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Valentine's Day Curse

By: JoeDreamer



"Valentine's Day, again," I grumbled into my beer from my corner barstool. "Somebody please shoot me and put me out of my misery." 

It's not that I hate the day...well, actually I do. In fact, I pretty much always have, at least since I was old enough to know how it made people act. The only saving grace this year was that I wasn't dating anyone. That made it more bearable. 

"It's good for business," the bartender shrugged. I looked at him and shook my head. Franky's comment was so Franky. 

"What's wrong with Valentine's day?" The question came from Ray. He was a regular and was sitting three stools down eating a burger and drinking his beer. Ray was a couple of inches below average height, but seemed bigger. There was something about muscles that did that for a guy. "I like it. Women always seem friendlier."

Ray was probably fifteen or twenty years older than my own twenty nine years, but he didn't act like it. He had a full head of salt and pepper hair and typically had a couple days of stubble on his face. Of course, on him it looked good. He was a mechanic by trade and came in for lunch three or four days a week. 

"Sure, if you're into psychos," I snorted. He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. "And all women are psychos on Valentine's Day!" 

Alice, another regular looked at me and frowned from across the bar. She was dressed in an expensive business suit and her hair and makeup were perfect as always. She was sort of plain, but took care of herself. She was also personable and funny. I liked her. Hell, if Alice weren't ten years older than me I might have asked her out. 

She was a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company and spent most of her time on the road. I doubt our little town gave her much business, but she stopped by for lunch every week or so. I figured she came by to take a break from the rat race. I sometimes teased her about her need to 'slum it'. 

"Speaking for my entire sex," Alice said, calmly sipping her drink. "Fuck you." I snorted in laughter. It always surprised me when she cursed. Alice just didn't seem the type and probably wasn't usually in public, but the atmosphere of the pub lent itself toward letting people say what they really thought without it ending up in a brawl. It was one of my favorite things about the place.

"Hey, it's not really your fault," I explained. "I blame the dumb bastard who decided to plant a holiday geared toward love right in the middle of the most depressing time of the year. Now there's someone who should be shot! It's downright cruel."

"Man, someone must have ripped out your heart on Valentine's Day and stomped on it pretty hard somewhere in the past for you to hate it this much," Ray guessed. 

"Definitely," Alice agreed, smiling at him from her seat. The two exchanged a look and something clicked between them. I could almost feel it. I couldn't help roll my eyes. They were oblivious to my reaction as she continued. "It's a shame really. Valentine's Day can be a lot of fun."

"If you share it with the right person." Ray offered, causing Alice's smile to grow. "It's a great time to make new friends, or get to know some old ones better."

"Seriously?" I groaned, interrupting their wordplay. ""This is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Valentine's Day is a curse! It makes people act crazy."

"What?" Alice asked with a frown as if just remembering I was here.

"Please!" I snorted. "You two have almost nothing in common except this pub and you've both been coming here for years, yet suddenly you're attracted to each other? Come on! It's the Valentine's Day Curse!"

"Whoa! Slow down sailor!" Alice retorted, clearly embarrassed. "Who says Ray and I are attracted to each other?"

"I do," Franky interjected bluntly, getting everyone's attention. He shrugged and added, "It's pretty obvious."

"He's not wrong," Ray admitted. "At least on my part." His words drew Alice's eyes back to him and she smiled once again despite her embarrassment.

"Oh brother!" I snapped in annoyance. "You two better be carefully. Valentine's Day will be over in less than twelve hours and then what? I tell you what..."

I was ready to wax philosophical on the dangers of a Valentine's Day romance, but was interrupted when Ginny, the one and only daytime server for the entire room of tables in the back of the pub came out of the kitchen and interrupted us. We seldom got a big crowd at lunch time and most of our regulars liked to eat at the bar.

"Hey boss, there's a phone call for you," she said without preamble. "It's your sister Emily. She's stuck showing a house and wants you to pick up the kids again."

"Great," I grumbled, pushing my glass back. Thankfully, it was only my second beer of the day and it was still half filled. I was in good enough shape to drive. "Tell her I'm on my way."

"Got it," Ginny smiled and turned back to the kitchen with just a touch too much excitement. She had a thing for Juan, one of the cooks and I was sure the Curse was working hard at screwing up their lives today as well. 

"Franky, I'll be back as soon as I can," I sighed, standing. 

"No rush boss," the bartender replied. "In fact, take your time. Your mood is bad for business."

"You know, I think you worry more about my business than I do," I laughed. Franky gave one of his rare smiles and shifted to the other side of the bar.

I checked my pockets and realized I had left my keys in my office. I frowned in annoyance, but my coat was in the back anyway and it was far too cold to go out without it. I went to grab them. Juan and Ginny were laughing together at something as I passed them. I shook my head, taking my coat off its hook and grabbed my keys off my desk. Ginny and Juan were still at it when I went back out.

"Damn Curse," I mumbled to myself as I passed. It had better not mess up my plans for Ginny. She was relatively new to waiting tables, but she was learning fast. I had hopes of moving her to nights soon. One of the servers there was barely pulling her weight. I didn't need a bad romance between her and Juan. I didn't want her to leave, or him for that matter. "Damn Curse."

I caught sight of Ray sitting next to Alice on her side of the bar as I walked out. I muttered something unkind under my breath, but left them to their folly. 

The trip to my nephews' school was uneventful and thankfully short. I parked the car, got out and made my way to the section of the parking lot where the kids would be let out. It was cold, but not as bad as I feared. At least the wind had died down from this morning. 

Our town was less than an hour from the big city. We were one of those small middleclass communities that existed just past the suburbs. I hear that in some places if you travel an hour outside one of a big cities you end up in some seriously rural areas. That wasn't us. We had plenty of neighbors on our block. We also had decent size yards that kids could actually play in, unlike most of the suburbs I knew.

My nephews went to the smaller of our two grammar schools and because our town was less than a square mile very few kids were bussed in. I looked around and nodded politely at the parents waiting for their kids. I knew most of them. 

"Hey Mike, how's it going?" It was an innocent enough question, but I knew better. The speaker was Carol Hendricks, a newly divorced mother of three and it was pretty obvious from her expression that the Curse had taken hold of her. 

"Not well," I replied succinctly. Carol and I grew up not far from each other. We were friends up until high school. I guess we were friends after that as well, but it wasn't the same. She blossomed that year and her newly acquired curves drew the attention of a bunch of upper classman. One in particularly was very persistent. He was a complete asshole in my opinion, but she ended up dating him on and off again for the next five years before agreeing to marry him. 

"Valentine's Day, right?" Carol asked with a grin. "I can't believe you still hate this day after all these years."

"No comment," I grumbled, noticing that quite a few people were now paying attention to our conversation. It was embarrassing. 

"You really have to let it go," she said, laughing at my expression.

"Let what go?" The question came from Britney Jansen. She was a good friend of my sister's. Her husband Henry was a great guy. We always hung out whenever my sister threw one of her parties.

"Mike got dumped on Valentine's Day in eighth grade by Cynthia Beretta," Carol explained. "He's hated the day ever since."

"Seriously?" Britney asked me. 

"It was the first time I had my heart broken," I shrugged. "But that was just the first in a long line of bad experiences I had on Valentine's Day. I'm telling you, the holiday is cursed!"

"Oh my God, you are serious!" Britney cried. It was her turn to laugh. Honestly, she wasn't the only one. The entire group of mothers standing around tittered. My embarrassment was quickly turning to annoyance.

"Hey, Cynthia Beretta was a big deal in eighth grade," Carol put in helpfully. "It was quite a coup for Mike to get her to date him in the first place." 

"And then she dumped me on Valentine's Day for of all people, Johnny Deats," I snorted. "Johnny Deats for Christ's sake!"

"It's your own fault," Carol said, laughing once more. "Everyone knew she was using you just to make him jealous. And don't you dare say you didn't know! I remember telling you specifically that the day she agreed to date you."

"You did, didn't you?" I grimaced, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I guess I should have listened to you."

"You should have done more than that," Carol sighed somewhat cryptically, at least until she explained. "I had the biggest crush on you back then."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "I had no idea."

"You were the only one," she said, shaking her head and looking at me again in that way. Carol had long brown hair and dark eyes. Her curves had only gotten better as she aged. I found myself tempted to...no! That was the curse trying to take hold of me. No way!

"It's a good thing I didn't know," I replied, not meeting her eyes. "Because you would have dumped me the next year when you met Gary anyway."

"Maybe not," she sighed. "Maybe you would have saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life."

"Everything happens for a reason," Britney interjected kindly. "Maybe Gary was a mistake, but if you didn't marry him you would never have had Jill, Kim and Barry."

"True," Carol said agreeably. "I'm just glad he's gone. Of course, it does get lonely at times."

Thankfully, the kids were let out right at that point. The mothers hovered around us began dispersing. Jason and Nicolas spotted me right off. They weren't really surprised. I typically ended up picking them up for my sister at least once or twice a month.

"Well, I'll see you ladies later," I offered as the boys made their way over.

"You might at that," Carol said meaningfully. "My parents are watching the kids tonight and I'm going out with a couple of friends. We'll probably stop by your place somewhere along the night."

"Just be careful," I said. "And remember what I said. The Valentine's Day Curse is dangerous!"

"Maybe you can explain it to me better tonight," the brunette smiled before moving away toward her own children.

"Oh my," Britney teased once Carol was out of earshot. "She seems pretty intent on you. I guess that crush she had on you in eighth grade never fully disappeared."

"Of course it did," I argued. "This is just the Curse working its evil magic."

"You really are something else!" she laughed. "I'll talk to you later." I said goodbye as she left.

"Hello Uncle Mike," Jason, the older of my two nephews said in greeting. He was in fourth grade. His brother Nicolaus was in second. "Can we play with our friends for a few minutes?" There was a large lawn next to the school. It was currently covered in snow and some boys were already throwing snowballs. 

"I really should get back to the pub," I began, but then saw their expressions and relented. "Oh go ahead, but only for a few minutes!"

"Thanks Uncle Mike!" Jason cried.

"Yeah, thanks!" Nicolaus added. "Mom never lets us play in the snow after school." 

