Surprise! Here's the first part of my Valentine's Day special short-story!! Valentine's Day is the celebration of love, and because I love you all so much, my little rays of sunshine, this is my little Valentine's gift for you ❤😘 Besides, who says we can't celebrate if we're single and lonely?! So here's a little fun treat to all of us. 😍😉

PS: Those who have a Valentine can still enjoy it, maybe share it with their special someone? 😏😉

And finally, thank you to everyone who suggested me songs, @annabethgranger666 is the lucky winner of the music pick 😘

"Wake up Lemonill! It's 7 a.m., and today is the most romantic day of the year! So smile and grab a ros–" Juliet turns off her alarm with a strong hit of her hand, making sure to shut up the annoying voice that has made her smile disappear.

With a sigh and a glance at the usual cold spot beside her, she decides to get up before letting any lonely thought invade her. 

It's a long day ahead. Well, it isn't really a busy day, except for her shift tonight, but that's the problem of today: the emptiness ahead when it's Valentine's Day.

It must be the same for all single people. It's just an ordinary day, like any other, yet whether you believe in love or not, it reminds you of the empty spot in your bed and in your heart.

Juliet quickly remakes her bed to hide all evidence of that void. Yet whether it's in the too big closet for her wardrobe that consists for the most part of sweatpants and oversized shirts, in her toothbrush standing alone in its glass by the sink, or in her lonely mug by the single-serving coffee maker, everything in this apartment is a reminder.

 The only thing in pair are Starsky and Hutch, her two goldfishes. At least she won't end up as a lonely old cat lady, only because she's allergic. But she swears today even the two fishes are mocking her, swimming closer than usual in their little aquarium, as she quickly feeds them. It must be her lonely mind that is deceiving her. It's been too long since she has been in couple, or even had a hook-up – not that hook-ups are her thing, but even a little flirt wouldn't hurt her after all this time.

Speaking of time, she betters hurry up if she wants to get her dose of endorphins for the day before the park gets crowded with couples walking hands and hands. Thus, she quickly tries to put her brown bob in a messy ponytail, and she puts on her sneakers and of course, her headphones that are her life savior at all times, and particularly today.

Although Juliet has nothing against this day; at least, in the principle, she believes it's a beautiful thing to celebrate love, and with her name, it's lucky that she is a little romantic. Yet the more the years are passing, and the more she sees everyone finding their Romeo, while she stays alone, the more she finds this day... overrated, to stay polite.

Overrated, she repeats as she passes her neighbors kissing heatedly on their doorstep for what could look like a farewell of years but is in fact just a goodbye for a few hours of work.

If being in love makes you act so ridiculously, maybe it's better to be single and independent, she muses, starting her jogging while rushing down the stairs.

Though her feet and her thoughts come to a stop when she opens the front door of the building and almost crashes into a huge bouquet of red and pink flowers. 

From roses to tulips and orchids, every blossom is perfectly arranged to show the beauty and passion of love, and Juliet's heart finds back the meaning of this day, already soaring with hope as the delivery woman announces,

"I have a delivery for the apartment 2..."

2. A, it's her apartment. A wide smile stretches her lips as with each beat, her heart is picturing who it could be. 

A secret admirer? A large bouquet with red roses on Valentine's day, this is the most romantic thing that she could ever wish for. Whoever it is, this person is already winning her heart, and she can imagine a passionate declaration and a movie-like reunion before the end of the day. Who's said this day is overrated and ridiculous?

But first, she has to discover who it is. She doesn't know a lot of single men who have shown her more than friendly interest. Could it be one of her colleagues? The waiter of the little coffee shop down the street? An old lover? Or maybe her best friend's brother?

No, the last one is gay, and none of her exes have ever been romantic, neither any of her male colleagues who all call her 'buddy'. So it just leaves the waiter, but she doubts he knows her address. Who is it then?

It can't be for someone else than her because the apartment 2. B is on sale, and in the 2. C, it's...

"C." The deliver woman lifts up her head from her paper, freezing Juliet's hands one inch away from grabbing the bouquet, and let's not even talk about her heart which has been leaping high.

"It's for me!" the old cat lady of the apartment 2. C exclaims, lightly pushing Juliet out of the way to grab the bouquet, and breathing in its delicate scent with a dreamy expression that should have been on Juliet's young features.

But instead, she stands there with a frozen expression that is a mix of her wide smile crumbling down and the reality hitting her in the face. 

She should have expected it; she never gets Valentine's day gifts, never, and if even her old neighbor with her ten cats receives a Valentine's day declaration, it really means that Juliet is a desperate case.

The delivery woman offers her a pitiful smile and a 'Happy Valentine's day' addressed surely more to her old neighbor, who is blushing while reading her little card.

Juliet doesn't even want to imagine what can be written on the red piece of paper. Her daydream of a perfect romance crashed on the ground faster than she has pictured it, and her heart in the same state are already enough for this early hour. 

