The mall seethed with the hustle and bustle of last minute shoppers. Valentine’s Day was almost the busiest holiday of the year. Lovers of all ages wanted that special something to give to the person of their dreams. The smallest kindergartner to the oldest couple, they shopped, bought, and baked for the one they loved.
Evelyn watched the world pass by as she finished another handmade romantic card for a customer. Each of her cards included a personalized poem for the special person in the customer’s life.
She shouldn’t complain, she knew that, thanks to today, “Evelyn’s Romantic Creations” could pay its bills for another month maybe two. This holiday was almost bigger than Christmas.
Evelyn had sold all her hand dipped chocolates, seven of her original Victorian style Valentines with personalized poetry, and four of the most expensive teddies in the store. It had been a deliciously good but tiring day.
She looked up at the clock. Almost time to lock up and go home. She smiled at the thought of the hot bubble bath waiting her there, dinner in the crockpot, and a nice glass of Chablis.
Thank God, for crock pots and hot tub timers. She giggled thinking only a naked man would make it any better, just as the door opened and a large well-groomed man entered.
“That sounded deliciously wicked ma’am, I do hate to interrupt, but I thought you might want to know your prettiest manikin has suffered a slight accident.” Adam Martin admired the look of the busy shop girl as he delivered his news. She was lean, obviously fit with an old-fashioned lace dress on with a big white sailor collar. The red dress and white color accentuated her big gray sparkling eyes and bee stung mouth.
“My manikin?”
She looked toward the display, and started to laugh. The straps had slid down off her shoulders and instead of looking incredibly sexy she was just plain naked from the waist up.
“Cheeky little thing isn’t she?” She grinned at him.
Now it was his turn, and she thought he has an incredible laugh. She found herself looking him over from his feet to the top of his curly blond head and changed her mind; he was just flat incredible.
The man had quit laughing but hadn’t moved. “You sell gifts for Valentines Day right?” She managed not to smile as she silently nodded her head yes.
“I need something for my mother. What do you suggest?”
She moved to the counter closest to him and pulled out several selections, from the least expensive to the costliest. That way she could give him a choice. He looked over several and settled on a gold necklace with a small lacy heart centered with a small diamond. She reached over and showed him how it opened to hold a photo.
“This is just beautiful and something she would greatly admire. She is a dynamo wrapped up in an old fashioned package. My parents were married forty-seven years ago tonight. I will take it and he handed her his credit card.”
Evelyn had to swallow hard with a quick silent prayer to the God of shopkeepers. This one item was worth more then everything she had sold today.
“Good choice, she looked at the card. Mr. Martin, you don’t mind if I see some other identification do you?”
He smiled widely and said, “Not at all, I am impressed with your care of my money.” He produced a license and another credit card both with pictures proving he was indeed Adam Martin.
She reached below the counter and produced a beautiful red silk box she had made to contain the necklace when she first purchased it. It fit perfectly and made the gift that much more elegant. Placing it in one of her trademark bags and including one of her chocolates as a Thank you, she handed it to him. The electric shock when she touched his hand made her drop it and only his quickness kept it from hitting the floor.
“I am so sorry, I don’t know what happened.” She said to him as she rubbed her hand. Mrs. Wellington, an elderly regular customer who had entered as this was happening started to laugh.
“Watch out you two, I think St. Valentine is trying to tell you something.”
Evelyn blushed, and Adam thinking how charming she looked all bright rosy pink thought, why not I have taken stock flyers on less.
“Why don’t we find out Evelyn, what time do you get off tonight?”
“Dumbfounded and unable to answer, Mrs. Wellington looked at the door and answered for her “seven p.m. and be on time she hates tardy people.” Adam picked up his package, bent over and lightly kissed the old ladies palm and smiled on his way out the door, “saying dinner at DaVinci’s, I will meet you here."
Several minutes passed before Evelyn could say, "Mrs. Wellington what have you done. I will just have to explain to him tonight that it is impossible. I don’t even know the man.”
Mrs. Wellington said, “I do, dearie, and its to dinner you will be going in one of these creations you usually sell to other people. Its time the world found out Cinderella was a beauty.”
Evelyn sat down and threw up her hands. “Maybe your right I was praying for a miracle, well actually a naked man in my hot tub, but dinner might be nice.”
