Operation Valentine

by Loretta Hill

  ‘I really should get going,’ he said suddenly, a decision crystallising in his head. ‘Chloe is expecting me home tonight and I need to see her.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ she agreed just as quickly. ‘You shouldn’t keep her waiting. I don’t want to hold you up.’

  ‘You’re not holding me up,’ he reassured her hastily, grabbing her hand and squeezing it briefly. ‘There’s just something important I need to talk to Chloe about tonight.’

  ‘You’re not mad at me?’

  ‘For what?’ His tone was gentle.

  ‘For over-stepping the boundaries again,’ she said sheepishly. ‘You gave me that impression just now.’

  ‘Not mad at all. Although,’ he said, rising cheerfully from his seat, ‘there is one thing that happened tonight I don’t want you to forget about.’

  She blinked. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘You owe me ten bucks.’

  ‘Owen!’ She punched him in the arm, half laughing, half groaning. He chuckled in the enjoyment of a moment that was so open and natural, sincerely hoping there would be many more of them.

  Driving home, Owen had never felt freer in his entire life. The weight of the past had been lifted off his shoulders. It was just like the lyrics of the old song playing on the radio. He was finally leaving all his troubles behind. Which wasn’t to say that he wasn’t afraid. Because he was.

  Terrified in fact.

  But to ignore this emotion sweeping through his body for the first time in thirteen years was something he just couldn’t do.

  Chloe was watching TV when he walked in the door. Her bored expression was so at odds with the new awareness bubbling in the centre of his chest that he had to laugh as he snapped the TV off with one flick of the remote.

  ‘Hey, I was watching that!’

  ‘I know, but we need to talk.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Sarah Dubert.’

  Chloe immediately took her feet off the couch and sat up straighter, grinning from ear to ear. ‘You like her, don’t you? I knew it!’

  He looked at her in some surprise. ‘You did?’

  ‘What’s not to like about her?’ Chloe snorted. ‘She’s great.’

  ‘She is great.’ He nodded. ‘And beautiful and humble and caring and –’

  Chloe whooped. ‘Are you falling in love with her?’

  He breathed deeply. It was so ironic that he should be feeling so much for this girl he’d barely touched. Hell, he hadn’t even kissed her. Yet his body felt wrung out like it had been put through a heavy wash cycle for days.

  ‘I think I might be.’ He grinned.

  Chloe whooped again. ‘So what are you going to do about it?’

  ‘Well, I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first before I made any moves.’

  ‘Of course I’m fine with it, Dad,’ Chloe scoffed. ‘It’s about time you had a girlfriend. I’ve often wondered why you’ve never had one before.’

  He sat down on the couch beside her. ‘Because I was worried about you. I was scared you would get too close to another woman who would just disappoint or abandon you when things got too tough. Especially after what happened with your mum.’

  Chloe shrugged. ‘I’d probably be upset about it for a while but I’d get over it. I don’t think it really compares to what Mum did, Dad.’

  He was silent, gazing pensively at a patch on the carpet. ‘All the same, I wouldn’t want to set you up for disappointment, Chloe.’

  ‘You wouldn’t be, Dad, because I know I’ll always have you.’ She grabbed his hand, her voice coming out rather stilted at first. ‘Mum dying the w-way she did was awful. But you and Grandma protected me from most of what was going on. My memories of that time are kind of hazy. But I think the worst part about it was how it affected you. You became so distant and angry. I remember being terrified I was going to lose you as well.’ She bit her lip. ‘But now I know that would never happen.’

  Guilt lanced through him. ‘I’m so sorry Chloe. I had no idea I was making you feel that way.’

  ‘It’s okay.’ Chloe squeezed his hand and he marvelled at her quiet strength. ‘I know you were just doing your best. The truth is, I just want you to be happy. There’s nothing you can do to change history. So move past what happened with Mum and enjoy your life.’ She grinned. ‘Because I’m definitely going to.’

  He laughed at her bright encouraging smile and ruffled her hair. ‘It’s taken me so many years to reconcile what you’ve just said in two sentences. I guess I have been acting a little over-cautious.’

  Chloe coughed loudly as though his words were a gross understatement. ‘Bad things just happen, Dad. But so do good things, if you let them.’