So she escapes the suffocating loving air of the hallway just as the heady smell of the flowers reaches her nose, picking up the last remains of her dignity on the floor and not even caring for her poor heart.

***

"Will you be my Valentine?" Bryan throws his most smoldering gaze, though it looks more like he's battling with a little dust in his brown eyes.

"Sounds nice with the chocolates." Kenneth shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee and giving a quick glance at his phone for what must be the hundredth time in five minutes.

"She'll be at my feet!" Bryan grins confidently. "Way better than your complicated surprise plan for your chick!"

"It'll work." Kenneth shakes his head, checking his phone once more. "And you, what..." he trails off as they both turn their heads towards Amory.

Their 'round the table' interrogation to know what everyone is planning to do tonight is ending with Amory. Apparently, it's obvious to everyone that the loner he is has nothing planned on the most romantic day of the year. So why even ask? 

They both turn their attention back to their cups of coffee, and Amory takes the opportunity to get up and leave them to their 'romantic' plans. 

This day is overrated, he muses shaking his head after one last glance at his colleagues' enthusiasm.

They are right indeed, he has no plan for today, or any other day for the matter. He doesn't mind, though. He isn't even offended by his colleagues' tactlessness. It's always been like that. Amory has always been the nerd at school, and although he's changed a lot since the awkward age and his frail, spotty figure with glasses from 10 years ago, he's still working behind his computer all the time. Work, that's his main occupation, and now, he eagerly walks back to his small desk. His coffee breaks never last long, just enough time to get the much-needed caffeine in his system, but he isn't one for small-talk, so he's always the first to go back to his desk.

"Hey, Amory, I was wondering... do you have plans for tonight?"

Amory is about to send packing whoever is asking him this question when everyone knows the answer already, but his comeback gets lost in his open mouth as he lifts his gaze to the person talking.

 From the few opened buttons of the navy shirt letting clearly glimpse the generous breasts under to the pink smile and up to the clear green eyes looking at him expectantly under thick eyelashes, work becomes a foreign notion.

"Yes– I mean, no, no... I'm totally free." He tries his most assured smile, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. 

It's Valentine's day after all. Maybe he should listen to what the radio presenter has announced this morning: 'smile and grab a rose'. Well, for the rose, he hasn't one yet, but if he gets a date, maybe he could go buy some flowers, maybe even some chocolates. Though he won't go as far as imitating Bryan's smoldering gaze. 

"Why? I mean, and you?"

"Well, since you're talking about it..." Ines replies, leaning her hips against his desk.

Ines, his hottest colleagues – okay, most of his co-workers are men, but there are also a few women, and she is the only one who manages to make this plain uniform sexy. Actually, she's surely the fantasy of all the men around with her long blond hair, her model figure, and her clear doe eyes. So right now, Amory has to pinch himself as this fantasy is about to happen to him.

All Ines's attention is on him, and from the way she's nibbling on her pink lips, she's about to ask him out, him, Amory, the nerd. He bets none of his colleagues would have expected this.

"I have a date tonight, this really hot guy that I met the other night, and he's asked me out this morning."

This, everyone could have seen it coming, except Amory, of course.

"But I'm on duty tonight, so I was wondering if you could replace me?"

Work, Amory is brought back fully to the computer sitting in front of him, his small metallic desk standing exactly like all the others around the large room, the creamy, indefinite color of the walls only covered by a USA flag and some official plates here and there, the tiring white neon lights on the ceiling, and the background noise of the place now that everyone is coming back from their break. 

Work, why has he even thought of anything else? It's surely because of his call with his sister this morning. She keeps repeating him to go out and that any girl would be lucky to date him. It must have boosted his confidence a little too much.

"So...?"

His gaze lands back on Ines, who is still biting on her lower lip, and now her eagerness is more understandable, though his is fully evaporated. 

"I'll owe you next time you need to be replaced! Two times if you want, please!"

He never needs to be replaced, but does he really have a choice? He's just admitted he's totally free. So if he wants to save a little bit of the dignity he has left, he has to put on a friendly smile.

"Of course. What else could I do better tonight anyway?"

"Aww, thank you! You're a sweetheart!" Ines jumps at his neck, yet Amory stays with his arms by his sides.

Sweetheart, the word leaves a bitter taste in his throat, and the ones crossing his mind are nothing but sweet. 

He would prefer to be the 'hot guy' who gets a 'hot' Valentine's day, but this day is overrated anyway. Now, he'll just focus on work, and he will have a lot of time for this since he's doing a double shift.

It's gonna be a long night at the police station.

It's gonna be a long night at the police station... What do you think? 🤔😏

What are your thoughts on Juliet and Amory so far? Two single pringles like us, though I hope you don't get as many disillusions as them! This day is overrated anyway! 😅😂😉

I hope you liked this first part, tell me in the comments what you think, and don't forget to vote ⭐!

The second and third parts are coming tomorrow, are you ready for a long Valentine's Day night? If so, add the story to your library and reading lists to get notif when I update 😉❤