Valentine Kisses: A Kiss to Last a Lifetime

by Abigail Drake

  “Who’s buying the first round?” Effie asked, shaking Charlie out of her own thoughts.

  “I am,” Charlie said. “What are you all having?”

  “Extra dry martini,” Effie said, with a long pause between the words extra and dry. “And when I say dry, I mean it’s fine by me if there’s dust on the olive.”

  “Got it,” Charlie said.

  “Make that two,” Ariel said.

  “Mia?”

  “I’ll have a Cosmo,” she said.

  “A woman after my own heart. That’s my poison, too,” Charlie said.

  Charlie stood up to find her way to the bar through the crowded room, when Mia tugged on her sleeve.

  “Look, Charlie,” Mia said. “There’s Hank.”

  Charlie felt like a voyeur, standing in the shadows watching as Hank strolled into the restaurant. He waved to the hostess and nodded to the guy behind the bar as if he was an old friend. Charlie shook her head. It was obviously Hank was a regular here.

  This must be where Hank picks up chicks.

  The bar was crowded and it took Hank quite awhile to navigate down to the end of the antique wooden bar where an older man was seated with his fist was wrapped around a tall glass of beer. He had three empty glasses on the bar in front him.

  The silver-haired man looked vaguely familiar, but Charlie couldn’t place him. He obviously wasn’t a regular library patron.

  “Who is that?” Charlie asked. “That guy with Hank?”

  “His dad,” Effie said without comment.

  Charlie shivered as she watched the drama unfolding in front of her eyes. It was so far from what she'd expected. She’d assumed Hank was going out on booty calls every night of the week, but now she realized nothing could be further from the truth. Hank was going out almost every night in order to be his dad's designated driver.

  “Hank’s mom died when he was six,” Effie said. “His dad has been drunk off-and-on almost every day since then, despite promising Hank every other month he's going to quit.”

  Charlie covered her mouth with her hand. She thought she might be sick. She had totally misjudged Hank. Her heart dropped as she watched Hank pull some bills out of his wallet, and put them down on the bar. He picked up the jacket draped over the back of the bar stool where his father was seated and gently draped it over his dad’s shoulders. Then, he guided the older man onto his feet and helped him walk out of the bar.

  Charlie closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe she could’ve been so wrong. She had completely misjudged Hank. He wasn’t a player. He wasn’t that guy. He was a kind, caring son, struggling to keep his family’s secret. How could she have been so wrong?

  A librarian should know better than to judge a book by its cover.

  Charlie spent a sleepless night tossing and turning waiting for her alarm to go off. The two Cosmos she’d had at Blue didn’t have the desired effect. She'd hardly slept a wink. The chick looking back at her from the bathroom mirror had eye bags so deep and dark, they would be a challenge match for any cover stick..

  She pulled the new dress she’d bought at Billie’s Boutique out of the closet, hoping it would put her in the mood for a party. It was a deep eggplant color with a keyhole neckline and a pencil skirt. When she’d tried it on in the store, Monique told her she looked like a bombshell Nancy Drew. She had a pair of heels in the same shade of plum that completed the outfit and gave her a big boost of confidence.

  Charlie was late returning from her lunch hour, she found Effie at the Information Desk working on the computer.

  “What are you doing?” Charlie asked.

  “Updating my LinkedIn profile,” Effie said. “Ariel just endorsed me for blogging. And Mia endorsed my social media skills. Let Katrina fire me. I'll get a job working for Mark Zuckerberg.”

  Charlie giggled, shaking her head. Effie never failed to make her laugh. Charlie was starting to feel better about their chances to pull off this Valentine’s Day party, but it still remained to be seen if the community would turn out in support.

  “By the way, “ Effie said. “There was a problem with the electrical in the auditorium.”

  “Should I call Hank?” Charlie's voice was full of hope.

  “I already did,” Effie said. “Hank said he wasn't available.”