  He couldn’t believe such words of wisdom were coming from his thirteen-year-old daughter. He must have done something right.

  ‘So you don’t mind then if I start seeing Sarah?’

  ‘Mind?’ Chloe scoffed. ‘I’m dying for you to start dating her. I can’t wait to hang out with her too.’

  He shook his head. ‘That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I don’t want you to be upset if things don’t work out.’

  Chloe rolled her eyes. ‘You can’t protect me forever. Pretty soon I’m going to start having my own boyfriends and –’

  ‘Hang on. Pretty soon?’ He held up both palms in a halting gesture. ‘Just hold your horses there. I’m putting my foot down on that one. No boyfriends. You’re too young. Besides I’m still getting over the whole bra business. It’s going to be years before I’m ready for boyfriends.’

  ‘D-ad.’ Chloe drew out the word.

  ‘I’m far more concerned about you getting hurt because of my love life not your own.’

  Chloe giggled. ‘Do you want me to have a chat with her about treating you right?’

  His eyes danced. ‘I’d love to see her face.’

  ‘So when are you going to ask her out?’

  ‘As soon as I see her next.’

  It was a shame he didn’t have her mobile number so he could call her now. He was lucky that she was regular at The Blue Saloon. He should see her again soon.

  Unfortunately, Sarah didn’t come to the bar the next day.

  Or the day after that.

  In fact, he didn’t see her for two weeks.

  And, by that stage, it was too late.

  Chapter 10

  Week 3, Day 3: Intervention

  When Sarah rose late on Saturday morning, it was once again to insistent knocking on her front door. Bleary-eyed and heavy-limbed she rolled out of bed to answer it.

  Who is that?

  As she pulled the door open, both Mia and Amy sailed in without waiting for an invitation.

  ‘Is he here?’ Amy demanded as Sarah rubbed her eyes, yearning for the very pleasant dream they’d broken involving Mr Penwick giving her a promotion and cancelling the V-Day ball.

  Sarah yawned. ‘Why are you guys constantly banging on my door at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning? It’s very inconsiderate.’

  Mia folded her arms. ‘It’s actually eleven o’clock and I told you to call me last night. When you didn’t I could only assume …’

  ‘Assume what?’ Sarah blinked.

  ‘That you came back here with Owen.’ Amy peered into the kitchen as though looking for hiding fugitives. ‘Or went for a night cap at his place?’

  Sarah gasped. ‘You guys have seriously got the wrong end of the stick. Owen and I are just friends.’

  ‘You looked pretty cosy last night.’ Mia dropped on the couch and crossed her legs with all the air of someone who was planning on staying a while. Sarah shut her front door, pulling self-consciously on her Hello Kitty pyjama t-shirt. ‘We were just talking.’

  ‘She was in his arms, with her head resting on his shoulder,’ Mia informed Amy as though Sarah wasn’t even there. ‘And then, when they pulled apart, she stroked his cheek.’

  Sarah put her hands on her hips. ‘How long were you watching us?’

  �
�Long enough to know that you’re in deep trouble,’ Mia humphed.

  ‘Not that it’s any of your business,’ Sarah lifted her chin, ‘but he was telling me something very important. Something I suspect he’s never shared with anyone but family.’

  Amy snorted and also dropped on the couch. ‘I bet that’s what he tells all the girls.’

  ‘No,’ Sarah began defensively, ‘you don’t understand. He’s different with me. He’s himself around me. His real self.’

  ‘Oh, please. Listen to what you’re saying. That’s the oldest line in the book,’ Mia cried.

  ‘It’s not a line,’ Sarah protested. ‘When you get to know him, he’s actually a sweet, sensitive guy who is really fun to be around.’

  ‘It’s done.’ Mia slapped a palm to her forehead. ‘She’s in love with him.’

  ‘I’m not in love with him,’ Sarah said, but her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears. ‘At least … I don’t think I am.’

  ‘Wow.’ Amy’s tone was dry as a bone. ‘That sounds convincing.’

  Sarah bit her lip. Had she accidentally let Owen under her skin? She closed her eyes.

  Yes.

