind himself that his life was real and not some daydream he was having.

“This is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever given me. I love it.” He hugged her closely then snaked his arms around her neck and passionately kissed her, hoping to express at least some of his gratitude.

“Mmm.” She mumbled against his lips as they finally broke apart. “I think you’ve just earned yourself a slice of cake.”

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Happy Birthday, Seymour: Afternoon

Audrey’s afternoon had been rather eventful, the climax of events being when she almost burned the kitchen down in an attempt to make her husband a birthday cake. In typical Audrey fashion, she refused to give up. After the first three failed attempts, attempt number four seemed to be her lucky number.

Following each step of the recipe, she said a silent prayer hoping that she wouldn’t mess anything up. Any time she felt disheartened, she remembered that she was doing this for Seymour and was immediately filled with motivation.

Suddenly, a miracle happened. The oven beeped and the kitchen didn’t fill with smoke. She carefully pulled the cake out of the oven as though it was the second coming and was elated to discover that it looked decent. No, it looked better than decent. It looked delicious.

Her time was then spent doing what she does best: decorating. Arranging flowers for several years had taught her a thing or two about presentation.

Along with a message that read ‘Happy Birthday, Seymour!’, she drew little flowers using blue frosting. Admiring the finished product, she smiled and practically threw herself down on the couch, exhausted from the afternoon’s activities.

Seymour’s day, while less exhausting, was eventful in its own right. All afternoon, colleagues kept coming up to him wishing him a happy birthday. A chorus of “Have a lovely day”, “Many more” and “Another year gone, eh?” echoed in his ears.

It was all very foreign to him. While working at the shop, Audrey would always remember his birthday but she was the only one. Even when he was just a tyke, Mr. Mushnik never wished him a happy birthday once.

If anything, it made today even more meaningful to Seymour. This was how it should have been for him every previous year but, rather than feeling resentful, he felt immense gratitude. He had a great job, a beautiful home and a perfect wife.

In fact, a wife who was so perfect, he was wishing the hours away until he got to be with her again.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Happy Birthday, Seymour: Morning

It was Seymour’s birthday! In all of Audrey’s excitement, she woke up an hour earlier than their usual time of 6:30am. Not wishing to disturb her husband, she silently brushed her teeth, showered and put a little makeup on. Crawling back into bed with him, she lay quietly planning the day ahead.

Around 6am, Seymour began to stir. He blinked his eyes open and saw Audrey propped up on her elbow, smiling intensely at him.

“Good morning.” He yawned while rubbing his eyes.

Almost startling him, he felt his wife’s lips passionately press against his. As they broke away, she beamed. “Happy birthday!”

“Gee, it’s the best birthday ever already.” He laughed as he reached over to the nightstand and put his glasses on so he could see his wife’s smiling face a little clearer.

“Did you sleep well?” She asked while absentmindedly toying with the curls on his head.

“I did actually, I had this really weird dream though. I dreamt…” Before he could finish what he was saying, his breath caught in his throat as he felt Audrey plant kisses down his chest.

“Mhm?” She asked, ushering him to continue with his story.

“I, um..” His mind had gone completely blank. In that moment, he couldn’t recall his name, never mind what he had dreamt that night. “I don’t know…”

She reached her desired destination as Seymour lay back in total ecstasy.

He uttered a barely audible, barely understandable “Wow.”

A few minutes later, Audrey’s morning act of kindness paid off. She rose her head up from underneath the covers and saw her husband paralyzed from pleasure. She giggled and placed a quick kiss on his forehead. “Happy birthday, Seymour.” He barely moved, eliciting a hearty laugh from her. “I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself, I’m gonna go get started on breakfast.”

She wrapped her robe tightly around her body and made her way into the kitchen. Eventually, Seymour joined her. “Something smells good.” He remarked as he snaked his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her shoulder.

“Pancakes! It’s a special day!” She squealed with delight. “Now, take a seat, they’re almost ready.”

He complied and sat at the table as she presented him with a stacked plate of pancakes, utensils and a dispenser full of syrup, his favorite.