  “Oh,” Charlie said, feeling like her heart had been crushed like a grape. She’d spent the last few days hoping to run into Hank. Once or twice she'd even thought about making sure something became 'broken' just so she could call and ask him to come over. Now that she knew for sure Hank was avoiding her and the library, she couldn't maintain eye contact with Effie.

  “Earl came over instead. He's down there working on it,” Effie said. “I just thought you ought to know.”

  “He’s been making a lot of noise. We’ve gotten several complaints.”

  “Do I need to soothe any ruffled feathers?” Charlie asked.

  “I already took care of it,” Effie said.

  “Thank you,” Charlie said.

  “He’s a nice boy, Charlie. It's too bad he can't be here tonight to see everyone enjoy all of his hard work in doing the repairs in the community room so quickly. Maybe if he got a personal invitation...”

  “I know what you’re doing, Effie. And it’s not going to happen.”

  “Are you sure?” Effie asked.

  Charlie nodded and strolled away.

  “Can’t blame a fairy godmother for trying,” Effie whispered at her retreating back.

  Even after the Valentine’s Day party started and people began gathering in the community room, Charlie avoided the festivities. She was not in the mood. If she had to be at the library late tonight, she was going to get things checked off on her never-ending ‘to do’ list..

  She loaded books into her cart and pushed it toward the elevator. The doors opened and Katrina swanned out into the main lobby, causing Charlie to take a step back.

  “Oh, Charlie,” Katrina said. “There you are. I was just looking for you. You and Effie have done a great job.” Katrina nodded in Effie’s direction, but didn’t acknowledge her by name. “There are tons of people downstairs. And everywhere I’ve gone today, people have mentioned they’re coming to the party. I can’t believe you and your team actually managed to pull this off.”

  Charlie didn’t know how to respond. Other than to erase all homicidal thoughts from her mind. Not possible.

  “It was a team effort,” Charlie said. “But Effie was the lynchpin in our success.”

  “Yes. I’m sure,” Katrina said. “She’s been here a long time. The old girl knows how to put up a fight.”

  Charlie nodded and finally took the time to glance at the woman standing next to Katrina.

  She was strikingly beautiful in an expensive Nordic sweater and Yeti boots. In that outfit she should be going après-skiing in the Swiss Alps rather than checking out books at a small town library. She looked like she’d just ordered a champagne cocktail and was ready to enjoy it in front of a blazing fire with James Bond. Yep. This chick could definitely be a Bond girl. She belonged on the cover of a magazine.

  “Charlie, this is Rebekah. She’s a friend of the family who just moved to Good Harbor.”

  “You’re brave,” Charlie smiled. “Moving here in the middle of winter.”

  “This is my favorite time of year,” Rebekah said. “I love winter sports.”

  Of course you do! Why wouldn’t you? You’re a winter goddess.

  “Did you stop by to pick up your new library card and complimentary tote bag?” Charlie asked.

  “No,” Rebekah laughed. “I don’t actually read.”

  Then what the hell are you doing in a library?

  “Actually,” Katrina said. “She’s with me. Have you seen Hank?”

  “Hank? You’re looking for Hank?” Charlie could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her Spidey sense was tingling. What could Katrina and this most beautiful woman want with Hank?

  “Yes. I am. Rebekah
is single. Hank is single. And, he is just so good-looking. I’m not a professional matchmaker, but it is Valentine’s Day, so I thought maybe I’d give it a shot. Just this once. Don’t you think Rebekah and Hank would make the perfect couple?”

  Charlie forced herself to smile. She nodded slowly. “I haven’t seen Hank today. I heard he’s been working on the rest rooms in the basement, if you want to go and see if he’s around.” The lie about Hank’s whereabouts rolled off her tongue a little too easily. Even if she didn’t have a chance with Hank, there was no way she was going to make it easy for him to hook up with this winter goddess.

  “Let’s go find him,” Katrina said, leading Rebekah back to the elevator, she pressed the button to go down.

