Dave tried to take his time in looking for a card for Alissa. It had to be something sweet, but also funny — he couldn’t help himself and often ruined a number of would-be tender moments to crack a joke. Ten years together, ten birthdays together. Alissa was turning forty and he wanted to make it special.
He placed the card he had in his hands back on the shelf. The next one he grabbed had letters covered in gold glitter and read on the cover “AGE IS JUST A NUMBER…” he smirked as he cracked the card open “AND IN YOUR CASE IT’S A PRETTY BIG ONE!”
The card fit into a mint green envelope and cost just under six dollars. Along with the card, he had in his cart a cake, white daisies (her favorite), and a case of light beer. The party they were having relied heavily on everyone bringing a dish to pass and he’d already picked up the ingredients for his signature chicken-wing dip the week before.
The day of the party Dave was feeling a bit nervous. The dip was finished, the beer in the cooler, and a bowl of salt and vinegar chips were on the table in the garage where everything was setup. He was nervous because Alissa had seemed to be growing tired of his antics as of late. After getting home from the grocery store the night before she gave a sour expression in response to the cake he brought home, which was a cutout of a tortoise (she called it a turtle) and read “Slow & Steady Wins The Race” over the tortoise’s head and “But How Long Is This Race?” underneath. The part underneath was his idea. She’d told him the cake looked better suited to a toddler or someone who’d just retired. It was about the joke! Why didn’t she see that?
The first to arrive were their longtime friends John and Lindsey. John was a realtor and Lindsey an accountant. Both only cracked smiles when it was appropriate. They had two kids who were staying home with a baby-sitter and had until 8:00 pm to cut loose and have one light beer each. The next to arrive was Dave’s friend from his childhood. Charlie or “Chuck” as he liked to be called, was the general manager at an auto parts store and had a three-day weekend every week. “We’re not busy on Mondays so why bother showing up?” Dave wondered if Chuck would be the only person to appreciate his card.
As the garage filled out so did Dave’s audience for what would either be a hilarious joke or a failed opportunity. Alissa’s parents were there, both retired, both with resting “Eh” face. If it wasn’t a daytime soap opera or a late night game-show they usually didn’t show much interest. Dave shook her father’s hand. Glenn, or Mr. Reeds as he liked Dave to call him, had been a surgeon most of his career and seemed annoyed to have to leave his lakeside cottage to attend a party in a garage.
After dinner, when everyone had full bellies and buzzed heads, it was time for gifts. Alissa had told everyone ahead of time she only wanted cards, but there were still a few wrapped boxes next to the wicker basket where all the cards had been collected. She started with a gift from John and Lindsey. The card read “Happy Birthday” on the outside and had space for them to write “From John and Lindsey” on the blank interior. Alissa rolled her eyes and opened the gift with a smile strung across her face. She opened it to reveal a battery powered bottle opener. Dave knew she wouldn’t return it even though they already had two unopened in the pantry.
As the gifts and cards dwindled it seemed Alissa was saving the mint green envelope for last. Best for last? Dave wasn’t sure. He was hoping to end things on a high note but he was feeling queasy about it, or perhaps that was the dip. He looked over to her parents, Glenn had his eyes closed and seemed to be sleeping standing up like a horse after a grueling race.
“Age is just a number,” said Alissa. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Dave. He gulped. She set the mint green envelope down on the table before giving the card her full attention. She opened it and a smirk curled up the sides of her face. “And in your case it’s a pretty big one.”
The garage erupted in laughter. Glenn, having apparently woken up at the punchline slapped his knee. Dave stood wide-eyed looking around at everyone. He’d really done it.
“Thank you,” said Alissa, grabbing him at the waist. “You always know how to make me smile.”
Thank you for reading this week’s entry of Friday Romance. I hope you enjoyed! Please share with friends and family if you wish, this helps my newsletter to grow and reach more readers.
If you’re looking for more reading options, I have a book available on Kindle as well as various serials on Kindle Vella.
The Centennial Courtship on Kindle.
Abigail Bloom's life is thrown into a sweeping romance when a new deputy rolls into the small town of Brooks Landing, but when her ex-husband enters back into her life, she's unsure if she can hold onto her new chance at true love. A break-in in the small town causes Abigail's ex to suspect the new deputy - Can she trust her new love interest or is he using her as an alibi?
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