Jason frowned, grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him away before I could change my mind. I groaned at the news, knowing I'd hear from my sister. The boys would probably be snow covered and soaking wet by the time we made it to Emily's house, but so be it. If it bothered my sister too much she could find someone else to pick up the boys. I liked being the cool uncle who let them get away with things. 

"Mike, long time no see." I turned and smiled. It was Ted Bonski. I didn't see him earlier or I would have hung out with him while I waited for the boys.

"Hey Ted," I said as he walked up and we shook hands. His sons were playing with Jason, Nicolaus and a few other boys in the snow. "I see Beth conned you into picking up the boys today."

"Conned? Not really," he smiled. "I volunteered. I don't often get the chance. I took off work today and figured I'd pick the boys up and treat them to an early dinner. Beth and I are going out later and they'll be asleep before we get home."

"You're going out for dinner tonight? Are you crazy! Every place will be packed and the service always sucks on Valentine's Day."

"Hmm, so I guess we won't be coming to your place tonight after all," he teased in reply. I snorted and then broke out into a full laugh.

"Well, if you are going to deal with the crowds, you might as well stop by. Jerry has some very good specials tonight," I said afterward. 

"I don't know..." he said, continuing to tease.

"I'll even buy the first round," I offered.

"Sold!" he laughed. "I guess we won't have to cancel the reservation we set up after all."

I began laughing once again, remembering what Frank said back at the pub. My mood really wasn't good for business.

"Ut oh..." Ted said, looking off to one side. I followed his eyes and saw a young woman making her way to the snow covered field. She was probably in her mid-twenties and had dark hair that was pulled back from her face rather severely. She was built tall and slim. 

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That's Ms. Phillips," he explained. "She's a new teacher this semester. She replaced Ms. Hoffman who's out on pregnancy leave. Ms. Phillips already has a reputation of being tough. The kids are afraid of her. From what I hear, so are most of the parents."

We stood there watching as she stopped at the edge of the field and called the children off the lawn. Jason, Nicolaus and Ted's kids came running back to us. I was guessing Ted was right about her reputation based on how quickly they arrived. Still, I was surprised when she came over to the adults and started lecturing us as well.

"That field is off limits until the snow is gone," she said sternly. "It was clearly stated in the weekly packet." I ignored the rest of her little speech. She was glancing from parent to parent as she spoke and when her eyes met mine I noticed that they were grey, not the blue I originally thought. They drew you in, or at least that's how it felt to me. 

The woman had high cheek bones and nicely shaped lips. There was something about her that made me think her ancestry was some sort of Eurasian mix, not that it was obvious. I figured if she wasn't dressed so conservatively and her hair wasn't pulled back she'd probably be attractive. Well, that and she's have to actually smile. 

"Damn Curse!" I mumbled to myself.

"What?" Ted frowned.

"Nothing," I replied, not wanting to get into it yet again. Thankfully, the new teacher's lecture finally wound itself down and Ted and I said our goodbyes. 

I had to walk by Ms. Phillips to get to my car. The boys didn't look thrilled as I led them passed her, but they followed. I attempted to smile innocently at her as I passed, but right at that moment a burb slipped out. I swallowed the noise, but when I opened my mouth she must have gotten a whiff of the beer I'd had earlier.

"Pardon me, but have you been drinking?" She surprised me by grabbing my arm and stopping me. 

"No," I replied. That didn't go over well at all.

"Then how come I smell beer on your breath?" she snapped.

"Well, because I had a beer earlier," I explained. "But only one." She frowned at me and for some reason I found myself adding, "Okay, one and a half."

"And that's not drinking?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Not in this town," I grinned. She clearly wasn't amused. 

"I'm not going to let you take these children into a car. You're drunk." Her tone was unyielding and waspish. 

"Lady, I'm not drunk." Okay, so my tone wasn't any better than hers, but as far as I was concerned I was in the right. "What do you take me for? Do you really think I'd risk my nephews' lives by driving drunk?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I don't know you and I won't risk their lives until I'm certain you're sober."

"Well then," I sighed. "I guess we have a problem. What do you suggest?"

"Hey, I can give the boys a ride home," Ted offered. I looked at him and he regretted his offer instantly. "Hey Mike, I know you're not drunk, but she's clearly not going to let this go." It was right about then that I noticed all of the other parents left were standing around watching the scene unfold. Great.

"Thanks, but no thanks," I said in annoyance. "My sister called me and asked me to pick up the boys and that's exactly what I'm going to do." I couldn't back down with the audience we'd attracted.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Ms. Phillips insisted. 

"And exactly how are you going to stop me?" I asked, honestly curious. 

"I'll call the police if I must," she threatened. I'd had enough. I could have given in, but if I did then half the town would think I was drunk when I came to pick up the boys. I couldn't have that. Like I said, it was a small community and I had to be careful. After all, I owned a business here. I couldn't afford those types of rumors to spread. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed without a word. She frowned and watched me. 

"Hey Timmy, I need a favor," I said into the phone. "Can you stop by my nephews' school? I'll explain when you get here." He agreed and I hung up.

"You'll let him drive the children home?" the teacher asked. 

"Not likely," I snorted, causing Ms. Phillips to frown. "Timmy coaches the boys in baseball. We grew up two houses down from each other. He's also a local cop."

"You called a police officer?" the new teacher asked with a frown.

"I've got a business to run," I sighed. "I can't stand here arguing with you all day."

"And there Timmy is," Ted put in helpfully. "He must have been out on patrol."

"What's going on?" Timmy asked when he exited his car. There was quite a crowd by now. I guess some of the neighbors had joined us.

"Emily asked me to pick up the kids and this teacher won't let me take them home," I replied succinctly. "She's new."

"He's been drinking," the brunette put in.

"As I said earlier, I have not been drinking," I retorted. "But let's let Timmy decide that."

"So, you want me to test you?" Timmy asked in surprise.

"Oh, not just me," I replied, not willing to be the only person embarrassed by all this. "Us. I want you to test Ms. Phillips and myself. After all, she's a teacher at my nephews' school and in my opinion she's acting irrationally. For all I know, she could be high."

"I am not high!" the woman snapped.

"Prove it!" I argued. "After all, it only seems fair. I'm willing to prove I'm not drunk."

"Fine," she said, shaking her head and giving in with surprising grace. "But you first, and if you fail then I don't have to be tested."

"Sounds reasonably, for a change," I shrugged, before turning to Timmy. "Do you want to do the whole nine yards or just use the Breathalyzer?"


Valentine's Day Curse



"It's your lucky day," he grinned. "I happen to be driving the unit with the Breathalyzer today."

The test ended up being no big deal, but it was embarrassing just the same. Surprise, surprise I passed easily which caused Ms. Phillips to frown. I couldn't tell if it was surprise or disappointment.

"Your turn," Timmy said to her, before turning to me and adding, "Unless you're willing to let her off the hook?" I turned to the brunette.

"Are you willing to apologize for all this?" I asked. She looked at me and then surprised me with a non-apology, apology. 

"No, I'm sorry, but I can't." 

"So you won't apologize for embarrassing me in front of the whole town, but you'll apologize for not being willing to do so?" I asked in disbelief. 

"I smelled beer on your breath," she answered. "And you were talking about some Valentine's Day Curse earlier. It sounded crazy to me. If faced with the same situation, I would do the same thing." It was right about then that I realized that the woman wasn't just being a bitch. She really did care about the kids. 

"Still hanging on to that curse theory?" Timmy laughed at me before turning back to Ms. Phillips. "You'll have to forgive Mike. He's not himself on Valentine's Day."

"Look, let's forget the whole thing. Can I go now?" I sighed, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Sure", Tim shrugged, but then grew serious and added, "Although, you know just because you're not drunk that doesn't mean you should be driving the boys home. You did have a beer earlier." 

"Give me a break!" I snapped. "I had it with a burger and the boys live so close they could walk home from here if they didn't have to cross the main avenue in town." 

"Still..." he said. I wasn't sure if he was just giving me shit or not, but by this point I was done. I pulled out my phone again and dialed. The phone rang twice before my sister picked up.

"Emily, you have to come pick up the kids yourself," I said without preamble and then hung up before she could ask why. I saw Timmy's eyes get big.

"You didn't?" he asked, clearly concerned. If you knew my older sister, then you would be as well. Emily was sixteen when mom died. Not only did she have to deal with that, but she had to take care of my younger brother and me while pop worked double shifts trying to pay off the doctor's bills. In other words, she was not someone you wanted to mess with if you had any choice at all. 

"Not me, you," I argued. "Well, you and Ms. Phillips here. You might as well get comfortable. It's going to be at least ten minutes."

"You're talking about Jason and Nicolaus's mom, aren't you?" Ms. Phillips asked in concern. "I've heard about her." I was sure the principal warned her. Mrs. Myerson was no dummy. My sister wasn't the type to cover for her children if they did something wrong, but then again, she wasn't the type to let her kids be treated unfairly either. 

"I think maybe I should go," Timmy said a little too quickly. 

"Don't bother," I grinned. "She knows where you live. Worse, she knows where your mother lives."

"There is that," he frowned. Ted's cell phone rang and he stepped away to take it.

"Why don't you boys go back to playing," Ms. Phillips said into the silence that followed, surprising me again. "Just stay off the lawn." The boys ran off without argument. 

"Timmy, do you think you can get rid of some of the bystanders?" I asked, leaning against my car. 

"I can try," he sighed. "But you know the people in our town." Timmy moved toward the small crowd and left Ms. Phillips and me alone for the moment. I leaned back against my car and glanced at the teacher.

She was probably the only one who regretted this whole situation as much as I did. Although, now that Emily was on her way, Timmy might be joining us soon.

"You okay?" I found myself asking.

"Sure," she responded automatically, but then she sighed and added, "Look, as I said earlier, I can't say that given the same situation, I wouldn't have done the same thing, but I am sorry about the results." Ah, so I was getting an apology after all. Interesting. 

"Don't worry about it," I shrugged. Something in her expression made me add, "Tough settling in to the new school?"

"Honestly? Yes, but it's better than substituting," she replied, looking suddenly tired. "On the other hand, I could do without having yard duty after school. I hate being the heavy."

"From what I hear, you do it very well," I couldn't help teasing.

"Gee, thanks." Her sarcasm made me laugh. It was either that or realizing that the woman was human after all.

"Everyone has to pay their dues when they start a new job," I offered, as I took pity on her and directed her next to me so she could lean on my car as well.