He shook his head in disbelief and grinned. “How did I get so lucky?”

“You’re sweet.” She blushed. “I just want this day to be perfect for you. You deserve it.”

“It’s already perfect.” Seymour was grateful every single morning that he woke up to his wife. Every day was perfect so long as she was with him.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Hugs

Audrey stood in the kitchen of her little tract house and washed the dishes that she and her husband had just used while eating their TV dinners.

Suddenly, Seymour’s hands wrapped around her waist and he planted several soft kisses across her neck.

“Mmm, what’s all this?” She sighed contently and pulled his arms tighter around her body.

Briefly halting the kisses, he rested his chin on her shoulder. “I just needed a hug.”

Pouting, Audrey stroked his forearm in a comforting manner. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah, everything’s perfect.” Seymour wasn’t afraid to admit that he absolutely adored cuddles from his wife. “I just missed having you in my arms.”

Flattered, she giggled. “I’ve only been away from you for ten minutes.”

He placed one final kiss on the exposed skin between her neck and her shoulder. “That’s long enough to miss you...”

[littleshopofaudrey1]

After Hours

“There you go. Have a great evening, Sir!” Seymour smiled as the last customer of the night headed out. Following behind, he flipped the sign open to ‘closed’ and locked the door.

An exasperated Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. “Gosh, what a day! I bet Mr. Mushnik is having a much more relaxing time with his sister in Czechoslovakia.”

Upon hearing his now deceased boss’ name, Seymour tensed up slightly. “Yeah, I guess…”

Audrey sadly studied him, confused as to why he wasn’t over the moon with all of his recent success. “I think you need a break, come here.”

She took his hands in hers and led him towards the back room where she created all of her specialty arrangements. As she ushered her boyfriend into the room, she closed the door behind them.

He laughed a little at her strange behaviour. “What are you doing?”

“It just seems like you need to take your mind off things.” Audrey closed the distance between them and draped her arms around his neck.

“That would be nice…” He awkwardly fumbled with where to rest his hands but finally decided on her hips.

She pressed her lips against his and after a few moments, began to deepen the kiss. They stood wistfully making out as though they were love struck teenagers skipping class.

A couple of wonderful minutes passed by and they broke apart, breathless. “You seem a little less tense now.” Audrey whispered, smiling.

Still getting used to the wonders of physical contact with Audrey, Seymour cleared his throat and readjusted his glasses. “Mm hm…” Was all that the botanical genius could muster.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Holding Hands

Seymour and Audrey Krelborn lay together on a blanket on their front lawn. Cuddling and looking up at the stars was becoming an almost weekly activity that they both cherished.

Audrey traced circles on her husband’s palm with her fingers.

“You have such beautiful nails.” Seymour noted. Since they moved, she rarely wore the bright red color that he was so used to seeing her with back in Skid Row. Now, she leaned towards more soft and pastel color choices.

Touched, she giggled and nuzzled her face into his neck in an attempt to hide the blush that had rose to her cheeks.

He remained focused on her hands. “In fact, you have beautiful hands in general. They’re so delicate.”

She sat up, quite surprised. “You really think so? I always hated them.”

“Why?” There was so much Audrey did not like about herself which baffled Seymour since there wasn’t a single thing that he would change about her.

Frowning, she looked down at them. “I have such long fingers, I used to think I had kind of man hands.”

Seymour couldn’t reassure her quickly enough. “No, they’re beautiful! Actually, I think they look very ladylike.”

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. Thanks to Seymour, Audrey now began to study her husband’s hands.

“Do you know what I love?” She asked while interlocking their fingers.

He smiled. “What?”

Holding his hand in hers and analyzing it, she responded “Your little hairy knuckles.”

He practically snorted. “Really?”

“Really! And I love your little hairy head.” She said then kissed the top of his head. “And your little hairy chest.” She then kissed his chest. “And your…”

“Audrey! We’re outside!” He went bright red then burst out laughing.

