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Story by Sara
Daniel sat on the couch closest to the corner of the room, trying his best to remain inconspicuous. He had gotten to know the others at Eternity FM over the last few months, and even considered them friends, especially Flora. But that didn’t make him comfortable in the party setting, with everyone chatting cheerfully, drinking, and generally creating a sensory overload for the young man. He was not a fan or forced socialization, and the others knew it but had insisted their newest member come to Eternity FM’s third anniversary party.
After arriving, he chatted dutifully with the others, sipping a daiquiri that Flora had made. He generally avoided alcohol, he didn’t have much of a taste for it and the one time he had gotten drunk in his youth was a disaster. He only drank mixed drinks now, and not in a substantial quantity. Presently, Daniel glanced over at Flora, who was talking amiably with the others. Returning his glance, Flora smiled and excused herself from her conversation and walked over to Daniel. She looked stunning tonight, he thought, in the simple azure blue flowing dress that matched her eyes, and her hair was free and wavy down her back. Her smile made Daniel feel at ease, a marked difference from the tension between them at their first meeting, and he smiled back. He looked so handsome when he smiled, Flora thought. He wore a pair of black dress slacks and a pale lilac button up shirt with a flash of tanned chest peeking from the open collar.
“Flora. The place looks wonderful.” Flora had requested the chance to decorate the hotel room herself, which she had done with nothing but flowers, fresh and dried. All in complementary colors and varieties, the arrangements graced the furniture and walls in a creative way that only Flora could have designed.
“Yes, well, I just hope everyone else likes it,” Flora said, smiling.
Daniel replied, “I know I do.”
“Thanks.” She paused. “Come on, get another drink, we’re going to toast and have cake!”
Daniel groaned. “Do I have to?” His antisocial tendencies had become a kind of joke as he grew closer to his coworkers.
“You know you do. You’re as much a part of this as the rest of us.”
“But you’re the star,” he pointed out.
Flora giggled nervously. “That’s not the point. Let’s go.” She grabbed his hand and he stood reluctantly.
“Fine, fine. I’ll get another drink.” He went over to the bar and handed his glass to Joel, who worked alongside Daniel as the head technical engineer.
“Hey Daniel, how’s it going?” The other man grinned as he took the glass.
“Good, you?”
“Doing great. I can’t believe it’s been three years. Well, you’re new, but for the rest of us… it’s been a long time. Anyway, what can I get you?”
“Got anything to make a piña colada?” Daniel remembered having one as a child and had loved the tropical taste.
“Sure, go on with the others and I’ll bring it to you.”
“Thanks.” Daniel went over to the small dining room where everyone was conversing around the cake.
Joel meanwhile mixed Daniel’s drink, pureeing the piña colada mix with ice in the blender. He rummaged in the liquor cabinet for rum to put in the drink. The first bottle he found was 151 proof, a heavy alcohol concentration for someone of Daniel’s drinking capacity. Joel was about to exchange the rum for something weaker, but then he had an idea. Working with the other man, Joel had always tried to get Daniel to open up and be more social, but to little avail. He wondered whether, if drunk, Daniel would be a more open person. Either way, it was good for a laugh. So he poured a liberal amount of rum into the blender and finished making the drink. He brought it to Daniel in a fresh glass, and the other man thanked him and took a sip. It was time for the toast.
Flora picked up a book of matches from the table and lit the three candles on the cake before her. It was shaped like a radio satellite dish, with “Eternity FM” in flowing script overlaying the image.
“You don’t expect us to sing, do you?” asked Maggie, Flora’s assistant.
“Well, not unless you want to… I was just going to do the toast with the candles going.” With that she clinked a fork against her glass in a formal manner, and all eyes were on her. She smiled, and spoke, somewhat self-consciously.
“Thank you all for being here tonight. Eternity FM wouldn’t be what it is without all of us. And I thank you all for sharing in this dream. Happy three years of Eternity FM, and here’s to many more.” She raised her glass and everyone clinked theirs together. Flora put in one last word, grinning at the double meaning. “To Eternity together!” All echoed the sentiment and drank deeply from their glasses.
Picking up a knife and a plate from the stack on the table, Flora began to cut and serve the beautiful cake. “Why don’t you let me handle that,” asked Marie, urging Flora to keep the slice she had just cut, as well as a fork. “You don’t have to work the whole time at the party like you do at the station!” She gave Flora a little shove off in the direction of the couches.
“Oh, all right!” Flora walked and sat on a couch, where she was soon joined by Daniel, who sat across from her, sipping his piña colada. The tall glass was half-empty; he was enjoying it but beginning to get brainfreeze. He took a forkful of cake and savored it in his mouth. When he looked up, Flora was poking at her cake, only taking little bites. She looked nervous, so Daniel spoke up.
