Valentine Story
by K E Morgan
Valentine’s Day sucks for us singles. With no boyfriend on the horizon, I planned to spend it in my apartment, in my pajamas watching murder shows and eating junk food. I called in to work. I hated watching my coworkers' joy when the flowers were delivered. It was almost like they had a pact that they would all get floral deliveries from their significant others. Okay, so that was ridiculous but since all those deliveries and the chocolates and the chocolate-covered strawberries would come to me first as the receptionist, I just didn’t want to deal with it. I had considered having something delivered to myself but I figured they’d all know and feel even sorrier for me. So I stayed home.
My Mom called at about noon and asked me to meet her friend’s son for dinner.
“Julie, he’s alone in the city. He’s here on business and he doesn’t know anyone. I’m not asking you to date him, just have dinner with him. There is nothing worse than having to eat in a restaurant by yourself on Valentine’s Day.”
“Mom, he can order in. There’s door dash and room service at his hotel…”
“He’s not staying in a hotel. He’s staying in Alice’s apartment while she’s in Florida. For God’s sake Julie, just meet him for dinner at Luigi’s. You love their Manicotti and you’re not doing anything anyway.
“Byron Moore? Oh Mom, not Byron! You know we can’t stand each other. We never could.”
“You were good friends when you were children. You were always together back then. Julie, I’ve already told Alice you’ll go.”
“Well then, you go! I never said….”
“Julie Ann Berkshire, you don’t want to piss me off, do you? I don’t ask you to do very much so you can do this one little thing for me.”
“It’s not a little thing, Mom and you know it.”
“Okay. It’s a big favor but you’ll do it because you love me.”
I knew that even if I argued for the rest of the day, she’d win so I might as well cut to the chase. “Okay, Mother. You win. Why is it so important to you?”
She laughed “Because Alice bet me $20 and lunch at Ryan’s that I couldn’t get you to go.” She hung up laughing at me and as much as I wanted to be mad, it made me laugh too.
Well, I guess it could be worse. I’d get a nice dinner out of it, but I would be paying for myself. This was absolutely NOT A DATE. Byron and I might be able to get along for one meal but it wasn’t going to be fun. He was a snob as a kid and I was sure he was still a snob. He had no reason to be snobby either. His family lived in the same middle-class neighborhood that we did. They weren’t rich. But he always acted as if he was better than the rest of us. Nobody liked him, well except for Mary Lou Peters but then she liked all the boys.
Sighing heavily I got up off the couch, flipped off the TV, and headed to the shower. Choosing an outfit was a whole other ball game. This was NOT A DATE so I didn’t want to wear anything that would look like it was yet it was my favorite restaurant so I didn’t want to look like a slob. I chose a soft pink pullover, black pants, and ankle-high boots. I wore my favorite Betsy Johnson owl pendant and earrings. Checked my appearance one last time before grabbing my jacket. My shoulder-length blonde hair was loose and for once seemed free of frizz. My makeup was light, I didn’t put as much effort into my appearance as I might have if it was a real date.
I arrived at the restaurant and told the hostess I was meeting Byron, “Oh yes,” she smiled “He’s already seated, follow me.”
She led me to a table where a man sat looking at his phone. This couldn’t be Byron Moore, there had to be some mistake. Byron had been, how should I put this? Homely? A bit portly and well he had some skin problems as a teenager. But this man was tall and his formerly greasy hair was neat and well styled. There was no sign of the aforementioned acne. All that remained of the boy I knew were the glasses he wore which now made him appear serious and intelligent.
Byron rose to his feet as I approached and held out his hand. “Julie! Wow, I’d know you anywhere! You haven’t changed a bit.” His smile was warm and friendly. Nothing like the snooty guy I remembered.
“Hello Byron, you look um well not quite as I remember.” I sat across from him as he put his phone in his jacket.
“I think that must be a good thing. I was very unattractive as a kid, wasn’t I? He chuckled.
“Truthfully, none of us were at our best back then.” I smiled as I took my seat.
“You were. I always thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, an opinion that I see is still valid.”
The server arrived. “Hello, I’m Carolyn and I’ll be your server this evening. Would you like to order drinks?” she handed us each a menu.
Byron raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to answer first.
“Yes, please. I’d like a Margarita.”
Byron flashed her a dazzling smile. “Scotch on the rocks, please.”
The server nodded and headed off to get the drinks.
Byron looked at me, his eyes twinkling and I was surprised to find my heart skipped a beat.
“Okay, so tell me what you’ve been up to since high school. My mother says you’re in real estate.”
“Yes, commercial real estate. I passed on college much to my mother’s disappointment. I recently registered at the community college but I’m not telling her, just in case I drop out again. And you?”
