That morning was slow in the shop. There was a mother and two children who came in a little after opening. She was a regular in the shop, and the two small children played some kind of game in between the aisles of flowers. One was probably around the age of 7, the other 9, and they laughed and giggled gleefully as they chased one another around, ducking behind pots and bushels of plants.
Anna sighed to herself. She wished that she could be that innocent again. There were no concerns about money when you’re that young. Ten dollars was a great bounty, and the only concern you may have is what might be on television that afternoon. Anna loved children, and secretly wished that she had her own. A boy and a girl might be nice. They could spend time with her in the flower shop each summer, and she would teach them all that she knew. Anna put her chin in one hand and waved with the other as the mother left the shop, the little ones not far behind.
That afternoon, Anna gave her friend Susan a call to see if she would be up for having a quick lunch at a local deli. They agreed on a time, and Anna heard the deadbolt on the door click as she turned her key. It was a beautiful summer day, so Anna decided to walk to the restaurant. Birds noisily went about their business, and Anna could hear laughing in the distance as she walked down the uneven sidewalk.
Susan waved at Anna the instant she walked in the deli. Susan was slightly older than Anna, and was the daughter of a close family friend. Her and Anna had grown up right down the block from one another, and the two had reformed their ties of friendship after coming back from college. Susan was bubbly, upbeat, and usually gave sound advice when pressed for it. Anna could use some of that positive energy, and she beamed as she sat across from the woman.
“Anna! It’s so great to see you. You look fantastic, by the way.” Anna chuckled. “You saw me last week, I couldn’t have changed that much.” Susan playfully frowned at her. “No, no, there’s something up with you. Did you meet someone? I can tell, you met someone, didn’t you?” Susan’s words seemed to shoot out of her mouth in excitement. Anna laughed as she pressed her fingers against the piece of paper in her pocket. “Well, I did meet up with an old friend from high school. We’re supposed to have lunch sometime this week.”
“Nice one Anna! What’s his name? What does he look like? Does he have a job? He’s super hot, isn’t he? I can tell these things you know. It’s written all over your face.” Susan waved her hand quickly in the air in front of Anna. Anna wondered briefly how she could speak that fast with a single breath. “His name is Brent, and he’s a soldier... and yes, he’s hot.” Anna and Susan shared a brief laugh before Susan pressed her for more details.
“So when are you going to call this Brent fellow?” Anna could feel herself blush a little. “I think I’ll give him a call after work today. Isn’t there some rule that you shouldn’t call a guy right away? I mean, I don’t want to come across as desperate.” Susan put her chin in between her fingers and gave a sagely nod. “True, true. I say that’s all rubbish. If you want to call him, why don’t you just do it? He gave you his number, and that means that he wants you to call him. Hell, I bet he’s sitting around checking his cell phone every few minutes, waiting for his beautiful Anna to call him. How romantic! Oh my Anna, my sweet, sweet Anna. Make love to me!” Anna gave Susan a stern look, a small smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“Alright, alright, maybe I’ll call him after lunch.” Anna looked down at the empty plate. It was always a joy spending time with Susan. She had this way about her that made Anna feel at ease. “Good. That is most wise, my young, single friend. Go forth and flirt with this guy! You have my blessing.” Anna chuckled. “Well now that I have your approval, all of my doubts have just washed away.” Susan suddenly gave Anna a rare, serious look. “Anna, my dear. You are a catch. You are one sexy lady, you have a pretty awesome job, you’re kind, you’re funny, you’re smart. You’re the whole package babe. Go out there and get him. I can tell that he’s been on your mind.” Susan’s stern expression suddenly shifted to a warm smile as she patted Anna on the hand gently a few times.
The rest of the afternoon went smoothly for Anna. There were only a few customers: A man wanted to pick up some flowers for his wife, an older woman with a cane spent a few minutes walking through the aisles with a smile on her face, her shaky hands touching a particularly beautiful flower and lifting it to her nose. Anna stared at the clock uncontrollably. It was almost closing time, and by now, the piece of paper with Brent’s phone number on it was unquestionably wrinkled.
