Worth it

Worth it is a Valentine’s Day story that just came to me. It’s short, but I hope you enjoy this couple. (NOTE: Make sure you click the number 2 at the bottom so you can read the second page.)

Summary: Eighteen months after her boyfriend leaves town, Melissa sees him at a dinner party. Could they get a another chance at a happily ever after?

“Where are you going? I didn’t know you had a date.” Melissa’s mother’s voice came through the car’s speakers. 

“I don’t. I’m on my way to Princess’s house for dinner.” 

“Why don’t you come to dinner with me and Bob?”

Melissa smiled at her mother’s offer. The last thing she wanted to do was be a third wheel at Valentine’s Day dinner with her mother and her stepfather, but her mother had suggested she join them because of last year. 

Last year was the first Valentine’s Day Melissa spent alone, and she had been a wreck. She left a pathetic, sobbing message on her mother’s voice mail, which her mother didn’t receive until she and Bob returned from their night out. She’d felt terrible that she had missed the call and Melissa had been alone and miserable, and Melissa had felt terrible for making her mother feel guilty for going out and having a good time—which she had every right to do. 

“Stop worrying. I won’t be alone. You and Bob go and have a good time. Call me in the morning and tell me all about the food.”

She and Bob loved to dine out, and as retirees they had the financial means to do so on a regular basis.

“I will. I can’t wait to see what the fuss is about at this new restaurant. Okay, if you’re sure you’re fine…”

“I’m fine, I promise. I’ll be with Princess. I won’t be alone, okay? Don’t you dare worry about me.”

“All right, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

They hung up and Melissa pulled into the subdivision where her friend lived. The driveway was filled with cars, so she parked on the street. 

Princess was usually in a relationship, but this year she was single and didn’t want to be alone. She came up with the idea of a Valentine’s Day dinner with other single friends. When they spoke last, she told Melissa there would be about two men and three women—including Melissa—in attendance. 

Melissa looked forward to the food. Princess—despite her name—was not averse to getting her hands dirty and could throw down in the kitchen. Melissa expected a delicious meal and good wine, and maybe she’d make new friends in the process.

Hopefully, that would be enough to get her mind off Prince, Princess’s brother. They were a couple until eighteen months ago, when he moved to South Carolina to accept a promotion at the accounting firm where he worked. Even after eighteen months, thinking about him on Valentine’s Day was hard. She hadn’t met anyone in all that time who measured up to him. Prince was the standard when it came to boyfriends, and she feared no one else would ever measure up.

Melissa climbed the three steps to the stoop and rang the doorbell. It felt weird arriving empty-handed, but Princess had insisted that guests not bring gifts or food, and Melissa knew her well enough to know she meant it. She loved hosting and hired help when she held large events. For tonight, she’d do everything herself and would be upset if someone arrived at her home with a gift or food when she specifically asked them not to. 

Glancing down the street, Melissa noted that most of the houses were dark. People are out on dates, she thought, with a wistful sigh. At least she didn’t have to stay home alone another Valentine’s Day.

The door opened, her head swung around, and a greeting smile upturned her lips. The smile died when she saw that her friend wasn’t at the door. She blinked. Her mouth fell open. Her chest hurt.

Prince.

He looked… splendid, wearing a black turtleneck and charcoal gray pants. His lush, full beard was as moisturized as the low-cut curls on his head. He didn’t look surprised to see her. Did he know she was coming?

“Prince… I… What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Melissa.” The familiar low timbre of his voice resounded through her. “I—”

Princess appeared beside him. “Hey, girl, come in!” She reached for Melissa’s wrist and pulled her inside. 

Prince stepped to the right, his eyes never leaving Melissa. 

“As you can see, my brother didn’t follow the instructions about the dress code,” Princess said with mild annoyance. 

She had instructed everyone to wear something red. Princess wore her hair up and an elegant red jumpsuit with a v-neckline, accessorized with a gold necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. Melissa also fixed her hair in an up do but wore a sheer red top with a lace design and built-in bra. Cream pants, heels, and hoop earrings completed the outfit. 

Prince didn’t respond to his sister’s comment. Melissa wasn’t sure he heard her. He continued to look at Melissa as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t because of Princess’s presence. 

“Come help me in the kitchen, please,” Princess said, with a meaningful look.

Inside the kitchen filled with sparkling stainless steel appliances and gadgets, Melissa turned on her friend. “What. Thee. Hell? You didn’t tell me he was coming.”

Princess lifted her hands in defense, as if to ward off blows. “I know. Prince showed up last minute, out of the blue, and I meant to call you, but with everything I had to do to get ready for the party, I forgot. I’m so sorry.” She appeared genuinely contrite.

Melissa pressed her palms against her face in distress. “I can’t believe this. I should go.” 

“No. You’re my best friend, and dinner is only a couple of hours. Please don’t abandon me. You want me to tell him to leave?”

