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The line at the Dunkin Donuts is long. Very long. Kendra Saunders yawns as she waits in line. It’s not that early in the morning, but she’d been up nearly all last night, and she just needs coffee now. Or some form of caffeine. She didn’t have one, but she’d bet one of those five hour energy drinks that people sell in little bottles would hit the spot just as well. … assuming it didn’t taste like shit.
Kendra stretches slightly as she plans out her order. A coffee, large – any kind would do. And maybe some sugar to top it off. Hmm… what’s that on the menu that they are advertising right now? A brownie batter donut? That sounds good. She’ll order that.
Kendra places her order and waits for it, focusing on nothing but her urge for some caffeine. A barista hands her her coffee and donut.
The donut looks kind of fucked up, though. Not regular donut shape at all.
As Kendra inspects it, she notices something.
It’s not a fucked up circle donut! It’s a donut in the shape of a heart!
… and its February.
This all adds up to something very sinister.
“ Uh, hey, wait,” Kendra says as the barista hands another customer their order. “What day is it?”
“February fourteenth,” the barista answers.
“Ah, fuck,” Kendra says.
“Not in the mood for Valentines day?” the other customer asks. “I get it – it sucks being single today.”
Kendra nods, pretending that’s totally her problem. In reality, she had a bigger one –
she had forgotten about Valentine’s day completely.
Kendra darts out the door, trying not to spill her coffee, as she tries to think of a good Valentine’s day gift for Carter. It feels like such a disaster – she’s not normally one for the holiday, but Carter might be. He was kind of a romantic, he probably loved sappy stuff like that.
Quick, what’s something that I can get him besides chocolate or flowers? Kendra thinks to herself. Ideally, something that gave a committed yet not clingy vibe, too. Well, semi committed. They hadn’t been in a relationship that long, but Kendra and Carter had known each other for a while. So, she should know what he’d like! But she’s just drawing a blank at the moment.
Maybe she can figure this out. Order an item for pick up from Target, or something, and hope its something he’d like.
This is going to be a disaster.
***
St Roch Museum is a bit busy today, Carter thinks. It’s the middle of the week, but a good number of people have shown up.
Which, of course, makes it all the more frustrating that Kendra seems to have been ignoring Carter all morning. She’d been a little jittery this morning (no doubt the result of the truly massive coffee she’d been chugging when Carter saw her) and had just bailed on him when he only asked her if she’d packed a lunch.
Weird. It’s probably a sign something’s been bothering her, but Carter can’t really talk to her about it if she’s avoiding him. Maybe he can sneak a word in edgewise when they go out on patrol tonight.
After leaving for lunch, Carter finds himself at a small bar that had recently opened up. It had good food and its close enough that he can walk from the museum.
As Carter sits down near the bar, the bartender approaches him, and hands him the beer menu. “Oh, sorry, I’m not drinking yet,” Carter says, and starts to look over the regular menu quickly.
“It’s fine,” the bartender says. “I shouldn’t have assumed. You just had that mopey look about you.”
“I did?” Carter asks. He couldn’t have been thinking that much about Kendra acting weird, could he have? Enough that it showed on his face?
“Yeah. Rough day for singles, eh?”
“...why is that?”
“ Valentine’s day,” the bartender says. “...You didn’t remember?”
Oh, it all makes so much sense now! Kendra must be sad because Carter had somehow managed to forget Valentine’s day. Their first Valentine’s day together. This is a disaster!
“ Well,” Carter says. “Shit.”
“You didn’t remember,” the bartender says again.
“ No, not at all,” Carter says, as the bartender gives a slight laugh. “I’m so screwed.”
The bartender laughs again, wishes Carter a ‘good luck’ and lets Carter continue looking over the menu.
Double crap. What would be a good Valentine’s day gift for Kendra? Carter thinks. They’ve known each other long enough that he should know. She liked movies! He could take her to the movies!
… but they’d seen plenty of movies together before they’d gotten together. What if it reads as too platonic to her?
Jewelry? Maybe a little cliché. B esides , what if something like that, something more romance focused, would read as worse than the movie ? What if she thinks he’s just interested in their past lives , and not her as a person?
Um, crap. Chocolate? No. He’ll feel like he’s in high school.
He’s go to think of something good. And fast. There’s only so long he can pretend he just hasn’t thought to give it to her yet, as the day goes on.
Ugh. This is going to be a disaster.
***
Kendra Saunders nervously waits inside the museum where she and Carter keep their gear. It’d been hard today , trying to not let Carter think she forgot Valentine’s day, but she’d managed. The subject had not come up once throughout the whole work day – a success! And she’s even managed to sneak away to a store a little bit before coming back to the museum and get Carter something – anything – to keep him from guessing the truth.
It’s not a good enough gift, she knows that, but maybe, just maybe, Carter will be cool with it.
Kendra spins as the door opens. Carter stands there, looking dejected, still in his day clothes – khaki pants and a white button up shirt. The shirt has been unbuttoned slightly (which Kendra thinks makes him look hotter, even if he doesn’t often intentionally take advantage of that) and his hair looks disheveled (again, making him look hotter).
“ Kendra,” Carter says, while Kendra says, “Carter.”
The two pause after having spoken over each other, each waiting a second for the other to talk.
Okay, Carter’s done. Kendra says, “ Look, there’s something you should -” but at the same time, Carter has started saying, “I have a confession to make -”
Again, they pause.
“Okay, I’ll go,” Kendra says quickly.
Carter nods slowly.
“ I know today is. uh. Special for you,” Kendra says. Carter opens his mouth, but Kendra refuses to let him interrupt her. “And I know that today is, you know, Valentine’s day and all. And normally I’d want to make it as special as possible for you,” Kendra pauses to take a breath, giving Carter the chance to attempt to interject. As he begins speaking, Kendra says, “ I’m still talking. Anyway, I’d love to say I totally thought this out, but I didn’t, because it slipped my mind somehow so uh. Here.” Kendra hands out her hastily chosen gift for Carter.
Carter laughs, “You got me socks?” he asks.
“Please don’t be mad…”
“Kendra, I’m not mad,” Carter says, and laughs once more. “ I didn’t know how to come clean, but the truth is, I also forgot today was Valentine’s day. And… I don’t know. Everything I tried to think of to make today awesome for you just felt. Lame and half-assed,” Carter says.
“You forgot too?” Kendra says. “ I figured you’d be all about Valentine’s day.”
“Of course not,” Carter says, “It’s not like it’s, say, our anniversary.”
Kendra makes a mental note to not forget their anniversary.
Carter continues, “I thought I’d really fucked up, not getting you anything on our first Valentine’s day together.”
Kendra laughs, “It’s fine, Carter,” she says, “It’s not like I got you something great, either. I just...wanted to hide that I forgot.”
“So you got me socks?” Carter asks. But he’s smiling.
“Yeah… ” Kendra says. “I panicked.”
“It’s fine,” Carter says, stepping a bit closer to Kendra. “ Kendra, if this holiday has a point -”
“It doesn't,” Kendra says.
“If this holiday has a point,” Carter continues, and lifts a hand up to guide Kendra’s gaze to his face. “It would be to spend time with you.”
Kendra leans in to kiss him, feeling herself blushing. They’d both gotten themselves so worked up about Valentine’s day, but it feels silly now. After all, Kendra just wants him, too.