  Every time she was around him, her heart struggled to pump as though her blood were that much heavier. Maybe her heart was in danger. But did that mean she had to throw away this blossoming friendship as well?

  Amy shook her finger. ‘I warned you about this.’ She turned to Mia and repeated the words again for emphasis. ‘I warned her about this.’

  ‘Sarah.’ Mia sat forward earnestly. ‘That guy is a predator. The fact that you’re playing hard to get has only sparked his interest in you more.’

  ‘I’m not playing hard to get,’ Sarah pouted, lowering herself slowly onto the couch. ‘We established the boundaries of our relationship ages ago. We’re not getting together. He’s not interested in long-term relationships.’

  ‘Oh,’ Amy scoffed at her ‘old news’. ‘We know that’s not what he’s after. Tell me, does he flirt with you? Does he say anything suggestive while you’re having these friendly friendship chats?’

  ‘Well …’ Sarah hunched her shoulders guiltily. ‘Sometimes. Okay, a lot. But I like that.’

  ‘Don’t you see what he’s doing?’ Mia asked her. ‘He’s seducing you. And once you succumb, he’ll break your heart and you won’t be able to blame him because he told you from the start what to expect.’

  Sarah cringed.

  Mia moved across the couch and grabbed her hand. ‘Sarah, this guy is a professional. Trust me, he’s a got a game plan and it doesn’t fit with yours.’

  ‘So what do you expect me to do? Snub him?’

  ‘No.’ Amy shook her head wisely. ‘We just think you shouldn’t involve him in Operation Valentine at all. Don’t get his help, don’t get his advice and don’t have your dates at his bar. We’re your friends. Let us help you.’

  They were right.

  Of course, they were right.

  How was she supposed to achieve her own goal if she was constantly allowing herself to be side-tracked. If Operation Valentine was her diet, then Owen was the hefty piece of chocolate cake holding her back. He was going to break her heart, if she let him. Hell, he was already halfway there. She was falling for that easy smile, that cheeky sense of humour and his ability to be able to rescue her from any situation. How was she supposed to be attracted to someone else if he was always on her mind?

  At all her dates so far, he had been a distraction. A tantalising one, but a distraction nonetheless. If she wanted to save her career, she had to get her game face on.

  ‘Okay, you’re right.’ She nodded. ‘I haven’t been completely focused lately and there are only three more weeks till Big V. I have to get a move on.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Mia whipped out her iPad from her bag. ‘And we have just the sort of guy for you.’

  ‘You do?’ Sarah started, suddenly hesitant because things were already moving forward so fast.

  ‘Yes,’ Amy pitched in. ‘We took the liberty of going to Soulmates.com and culling through your matches. Honestly, we don’t know why you didn’t contact this guy earlier. He’s perfect for you.’

  Mia, it seemed, had already brought up his profile and passed the iPad to Sarah. ‘Check him out. He’s handsome. Has good values. Has similar life goals to you. Has a good job. He’s a dentist. And …’ she continued in the manner of a television ad bonus offer, ‘he lives close by. How convenient is that?’

  Sarah wrinkled her nose as she read Jason Sanders’ profile and then looked at his picture. He did seem like a pretty decent man from the personality summary, good-looking too. Wavy brown hair, a sincere smile and firm, well-cut jawline. Sure, he had none of the sexiness that Owen exuded but he looked kind and approachable. The sort of man her mother would approve of. He was a sensible choice. So why was she so reluctant?

  ‘I don’t know, guys. I think I’m about ready to throw in the towel on the whole Internet dating thing.’

  ‘Because of Owen Black,’ Amy stated flatly.

  ‘No,’ Sarah made haste to correct her, although she didn’t know how honest her answer really was. ‘Because I’ve already had first dates with three guys from Soulmates.com and all of them were disasters.’

  ‘There’s no correlation between this guy and the other three,’ Amy announced in her most Bureau of Statistics voice. ‘They’re not even on the same graph.’

  Sarah’s mouth twisted. ‘And how do you figure that, Ms Mathematics?’

  ‘Well, Owen chose the first two and you chose the last one.’ Amy shrugged. ‘You haven’t been out with a guy chosen by me and Mia yet. And that, my friend, was your crucial mistake.’

