“Are you working?” I asked.
“I was just catching a little nap before the rush tonight,” he said. He sat up and straightened his hat. “But if you have cash I am working.”
His demeanor made me a little uneasy, but I was determined to have a good time.
“Okay, I have cash.”
“Hop in,” he said.
I looked at the step that led up to the carriage. It was quite high. I lifted my foot to put it on the step. The higher I lifted my foot, the higher my skirt went up. I tried to climb up but my high heels wobbled. I grabbed the side of the carriage to keep from falling. Suddenly I felt two palms against my rear end. I gasped as the driver shoved me the rest of the way up into the carriage.
“Watch it!” I said. I caught myself before I fell flat on my face.
“I was just trying to help.”
The glint in his eyes made me think otherwise. I did my best to ignore it and settled into the seat.
It was a beautiful crisp day and I was looking forward to the ride. The sun had just begun to get lower in the sky, giving everything a golden glow. The driver settled into his seat and urged the horse to start trotting. I smiled as we made our way through the park. The tension in my body began to ease. It was turning out to be a beautiful ride. I took a deep breath of the early evening air, ready to fill my lungs with the vibrancy of nature. However, what filled my nostrils was the most unnatural scent I had ever smelled.
“Oh my God, what is that?” I said.
The driver glanced over his shoulder. “Sorry, sometimes the horse gets a little gassy.”
“What?” I asked. “How can you make someone pay to smell something like this?”
“They’re animals, not robots, lady. Do you want off?” he asked.
I pinched my nose and shook my head. I had paid for the carriage ride and I was going to have the carriage ride, even if it meant that I had to hold my nose the entire way.
Luckily the horse began to pick up speed and soon the scent wasn’t so putrid. I started to relax again.
“Keep it positive, Sammy,” I said. “This day is about showing yourself the love you deserve.”
I smiled at the thought. Then I noticed that the horse was still picking up speed. Much more speed than it should have been, considering that we were riding on a pedestrian-dotted sidewalk. A few people jumped out of the way.
“What’s going on?” I asked. I leaned forward just when the horse let another one rip. “Oh no, you horrid beast!” I gasped and sat back hard against the carriage seat.
“Something’s got him spooked,” the driver said. He was wrestling with the reins.
“Slow him down!” I said. I was starting to get scared by the speed of the horse and the way the carriage was rocking back and forth.
“I can’t!” he said. “I’ve lost control. Bail out!”
“What?” I asked. I was sure he had to be joking.
“Bail out!” he said again. He stood up in the front of the carriage and started to jump off.
“Hey!” I said. “Get back here!”
The driver rolled onto the sidewalk. He got to his feet and looked at me fearfully. “I’ll call for help!” he shouted after me.
Chapter 8
I gripped the sides of the carriage tightly. I was bouncing up and down harder than I had on any roller coaster ride. Ahead of me all I could see was the horse’s long thick tail swishing back and forth.
“Stop! Help!”
I didn’t think anyone would hear me. I was sure that this was it.
“I’m going to die on Valentine’s Day. That’s just perfect!”
I peered over the side of the carriage. The horse was galloping so fast now that the pavement under the wheels was whizzing by. I knew it would be quite painful if I were to strike the ground at that speed. I closed my eyes.
“Alright, I need a little help here. I’m sure this is some kind of cosmic lesson, but if I don’t get off this carriage I am going to spew!”
I felt the carriage beginning to tip to the side. The horse had galloped up onto an open grassy area. The wheels of the carriage were not designed for rough terrain. I braced myself for the impact that I was sure would be coming.
“Whoa! Whoa!”
I looked up at the sound of a masculine voice commanding the horse. The voice ruffled my senses with a mixture of hope and curiosity. The horse suddenly slowed down and then finally stopped. I was still holding tightly to the sides of the carriage. A small part of me questioned whether I had actually survived.
“Miss, are you okay?” he asked.
I stared into the clearest green eyes I had ever seen. He was dressed in a white suit. I was speechless. Which was a good thing, because I wanted to ask him if he was my prince, and that might have been a little weird.
“Let me help you,” he said. He held out his hand to me.
When I placed my hand in his, I felt a shudder go through me. After everything that had gone wrong on the most romantic day of the year, finally, I had my happy ending. My hero had arrived.
“Thank you,” I said.
I lowered my eyes shyly. I had just been screaming at the tops of my lungs. My little red dress was hiked up around my thighs. My hair was an absolute mess, thanks to the wind. None of that mattered when he squeezed my hand.
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said. “These carriage companies hire random people sometimes and they have no idea how to control the horses.”
“It’s a good thing that you were here then,” I said. I looked daringly up into his eyes. He had such a warm smile on his lips. For a moment, I entertained the thought of boldly kissing him.
“Honey? Is she okay?”
I looked in the direction of a woman’s voice. She was dressed in a white evening gown and of course she was gorgeous. The man who’d saved me let go of my hand and turned toward her.
“Looks like it,” he said.
I felt my heart drop. This man wasn’t my prince or my hero. He belonged to someone else. I felt silly for it, but I was so disappointed that I could feel tears in my eyes.
