//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Miss Daisy // Story: Colton and Daisy // by Allonsbro //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Miss Daisy It was a gorgeous day. The weather team had cleared all but a few of the clouds in the sky. Ponies were busily bustling about their business. Daisy’s house and flower shop were near the center of town. Colton opened the door, causing the little bell above it to ring. The shop was filled with flowers of all sorts in vases and refrigerated glass cases. Rose and Lilly greeted him. They were Daisy’s friends and ran the shop with her. Rose had a cream coat and a rosy-colored mane and tail and a rose for a cutie mark. She was working near the front, organizing the display of flowers in the window. Lilly had a pink coat and a yellow mane and tail and three lilies for a cutie mark. She was sitting at a table using some flowers to make things like potpourri and perfume. Daisy was behind the cash register. He trotted up to her and said, “Good afternoon Miss Daisy.” “Good afternoon, Sir,” she greeted cheerfully, “how may I assist you?” “I would like to buy some flowers for the mare I’m seeing.” He said playfully. “What kind would you like?” “Let’s see….how about a few daisies, a few chrysanthemums, and a few irises,” he said, naming her favorite flowers. She got the flowers he requested and rapped them in paper. “Lovely, would you like to take them or should I have them sent to her?” “If you could send them that would be terrific.” “Who shall I send them to?” “Send them to the mare whose beauty outshines Celestia’s sun every day. Send them to the mare that I’m about to kiss.” With that he leaned over the counter, brushed her light green mane aside and gave her a peck on the forehead. She blushed, giving him that little smile she had that made his heart turn to water in his chest whenever he saw it. “Thank you, darling, I’ve been having a rather bad day and I needed that.” “Oh? What happened?” inquired the stallion. “One of Rarity’s old friends from college made her the mare of honor for her wedding. She was ordering flowers today.” “Uh oh,” Colton grimaced. When somepony was as detail-oriented and fussy as Rarity was planning a wedding, Colton did not want to be anywhere nearby. “Yep, also I had to take a cold shower this morning because my water heater isn’t working, and I backed into a table, breaking one of my favorite vases and cut my leg.” “Ouch,” said Colton, looking down at the large bandage wrapped around her left back leg. “Well, it looks like I got here just in time. Miss Daisy, I’m here to cordially invite you to dinner at my house. I have to watch Ruby tonight while Berry is in Hoofington and she would really like to see you.” Daisy smiled and placed the bouquet in a vase on the counter. “Rose, Lilly, can you manage the shop for the rest of the day?” Lilly nodded. “Sure thing,” agreed Rose. “Thanks girls. Be sure to lock up when you leave and don’t forget to put compost on the garden out back. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Turning to Colton she asked, “should I bring anything? I have some clover soup in my fridge.” “Alright,” said Colton. “I think Ruby would like that.” She went through the door going upstairs to her apartment above the shop and returned a few moments later with the soup and some other things in her saddlebag. “Well then, Daisy, shall we be off?” said Colton, holding the door open. “Yes I believe we shall,” Daisy replied. “Good day, ladies,” said Colton to the other two and closed the door behind him. As they walked down the road, they talked. With the grape harvest done and autumn approaching, Colton would have a little more free time on his hooves. They tossed around a few ideas of some things they could do. Colton offered to come over and do some hoofycolt work around the house, like fixing the water heater. They talked about Colton’s fisherpony costume and Daisy’s ghost costume from the last nightmare night and considered doing something together this year. Daisy asked how Berry and Ruby were doing and told him how Rose and Lilly were. Apparently, Rose met a stallion through her friend Colgate, but the first date didn’t go very well because he thought she was somepony else with the same name. Colton laughed when Daisy did her impression of Rose’s reaction. She had said if she ever saw his hourglass-marked flank again, she’d kick it until it was bluer than the old phone box she noticed outside the restaurant.