Fourteen Days

Everybody goes through trials before finding their own happy ending. Do you think we could have a happily ever after?

D."

The truth was Kristy didn't know how to feel. The gifts were beautiful and were things she probably would have picked out herself if she had seen them when shopping, but the whole anonymous thing was getting a little strange and without being buoyed up by the excitement of her friends she wasn't sure if she liked that fact that someone was possibly stalking her. They knew where she lived and worked, they knew she liked stone and seemed to know her routine. It was a little unsettling to her, and she wished she had some clue as to who it might be aside of the initial D.

To distract herself from the dark thoughts, Kristy began cleaning her apartment properly for the first time in weeks. The heat wave still persisted and by the early afternoon with her laundry done and her apartment cleaner than she thought possible she went to have a cold shower and settled in to relax and read her book for a while. She was exhausted, and she dozed a little her book falling to the floor as she rolled scaring her awake again.

Laughing at herself she turned on the television and looked at her watch. She was supposed to be meeting her friends at the pub tonight, but she now felt so lethargic that the thought of getting up and getting dressed was just too much to deal with. She rang Tabitha explaining that she had had company the last three nights and with her parent's barbeque tomorrow she just wanted a night on her own. There was the usual sighing complaints, and Kristy could see the rolling of Tabitha's eyes in her mind's eye as she spoke, so she told her about the new gift to distract her and read her the card.

She stopped herself from telling Tabitha that she felt a bit put off by the anonymous attention wondering if she had a stalker instead promising to ring her tomorrow when she got home and tell her all about seeing Daniel again. Finally able to end the call Kristy made herself a light dinner form the leftovers of last night's Thai food and settled in to watch a movie. Getting her second wind Kristy then stayed up later than she planned and when she did go to bed her sleep was very restless.

*****

Darren was disappointed that Kirsty had not gone out as she had said she would, but as he chatted and joked with his mates at the pub, he could not come up with a plausible excuse to go over to her apartment and see her. Instead, he listened into Tabitha's conversation to Greg, who was standing beside him. She was telling him about Kristy's secret admirer and that she was now getting a gift each day leading up to Valentine's Day.

Tabitha hinted strongly at the romance of it and suggested to the group at large that they should have a Valentine's Day party next Friday and asking if she hosted who would come? Darren got dragged into the conversation, but he was not happy about how his Valentine's Day was shaping up at all.

*****

"Hey stranger," Kristy smiled as she approached Daniel. She had been stuck in the kitchen helping her mother prepare the food when he had arrived. Seeing him sitting comfortably, chatting with her Dad; her mother had shooed her outside to renew the old acquaintance.

"Wow, Kristy, you look even better than I remember," he smiled in return.

"So you're back?" she laughed, "And you have nothing better to do than a barbeque with the oldies?" Kristy indicated both sets of parents.

"It seemed a good way to catch up with you and see what you are doing these days," Daniel chuckled quietly with her.

"Well, things can't be going too well if my mother is trying to set me up with my old high school crush," she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I found out about your break up," he said softly, "It was a bastard of a thing to do."

"All history now," Kristy forced a smile to her face. "You have me at an unfair advantage. I don't know anything about what you got up to in the States."

"You know those college movies? It was pretty much like that," he shrugged, "Lots of parties, lots of training, lots of baseball. It was great, got drafted to the minors and got in a few good games. They live baseball over there though, just seemed I was never in the same league no matter how hard I tried. I was more of an oddity with my accent and different way of doing things, compared to the guys over there."

"Got ya the girls though right?" she grinned genuinely then.

"It didn't hurt to have a wildly exotic accent," he said with a laugh. "I dunno, the women over there or at least the ones I met are so... ballsy. That's the wrong word, but you know... different, sort of," he searched for the word he wanted and shook his head. He saw her confused expression and tried to explain, "It's like they all have to prove they are strong and independent and don't need a man in their lives while desperately trying to have one in their lives. I didn't know from one minute to the next whether to be all chivalrous and gallant or challenge them to arm wrestle."

"Oh, come on, it can't have been that different, you were there for such a long time," she laughed at him.

