Be Mine

by

Pepper L. Bauer

Amy ran her fingers lightly over the embossed heart featured prominently on the cover of a festively colored valentine, stuffed in the narrow compartment of a display rack. She sighed and shifted her weight to the other foot. "I hate shopping for cards", she thought.

Amy scanned the extensive expanse of red, pink, and white greeting cards. It was hard to get just the right one. It couldn't say too much, or too little. She felt as if she'd been standing there for hours, and worse yet, she had to find the ladies room. "Why does this always happen when I get in a card store"? Impatiently, Amy turned her head and scanned the horizon for the traditional sign of relief.

Amy jumped as a hand touched her shoulder. The familiar voice of her best friend Sharon whispered in her ear, "What'cha doing?"

With a glare, Amy whirled around. "I'm going to be changing my pants if you don't stop sneaking up on me." She shifted uncomfortably. "I've got to find the John, then I need to get a card for Eric." Abruptly, she bolted down the isle, Sharon trailing in her wake.

Later, Amy stood at the sink washing her hands and looking at herself in the mirror. Her dark brown eyes stared back at her, framed by a heavy mane of ash blonde hair. She sighed. She was no "spring chicken" anymore. Life was passing her by.

Sharon, leaning against the wall in the corner, spoke up and interrupted her reverie. "O.K., so what's up with this Valentine for Eric? Is there something going on with you two?"

Amy grabbed Sharon by the arm and drug her towards the restroom door. As they headed back towards the card rack, Amy answered Sharon's question over her shoulder. "No, there's nothing going on between Eric and me. You know we're just good friends. He's coming over for dinner tonight, for Valentine's Day, and I thought I should give him a card or something. That's all. Nothing mushy. I've been friends with him since we were both five years old. He's like a brother."

While the two friends perused the cards, Amy contemplated her relationship with Eric. It could never be romantic. They knew too much about each other. As children and next door neighbors, they were inseparable. In their teen-age years, they consoled each other over lost loves; they confided their darkest secrets and wildest dreams. To Amy, Eric was as comfortable as an old house-slipper. The idea that there could ever be a romantic spark between them was laughable.

A simple card caught Amy's eye. "For A Special Friend". "Perfect", she muttered to herself. That's exactly what Eric was: a very special friend. He was always there when she needed him, picking up the pieces of her failed relationships. She owed him. That was why she wanted tonight to be perfect. It was finally her chance to pay him back. Eric's fiancée just unceremoniously dumped him a few days before, and he was really down.

Amy smiled ruefully as she purchased the card and headed next door to the donut shop with Sharon for a cup of coffee. If she had to be without romance on Valentine's Day, she would at least have the warmth of a male friend to comfort her. In fact, it might be a tossup as to who was consoling whom.

The doorbell rang just as Amy finished setting the table. The mouthwatering smell of Beef Stroganoff and fresh Crescent Rolls permeated her apartment. She took one last look around the room to make sure everything was perfect. Her gaze lingered on the lighted candles, their flickering flame reflected in the sheen of her grandmother's fine china. She sighed, and reached for the doorknob. Too bad. All this ambiance wasted on somebody who was just a friend.

After dinner, Eric and Amy took their coffee outside on her little balcony. Her apartment was on the fifth floor and had a passable view of the city lights. Although it was mid-February, in the mid-west, the evening was unseasonably mild.

The two friends stared at the twinkling lights in companionable silence as they sipped their hot drinks. A light breeze tickled Amy's neck, and with a little shiver, she moved closer to Eric, her arm brushing against his. Goosebumps prickled, as she became intensely aware of his body heat seeping through her light sweater.

Eric glanced down at Amy, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Aren't we a pitiful pair", he quipped? He draped his arm over her shoulder. His warmth encircled her like a cozy cocoon. She closed her eyes. It was relaxing; like a soak in a hot tub. She felt all her tension drain away, and without thinking, she leaned into Eric, her head snuggling into his chest. Time slowed to a crawl.

Amy suddenly shot erect, her eyes wide and body tingling. She felt as if she had just touched a live wire. What's going on here? This didn't seem right. Eric's closeness was arousing feelings she couldn't possibly have. He was a friend, not a lover.

Sneaking a furtive look at Eric out of the corner of her eye, Amy noticed a contented expression on his face she'd never seen before. His eyes were closed, his countenance soft. This closeness seemed so natural. It was something they had both prayed for. Why had they never noticed it before? Why do you always miss what is right in front of you?

Eric opened his eyes, looked down at Amy, and caught her staring at him. Sliding his arm off her shoulder and down her back, he encircled her waist and pulled her around to face him. The smell of his clothes and aftershave engulfed her senses. Cupping her chin with his hand, he tipped her head up. Their lips were only inches apart.

Suddenly Amy sneezed. The moment was shattered. Embarrassed, she laughed nervously. "Maybe I'm allergic to you." Eric pulled her back towards him. "I've heard that frequent exposure sometimes cures allergies. Let's test the theory." His heated lips touched hers gently, then harder with more confidence and passion. She felt herself responding with equal fire.

The lovers stood entwined on the balcony, the city lights twinkling below, mirroring the winking stars above them. Time didn't exist. As Amy hugged Eric tighter, it occurred to her that sometimes the answer to your prayers is there all along, you just need to appreciate what you already have.