"Apparently." She didn't bothering hiding her annoyance at the fact as she joined me. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." There was an awkward silence for a few moments. That's when I finally admitted to myself that the situation we were in wasn't totally her fault. I could have handled it better. "Look Ms. Phillips, it seems that we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry about that." She gave me an odd look as if trying to judge whether I really meant it or not.

"Let's start over," she finally said. "And you might as well call me Rebecca. I still haven't gotten used to people close to my own age calling me by my last name." Yep, definitely human. Oddly, despite our earlier disagreement, I had the feeling we might actually get along. 

"Thanks," I said, glancing at Timmy as he tried to move the small crowd along. He was using his best authoritative voice to chase people into their cars and back into their homes. It was a mixed result. After all, some of these people knew Timmy since he was a kid. I mean, if it was anything else they would have listened without hesitation. Timmy was a good cop and a better person, but this would probably keep the local rumor mill running for weeks and no one wanted to miss anything. 

It suddenly hit me that I'd made a huge mistake by getting Emily involved. "It's the Valentine's Day Curse." 

"Will you please let that go?" Timmy asked in exasperation as he returned. Ted came with him with a confused look on his face. 

"I don't get it," Ted frowned. "What's this curse about?"

"Me either," Rebecca added, before smiling and adding, "Why don't you tell us about it? We have time to kill while we wait for your sister."

"There's not much to tell," I shrugged, refused to look at Rebecca while I spoke. As I initially suspected, she had a surprisingly attractive smile. "Valentine's Day makes people act crazy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ted asked.

"Look, the holiday simply puts too much pressure on people to have someone special in their life," I began explaining. "They get so desperate that they hook up with other people who never interested them before and probably won't again after the holiday is over."

"That's a bit pessimistic," Ted argued.

"Please!" I snorted. "How many couples do you actually know who met on Valentine's Day and stayed together afterward?"

"None," he replied. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"I don't know," Rebecca said slowly. "I think he might be on to something."

"Not you too?" Ted sighed. 

"Hey, I've had a couple of relationships that started around Valentine's Day and they didn't end well." Rebecca was staring off into space, obviously remembering. 

"Exactly," I said confidently. 

"Cynthia Beretta and eighth grade again?" Timmy snorted. "I know she dumped you pretty coldly, but that was over fifteen years ago. I can't believe you still bring that up."

"I didn't," I replied tersely. "You did, but that's beside the point. She was just the first in a long line of bad situations that occurred on Valentine's Day."

"How bad could it be? I mean, are you trying to say you've never had a good Valentine's Day? Not all of them could have been bad, could they?" Ted asked.

"Well, let's see," I sighed. "There was the girl who I supposedly started making out with at some party at college."

"Supposedly?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, I was pretty drunk at the time," I explained. "But I do remember that she asked me to dance. I went to the dance floor and the next thing I knew we were kissing."

"And why was that so bad?" Timmy asked.

"Well, I was dating someone else at the time."

"What happened?" Rebecca asked.

"I sort of pushed the girl away when I realized what was happening," I answered. "She didn't take it well. In fact, she threw a drink in my face when I told her I was dating someone." 

"Ouch!" Ted laughed. Timmy joined him. 

"That's not the half of it," I added. "Linda, my girlfriend at the time, heard from a sorority sister who was at the party that I was making out with some girl on the dance floor and she broke up with me despite me having at least three fraternity brothers who were willing to tell her that the girl was the one who instigated the kiss."

"That's terrible, but I don't blame her for not being willing to listen to your fraternity brothers," Rebecca put in. "Everyone knows you guys will lie for each other."

"Sounds like someone with experience," I retorted. 

"No comment," she smiled again. "Although, like I said earlier, I do have my own unpleasant memories of Valentine's Day." I was quickly learning that there was a lot more to Rebecca than I thought, and the more I learned the more I liked. 

"For example?" I prompted. She hesitated before answering.

"Well, there was one guy who liked me all through high school," the brunette finally offered. "Sam wasn't my type, but for some reason I agreed to go out on Valentine's Day with him. It was a mistake. Actually, it was a huge mistake. He wouldn't take no for an answer when he asked me to go to the prom with him. Sam just kept asking in more embarrassing ways."

"Embarrassing?" I frowned. 

"He had a dozen red roses delivered in my homeroom," she explained. "He serenaded me at lunch one day. You know, that kind of stuff."

"What happened?" Ted asked. 

"Eventually Sam got the point," she sighed. "Although, I think it had more to do with the fact that Christina Bailey took an interest in him when she saw the lengths he was willing to go for someone he liked."

"We're getting off topic," Ted interjected, looking at me. "So you had two bad Valentine's Days. What about the other twenty seven?"

"Well, I don't remember much about the ones before eighth grade," I replied. "But the rest were all pretty grim."

"What? Did a girl dump you every time?" Timmy asked in disbelief.

"No," I snorted. "Frankly, I've put real effort into avoiding the holiday altogether since graduating college. Besides, the point isn't about getting dumped. It's about the whole day being a curse. Even if you don't do something stupid and end up with someone who's clearly not right for you, it's still cursed. Do you know how lonely it makes people feel when they don't have someone special in their life on that day? "

"Oh, I do," Rebecca said with a self-depreciating laugh. "I've been invited to two different parties tonight. I'm certain the first is a set up with a guy who's almost as bad Sam. The second is a group of friends going to a singles club. I refused to go out to one of those places this time of the year."

"Can you say meat market?" I laughed. She met my eyes and joined me. Okay, so I felt the connection between us, but I knew it was just the Curse at work. There was no way a guy like me falls for a school teacher, despite her seeming more and more human the longer we talked.

"Well, it's not nearly as bad once you find that someone special," Ted interjected. "In fact, it can be really nice."

"I guess that's the cure for the Curse," Rebecca smiled. "Fall in love. Sounds simple."

"Yeah, real simple," I snorted and we were both laughing again.

"Speaking of which," I turned to Timmy. "What are you and Karen doing tonight? Don't you think it's about time you married that girl?" His look of discomfort told me what happened before he explained. Damn. Open mouth, insert foot.

"We broke up," he said succinctly. "Last week."

"I'm sorry," I offered. 

"Don't be," he sighed after a brief hesitation. "Not for me. The truth is that she wanted to get married and was pushing hard for me to ask her. I had to take a long look in the mirror before I finally admitted to myself that I didn't want to be married, at least not to her."

"Another relationship destroyed by the Curse," I said sadly.

"How do you figure?" Ted asked.

"Why do you think Karen was pushing so hard?" I snorted. 

"Alright, that's going a little too far, even for me," Rebecca interjected. 

"Maybe you're right," I admitted after a brief pause, causing everyone to laugh this time.

"Oh shit, Emily's here," Timmy groaned as she drove up. "This should be fun."

"Are you really that afraid of her?" Ted asked. "I mean, you're a cop. What can she really do to you?" It was a fair question. Timmy wasn't someone people could walk over in any sense of the word, but he always seemed overmatched by my sister, even when they were kids. 

"Watch and learn," Timmy replied as Emily exited her car. Despite his concern I saw him take a moment to appreciate my sister's legs. He hadn't done something like that quite so obviously in a while, but I guess since he was single again he figured it was okay. The funny part was that it brought back some old memories. The two had never gone out, but to me it always seemed that they were a little into each other, at least until Emily met her ex and Tim started dating Karen. Clearly, those feelings hadn't completely disappeared on his part. I found myself wondering if the same was true about Emily.

"I have a better idea," I said suddenly. "Everyone play along."

"With what?" Timmy asked.

"Shh!" I demanded. He frowned, but fell silent.

"What's going on?" Emily began without preamble. "Is everything okay? I mean, you called and told me to come and pick up the kids without any explanation."

"Everything's fine," I replied with a smile. "You know Timmy and Ted. This is Rebecca."

"Rebecca?" my sister frowned. She looked the brunette over and nodded. "Ah, the new teacher, Ms. Phillips. I've heard about you from some of the other mothers. You're tough, but fair. I can respect that."

"Thanks," Rebecca said, obviously curious as to what I was planning.

"Mike, why am I here?" my sister asked in annoyance.

"Well, you know that it's Valentine's Day," I began, but she cut me off.

"Please don't tell me this has to do with the Curse?" she asked in exasperation. "Don't you think it's about time you let that go? I know finding out that mom had cancer on Valentine's Day sucked, but it was fifteen years ago. "

I was a more than a little embarrassed by the silence that followed. Emily must really be upset if she was blurting out that little detail. Rebecca was watching me oddly, so were Timmy and Ted. Okay, so I found out about mom's illness the same year that Cynthia Beretta dumped me. Actually, I found out on that day because she dumped me. I was supposed to be at a party with her that night, but instead I went home to walk on in mom and dad crying over the news. 

"This has nothing to do with the Curse," I said, but it was harder than I expected. Mom had a very aggressive form of cancer that didn't react well to medication. She died three months later. It still hurt when I thought about it, but maybe Emily was right. Maybe it was time to move past it. "In fact, I may have decided to give up on that whole theory."

"Really?" she asked, clearly not believing me. "Then what does it have to do with?" 

"Timmy," I replied. "Well, Timmy and you."

"What about us?" she frowned. Timmy's head snapped around as he guessed where I was going and he looked at me with a threatening stare. It was very intimidating. I ignored it just the same. 

"Well, in the spirit of the holiday, I've decided to play matchmaker," I grinned. "Timmy's not dating Karen anymore and you're not dating either at the moment. I figured that maybe you two would finally like to go out on a date tonight. Worse case, if it goes badly, you can blame it on the Curse."

"You mean the curse you no longer believe in, right?" Ted grinned.

"You're lucky I don't feel like filing the paperwork necessary for discharging my firearm," Timmy said to me through gritted teeth.

"Oh please," I sighed, ignoring Ted's comment and focusing on Timmy. "I'm pretty sure you two have liked each other for years, but first she was with her ex and then you were with Karen. The timing is finally right to see if there's anything more to it than simple attraction."

"I don't need your help to ask your sister out!" he snapped in annoyance. "In fact, I figured I do it after a few weeks. I mean, Karen and I just broke up."

"You did, did you?" Emily asked in surprise, but not disinterest.