She joined in with his laughter. “You’re right, I guess I was kinda lost in the moment.” She lay back down next to him then thought for a moment. “Do you maybe wanna head inside?”

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Stood Up

It was yet another slow, menial day for the employees at Mushnik’s florist shop. As their boss got lost in that day’s newspaper, Audrey and Seymour spent their time chatting.

“Have you been to the Wholesale Flower District lately, Seymour? I always love seeing what goodies you pick up!” She asked, his keen eye for botanical treasures was one of her favorite things about him.

Knowing that she enjoyed something about him that would probably bore others made him feel so seen, so special, that it caused his face to light up. “It’s funny you ask, I was actually planning on going later tonight.”

She paused. “After work? Won’t it be dark?”

“Yeah, that’s why I wanna go. They’ve put some string lights around the stores and plant tables, it almost feels like Christmas!”

“Wow, it sounds so beautiful.” She replied as she tried to picture it in her mind.

Seymour pondered whether she would like to go with him. “How ain’t you? Do you have any plans tonight, Audrey?” He asked, secretly hoping she’d say she was free.

“Um, yeah, I actually have a date tonight.” A part of her didn’t want to tell him and the other part wondered why she didn’t want to tell him.

He felt his heart break a little but his face didn’t show it. “Wow, that’s great. Anyone special?”

“It‘s actually our first date. He bumped into me at the grocery store and then offered to take me to dinner.” She fumbled with her nails, not wanting to get her hopes up. Whenever she did that, she was always let down.

“That’s very sweet. You never know, he might be the one.”

“He seemed nice. Plus, I’m definitely not getting any younger or any luckier with men.”

“I’m surprised nobody’s swept you off your feet yet.” He said quietly but truthfully.

His words touched her. She could never understand why he thought so highly of her but she was thankful nonetheless. “Thank you, Seymour.”

Time ticked by and eventually the clock struck 6pm. Mushnik practically bolted out of the door, fed up with another unsuccessful sales day.

Seymour held the door open for her as they parted for the night. “Well, good night. I hope you have a nice time tonight.” She said.

“Good night, Audrey. I have my fingers crossed for your date!” Despite wishing it was him taking her out, he truly hoped she would find a man who would take care of her and give her everything she deserves.

She smiled and while walking towards her apartment, she turned back and called “Enjoy the lights!”

Later that evening, Seymour changed into his more casual khakis and wrapped up in his bright red jacket. The Skid Row air was extremely bitter on winter nights.

As he approached his basement stairs, he peaked out of his window to see Audrey standing outside of her apartment. She had her arms wrapped around her as she shivered, wearing only a strappy cocktail dress and black spiked heels. She looked freezing.

He headed out of the shop and called across the street. ‘“Audrey?”

The sound of her name being called broke her out of her daydream and she quickly wiped underneath her eyes where her tears had left her cheeks stained with mascara. “Oh, Seymour. Hi.” His presence made her smile.

He got the sense that something was wrong. “Is everything okay? You look pretty cold?”

She looked down at what she was wearing and realized even the bums of the streets were more covered and comfortable than she was. “A little, the dress isn’t very thermal…”

Glancing around, he asked “Where’s your date?”

Ashamed, she glanced down towards her fumbling nails and tried to hide her face as tears filled her eyes but did not fall. “He was supposed to be here forty minutes ago, I don’t think he’s coming…

His face dropped. “You’ve been out here for forty minutes?” Noticing that she looked embarrassed, he quickly tried to change the subject. “Are you hungry? You guys were gonna go to dinner, right?”

“I’m okay, I just ate.” Audrey could tell he was confused. “My mom used to tell me that men don’t like to watch a woman guzzle food, especially on first dates.” She looked a little sad as she explained.

Her teeth began to chatter despite her best efforts to stop them. “Oh, gosh. Here.” Seymour unzipped his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Sniffling, she pulled it tighter around herself. “That’s so sweet, thank you.”

Something still wasn’t right with her, she didn’t have a smile on her face and that just wasn’t okay with Seymour. “Say, if you don’t have plans, would you like to come with me to the Flower District.”

