A heart-shaped pizza

Her eyes glued to her computer, Bonnie was so absorbed in her work, that she hadn’t paid attention to either time or her surroundings for hours. She was oblivious that Michael had been watching from the other side of the room for a while now. How much time had passed since she had started working on her new project?

Her coffee mug had been long emptied and the sounds coming from her stomach reminded him that she probably hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast either. If asked, she would say she’d take a break later, when she was finally finished with her work. If that ever happened. He knew firsthand that Bonnie wasn’t someone who’d drop her work in order to grab a bite to eat or rest for a moment.

If she didn’t leave her desk for a break, then he would have to find a way to force her to at least pause for a minute.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee interrupted her from her work only moments later. This was the least Michael could do for her. And coffee was just what Bonnie needed now. Pouring the hot  liquid in a mug for her, he watched her taking in the smell of her beloved beverage, while she was wondering if someone had read her mind.

He would be a fool to startle her by calling her name. Instead, he placed the mug next to her desk while he plopped down in a chair next to her. Noticing the coffee as well as his shadow on her screen, she finally looked up and their eyes met.

“Thanks. That’s just what I needed now.” She smiled at him and took a careful sip from the mug. Judging from the tired look in her eyes, she must have spent the entire day in front of her computer. “How did you know that I was in desperate need of coffee?”

The smile on his face grew wider. She should know by now that not only she was able to anticipate his every need. Without her noticing he’d studied her long enough that he knew when it was time for her to stop working.
“Bon, you’ve been staring at your screen for the last 20 minutes. Your fingers haven’t even touched the keys. This tells me that you are in desperate need of a break.”

Her meek smile showed him that he was right. She had reached a point where she no longer was able to focus. As always, however, she was too stubborn to admit that he had read her mind.

“Besides,” he added pointing at the calendar on her desk. “What are you doing here anyway? It’s Valentine’s Day. No one should be working on Valentine’s Day. Shouldn’t you be home getting ready to go out on a date, maybe with Matt?”

Matt Erickson. The architect of the Foundation’s mansion. He and Bonnie were friends since he had designed their headquarters. They had gone out a few times – as friends. Michael, however, had always had the impression that Matt wouldn’t mind if they became more than just friends. He wasn’t sure how Bonnie felt about Matt. Whenever he had asked her, she had always claimed that they were friends. As long as he had known her, she hadn’t been in a real relationship and he often wondered why. She was an intelligent, caring and beautiful woman. Any man who’d be with her could consider himself lucky.

She looked at him in surprise. Was it already Valentine’s Day? She must have clearly spent too much time on her project lately because she wasn’t even aware what day it was anymore. A quick glance to the calendar confirmed that it was indeed February 14th. She could have sworn February had just started.

She thought about Michael’s words and analyzed the meaning of them. From the sound of his voice, he seemed to assume that she wasn’t spending this day alone. Did this bother him or did he seem to hope that she didn‘t have plans for the evening? Why was he so sure she had a date and why did he seem to believe that she was going out with Matt? Was it just her imagination or did she detect jealousy in Michael’s words?

“Bonnie? You still here?” Michael’s words snapped her out of her thoughts. He smiled at her, wondering what was going on in her head. For a moment, he thought she had forgotten he was sitting next to her.

“It can’t be February 14th already.” She mumbled quietly. “Admit it, you’ve changed the date.”

He burst out in laughter and she started laughing too. “Sorry, Bon, it’s no joke. All you’ve done the last few weeks is work. We’ve barely seen you. You’ve been absent-minded and spent most of your time in front of your computer. I bet you haven’t slept and eaten much lately. Am I right?”

He knew her too well. It was true, she’d been so focused that she had lost track of time. “I guess I’ve really worked too much this time.” She admitted.

“Only this time?” He looked at her with his eyebrows raised. It was no secret that this wasn’t the first time Bonnie had been absorbed by her work. “So what are your plans for tonight?”

Plans. Why was he suddenly so interested in how she was spending Valentine’s Day? He’d never asked her before. Unless he had something in mind. “What makes you think that I’m going out on a date with Matt?”

“Oh, I just assumed. He’s been here a lot since the party at the Hotel Maximilian. Didn’t you go out with him a few times?” Why did he always feel like he had to defend himself when he asked her an innocent question?