"No time like the present," Rebecca interjected, seeing that my guess about their attraction to each other was correct. 

"This is ridiculous!" Timmy snapped, and then turned toward Emily. "He's just doing this to avoid getting you mad."

"You mean about Ms. Phillips refusing to let him take the boys home until he passed a sobriety test?" Emily asked. "Or the fact that even after passing it, you refused to let him do it?"

"This really is a small town," I sighed, causing Ted to laugh. Of course, he was the only one who wouldn't be drawing Emily's wraith. 

"Yes it is," my sister agreed. "I received three calls, the first two before I received yours."

"Great," I sighed, waiting for the explosion, but it didn't come. 

"Ms. Phillips," my sister said, focusing on the Rebecca. "My brother owns a pub, but he's not really that big of a drinker. More to the point, he would never have agreed to drive the boys home if he'd been drinking. Yet, in saying all that, you're new to the area and don't know him. I can't help but appreciate the fact that you refused to let him take the boys until you were sure. Mike can be pretty pushy and it takes special kind of a person to stand up to him. I can respect that too."

"I wonder where he get that from?" Timmy mumbled, but she ignored his comment and turned to me.

"Thanks for being willing to pick the boys up," she said. "But in the future just let me know if you've had a beer. I'm not worried about the boys getting hurt, but if Ms. Phillips can smell it on your breath then so can they, and I don't want to send them the wrong message." I froze for a moment and thought about what she said.

"That's fair," I finally sighed. "I don't usually drink during lunch, but today being Valentine's Day..."

"Yeah, I know, the Curse," she sighed, and then she turned on Timmy. 

"And now as to you Timothy Doyle," she said, her tone turning irritated. "You do know Mike. You also know how good of a driver he is and the fact that I live less than a mile away. You were just being difficult to have a little fun at my brother's expense, weren't you?"

"Be careful how you answer," I grinned. "You know how defensive she is about her family."

"Actually, I was hoping to use the situation as a reason to stop by and talk to you," he answered. I think he was being honest too. 

"What exactly about?" Emily asked.

"Why, the possibility of a date," he grinned. Emily stared at him intently for a moment before slowly smiling.

"I think that sounds lovely," she finally said.

"Well played!" I cheered.

"Now back to you," Emily said suddenly, turning back to me again and losing her smile.

"Me? Why me?" I asked. Okay, maybe my voice raised an octave or two, but I thought I was free and clear.

"Because you were stupid enough to call me, demand I come to pick up the boys and not tell me why," she replied succinctly. "If I hadn't received those earlier phone calls I would have had no idea what was going on."




Valentine's Day Curse



The next few minutes were more embarrassing than having to take the sobriety test in front of the entire neighborhood. Emily was a pro ranter. She could remember every stupid thing I did as a kid growing up and she wasn't above listing them in detail when she went off. She started doing just that.

"Okay, I get the point," I said when she finally took a breath. I felt bad. For her to go off like that she must really have been really upset. "And you're right. It was a stupid thing to do. I'm sorry. Can we drop it now?" I thought she was going to continue on despite my plea, but then Rebecca interjected.

"It's getting late," she said. "And I have some papers to grade. Why don't you all go home and cool off for a bit? You can always continue this tomorrow." My sister eyed the teacher carefully for few minutes, possible reading more into Rebecca's comment than was warranted.

"I should get the boys home," Emily finally said. "They need to get their homework done before dinner."

"Speaking of dinner," Timmy said. "I get off around four. Maybe we could..."

"I don't have a babysitter for tonight," my sister interjected, but then relented and added, "Although, you're welcome to come over if you want. The boys know you so it shouldn't be that big of a deal. We're eating at six."

"I'll be there," Timmy said with a grin as he walked to his patrol car. 

"That was fun," Ted laughed as he called the boys back over. My nephews came with his sons. 

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Emily said to me. "And try not to talk too much about the Curse tonight. It's bad for your business."

"So Franky keeps telling me," I sighed.

"He might not be the most talkative bartender in the world, but he's smart," my sister replied before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and then turning to Rebecca. "It was a pleasure finally meeting you Ms. Phillips."

"You too," the brunette replied. "And you can call me Rebecca if you'd like."

"I will," my sister promised. "When we're not on school grounds. I expect we may be seeing a lot of each other that way soon."

"Perhaps," Rebecca replied cryptically. I decided to ignore their interplay. Things were safer that way.

"Well, that was interesting," I sighed as the parking lot emptied leaving Ms. Phillips and me as the last two present. 

"If you say so," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "Of course, you're not the one who is going to have to explain it all to Mrs. Myerson."

"I could if you want," I offered with a grin. "I was always one of her favorites."

"She was the principal back when you went here?" 

"No," I replied. "She was the middle school science teacher. She was good too. Don't tell her this, but I had a crush on her back then."

"She's a bit old for you, no?" Rebecca asked with a grin.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," I shrugged. 

"Interesting," she replied with a shake of her head, but she was smiling too. 

"Well, I can't say that the way we met was a pleasure, but on the other hand it was nice to meet you," I offered. She looked at me oddly and smiled slowly.

"Yes, it was." Did I really see some interest in her eyes or was I only imagining it? Worse, if it was there, was it real or just the Curse?

"Stupid Curse!" I grumbled, causing her to laugh.

"I thought you gave that idea up?" Rebecca stepped away from my car and began walking toward the entrance to the school. I think she planned that to be rhetorical question, but I answered anyway.

"You can't give up something that's a proven fact!" I called after her.

She just continued to laugh as she disappeared into the building. I watched her until she was gone. I couldn't see much considering the conservative clothes she was wearing, but what I did see, I liked.

"A school teacher?" I mumbled to myself. "It has to be the Curse!"

********

There was a knock on my office door. I sighed and looked at the clock. It was a little after nine. Usually the place would be quieting down about now and we'd be closing in less than an hour. After all it was the middle of the week. Of course, it being Valentine's Day we were still packed. 

"Busy means money coming in," I mumbled to myself. "And that's a good thing." Still, I found myself wishing everyone would just leave. 

I had to extend my normal business hours until midnight because whether I liked it or not, I couldn't afford to turn away the business, but deep down I felt that by doing so I was aiding and abetting something ominous. Valentine's Day didn't end for almost another three hours and it was like the damn Curse wouldn't be denied its full allotment of time to wreak its havoc.

The knocking repeated so I sighed and called out, "Yeah, what is it?" The door opened and Sally walked in. She was my best waitress. She was also a bit of a wiseass, but never to the customers so I dealt with it. 

"Still hiding back here?" she teased, but then added before I could reply, "Actually, it's probably a good thing. Carol Hendricks is out there with some friends and she's asked about you at least five or six times. The more she drinks the more often she asks."

"Great," I sighed, but then added, "And I'm not hiding. I'm catching up on some paperwork."

"Boss, you keep telling yourself that," she snorted. 

I wasn't hiding in my office no matter what Sally thought. On the other hand, I hadn't gotten much paperwork done either. My mind kept wandering back to this afternoon. There were definitely a few things I would have done differently, but that not what kept me distracted. No, my distraction had to do with a certain new teacher. I couldn't get her warm smile and cool grey eyes out of my head. Stupid Curse.

"Is there a reason why you're back here?" I prompted. Sally's expression turned serious. That didn't bode well because it sure as hell wasn't my tone that did it, not with Sally. That meant I wasn't going to like the answer to my question. 

"Tommy O'Neil."

"Christ, who let him in?" I snapped, standing and moving around my desk.

"I don't know," Sally shrugged. "But it wasn't me. That boy gets grabby when he drinks."

"And let me guess, he's drunk off his ass and refusing to take a cab home?" I had a relationship with both taxi drivers in town and I'd forewarned them about tonight, not that they needed it. They both did a brisk business on Valentine's Day. In fact, they did so well that even in a mile square town like ours it was sometimes a ten or fifteen minute wait.

"Got it in one," Sally replied. It wasn't particularly difficult to figure out. Tommy liked to drink. Well actually, he liked to get drunk. He also was the type of guy who refused to admit when he was too far gone to drive. 

If this were the summer the solution would be easy. Unless he was in really bad shape, I would simply take his keys. It would be up to him if he took a cab or walked home, but it being mid-February and below freezing now that the sun was down I wasn't about to let a drunk walk home. 

"Let's get out there before he takes a swing at someone, again." Sally nodded in agreement and followed me out the door.

I groaned when I entered the main bar because Tommy was at the exit making a scene. He was trying to push through Franky and Anthony, the other bartender on tonight, but they were blocking him. The most frustrating part was that sober, Tommy was a good guy, not that I'd seen him that way in a long time.

He started drinking in high school like the rest of us, but it grew worse and worse for him as the years passed. I tried talking to him about it, but it was a wasted effort. It got to the point that I had to refuse to serve him. That sucked on a lot of levels. Tommy wasn't my best friend growing up, but he was a good one. That friendship pretty much died when I kicked him out of the pub the first time. 

"There you are!" Carol Hendricks cried as she wrapped her arms around me and tried to give me a kiss on the lips. I turned my head quickly and received it on the cheek instead. She was clearly feeling no pain. I tried to break away from her, but she was being stubborn. Stupid Curse.

"I have to go help with Tommy," I said, trying to get through to her. It was a wasted effort, at least on her. Her friend Nancy, who must have agreed to be the designated driver for their small group, understood and helped me untangle myself from Carol. She was clearly embarrassed for her friend. 

"Franky, first you refuse to serve me and now you won't let me leave. I don't care how old you are!" Tommy was nearly yelling. "Get out of my way or so help me..." I shook my head. Franky was probably a good thirty years older than Tommy, but there was no doubt in my mind who would win that fight, even if Tommy was sober.

I glanced around the room and saw most people watching what was happening. That was bad enough, but what really annoyed me was that Tina, the other waitress on tonight and in many ways my 'problem child', was standing there with a hungry expression. It was pretty obvious that she was hoping for a fight. I shook my head and looked away.

I really had to get rid of Tina soon, but definitely not tonight. I'd hired Tina because she was the cousin of a friend and needed a job for the holidays. I figured it would be okay because she was supposed to be temporary help. That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was in not firing her as soon as I realized she wasn't very good, but by that time one of my regular waitresses quit and Tina knew our system. Besides, I didn't have anyone else. 