"I may be exaggerating slightly, but I dunno, it's just a different culture," He shrugged.

"Remind me to re-introduce you to my friend Tabitha. Do you remember her from school? Tall, red hair?" Kristy could see that Tabitha could be described as being ballsy.

"Yeah, she had a brother my age, joined the army after graduating, Hoppy or something," Daniel frowned trying to remember.

"Jumpy," Kristy corrected him, "We all still hang out, you'll have to come down the pub one night and revisit the old school memories."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" he said with a smirk teasing her.

"I think I can fit you into my calendar, right between, Duncan and Dave," she shot back. "It is short notice after all."

Having been left alone to talk for a while the parents finally called them over to eat and make polite small talk with the whole group. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, with both mothers telling them that had had made such a cute couple as kids but now they looked beautiful together.

"Daniel was saying he hadn't caught up with anyone else from school, I thought I might take him to catch up with the mob down at O'Rielly's this afternoon if you don't mind our shooting off early," Kristy smiled innocently trying to hide her eagerness to leave.

"That's an excellent idea! You two kids go off and play with your friends; we'll stay a bit longer and catch up," Daniel's mother said indulgently.

"Oh Kristy! A parcel arrived for you yesterday afternoon. I almost forgot; we haven't had mail for you in such a long time. It's on the table in the living room, just let me get it before you go," her mother went to stand up.

"It's fine mum," Kristy halted her progress, "I need to call Tabitha anyway so I can get it. It's probably just some junk mail."

Looking at the small padded envelope Kristy recognised the writing she had been staring at for the last few days. "This is getting ridiculous," she thought. "How could he have known I would be here if he weren't stalking me!" She decided to open it at home rather than here and picking it up she weighed it in her hand. It was light really and after calling Tabitha to arrange a meeting at O'Reilly's she let her curiosity get the better of her and she opened the envelope peering inside.

A small book and a delicately carved thin slice of marble for a bookmark greeted her. She picked up the card looking at the front which seemed to depict a priest in a cell, with lions seen through the window behind him. Opening it she read:

"February 9th Day 6 The Myth of Saint Valentine

Technically, there are three saints named Valentine. The most popular—and best frontman for the holiday—was a priest who defied the law of Roman Emperor Claudius II, who had decided to make it illegal for young men to marry their girlfriends because he would prefer the men went to war for him. The priest Valentine would secretly marry young couples because he loved love and disagreed with Claudius. He was eventually caught. During his time in prison, he was tended to by a blind girl whom he fell desperately in love with and is said to have healed her sight as he was led away to his death.

The story goes that Valentine was martyred on February 14 in the year 269 B.C. In 498 A.D., Pope Gelasius made Valentine a saint and declared February 14 the day of his feast. This may also have been a good way of Christianizing the Romans' pagan holiday of Lupercalia, which was an orgy coupled with bloodlust and took place at the exact same time. The Catholic church later officially removed the February 14 St. Valentine's Day feast from its holy calendar due to the fact that nobody actually knew what the real story of St. Valentine was or why he was sainted. Perhaps the story only serves to tell us that often we are blind to love until we have our eyes opened. Hoping to open your eyes, to new possibilities. D."

Kristy packed it back inside the envelope and went back out onto the deck where the rest of the people sat relaxing after lunch. She smiled brightly, "Let's go, I'll drive then you can have a few drinks with your old school mates."

"Sure," Daniel agreed easily, "We walked over here anyway. It was only a block or so."

It seemed Tabitha had alerted the masses and within an hour the pub was full of old friends who wanted to catch up with Daniel and what he had been doing. Kristy moved away from the noisy crowd for a few minutes and stood at the bar nursing a tall glass of iced water and watching the people she had grown up with all enjoying the return of a long lost friend. Daniel seemed to be lapping up the attention. He seemed so different now from her memories of the eighteen year old Daniel, who had left to move to the United States. Her memories were that of a love-struck sixteen year old whose heart was breaking at his departure.

"What are you doing all the way over here by yourself?" Jumpy asked, drawing Kristy back from her reverie making her jump in surprise.

"And that is why we still call you Jumpy," she punched his arm.

