Reedsy Prompts Comment.
Hi John, you made a fun and readable story about something most men can relate to: trying to impress a woman. A good read.
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He wanted to impress her. In her culture, Women’s Day was a big deal. He had seen this over many years, when he worked in numerous offices, and processions of flower deliveries arrived at the ladies’ desk, the more the better. Every woman or girl became the recipient of flowers, gifts, this was the queen of days on the annual calendar. He was so eager to impress her and show his care and gentlemanly attention. But the universe was against it. This year, anyway.
She was an avid believer in astrology, and the moon’s cycles. She thought she had a gift of clairvoyance as well. Waking up, and recounting dreams, and then dashing to some books to translate the dreams into normal day meanings, and all the weird superstitious rituals, such as sitting on a chair for a few moments before a journey. This was part of his life now, with his girl. But he still wanted to impress her.
He planned for the day for weeks, flowers to the office, a big bunch of yellow tulips, with a gift-wrapped box of chocolates, and then dinner in the evening at “El Comida Especial.”
The day before the huge event, he received a message from his beloved.
Influence on personality: The influence of the Moon today is so strong that everything positive and negative in a person is amplified many times over. Our inner tempter is activated, so there can be many temptations in various areas. There is a danger of becoming suggestible, lazy, and succumbing to harmful influences, because the control over our behavior is weakened, and our instincts are below par. There is a chance under this influence to do stupid extravagant things, and the consequences will be very negative.
Relationships: A Day of temptations, deceit, illusions, and sins, it is that there could be possible conflicts and loss of understanding with loved ones. Don’t get carried away. Try to restrain your emotions and act reasonably and calmly. Today is not the time to accept gifts. This is one of the days when it is preferable to refuse sex, and it would be wiser to not the tempted, and use control over our passionate desires.
His heart sank.
Now what to do? Be damned if you do, and be damned if you don’t, he thought. If he didn’t send flowers to her office, and every female on the floor is being showered by their fancy dans, or partners, he won’t come out of that well. If he does go ahead and send, to the special recipient of his attentions, and ignores her messages, she will only be annoyed, and he will get “I warned you not to send gifts, I told you!”
No happy endings here, at all.
He kept the dinner appointment a secret, until tomorrow, and the reservations were already made. That had taken some pulling in a favour, with the management of “El Comida Especial”, he couldn’t phone and cancel now. A dilemma. Of all the days that Women’s Day falls, why does it have to fall on the full moon day? He thought a full moon in the month was auspicious, but what did he know compared to the woman he desired, with the PhD in the cosmos.
It’s all peer pressure, he thought. He called around his friends, her friends for advice. That didn’t help. All he received was a constant, well you know what she’s like, with her theories and superstitions. He eventually hung up on the last call, with more doubts than when he started his lifeline of phoning many friends. Down to 50-50, and your decision, the last lifeline. He didn’t like the options, and he was in no position to stick with the plan. Should he cancel all the arrangements?
That night, there was no dream therapy required, as he didn’t sleep at all thinking about the next day, Women’s Day, and on a full moon day. In the waking morning he had a change of heart and called the flower shop.
“Sorry sir, this is Women’s Day, all the orders were sent out hours ago, we don’t normally have requests for cancellations on Women’s Day!” Came the reply.
Had fate dealt him his femme fatale? He had to accept the consequences.
He waited until noon and phoned her office. He called many times, but she didn’t pick up. He sent her messages of congratulations for the special day, no replies. He called her work colleague, to find out if the flowers and gift had arrived. The only news he received was, I can see the flowers and gift unopened on her desk, but I haven’t seen her all day, I think she is in meetings.
No response, nothing, to indicate her reaction, and his fate.
Now, what should he do about the dinner appointment. He sent a message letting her know that he made a reservation at “El Comida Especial”, and the time to meet at the restaurant. In for a penny in for a pound, he thought.
No sleep the night before, his preparations for the evening were nervous, and full of doubts. With no contact from her, he was left in the complete absence of intelligence, and her mood. The shaving process was hasty, nervous, and as a result, nicks and cuts needed patching, and a number of shirts were binned into the laundry. Eventually, he made it out of the front door, and hailed a waiting taxi.
He arrived at “El Comida Especial” a little bit early. It was busy. It was Women’s Day. He waited at the reception for more than 30 minutes, with a harassed receptionist pleading with him to sit at a small cocktail bar. Then, eventually demanding that he take a seat at the reserved table.
He sat down still not knowing what was awaiting his fate. Waiters were pestering him continuously for orders, and each one eyed suspiciously as he had no escort. On Women’s Day, unheard of.
He busied himself with the many menus, and then suddenly looked up. She was standing there. Stunning in a black number with the hint of black lace around the shoulders, and neckline. Her hair was amazing, as normal. Her look, well it was severe, and glaring, but without any words, he could not judge her mood. She didn’t sit down, and the waiters were all busy serving, and didn’t take notice to offer her seat. She stood there without a word. She finally spoke without sitting down.
“I received your flowers and the gift, I told you it was a full moon today, and gift giving is not acceptable today.”
He didn’t answer. He was trembling inside.
“But it is Women’s Day, and I do respect a man that makes his own choices.”
He smiled a weak smile, like a small puppy.
“Then I received your message to come to dinner, and I told you of the dangers on moon day on relationships, with so many negative influences on this day, but I came against my better judgement. But, only to come to speak face to face.”
His heart started to stutter, and the puppy smile vanished.
“But it is Women’s Day.” And finally sat down.
His heart leapt, and the puppy smile was back. Yes, he thought.
Then she said, “But absolutely, no sex tonight, understood?”
Sex was the last thing on his mind with his femme fatale sitting opposite at the table, and they ordered.