Even the cynical need love. And you never know where you might find it.
"A strongly plot-driven tale, well suited to a competition such as this - it just missed the cut."
It seems unlikely that Brad Pitt is going to come knocking on her door anytime soon. So Tania thinks of calling in sick. Better than going into work to be faced with the gleeful faces of her female co-workers who had been swamped with a dozen red roses, ridiculous-looking soft toys emblazoned with hearts and acres of chocolate littering their desks.
Tania creeps into work. She hides beneath the Valentine Day paraphernalia that oozes unsubtly from Debbie's desk. Tania is pretty. Bright. Funny. So why did a rose or a goofy toy on Valentines Day have to validate this? She bought chocolate for herself every day. She didn't need some fantasy man to buy it for her.
"SO, who has an admirer THIS year?!" Debbie holds a single red rose. "Let me see" Tania snatches the red rose, feeling all eyes on her.
A card falls out. Debbie's eyebrow goes up. Tania swivels around in her chair and slowly opens the card. "Happy Valentines Day from a secret admirer." Great - so who the hell IS her secret admirer? No-one here I hope she thinks. But she scans the room just in case. Most were off the market. She cannot imagine Bernard The IT Guy wooing anything beside his computer. Jason The Office Flirt? Not likely since she hadn't fallen for any of his one-liners. Unless? Accountant Guy. Oh I hope not she cringes. Too friendly. Too keen. But in reality who else would it be from?
This had to be worse than NOTHING coming her way. At least she didn't have to be plagued with scenarios of ways in which she could avoid Accountant Guy all day - and eventually fob him off.
At five o'clock a scurry of women exit with their Valentines goodies. The annual cry from Debbie. "Not sure I can carry ALL this to the car…" And the annual response - every man in the office clambering to get to her desk like she was the last beer in the fridge on a hot summers day.
"You need a hand with your rose?" She was about to swipe back at the hurtful comment. It's Accountant Guy.
"Do you know why I admire you?" he says. She shakes her head, blushing. "For being who you are - you don't try to be anything you're not".
"Th-anks" she says "…for the rose - it's beautiful." "Not as beautiful as you." How corny - yet how sweet.
"I'm Derek" he stretches out a strong, brown hand. And beneath those glasses is a sweet, wholesome yet kind face.
"Tania" she says, her hand shaking his. He nods I know.
"See you later then." And he's gone.
And then she realises that this could be something worth pursuing. She gathers up her handbag and the rose and rushes after Derek. "Do you want to do coffee?" she says, suddenly nervous. He smiles yes. Perhaps Valentines Day wasn't such a bad tradition after all, she smiles to herself. Who knew where this could go.
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