The sun was low in the sky when Anna locked the door and flipped the “open” sign to “closed.” She took a deep breath as she turned to face the dimly lit shop. Her back leaned against the glass of the door as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone number one more time. Her phone flipped open, and she typed the number in and pressed send. As she put the receiver up to her ear and listened to it ring, she could feel her heart thump in her chest. Why was she so nervous? It was just a phone call, after all. After a few more rings, she could hear Brent pick up on the other end. “Hello?”
“Hi Brent, this is Anna, from the flower shop. You know, the flower shop from yesterday?” Anna squinted her eyes, as if in pain from the horribly bumbled introduction. Of course it was the flower shop from yesterday. Was he going around to all the flower shops in town handing out his number to every owner? Brent laughed, “Oh, the flower shop from yesterday. I was hoping this was the girl from the flower shop I visited 2 weeks ago.” Anna smiled. “Very funny Brent, very funny.”
“So what’s up Anna? Are you still interested in going out to lunch this week?” Anna switched the cell phone from one ear to the other. “Yeah, I would love to go out for lunch. How does tomorrow sound?” There was a short pause before Brent spoke. “I could do that. However, I can’t do lunch. I’m supposed to visit my mother in the hospital tomorrow afternoon. Can we do dinner instead?” Anna smiled. “Yeah, that should work. Did you have somewhere in mind?”
“Yeah, why don’t we go to Gino’s? It’s been a long time since I’ve been there.” Anna pursed her lips. Gino’s was the nicest restaurant in town. She would have to pick out something suitable to wear. “I haven’t been there in a long time either, does 7 sound good to you?” Anna switched the receiver to her other ear again, and leaned a little more on the glass door. “That sounds great, I’ll meet you there at 7.” They exchanged goodbyes, and Anna’s phone flipped shut with a click. She stood there for a moment in the darkened shop, looking at the still-glowing cell phone.
That night and the next day were a total blur to Anna. She could barely focus on work, and she ended up giving the wrong change to customers twice. As she turned off the lights of the shop and locked up, she took a deep sigh. She was nervous. She couldn’t even remember that last time she had been this nervous. It was strange, it felt like so much was at stake that night, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.
Her apartment was still in rough shape when she got home, and Anna quickly decided to throw some of her dirty clothes in the hamper and wash the pile of dishes that had gathered in the sink. As she washed a particularly dirty plate, she hummed a tune to herself. The nerves and doubt that had consumed her over the past few days were starting to change into excitement. It was more of a blend of the two, really.
Her apartment now in a reasonable state, Anna began to get ready for her big date that night. As she flipped through her closet for something suitable to wear, her heart sank a little. This dress was too small, this one was too big, this one was too ugly. She sighed as she considered going out to buy another dress that very minute, until her fingers flicked to the dress that she knew would be perfect.
It was a black number with long flowing fabric and a low-cut neckline. It was one of those dresses that you couldn’t really wear very often, since it was so nice, but you nonetheless wanted to. The corners hugged her body perfectly. Each seam emphasized all of her good qualities while downplaying the parts of her she wasn’t as enthusiastic
about. It was just one of those dresses, one of those special dresses that makes you feel like the most beautiful woman on Earth. As Anna slipped it on and looked at herself in the mirror, she gave a quick nod and smiled to herself. She looked good, and she knew it.
As Anna pushed the heavy wooden doors of Gino’s open, she immediately noticed that the place was surprisingly busy for a weekday night. As she walked up to hostess, she looked around at each of the tables, looking for Brent. He was nowhere to be seen. “Hello, I’d like a table for 2.” The hostess was a young woman, probably no older than 18, and smiled as she led her to a table next to an expansive window. It was in a quiet corner of the otherwise loud restaurant, and Anna was pleased that Brent and her would have the opportunity to have a private conversation.