“Really? I-I wouldn’t be intruding?”

It took everything he had not to do a dance with joy. “No! Gosh no! In fact, I’d love the company.”

“As long as it’s okay with you, I would love to!” Finally, she smiled.

“Absolutely!” He beamed, absolutely ecstatic.

Like a gentleman, he offered his arm to her as they walked towards their destination. “It always amazes me how you can walk so effortlessly in those things.”

Unbeknownst to Seymour, she had a lot of experience with even higher heels at her second job. “Trust me, I’d much prefer a flat shoe.” She laughed.

Rather than laughing along with her, he asked in all seriousness. “Why can’t you?”

Shrugging, she answered. “Apparently men prefer women in heels.”

She couldn’t eat in front of dates? She couldn’t wear flat shoes in front of dates? Seymour didn’t have much experience in the world of romance but he couldn’t understand that. “Gee, I dunno. I would just want the person I liked to wear whatever they wanted to, whatever made them comfortable.”

She smiled, wishing every man was like Seymour. Never mind, she wished Seymour was her man. “You’re gonna make some woman really happy some day, you know?”

He felt a blush rise to his cheeks, that happened every time Audrey complimented him. They were the only compliments he had ever really gotten before. “Oh, here we are!”

Audrey looked up then stood still, almost in a trance. Gold lights illuminated the dark sky, brightening up the darkness that she was so used to. He looked back at her, charmed by her reaction to something that so many others would take for granted.

“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen before.” She breathlessly exclaimed.

As she walked towards the lights, Seymour grinned. “I had a feeling you’d like them.”

This was better than any date could have been.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

The Shopping Trip - Chapter 2

That evening after work, Mushnik left in disbelief as he saw Seymour and Audrey leaving the shop together. He didn’t care enough to ask where they were going or what they intended to do, but it was strange to see the little jerk with plans that weren’t strolling alone or tending to plants.

Seymour locked the store door behind him as the co-workers set off together.

“I haven’t bought new clothes in almost two years. Audrey II really has been a blessing in disguise, I can finally afford to do this.” He admitted, a little embarrassed.

“It’ll do wonders for your self confidence. Oh, what’s that saying? Feeling good on the inside starts with feeling like you look good on the outside?” She was sure she had flubbed it a little but he got the idea.

Fiddling with his worn out sweater vest, he examined just how much of a change he needed. “I don’t think I really give off the best impression.”

Genuinely confused, she responded. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you think I look too nerdy?” He asked, especially knowing how cool her boyfriend looked. His leather jacket, his motorcycle...they were all things that were unattainable to plain old Seymour.

“Nerdy? Not at all, I think you look intelligent! New clothes doesn’t have to mean a personality change, you’re still the same person on the inside. Just a little more refined.”

Audrey thought he looked intelligent? He struggled to fight the blush that rose to his cheeks. “Thank you. Plus, I think that’s a really nice way of looking at it.”

She smiled. “So, what were you hoping to get?”

“A couple of dress shirts, some new sweater vests, maybe a new pair of khakis.” He listed off.

She paused then decided to go ahead with what she wanted to say. “I gave it some thought and, don’t think I’m crazy, but do you know what I think would look great on you?”

Unbeknownst to her, he would wear a garbage bag if she thought it’d look great on him. “What?” He chuckled a little.

“A bow tie!” She squeaked.

“Really?” He grinned. “Let’s add that to the list then!”

Luckily, the store was only a short walk away. They stepped past a familiar faced alcoholic as they reached the doors.

Audrey turned to Seymour and smiled, almost as if they were preparing for an adventure. “You ready?”

[littleshopofaudrey1]

The Shopping Trip - Chapter 1

“I'm a very bad shopper, Audrey.” He thought for a moment then spoke from his heart. “I don't have good taste like you.”

“Oh...” Audrey felt butterflies deep in her stomach, nobody else showed her the kindness that Seymour so often did. “Well, I could help you pick things out?” She tried to subtly suggest.

