A Valentine’s To Remember

Tina took a deep breath and opened the door to the Herald Tribune where she was instantly bombarded with cheery Happy Valentine’s Days. Smiling weakly and she hurried to her desk aware of the explosion of pink and red throughout the office. Balloons floated about bobbing their greetings merrily and the room was permeated with the scent of roses.
Reaching her desk, at last, she was greeted with the only barren space in the room. With a sigh as she threw herself into writing her article. She had just gotten back into the story about a single mother who had gone missing the day before when her boss’s secretary came in and announced that everyone was needed in the conference room immediately. Praying it was news and not more of the day’s festivities, Tina followed the rest of the reporters into the conference room.
‘Oh my God,” she thought helplessly as her boss entered, followed by his secretary pushing a huge pile of pink donuts formed into the shape of a heart.
“Happy Valentine’s Day! Please enjoy this along with your coffee this morning!” her boss, Tony, announced.
Smiling tensely, Tina slipped out of the room and needing a breath of fresh air, she leaned against the pillar at the top of the stairs and closed her eyes. After a moment she turned to make her way back inside when she noticed something on her car. Curious, she made her way towards it and saw that a red rose had been stuck under her windshield wiper. Unsure what this was, she pulled it out and was about to discard it when she noticed a note wrapped around its stem.
“Please meet me after work at the base of the stairs,” was all it said.
“Not what could this be?” Tina wondered as she made her way back to her desk carrying the rose with her. Laying it atop of her workstation, she resumed her writing glancing up at it occasionally and smiling.
Finally finishing her article, having it submitted and approved by the 5:00 deadline, Tina gathered her things picking up the rose last and made her way to the base of the stairs outside.
When everyone was pretty much gone, Tina sighed and dropped the rose to her side as she took a sad step towards her car. A voice rang out, “Wait! Tina wait, please!”
She turned to see where the voice was coming from when she saw Brad, the paper’s UPS man, jogging up towards her. “I am so sorry I am late; I had extra deliveries today …” his voice fading off. “I am so glad you waited for me,” he started again. “I have wanted to ask you out for so long yet was afraid to. Will you have dinner with me?”
Tina smiled, “I’d love to, Brad.”
Gallantly, he took her arm and threaded it through his guiding her to his waiting car and a beautiful new beginning.