Anna was always a little nervous waiting for someone to show up for dinner or lunch. She looked out the window to the darkened street, and watched as a group of men and women emerged stumbling from the bar across the street. They laughed as they crossed the street and got into a car parked near her. Anna nervously looked at the clock on the opposite wall. Brent was 10 minutes late. The waiter came over and spooked Anna from her people-watching when he asked if she wanted anything to drink. Anna nervously fingered the silverware on the table, and stared absent-mindedly at the empty seat across from her.
Anna was kicking herself for sitting with her back to the entrance. She couldn’t see if Brent had shown up or not, and she found herself conspicuously turning her head to check every few minutes. She held her phone in her hand, but didn’t use it for anything other than to check the time. As she flipped the screen open one more time, she jumped a little as a hand gently touched her shoulder.
“Sorry I’m late Anna, I was having a little car trouble.” Brent gave her a handsome smile and sat down at the table. He was wearing a long sleeved, striped, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The top button of the shirt was undone, and Anna caught herself staring at the top of Brent’s chest. Anna smiled. “It’s fine. Although I will say, you sure know how to make a girl nervous.”
Brent smiled at her as he took the napkin that wrapped the silverware and carefully tucked it across his lap. “Oh dear, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t be nervous though, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I finally got that date with you that I’ve always wanted.” Brent’s smile was spread wide across his face, and Anna could see his cheeks turn a mild shade of red. Her face almost mirrored his, flush cheeks and all.
“So how is your mother doing?” The waiter stopped by again, and dropped off a pair of thick menus. Brent sighed as he flipped open the first page, his eyes wandering aimlessly over the menu. “The doctors haven’t exactly painted a good picture for me. We’re all... waiting to see what happens.” Anna flipped open her menu, embarrassed that she had asked the question.
After a few moments of awkward silence which both Anna and Brent had cloaked in the distraction of the menu, Brent looked up. “You look amazing tonight, by the way.” Anna looked up at his deep brown eyes. She felt like her stomach was doing flips. “Thanks, you look great too.” She looked at his thick, muscular chest. The waiter came over and took their orders, setting down 2 glasses of ice cold water on the table.
“So Brent, do you remember Mr. Walters, our history teacher in high school? He came in to my shop a few weeks ago to buy flowers for his wife. He actually asked about you.” Brent laughed. “He asked about me? Why would he ask you about me?” Anna took a sip of water from her glass. Her throat felt incredibly dry. She was still feeling nervous about this date, if she was being honest with herself.
“Well, we hung out so much in high school, he probably assumed that I still had a bead on your whereabouts.” Brent smiled at her, his white teeth flashing brightly even in the dimly lit restaurant. “You’re right, we did spend a lot of time together, didn’t we? To be honest... I’ve forgotten a lot about high school.” Anna gave a little chuckle. “Well that was a long time ago, I’ve forgotten a lot too.” Anna watched as Brent looked down at the table. “No, it’s not that Anna. I’m talking about the injury.” Brent raised his and looked into her eyes, his hand reaching up and tapping his skull. “I’ve forgotten all kinds of things.”
“I... I don’t mean to pry, but what exactly happened? If you’re comfortable talking about it, of course.” Brent nodded as he watched the waiter bring their glasses of wine. “We were out on patrol, and an enemy insurgent had planted a bomb in a burnt out vehicle by the side of the road. As we drove by, the bomb detonated and shrapnel entered my skull. At least that’s what they tell me happened. I can’t say I remember most of it.” Anna nodded her head and fidgeted with the edge of the glass of wine before putting it to her lips and taking a drink. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s all in the past now. I’m slowly starting to regain some of my memories, good and bad.” Anna chuckled. “You certainly didn’t forget about me turning you down for prom.” Anna brought the glass to her lips and took another sip, her eyes peeking above the rim at Brent. Brent laughed. “Well how could I forget that?” Brent gripped at his heart playfully. “You broke my heart.” Anna smiled as she set down the glass. “I didn’t know it meant that much to you. When I look back on what I thought then, on who I was, I just feel embarrassed.” Brent spun the wine glass on the table with his left hand. “Everyone feels that way sometimes, Anna. High school was a hostile area filled with enemy combatants. Such is the life of a teenager.”
