Two Valentine’s Day short stories

All is fair in love and pizza when Valentine’s Day finally arrives

SO what are you all doing for Valentine’s Day?” Savannah asked. Everyone in the office excitedly shared their plans. “What about you,tasha? You’re very quiet.” Savannah smirked.

“Having your usual hot date with Ben and Jerry?”

“Actually, I do have a date.”tasha tried for casual but couldn’t quite carry it off. It had been a long time since she’d had a date.

“A date? You?” Savannah blinked, as if the natural order of the universe had just been called into question.“tell us all.”

Tasha didn’t want to discuss it this early in the relationship but, put on the spot, she found herself babbling happily about how they had met in the coffee-shop queue and just clicked.

“I’m surprised you managed to get a table at such short notice,” Savannah said.“everywhere decent will have been booked up for months.”

“He has to work tomorrow night,” Tasha admitted.“so we’re going out tonight instead.we’re going to that new Italian.”

The restaurant, not far from Tasha’s flat, had only opened a few months ago. A waiter had recently taken to standing outside, handing out free samples to passers-by. Every morsel Tasha had sampled so far had been delicious, so she was looking forward to trying it out.

Her date, Clive, met her outside the restaurant that evening.when he leaned in to kiss her cheek she smelled peppermints on his breath, and expensive aftershave.

As Valentine’s Day wasn’t until the following day, the restaurant wasn’t dressed up with balloons and hearts, but Tasha told herself she preferred it like this.the cosy, intimate atmosphere would give them a chance to get to know one another.

“I’ve never been here before,” she said, loving the retro tablecloths and romantic candles melting into raffiawrapped wine bottles.

She almost felt she and Clive should order a big plate of spaghetti and chomp the same strand until their lips met.“me neither. It wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Clive said, looking round rather snootily.a waiter approached, pinning his name badge on.tasha recognised him as the man who offered the free samples. “Great to see you guys again,” he said with a smile.

“How was the honeymoon?” Tasha laughed. “Honeymoon? Not us,

I’m afraid. It’s our first date.”

The waiter glanced uncertainly at Clive.“i never forget a face.”

“Obviously you do,”

Clive replied frostily.

The waiter quickly recovered.“of course. My mistake, sir,” he said politely.“come this way.” He showed them to a table.

“What was all that about?”tasha whispered.

“Who knows?” Clive sniffed.“some people struggle to know their place.”

Tasha cringed inwardly, hoping the waiter wasn’t close enough to hear.

“The food smells great,” she said, eager to change the subject.

Clive opened his menu with a flourish. “I think I’ll have garlic bread and lasagne. I’m assuming you’ll have the garlic bread, too?” His eyes twinkled and, despite the awkwardness of what had just happened, Tasha was ready to give him a chance.

If a few garlicky kisses were exchanged at the end of the evening, she wouldn’t fight him off too hard.

“Garlic bread is fine with me.” She grinned.

“Ready to order?”the waiter was back.“pepperoni pizza for me, please,” Tasha said.

Clive closed his menu.“and I’ll have –” “Garlic bread and lasagne,” the waiter interrupted coolly.“your usual. Of course, sir.”

Tasha’s heart went cold. How could the waiter possibly know his order if Clive had never been before?

Far too late, she looked at his left hand and saw the tell-tale mark of a missing ring.the evening went downhill very quickly from there.

When Tasha got to work the next day, everyone was too full of excited chatter about cards and flowers and gifts to ask how her date had gone.

“How many cards did you get,tash?” Savannah asked.

“The post hadn’t come when I left,” Tasha replied truthfully. She suppressed a sigh. No wonder Valentine’s Day wasn’t her favourite.the only card she usually got was from her dad. Except she had received one. She’d found it in her drawer when the pollen from all those flowers set off her hay fever and she went looking for a tissue.

It was from a secret admirer. Tasha gazed around the office to see if anyone was trying to catch her eye. Her warm feeling lasted all of two seconds – until Bert from the post room winked at her.

She had known Bert for years. He was more than twice her age and happily married, but Tasha knew he’d frequently witnessed Savannah’s snide comments about her non-existent love life.a pity card. She mouthed a thank-you.

On the way home she considered crossing the road to avoid the Italian restaurant in case the same waiter was outside with his free samples.

A stubborn streak stopped her. Clive might be a liar and a cheat, but she had

Tasha’s heart went cold ... Far too late, she looked at his left hand and saw the tell-tale mark of a missing ring. The evening went downhill very quickly from there

done nothing wrong. She made herself walk past as normal.

The restaurant was transformed into a bobbing sea of red, heart-shaped balloons, and the smell wafting out made her mouth water.

