On September/11/20 George Anderson submitted a story called February Sucks (February Sucks). It got a follow up by Harddaysknight on 09/19/20 (With a Little Help From my Friends), greenday0418 on 09/22/20 (February Sucks - Alternate) and then by Hooked1957 on 9/24/20 (February Sucks Redux). This is my attempt to join in.
I want to thank George Anderson for permission to use some of his passages, names and places. I want to also thank Steve, Georgie and my special friend Pat for their comments and Beta and editing help.
*******
It had been a regular winter season, rainy on Halloween, gray and dreary on Thanksgiving, light snow on Christmas Day and cold and blustery on New Year's Eve and Day. Finally, Valentine's Day was approaching and Jane and I were going to make a night of it.
Like the Robert Burns poem, "To a Mouse," "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." We woke up to two inches of snow and it looked like more was on the way. By twelve there was a foot and everything was closing down. Linda got to the kids before me so when I got home I knew that our Valentine's date was now off the books.
"Linda, even though we can't go out, why don't you show me that new dress you were going to wear?"
"Jim, you know the deal, you'll only get to see it when you take me out."
Ever since Linda was in middle school, she enjoyed sewing. She loved to sew her own clothes and when Emma was born she enjoyed sewing stuff for her. Anyway, she had a new dress and I wanted to see it, but no soap. So out of our work clothes and into comfy sweats and a night with the kids instead.
They ended up calling off work for all but essential workers, so we ended up with a three-and-a-half-day
weekend. Let me tell you, I think I can recite every word from "Frozen," we watched it that many times. Emma with Tommy in tow stood before us and said, "Mommy, Daddy, this has been the greatest weekend ever." They both climbed onto our laps and gave us hugs and kisses we hoped would never end.
They plowed the streets on Sunday, so it was back to work on Monday. The weather took another turn and started clearing up, but I would be glad to see February go away. On Monday evening, just as we were getting ready to settle in, Linda's phone rang. She looked at the face and then said she had to take it. She got up and walked across the room and her face started to turn into a big smile.
When she hung up she came over and said, "That was Dee, and she said that because this month was such a downer and it has an extra day this year, we should celebrate its ending by going out and wishing it goodbye. The 29th is on a Friday, we could all get rooms at the Madison and then go down the street to this club that one of the guys that Dave works with says is a happening place.
"On Fridays they have a band and if we're staying at the Madison there isn't a cover charge. Wouldn't that be a great way to kiss this month goodbye? Phil and Jane are having Mrs. Porter watch their two and she said she would be happy to watch ours also.
"We can pick them up on Sunday on our way to Mom and Dad's, so we'll have two nights of playtime, one at the Madison and one at home."
I wanted to hold out and make her beg a little to see if I could get a bit more out of the experience, but with her pouty lips and pleading eyes, I caved.
"You know I would do almost anything for you babe, of course we can go."
With less than two weeks to plan, we had to do everything at a fast pace. We got the room booked; Dee took care of the reservations at the restaurant and club. Linda's excitement made my excitement kick in. I could never turn down an opportunity to be out with my beautiful wife.
Friday, February 29th, we both got off early and went home to prepare. We got the kids' bags and sleeping bags in the car along with both garment bags for our clothes. and a bag that we packed for the drive home Saturday. We drove over to Mrs. Porter's and dropped the kids off, then drove to the Madison.
We were meeting everyone at 6pm in the lobby; Dee had the table for dinner reserved for 6:30. We changed in our room, and when Linda came out of the bathroom I was speechless. The dress on her was a vision of beauty. It was cobalt blue, which made her eyes glow; it was tight around her waist and flared out from there, cut just above her knees and rippled. The top was tight, showing off just enough breasts, so she couldn't wear a bra.
She wore the leather choker I had bought her for our third anniversary; she had put cobalt stones on it to match the dress. Her earrings followed the same theme, leather with a cobalt stone dangling from her earlobe. When she moved, the earrings moved almost in time with the ripples of her dress.
My navy suit went well with her dress. We looked at the time and headed down to the lobby. As the elevator doors opened she pushed me out and said she had forgotten something in the room and she would be right down. I moved over to where everyone else was standing and we waited for her.
When next the doors opened she waltzed out like she owned the place, all eyes in the lobby were on her but her eyes were only on me. I had never realized that she was that vain. We were seated and we all decided that we would just eat a light dinner; we could always order something at the club. The talk around the table was light and there was lots of laughter. When dinner was done we donned our coats and started the one block walk to the club.
Dee had the table reserved for 8pm. It was a good thing she had as the club was filling up fast. We sat and all ordered a drink, the fun was everything we had hoped for. Linda and I aren't very good dancers but we can hold our own. We danced a couple of fast ones and a couple of slow ones, my favorite. When she would swing around the dress would flow out and make her look even more enticing.
Along the way we had ordered a couple of plates of wings to nibble on so that the drinks wouldn't get to us too fast. I had put my order in just before our last dance, and it was delivered just as we got back. I was feeding Linda, when one of our group called, out, "Get a room." They all got a good laugh out of that.
Dave stood up and walked over to Linda and asked her to dance; we often danced with the other members at parties.
"Sorry, Dave, but tonight all of my dances are reserved for Jim."
"Damn lucky guy tonight."
"And oh how he will be," she answered.
Another round of hoots, then we heard a disturbance at another table.
Most looked around and Jane said, "Isn't that Marc LaValliere over there?" They all agreed that it was; but Linda and I couldn't care less.
Marc LaValliere was the tight end of our city's professional football team. Unlike most players he preferred to live here year round instead of all over the country. This and his charity work made him even a bigger legend around here.
I looked into Linda's eyes and said, "You about ready to go to our room?"
"You just bought this plate of wings; we should eat them as we are going to need our energy for tonight."
All of a sudden Dee said, "Look, he's headed this way."
Everything went quite and from behind Linda we heard, "I'm Marc LaValliere, would you like to dance?"
Linda let go of my hand turned to look at him and just reached her hand out. As she stood to go Dave said, "I thought you said all your dances were just for Jim, now I'm really jealous." That brought another round of laughter form everyone else but me.
She followed him to the dance floor as if she were in some kind of trance. They danced their dance and when I thought she would be heading back she stayed on the floor. I started to stand up but Jane caught my hand and said, "It's just a dance, Jim; let her have this one time."
I eased back up, but that one became a third, then a forth. The band leader who looked like he was taking cues from LaValliere started a slow song next. Linda folded into his body as if he owned her. When the second slow song started I stood again, Dee grabbed my hand this time and held on tight.
"It's just one night, Jim, leave it be," Dee said
