Short and sweet Florian Munteanu imagine inspired by this picture.
Reagan sat on her bed watching jealously as her roommates, Michelle and Veronica put the finishing touches on their New Year party fits; the dress she chose for the celebration hanging lifeless on the hanger above her bed mocking her.
A knock at the door and the guys filed into their small dorm, clearly in party mode. Bryan, Terrence, and Florian looking dapper in their suits accessorized with twenty-twenty-one glasses and Happy New Year crowns on their head dancing badly to music playing from someone’s phone. The girls joined in partially, still fixing their clothes and makeup in the mirrors. Florian’s reflection in the mirror causing butterflies in her stomach as she took in the sexiness of him in black tie. ‘At least I get to see him in his suit,’ she thought.
“It’s party time ladies! You ready?” Bryan cheered pushing up on Michelle checking herself out in the mirror.
“What?” Michelle turned from the mirror nodding over his shoulder. They all turned around to see Reagan laying on her bed in jeans and t-shirt.
“What gives, Reagan?” Florian asked, disappointment wavering in his deep timbre.
“No, you choose to go to work.” Michelle corrected. Reagan sat up with a huff ready to defend her decision.
“Reagan?” Her name was poetry on his lips. “We were all supposed to bring in new year together.” Florian said taking a seat beside her placing a muscular arm around her shoulders. The smell of his new cologne was intoxicating. A perfect blend of honey and oak. The butterflies in her stomach flapping their wings harder as she kept her composure.
“I know, but Ricky said he’d pay me double for five hours, so I took it.” That was partially true. The full truth however was as follows: Ricky was going to man the station himself but after overhearing Florian talk about all the girls who were going to be at the party she volunteered to take over; Ricky offered double as a thank you. Reagan was not going into twenty-twenty-one with the visual of they guy she wanted making out with someone else.
“I cannot believe you're choosing work over us.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Michelle”
“I’m not, it’s the truth.”
Rolling her eyes Reagan chose to not respond, instead reveling in the feeling of Florian’s arm still around her, his hand anchoring on her shoulder.
“It’s time to go.” Bryan said. Florian took his arm from around her looking at his watch. “Let’s go party. Well, some of us.”
“Shut up Bryan.” She got up playfully pushing him out the door.
The lot was mostly empty, and they were parked right beside her. “You guys have fun.” She cheered watching as they loaded into Bryan’s truck, Florian lingering. “What are you waiting for? Get in.”
“It’s not going to be the fun without you.” The butterflies made loops at his words.
Reagan opened her arms, Florian bent just enough to wrap her shoulders in his arms. She inhaled his scent and held him feeling the flex of his back muscles under the suit jacket. The hug seemingly endless and yet, too short. Regret was setting in.
Time passed slowly, customers dotting in every so often picking up last minute alcohol or their last pack of cigarettes or condoms. Occasionally all three. One guy regaling, unrequested, that he planned to smoke a whole pack before twelve and quit for good. The only good to come out of this eve was reading a sizeable portion of her book and she was able to live vicariously through everyone’s stories and pictures from the party without Ricky’s complaining. The party was big and bright, all her friends together and here she was in the middle of nowhere in a small dim gas station, alone. “This was a mistake.” She said to her audience of shelves.
Eleven o’clock brought in silence, the road outside the gas station windows empty and dark, everyone where they wanted to be to usher in new beginnings, leaving her alone to watch the new year ring in five minutes late on the clock on the wall behind the counter.
Reagan settled in with her book, trying not to think of all she was missing, especially not of the girl Florian was to kiss at midnight. The doorbell chimed breaking the silence.
“What are you doing here?” she asked jumping out of her chair. Florian stood at the door breathing heavy looking handsomely disheveled, his tie and collar undone.
He held up a finger taking a second to catch his breath. “Did you run here? Where’s your car?” she asked stepping out from behind the counter.
“Car was-,” he heaved out, “blocked in.”
“Okay. What are you doing here?”
Florian stood upright wiping sweat from his brow, his breathing regulated. He looked down at his watch, “Well, I was planning on doing this at the party, but you chose to be here instead.”
“This.” In one stride Florian closed the gap between them pulling her close with a hand low on her back. His lips gently falling on hers. The initial shock fading Reagan let herself melt into him, thighs touching thighs, her chest pressed against him, their body heat combining. The butterflies in her stomach flapping overtime raising her to her tip toes. Fireworks banged and crackled overhead, it was twenty-twenty-one
Florian pulled away just enough to read her expression. She could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips as she touched her tingling lips. “Wow,” Reagan exasperated, a smile stretching across her round face, “Happy New Year.”