"Ow," he cradled his arm in mock pain. "There goes my big strong reputation. Beaten up by a girl and a pipsqueak at that." He grinned at her, "Come back to the party; you instigated it after all."

"Fine," she sighed, "But I don't think I will stay much longer."

"Why's that?" he tilted his head.

"Just some weird stuff happening lately that is starting to unnerve me a little," she gave a lop-sided grin.

"Like what?" Concern showed in his voice.

Kristy looked at her friend; he was almost as much a big brother to her as he was to Tabitha. Unlike Tabitha though, he didn't tend to get all bossy and know-it-all on her and he as much as anyone had been a rock steady shoulder to cry on during her break-up. Tabitha had roped him into helping out with the move to a new apartment, and he had driven them both home when they had been drunk and unruly more times than she could count.

"Actually, you could give me the guys stand-point on this," she said quietly and he pulled up a bar stool beside her as she explained about the anonymous valentine messages and gifts and how she was getting a little spooked that he seemed to know her routine and movements. "Do you think I have a stalker?" Kristy asked.

Jumpy frowned at her, "Well what I think is someone has been waiting for you to be ready and open to start dating again but is either scared of rejection or just too shy to come right out and ask you out." He seemed to consider her for a long moment. "It can't be easy to try and get a gift to you on the weekends without getting help from one of your friends and maybe they don't want your friends to know who he is yet either." He reasoned.

"I guess," she still sounded dubious.

"If it will make you feel any better I will drive you home and have a look around, make sure everything is okay," he offered.

"Oh, no!" Kristy put her hand to the side of her cheek.

"Geez, I have had girls turn me down before, but I have never got that reaction from such an innocent offer," he gave a half laugh.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just remembered I drove Daniel here; I will have to take him home," she laughed as he put on the pretence of being wounded by her exclamation.

"Leave it to me," he smiled and called out to one of the other guys, "Hey, Azza!"

"Dazza!" Came a shout in return, "What's up?" The tall lanky Arron (Azza) McBride asked as he drew closer.

"Can you give Daniel a lift home when you're going? Kristy's got a few things to do tonight and she didn't expect such a big turnout when she brought him," Jumpy explained.

"Can do, got an early flight in the morning, so I'm laying off the sauce for tonight," he grinned. "Shame ya going early though Kristy, I haven't seen ya in yonks."

"Yeah, it's been a while, we'll have to catch up one day soon," she smiled.

"It's a date! I'll call ya when I get back from Canberra," he said eagerly. "Ya snooze ya lose bro," he smirked good-naturedly at Darren and turned back towards the crowded tables their friends sat at.

It took Kristy almost another hour to say goodbye to everyone and make sure Daniel was fine with Aaron giving him a lift home. She finally stood out in the car park looking around and noticing Darren already in his car and waiting for her. The drive home was swift, and she sat in her car as Darren parked and ran ahead to open her garage door for her. He did a quick look around and shrugged as she drove in.

"You know," he said as they walked up stairs, "The guy probably thinks you would enjoy the mystery rather than be freaked out by it."

"I know I am probably being silly. I don't know why I can't enjoy it like the fun it's meant to be. I guess I still have some baggage from..." she shrugged and closed her eyes and remembering the repeated confrontations she had with a woman who had stalked her and finally broke up her last relationship.

"Maybe it's time to let go, properly. He was a true bastard Kristy; you deserve better than that. Even if it was only a one night stand and the woman was as psycho as he claimed. It was still his fault you were put in that situation time and time again," he drew her into a tight hug. "Not all of us are bastards, some of us are actually quite nice guys. I am sure this guy is just trying to show you that before you reject him like everyone else who has approached you for a date, recently."

"No one asks me out," she laughed.

"I think Azza might disagree with that statement," he grinned. "Though he will probably be telling everyone you asked him."

"Oh dear," Kristy laughed at the memory of Azza excitedly saying, "It's a date!"

"Everything here looks fine, but I can stay for a while if you want the company," he still held her in a gentle hug.

"I'm just being dumb," she said softly, "I am fine really."

"As long as you're sure," he stepped back and looked into her face as she nodded.

