V-Day (2 page)

“Do
you have a date?” his mother asked. He felt mildly offended
at her shocked tone. For a few years now, his mother had been
dropping hints that she knew it was “
OK to
Be Gay!
” as if she were encouraging him to
confess his non-existent homosexuality. He knew that was a pretty
good sign he needed a bit more of a social life.

“I was planning on using the weekend to
practice, since everyone was going to be gone,” he said,
straight-faced, desperate to not spend the weekend with his sister,
but rational enough to see that the date story would never fly with
anyone who knew him.

“Oh…” his mother said, sounding vaguely
disappointed, but also oddly relieved. “Well, then… Yes, I guess
that’s the best thing for you. Some time alone to work.”

“So, I can go to Kayley’s?” Beth beamed at
her relenting mother, who hemmed and hawed and protested weakly
about whether or not Kayley’s mother was aware of Beth’s curfew
times, and to make sure Kirk minded his manners, et cetera.

Daniel, certain now that he and his idiotic
sister had managed to put his mom in check mate, sighed in relief
and looked over at his dad, who had not once lowered the paper to
survey the heated debate taking place on the other side of the
room.

One thing Daniel knew for
sure – whatever his life held, it was not going to be like that of
his folks. He would make sure he had more going for him than a
newspaper force-field against a cluster of bickering people he
could barely stand. One way or another, he would be
happy
. That was a
promise he made to himself, and he wouldn’t budge.

And in the short term that meant his first
weekend of solitude in years.

***

Daniel retreated to the music room, thankful
that he didn’t have a class or a practice scheduled on campus
today. He didn’t even have to give any lessons until next week. The
weather really didn’t look all that welcoming out there, being the
Friday before Valentine’s Day, and he felt blessed that he could
huddle inside for warmth as his family bustled off to their various
destinations. After school, his parents would be off for the
weekend, dropping his sister and her flotilla of luggage off at
Kayley’s so the girls could get ready to go to the dance together.
And he would officially be on his own until at least Sunday
afternoon. Glorious.

Allowing the noise of their departures to
roll off him as he sat absently at the piano, he plucked out a few
strains and watched the sun glint off the fresh snow in the
backyard. It was really beautiful, when you could view it from a
cozy place.

Blah, he thought. Another Valentine’s Day.
His nineteenth one as a single guy, since his one relationship in
high school had started in June and ended the following January.
And, he thought ruefully, his nineteenth year, it seemed, as a
confirmed virgin.

Jesus, he groaned – even his baby sister had
more going on than he did. Like basically everyone else he knew.
That One Girl, as he had taken to calling Selby, his girlfriend in
grade ten, had been about as close to action as he had ever gotten.
Her pathological fear of pregnancy had made it absolutely essential
that he had kept his pants on at all times. Other than that, any
girl he had ever liked had soon tossed him into the “friend” basket
and never bothered to eassess him.

Kelly, his best friend, had been like that –
after he had followed the cute redheaded soprano around for weeks
like a puppy, she had finally taken pity on him and explained he
was simply too nice to attract her. After that, they had formed an
easy relationship through which both had a pal, and, being of the
opposite sex, a no-fuss “date” when necessary, and he was almost
glad it had worked out the way it did. Almost.

Now that he had the weekend to himself, he
found his solitude depressing.

Flipping open his phone, he hit Kelly’s
number.

“This better be good,” she grumbled after
the fifth ring.

“Hey, early riser,” he chuckled.

“Well, if I had my mom bringing me my
morning coffee in bed…”

“Okay, truce,” he winced. “And my mom
doesn’t let me drink coffee.”

“Why not? Afraid it will stunt your growth,
Stretch?” she asked with a crystal clear laugh, despite having just
woken up.

“
Something like that…” he
said, flecking a flower petal off the top of the piano. “Listen…
You’re probably… I dunno… busy tonight, right?”

“Are you trying again, Danny?” she
groaned.

“Well, no. I just thought, if you weren’t,
we could do something.”

“I have a date.”

