Fairytale of New York (02/13 AU, MM, Teen) 1/1
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:22 pm
Summary: A short one part fic in honor of Valentine's day. It's based on a challenge of mine which was based on an episode of friends. 'The one with the Paediatrician'. Some of the idea and dialogue is borrowed or paraphrased from the episode but I've tried not to lift it word for word.
Disclaimer: Roswell doesn't belong to me and neither does friends.
Thanks to to_kiss_a_frog for my lovely banner and to orangesky for being a great beta.
<center>Fairytale of New York.
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Once upon a time, in a small town miles from anywhere, lived a young girl named Maria Deluca. She was the type of girl that fairytales are full of. Her hair was long and golden, her skin fair, her lips full and red. Her eyes were green like the sea. She had a smile that could light a room and a voice that charmed all who heard her sing.
Like all young girls, Maria dreamed of meeting a handsome prince and falling in love. As she grew older, her dream grew more realistic. Instead of a prince, she dreamed of meeting a handsome man who was good and kind and who could make her laugh. She was prepared to kiss as many frogs as she had to until her dreams came true.
And there were many, many frogs.
When Maria and her best friend Liz Parker had first moved to New York they had been amused and delighted to find a coffee shop on the corner of their block named The Crashdown. It was a small cosy place, furnished with mismatched armchairs and tables. With weird and wonderful artwork on the walls and a soft eclectic soundtrack, it was a world away from the kitschy, 50's style, alien themed Crashdown Cafe they had grown up with in Roswell, New Mexico. For many years the diner, owned by Liz's parents, had been the center of their world. It was where they hung out as children and where they had worked both as teenagers and on vacation from college. And now the New York Crashdown had taken its place in their lives. It was here that they would go to relax and chill after work, it was here they would sit and chat with friends.
Sunday afternoon was kept as a standing appointment. No matter how busy they were at work during the week or how crazy their Saturday night had been, Maria and Liz would always make it to the Crashdown on Sunday for a catch up chat. Though it had originally just been the two of them, their number had grown in the three years they were in New York.
First Kyle Valenti, Liz’s high school sweetheart, had joined them. Then Alex Whitman, an old friend of the girls, had moved to New York and the three quickly resumed their close friendship. Around that same time Kyle started dating Isabel Evans. Though the relationship only lasted a month, the longest of any of Kyle’s relationships, by the time it ended Isabel had become a good friend of the gang.
As the break up had been amicable, Isabel kept coming on Sundays and after a few months, she started to drag her older brother Max along, saying he needed to get out more and meet new people. After Max and Liz started dating, Maria admitted to Liz that she had persuaded Isabel to bring Max along in order to set them up together. A few months later, Maria turned Cupid again to help Isabel and Alex get together.
One Sunday late in January, Isabel was telling her friends about her company’s annual charity event. She had been put in charge of organising it and had decided on a huge Viennese Ball to be held Valentine’s night.
“All the tickets sold out in two days. My boss can’t believe it. My company’s never had this kind of response to a charity event before,” Isabel explained proudly. “And I had an idea to arrange Waltzing classes at work. The idea is that anybody who attends will pay a small fee which we’ll also donate to charity. We only had room for fifty couples, but it was filled so quickly that we’re going to have to put on three or four more classes to meet demand. I signed us all up for a class. It’s Wednesday night at seven.”
“I can’t wait for the ball, it’s going to be so amazing.” Liz sighed happily, snuggling into her boyfriend’s arms. She leaned closer to whisper into his ear, but everyone heard what she said. “And it’s going to be extra special because it’s my first Valentine’s with you.”
“Wait…not only do we have to dress up in tails and dance at the ball, but we have to take a class too?” Kyle groaned.
Isabel rolled her eyes. “If you want to know what you’re doing on Valentine’s Day, you do. Besides, it will be a good chance for all of us to finally meet Belinda and get to know her.”
“Oh yeah, about Belinda…” Kyle began. He held up his hands to cover his face as he was immediately pelted with rolled up napkins. “Cut it out.”