  ‘Really?’ Sarah rolled her eyes.

  ‘I’m serious. Who knows you better than anyone? Who has seen first-hand how you behave in a relationship, what sort of guys work and don’t work? What your thresholds of tolerance are?’ Amy shook her finger. ‘Not Owen Black, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Okay, okay,’ Sarah laughed. ‘You’ve made your point.’

  ‘We were very critical,’ Mia added from her left. ‘We didn’t just pick one at random. We read through the profiles of all your matches at least twice. And, believe me, that’s a lot of reading.’

  ‘Come on, Sarah,’ Amy’s voice cooed persuasively. ‘What do you have to lose?’

  Sarah had to pause.

  Nothing, she supposed.

  It wasn’t like she had Owen waiting in the wings for her to be available to him.

  Her feelings may be growing beyond friendship, but his certainly weren’t. What was it he said to her yesterday? Ah yes …

  I don’t know much about falling in love and I have no intention of doing it any time soon.

  That said it all, didn’t it? Their goals were completely opposed. If she continued to see him so regularly her feelings for him would only grow. She would end up with a broken heart, not a date for Valentine’s Day.

  ‘All right.’ She held up her hands. ‘I’ll email Jason and see if he’d like to meet up. Where’s my phone?’

  Mia stuck out her hand and caught her wrist. ‘Wait. Not at The Blue Saloon.’

  ‘Okay,’ she agreed, trying to ignore the sudden heaviness in the pit of her stomach.

  It wasn’t long before she’d teed up her first date with Jason Sanders at Allure, a bar on the opposite side of town to The Blue Saloon. Perhaps the decor there was a little too garish for her taste but the food was lovely and so were the wait staff. She certainly didn’t regret choosing it as a place for a first date.

  Jason arrived at exactly the same time as she did. In fact, he held open the door for her to walk in, a faint flush on his lean cheeks. His smile was both self-conscious and friendly in a way that warmed her to him almost immediately. They went straight to the bar where he bought her a drink after politely asking what she wanted. And then, when their beverages arrived, suggested they move to the couch to consume them. This, she thought, was both a cunning and charming mo
ve. It was much easier to relax on a couch than on a high backless stool. She soon found herself completely comfortable. He sat at a respectful distance though not so far as to imply a lack of interest. His body was turned towards hers, giving her the impression that she had his complete and undivided attention.

  He also appeared to be a very undemanding person to talk to. They ambled unhurriedly through several topics with a lot of focus on the big three: family, work and hobbies. It was actually rather amazing how much they had in common. Both were the only child of parents who lived in another state. Both of them had studied at UWA, though hadn’t ever met there. They both enjoyed jazz music and wine tasting. And whilst Jason did not profess a lack of skill in any sport, he did admit that he didn’t excel at any of them, which was good enough for her.

  Two hours passed easily and she was actually rather disappointed when he said he had to go. She wondered briefly whether she should be forward and ask him if he would like to join her for dinner. Then he took the words right out of her mouth.

  ‘You know, I wish I’d planned my evening better. I would have loved to have stayed on for dinner with you. I’ve just enjoyed meeting you so much.’

  ‘Me too,’ she agreed, relieved that they were on the same page.

  He lowered his eyes. ‘I was actually really nervous about tonight. I mean, I’ve never done online dating before and I was a little worried about where it would lead me. In fact, I almost didn’t do it.’

  ‘Really?’ Her spirits lifted even further. ‘That’s exactly how I felt when I first signed up.’

  ‘But look how well it turned out?’ he murmured.

  She smiled into his kind brown eyes. ‘Yes, look how well.’

  He leaned forward and took her hand, causing a pleasant sensation in her chest. ‘I’d really like to do this again sometime.’

  She nodded eagerly. ‘Me too.’

  ‘Is tomorrow too soon?’

  She shook her head, a smile hovered on her lips. ‘Not at all.’

  And so they caught up the next day. This time for dinner. He picked her up from her house in his silver Peugeot, told her she looked beautiful as he opened the passenger door and waited till she was seated before closing it. On the way to the restaurant, a seafood place in Fremantle right on the water, they chatted about work that week.