He felt as though he was dreaming. “You could?”

“Sure!” She responded, leaning ever so slightly closer to her co-worker.

Seymour mimicked her body language, gradually getting closer to her. “You'd go shopping with me?”

Audrey couldn’t understand why that would surprise him. “Sure!”

“You'd be seen with me in a public place like a department store?” Thoughts of how ridiculous they would look as a couple to strangers ran through his mind.

Lost in the moment, she almost seductively lowered her voice and continued to lean until their lips were mere inches apart. “Sure.”

Mustering all of his courage, he put forth a suggestion. “Tonight?”

Harshly, she was snapped back to reality and pulled back, remembering where they were, her boyfriend and a myriad of other reasons as to why she could not act on what she wanted to. “I can't tonight. I've got a date.”

Seeing his face drop and it broke her heart.

“But I would like to go with you another time.” She said truthfully. “I’m free tomorrow evening?”

A slight smile creeped over his face. “Tomorrow? I could do tomorrow, yeah, if you’re free. And it’s really okay with you?” He tried to play it cool but his heart was racing.

“Sure!” She beamed, already secretly excited.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Exterior

Orin slammed the door to Audrey’s apartment on his way out, leaving her still wrapped in a thin sheet on her bed. Her body was aching. She slowly sat up, rubbing the back of her neck while feeling a torrid combination of pain and exhaustion.

Naked and vulnerable, she wandered into her bathroom to take a quick bath; Epsom Salts had become somewhat of a saviour after her ‘dates’ with Orin.

Her apartment building did not have the luxury of hot water, lukewarm was the best she could get. As the bath began to fill, she disappointedly examined herself in the mirror. She did not recognize the face staring back at her.

Her hair was a mess. Eye make up smeared down her cheeks from where she had let a few stray tears fall. A pattern of bruises covered her body. Disillusioned, she began to wonder why she bothered with her looks, her exterior.

The hairspray that kept her hair perfect was a waste of time. The mask of make up she wore was cried off. The perfect red nails were chipped from attempts to protect herself. The dresses she accessorized to look as fancy as possible were torn off and disregarded.

Over the years, she had come to the realization that her interior did not necessarily matter to the men she dated. However, she was beginning to accept that her exterior apparently meant nothing to them either.

She pondered that now both her interior and her exterior were deemed worthless, what worth did she have?

[littleshopofaudrey1]

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Physical Contact Starters

No explicit NSFW, but some could be interpreted that way. Alter as necessary!

SOFT

“Your hands are so warm.”

“Ah, that feels good…”

“Wait… are you braiding my hair?”

“Is it okay if I lean on you?”

“Just hold me for awhile. Please.”

“You don’t mind me touching you there, right?”

“Oh! I didn’t mean to fall asleep leaning on you.”

“Don’t stop stroking my hair…”

“Be gentle with me.”

“Y’know, I could go for a back rub right now. Just saying.”

“Please… Kiss me, even if it’s just this once.”

“I bet I’m strong enough to pick you up.”

“Can I use your lap as a pillow?”

“Touch me. I don’t care how. I just need to feel something right now…”

“I could kiss you all over.”

“That tickles!”

“Mind washing my back for me?”

“I didn’t know you were the cuddling type.”

“I love how soft your lips are.”

“Don’t get up just yet, I’ll miss having you next to me.”

“No one’s kissed me like that in a long time.”

ROUGH

“Ow! That fucking hurt!”

“Keep talking, and I’ll seriously slap the shit out of you.”

“You stepped on my foot!”

“Did you do that on purpose?”

“Please be more gentle next time…”

“Don’t squeeze so tight!”

“Hey, don’t touch me there. It hurts.”

“Did you just bite me?!”

“Next time I’ll hit you like I mean it.”

“Is that the best you’ve got?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’ll make you bleed.”

“You really can’t take a hit, can you?”

“Hey!! What was that for?!”

“Shit, are you crying? I didn’t mean to do it that hard.”

“That stung a little. Go easy on me next time.”