“Matt is just a friend. And no, I’m not going out with him tonight. Since when do you care about my plans for Valentine’s Day?” Bonnie said quickly, wondering why it seemed to be so important to her that Michael knew that she wasn’t in a relationship with Matt. Most women wouldn’t hesitate if given the chance to date Matt Erickson. Bonnie, however, wasn’t someone who’d give her heart away quickly. And though Matt Erickson was a wonderful man, he wasn’t the one who made her heart beat faster. “Why are you here on Valentine’s Day anyway? Shouldn’t you be on a date with…. what was her name again?” She tried to come up with the name of the woman he last went out with. Why didn’t she remember?

Smart move, he thought. Instead of answering his question in detail, she decided to ask about his plans. She seemed to think he had a couple of women lined up, all waiting for him to be his Valentine. The truth was that he hadn’t made any plans either. If Bonnie hadn’t been absorbed by her work lately, she would have noticed that Michael hadn’t been seeing anyone lately. Still, he could have easily found a date. He had deliberately decided not to ask anyone out though.

“Nope. I don’t have any plans either.” He smiled at her shyly, noticing that she was surprised to hear him say this.

“How come you don’t have any plans?” This was unusual for Michael and she wondered what had happened. “Usually, women are fighting about who gets to go out with you.”

He moved his chair closer to her and rested his hand on her arm. “You are right. I could go out with at least five women. Women that I just met and hardly know. Women who don’t know me at all. Women who don’t understand me or my work.” He explained to her. “This isn’t what I want and that’s why I decided not to go out with any of these women. Instead, I asked myself who I’d want to spend Valentine’s Day with, and I realized that there is only one person who I’d want to be with.”

“And who’s this person?“ Did she really want to know? “Let me guess – it’s KITT, right?“ Why did she suddenly feel nervous that he was sitting so close to her?

Her remark made him laugh again. “Well, KITT would be one option to hang out with. Though we’d make a rather weird couple. And he isn’t a woman.” His voice now sounded serious. “The only woman I want to spend this Valentine’s Day with is you, Bonnie.” He looked into her eyes. “You are my best friend, and you know me better than anyone, well apart from KITT. There’s no one else I’d rather spend Valentine’s Day with. And since you don’t have any plans either, we could spend the evening together.” He wasn’t sure how she’d react to what he was going to say. He hoped she wouldn’t get it wrong. “So, Bon, what do you say? Will you be my Valentine?”

She looked at him, lost for words. His confession had left her speechless. Did Michael Knight just ask her if she wanted to be his Valentine?

“I mean… as friends.” He quickly added when he realized that his question might have made her uncomfortable. Not that he wouldn’t mind if she finally knew that his feelings for her ran deeper. “You’ve worked all day and your stomach is telling me that you probably haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. You need a break, and you deserve to have someone to spend Valentine’s Day with.” His hand now reached out for her hand. “Now, will you be my Valentine and share one of those silly heart-shaped pizzas with me?”

“Ha! I knew that there had to be a catch. You probably can’t get this pizza without a date.” She answered, hoping he wouldn’t realize how much him asking her out meant to her.

“Ah, I was hoping you wouldn’t figure it out.” He grinned while he was still holding her hand. “Is that a yes?”

A growl coming from her stomach made her admit that she was indeed hungry. Sharing a pizza with Michael sounded like a good idea. It was just two friends grabbing a bite to eat. Why did she even hesitate?

Because he was Michael Knight. The man she’d secretly been in love with from the moment they had first met. The man who made her heart beat faster. The man she’d never tell how she truly felt about him. And this man was now asking her to be his Valentine. Could this lead to more than just to sharing a heart-shaped pizza?

She’d be a fool and turn him down, like she had in the past. Maybe he was just being nice because neither of them had any plans. But maybe there was more behind him asking her out. Whatever it was, Bonnie wasn’t going to reject him this time.

Michael was anxiously waiting for her answer, hoping he hadn’t scared her off with his suggestion. “Will you go out with me, Bon?”

“You are right, I’m starving,” She finally said smiling at him. “Pizza sounds like a good idea. And maybe some red velvet cupcakes afterwards?” She grabbed her purse from the desk when she realized that she had dodged answering his question. “And Michael?”

“Yeah?” He smiled at her expectantly.

“I’d love to be your Valentine.”

He could have jumped for joy when he heard her say these words. He wouldn’t though. He’d play cool and wouldn’t let her know how happy he was. Not yet. He’d enjoy spending the evening with her and if he’d find the courage, he’d tell her how he really felt about her.