“Right,” he forced a chuckle. “Yeah, I
figured you would,” he straightened in his chair. “Being Valentines
and all. No problem – just wanted to check.”

“Ahhh, Danny,” she sighed. “What about
you?”

“I got a hot date all weekend,” he grimaced.
“With that frigging tango, I guess.”

“Danny, do yourself a favor, man,” she said
firmly. “Go get yourself laid. I told you that’s what’s missing
from your tango.”

“Well, then,” he quipped. “Support the arts
and break your date. I can be there in an hour.”

“Har har har,” she said, and then laughed
for real. “Seriously – go fall for someone. Preferably someone who
will fall for you back.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “For you, I will do my
best.”

Saying goodbye, they both hung up, and
Daniel pounded out a few more notes on the keyboard in front of
him, contemplating Kelly’s “method music” theory – you could only
sing or play what you had experienced. If that were the case, his
tango would remain a virginal one if his luck was any
indication.

Without admitting to himself what he was
doing, he let his eyes wander through the solarium walls to the
yard next door, as the strains of music gained a wistful, misty
tone. Bronwyn Everett. The girl next door. Well, hardly a girl, he
corrected himself. Woman. Woman, and Bronwyn – the two most
beautiful words in his brain. One and the same, and totally
unobtainable.

Bronwyn Everett was pretty much his opposite
– sleek and toned, the young physiotherapist who owned the other
half of the duplex was as active and healthy as he was quiet and
artsy. Plus, she must be well over 25, which accounted for the fact
that she treated him like a neighbor’s kid. But he’d been heart
sore for her ever since he was fourteen, and he had first caught a
glimpse of her shiny auburn hair and quick smile. This winter, he
managed to help her shovel out her car after a couple of big snows,
and imagined he was building a rapport with her, but had not yet
managed to find enough courage to ask her out for a coffee.

It was the way she looked at him, dismissing
him as a male – the look he had gotten so used to from ninety
percent of the female population.

This past week, without intending to
eavesdrop, he overheard her having a fight with her boyfriend, a
giant side of beef who seemingly went by the name of Warren Bull.
That moniker never ceased to crack Daniel up, because he couldn’t
imagine a more fitting one for the fading quarterback with the
Jarhead haircut and the bovine look in his eyes. They really had it
out, and he had distinctly heard her scream, “It’s over, Warren. Go
the hell away.”

The next morning, his mother had primly
sniped about wanting stable neighbors who kept their private lives
to themselves for a change, but Daniel had been on cloud nine. He
was sorry Bronwyn was upset, but he couldn’t help glory a little
bit in her finally being available again, and could nearly convince
himself the fates had designed it all this way, so she’d be free
for him now that he was old enough to win her notice.

Since then, he had practically knocked
himself out trying to “accidentally on purpose” bump into her
around the yard, helping with the shoveling or just offering a
cheerful greeting. He could see he amused her with his attentions,
but he didn’t mind. Amusement was at least something positive.

The music swelled under
his talented hands, thanks to his mother’s early training on the
piano. He yearned to catch sight of Bronwyn heading off to work.
Her car was still in the drive, so perhaps she had the day off. Or
wasn’t home, he considered…
Oh God! What a
horrible thought! Perhaps she already had another
boyfriend.

The music stopped abruptly, and he shook his
head clear of the silly thoughts. Whatever Bronwyn did had nothing
to do with him, as the chance of her ever seeing him as anything
more than a 19-year-old with a crush was exactly zip.

Damn Valentine’s Day, anyway, he sneered,
closing the piano with a snap. Commercial nonsense built up to make
single people feel like wastes of flesh.

He briefly considered retiring to the
shower, consoling himself with the notion that he could always
cheer himself up with a quick jerk off, but the thought only made
him feel more like a loser, and he stood quickly to dispel the dark
clouds over his head.

He very nearly pulled a Scrooge and shouted
bah humbug at his gloom, and moved to the glass. There must be
something enjoyable he could do with his weekend that didn’t
involve girls.