“Don’t tell me you can’t handle a little sparring.”

“You almost knocked me over!”

“I won’t stop until I hear you scream.”

“That’s gonna leave a bruise…”

“You broke my nose!”

[littleshopofaudrey1]

Mystery

It was 10pm and very unlike the Krelborns to stay up past their usual 9:15pm. They had caught the end of West Side Story on the TV and neither could peel their eyes away from the screen.

They lay side by side talking about how much they enjoyed the movie when Audrey made a move. She leaned over and kissed his neck then his lips.

The couple spent a couple of minutes making out as though they were lovestruck teenagers when Audrey broke away and smiled. “You’re such a mystery to me.” She said, looking deep into Seymour’s eyes.

He was still a little dazed from the kissing. “Hm?”

In a moment of complete vulnerability, she opened up. “You’re a mystery. I didn’t know it was possible to feel this happy but every day with you is more and more incredible. Nobody else has ever made me feel like this. Before you, I thought it was just the stuff of fairytales.”

By the time the last few words escaped her, she felt a few tears running down her cheeks. Before she could act on it, Seymour had already wiped them away with the side of his hand.

“Good because I want to make you feel like that every single day for the rest of my life.” That comment of his ended up making her cry even more.

However, she appreciated a man making her cry tears of joy for a change.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

A Simple No

Audrey stood in front of the mirror and examined herself. Turning to the left, she placed a hand on her stomach. Turning to the right, she pulled the dress tighter around her figure and, deflated, let it go.

She exhaled and looked sadly at her reflection.

“Is everything okay?” Seymour asked, confused by his wife’s reaction. Since moving to a different neighborhood, they were trying out new restaurants in search of a favorite.

Instead of turning to face him, she remained fixated on her reflection. “Do you think this dress makes me look fat?” She asked in a small voice.

Seymour practically sprinted over to her and stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Fat?! God no, not at all! Not in the slightest! I think it looks really beautiful on you.” He answered honestly.

“Really? I don’t know…” She couldn’t shake the feeling of self doubt.

“Absolutely! Audrey, you’re in terrific shape. You have those cool muscles on your stomach, your waist is flawless, even Marilyn Monroe would’ve been jealous of your assets! You have the ability to look breathtaking in whatever you wear.” He was beginning to ramble a little. “You could leave this house in a garbage bag and people would think you belonged on the front page of a magazine!”

Touched, she broke into a fit of laughter. “A simple ‘no’ would have done the trick.” She got serious for a moment. “Thank you, Seymour.”

It was moments such as these that made her so grateful that she was now Audrey Krelborn.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

A Happy Accident

It was a little after 9pm and Seymour sat at the table, finishing his tea. His wife, Audrey had excused herself just a few minutes earlier.

Starting to feel a little tired, he rinsed his cup in the sink and headed towards their bedroom.

As he opened the door, he saw Audrey standing in front of him wearing only her bra, underwear and a half slip. They had only been married for a little less than two weeks so Seymour was still getting used to seeing a half dressed woman in front of him, let alone Audrey.

“Oh, gee, Audrey! I’m sorry! I should’ve knocked, I didn’t realize you were getting dressed, I’m so sorry!” He rambled while closing his eyes, trying to respect her privacy.

She began to laugh, not at him but rather as a result of his apologetic nature over a genuine mistake. “Seymour, you can open your eyes. You’ve seen me undressed before.”

Hesitantly he opened his eyes to look at her, respectfully fixating on only her face.

“I mean, sure, but that’s on your terms.” His voice dropped with guilt.

Slowly, she walked over to him and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “We’re married now. I really don’t mind.” They lingered close together.

With that comment, she reached behind her back and unfastened her bra; partially because she knew he still hadn’t gotten the hang of it yet. She guided his hands to the straps and let him slide it off of her chest.

He gazed lovingly at the perfect woman who stood before him, silently wondering how he got so lucky.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

When Audrey Met Orin - Chapter 8

“Orin?” Audrey asked, surprised to see him so early.