“Belinda snores? Or her feet are too big?” Maria guessed.
“She eats off your plate?”
“She says axe instead of ask?”
“She doesn’t laugh at your jokes?”
“She doesn’t like Mayo on her sandwiches?”
Kyle glared at his friends. True, they were all reasons that he had used to break up with past girlfriends, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a legitimate reason this time. “If you must know, I broke up with her because she thinks, and I’m quoting directly here, that ‘Paris Hilton is sooo cool’.”
“Ok, that’s a valid reason.” Alex laughed.
“Does that mean you won’t have a date for the ball?” Isabel had everything planned to the most minute of details and Kyle not having a date could throw everything off course.
“Of course I’ll have a date, it’s three weeks away,” Kyle assured her confidently. His friends laughed, knowing full well that by the time the ball came around, he would have gone through two or three girlfriends.
“That means you’re free to be Maria’s partner in dance class,” Isabel decided in relief.
“I’ve been thinking Isabel…maybe you should give the tickets to somebody else. I’m not going to get a date by Valentines,” Maria said. “I’ll take dance lessons with you because I think that’ll be fun, but I just won’t go to the ball.”
“What? No, Maria. There’s loads of time to find a date. You have to come,” Liz cried at once. “We’ll never be able to enjoy ourselves if you’re home alone on Valentine’s night.”
“I’ve been home alone on Valentine’s night before,” Maria pointed out then laughed at how pathetic that statement had made her sound. “It’s no big deal, but if I go and have to watch you four being all lovey-dovey while I’m playing third wheel, I really won’t have any fun. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Please Maria,” Liz pleaded. “Don’t sit at home feeling sorry for yourself. I know this guy who-”
“Is he a scientist?” Maria interrupted sharply.
“He’s really cute and he plays the guitar. He’s so sweet.”
“Is he a scientist?”
“He’s hilarious. He does hysterical impressions of our boss and - ”
“No scientists Liz. I love you but every scientist guy you’ve tried to set me up with has been boring, a freak or both.”
“David’s really nice though, I swear….it’s just a silly rumour that he likes to dress up in Jedi costumes during sex.” Liz held a straight face for about five seconds before dissolving into giggles along with Max and Isabel.
Alex frowned, as though wondering how that was funny. “Jedi knights are cool.”
“And I’m not going on any blind dates you set me up with either,” Maria told Alex with a laugh.
Liz nudged Max in the ribs with her elbow and gave him a meaningful look.
“Uh…I know a guy who’d be great for you,” Max told Maria, rubbing his ribs as he spoke.
“Thanks Max, but I’ve already been out with the great guys you all wanted to set me up with and none of them worked out. You’re onto the second string now. I appreciate the offer but I’ll pass.”
“The perfect guy is out there for you Maria. Any day now he’s going to walk through the door,” Liz assured her best friend sympathetically.
Maria smiled. “In time for Valentine’s day? Look, don’t worry about me. I’m just feeling a bit sorry for myself. I don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy. When the time is right, I’ll meet Mr. Right.”
“Wait,” Kyle said, interrupting the conversation. “How come you’re all offering to set Maria up with your friends but not me? I’m single too.”
“There’s no way that I’d inflict you on any of my friends,” Isabel answered Kyle with snort. “I know what would happen if I introduced you to one of my friends. You’d sleep with her then dump her after a few days and I’d get the blame for introducing her to you. She’d never speak to me again.”
Maria and Liz nodded in agreement.
“Maybe I keep dumping all these girls because you’re keeping all the good ones from me,” Kyle sniffed.
“Kyle, the Paris Hilton lover aside, all the girls you’ve gone out with in the past few years have been great. You just aren’t interested in settling down,” Max reminded his sister’s former boyfriend.
“Maybe I would be if I met the right girl,” Kyle retorted.
His friends laughed and shook their heads in amusement.
“So if you met the right girl you would be willing to stop sleeping around, get a place together and get married?” Alex asked.