As brilliant as he’d been in school I was sure he was doing something amazing. He laughed. “Well if you want to talk about parental disappointment, my parents might take the prize. They thought I’d become a lawyer or a doctor but alas, I am a lowly High School English teacher.”
“My mother said you were here on business?” I was curious about what kind of business would bring a high school English teacher to our town.
“I’ve been living in Chicago but I want to come home. I have an interview for a job here, at our old high school in fact. So fingers crossed I may be moving here this summer.”
“Oh,” my voice was practically a whisper. If he was moving back, then we might…Oh no, I am not going there! This wasn’t going anywhere beyond dinner no matter how good-looking he was.
The server returned with our drinks and took our orders. Byron chose the Lasagna while as predicted by Mom I ordered the Mancotti.
Byron cleared his throat. “You know I was sure you wouldn’t come tonight. When mother suggested it, I told her there was no way you’d agree to have dinner with me. I didn’t tell her, but I knew you hated me back then.”
“Hate is a bit strong. I’ll admit I didn’t like you. You were such a snob.”
He laughed heartily. “I was a snob? You were the snob! You wouldn’t even acknowledge me after middle school. I never understood why. We had been friends all through elementary and middle school but right from day one in high school, you ignored me.”
“That is not true, Byron. You were the one who acted as if you were too good for the rest of us.” I said indignantly.
He shook his head. “Oh wow. Okay, let’s review…”
Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your students! You were the one who never said hello to me.”
“No, I wasn’t one of the cool kids. I was the nerd. I was the kid who got bullied and I was the kid who never got invited anywhere. You, on the other hand, became one of the elites. In fact you were one of the kids who made fun of me.”
I opened my mouth to argue the point but the server brought our bread and olive oil. By the time she left us, my memory had sharpened. He was right. I was shallow and fake in high school, and when the other kids made fun of someone I was right there whether I joined in or not, I was there. How could I not remember how horrible I’d been?
“Oh my God, you’re right. How could I not remember that? I’m so sorry, Byron. I was horrible. I was so flattered that those kids accepted me, I just wanted to be one of them. How could you even want to have dinner with me? How can you not hate me?”
“Oh, I did hate you! I used to think up all kinds of things to do to embarrass you but I could never bring myself to do them. So, instead, I just acted like I didn’t care and eventually, everybody just forgot about me. I became so insignificant that nobody even picked on me anymore. But look we’re not kids anymore, and high school is fifteen years ago, so let’s just enjoy our meal. We both agreed to this to please our mothers and once it’s over we never have to see one another again.”
The server brought our food but my appetite was gone. I couldn’t believe how awful I’d been to him. I always blamed him for the end of our friendship but now I had to face the fact that it was all me. Memories of myself as a high school cheerleader, dating the most popular boys, and being the snob I accused him of being. I took a deep breath and pushed all the memories away. Right now, I had a chance to make amends and I was determined to make this an enjoyable evening. I had no idea how to move on, all I wanted to do was keep apologizing. Byron was the one to move us onto a more pleasant conversation.
“Do you remember the time we set off the firecrackers in Mr. Bowlin’s mailbox and set his mail on fire?”
“Oh my gosh, we were so lucky nobody ever found out it was us. He deserved it though, he was so mean to his dog. I wish we could have rescued that poor animal”
Byron grinned. “I called the ASPCA and reported him, that’s why they took the dog away from him.”
“Oh, Byron! I never knew that!”
“I didn’t want to get you in trouble.”
Suddenly I could see the boy who’d been my best friend and I couldn’t believe how I’d convinced myself that my version of our history was accurate. Without thinking I reached across the table and put my hand over his and smiled. “Byron, I am so sorry. The worst of it is that I gave up the best friend I ever had for people who mean nothing to me now.”
“Are you planning to go to the reunion in June?” he asked looking into my eyes, challenging me to something but what?
“I wasn’t, but I will if you go with me.” I smiled.
He nodded “It’s a date, Julie.”
“How long will you be in town, Byron?” I asked as I pushed my plate away.
“Just until Sunday.” He answered.
“I’d like to spend some more time with you if you aren’t going to be too busy.”
“Well, what about tomorrow? We could go skating. Do you still like skating?”
“I haven’t been in years, but yeah, let’s do it!” I smiled “Byron, how can you not hate me? I mean really, how can you even want to get to know me again?”
He sighed. “You know, I’ve tried to forget about you. I’ve had a couple of semi-serious relationships over the years but it’s always been you, Julie. You probably aren’t ready to hear this, but I always wear my heart on my sleeve with you but I’ve been in love with you since we were ten years old.”
