Vinegar 21: Any Day Now
Title: Any Day Now
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 21 (violators will be prosecuted), malt (Kaity's crumbled-up cookie thing request), pocky chain, cookie crumbs ( of Pressure), hot fudge (oh Henry), fresh peaches (In spite of any feelings to the contrary, Taurus, you're bound to be successful... All indications are that it will pay off shortly).
Word Count: 1000
Rating: PG.
Summary: Henry J. Holmes, bless his heart.
WARNING: Smarm. Homophobia. Nice Guy. Henry.
Notes: Peaches used with extreme sarcasm. I'm sure you remember this guy.
She was some kind of miracle.
Henry couldn't believe his luck. He was pretty sure that he'd gotten this job because of his uncle, and he'd been uneasy about that, right up until he walked in and saw Her. At which point he became convinced that he owed his uncle several million favors.
She was so beautiful. Like a goddess. Golden hair, crystal blue eyes, porcelain skin, curves that could stop a truck. She was an angel.
Henry was aware that he was mixing his metaphors. He didn't care. He'd met the love of his life, and nothing else mattered.
--
He went to her office more or less immediately and beamed at her, madly. "Hello! I'm Henry Holmes, your new office neighbor. Thought I'd drop by and say hello."
She looked up at him and smiled back. She had a beautiful smile. Of course she did. "I'm pleased to meet you," she said, her voice like music. "I'm Gina Caravecchio. I hope you'll enjoy it here."
The promise with which she said those words nearly made Henry swoon. Instead, he beamed madly at her some more. "I'm sure I will," he replied, drinking in her presence. "I'm sure I will."
--
Henry wasn't stupid, and he knew asking her out on the day they would look creepy, even if they were destined for each other. So he waited until the next day.
"Gina," he said, that morning, "there's this great little restaurant near my apartment. Let me take you out to dinner."
She looked at him, sorrow in her eyes. "No, thank you," she said. "I'm engaged."
That set him back for a moment, but only a moment. They were meant to be! He'd win her away from that guy in no time. "He doesn't have to know," he said, winking.
--
She'd been awed by his cleverness, he thought happily, on the way back to his office. The way she'd stared at him could have no other meaning. And the reluctant way she'd turned him down, oh! He understood her. She just needed time to get rid of the other guy. She'd be his soon, so soon. He just needed to be patient.
Gina. Perfect Gina. Even her name was perfect. She'd make such a perfect wife.
He sat down at his computer and dreamed. He didn't do any work, but what did that matter when Gina was two doors away?
--
He didn't think it took long to dump somebody, but Gina was a woman of sensibilities and grace. She'd want to do it gently. He'd give her time.
He waited a week.
"Gina," he said. "How about that dinner?"
She looked up at him, looking annoyed. He must have interrupted her. "No. Mr. Holmes, I am engaged. I'm not interested."
What, still? Oh well. Once he got hold of her, she'd never go back. "Oh, come on, Gina," he said, coaxingly. "One last fling before you tie the knot. What can it hurt?"
"No, Henry."
She must need more time.
--
She kept forgetting somehow to dump her fiancé, so Henry kept reminding her. Once a day, he asked her out. Once a day, she looked horrified that she'd forgotten their love, turned him down gently, and promised him tomorrow with her eyes. He'd think she was toying with him, if she was anyone but Gina, but Gina couldn't do that. Gina was too beautiful, too perfect. It was just that she didn't want to break the man's heart.
But she'd do it sooner or later. They were meant to be, after all. He hugged that knowledge to himself, and waited.
--
He hung around her doorway, three and a half weeks after they met, beaming. "Gina..."
"Henry!" she snapped, and he jerked back. She'd never snapped at him! "No! I'm a lesbian, I'm not interested in men!"
A what? He stared at her for a moment in utter shock.
No. No, she couldn't be a lesbian. Not his perfect Gina.
Then it all made sense, and he relaxed. Of course she wasn't! She'd just never had the right man. Anyway, everyone knew two women couldn't get married.
"Oh, sweetheart," he said, kindly, "that's just because you've never had a real man."
--
He gave her a few days to think that over, then went back. "Hiya!"
"Get out," she said, without looking up.
Now, that hurt. "That's a hell of a way to greet a guy. I just wanted to talk to you."
"No," she said. "You wanted to ask me out again. I'm engaged. Even if I wasn't engaged, I'm a lesbian. The answer is and will always be no."
"Aw, come on. You never know until you try." He winked at her.
She got up, and shut her office door in his face.
He gaped at it, shocked and hurt.
--
His uncle called him into the his office a few days later.
"Henry," he said, folding his hands and leaning forward like he did when he was concerned, "there have been complaints."
"Complaints?" Henry asked, genuinely shocked. Who'd have any reason to complain about him? "But I haven't done anything!"
"I'm sure you haven't," his uncle said, soothing. "It's just that Ms. Caravecchio has been rather persistent."
Gina? Gina had complained about him? His heart broke.
"Henry?" his uncle asked.
She'd hurt him, so badly. She'd left him no choice.
"If anything I should be complaining about her," he said.
--
It hurt so badly, he winced every time he thought about her now. His perfect Gina. Who knew she had that much cruelty in her?
They were still meant to be. He still had the comfort of knowing that. Even so, he'd had to complain against her. He'd had to hurt her like she'd hurt him, so she knew how it felt. They were even now.
His Gina. She'd understand soon. Once her heart healed, she'd understand, and then they'd be together.