At least I was smart enough to start looking. Ginny could probably handle the night crowd now, but I wanted to give her another month or so on the day shift. Plus, I had to start looking for her replacement otherwise I'd end up getting stuck covering tables during lunch. Ah, the joys of being a small business owner.

I shook my head and pushed thoughts of Tina and what needed to be done out of my mind. Tommy was getting louder and more aggressive. He was actually trying to crowd Franky and Anthony. Dumb ass. He'd better hope Franky held his temper. I only saw him lose it once in all the years we've worked together. It was not pretty. 

"Tommy, you're acting like a drunk ass...again," I snapped as I pushed between him and Franky. Okay, so I wasn't giving him my best customer service pitch. On the other hand, I wanted to call him a lot worse than that so I figured it was a wash. Besides, there was only one thing I could say that had any shot of working. I felt ridiculous using it, but so be it. "Are you going to calm down or do I call your mother?" I know, I know, but Mrs. O'Neil was one tough lady and even drunk, Tommy was afraid of her.

"My mother?" he cried. "Keep her out of this! I'm thirty years old!"

"How about you act like it then?" I retorted. "You're drunk and you can't drive. Wait for a taxi. It will be here before you know it."

"Doesn't matter," he slurred, his mood shifting dramatically. That sometimes happens with drunks. "Nothing does." He sounded like he was about to cry. God, please no! I never know what to do when people cried. I mean, girls were bad enough, but guys? No way did I want to deal with that. Still, despite the fact that we hadn't been on good terms in a few years, he was a friend.

"What's up?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

"I got fired today. Now what am I going to do?"

"Ah shit," I sighed, more to myself than him. Honestly, I was surprised he held on to his job as long as he did. Tommy needed help, but to date he's pushed away anyone who offered some. I knew from personal experience. I also knew that now wasn't the time to try again. On the other hand, I had to do something. 

"Come on, let's get you home," I said, taking his elbow. "I'll give you a ride."

"Are you sure?" Sally asked in surprise. I had a rule about not driving the customers home. I know it sounds harsh, but I wasn't a taxi service and at one point it started feeling a lot like that. After all, I pretty much knew everyone in town. I'd lived here my whole life.

"Yeah," I replied. "He's a friend." Sally smiled and nodded in understanding. Of course, Sally being Sally, she couldn't let it go at that.

"You're just trying to avoid Carol," she teased. I surprised myself by actually laughing.

"That too," I admitted. "I can't wait until this day is over."

"I know, I know...the Curse." Sally said, rolling her eyes. She turned away before I could reply.

"Don't worry boss, I'll handle things here." That came from Franky. I nodded in thanks. 

"Keep an eye on Tina." He gave me a look that let me know he was already planning on doing so. I felt bad for leaving considering that Franky had to be tired. He was already putting in a double shift because of the holiday. Oh well, the best thing I could do was get Tommy home and come back as soon as possible. 

The ride to Tommy's house was quick, but then I had to help him inside. That was a battle. He refused to give me his keys and couldn't quite get the one for the house in the lock. Tommy lived in one half of a two family home. His mother owned it and let him stay on one side. The other she rented out. She lived across town in a townhouse. 

After five minutes I was ready to deck Tommy and take the keys. The wind had picked up and the temperature had dropped considerably since this afternoon. I was freezing and he was clearly making no headway with the lock. Worse, he was getting angry and literally yelling at the door. We were close to wrestling over the keys when the lights from next door turned on.

"Tommy, give me the keys!" I finally snapped. "You woke Mr. Simmons. You know him. He's going to complain to your mother and she'll give you hell for it tomorrow."

"Mr. Simmons...gone. Got...new nghbr," Tommy slurred. It took me a couple of second to translate that last word into neighbor. He actually sounded worse than when we left the bar. That didn't stop him from talking, although I didn't understand half of what he said. The best I could get out of his rambling was that Mr. Simmons had moved in with mother. Or maybe his brother? Something like that anyway.

I heard the other door open. I guess Tommy did too because he stopped talking long enough to look over my shoulder. His eyes grew big before he added in perfect clarity, "You're hot!"

I turned and glanced at his new neighbor who was looking at us from her doorway. I had to give Tommy credit. Even drunk he knew a pretty girl when he saw her. I should have guessed who it would before I turned. I had the distinct impression that the Curse was laughing at me. 

"Sorry to bother you," I offered, doing my best to keep hold of Tommy. He was weaving and bobbing pretty badly. I was trying to decide what to do next when Tommy stumbled into the nearby bushes and started throwing up. No surprise there. What did surprise me was his new neighbor's reaction. 

"Here, let me help," Rebecca said, moving to Tommy's other side. She was wearing a thick robe and what I guessed were green flannel pajamas. Some guys might be turned off by that. Me, not so much. It didn't hurt than her dark hair was no longer pulled back. It was down and softened her look considerably. Her striking grey eyes met mine as we did our best to hold Tommy between us. I quickly looked away. Damn! I needed to focus on something else.

"See if you can get the keys from him and open the door," I said, thankful for her aid despite my qualms about the Curse's part in all this. "They're in that hand."

I'm not sure how she did it, but a few moments later Rebecca was holding his door open as I helped him inside. Tommy was no longer getting sick, but I had the feeling he wasn't done yet so I led him to the bathroom. We barely made it in time. 

"Please forgive him," I said to Rebecca as I stood over Tommy. He was resting his head on the bowl between bouts. "He's had a rough day."

"The Curse?" she asked with an actual smile. You had to like someone who could crack a joke in the middle of all this. 

"Not this time," I replied, at least not in regards to Tommy. "He lost his job today."

"Ah," she said, no longer finding anything funny. 

"He's harmless enough and a good guy when he's sober," I offered. "Not that he's that way all that often these days." It was time to cut this short. "Thanks for helping, but I've got it from here." She hesitated, but then nodded and left.

I won't bore you with the details of what happed over the next hour or so. Needless to say, eventually Tommy stopped getting sick and I cleaned him up and put him to bed. Then I spent a few minutes washing up before leaving. I'd have to stop by the next morning. Maybe losing his job would finally push Tommy to accept he had a problem. Maybe not. That was an issue for tomorrow.

I pulled the front door closed as I left Tommy's fully planning to disappear without bothering Rebecca again, but although her storm door was closed the exterior door was still open. No one leaves their front door open in this weather without a reason. I figured she wanted to be sure everything was okay. It didn't seem right to slip away without updating her since she was kind enough to help. 

Rebecca answered my knock quickly, confirming my assumption as far as I was concerned. I was surprised to see that she was no longer in her robe. She'd changed into a pair of jeans and an off white fisherman's sweater that looked perfect for this weather. Okay, it also fit her very nicely. 

"That's a much better look for you," I couldn't resist offering. She seemed surprised by my comment at first, but then smiled.

"What's the matter? You don't care for my flannel PJs?" I liked the fact that she had a sense of humor. I also like the fact that she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself.

"Actually, they're fine," I replied. "It was what you were wearing earlier today that didn't do much for you. Not that you need help looking good." She looked at me with an arched eyebrow.

"Have you been drinking?"

"That again?" I asked, laughing instead of being offended. She joined me. "To answer your question," I continued. "No, I have not been drinking. Sorry for embarrassing you. Let's just chalk it up to the Curse and forget I said anything."

"I wasn't embarrassed." Her voice was far too calm for my comfort. Rebecca was holding the storm door open. The scent of her perfume tantalized me. I decided the safest bet was to change the subject.

"Thanks for the help with Tommy. He finally passed out. He'll sleep through the night now."

"You're a good friend," Rebecca offered, thankfully letting the earlier subject drop.

"Not really," I denied, feeling guilty. "If I were then I would have found a way to get him some help years ago."

"People have to accept help for it to be of any use."

"There is that, but still..." I didn't finish. There really wasn't anything else to say. "I guess I should be going back to work."

"Your place still open?" Rebecca asked. 

"Yeah, until midnight because of the holiday. I have someone covering for me, but I need to get back." I had a strong urge to ask her to join me, but I squelched it mercilessly. On any other day, I probably would have asked. Who am I kidding? I would definitely have asked, but there was no way I was giving the Curse that kind of opportunity. 

"Great," she smiled. "I'll see you there. I haven't been out since I moved into town and I'm suddenly feeling in the mood." All kinds of warnings went off in my head.

"Are you sure you want to go out now? It's pretty late," I said a little too quickly. "Plus you're a school teacher and the crowd today is a bit much. You don't want to send the wrong message to your students' parents. Mrs. Myerson won't be thrilled if she receives any concerned calls from them. " Wow, did I really just say all that? I didn't quite groan as I replayed my words in my head. Oddly, she didn't seem offended at first.




Valentine's Day Curse



"You're thinking about the Curse again, aren't you?" she guessed with a smirk.

"Go ahead and laugh," I retorted, ignoring my embarrassment and forging on. "But an hour ago you were dressed in your pajamas and ready for bed, and suddenly you're dressed to kill and wearing perfume that's distracting as hell."

"You call this dressed to kill?" This time she actually laughed. I knew what she meant, but still there was something about the clothes she choose that really got to me. "And I'm not wearing any perfume. You probably smell my shampoo. I washed my hair earlier."

"It's amazing, whatever it is," I said half to myself. It was also extremely tantalizing. I took a deep breath. It didn't smell like shampoo or soap. It smelled like...well, Rebecca. 

Smelled like Rebecca? What the hell? I shook my head once violently to snap out of whatever was going on. I was a lot closer to her than I remembered being a few seconds ago so I stepped back.

"Are you sure you haven't been drinking tonight?" Rebecca asked and frankly, I didn't blame her. I was acting like a fool.

"I wish," I mumbled, causing her to frown. 

"Look," she began with a sigh. "I was watching a movie and fell asleep earlier than usual tonight. I'd probably still be there if you and your friend Tommy hadn't woken me up. After helping you get him inside I couldn't stay in the clothes I was wearing because, not to be gross, I was hit with some splatter while he was emptying his stomach into the bushes.

"I guess I could have thrown on another pair of pajamas, but my robe needed to be washed too and I felt funny waiting to find out if everything was okay in only them. Besides, I was cold from standing outside. So instead, I threw on something warm and comfortable after washing up." She paused and gave me an odd look before continuing.