  Charlie stood under the dome in the main lobby. The open three-story staircase created an echo chamber. The party in the community room was in full swing. Charlie could hear Katrina’s calls to Hank in the basement. Her voice blended with all the noise of the Valentine’s Day party. Any minute now the high school jazz band would start playing some standards so people could dance.

  It was only going to get louder.

  Inside Charlie’s head, it was all just one big jumble of noise. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that the Valentine’s Day party was a success and Effie’s job as the children’s librarian was secure.

  For the moment.

  But Charlie’s heart was splitting in two.

  “Hey Charlie?” Mia shouted from the entryway. “Are you coming to the party?”

  “Go ahead without me,” Charlie said. “I’ll be there in a bit.”

  Charlie waited until Mia disappeared around the corner to the community room, then she sprinted up the staircase to the third floor, racing the tears brimming behind her eyes. She didn’t win the race. By the time she got to the top step, tears were rolling down her cheeks.

  She didn’t want anyone to see her crying.

  Not Today. Not on Valentine’s Day.

  Single. Lonely. Heartbroken.

  Charlie sought comfort with her book boyfriends in her favorite part of the Dewey Decimal system on the third floor. She found her way to the familiar aisle and sat on the floor. All around her were books she recognized by their titles and covers. They were like old friends.

  She checked her iPhone for the time, giving herself five minutes to have a solo pity party. And then she was going to dry her tears and go downstairs to the community room and deal with reality.

  Maybe you need to stop trying so hard.

  Maybe you need to embrace the lifestyle of the middle-aged lady cat hoarder.

  She leaned back against the bookshelf behind her. Her shoulders ached. Her shoes were pinching her toes. She wished she was already home in bed with the covers pulled up under chin. Then a dark shadow fell across the aisle.

  Someone had found her in her hiding place

  “Charlie?” A soft voice whispered.

  She squinted into the light. Charlie couldn’t see his face, but she recognized the sweet masculine voice. It was Hank. His voice was so gentle and kind. She pinched her cheeks and made an attempt to brush away any damp mascara from under her eyes. Hoping she hadn’t smeared mascara across her nose, she painted a smile on her face.

  “I’m here,” she said.

  Three big steps and Hank was standing in front of her. Towering over, he folded his big body and sat down on the floor right next to her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor. “I’m fine. Is everything downstairs okay?”

  “Everything is great. Everything is fine. Everything, but you,” he said, reaching to brush a tear away from her cheek.

  Hank’s tender touch caused a few more tears to leak from her eyes. She brushed his fingers away from her face. “I’m fine,” Charlie said. “Honest, I’m fine.”

  She cleared her throat and attempted to make her voice sound light and cheerful. “Did Katrina find you? She has a chick she wants you to meet. She thinks she might be your perfect match.”

  Hank laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that why you’re so upset.”

  “I’m not upset.”

  “Then why are you hiding out in the third floor stacks?”

  “This is my favorite part of the library. See that book right there,” Charlie said, pointing to a non-descript book with brown covers. “One of my favorite book boyfriends lives inside those covers.”

  Hank smiled. “I’m surrounded by hundreds of your book boyfriends, and you’re jealous of one chick in a hideous sweater.”

  “You have a reputation,” Charlie said.

  “You can’t believe everything you hear,” Hank said.

  “I don’t. I assure you. I don’t believe half of it. But if only fifty percent of the ‘Legend of Hank Carter’ is true...”

  “That’s your problem, Miss Smarty Pants.” Hank shot back. “You’ve already formed an opinion about who you think I am. You’re prejudiced because of what I look like. You think I’m just a dumb jock because I’m big and I work in construction. “

  “It has nothing to do with your occupation, Hank. You are the town hottie,” she said.

  “The ‘town hottie’? Is that a real thing?” Hank asked.

  “Yes. The women of Good Harbor all got together and took a vote,” Charlie said with a smirk.

