A Very Disastrous Dare

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Sometimes a person speaks before thinking...</em></strong></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>She's just bought the flower shop and he's taken over the hardware store for his dad. Sounds peachy right? Sure until they both want an assistance grant from the city...and now Emma and Aaron are rivals </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>and</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> neighbors.</span></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Emma:</strong></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I've always believed that flowers can brighten any occasion and make anyone's day but nothing seems to cheer up my handsome-but-grumpy neighbor Aaron Stansfield.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Owning a flower shop next to his hardware store means our paths cross all the time and it's usually just a conversation about how hard it is to run a small business in a small Southern town.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Which it is. I'm barely keeping my head above water and he has a family legacy to uphold. But it would be nice to talk about something </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>besides</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> work especially after our flirt-fest at Halloween last year.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>People do that right?</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Apparently not us because the city of Cider Cove is holding a community project where participating small businesses have the opportunity to win a significant grant.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>And I need that money.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Aaron wants it too and when I see him at the information meeting I can't control myself. I sit next to him and tell him I'm going to take the prize. After all park rebuild + flowers = winning combo.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>So when he issues a dare-that we submit one application and work together to ensure the win-my stupid crush kicks in and takes him up on it.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>So now we're working </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>together </em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>on the community project and I start seeing a different side of Aaron-the side that's kind thoughtful hardworking and frustratingly...sweet.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>He may be grumpy but he's also the one who's always there when I need him.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>As our rivalry turns into something more I can't help wondering: </span><strong style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Could this very disastrous dare be the start of something wildly wonderful?</strong></p>