Andrew was kind of bored. He wondered what was up with Eva. From his balcony, Andrew aimed his powerful binoculars towards the tiny cottage searching for little Nina as he heard her voice floating towards him through a short distance.

“Where’s Eva?” Eva was Nina’s aunt who had taken the little one under her wings when her parents died in a car crash. It didn’t matter that at 26 years, Eva was quite young herself! And how the two were now managing to stay in the tiny one bedroom cottage puzzled Andrew to no end.

Were they friends? Well, Eva and Andrew had spent time – warm moments – together before Nina’s arrival. In fact, things would have been more intimate by now, thought Andrew, but for the kid and the tragedy. Since their last date, which had ended abruptly, he had not been able to take her off his mind. That’s what a real relationship should be like, he wondered.

While Eva was always on his mind, Andrew suspected the relationship was one-sided. After Nina’s arrival, Eva had become aloof. She’d let her guard down on a few occasions, but she had quickly reconstructed it assuming that Andrew wouldn’t want any relationship with her owing to the little kid in her life Now! ‘How wrong was she and if only he could know.

Eva. Simply was beautiful with a dazzling smile, her smooth tanned skin and those purplish glowing bright eyes, she was his idea of a perfect woman.

Andrew knew how busy Eva had been for the past couple of weeks. She had set up a stall with an assortment of delicious pastries in her courtyard. She worked as a chef at the local confectionary. Andrew couldn’t remember tasting a better chocolate tart than at Eva’s. There was a certain magic in her fingers. And he was sure that her business will do great.

“There you are!” he cried out, spying on Nina through his binoculars. But she was crying. As Eva was nowhere in sight, he decided to go and make sure that the child was okay.

“Why are you crying sweetie? And where is aunty?”

“She’s gone to find a job,” Nina confided.

Andrew was a little puzzled. “She left you alone?” he asked, disturbed that Nina was left alone. He would have been glad to look after her, if Eva could have just asked at him only once. As a writer, he usually worked from home, on his laptop.

“There was a sitter but she left as we don’t have a TV and she was bored,” said Nina.

“Okay kiddo, let’s play a game.” said Andrew trying to cheer her up. “I’m hungry. Do you have cookies?” Nina asked.”

“Yes! …and lot’s of chocolates too!” A smile arose on the child’s face. Andrew decided to take Nina at his place. “Let’s leave a note for your aunt,” he told her.

Andrew decided to get a notepad from Eva’s house and opened the door. However, he was shocked to see the bare place, void of furniture – no fridge, no dining room table, no sofa, no beds, nothing – just a sleeping bag.
“Aunt sold it all as we were going to move to another city for her new job. They called some hours ago saying that they changed their mind. Can you tell me why,” said Nina.

“They are foolish,” he told her and kissed the giggling kid. However, he was glad the job had fallen through. He shuddered to think he’d come so close to losing her. Alas he’d never even had her, had he?

Sticking the note on the main door, they left for his place. When Eva finally turned up, he had just put down Nina for a nap. There was a pizza in the kitchen which he’d prepared for Nina and he offered Eva some. She looked tired. “Would you like some Eva?”

After a hesitant pause, Eva took it. Eating it, she told him, “Andrew, I can’t thank you enough for rescuing Nina. What if something happened to her?”

“Don’t worry she’s safe, I was there,” he said, watching her have the food. Then carefully, he probed, “What job was this that fell through?”

Eva’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. She just wanted to slip into his arms and be comforted. There was a strong attraction – had been from the beginning and it was much deeper than friendship and both knew it.

She told him, “I quit my old job and was set for the change. Then I lost it all. When I tried to get back to my old job, I was told another chef had been hired. It’s hard getting another job here.”

Andrew continued, “Tell me all about it. I assume that funds must be tight at this moment.”

Eva sighed, “I’ve sold everything. My account is empty, am jobless and no one needs a chef. I’ll have to sell the house.”

Pausing for a while, she gazed into his handsome face and said, “I’ll miss you Andrew.”

Eva had never felt so embarrassed. She hadn’t wanted to tell him how much she liked him now. Perhaps she should have had told him of her interest in him long ago. Now it was too late. Why would Andrew want her …a nobody?

“I need a chef,” Andrew blurted out. Eva was astonished. She looked up at his serious face.

“But why do you need a chef? Your housekeeper takes care of your meals,” said Eva.

“Oh, she’s not good. She comes in once in a while, and I’m usually on frozen meals for most of the days. Do you mind being my chef?”

Eva put her pizza aside and said, “I’d like nothing more than to be your chef. But what about Nina, I cannot leave her alone in the house.”

“Just get your things and I’ll help settle the two of you in. The house is huge and she’ll love it here.”

“Move here? But I can’t do it Andrew,” Eva protested, though the thought of a real bed seemed too enticing.

“It’ll help Eva,” he assured, placing a protective arm around her shoulder. “This place needs some life and you and Nina fit the bill.”

“But Andrew, we can’t live here,” she argued. “You can and you will. Now that you have sold off just about everything, you can’t possibly live in that empty place. Rent it out. Save the money. Your own eatery can become a reality soon, trust me!”

Eva began crying even harder than Nina had earlier and Andrew couldn’t think what to do. Had circumstances been a little different, he would have held her close and kissed her ….But all he did now was held her close to his heart.

Finally when she felt better, she gazed into his eyes and in a sudden gush of moments, “Can I kiss you …now?
“Really! I don’t think I would mind,” Andrew said.

Eva moved closer. “It feels nice to be saved by a valiant knight in this age. I’ve always liked you and now I know why. You’ve got something very rare, something very unique – a wonderful heart.”

Andrew couldn’t believe it was for real. He wanted to be sure. For confirmation, he asked, “Are you really attracted to me? Or, do you think you need to feel indebted?”

Unfortunately, he got no further as Eva sealed his lips with a passionate kiss that rocked both their worlds…..Nina was forgotten as Andrew lifted Eva and carried her to his room…the place she rightly belonged to….and the rest was, as they say, heaven.

Eva could not have asked for more. A few weeks later on Valentine’s Day they tied the knot. Nina was the little bridesmaid and she looked like an angel. Eva’s dream of a restaurant materialized soon, ‘and how? Andrew presented it to her in a form of birthday surprise!

Eva had never been happier – well, not just because of the restaurant she now owned, but because of this wonderful man ‘Andrew. He was meant to be just for her only.

Love in Life - Short Valentines' Day Story, 8.6 out of 10 based on 5 ratings