Sundays were meant for relaxing. Not for having panic attacks.
Clara had used to love Sundays. She would stay in her pyjamas the entire day, watching television and eating chocolate. She loved Sundays. Or at least she’d used to.
Then she’d decided to become a wedding planner, and Sunday had become the day of her nightmares.
Friday and Saturday were quite awful too, but for some reason Sunday had been the day that Clara had the hardest time giving up. Suddenly Sundays weren’t for hot chocolate and long baths, but rather for listening to complaints and working as hard as ever. Tuesday was her most relaxed day of the week, but it just wasn’t the same. She missed her Sundays, and this particular Sunday was particularly stressful.
It was in the middle of a very prestigious wedding party for a very demanding, but very wealthy couple, and Clara couldn’t wait until she no longer needed to hear the bride’s shrill voice yell at her. The entire day had been one little problem after another, and it was first now that Clara felt safe enough to take a deep breath and relax.
The food had been popular enough, and thankfully people were dancing. She didn’t even want to think about how Bridezilla would react if people weren’t dancing.
Taking a glass of champagne from a waiter passing by, she let her eyes drift shut, enjoying these minutes where everything went according to plan.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” a voice sounded. “Friend of the groom?”
Clara looked up into a pair of very blue eyes. The exact same shade of blue as the bride. And the exact same shade as the several hundred roses that Bridezilla had demanded.
“No,” she answered, trying to place him. He had to be related to the bride. A cousin maybe. “I’m the wedding planner.”
“That explains why I haven’t seen you before then.” He smiled. “I’m David.”
Ah. The brother of the bride. Upset his family when he quit law school and decided to become a scuba instructor. Clara had heard plenty of complaints about this so-called black sheep of the family. Personally she couldn’t see the big deal, but she supposed it was different in a family like this. Her own parents just wanted her to be happy.
“I’m Clara,” she introduced herself.
“I’m kind of thankful you’re here,” he told her, grinning slightly.
“Really? Why?”
“Well, let’s just say I’m not very popular at the moment. I just bought my own bar, which I’ve been told twenty times today is horribly disgraceful, but as if that wasn’t enough, I also came without a date.” His grin broadened.
“Oh. Why didn’t you bring a date?” The words were out before she could stop them. But it just seemed like he was much too attractive to not be able to get a date for a wedding.
“I couldn’t do that to some poor, unsuspecting woman. Throwing her to the wolves like that. That would just be cruel.”
Clara smiled. “The wolves?” she asked, feigning ignorance.
He laughed. “Come on now, don’t think I’m gonna fall for that. I know how my sister treats the people she considers ‘the help’. You have seen the worst side of her. Calling her a wolf is almost frighteningly accurate.”
She smiled at him, making sure that no one else was around to hear their conversation. She rather fancied being paid.
“For what it’s worth,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with owning a bar. I think it’s brave starting up your own business like that.”
“Like you did, you mean?”
She blushed, realising belatedly how arrogant that may have sounded.
“I didn’t… I mean…” She grimaced. “I think it’s great that you do what you think will make you happy. Few people do.” She hesitated for a moment. “Your sister and her husband doesn’t seem particularly happy,” she said.
“Oh, they’re not. Almost everyone in my family are miserable. It’s a tradition. I don’t think I’ll ever be forgiven for breaking it.”
She looked up at him with thoughtful eyes. She liked the way he looked. A healthy tan that showed that he spent much of his time outside. Laugh lines forming around the eyes despite the fact that he couldn’t be much over thirty. An easy grin and laughing eyes.
“And what makes you happy?” she asked, taking a sip of her champagne.
He actually seemed to consider it. “Being my own boss,” he said. “Competing with myself. Learning new things. Friends. Sex.”
She just barely managed not to choke on the champagne. “That’s… honest,” she said.
He just looked at her in seemingly anticipation.
“What?” she asked.
“Well, it’s your turn,” he said. “What makes you happy?”
“Oh.” She’d been so busy with this wedding, she’d completely forgotten what it felt like to have a conversation and not just be talked to. “The same pretty much. And flowers.”
“Flowers?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I just love them. They make me happy. Does it matter why?”
“I suppose not.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment. “I love bad coffee,” he said then.
She couldn’t withhold a surprised laughter. “What?”
“You know that really awful instant kind? I love that. I hate that fancy stuff.”
She smiled at him. “I love Harlequin romance novels,” she said. “And getting wet.”
There was something unmistakably naughty in his grin. “You like… getting wet?” he repeated, and she smacked him lightly.
“I meant getting wet in the rain,” she said.
“What a disappointment.” He feigned deep sorrow, before lightening up again. “I love squirrels.”
“Really?”
“Hmm. They’re just so damn cute.”
She smiled at that. “I love children’s champagne.”
“I love sushi despite hating every other kind of fish.”
“I love trampolines.”
“I love Sundays.”