"As we were talking and you mentioned having to go back to work I realized that it might be fun to go out since I was awake anyway. I'm new in town and don't have many friends yet. I've been too busy coming up to speed at school." I frowned because I had the feeling she'd edited what she originally planned on saying. She continued before I decided whether I wanted to know what she filtered out. "I thought I'd check out your pub since it was still open and I'd heard some good things about it, but don't worry. I understand what's going on. You obviously don't want me there."

"I didn't say that," I disagreed, which apparently ended up being the exact wrong thing to say. Her grey eyes flashed angrily.

"You didn't, I did," she said succinctly. Whatever she was about to say would definitely not be edited this time. "We're not children. You're still trying to deny that despite the way we met there's an attraction between us. I don't know if it would develop into anything more, but you're clearly against finding out. I get it." She sighed loudly, letting go of her anger. I was stunned.

"It's just that when you started complementing me and flirting it felt good," she added more calmly. "Everyone here knows me as Ms. Phillips, the tough school teacher. Believe it or not, there's more to me than that. You were the first person who seemed to notice."

"The Curse..." I began, but she didn't let me finish.

"Please!" she snapped, more in annoyance than anger this time. "I understand why you don't like Valentine's Day." Her voice grew softer. "Honestly, I can't imagine how it must have felt to learn about your mother's cancer the way you did, but don't you think you're giving this so called Curse a little too much power?" She seemed to deflate when I didn't immediately respond. 

"It's late," she sighed. "And a school night. I'll check on Tommy in the morning. Goodnight Mike." She started to close the door. 

It's funny how life can be narrowed down to a handful of important moments. Deep inside, I knew this was one of them, just like finding out about my mother's cancer all those years ago was another. Only this time, I had some control over what was happening. I could let Rebecca close her door and go on with my life the way I had been, or I could take a chance, Curse be damned. 

"What..." Rebecca began as I reached out and grabbed the door before it was fully closed. I opened it wide and stepped inside. She stepped back, but I move forward faster. I captured her in my arms and paused briefly, first to give her a chance to escape if she really wanted to and second, so she could see in my eyes what I wanted before I brought her lips to mine. It was a one sided kiss as first, but eventually, probably after the shock wore off, Rebecca relaxed in my arms. 

I'd kissed my share of women over the years, but this was different. Rebecca was different. She was right when she said there was an attraction between us, but I had no doubt whether it would develop into something more or not. That's what scared me earlier. It was easier to blame the Curse than accept what I was feeling.

"Has anyone told you before that you can be hot and cold?" Rebecca asked when we finally broke apart. The only response I could come up with was to kiss her again. This one wasn't as long, but it was just as amazing. She shook her head afterward, adding, "And awfully forward." Yet, despite her words, Rebecca was the one to initiate the next kiss.

I broke from her when I knew I'd be unable to stop myself from taking it to the next level if we continued. I was sorely tempted to show Rebecca just how forward I could be, but I didn't want to ruin what was happening.

"Wow," Rebecca said softly when we pulled apart. I smiled because it was nice to know I wasn't the only one feeling the attraction between us. I felt the connection deep down. Something like this could be incredibly addictive. Frankly, I was already pretty sure I couldn't live without it.

"I need to get back to my pub." 

"Like I said, hot and cold," Rebecca frowned, which made me laugh this time. I guess it could look that way to her, but at this point there was nothing cold about what I felt for Rebecca. In fact, the reason I needed to leave was because if I didn't, then I'd be sure to do something stupid. Of course, that didn't mean I planned on leaving her behind.

"Let's go," I said, taking her hand and opening the front door.

"Wait!" she cried. "What's going on?"

"You're coming with me, aren't you?" I asked. Something in my tone must have let her understand what I was leaving unsaid. She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me. Her smile came on slowly, but by the time it was complete, it lit her face in a way I'd never forget.

"Let me get my coat." I had to let go of her hand for her to do that. It was harder than you might think. She read my expression and shook her head, but her smile remained. I watched her go with a smile of my own. I'm sure it was on the goofy side, but at the moment I could care less.

I left and made my way back to my car so I could start it and get the heat going. I have to admit I was in a bit of a daze. This was completely uncharted territory for me. I mean, I'd dated plenty of girls over the years, but none of them made me feel like this before. I don't think I ever truly loved any of them. I would occasionally wonder why. Some of my friends would joke that it was because Cynthia Beretta broke my heart in eighth grade, but that was ridiculous. 

My younger brother Sean said it was because I liked playing the field too much, which might have been true when I was younger, but not for the last few years. My sister Emily blamed it on mom's death. Watching my mother lose her battle with cancer was hard and it hurt. It hurt a lot, but I never thought that it was the reason. Frankly, up until today, I really didn't have a clue.

Dad always insisted that I hadn't met the right girl yet. That sounded good when I was a teenager, but not so much once I hit my twenties and even less so this past year when I realized I was within spitting distance of thirty. 

Since Emily's divorce, every time dad mentioned it she'd either roll her eyes or make a rude comment. My sister was turning into quite the cynic as she's gotten older. I hoped that dinner with Timmy tonight might help with that. I guess time would tell.

In either case, surprise, surprise, dad was right. It was because I hadn't met the right girl, and now that I had it was so obvious. Rebecca was the one. I had no doubts. Okay, maybe I had one, but only because it was Valentine's Day. This could be the Curse at work, but what I felt was so strong that I wasn't willing to lose my chance with Rebecca because of the possibility. 

Of course, if I woke up tomorrow and it did end up being the Curse, I was going close the pub and sleep through Valentine's Day in the future, to hell with the holiday being good for business. I was thankfully distracted from that last thought when the passenger side door opened.

"Hi," Rebecca smiled. She was wearing a dark blue pea coat that went well with her sweater. My God, she was beautiful! I couldn't resist leaning over and kissing her. She returned it. Frankly, we might have stayed there a lot longer if my cell phone didn't ring. I pulled away from her reluctantly and then frowned when I saw the number.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as I answered the phone. The answer made me groan. "Seriously? Okay, I'm on my way. I should be there in a few minutes."

"What happened?" Rebecca asked.

"The Curse," I grumbled, but then sighed and added, "Actually, probably not. It was probably just Tina being Tina."

"Who is Tina?" 

"A soon to be former employee." I was pissed, but there was little I could do about it right now. "She's a waitress, although not a particularly good one. I was planning on getting rid of her eventually anyway, but after tonight she'd done."

"What happened?" Rebecca asked once more. I sighed before answering.

"That was my bartender Franky. He was covering for me while I dropped Tommy off." I had to get back to the pub so I kept my explanation short. Truthfully, I didn't know anything more than what I was sharing anyway. "Supposedly Tina walked out a few minutes ago. Sally, the remaining waitress is doing her best, but the customers are not happy."

"What are you going to do?" 

"I'm going to get there as soon as a can and cover Tina's tables," I answered. "It won't be the first time. It's not really that big of a deal, but it sort of puts a damper on tonight. I'm not going to be able to sit with you. Maybe you should stay home?"

"Is that what you want?" she asked in response.

"Hell no!" I said in frustration. "What I want is to get to know you better, but that's not going to happen now and it's not fair for me to drag you into this mess."

"You're not dragging me," Rebecca smiled. "I want to come. Let's go." I smiled at her despite everything. I put the car in gear, pulled away from the curb and picked up speed quickly. 

Thankfully, the trip to the bar was quick. I got out of the car and rushed to the door. Rebecca was right behind me. I only paused long enough to hold the door open for her. She moved inside and stepped to the side, letting me lead. 

"Thank God!" Sally sighed when she saw me. 

"I'll be with you in a minute," I said to her before moving to the bar. Franky saw me and frowned.

"Sorry boss," he sighed. "Everything was fine until some guy showed up for Tina. I think he was an old boyfriend or something. Suddenly, she had to leave. I tried to stop her, but she claimed that she didn't know that the hours were extended and she couldn't stay."

"Bull," I said succinctly. I distinctly remember telling her the week before. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of her tomorrow. This isn't your fault. It's par for the course with Tina." Franky nodded, but still didn't look happy. I knew he didn't like having to call me, but it was the right thing to do. 

"We would have been okay, but I let Anthony go home not ten minutes before she decided to play her disappearing act," he added. "There was no need for two of us tending bar anymore and his girlfriend surprised him by coming in to town. You know Anthony, he was going to stay until close, but I didn't think it would be a big deal for him to go and they don't get to see each other all that often." 

I nodded, but I wasn't sure I agreed with that decision. The bar was still pretty crowded. I knew Franky could handle it, but it wouldn't be easy. He'd agreed to do a double shift for the holiday. This was close to his twelfth hour on. Franky wasn't a young man and sometimes he forgot that, not that I was going to be the one to remind him. 

"I'm going to have to cover Tina's tables," I continued, gesturing Rebecca forward. "This is Rebecca. Get her whatever she wants on the house." I then turned to her and added, "Unless you want to wait for me in my office?" 

"No, I'll be fine," she replied. "You go do what you need to. I'll be here when you're done." I nodded in thanks and ran into the back to grab an apron and pad, but not before I saw Franky looking at me oddly. I shook my head. He didn't miss much, even as tired as he had to be right now. I guess the fact that I seldom brought a date to the pub and even when I did I never offered to let them wait in my office was a bit of a giveaway.

I was delayed in returning to the front because I had to deal with some stuff in the kitchen. It was nothing big, but the cook needed to talk to me. Jerry had a tendency to overreact at times. I'd learned long ago that all I had to do is let him vent for a couple of minutes and everything would be fine. I did my best to remain patient with him while he let off some steam.

I pretty much ran through the door and back out to the main bar area when I could finally get away. That's why I almost sent Rebecca flying. She was on her way in holding a tub of dishes. I barely caught her before she fell. 

"Are you okay?" I asked, which I quickly followed up with, "What are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she replied, but then smiled and added, "Although you might want to slow down a little. You're already short staffed. You don't want to take another one out." I took the tub from her.

"You don't have to help," I frowned, realizing that's obviously what she was doing.

"It's no big deal," she insisted. I wanted to argue, but we were clearly having a late influx of people coming in to get something to eat. There were at least three groups waiting to be seated and one of them was large. 

"It is a big deal," I retorted, but then shook my head and added, "And it's greatly appreciated."