He lingered in front of the door with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. “You ready?”

“Oh, Orin...I don’t finish for another hour.” She replied, feeling extremely guilty. “I thought I told you 6pm?” She was almost positive she had but very quickly began to doubt herself.

A humorless laugh escaped his gritted teeth. “If you had told me 6pm then why would I be here now?” His voice was stern, on the edge of anger.

Mr. Mushnik watched intently while Seymour went between looking at his hands and looking up at the leather clad man.

“I’m so sorry, Orin. I can give you my key if you wanna wait in my apartment? It’s just across the street.” She stood and was about to head to the coat rack to retrieve it when he stopped her,

“No!” It came out like a bark. “I know where your apartment is, dumbass. I’ve been in it.” He shot a wink to Mushnik who stared blankly back, his face turning red with anger.

Audrey began “I’m really sorry, do you wanna-“

“What I want is a woman who can remember what goddamn time she finishes work or is that too much to ask of you?” Every word dripped with venom. “Stupid bitch.” He muttered under his breath but it was loud enough to be heard by the three others in the room.

“Orin, I’m really sorry.” She stood embarrassed and ashamed, shaking her head at herself.

“Christ, what are you? A fucking parrot?!” He exploded. “‘Sorry, sorry, sorry.’” He began to mock her while adopting a high pitched, New York accent. Seymour gently shook his head in disgust.

Audrey’s eyes brimmed with tears despite her best efforts to stop them.

Before she could say anything, her boss stepped in. “Tell you what, Audrey. We’re not gonna have any customer rushes tonight, take off early. If you want to?” He searched her tear filled eyes, silently urging her to blow Orin off.

“A-Are you sure you don’t mind, Sir?” She asked, slightly relieved at the offer.

“If you want to then I don’t mind.” He stressed again, hoping she’d choose to stay. Mushnik pondered how he’d talk to her behind closed doors if he had the audacity to yell at her like that in front of others.

“Thank you so much.” She ran as fast as her heels could take to grab her coat and swiftly returned. “I’m ready.”

Orin stormed out of the store without even saying goodbye to Seymour and Mushnik.

Audrey reached the door and turned around to face them. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll see you tomorrow, Sir. Good night. Good night, Seymour.”

“AUDREY!” She heard Orin bellow from outside and she quickly ran out, leaving the bell ringing behind her.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

New Arrangement

The door to the back room flew open and Seymour stood, overwhelmed. “Audrey, new arrangement.”

“Another one? Gosh, we’ve never seen it this busy!” She placed her newly finished bouquet to the side. “This is all thanks to you, Seymour!”

Seymour blushed. “Gee, I wouldn’t say it’s all me.” He thought for a moment. “We’re probably busy thanks to all your beautiful arrangements.”

“Oh, Seymour. That’s so sweet.” A moment lingered between them; neither saying what they really felt. “So, you were saying there’s a new order? Birthday? Wedding? Baby?” She began to name off their usuals before Seymour stopped her.

“Yeah, no, this one’s a little different…” He said as his face turned a shade of red.

“What is it?” Audrey asked curiously.

He nervously cleared his throat. “Well, the gentleman would like a dozen red roses and he, um, he left a note.”

He couldn’t bring himself to read it aloud so simply handed the piece of paper to her.

Audrey began to recite the words. “Marianne, thank you for a wonderful night. Best sex I’ve ever had…” She began to trail off then gasped. As she put her hand to her mouth, she erupted into a fit of giggles. She continued “I’d love to see you again, love Brian.”

“I couldn’t believe it when I read it.”

Audrey guffawed. “Maybe Marianne could give me some tips.” She muttered to herself, briefly forgetting that Seymour was also in the room. Orin, her boyfriend, seemed so unhappy with her and she desperately wondered what she was doing wrong.

Seymour didn’t really know how to respond to her and Audrey sensed his slight discomfort.

She apologetically continued. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

“No, it’s okay.” He smiled. “She clearly made quite an impression on him.”

“You...never mind.” She finished her sentence just as quickly as she had started it.