“Do you need us to call an ambulance?” the woman asked. She spoke with such kindness that I couldn’t even hate her.
“No thank you, I’m fine,” I said.
I turned and began trudging back across the park. It was Valentine’s Day and I was alone. All was right with the world. I sighed.
I still had reservations at one of the nicest restaurants in town. I could only hope that maybe I would find a way to turn my Valentine’s Day back into what I intended it to be. I wasn’t going to let a gassy runaway horse defeat me.
When I stepped into the restaurant there were several people gathered by the front door. I walked up to the hostess.
“I have a reservation—under Samantha,” I said.
“Okay,” the woman said. She looked over the list, then back up at me. “A reservation for one?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m celebrating Valentine’s Day by myself today,” I said.
“Oh. Okay. Well, let me take you to your table.” She grabbed a menu and started toward an empty table.
“Wait a minute, wait!” a man behind me said.
“Can I help you sir?” the hostess asked.
I turned to look at him as well. He appeared to be in his twenties. He was dressed in a very nice suit.
“Not you,” he said. Then he looked directly at me. “You shouldn’t be eating alone,” he said.
“Oh,” I smiled a little. He was a bit young for me, but I could make an exception. It was Valentine’s Day, after all, and it was nice to have someone suddenly offer to have dinner with me.
“Yes, it’s ridiculous for one person to take up an entire table on the busiest restaurant night of the year,” he said.
His tone was quite surly. I frowned as I realized he wasn’t offering to join me. In fact, there was a woman standing a few feet behind him who looked very irritated to be waiting for a table.
“Sir, the
re’s no need to be rude,” the hostess said. “Ma’am, let me take you to your table.”
“No, that’s not right. She should give up the table. What’s it going to take, lady? Twenty bucks? Fifty?” he asked.
Something inside of me shifted. Maybe if he had asked me nicely. Maybe if I hadn’t almost died on a horse-drawn carriage. Maybe I would have given him and his girlfriend the table. But with the way he was talking to me, there was no way I was giving it up.
“No thanks, I’m just going to enjoy my meal,” I said.
“Right this way,” the hostess said. She started to walk toward the table.
“Look, we’re just trying to celebrate Valentine’s Day,” he said. “I don’t think it’s much of a problem for you to have to give up your table. You can have dinner by yourself any time of the year. It certainly doesn’t look like you’ve missed any meals lately.”
Chapter 9
In an instant, all of the work I had put into feeling good about myself and doing my best to stay positive was completely erased by his words in front of a packed restaurant. I felt humiliated and singled out for more than one reason. Normally I might have burst into tears, or at the very least run out of the restaurant. But Valentine’s Day had done enough to hurt me; I wasn’t going to let it win.
“Now you listen to me,” I said. I stabbed my finger directly in front of his nose. “If you had any class you would have made a reservation just like everyone else did to be here tonight. If you cared about your beautiful girlfriend you would have taken the time to make her feel special instead of trying to hustle a table. If you were any kind of decent human being, you wouldn’t dare to harass a lady and cause a scene. I’m not alone on Valentine’s Day because of how I look, I’m alone on Valentine’s Day because I’d rather enjoy my own company than be stuck dealing with some loser like you!”
As the last word slipped past my lips, I felt the crushing reality of what I had just done. Not only had I drawn the full attention of everyone in the restaurant, I had announced to the entire restaurant that I was alone.
“Whatever,” the young man said. He grabbed his girlfriend by the arm and tugged her out of the restaurant.
“Ma’am, your table,” the hostess said.
I slowly walked over to the table and sat down, still shocked by what I had just done.
I could feel the eyes of the other patrons around me, staring right at me. I focused on the white of the tablecloth. I tried not to think about the scene I had just made. I tried to remind myself that I was showing myself love and that Valentine’s Day belonged to me too. But I’d had just about enough. I was almost ready to surrender to the misery that Valentine’s Day had become. I would never have the happy ending that I hoped for.
Just when I was considering giving up my table, I saw a familiar hand come to rest on the chair across from me.
“Is this seat taken?”
I raised my eyes to his. Max smiled at me. That easy slow smile that melted my heart every time I saw it.
“I thought you had a date?” I asked.
“I did, but our plans fell through,” he said. “I happened to be walking past and noticed you had an extra chair. Unless of course you’re waiting for someone?”
“No,” I said. “I’m having a Valentine’s Day for myself.” I couldn’t help but wonder if he had overheard the incident a few minutes before.
“A what?” he asked. He leaned a little closer to me across the table.
“I’m celebrating my love for myself,” I said. I felt foolish as I glanced up at him.
“Odd,” he said. His lips curved into a frown as he scrutinized me. “Does that mean I can’t sit?”
My heart pounded at the question. I wanted to scream out yes, please, sit and stay forever! But this was Max. Max was very dangerous, especially on Valentine’s Day. I had tried so hard to find a way to enjoy Valentine’s Day alone and yet right when I was about to give up, Max turned up.
“Sammy?” he asked. He was leaning awkwardly on the chair. I realized we still had an audience.