“Are you okay?”
Flora looked at him as though he had just woken her with a start. “What? Oh, no, I’m fine. I just hope everyone is enjoying themselves.”
Daniel gave her a rare smile, which had become more common as he grew closer to Flora. He had learned by now that for all her displayed confidence, she needed a lot of reassurance.
“Look around,” he offered. Flora did, and was greeted by the sight of her friends and coworkers chattering happily as they were served cake. She turned back to Daniel. “They’re having fun. And you planned this party, which they’re enjoying so much. You can relax.” Daniel was surprised at his directness, and he attributed it to his drink earlier. He did feel relaxed and a bit flushed.
“Thank you…” Flora said, looking into her plate, smiling slightly. Daniel was such a good friend, he made her feel confident and at ease.
Done serving cake, Maggie came over, as did a few others, all sitting down. Conversation started up, and everyone was surprised to note how much Daniel contributed. Usually, if not talking to Flora alone, Daniel was quiet unless spoken to directly. Now, he was animate, though not eloquent, and tripping over his words. Daniel himself wasn’t feeling well at all. He wanted to be alone; he was way out of his comfort zone. Yet he couldn’t shut up, he could barely focus his eyes, his head was aching, though the brainfreeze should have cleared up after he finished his drink. Daniel had no idea what he was saying half the time.
Everyone noticed the difference, but no one was about to discourage his sudden burst of social behavior. Maybe this was Daniel out of his protective shell, thought Joel. He had the idea that the alcohol had loosened the man’s inhibitions, making him more friendly and talkative.
But evidently, it was too much. Daniel stopped midsentence when he found himself unable to speak without slurring. This coincided with a new swimming in his head and a continued blurring of his vision.
“Daniel! What’s wrong? Are you all right?” Flora’s voice was high with concern.
“Our boy has had too much to drink, it seems,” Joel said, feeling a bit guilty for his role in the situation.
“I… I wann-wanna go home…” Daniel stammered.
“Well, you can’t go alone,” Flora exclaimed. “I’ll drive you. Everyone else, please, stay, have a good time! We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Nah, we’ve got work tomorrow, I’m heading home to get some sleep,” Joel said, and the others agreed. So they all gathered their belongings, took the elevator to the lobby, and said their good-byes. Daniel leaned heavily on Flora, who had to struggle to support his weight.
As they exited the hotel lobby to go to the parking garage, Flora used her free hand to fish in her purse for her car keys. She nearly dragged the inebriated Daniel to where she had parked, unlocked the passenger door and helped him into the seat. He raised up his head and started looking around blearily as Flora got into the driver’s seat. She turned the key in the ignition and fastened her seat belt.
“Daniel,” she said gently, “could you please put on your seatbelt?”
“Hm? Nah, no… dun wan-wanna…”
Sighing, Flora reached over and did it for him, while he protested feebly. Her poor friend was incapacitated from just a few drinks. She felt bad, knowing Daniel would have an awful hangover the next morning. After looking at him tenderly one last time as he leaned on the window and closed his eyes, Flora turned back to the steering wheel, put the car in drive, and headed out into the night.
It was fifteen minutes to Daniel’s small apartment, yet he was somehow able to sleep through the ride, leaving Flora in silence. After pulling over in front of the apartment building, Flora reached over and unfastened Daniel’s seatbelt then touched him gently on the shoulder.
“You’re home.”
He opened his eyes as she went around to open the door and help him out of the car, and he leaned on her again. Flora locked the car and walked Daniel to the front door.
“Keys?” she asked. Daniel fumbled with his pocket for a few moments before handing her a set of keys. She was able to match one with the front door lock and deadbolt, and another with the door to his ground floor apartment.
In the doorway Flora kicked off her shoes and helped Daniel remove his own. She walked him to the corner bedroom where he fell into bed the moment she loosened her grip around his waist. Suddenly a flutter of nervousness came over her. She was alone with a man in his bedroom. And he was lying in his bed, looking up at her. A blush rose in her cheeks.
Stop it, Flora chided herself mentally. This isn’t just a man, it’s Daniel, my friend. And I’m only in his bedroom to make sure he’s all right.
He didn’t seem to be aware of his surroundings. To Flora’s surprise, he spoke, and she had to lean in close to hear his words.
“Flora…. Th-than’ you… f’r help’n me… good fr-rend…” he mumbled.
She smiled. “Of course, Daniel. I’ll always be here for you.”
“You’re so byu-byoo-tiful.”
Stunned by his words, Flora was taken aback even more at what he did next. Daniel reached out, pulled Flora’s head down to his, and kissed her.