Seymour took a seat on the stool next to her. “No, go on.”

Taking a deep breath, she chose her words very carefully. “You don’t really talk about those things, do you?”

He lowered his voice and hoped he hadn’t misunderstood what she was trying to say. “Sex?”

She gently nodded her head. “I mean, compared to other men. Usually that’s the only thing on their minds.” Seymour sensed a twinge of sadness in her voice.

“I guess that just isn’t really what I’m focused on.” It wasn’t something he had really thought about in great detail before so he was struggling to articulate how he felt. “To me, sex just doesn’t seem like it would be worth it without love.”

Audrey wondered if love was the missing component to past encounters. “You haven’t...been in love?”

“No...I suppose that’s why it hasn’t really happened for me.” He answered honestly.

“Yet.” She replied softly, it was barely audible.

Seymour didn’t hear her too clearly. “What was that?”

“Yet.” She repeated. “It hasn’t happened for you yet. But it will.”

“Gee, I dunno, Audrey...” He began to trail off in self doubt.

“Oh, Seymour, it will! You’re still young! You’re a great guy, any woman would be lucky to be with you!” She replied while looking deep into his eyes, hoping to get the message through.

He had grown so used to Mushnik’s constant put downs, especially regarding his love life. Being told no decent woman would look twice at him was something he had accepted. However, Audrey’s words were giving him hope.

“Thank you.” His eyes brimmed with tears which were magnified by the lenses of his glasses.

Unbeknownst to Audrey, he was already in love; unbeknownst to Seymour, someone was already in love with him.

[littleshopofaudrey1]

When Audrey Met Orin - Chapter 7

It was 5pm. With just one hour left, the work day seemed to be going quite quickly despite the usual lack of customers. Every so often, Mr. Mushnik would glance at Audrey and shake his head, his disapprovement wasn’t what she was looking for.

She decided the mark on her neck, as well as the others that her dress thankfully hid, were not a big deal. Instead, they were just evidence of a passionate night.

“Doing anything exciting tonight, Audrey?” Seymour asked as Mushnik half listened while reading his newspaper.

For some reason unbeknownst to her, a part of her didn’t want to tell Seymour her plans. But she knew he’d eventually have to find out. “Actually I have a date tonight, he’s picking me up from here when I finish.”

Seymour felt a little part of his heart shatter. However, he decided it was for nothing since he’d never have a chance with someone like Audrey anyway. On the bright side, this date could be the Prince Charming she deserved.

Before Seymour even had a chance to react, Mr. Mushnik piped up. “A date?! Tell me it’s not with that Jack the Ripper loon?!”

“Sir…” She meekly started, hoping he’d stop.

As he raised his voice louder, he gestured towards her neck. “He does that to you and you reward him with a second date?!”

“Don’t people deserve a second chance?” Was the best she could retort and it seemed to work.

Her boss thought very hard for a second. “Fine. Give him one more chance. But if he does anything like that to you again, give him the old heave-ho.”

“Yes, Sir.” She simply stated in an attempt to simply placate him.

Seymour sat silently as he tried to process all that had just happened. A man had hurt Audrey? Who could do that? She was the most kind hearted, gentle person who ever lived.

Audrey cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. “How about you, Seymour? Any plans?”

Mushnik chortled from behind his paper. “No date for him tonight, that I can guarantee.”

The insult went right over Seymour’s head, by now he was used to the constant put downs. “Nothing too exciting. I was thinking about heading down to the Wholesale Flower District later.”

“That sounds fun! Hopefully you find something you can add to your collection, it’s coming along beautifully, Seymour.” Audrey replied genuinely. It always touched his heart that she’d never belittle him for his interests, no matter how nerdy they may seem.

He gave her a grateful smile and they spent the next 25 minutes just talking and laughing with one another as Mushnik rolled his eyes.

At 5:25pm, all three were startled and stood to attention when they heard the bell over the door chime, indicating they had their first customer of the day.

Turning to face the door, Audrey’s jaw dropped. “Orin?”