“You’re right. Teenagers are rubbish.” Brent laughed as the waiter set down their meals, and they basked in a few minutes of shared silence as they ate. The waiter refilled their empty wine glasses once. Then twice. Anna and Brent reminisced about other classmates, laughing about their teenage antics. It was surprising in many ways. Sometimes Brent could recollect every detail of the story, almost finishing Anna’s sentences. Other times he listened intently, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was desperately trying to remember something that he should know. Anna noticed Brent occasionally rubbing his temples, and tried to steer the conversation to things to come, not just what had come to pass.
Anna checked her watch as the waiter took the check from Brent’s hands. They had been talking for almost 2 hours in the restaurant, and Anna looked around to see that most of the people that were seated when she had walked in had finished and left. “So Brent, would you like to come over to my place and have another glass of wine. I’d like to keep catching up, honestly.” Brent smiled and turned his head slightly, giving Anna a suspicious look. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” Anna laughed and looked at him playfully. “Maybe.”
Chapter 3
As they stepped into the dark apartment, Anna flipped on the lights. She was glad that she had cleaned up the place before their date. “This is a really nice place, Anna. It definitely fits your personality.” Anna turned her head. “And what exactly do you mean by that, mister?” Brent laughed as he threw his hands up in protest of his innocence. “Nothing, nothing, it’s lovely, that’s all.” Anna laughed as she walked to the dark cabinets above the sink. “Well thank you. You’re such a gentleman. Why don’t you have a seat at the table, I’ll get some wine.” She could hear Brent sit at the kitchen table as Anna snatched a bottle of red wine and 2 glasses.
Brent was busy taking in the surroundings as Anna plopped the glasses on the table and filled them almost to the brim. Brent’s eyes got big as he watched her pour the red liquid. “You weren’t kidding, you really are trying to get me drunk.” Anna slid the glass over to Brent and sat down across from him. “Drink up soldier, I’m sure you should be able to handle one more glass.”
Brent sipped the wine carefully. “So all this wine may be going to my head, but I was wondering , can ask you a question?” Anna nodded as she brought the glass to her thick, now red lips. “Why didn’t you go to prom with me? I’ve been asking myself that question for years now. We always got along so well – we did almost everything together. I’ve never been able to figure it ou
t.” Anna looked down at the half-empty glass. “I’ve thought about it too Brent, I really have. I can’t really give you a straight answer, and it’s no excuse, but that was a dark time for me. Being the ‘fat girl’ in high school and always getting picked on me about my weight, I guess part of me couldn’t bear the idea of being around all of those other people who were so much more beautiful than me. I know that sounds pathetic.”
“No, I understand I really do. You remember what I used to look like back then. I was a little grease ball.” They both laughed as they took another sip of wine. “If I’m being honest Brent, I think part of me thought I deserved more. I had foolish fantasies in my head: A prince-like man would sweep me off my feet with his muscular arms and rescue me in spite of my looks. At the time I thought I was simply waiting for the right one, but in retrospect, I think I was just being shallow.” Brent laughed as he finished off the rest of his glass.
“I’ve been meaning to apologize for turning you down, Brent. I’ve had to live with what-ifs for a long time about you. We were so close, we did get along so well. I was stupid.” Brent looked up at Anna. “You don’t need to apologize. It’s all part of being that age I think. I’m just glad you didn’t turn me down for this amazing date that we’ve had tonight!” Anna looked up at Brent, and stared for a brief moment into his eyes. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
“So, does that mean there’s going to be a second date?” Anna laughed as she stood up from the table, grabbed the glasses, and set them in the sink. “So does that mean you’re asking me on a second date?” Brent tapped his fingers on the tabletop. “Why wouldn’t I ask such a beautiful woman on a second date?” Anna turned around and leaned her back against the sink. “Still trying to seduce me, even after all the grief that I’ve put you through. You are a persistent fellow, aren’t you?” Brent laughed. “I guess it comes with being a soldier.”
Flowers For A Wounded Soldier: A BBW Erotica Page 2