Well, if sex wasn’t a realistic goal, and
masturbation was only depressing, he finally decided comfort food
was his only option. He was just about to mope into the kitchen
when he heard a clatter of equipment and cursing coming from his
neighbor’s driveway. Sliding open the sun porch door, he stepped
out into the brisk air, and there she was.

Bronwyn Everett.
In a tight red and black ski suit put on this
earth for the sole purpose of driving him insane.

And she was mad as hell.

“E-excuse me!” he spoke up, raising a hand,
seeing her struggling with a ski bag and a back pack, and not doing
a great job of it. “Can I help?” Lopping over the drift between
their halves of the lawn, he was immediately set upon by Goldfish,
who was possibly the world’s worst guard dog, and generally loved
everyone. Laughing and patting the retriever’s shaggy coat, Daniel
turned from the dog to its owner. He took the long nylon duffel
containing her skies and poles from her, and she gave it up without
a protest.

“Are you okay?” he hazarded. She certainly
didn’t look it – the weather was cold enough to raise roses in the
cheeks, but the twin spots of red in her face spoke more of high
emotion than weather, as did the sheen in her huge green eyes.

“About as well as can be expected,” she
finally admitted with a watery chuckle. “I… I think I can assume
from the glares I got from your mom the other day you guys heard
about my break up with Warren?” He gave an awkward little shrug in
response, and Bronwyn took another big breath before continuing.
Reaching into the car, she hauled out two bags of groceries, which
he quickly relieved her of with his free hand, and she anxiously
pushed some stray wisps of hair out of her face.

“Are you still that upset over him?” Daniel
asked. “I mean… It’s been, what? A week?”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “To a kid, that likely
seems like forever.”

Her voice wasn’t really kind, but he forgave
her. Clearly, she wasn’t having a great day.

“No,” she finally said. “I’m not really all
that broken up – in many ways, he was an asshole.”

Daniel figured his total agreement was not
exactly something she would appreciate, so he remained silent as
they took her provisions and equipment up to her back porch.

“Have you been away?” he asked.

She gave a funny sort of wry laugh. “Kinda,”
she said with a puff of breath. “See, Warren – my boyfriend…
ex-boyfriend – and I had booked a cabin for the weekend, you know –
for a ski break. Anyway, I had the time off work already arranged
when we broke up, so I decided to go anyway.”

“Hey, that sounds like a good idea,” he
offered.

“Yeah, well…” she turned and unlocked the
French doors leading into her half of the duplex. “It would have
been, had Warren not had the same idea.”

“Oh wow…” Daniel cringed for her.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Only, I guess he
figured he may as well bring a friend.”

“Ouch,” Daniel hissed under his breath.

“Yep,” she released a breath that expressed
embarrassment, hurt and pissed-off female.

“Are you okay, though?” he asked, reluctant
to leave her there after such a lousy morning.

“Yeah, thanks,” she dismissed his concerns.
“It was a long drive there and back today, so I just want to go
inside, eat four quarts of ice cream, and forget everything that
reminds me that it is fucking Valentine’s Day this weekend.”

Dumping her backpack on the floor and
turning towards the backyard, she spread her arms and called out,
“Hear that world? Valentine’s is officially canceled!”

Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle – he never
knew a girl could be so cute when so upset.

“I guess your mom won’t like that, huh?”

“No worries,” he smiled. “She’s away for the
weekend.”

“And left you home alone?” Bronwyn lifted an
eyebrow.

“Thanks, thanks,” he rubbed the back of his
neck self-consciously. “I am an adult now, you know?”

“Ah yes,” she laughed. “All of what?
Twenty?”

Nineteen, he mentally corrected. “Something
like that, yeah,” he said aloud.

“Time flies,” she focused her pretty eyes on
his face. “When I first got here, you were just a kid. Peeking at
me through the hedges.”

“Ah, yeah – for the record, I never did
that,” he laughed nervously. “I just used to trim Mrs. Bonhauser’s
bushes there… you know, for money. It’s not like I was staking the
place out…”

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” she laughed. “I
was joking.”

“Well, good,” he said, not sure what to say
next. “But can you call me Daniel? Or Dan? Really, anything but
“kid,” really…”