  Hank shook his head and wiped a hand over his face in frustration. “Charlie...”

  “You knew I’d heard all the rumors. Why didn’t you ever correct me?”

  Hank shrugged. “’For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?’”

  Charlie opened her mouth for rebuttal, and then closed it again.

  What the hell?

  “That’s Jane Austen.” she said, unable to hide her shock.

  Did Hank actually quote ‘Pride & Prejudice’?

  He shrugged. “Guess my college education wasn’t a complete waste of time.”

  “You went to college?” she asked. “What? Like on a football scholarship?”

  He shot her a smug look. “Academic. I graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and got a full-ride to the University of Michigan. There are only a few people in Good Harbor who know I went to college on an art scholarship. Effie, Earl and Dad, but none of them were likely to reveal my secret.”

  “Art?”

  “My dream is to be able to support myself as an artist. I’m working construction just to pay my bills,” Hank said.

  Charlie gasped. “Those glass pieces. They're yours, aren't they? ”

  Hank nodded. “I haven't been around because, I've been working my ass off the last few days, but I finally finished and submitted some samples to Earl for a new winery they're building on Torch Lake. If the clients select my stuff, it would be a total game changer for me. I'd actually have a chance to make a living doing something I love. My dad isn't so keen on the idea. He's always been ashamed of my goal to become a working artist.”

  Charlie was stunned. “Why didn't you tell me?

  “I've been keeping secrets for so long, sometimes I'm afraid it's what I do best. “

  “That's not true,” Charlie said. “I've seen your glasswork. It's beautiful.”

  Even in the dark, Charlie could see Hank blushing down to his toes.

  “Thank you,” he said. “As far as my reputation goes, I probably wasn't always discreet when I was younger, but you should know that you’re my first.”

  “Your first?” Charlie asked. “Now I know you are lying.”

  “You are, Charlie,” he said calmly. “You are the first woman in Good Harbor I’ve ever asked out on a date.. Actually I've been forced to ask more than once because you have a habit of shooting me down like a jet fighter. “

  “I didn't think a man like you'd be ever be interested in me.”

  “I'm not the man you think I am. I don’t sleep with every woman who pays attention to me. I don’t drink. I don’t play a musical instr
ument or tell funny jokes. I love art. I like hockey. And running. And you, I like you, Charlie Bishop.”

  Charlie was angry with herself. She’d been prejudiced and assumed a lot of things about Hank. Not one was true.

  “He boomeranged me,” Charlie said. The wobble in her voice betrayed her, but Hank had been honest with her. She wanted to give him the same courtesy.

  “What?”

  “Nels. The other night. When he showed up during the Red Wing game. He wanted us to get back together. On the down-low. Behind Dina’s back.”

  Hank pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Not surprised. I went to high school with Nels. He always had an inflated sense of entitlement.”

  “Billie said he would ‘boomerang me’, but I didn’t believe her. Not that I wasn’t completely surprised when it happened. I’m just so angry at myself for even dating him just because I thought he looked like one of my book boyfriends. Unfortunately he didn't act them.”

  “I’m not going to lie. I was pissed when Nels showed up out of the blue the other night. So I let you believe the worst of me,” he said.

  “I saw you last night. At the bar. With your dad,” she said. “I know you're not going out every night on late-night booty calls.”

  Hank pulled away. Charlie was worried he was about to run away. She reached out and touched his hand. “I’m so sorry.”

  Hank didn't say anything. Instead he handed her a small package wrapped up in brown paper.

  “What is this?” She held the book-shaped package next to her ear and shook it as a joke. She was pleased to see it made him smile.

  “It’s a present,” Hank said. “My mom died just before Valentine’s Day when I was six. I’ve hated Valentine’s Day ever since. The flowers. The chocolate. The fake romantic sentiments, but girls, I've been told, they love Valentine’s Day.”

  “But, Hank...I don't. I really don't. I hate it. I hate Valentine...”