"No problem," Rebecca smiled. "Believe it or not, I worked my way through high school and college working in restaurants and bars. I'd offer to take some tables, but I don't know your menu. Now get rid of those dishes, bring out another bin and then go seat some people."

"And I'm the one that's forward," I snorted. 

"I'm not forward," she retorted as her smile turned into a grin. "I'm bossy. There's a difference." 

"Great," I sighed as I turned to bring the bin into the back. I could hear her laughter as I passed back through the door. 

"What are you grinning at?" Sally snapped as she passed me carrying a tray of food.

"Nothing," I replied. "I'll take some tables as soon as I get back from dropping this off. The girl busing is Rebecca. Her daytime job is teaching at my nephew's school. Be easy on her, she's a friend helping out. She doesn't work here." That actually made Sally pause before going through the door.

"Would that be the same teacher who made you take a breathalyzer before allowing you to drive the boys home?"

"She didn't make me," I sighed I frustration. "I volunteered." I loved my neighborhood, but sometime I really hated the damn rumor mill that inevitable went along with living in a small town. "But yes, it's the same woman." Sally shook her head.

"There's a story here that I'm dying to hear," she said, but then added with obvious regret, "But it going to have to wait until things quiet down." Sally pushed through the door and I carried to the tub to the dish washer.

I stopped at my office and grabbed another apron before going back out to the front. By the time I got there Rebecca already had another bin ready for me. 

"Here, wear this," I said handing her the apron as I took the tub. "That's way too nice of a sweater to ruin."

"Thanks," she smiled before turning back to the tables. I brought the second bin into the back. I realized that I was in a surprisingly good mood considering what happened with Tina and the fact that I had to cover her tables. Hell, it was still Valentine's Day, at least for another hour and a half and I was never in a good mood on Valentine's Day. I knew it had to do with a certain dark haired, grey eyed beauty whose smile warmed me in ways that were hard to explain. 

"Wow, I really do have it bad," I snorted to myself. The dishwasher gave me an odd look that I chose to ignore.

Rebecca was just finishing putting silverware on a table and Sally was serving meals to another when I entered the main area once more. It was time for me to get to work. I directed one of the smaller groups over to sit at the table Rebecca had finished setting up. I also suggested to the larger group that they might want to wait by the bar and they took me up on it.

I went to the first table and took their order. A few minutes later while I was putting it into the computer I glanced toward the bar to see how Franky was doing and found Rebecca there handing out drinks, and not just beer or wine. Clearly, she'd tended bar before. She was a life saver, in more than one way.

The next half hour flew by as we caught up with the late night rush. I glanced at Rebecca frequently, but really didn't get a chance to talk to her. That didn't matter. Just watching her smiling and laughing with the customers was enough to keep me in a good mood. 

I was stealing yet another glance at her a few minutes later when Carol Hendricks came from out of the blue and tried to kiss me again, only this time she succeeded. I hadn't even realized she was still in the pub until her arms were wrapped around my neck and her lips locked on mine. I extricated myself from her grasp as soon as I could, but the damage was already done. I looked Rebecca's way and saw that she was watching us. 

"Not again!" I groaned, remembering what happened with Linda while I was at college when that girl kissed me on the dance floor. 

Rebecca came out from behind the bar. I couldn't read her expression, but I figured it was a fifty-fifty whether she walked out without a word or said some unkind things before leaving. I racked my brain trying to come up with something say that would make her stay, but I had nothing. The truth hadn't worked with Linda all those years ago. Of course, Rebecca wasn't Linda so I figured I'd give it a try. What other choice did I have?

"You know," Rebecca said to me before I could explain. "The more I hang out with you, the more I start to believe in your curse theory." She then turned to Carol and took her arm. "Come on Ms. Hendricks. Let's get some coffee into you."

"But Mike..." Carol began. Rebecca cut her off, but not unkindly. 

"...is taken for the night," she interjected. "But you couldn't have known that so there's no harm done." Rebecca was definitely not Linda. I wasn't sure if she saw what happened from the beginning or read the truth from my expression, but in either case she clearly understood what happened without me having to explain.

"Ms. Phillips?" Carol said in surprise, finally recognizing Rebecca. "Mike is dating you?"

"Yes I am," I smiled. Rebecca and I exchanged a smile before she led Carol to a seat at the bar and gave her a cup of coffee.

"Hey Boss, she's buses tables, bartends and handles drunks like a pro. This one is a keeper," Sally said as she walked passed. I shook my head, but not in denial. 




Valentine's Day Curse



"Tell me about it." Of course, none of those were the reasons why I liked her. The more time I spent with Rebecca the more it felt like we fit together. I never met someone like her. 

I glanced at my watch and sighed. It was a little after eleven. In less than an hour Valentine's Day would be over, but I was starting to feel optimistic that what Rebecca and I shared was beyond the Curse's ability to screw up. I should have known better. 

Twenty minutes later the front door opened and a good looking guy came in wearing a navy uniform. He was obviously an officer. He looked tired, distracted and in need of a drink as he made his way to the bar. I followed to let Rebecca known that the first round would be on the house. That's why I was looking right at her when she glanced his way. I couldn't miss the recognition and shock in her expression. The guy noticed her around the same time. 

He looked surprised, but that didn't stop him from smiling. You could learn a lot from a person's smile. This one said a whole lot that I didn't want to hear.

"Derek? Is that really you?" Rebecca asked as she came out from behind the bar once more. She continued talking before he could respond. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," the officer replied in satisfaction as he hugged her tight. She squeezed back. It felt like I'd been punched in the stomach and all of the air in my lungs slipped out.

"I'm on leave and I just had to see you," he added. "Your mom gave me your new address, but when I tried to surprise you, you weren't home. I tried calling the cell number she gave me, but you didn't answer."

"I didn't hear it ring," she said, still smiling at him. "The bar's been pretty busy."

"I was ready to find a hotel for the night when as usual when it comes to us, fate stepped in. I saw this place was open and decided that I could use a drink. And there you were, bartending, just like the first time we met. Definitely fate."

"Fate my ass! It's the damn Curse."

I hadn't realized I'd said it out loud until both Rebecca and Derek looked at me. He looked confused, but that was nothing compared to her expression. 

"Let me guess, old boyfriend?" I knew the answer already, but I had to ask.

"More than that," Derek interjected, obviously registering that there was something between Rebecca and me and staking his claim. I ignored him and focused on her. Rebecca frowned, but didn't deny it. I nodded to myself as I tried to accept the pain I was feeling as par for the course. It was just another typical Valentine's Day, only this one hurt more than most. In fact, the only one that was more painful was the one where I learned about mom. 

"Mike..." Rebecca began, but I could tell from her tone what she was going to say and honestly, I couldn't handle it. 

"I understand," I interjected. "Thanks for the help, but things are quieting down and you and Derek obviously have some catching up to do."

"I'm sorry," she said softly. 

"Me too," I said, trying to smile, but it wouldn't come. There was no way this should have hurt half as much as it did considering we'd only met earlier in the day, but it did. I was hoping that it was only the Curse at work and tomorrow I'd feel better, but I wouldn't put money on it.

"Are you going to be okay?" Rebecca asked. I had no idea how to answer that, and frankly, I didn't get the point of her asking. I'd given her the out she obviously wanted. Why did she have to ruin it by staying and asking that question? 

"Probably not," I replied, but then took a deep breath and forcibly calmed myself. "But then again, I never am on Valentine's Day. The Curse lives." The last part was supposed to be a joke, but it didn't come out that way. I sighed and added, "Now would be a good time for you to leave."

"You'll get over me soon enough," she insisted, not taking my advice. Something inside snapped. I tried doing the right thing. I tried being big about what was happening, but she wasn't making this easy. Worse, she was trying to downplay my feelings. She had no right to do that. 

"Get over you?" She was leaving. I got that. A part of me had been expecting it all night. It was Valentine's Day after all. Still, I'd be damned if I let her rationalize away what I felt for her. I needed her to understand. 

I wish I were better with words, but I knew myself well enough to know that if I tried explaining it wouldn't come out right. That's why I took Rebecca in my arms and kissed her one last time. It was the only way I could clearly express what I felt.

"Hey!" Derek cried.

The heat was still there between Rebecca and me despite everything and I lost myself in the kiss for a moment before Derek pulled me away from her and took a swing at me. It connected with my jaw and rocked me back. It was a nice punch and I figured I had it coming. 

If he had left it at that I would have let it go, but he was clearly ready to follow up. Derek was big and strong, but you don't own a pub, even one in my small town, without learning a thing or two about fighting. I ducked his next swing and delivered a short jab to his solar plexus. The air whooshed out of his lungs and he leaned against the bar gasping. Rebecca went to him and all the fight left me.

"Easy buddy, you've already won," I sighed, turning away and finding every pair of eyes in the place on me. "Last call. We're closing in ten minutes." I was a half hour early, but so be it. Maybe Valentine's Day was good for business, but it sure as hell wasn't good for me.

I went to my office and didn't quite slam the door as I went in, but it was a close thing. I joked about the Curse a lot and deep down I think I always believed it was a bit of a self-fulfilling prophesy. It was no stretch to realize that I hated the day so I always saw things in a bad light because of that, but tonight was different. I'd taken a chance on love despite it being Valentine's Day, and as soon as I did things started going wrong. 

First, Tina walked out and I had to rush back to the bar and take over her tables. Despite that, Rebecca decided to come along anyway. Then Carol ambushes me with a kiss. Rebecca deals with that just as easily so the Curse pulls out the big guns. It's like it knew it was on its last strike. How else do you explain Rebecca's former boyfriend tracking her down to my pub at exactly the wrong moment?

"Fucking stupid Curse!" 

I mean him showing up here after he left her place wasn't that big of a stretch. Our town had three decent bars and the other two were on the other side of town. It sort of made sense for him to show here. He would have been disappointed in not finding Rebecca home and a drink would have sounded good if I were in his shoes. On the other hand, him getting leave from the navy and showing up today of all days had to be fate or the Curse. Call it what you wanted, but in my book it sucked the same amount no matter what.

Fifteen minutes later I walked back out to the bar not feeling any better. I just wanted this day to end so it was time to make sure everyone was gone and start closing. There were still two customers sitting at the bar, but one look at Franky and I understood. He was serving them coffee and probably had already called for a taxi.

