It was the last Friday of the month and Ben was planning to use his paycheck to take Emily out to dinner, something he hadn’t been able to afford but had been promising her for weeks. His rent was paid, his refrigerator stocked with enough groceries to get by, and his dog’s food bowl was overflowing.
Ben made a reservation at the fanciest restaurant in town for Saturday night. He already had his attire picked out, which was a blue button up shirt with tan khaki pants. He told her he would be picking her up at 8:00 pm.
By the time Ben paid off his credit cards, not wanting to have any lingering debts spill into the next month, he was left with what he felt was just enough money to pay for dinner. He looked away from his laptop and to his dog, King, and smiled. King was a golden retriever, and even if he wasn’t around you’d know he was a golden since his fur was everywhere. He had gotten King when he moved out of his parent’s house at the age of twenty-two. King, now six years old, was always there for Ben when he returned after a demanding day at work.
Work. Ben worked at a warehouse, his hours similar to the 9 to 5 he’d heard about all his life. He didn’t mind the job, but felt bad it didn’t utilize his bachelor’s in English at all. The process of going to college in the first place was something he felt he had to do, since all of his friends took the natural step with such ease. He wondered, during the menial days of pulling items off shelves, or stacking pallets using a forklift, if it’d been truly worth it.
Outside of his warehouse job Ben fancied himself a poet. He would write into the night, with King by his side, and close his laptop between 10:00 and 11:00 pm depending on whether his fingers were on fire or not. He would often send a few poems a week to various online journals, never expecting much money in return, and enjoyed seeing his name in the byline whenever he was accepted, which wasn’t as often as he would have liked. Regardless of how many times Ben brought up his love of poetry to Emily she never seemed interested, she was more concerned with how he was doing at work, or when he would get a new job. Emily detested having to tell people she was dating a warehouse worker, although the job suited Ben just fine. He was able to work, support himself, spoil King, and write deep into the night. What else was there?
When Ben picked up Emily at 8:00 pm on Saturday night he was delighted to see her walking from her apartment building, a twenty story building in the heart of downtown which cost twice as much as Ben’s apartment but was half the size, wearing a fiery red dress with lipstick to match. He opened the passenger door for her, then rushed to the driver’s seat.
They arrived at the restaurant right on time. Ben felt he got bonus points for his efforts when Emily saw him hand his keys off to the valet. The inside of the restaurant was trimmed in red and gold. Ben had only been inside once before in his life, during the twenty year wedding anniversary of his parents when he was fifteen. He wouldn’t be stuck sitting next to his annoying uncle this time around, or listening to his schemes on how to flip houses, no, this time he would be sitting across from the love of his life.
Emily ordered a bottle of wine for the table. Ben patted his pocket. He was still safe. Oysters to hold them over until the food arrived. Ben ordered the pasta plate, the cheapest item on the menu. Emily ordered the lobster.
Ben found himself getting lost somewhere in the distance as Emily talked about her day. He caught the gist of it, enough to reply anyway. Her dress was new, bought that day for the occasion, along with her heels. The lipstick had been a gift from a friend two months prior for her birthday. The luck of it matching her new dress was nothing short of a miracle. Ben wondered whether he had promised King treats when he got home, the word always perks his dog’s interest, so going back on a promise was out of the question. He decided that no matter what he had said King deserved some treats, and there were still a few in the cupboard above the stove last time he checked.
The food was delicious. The oysters were a good addition to the meal, not too filling, and interesting enough to engage with until their entrees arrived. Emily ate less than half of her meal, and told the waiter to take her plate away, since leftovers were never as good. Before Ben could say a word, his mouth busy with a meatball, the moment had passed. The red tail had disappeared. He cleaned his plate of pasta, even making use of the side of the fork to scrape some remnants of cheese mixed with the house blush sauce.
When the bill arrived Ben squirmed a bit in his chair. It was nearly double what he had anticipated. Emily must have seen the look in his eyes because she snatched the check from him, taking the initiative to place her own card in the slot.
“My treat,” she said, closing the leather bound case and placing it at the edge of the table. “I know I put a lot of pressure on you about this. I’m glad we’re here. I’m glad I’m here with you.”
“Thank you,” he replied, completely blindsided by the gesture.
“How about we pay a visit to King? I’m sure he misses you.”
“I’d like that.”
Thank you for reading this week’s Friday Romance story! If you enjoyed it, please consider sharing with friends!
If you’re interested in more of my writing I have an eBook available on Kindle as well as 3 serials on Kindle Vella.
The Centennial Courtship (Kindle)
One Town Over (Kindle Vella)
The Centennial Courtship (Kindle Vella)
The Fantasy of Love: A Romance Story Collection (Kindle Vella)