He smiled at the thought, and kept on smiling until the day Ivy Hirschfeld-Kendall stepped into his office.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 21 (violators will be prosecuted), malt (Kaity's crumbled-up cookie thing request), pocky chain, cookie crumbs ( of Pressure), hot fudge (oh Henry), fresh peaches (In spite of any feelings to the contrary, Taurus, you're bound to be successful... All indications are that it will pay off shortly).
Word Count: 1000
Rating: PG.
Summary: Henry J. Holmes, bless his heart.
WARNING: Smarm. Homophobia. Nice Guy. Henry.
Notes: Peaches used with extreme sarcasm. I'm sure you remember this guy.
She was some kind of miracle.
Henry couldn't believe his luck. He was pretty sure that he'd gotten this job because of his uncle, and he'd been uneasy about that, right up until he walked in and saw Her. At which point he became convinced that he owed his uncle several million favors.
She was so beautiful. Like a goddess. Golden hair, crystal blue eyes, porcelain skin, curves that could stop a truck. She was an angel.
Henry was aware that he was mixing his metaphors. He didn't care. He'd met the love of his life, and nothing else mattered.
--
He went to her office more or less immediately and beamed at her, madly. "Hello! I'm Henry Holmes, your new office neighbor. Thought I'd drop by and say hello."
She looked up at him and smiled back. She had a beautiful smile. Of course she did. "I'm pleased to meet you," she said, her voice like music. "I'm Gina Caravecchio. I hope you'll enjoy it here."
The promise with which she said those words nearly made Henry swoon. Instead, he beamed madly at her some more. "I'm sure I will," he replied, drinking in her presence. "I'm sure I will."
--
Henry wasn't stupid, and he knew asking her out on the day they would look creepy, even if they were destined for each other. So he waited until the next day.
"Gina," he said, that morning, "there's this great little restaurant near my apartment. Let me take you out to dinner."
She looked at him, sorrow in her eyes. "No, thank you," she said. "I'm engaged."
That set him back for a moment, but only a moment. They were meant to be! He'd win her away from that guy in no time. "He doesn't have to know," he said, winking.
--
She'd been awed by his cleverness, he thought happily, on the way back to his office. The way she'd stared at him could have no other meaning. And the reluctant way she'd turned him down, oh! He understood her. She just needed time to get rid of the other guy. She'd be his soon, so soon. He just needed to be patient.
Gina. Perfect Gina. Even her name was perfect. She'd make such a perfect wife.
He sat down at his computer and dreamed. He didn't do any work, but what did that matter when Gina was two doors away?
--
He didn't think it took long to dump somebody, but Gina was a woman of sensibilities and grace. She'd want to do it gently. He'd give her time.
He waited a week.
"Gina," he said. "How about that dinner?"
She looked up at him, looking annoyed. He must have interrupted her. "No. Mr. Holmes, I am engaged. I'm not interested."
What, still? Oh well. Once he got hold of her, she'd never go back. "Oh, come on, Gina," he said, coaxingly. "One last fling before you tie the knot. What can it hurt?"
"No, Henry."
She must need more time.
--
She kept forgetting somehow to dump her fiancé, so Henry kept reminding her. Once a day, he asked her out. Once a day, she looked horrified that she'd forgotten their love, turned him down gently, and promised him tomorrow with her eyes. He'd think she was toying with him, if she was anyone but Gina, but Gina couldn't do that. Gina was too beautiful, too perfect. It was just that she didn't want to break the man's heart.
But she'd do it sooner or later. They were meant to be, after all. He hugged that knowledge to himself, and waited.
--
He hung around her doorway, three and a half weeks after they met, beaming. "Gina..."
"Henry!" she snapped, and he jerked back. She'd never snapped at him! "No! I'm a lesbian, I'm not interested in men!"
A what? He stared at her for a moment in utter shock.
No. No, she couldn't be a lesbian. Not his perfect Gina.
Then it all made sense, and he relaxed. Of course she wasn't! She'd just never had the right man. Anyway, everyone knew two women couldn't get married.
"Oh, sweetheart," he said, kindly, "that's just because you've never had a real man."
--
He gave her a few days to think that over, then went back. "Hiya!"
"Get out," she said, without looking up.
Now, that hurt. "That's a hell of a way to greet a guy. I just wanted to talk to you."
"No," she said. "You wanted to ask me out again. I'm engaged. Even if I wasn't engaged, I'm a lesbian. The answer is and will always be no."
"Aw, come on. You never know until you try." He winked at her.
She got up, and shut her office door in his face.
He gaped at it, shocked and hurt.
--
His uncle called him into the his office a few days later.
"Henry," he said, folding his hands and leaning forward like he did when he was concerned, "there have been complaints."
"Complaints?" Henry asked, genuinely shocked. Who'd have any reason to complain about him? "But I haven't done anything!"
"I'm sure you haven't," his uncle said, soothing. "It's just that Ms. Caravecchio has been rather persistent."
Gina? Gina had complained about him? His heart broke.
"Henry?" his uncle asked.
She'd hurt him, so badly. She'd left him no choice.
"If anything I should be complaining about her," he said.
--
It hurt so badly, he winced every time he thought about her now. His perfect Gina. Who knew she had that much cruelty in her?
They were still meant to be. He still had the comfort of knowing that. Even so, he'd had to complain against her. He'd had to hurt her like she'd hurt him, so she knew how it felt. They were even now.
His Gina. She'd understand soon. Once her heart healed, she'd understand, and then they'd be together.
He smiled at the thought, and kept on smiling until the day Ivy Hirschfeld-Kendall stepped into his office.