Sally was done clearing and wiping down all of the tables. She was now vacuuming the rug. I went to the busing station and brought the first container into the back. The kitchen staff were working hard at cleaning their areas as well. The next fifteen minutes went by quickly. No one talked to me, but I didn't blame them. I wasn't fit for conversation at this point.

Franky, Sally and I were the last to walk out. To say I was surprised to find Rebecca leaning against my car was a vast understatement. She had the collar of her pea coat up and her hands in her pockets. She had to be freezing.

"Definitely a keeper," Sally offered with a slow smile. 

"She could just be back for her share of the tips." 

"Don't be a dumbass," Sally said, rolling her eyes before moving toward her car. "See you tomorrow Boss."

"Night Mike," Franky added. I thought that was all he was going to say. After all, Franky was always a man of few words, but then he added, "Valentine's Day ended five minutes ago." Like my sister said earlier, he was a smart man.

"Thanks," I said seriously. He nodded and followed Sally toward their cars. I made my way to Rebecca. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but she was here. That was something. 

I think subconsciously I began relaxing the moment I got close to her. Her soft grey eyes were locked on mine and they let me know everything I needed to at that moment. 

"Hey," Rebecca offered with a tentative smile. I didn't bother replying. I simply took her into my arms and kissed her again. She came willingly enough and the hurting inside that began the moment I saw her hug her navy friend eased significantly. 

"Let's get you home," I said after a few moments. "You're freezing." I opened the passenger side door for her and she got in. I made my way to the other side of the car. It took a few minutes for it to warm up and we sat in silence at first.

"Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" Rebecca finally asked.

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready." I took her hands in mine and worked at warming them. Again, her soft grey eyes locked on mine, making me kiss her yet again. She was a woman who could say a lot with one look. Rebecca smiled contently afterward. 

"Do you mind taking me home before we talk?" she asked. "I don't want to have this conversation in a car."

"No problem." I continued to hold her hands until the car was warn enough to drive. Even then, I held on to the one closest to me.

The trip to her apartment was uneventful. Neither of us said much as we traveled the short distance. We were too busy enjoying each other's company. 

Rebecca's place was nice. I waited on the couch in the living room for her while she dealt with our coats and went into the kitchen to bring us something to drink. I was clicking through the channels when she finally came back. She was holding two glass coffee mugs.

"Hot buttered rum," she smiled, handing one to me. "It's one of my favorites when it's cold outside." I tasted it and smiled.

"Not bad," I offered. Rebecca sat down next to me and sipped her drink. I could tell she was gathering her thoughts so I waited patiently. 

"I met Derek in college," she began slowly. "I was in the class behind him. He sort of swept me off my feet and we dated for a year. He was in ROTC and had already agreed to serve after he graduated before we met otherwise things might have gone differently, but then again, maybe not." She paused briefly before shaking her head slowly and continuing.

"In either case, he insisted we break up when he graduated because he didn't want a long distance relationship. I didn't take it well so when I saw him standing there in his uniform after almost two years a lot of the old feelings came back." I can't say I wasn't jealous by her admission, but then again, she was here with me and not off somewhere with him. That went a long way toward keeping me calm.

"I was so confused at first that I didn't know what to do. I didn't think it was right to ignore everything he and I shared, especially considering he'd come all this way to see me," she said honestly. "On the other hand, I couldn't deny the connection between you and me."

"It didn't help that you were so understanding when you learned Derek and I had a past," she sighed. "I figured the right thing to do was deal with my feeling for him first, only I couldn't get myself to leave you there like that. Not after all that talk about the Curse. It seemed too cruel." Rebecca paused, shaking her head once more before meeting my eyes. "And then you kissed me and I knew."

"Knew what?" I couldn't help ask. She smiled at me and squeezed my hand. 

"That I couldn't possibly feel what I did for you and still be in love with Derek."

"Okay, so now I'm confused," I sighed. "I mean, if that's true, then why did you leave with him?"

"I didn't leave with him," she disagreed. "You stormed out before I could explain and Derek was in pretty bad shape so I helped him to his car. He didn't take what I had to say well when I told him I was staying."

"You know," I smiled slowly. "I can almost feel sorry for him."

"Don't," she snorted. "He stole a kiss. I guess he was trying to prove something, but if that was his reasoning, it definitely backfired. It only made me realize how much more I felt when I kissed you." I would have been annoyed, but how could I be based on what she'd said? Besides, she wasn't the only one who got ambushed by someone steeling a kiss today.

"You think that maybe we should have introduced him to Carol?" I asked. "They might have hit it off. You never known." We shared a laugh that didn't last very long, but only because we ended up in each other's arms. Kissing Rebecca was the most natural thing in the world. After a few minutes she pulled away, but didn't go far. 

"You know, I think between the buttered rum and your kisses I'm finally no longer freezing." She was smiling warmly at me. I took her hands in mine.

"I still can't believe you were standing there when I left the pub. You didn't have to wait outside," I laughed gently. "You could have come back in."

"Please, I think the people in this town already had enough enjoyment at our expense today between the fiasco earlier at school and tonight with Derek," she half said and half groaned. "I mean even on Broadway, they only do two shows a day. If I'd walked back in there they would have been waiting for an encore and this was something we needed to work out alone."

"True." I could see the logic there.

"Besides," she smiled slowly. "I wasn't sure how you were going to react, it being Valentine's Day and all. That Curse of yours seemed awfully committed toward ruining what's happening between us."

"That it was," I agreed readily.

"Do you think it's finally given up?" She was teasing me and I knew it. Valentine's Day had ended at the stroke of midnight. Still, I wasn't above using the Curse to my own advantage.

"I don't know," I said in a concerned voice. "Sometimes it lingers to give it one last try."

"Well," she grinned, knowing full well I was full of it. "We can't have that now, can we?" 

Rebecca tilted her chin up, letting me know she was ready for another kiss. I took her in my arms, leaned down and brought my mouth over hers. Our lips touched and I was in Heaven, only the more we kissed the more I wanted. It didn't help that it was obvious she felt the same. 

I don't remember lying down, but sometime later I realized we were. Rebecca was half on me and half on the couch. Her body felt amazing presses against mine as the taste of her lips continued to drive me crazy. Eventually, I couldn't take anymore, at least not without taking it to the next level and Rebecca didn't strike me as the type for that on the first date. Hell, this wasn't even officially a date.

"We have to stop!" I groaned. "You're driving me crazy!" She paused and lifted her head high enough that we could look into each other's eyes. Hers were both playful and hungry at the same time. It was an odd combination that only made it more difficult for me.

"Stop? We can't stop," she teased. "We can't give the Curse a chance to ruin everything." 

"There is that," I offered, kissing her once more. I held her close and placed my free hand behind her neck to keep her lips pressed against mine, not that she was trying to pull away. I used the thumb of that hand to gently caress her cheek and chin for a while before releasing her neck and moving lower. She seemed to enjoy the feel of my hand against her skin until it slipped below her neckline, but not quite to her breasts. Rebecca pressed her own hand against mine holding it in place.

"Mike, I like you. I like you a lot," she said slowly. "But all kidding aside, there's no way this is going where you're hoping." I can't say I was surprised, but then again I was definitely disappointed. "At least not tonight." That lent a whole new dimension to what I was feeling and despite my frustration I smiled.

"I can wait," I replied, moving my hand away from her chest. I think my smile threw her because she frowned. 

"Can you?" she asked. I didn't realize it was a rhetorical question until she sat up and continued without giving me a chance to answer. "Because I only give myself to someone I love and knowing you love someone takes time. Derek and I were together six months before it happened."

"Does it always taken that long for you?" I asked, not quite sure why. I was sitting up now too. 

"There was only the once," she replied with a frown. Rebecca had to be at least twenty-four or twenty-five and in this day and age to only have slept with one guy in all that time seemed pretty amazing to me, but then again, I guess maybe I'd led a somewhat jaded life in some ways.

"Rebecca, relax. For you, I can wait as long as it takes." She gave me an odd look before finally responding.

"You're very smooth." That made me laugh.

"Okay, so I know we've only known each other one day, but by now I think it's fair to say that although I am many things, smooth is definitely not one of them." She frowned so I decided to remind her of some things. "Um, let's take today for instance. I got in a fight with a school teacher to the point where the police had to show up. I got my sister so mad she began lecturing me in front of pretty much half the parents at that school. I decked a navy officer and finally, I kicked everyone out of my pub a half hour early which I'm sure was great for business." 

"You may have a point," she admitted, finally relaxing enough to smile. 

"That's because although I'm not particularly smooth, I am reasonably intelligent," I grinned in reply. I should have left it at that, but me being me, that wasn't going to happen. "For example, I'm willing to bet you and I will get together far faster than you and Derek did."

"Really?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. I relaxed slightly because it didn't look like I offended her, at least not yet. "What makes you think that?"

"That's easy. You're already half in love with me."

"Am I?" she asked with a laugh.

"Of course," I answered confidently. "Why else would you be here with me instead of wherever he is? I mean, by your own admission you loved him and yet here you are." 

I could see the wheels in her head spinning although she refused to look directly at me for the moment. I'm not sure what she was thinking, but I could imagine. I didn't want to scare her away, but by the same token I needed her to understand the truth.

"Rebecca," I said grabbing her chin gently until she finally met my eyes. "Don't worry. I can wait until you catch up."

"Catch up to what?" Her soft grey eyes looked somewhat bemused as she pushed my hand away from her face. 

"To me," I answered. "To what I'm feeling for you." She tilted her head as she looked at me as the truth started to sink in. Her grey eyes grew big. I think maybe she finally understood what I was trying to tell her, but she clearly was second guessing the obvious.

"And what exactly is that?" 

"I did mention that I decked a sailor and kicked everyone out of my pub because of you, didn't I?" I joked. Rebecca didn't seem to see the humor in the situation. She continued to stare at me, waiting. I sighed to myself before saying what needed to be said. "Rebecca, I'm all in when it comes to you." Still she waited. I swallowed with some difficulty. It's wasn't that I had doubts about what I was feeling, but I'd never told a woman what I was about to say to her. 

"Rebecca, I love you." I figured she'd either smile and think I was crazy or lose it and call me a lunatic. No one tells a girl he loves her the first day they meet, but I figured it was better to get it all out in the open. Obviously, I was hoping for the former reaction.