“Sit,” I said. “I mean, I wouldn’t want you to be alone on Valentine’s Day.”
Max smiled again. I could spend my entire life looking at that smile. I knew I could. He slid into the chair and settled his hands on the table.
“How has your Valentine’s Day been?” he asked.
Before I could answer the hostess set down two glasses of wine on the table.
“Courtesy of the chef,” she said. “He liked your speech.”
“Thanks,” I said. My cheeks heated up as I noticed a few people smiling and winking at me. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who thought Valentine’s Day needed to be shaken up a bit.
“How has it gone so far?” Max asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes,” he said. He took a sip of his wine, but his eyes never left me.
“I almost committed grand larceny, I ate a grasshopper, I was almost killed by a runaway horse and I very seriously thought about having an affair with a married man,” I said. I picked up my glass of wine and took a sip. Max’s shocked expression was actually quite satisfying.
“Did you hurt the horse?” he asked. His brow furrowed with concern.
“What?”
“Did you hurt the horse?” he asked.
“Out of all of that, you’re worried about the horse?” I asked. I stared at him with disbelief.
“I think that the horse was the only innocent victim,” Max said. He accepted the glass of wine that the waiter poured him. “Except for maybe the grasshopper.”
“The horse was fine, except that it was gassy,” I said. I shook my head as Max flipped open the menu. He grimaced at what he saw.
“You’re paying, right?” he asked.
“Actually, I don’t know how much that grasshopper cost me,” I said. I remembered putting it on my credit card and never checking the receipt.
“Burgers?” Max said.
“Only if I can get a toy with mine,” I said. I couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“I’ll make sure you do.”
As we left the restaurant behind, I saw Valentine’s Day in a different light. I had done all of the things that I thought would make it the perfect day, but I hadn’t really had a good time until Max showed up.
“Let’s go,” I left a small tip on the table.
As we walked toward the door I noticed the handsome man that had saved me from the wild horse in the park. He was standing in line with his wife, waiting for a table.
“Excuse me, can you do me a favor?” I asked the hostess.
“Sure,” she said.
“Please give our table to that couple,” I said.
“Gladly,” the hostess said. I smiled at the couple as we walked out.
Chapter 10
Despite all of the restaurants being booked and all of the romantic spots being overpopulated, the burger joint was surprisingly empty. Max made sure to order my favorite meal, along with the funny toy that came with it. It was a joke of sorts, but the items always made me laugh.
“Happy?” he asked as he sat down across from me.
“Surprisingly, yes,” I said. I smiled as I unwrapped my burger.
“I’ll be right back.” He headed for the restroom in the back of the restaurant. As I took a bite of my burger, the phone he’d left on the table buzzed, announcing a new text message.
“Don’t do it,” I said. “It’s not your phone, not your business, don’t be nosy.”
I took another bite of my burger. I could be strong. I could resist spying on Max, after he had whisked me away to a romantic dinner of burgers and fries. Then his phone buzzed again. I tossed my burger down and snatched up the phone. The text was up on the display. I didn’t even have to press any buttons.
Thanks for not even showing up on Valentine’s Day, jerk!
I raised an eyebrow. He didn’t show up? He told me that she had been the one to cancel at the last minu
te. I quickly set his phone back down on the table. He walked back toward me with his easy smile on his lips. I realized then that he had blown off his date just to be with me. My heart fluttered as I wondered if this meant what I hoped it did.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked. His long fingers tugged at the wrapper around his burger until it was free. He took a big bite.
“No reason,” I said. “I’m just glad I get to spend Valentine’s Day with you.”
“Me too,” he said. “There’s so much pressure from women on Valentine’s Day. Like if I don’t take her to the right restaurant, or buy her the right chocolate, then I’m a loser. It’s nice to be able to just enjoy a burger with my best friend.”
My heart sank at his words. Yes, I was glad that he was my best friend. I had just hoped that maybe he had finally seen me as something more.
After we shared our burgers, we said goodbye. He kissed my cheek, like he always did. I started to walk back toward my car. I tried not to let my disappointment tarnish the time we had shared.
“Sammy, wait!” Max said. I turned around swiftly. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for. He was going to kiss me. I was going to have my happy ending! “You forgot your toy.”
He held out the cheap hunk of plastic that had come with my meal. His eyes met mine, and I saw the affection in his gaze. Suddenly I understood. I took the toy from him as if it was the most expensive piece of jewelry.
“Thanks, Max,” I said.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Sam,” he said.
He smiled that slow easy smile and then turned and walked away.
As soon as I got back to my apartment, I raced right for my computer. My head was still spinning from the dinner I had shared with Max and the text that I had seen on his phone. Max had a date waiting for him, but he had stood her up just to be with me. I knew I shouldn’t read too much into it. I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t get lost in my crush on Max again, but I just couldn’t help it.
As I uploaded the pictures from my phone onto my computer I thought about how I had spent my day. I watched the loading bar on the screen. It had been one disaster after another. I had almost given up and hidden away many times throughout the day.
My Valentine’s Day (Single Wide Female) Page 3