“Maybe. If the right girl came along,” Kyle insisted.
“I know girls that I think would be great for you but there’s no way I’d introduce you to them,” Maria told her friend apologetically. “You’d break their hearts. They’d totally fall for you…you’re sweet, funny and such a great guy…but you’re just not ready for commitment yet. When you’re ready, then I’ll introduce them to you.”
Kyle leaned forward in his seat to look Maria in the eye. “Some of these girls that you’re afraid to introduce to me work with you, right?” When Maria nodded, he continued. “Like underwear models?”
Ever since Maria had started her job as an underwear designer for an up and coming clothing company, Kyle had been obsessed with meeting underwear models. No matter how many times Maria insisted she never dealt with models directly and didn’t know any, Kyle never seemed to get the hint.
“No.” Maria laughed.
“Because if you could hook me up with an underwear model, I might be able to do something for you.”
“Like what?” Maria asked suspiciously.
“I know a guy, a really great guy, who would be perfect for you. He’s not a scientist or a Star Wars fan. You’d love him. And…he can dance.”
Maria shook her head. “Not interested.”
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That night Maria found it hard to sleep. The loud noises coming from the bedroom beside hers where Max and Liz had taken an early night wasn’t helping, but other things were playing on Maria’s mind, making sleep impossible. Wrapping a duvet around her body, she crawled out onto the balcony and curled up on a chair. She loved coming out on the balcony at night to see the city light up. Every light was another person and she loved the feeling that it gave her, that she was one surrounded by millions. It was such a far cry from the desert she had grown up in, where there were no lights, just vast, empty darkness.
Although the city blazed with light as it did every night, for once Maria wasn’t getting the feeling she usually did. It felt more like it did back in Roswell. It felt lonely. She felt lonely.
A part of her knew that she was being silly. She was still young, still had plenty of time to find Mr. Right. But as she faced yet another Valentine’s night alone, Maria felt melancholy. She was tired of bad dates and relationships that fizzled out in weeks. She was tired of being the fifth wheel every time she went out with her friends. Everyone always tried to include her, but as their relationships with their significant others naturally intensified, Maria was feeling more and more alone. In fact, sometimes when the others tried to include her, it made her feel like even more of an outsider. It wasn’t their fault…it wasn’t her fault…it was just the way things were. She knew that she wanted a serious relationship - not because she needed a man to validate her - but because she saw how happy it made Liz and Isabel. She wanted somebody to cuddle up with at night, to share secret smiles with, to notice the small things. But the closest she had come to a proper long-lasting relationship was in freshman year of high school. It seemed so long ago.
Maria sighed and shifted position in her chair. So what was she doing wrong in her quest to meet her handsome prince?
Maybe there was something wrong with her that had prevented her from forming a proper relationship with a guy. But Maria wasn’t about to change who she was. She knew there was a guy out there who was right for her because Maria believed there was somebody for everybody. She just had to meet him. But therein lay the crux of the matter.
Nothing she had tried so far had brought her what she wanted. Not speed dating, not club hopping, not evening classes and) working in the fashion industry certainly didn’t help. None of the guys her friends had tried to set her up with had been remotely the kind of guy she was looking for.
Something that Kyle had said to her as they were leaving The Crashdown that evening came back to her. As they were walking out he stopped her and said in a low voice, “You know, if something’s not working, maybe it’s time to change it. Fix me up with one of your friends and let me fix you up. What harm could it do?”
What harm could it do? If it went badly, it was just one more bad date in a long line of bad dates. If it was good, well – the possibilities were endless.
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The next morning Maria made her way across the hall to Kyle’s apartment.
“Hi Maria,” Kyle greeted between mouthfuls of his cereal. “What’s up?”
Maria smiled and took a seat on a stool beside him. “I have a friend. I think you and she would make a great couple.”
“Is she an underwear model?”
“No.”
“Not interested.”
“She’s a clothes designer,” Maria went on. “She’s really great. She’s funny and smart and sweet and does awesome things with color.”
“Not interested in being set up with any of your friends unless she’s an underwear model.”
