“No,” said the nice girl by the flowers. “You have to go to the ABC store.”

The ABC store?

This was my introduction to shopping in North Carolina.

Months have passed and I’ve muddled through, learning about Harris Teeter, Lowe’s, Kroger and the Super Target (the “super” part, to my disappointment, being that it also carries groceries).

And then, something magical appeared.

An intriguing sky blue sign has been posted along Holly Springs Road in Apex promising us a new grocery store called “Bloom.”

Bloom — beautiful, bouncy Bloom.

It sounds downright sexy — as sexy as a grocery store can sound — and I am excited.

I did some research and Bloom, which is actually owned by Food Lion and has several locations in the far reaches of North Carolina, has an equally sexy Web site promising organics, specialty foods and milk put near the entrance for those “I just need milk quick” moments that I wonder if people really have anymore.

It worried me that it’s owned by Food Lion, which I’m not too sure about — there’s one in Apex that I’m pretty sure has been abandoned to a group of apathetic teens who roll their eyes at you and smoke in the bathrooms.

Is Bloom Food Lion’s equivalent to the “arch deluxe” burger that McDonalds tried to sell us a few years back? If you don’t remember this, McDonalds thought America might like a gourmet burger, and they made a very big deal about it (I think Ronald McDonald was wearing a tux), but it flopped.

I think they found out the hard way that folks don’t really go to McDonalds for gourmet — it’s the kind of food you scarf quickly in your parked car and then drive away, pretending like it never happened.

I contacted Bloom’s corporate headquarters to find out when the store’s going to open, but they said they didn’t know and would have “research” contact me. Then I got an e-mail from research thanking me for my interest in Bloom, and explaining that they will expand to my area when they feel there’s a demand.

Apparently, Bloom is not too sure when they’re going to open in Apex either.

Nevertheless, as long as that sign is up, I can dream about a store with fresh, organic produce and meats that don’t cost an arm and a leg. One that’s close to my house. One that doesn’t smell like cigarettes.

Until then, I’ll continue my Trader Joe’s-Whole Foods-Lowe’s-Sam’s Club habit, which I realize wastes time and gas, but all offer certain things I can’t live without.

Except tequila, but I know where the ABC stores are now.