The waiter from the night before yanked the door open.

“Hi.table for . . .?”

She ducked her head down, hoping he wouldn’t recognise her.

“No one. Sorry.”

She almost walked on, but she was starving and the food smelled so good. “Actually, do you do takeaway?”

He ushered her in.“follow me,” he said, leading her to a tiny table near the kitchen.

“You may as well be comfortable while you wait. Pepperoni pizza?”

So he had recognised her. Tasha blushed. “Thanks.”

He wasn’t wearing a badge today, but she remembered his name. “I’ll stay out of your way.tony, isn’t it?”

He nodded.

“We’re all called Tony. It’s a house rule.” Tasha had never heard anything so outrageous.then she saw his smile. “You’re joking, right?”

He grinned.“yes. I’m Gianni.won’t be long.” He disappeared into the kitchen and returned almost immediately with a plate of bruschetta.

“On the house.there might be a bit of a delay with the pizza.there’s a special Valentine’s menu for tonight, and pizza isn’t actually on it.

“It’s all fancy stuff with lovey-dovey names.a lot of it is heart shaped, too.” “Oh.”then it hit her.

“You don’t even do takeaway, do you?” “No,” he admitted.“but I could hear your stomach rumbling.” Tasha was mortified. Could her day get any worse? “I am so sorry . . .”

“It’s no trouble. Someone’s just nipping out to the supermarket for the pizza.”

He laughed when she made a face.“i’m joking! We’re Italian. Of course we have pizza. In the meantime, how about some wine to go with the bruschetta?”

Tasha nodded weakly.“well, if it’s not too much trouble.”

He returned with a glass of rich, ruby red.

A few early bird customers began to arrive, and for a while Gianni was busy flitting expertly between tables with the other waiting staff. He was friendly and professional, and Tasha watched him work as she munched the bruschetta.

Busy though he was, he frequently stopped to chat to her. He did this often enough that she didn’t feel conspicuous sitting on her own.

At least not until the door opened and Savannah walked in with the most gorgeous man Tasha had ever seen.

“I cannot believe you didn’t book the Japanese restaurant,” Savannah fumed.

“Luckily I managed to get us in here, even if we had to come ridiculously early.”

Tasha prayed the ground would open up and swallow her, but the restaurant was so small that – short of ducking under the table – there was no place to hide.

Savannah’s eyes landed on her and she made her way to Tasha’s table like a shame-seeking missile.

“I thought your date here was last night?” Her gaze dropped to the tiny table and the one empty plate.

“Is the food so good you came back again? Alone?”

She was smiling, but Tasha saw a mean look in her eye and knew this would be all round the office by tomorrow.

Suddenly Gianni was at her side.“yes, the food is that good,” he said, placing a hand lightly on Tasha’s shoulder. He gazed down at her.“i love to feed her. I have no idea how she keeps that gorgeous figure.”

Tasha was more than happy to play along. She returned his adoring look.

“Poor soul has to work on Valentine’s Day, but that doesn’t mean he should spend it alone.

“Anyway, it’s no hardship always getting a table in my favourite restaurant with my favourite man.”

She batted her lashes and saw laughter sparkle in Gianni’s eyes. Savannah scowled.

“Well, I hope it doesn’t affect the service for the rest of us.”

“Of course not,” Gianni assured her. “One of my staff will see to you.”

“One of your staff?”tasha asked him, after Savannah stomped back to her date.

“Didn’t I mention this is my restaurant?”

“Do you normally wait tables?”“nope.” Gianni laughed.“what I normally do is force the chef to prepare delicious snacks and stand outside in all weathers trying to pluck up the nerve to talk to you as you walk by.”

“Is that another joke?”tasha asked uncertainly.

“You pass by at around 5.30 every week night. I’m out there by 5.20 unless it’s raining. Pathetic, I know, but I’m terrible at chatting up women.”

Her head was spinning.“are you chatting me up?”

“See what I mean? You can’t even tell. That’s how bad I am.”

“Last night,”tasha began, feeling the need to explain.“my date. I didn’t know he was married.”

“That’s OK. Neither did I.” “What?”

“I’ve never seen him before in my life,” he admitted.“but the garlic bread.the lasagne . . .”

“It’s what about 70% of our customers order. It was a risk, but you know what they say about love and war.”

“Love?” Tasha stammered.this was moving too fast.

He smiled.“well, it is Valentine’s Day.” Tasha stared at him for so long that his face fell.

“I’m sorry,” he faltered.“as I say, I’m terrible at this. Did I do something wrong?”

Thinking of the lengths he had gone to just to get to know her, she replied.

“But even so, I think you might just have earned yourself a five-star review.”