“She used to be a swimwear model. Does that count?”
Kyle dropped his spoon with a clang in the bowl and grabbed Maria by the arm. “How come I’ve never met her before?”
Maria grinned at Kyle “So you are interested?”
“What am I going to have to do to get a date with her?” Kyle asked with deadly seriousness. “Because I will literally do anything.”
“You don’t have to do anything.” Maria laughed, extricating herself from Kyle’s grip. “I just figured that we could all go on a double date together…me, you, Tess and that guy you told me about yesterday.”
“Right, that guy.”
“What’s his name?” Maria asked excitedly.
“Uh…Mike.”
“What’s he like? What does he do? He’s not an actor is he? Because I don’t think I’d like to date an actor. No offence.”
“He…he’s…he’s great. And you’ll find out the rest on the date. If I tell you, it won’t be a blind date.”
Maria frowned, puzzled at Kyle’s evasiveness, but shrugged it off. She kissed his cheek before hopping off the stool and going back to her apartment. Kyle waited for the sound of her apartment door closing before banging his head on the counter top.
Now he just had to find a great guy called Mike.
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“Hi Angela, it’s Kyle Valenti….I’m good thanks, how are you….Yeah, I’d love to get together sometime but that’s actually not why I’m calling. You have a brother called Mike right? I was just wondering if he has a girlfriend?…I see…that’s a shame. OK, thanks Angela, tell Mike and Henry congratulations from me.”
Kyle snapped his phone shut with a curse. Angela was the last name in his phonebook; he didn’t know any other Mikes. He shook his head in disbelief. How could he not know any other Mikes? Everybody knew a Mike. It’s why he had said Mike when Maria put him on the spot.
He called the waitress over and ordered another cappuccino. What was he going to do? He had to meet the underwear model.
“Think Valenti.” He scrunched his eyes up and furrowed his brow hoping that if it looked like he was concentrating hard enough, some kind of inspiration would hit him. But before any light bulbs went off his phone rang and he snatched it up, praying that it was somebody calling back with a Mike. “Hello?”
“Hi Kyle, it’s me,” came Maria’s cheery voice.
“Hey Deluca.”
“So I spoke to Tess a while ago and she’s really excited about meeting you but the only problem is that she’s flying to LA tomorrow afternoon and she’ll be there all week. So I was thinking, if you and Mike are free, we should have dinner tonight. ”
Kyle held the phone away from his mouth and swore silently to himself. “…OK.”
“I’ll call Horatio’s and change the reservation to tonight. ”
“OK.” Kyle’s voice was barely more than a croak.
“Cool, see you tonight at eight,”
“Ok bye.” Kyle closed the phone. Crap.
The waitress came by and placed his drink in front of him. “Can I get you anything else?”
“A great guy named Mike?” Kyle half-joked. The waitress frowned at him and hurried away.
With no other options, Kyle stood up, glanced around the crowed café, and shouted. “Mike?”
A man sitting at a table by the window looked up and answered, “Yes?” Not recognising Kyle, he assumed it was another Mike who had been called and went back to reading the paper.
Kyle grabbed a passing waitress by the arm and pointed at the ‘Mike’ guy. “He’s good looking, right?”
“I’ll say,” the waitress sighed. “But he’s straight.” She added apologetically. Kyle glared at her, picked up his cup of coffee and made his way over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down
“Hi Mike.”
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“How do I look?” Maria asked, twirling around in her bedroom for Liz's opinion.
“Beautiful,” Liz assured her. “This Mike guy is going to be blown away.”
Maria smiled nervously. “Am I crazy to agree to a date with a friend of Kyle’s?”
“Maybe, but I think you’re even more crazy to be setting up one of your friends with Kyle. I mean I love the guy, but he’s going to break her heart. It’s what he does. And then you’ll have lost a friend.”
Liz wasn’t being mean, it was just fact. Kyle had done it to so many of their friends in the past that Maria and Liz could fill a big boat with girls who were no longer talking to them.