I was stunned. I wasn’t prepared for this. But I was ready to see where this would go. I had a lot to make up for with Byron.
I grinned “Let’s have dessert, then we can go back to my place for another drink.”
Byron nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Best Valentine’s Day ever!! Thanks Mom!
My Mom called at about noon and asked me to meet her friend’s son for dinner.
“Julie, he’s alone in the city. He’s here on business and he doesn’t know anyone. I’m not asking you to date him, just have dinner with him. There is nothing worse than having to eat in a restaurant by yourself on Valentine’s Day.”
“Mom, he can order in. There’s door dash and room service at his hotel…”
“He’s not staying in a hotel. He’s staying in Alice’s apartment while she’s in Florida. For God’s sake Julie, just meet him for dinner at Luigi’s. You love their Manicotti and you’re not doing anything anyway.
“Byron Moore? Oh Mom, not Byron! You know we can’t stand each other. We never could.”
“You were good friends when you were children. You were always together back then. Julie, I’ve already told Alice you’ll go.”
“Well then, you go! I never said….”
“Julie Ann Berkshire, you don’t want to piss me off, do you? I don’t ask you to do very much so you can do this one little thing for me.”
“It’s not a little thing, Mom and you know it.”
“Okay. It’s a big favor but you’ll do it because you love me.”
I knew that even if I argued for the rest of the day, she’d win so I might as well cut to the chase. “Okay, Mother. You win. Why is it so important to you?”
She laughed “Because Alice bet me $20 and lunch at Ryan’s that I couldn’t get you to go.” She hung up laughing at me and as much as I wanted to be mad, it made me laugh too.
Well, I guess it could be worse. I’d get a nice dinner out of it, but I would be paying for myself. This was absolutely NOT A DATE. Byron and I might be able to get along for one meal but it wasn’t going to be fun. He was a snob as a kid and I was sure he was still a snob. He had no reason to be snobby either. His family lived in the same middle-class neighborhood that we did. They weren’t rich. But he always acted as if he was better than the rest of us. Nobody liked him, well except for Mary Lou Peters but then she liked all the boys.
Sighing heavily I got up off the couch, flipped off the TV, and headed to the shower. Choosing an outfit was a whole other ball game. This was NOT A DATE so I didn’t want to wear anything that would look like it was yet it was my favorite restaurant so I didn’t want to look like a slob. I chose a soft pink pullover, black pants, and ankle-high boots. I wore my favorite Betsy Johnson owl pendant and earrings. Checked my appearance one last time before grabbing my jacket. My shoulder-length blonde hair was loose and for once seemed free of frizz. My makeup was light, I didn’t put as much effort into my appearance as I might have if it was a real date.
I arrived at the restaurant and told the hostess I was meeting Byron, “Oh yes,” she smiled “He’s already seated, follow me.”
She led me to a table where a man sat looking at his phone. This couldn’t be Byron Moore, there had to be some mistake. Byron had been, how should I put this? Homely? A bit portly and well he had some skin problems as a teenager. But this man was tall and his formerly greasy hair was neat and well styled. There was no sign of the aforementioned acne. All that remained of the boy I knew were the glasses he wore which now made him appear serious and intelligent.
Byron rose to his feet as I approached and held out his hand. “Julie! Wow, I’d know you anywhere! You haven’t changed a bit.” His smile was warm and friendly. Nothing like the snooty guy I remembered.
“Hello Byron, you look um well not quite as I remember.” I sat across from him as he put his phone in his jacket.
“I think that must be a good thing. I was very unattractive as a kid, wasn’t I? He chuckled.
“Truthfully, none of us were at our best back then.” I smiled as I took my seat.
“You were. I always thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, an opinion that I see is still valid.”
The server arrived. “Hello, I’m Carolyn and I’ll be your server this evening. Would you like to order drinks?” she handed us each a menu.
Byron raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to answer first.
“Yes, please. I’d like a Margarita.”
Byron flashed her a dazzling smile. “Scotch on the rocks, please.”
The server nodded and headed off to get the drinks.
Byron looked at me, his eyes twinkling and I was surprised to find my heart skipped a beat.
“Okay, so tell me what you’ve been up to since high school. My mother says you’re in real estate.”
“Yes, commercial real estate. I passed on college much to my mother’s disappointment. I recently registered at the community college but I’m not telling her, just in case I drop out again. And you?”
As brilliant as he’d been in school I was sure he was doing something amazing. He laughed. “Well if you want to talk about parental disappointment, my parents might take the prize. They thought I’d become a lawyer or a doctor but alas, I am a lowly High School English teacher.”
