Valentine Double Dip

Valentines Day arrived, another workday, another day alone. Forlornly, I planned to put on comfy clothes and prepared dinner for one. If I'd only known how it was going to turn out, I wouldn't have been depressed! Amazingly I had not one, but two dates, that night. An entire new chapter in my life began.

I arrived home to the phone ringing. Steve, my when he felt like it fiancée, wanted to take me out to dinner. He apologized for the late notice but had a romantic meal planned. Of course, I knew it was because he hadn't found a better date or guilt, but who was I to argue. I had a date! Dressing for dinner, I anticipated a special evening. He was taking me to a romantic little café we had noticed, but never tried. Mmmm, things were starting out good or so I believed. And who knows, I thought, where the night might end up.

Upon arrival we settled in to order. He mentioned he was a little short on money and why didn't we split something. All right, the menu was vegetarian-healthy not my favorite greasy, tasty stuff anyway. I let him choose the entrée. We gave the waitress our small order. She looked unimpressed.

Steve wondered, to me, if she was single. I wondered if she would even consider him. I was beginning to realize this date was not what I had hoped. I should have left then. But I was hungry.

The food took a little while in coming, giving us a chance to catch up. It had been a while, but Steve as always was very talkative. I tried not to yawn, he was not as interesting a topic as he thought. I wondered why I had even bothered. No real food to speak of, so far no romance and possibly he was more interested in the waitress. Still there was the future expectation of great sex. A night with Steve always ended in a hot passionate climax.

As the entrée was placed in front of us I was told "Eat quickly. I have somewhere to be in half an hour." It seemed that a mutual friend of ours (who I hadn't seen since college) lived in town and ran a Karate studio. Steve wanted to go watch a competition. Not quite the romantic night I had planned but I was game. I generously offered to accompany him. Steve refused. This was a guy thing I was told.

Shoveling the last of the food in, he waved the waitress down and got the check. Minutes later I was perched on the steps to my home. Hungry, unsatisfied with head spinning, I thought my Valentines Day was an utter failure. Again visions of dinner for one and fuzzy slippers appeared.

For the second time that night I entered to the phone ringing. I rushed to answer, certain Steve had had second thoughts. He wasn't going to dump me on the most romantic day of the year. I felt hot with my heart racing. Sad that after all this I still wanted the guy.

"Steve...no...who is this?" It took a bit to switch my mind over. Not Steve, but maybe better. At this point anything was better. I would have considered a conversation with a tele-marketer an improvement. Fortunately, unwary tele-marketers were spared. My caller was a man I had met a few days ago.

Jon and I had been pushed together by a friend and went out with a group a few days before. He was a very cute and quiet. A tall blue eyed blonde who had just moved in to the friend's house. We had spent the night as a group and hadn't really talked or gotten to know each other. I had never expected to hear from him again.

Jon was asking me to come over and join our friends in celebrating Valentines. For a moment I thought about saying I was busy. After all what kind of person wasn't busy on Valentines Day. Well, he wasn't for one. Of course I went. Not bad, two dates in one night!

He met me at the door with a white rose. The rest of the night was a blur. I remember talking and late night coffee. A wonderful kiss and somewhere a lasting connection. We've been married now for twenty-five years. And every one has been celebrated with a rose.