Maria laughed and threw her lip gloss into her purse. “Tess is a total man-eater; she’ll chew Kyle up and spit him out. They’ll either have a great fling or they’re a match made in heaven.”
From their living room they heard the sound of the buzzer ringing. “That’ll be Tess now. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck sweetie,” Liz wished her sincerely.
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“I can’t believe that I agreed to this.”
Kyle pulled out a pair of tickets from his jacket and waved them at Mike. “Rangers tickets, front row.”
“Fine. Shouldn’t we have a story?”
“There’s no time now, there’s Maria. Just follow my lead,” Kyle instructed as he rose to his feet so that Maria could see him. She waved at him and made her way towards their table with a gorgeous, curvy blonde following behind her. She was the type of blonde Kyle thought only existed in Sports illustrated swimsuit edition.
“Hi guys,” Maria greeted with a smile. “Kyle this is my friend Tess Harding.”
Kyle shook the blonde’s hand before turning to Mike. “This is Mike….Mike this is Maria.”
Maria and Michael shook hands and they all sat down. From behind her menu Maria gave Kyle the thumbs up sign. She certainly liked the look of her date and from the way Kyle was drooling, he liked the look of Tess. They made light chit-chat about the weather and what looked good to eat as they looked over their menus.
After the waiter had taken their order, Maria turned her attention to Mike. “So Mike, it’s funny that we never met before. How do you and Kyle know each other?”
“Boy, if I had a dollar for every time somebody asked us that,” Kyle laughed. He was watching the conversation between the pair carefully, fearfully even.
“We met at college,” Michael answered, receiving a swift kick to the ankles. “Uh, I mean high school.” For that remark he got another kick and glared at Kyle.
“You’re from Roswell?” Maria asked.
“No, we met when we played football against each other in high school. And we became friends at football camp,” Kyle jumped in, then looking at Michael pointedly. “You’d know if Michael was from Roswell because that’s where you’re from.”
“Oh, so you’re from New Mexico. What part?”
“Actually I’m from New York but I lived in Santa Fe for a few years in my teens. I have an aunt there.”
“Tess is from Boston,” Maria informed Kyle, who was too busy right now listening to Maria’s conversation with Michael to pay attention to Tess.
“That’s great,” Kyle responded.
“She’s a designer,” Maria added when Kyle failed to start a conversation.
Tess began to talk about her job so Maria refocused on Michael. “I’m a clothing designer too. We work at the same company. What do you do?”
“I’m an architect,” Michael began.
“Mike the architect,” Kyle said loudly. “You’ve heard me talk about him before.”
Maria smiled apologetically at Mike. “Sorry, I don’t think I have.”
“That’s ok,” he assured her. “Actually, architecture is just a day job. I make furniture. It was just a hobby at first but it really took off so I’m going to take some time off and see if I can make a career from it.”
“That’s so cool,” Maria exclaimed. “What kind of furniture? Do you design it yourself too?”
“Yeah, sort of. I mean, I just make chairs and tables and things and for some reason people really like them. It’s all made with wood. I try to keep it natural and simple but with a twist.”
“Wow, I love that.”
“That’s why I waited until now to introduce you guys,” Kyle explained with an over exaggerated nod.
“You said he was an architect,” Tess pointed out.
“Let’s order drinks,” Kyle decided loudly and gestured wildly for the waiter to come over.
Michael and Maria began to talk about his furniture and the process of design, discussing the differences and some surprising similarities in their different jobs. Happy that they weren’t talking about anything that could get them into trouble, Kyle was able to focus on getting a conversation started with Tess.
Maria was really enjoying the evening. Mike was great, just as Kyle had promised. He was funny, smart, interested in what she had to say, he had strong opinions which she liked and he was really, really sexy. At that moment he looked up from his dinner and met her eyes. Maria smiled at him and he returned it with a killer grin of his own. Butterflies danced in Maria’s stomach.
“So you and Kyle go way back then?” Michael asked as the waiter placed their main course meals in front of them.
