A Pregnant Christmas Gift

I can't find a picture that can do City Flowers' (a florist shop on the 1st floor of the Hyatt, here in Bellevue) Christmas Display justice. Imagine a floor to ceiling Christmas display in Neiman Marcus smashed into a box about 9 ft wide and 20 ft long and you will have an idea of what City Flowers' shop looks like right now. It was beautiful and intimidating all in one breath and the store was so full that you couldn't lift your elbows away from your waist without fear of knocking something down. The cheapest something running no less then $100. Okay, they had tiny olive ornaments for less then $100 but even they were almost $10 a piece.

So I was in this florist shop waiting for my order of a dozen long stem roses for my Bosses' Wife, for their proposal anniversary, and I was weaving my pregnant self in and out of the opulence, gawking over prices, and how beautiful some of the artistic sculptures, ornaments, and chocolates were. As I was looking around and listening to the clerks and a customer discuss flower displays and how pink tea roses were $25 each, a gal came in wanting to look at their decorations and Christmas items. Turned out she was doing her Christmas shopping early and just had to see what they had. She had that really rich lady air about her but she was super nice and turns out super gracious. I had stepped out of the shop to allow her to circulate around the tiny aisle and when she came out she said excitedly gesturing towards me up and down "Oh, it looks like you are expecting, possibly a Christmas baby?!" I said "I am!" with as much exhuberance. She said "That is wonderful! When are you due?" I told her January 26th and then she said "Oh, that is so exciting and you just look so lovely and so skinny! You must work out! Do you work out often because you look so lovely and slender!" The whole time she was talking with a look on her face like "you just can't be 7 months pregnant and look so good!" I just about fell over. I said "Oh, no, I don't get to work out; just try to walk around often" (a total lie). She said "Well you just look wonderful and congratulations!" And she made to leave. I was gracious back to her, thanked her for her kind words and wished her a great day and good luck on her shopping.

I was just about wowed out of my Alice Crocs and thought, "now that is how you talk to a pregnant lady!" Just about then my flowers were ready to be picked up and paid for. What an extremely nice gesture! The one thing I like about being an admin; being able to go places and meet people you would otherwise never have the opportunity to go into or approach.