It took a moment for Flora to know what was happening. She was suddenly aware that his pulling her down had caused the bridges of their noses to crash together, which was painful. But despite the pain, she became increasingly aware of the jolt of pleasure that ran through her body as she felt Daniel’s lips against hers. They were soft and warm, and she found herself responding to the kiss. It was surprisingly gently and as their mouths caressed she tasted the pineapple and rum on his breath.
Suddenly, much too soon, it was over. Daniel had released her neck, given her a blissful smile, and promptly fallen asleep. Flora just stood over him for a minute, confused, her nose throbbing, and her lips tingling. Not knowing what to do, she wrapped the blanket at the foot of the bed over Daniel’s sleeping body and left the room. Numbly, she put on her shoes, locked the doors, and went back to the car to drive home. It wasn’t until she had gotten ready for bed and slid between the sheets that Flora allowed herself to think about what had happened.
He had kissed her. Yes, he had been drunk, but Daniel had kissed her. And that simple action opened the floodgates of Flora’s emotions. He had been a friend and coworker, but she had never thought of him as anything more… or had she? Hadn’t she just that evening been a little too pleased by how sexy he looked? Didn’t she feel strange when she was with him alone, comfortable, and yet nervous of how she presented herself? Without noticing, through their brief time together, had she started to fall in love with him?
But that was ridiculous. If that were the case, she would have known before! Maybe these weren’t her true feelings, just something that had arisen when it seemed he cared for her as more than a friend. And even that wasn’t necessarily the case. He had been drunk, and not acting at all like himself. Still, the sincerity with which he thanked her for her friendship and called her beautiful made her wonder. Did he love her? And did she love him? Flora struggled to comprehend her feelings, which where compounded by the fluttery feeling low in her stomach as she thought of him. She had never been so affected, emotionally or physically, by any man. And now she felt an ache, a longing deep within her body and soul, for Daniel. She couldn’t explain it. And it was no use dwelling on it further tonight; she couldn’t stand to let these feelings intensify. Instead, she rolled onto her side and made herself sink into a fitful sleep.
**********************************************************
The next morning Daniel awoke to his alarm with a splitting headache and blurred vision. He stumbled out of bed and padded to the bathroom where he looked in the mirror. He looked awful; his eyes were bloodshot, his nose had a dark bruise on its bridge, and the clothes he had worn to the party hung rumpled on his body. Sighing, he opened the medicine cabinet and took two ibuprofen, pulled off his clothes, and hopped into the shower. As he washed the aches from his body, Daniel struggled to remember what had happened the night before. After the cake he had started feeling strange… and acting strange as well, he was sure of it. Had he been drunk? No, that wasn’t possible. He had only had one drink, then the colada… wait. Did the piña colada have alcohol in it? It must have! All he remembered was his mother ordering him one on a vacation… that must have been it, back then it was a virgin colada, but last night he had the real cocktail. He had gotten drunk. But how had he gotten home, and in bed? Someone must have driven him. It had to have been Flora. Beyond that, his mind was blank.
Daniel dried off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his slim waist. He combed his hair and brushed his teeth, then donned fresh clothes and left for work. Joel was already there, and he greeted Daniel as always, taking no blame for not warning him about the piña colada. But Daniel had a growing sense that something else had happened last night, something important that he could not remember.
Flora was preparing for her morning advice segment when she heard someone passing by the studio room. Instinctively, she turned, and saw Daniel walking by. He waved, and she noticed a small bruise on his nose, identical to the one on hers that she had tried to cover with makeup. She waved quickly and turned back to her work, hoping Daniel wouldn’t come in to talk to her. How could she face him after last night? Thankfully, he kept walking, having perceived her desire to be alone as simply a part of her good work ethic. Flora breathed a sigh of relief and readied herself, putting on her headphones and positioning herself before the microphone. Maggie gave her the countdown and Flora cheerily introduced herself and the show as she always did. Immediately, the phone rang and Maggie put the caller on the air.
“Hi there, this is Flora! You’re on the air!” Flora greeted.
“Hi Flora! I’m Julie, and I’m so happy to be on the show!” The girl’s voice was bright and cheerful. She couldn’t have been older than sixteen.
“Well, I’m glad you called Julie. What are you calling about?”
“Um… I’m in the high school play, Romeo and Juliet…” Julie’s voice grew more serious. “My friend Scott and I have the lead roles. And, well, we have to be the lovers, you know? We have to kiss onstage.”
“And is that difficult for you?”
“Well, no… I know I’m playing a character but when we kiss…” She stopped, frustrated.
“It’s ok, Julie, you can tell me,” Flora said gently. Julie continued.