She stopped, stared.
“What?” he asked.
“I used to love Sundays,” she said in a far more serious tone.
“Well, I used to hate them. Back in school Sunday meant classes started tomorrow. Now, Sunday means that the busiest time of the week is over, and I can relax again.”
“I miss Sundays,” she admitted. “I miss watching television all day while wearing my fluffiest pair of socks.”
“Well, then what are you doing next Sunday?”
She smiled at him. “Amazingly enough, nothing. For the first time in three months.”
“What would you say to come over to my place and watch television all day?”
“Television?” she repeated, wondering if his words had a double meaning.
“Television,” he repeated firmly. “I have every season of New Girl on Blu-ray.”
“Really?”
“Cross my heart. You only need to bring the socks. And popcorn. Gotta have popcorn.”
“Well, then I suppose I could consider it.”
“Please do. Damn, my sister is signalling after me.” He grimaced, before pulling out a card. “My phone number is on here. Give me a call.”
She watched him walk away, unable to hide her grin. She felt a light flutter in her lower stomach. How long had it been since a guy had actually given her butterflies?
Perhaps Sundays weren’t so bad after all.
It was a breezy read and a really sweet and simple story. I particularly liked the conversation where the characters mentioned the little things that make them happy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 😊
LikeLike
It was a really simple and sweet story. I particularly liked the dialogue between the characters about what made them happy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I apologise for commenting twice. I forgot about the fact that they need to be approved before being visible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I could so easily have done the same 😊 Thank you for taking your time to read and comment 🙂
LikeLike
Good story, good writing. When I’m able to have more time on the internet I will check you out….not in that sense, I will do if you don’t mind “my cool stalker moves”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 🙂 Well, I’m okay with social media stalking, but maybe not slash my tires and nail a dead cat on my door? 😉
LikeLike
A dead cat you kidding? I will nail a gorilla, he’s more cute than a cat…….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please, cutest animal is a lion. Everybody knows that!
LikeLike
The lion is an ugly beast, plus once he throws out the other lion and he gets into his territory….only for the females he gets in there (he’s a bit off) he eats all the cups
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ps. Thanks for being my follower number 200! 😀
LikeLike
Tell you the truth, when I started in this blog thing world, the last thing in my mind that there was going to be 2000 plus followers, I’ m not even a good writier, but why I get involved with this wordpress thing, I learn from you guys
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I think I might have more to learn from you than the other way around 😉 One day, I’ll beat you though! (Insert evil laughter here)
LikeLike
That was not me by the way, jut a “good” friend, and he knows where you live……
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm… of course. (Insert sarcasm here)
LikeLike
I like you
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like me too 😉
LikeLike
I had to smile at that, is exactly what I say when they tell me something along the lines I just told you.
So that’s cool, we both like each other, I mean I like myself and you like yourself….. we gotta get someone else in the liking business of oneself
LikeLiked by 1 person
We could start a charity for it! 😉
LikeLike
I’ll skim the money no worries, I’ m connect
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool, ’cause I got nothing 🙂
LikeLike
Me neither, I’m broke as a … a something , but fortunately I got a computer, a roof over my head, food, and cigarttes, more than enough.
Apreciate the good and small things.
A question, and I understand why you would not anwser it, what do you do?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor and weird – obviously I’m a student 🙂
LikeLike
I was once a student, you say poor?….hummm,
I had a scholarship for creative writing and English literature, lasted one year an a half, then…..army time!
What is your major?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Creative Writing. Partly on scholarship 🙂 Do you have Facebook, because these comments are perhaps not so much about the post *grins*
LikeLike
No I don’t have facebook, I’m what you can call a troglodite when it gets into the social media world.
I understand this is in public, and I’m really not sure if to opoen a face book account.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No biggie – you must explain yourself a lot. I surely had to, back when I didn’t have a phone 🙂
LikeLike
We will meet in private
LikeLiked by 1 person
Classes over, check later 🙂
LikeLike
You know what, I will bet that you will check in latter, I’m that irrestible
LikeLiked by 1 person
And so modest 🙂
LikeLike
Told ya, you where going to respond, by the way what does the word modest mean?
LikeLiked by 1 person
humble
LikeLike
You still there?
LikeLike
Yes, though I am also doing homework simultaneously 🙂
LikeLike
What kind of homework?
LikeLike
Writing an analysis of Framley Parsonage
LikeLike
You kiding me? What kind of name is that and what in the world means?
LikeLike
It’s a book 🙂
LikeLike
Nicely written ad an enjoyable read. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on astoryin5days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome 🙂 Thanks!
LikeLike
sundays are too enthusiastic untill the evenings when they turn horrofic signaling the arrival of Mondays !!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sunday morning sure are better than sunday evening 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a charming and delightful story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 😊
LikeLike
Nice! You captured the charm of first sparks perfectly!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! 😁
LikeLike