"Yeah, I am just gonna have a quick shower and read for a bit before bed. I got a new book today that I haven't even looked at the cover of yet. It might be a nice change to the tome I am wading through right now." She sighed and pointed to a thick dog-eared book.

"Okay," he said releasing her. "I better go make sure Tab is making wise decisions then," he chuckled.

"Is Greg one of those unwise decisions?" Kristy grinned.

"Possibly," he smirked and grabbed his keys from the table. "Call if anything spooks you again, but I think it's just more of a shy guy letting you get used to the idea that someone likes you again, so that you can't hit the reject button when he finally asks you out."

"I am not that bad," she complained as he made his way to the door.

"You're like the red baron, you shoot 'em down before they barely get the last word out of their mouths." He laughed loudly and ducked out of the door as she went to throw a cushion at him. Still smiling Kristy went to have a shower.

As he got to the bottom of the stairs he cursed himself for not insisting on staying a little longer to make sure she was alright. He also cursed himself for reassuring her about the Valentine, but he didn't want her to be anxious and worried about something that was possibly benign regardless of the fact he didn't want her to have a valentine at all unless it was him.

*****

By the end of Monday, Kristy felt disappointed she hadn't received anything from her secret admirer. She had mulled over everything that Darren had said to her the night before and she wondered how much she was like the red baron he called her. She laughed, maybe she was, she certainly hadn't been on a normal date in the last six months. Disastrous blind dates sure, group dates where her friends just happened to have someone dying to meet her or that they had to introduce her to, happened all too often.

The thought of having a one on one intimate date with her secret admirer scared the shit out of her and maybe that's why she had been so spooked by the constant gifts and cards from an anonymous Valentine. She wished she could talk to Darren again and feeling brave called him just before she was ready to leave work.

"Hey Jumpy," she said brightly as he answered his phone. "Are you doing anything tonight?... Oh, well I wondered if you wanted to maybe umm, grab some dinner?... Well I saw this new Mexican place had opened, and I remembered you liked Mexican... Sure... I am leaving work now so I should be home in thirty or so... that'd be great. See you then."

When she hung up the phone she noticed her hands were shaking. She shook her head at herself, it was Jumpy, he was like a brother, she had known him almost her whole life but the hug that he had given her last night somehow felt not quite than brotherly.

Kristy raced home to change, only being half ready when Darren showed up to pick her up. She opened the door and promised to only be a few more minutes. Finally walking out to his car they passed her mailbox and she looked briefly realising she had mail. "Remind me to grab that when we get back," she said leaving the mail where it was.

As they drove he spoke into the silence, "Can you do me a favour?"

"I guess, I mean you help me out so much," she said easily.

"Can you not call me Jumpy tonight?" he said quietly taking her by surprise. "Darren is good but I will put up with Daz if you really need a nickname."

"No problem, I never knew it bothered you or I would have stopped," she said quietly.

"It's all good but its only really Tab and her friends that still call me that. Since I am all grown up now being reminded of being a scared little kid seems a bit..." he began to explain.

"Is that how you got the nickname? I never knew," she giggled. "You have just always been Jumpy."

"Well, see now you go with Darren, if you slip back to Jumpy I call your mother and find out your childhood nickname and start calling you that." Kristy gave him a horrified look, and he burst out laughing, "I'm kidding, I am kidding, geez."

"Point taken," she blushed knowing that if he thought about it he could probably come up with her childhood nickname on his own.

They had a comfortable dinner and laughed about the things they remembered from their childhood including nicknames of mutual friends. It wasn't until they were on the way home that Kristy smiled and turned to Darren to thank him.

"I thought about what you said last night about me shooting down guys because I was scared," She said softly, "but I can do this. It wasn't so hard to go out with a guy and eat something."

"This was a date?" Darren looked at her with astonishment.

"Well a test run, sort of. I was concerned that I would have to face this secret admirer at the end of the week to find out who it was, and I wasn't sure I could or would," she looked at him, "Then I felt bad because he seems to be going to a lot of trouble if it is the way you explained it last night and he is just shy or worried about being shot down if he approached me and just asked me out. I guess you might have been right about that."