“Of course not.” Melissa groaned. “I just wish you had warned me. You could have sent a text. Do I look okay?” She smoothed a hand over her hair. It was too late to do anything different because she was already there, and Prince had seen her.

“You look fine. You look terrific, in fact. Your hair and makeup are perfection.”

“Thank you for the compliments, but that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. I’m going to strangle you after dinner is over.”

“That’s fair.”

Melissa burst out laughing. Shaking her head, she rested her hands on her hips and took a deep breath to fortify her nerves. “Let’s do this.”

They exited the kitchen, and Princess introduced her to the other guests in the living room where they were sipping pink cocktails made with grapefruit and pomegranate juice. Her eyes were drawn to the red balloons around the room and the Happy Valentine’s Day banner hanging from the fireplace mantel. When Princess ran back to the kitchen, Melissa got a drink from the small bar and was drawn into conversation with Marcus, a computer programmer who seemed inclined to chat her up. Tonya and Lacey, both teachers, huddled on the sofa and talked to Trevor and Prince. 

Though she was in a conversation with Marcus, Melissa’s eyes constantly strayed to Prince, and several times their gazes collided when he looked at her at the same time. 

Those moments were difficult. She wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say. They had said goodbye over a year ago, and she never anticipated seeing him so soon. Maybe one day, when Princess got married and they both attended the wedding, but not tonight at the Valentine’s Day dinner. The pain in her chest expanded as the minutes passed, filling her with longing and regret.

Princess came into the living room. “Okay, everyone. Dinner is served.”

With excited murmurs, the group moved into the dining room, where the Valentine’s Day theme continued. A white runner with tiny hearts ran down the middle of the table, and a bouquet of red roses was on the side board, along with a platter of sugar cookies with cut out red hearts in the middle. Princess had placed the entrees on the table family-style. The feast included rack of lamb, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and herb-roasted baby potatoes.

“Everyone gets a rose before they leave,” Princess announced. “Please, have a seat.” 

“You really went all out,” Lacey said.

“This looks great.” Marcus rubbed his hands together. 

Melissa sat down and Marcus came toward her, but before he could take the seat beside her, Prince placed a hand on the back of the chair. 

“I’ve got this one,” he said.

His low voice swept heat through her body.

“My bad,” Marcus said. He went around to the other side.

Melissa shot a glance at Princess, who returned a sheepish grin before sitting at the head of the table.

Once everyone was seated, the meal started with them passing around a large bowl of Caesar salad, and the conversations commenced.

Prince turned to Melissa. “So what have you been up to?”

She dreaded making small talk with him and squeezed her hands together under the table. “Mostly work. You?” Thank goodness her voice didn’t shake as much as her insides. 

“Same. I moved out of the one-bedroom apartment I rented when I first moved to Charleston, and into a larger apartment with a sunroom. It’s in a pretty nice neighborhood and walking distance to shops and restaurants. Still learning my way around the city though. You know how it is.” 

She nodded, though she didn’t really. She had lived in Houston all her life, but she could well imagine the stress of a move and the work involved in getting acclimated to not only a new job but a new city.

“I’m surprised you’re here right now, with tax season being your busiest time of the year.”

He let out a short laugh. “It wasn’t easy to get the time off, but they finally agreed—after I gave up a kidney.” 

Melissa smiled, relaxing a bit at the familiarity of his humor. “That’s why you have two,” she deadpanned.

He smiled back.

The large salad made its way to him, and he took some and then handed it to her. She took a portion and returned it to the middle of the table. 

Conversation continued around them for a moment before Prince asked another question. “How’s your mom?”

Melissa finished chewing before she replied. “She’s good. She and Bob went to a restaurant tonight. A new place that opened up.”

“They’re still going to restaurants every week?”

“Yes. Not much has changed since you left.”

Melissa stiffened. She shouldn’t have said that. It was as if she counted time based on his departure. Life before Prince left versus life after Prince left.

She stuck her fork in some lettuce. “Is the job everything you hoped it would be?” 

“Better.”

She silently deflated. Deep down she had hoped he hated his new job, but he spoke with such enthusiasm she knew he wasn’t lying. He was genuinely happy. Happy though she wasn’t a part of his new life.

“That’s great. You deserved that promotion to accounting manager. You worked hard.”

“Managing other people is the tricky part, but it hasn’t killed my love of the work. I’ve adjusted.” His gaze became thoughtful for a moment. “I can’t deny that I’m happy they recognized my hard work by giving me a promotion, but I don’t know if it was worth—”

“What are you two talking about down there?” Princess asked.

“Nunya business,” Prince said.

They all laughed, and he ended up getting pulled into a conversation with Lacey. Melissa sipped wine and talked to Marcus, across from her, but she couldn’t help but wonder what the unspoken part of Prince’s sentence had been.