“I really like it, it feels good and I want more… but I don’t know if it’s whether I’m just in character, or if I’m falling for my friend… I mean, we’ve been friends for a long time, and now… with just a few kisses I feel like I love him! I don’t know what to tell him… or should I kiss him for real and see what happens? I’m so confused…”
Flora was too stunned to speak. The situation mirrored her own so well, and it frightened her. How was she supposed to give advice to someone when she didn’t know what she should do in the situation? Noting Flora’s distraction, Maggie tapped on the glass between herself and Flora, jolting the hostess out of her reverie.
“Sorry, Julie, I was just thinking.” Her voice shook, and she took a moment to compose herself before continuing. “Do you think he might feel the same way?”
“I don’t know… maybe…”
“Well, I don’t think it would be wise to just go up and kiss him. It’s better to tell him how you feel.” Flora disliked saying this because she knew she would have to follow her own advice with Daniel. “Tell him how you feel, and that you don’t know if these feelings were brought on by your kissing for the play… and that you want to know how he feels too, because you don’t know what to do. Do you think you can do that?”
“I think so.”
“Why don’t you practice on me?” Maybe Flora could get help from Julie’s ideas.
Julie took a deep breath. “Scott, since we’ve been working on this play, I’ve started to have feelings for you… and I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do… and it’s all right if you don’t feel the same way, but please, tell me how you feel because no matter what I want to be friends.”
“That’s very good… I hope it works and that he takes it well.”
“I really hope so too… I like him a lot…”
“Well, best wishes to you!”
“Thanks, Flora! You’re a big help!”
Flora smiled. “You’re welcome. But it’s you who decided what to say. Take care now.”
Julie hung up and Flora slumped slightly in her seat, nervous and worried about her own situation. Then the phone rang again, and she knew it was going to be a long morning.
**********************************************************
Much to everyone’s confusion, Flora ate lunch alone in the studio room, and read the newspaper on her break time. She was cheerful in a distracted way, as though she had a lot on her mind. This worried Daniel especially, as Flora had unwittingly opened up to him as he had to her. Within he saw a sad, lonely girl. He had wanted to make that girl happy, confident in herself, to kiss her tears away, but he knew that for all the help she gave others, she was not aware that she needed help herself. So when he saw her behaving so antisocially, he resolved to talk to her after work.
Flora closed up the studio room that night and turned to face the person she had been avoiding all day.
“Daniel. You startled me.” Her voice betrayed little of her emotion.
“What’s wrong, Flora?” He displayed genuine concern and she was taken aback, her plans to confess her feelings dissipated.
“Nothing… I’m just tired…” She looked down, avoiding eye contact.
Daniel looked at the bruise on her nose from which the makeup had worn off. “What happened to your nose?”
Flora looked up again nervously. “Last night… you…” She was unable to finish the thought.
“I did that to you? I would never hurt you… I…” His voice was laced with pain.
She cut him off with a shake of her head. “No… you… kissed me.”
“I… kissed you?” Daniel asked in wonder. He touched the bruise on his own nose.
Flora nodded. She bit her lip and braced herself before continuing. “And… ever since you kissed me, I’ve been full of all these new feelings… And it’s as though they’ve always been there… Daniel, you know I care about you so much as a friend, but this is something else. It’s much stronger than that… more than just liking you… I don’t know if I’m just confused because of the kiss, you were drunk after all and probably didn’t know what you were doing. But I might feel this way otherwise… Right now, I feel it, and I need to know how you feel.”
“Flora… first off, I’m sorry I kissed you so suddenly, I didn’t want to startle or confuse you. And I’m sorry I don’t remember it… I can say though, that I don’t regret doing it. I’d kiss you even if I weren’t drunk.”
She stared at him. “But why?”
“Flora, you’re such a wonderful person. You’re witty, kind, caring, beautiful inside and out,” he touched her cheek and she leaned into his hand, closing her eyes.
“Daniel,” she murmured. He spoke again nervously.
“Flora, I think I’m in love with you.”
Her eyes sprang open and filled with tears of surprise and joy. She stared at him, unable to speak.
“No…” Daniel said, more strongly now.
She was puzzled and she drew back from his hand, until he continued. “I know it. I love you, Flora.”
Flora gasped at his admission, and a cold grip she didn’t even know had been on her heart released, leaving only warmth and happiness in her soul. The words she hadn’t known she felt flowed from her lips.
“I love you, Daniel.”
His heart soared and he moved his hand to the back of her neck. She stroked his face and held it between her hands. Their faces moved together, until they were nearly touching. With that, their lips met in a perfect kiss that felt as though it echoed through eternity.