“My mother said you were here on business?” I was curious about what kind of business would bring a high school English teacher to our town.
“I’ve been living in Chicago but I want to come home. I have an interview for a job here, at our old high school in fact. So fingers crossed I may be moving here this summer.”
“Oh,” my voice was practically a whisper. If he was moving back, then we might…Oh no, I am not going there! This wasn’t going anywhere beyond dinner no matter how good-looking he was.
The server returned with our drinks and took our orders. Byron chose the Lasagna while as predicted by Mom I ordered the Mancotti.
Byron cleared his throat. “You know I was sure you wouldn’t come tonight. When mother suggested it, I told her there was no way you’d agree to have dinner with me. I didn’t tell her, but I knew you hated me back then.”
“Hate is a bit strong. I’ll admit I didn’t like you. You were such a snob.”
He laughed heartily. “I was a snob? You were the snob! You wouldn’t even acknowledge me after middle school. I never understood why. We had been friends all through elementary and middle school but right from day one in high school, you ignored me.”
“That is not true, Byron. You were the one who acted as if you were too good for the rest of us.” I said indignantly.
He shook his head. “Oh wow. Okay, let’s review…”
Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your students! You were the one who never said hello to me.”
“No, I wasn’t one of the cool kids. I was the nerd. I was the kid who got bullied and I was the kid who never got invited anywhere. You, on the other hand, became one of the elites. In fact you were one of the kids who made fun of me.”
I opened my mouth to argue the point but the server brought our bread and olive oil. By the time she left us, my memory had sharpened. He was right. I was shallow and fake in high school, and when the other kids made fun of someone I was right there whether I joined in or not, I was there. How could I not remember how horrible I’d been?
“Oh my God, you’re right. How could I not remember that? I’m so sorry, Byron. I was horrible. I was so flattered that those kids accepted me, I just wanted to be one of them. How could you even want to have dinner with me? How can you not hate me?”
“Oh, I did hate you! I used to think up all kinds of things to do to embarrass you but I could never bring myself to do them. So, instead, I just acted like I didn’t care and eventually, everybody just forgot about me. I became so insignificant that nobody even picked on me anymore. But look we’re not kids anymore, and high school is fifteen years ago, so let’s just enjoy our meal. We both agreed to this to please our mothers and once it’s over we never have to see one another again.”
The server brought our food but my appetite was gone. I couldn’t believe how awful I’d been to him. I always blamed him for the end of our friendship but now I had to face the fact that it was all me. Memories of myself as a high school cheerleader, dating the most popular boys, and being the snob I accused him of being. I took a deep breath and pushed all the memories away. Right now, I had a chance to make amends and I was determined to make this an enjoyable evening. I had no idea how to move on, all I wanted to do was keep apologizing. Byron was the one to move us onto a more pleasant conversation.
“Do you remember the time we set off the firecrackers in Mr. Bowlin’s mailbox and set his mail on fire?”
“Oh my gosh, we were so lucky nobody ever found out it was us. He deserved it though, he was so mean to his dog. I wish we could have rescued that poor animal”
Byron grinned. “I called the ASPCA and reported him, that’s why they took the dog away from him.”
“Oh, Byron! I never knew that!”
“I didn’t want to get you in trouble.”
Suddenly I could see the boy who’d been my best friend and I couldn’t believe how I’d convinced myself that my version of our history was accurate. Without thinking I reached across the table and put my hand over his and smiled. “Byron, I am so sorry. The worst of it is that I gave up the best friend I ever had for people who mean nothing to me now.”
“Are you planning to go to the reunion in June?” he asked looking into my eyes, challenging me to something but what?
“I wasn’t, but I will if you go with me.” I smiled.
He nodded “It’s a date, Julie.”
“How long will you be in town, Byron?” I asked as I pushed my plate away.
“Just until Sunday.” He answered.
“I’d like to spend some more time with you if you aren’t going to be too busy.”
“Well, what about tomorrow? We could go skating. Do you still like skating?”
“I haven’t been in years, but yeah, let’s do it!” I smiled “Byron, how can you not hate me? I mean really, how can you even want to get to know me again?”
He sighed. “You know, I’ve tried to forget about you. I’ve had a couple of semi-serious relationships over the years but it’s always been you, Julie. You probably aren’t ready to hear this, but I always wear my heart on my sleeve with you but I’ve been in love with you since we were ten years old.”
I was stunned. I wasn’t prepared for this. But I was ready to see where this would go. I had a lot to make up for with Byron.
I grinned “Let’s have dessert, then we can go back to my place for another drink.”
Byron nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Best Valentine’s Day ever!! Thanks Mom!