Arthur walked up and down the aisle. Somewhere, in the hundreds of possible selections, was the perfect anniversary card.
Twenty years together. He couldn’t believe it. Arthur had met his wife during his last semester at college. He an English major and her in Accounting. The two seemed like an unlikely paring. They didn’t see each other from across the lecture hall, or even bump into each other in one of the many hallways leading to and from windowless classrooms. They met at a friendly gathering.
Arthur learned about the gathering from a flier hanging on the cafeteria billboard. The flier read: Looking to take a break from class? Open mic night at the campus café is hosting poetry night this Friday!
Poetry wasn’t Arthur’s cup of tea, but he went anyway. He was taking a poetry class for elective credits and had been mulling over a poem for over a month. He’d bring it to the open mic and read it to a crowd, presumably, of strangers.
He remembered the night being especially cool, considering it was summer. He wore a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of jeans when he entered the café. Surprisingly, the area seemed to bust at the seams. Did everyone taking classes and living on campus need a break? He shrugged, as it must’ve been the case.
The first person to go up and read broke the ice. He had a decent view from his perch at the back of the room, but he could hardly make a word out.
Later into the night, it was his turn. His nerves were on high alert. His face felt warm. Were his hands sweating? He looked out into the sea of people. So many eyes, all of them focused on the stage and the mic in his hand.
He cleared his throat.
A short round of applause followed his poem. He felt relieved to be done. Did they like it? He couldn’t recall if everyone before him received the same attention after reading.
He sought his same seat as before as the next person took the stage, only to find the woman who’d taken stage first to be sitting in his former spot.
“That was wonderful,” she said.
“Thank you. I’m still feeling the nerves. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“I couldn’t tell. There’s another one of these happening next week. Do you think you’ll be there?”
“I don’t know. Poetry isn’t my strong suit.”
“You could’ve fooled me. It’s more of a hobby for me, but I quite enjoy it. How about we go over your next poem together, or shop that one if you’d like, before next week?”
Arthur agreed. He stood next to her for the rest of the evening. Their conversation taking center stage.
“I think this will work,” said Arthur into the fold of the card.
The card had a picture of a husband and wife on the front. They were hugging each other as both read a book behind the other’s back. Inside the card it read: This life with you is a real page-turner.
Thank you for reading this week’s entry of Friday Romance. I hope you enjoyed! Do you know anyone who would enjoy romance stories in their inbox? Please share with friends and family if you wish, this helps my newsletter grow and reach more readers.
Thank you to all who have checked out The Centennial Courtship on Nook and Kindle! Would you want to live in the small town of Brooks Landing? Please consider leaving a review on Amazon.
If you’re looking for more reading options, I have a book available on Kindle and Nook as well as various serials on Kindle Vella.
The Centennial Courtship on Kindle. Please leave a review on Amazon if you’ve read it. You can either write a review or just rate it out of 5 stars.
The Centennial Courtship is now available for Nook readers!
Check out the first 3 chapters for FREE on Kindle Vella. (Easily read on your phone)
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?
How about some serial fiction? “One Town Over” on Kindle Vella offers up another small town romance, this time set in Peek Creak (which may sound familiar if you’ve read “The Centennial Courtship”). Follow along as a new romance blooms! You can read on your phone/tablet/computer. (contemporary romance, office romance, romantic comedy)
(First 3 episodes FREE) John Prince's life in Peak Creek seems perfect. He's been seeing Cassandra Queen for six months and hopes to move in together. However, Cassandra resists the change, putting John's romantic future into question. When an opportunity to advance at work opens up, John feels his luck turning around. Katie Young, a recent transfer at the firm, has other plans. Their rivalry collides when they have to co-present during a company retreat.
Romance story collections (available on Kindle Vella) First 3 episodes are FREE in each collection (9 FREE stories). Perfect for quick reading sessions on your phone:
The Fantasy of Love: A Romance Story Collection
The Mystery of Love: A Romance Story Collection
The Science of Love: A Romance Story Collection
My Link Tree (Where to find me)
Connect with me on Instagram @danleicht
Wondering what to read next? Discover more on danleicht.com