“Oh yeah. I’ve actually known Kyle longer than I’ve known Liz. We’ve been friends for years but it’s really only since we moved to New York that we’ve become close. He was the popular athlete at school and I was the weird chick so we never really mixed even when he was dating Liz.”
“You don’t seem weird.”
“I’ve learned to hide it well.” Maria laughed. She looked up to see Kyle watching them closely and grinned at him. He smiled nervously back at her, which caused Maria to frown. She had thought that as soon as Kyle laid eyes on Tess she’d be forgotten about for the night but so far Kyle had paid more attention to her than he had to the busty model beside him.
“So what’s weird about you that I should look out for?” Michael teased.
“I’m not telling you now, I’d frighten you off.”
“I don’t think so,” Michael assured her with a voice that caused Maria to blush. She grabbed her water glass and gulped some down. “Who’s Liz?”
“Liz Parker, Kyle’s high school sweetheart. She’s my best friend. We share an apartment together. Actually we live just across the hall from Kyle. He never mentioned her?”
A strange look passed over Michael’s face as though he was conducting an internal debate. “That Liz. Of course.”
He smiled again and Maria’s heart thumped wildly. She had never in all her life liked a guy this much so soon after meeting him. Why on earth had Kyle never brought him around before? She’s never seen him at any of Kyle’s legendary parties or on a night out to a club. “It’s so weird that we’ve never met before. I thought we knew all of Kyle’s friends,” Maria told him.
“Well that’s because we had a bit of a falling out,” Kyle chimed in. “Mike killed my dog.”
“You’re the guy who killed Mutsy?” Maria asked, shocked and angry. Mutsy had been loved by all the gang until his sudden and tragic death.
“What? No, I didn’t kill any dog,” Mike protested.
“Wait Kyle, I thought you said you didn’t know who it was,” Maria remembered.
“I…uh…didn’t want you guys to hate Mike.”
“If they’d never met Mike, why would they care?” Tess asked.
“Let’s get another round of drinks,” Kyle suggested waving the waiter over again.
“I’ve had enough, Kyle,” Michael told him with a look that said he wasn’t just talking about drinks.
“I think you should have another, Mike,” Kyle insisted, misreading Michael’s hidden meaning.
Michael threw down his napkin. “It’s Michael. I hate being called Mike.”
“I’m sorry,” Maria apologised, a little confused by the way Michael was glaring at Kyle.
“If you’re his friend how come you didn’t know that?” Tess asked Kyle.
“We’re having a conversation here,” Kyle snapped.
“You’re so much nicer on TV,” Tess commented.
Michael snapped his fingers. “You’re the bartender on that show. I knew I recognised you from somewhere.”
“What?” Maria asked.
“Uh…. Maria, I can explain,” Kyle began quickly.
“You don’t know him do you? You set me up with a complete stranger. Did you just pick him up off the street or something? Did you pay him to date me? I can’t believe you’d do this to me Kyle.” She stood up and threw her napkin down then looked at Michael with tear filled eyes. “And I thought you were a nice guy.”
“I’m really sorry about this,” Michael told her rising to his feet. “I didn’t think it would go like this.”
“Can you even dance?” Maria asked.
Thrown by the totally random question, Michael blinked in confusion and looked at Kyle for an explanation.
“Thanks very much Kyle,” Maria hissed before storming out of the restaurant.
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Maria was curled up in a soft armchair in the Crashdown staring morosely into her, by now, cold cup of coffee.
Even yelling at Kyle for twenty minutes that morning hadn’t help lift her gloom. She should have known better. Yelling at Kyle never helped, it was like yelling at a puppy. He had a way of looking so sad that she ended up feeling like a bitch for shouting and if she was honest with herself, she was really just going through the motions. Maria wasn’t really mad, she was just disappointed.
She had realised just that when Tess emerged from Kyle’s bedroom wearing only the shirt he had on at dinner the night before, minus several buttons. Kyle had ignored Tess for most of the evening and yet still managed to end up in bed with her. Yet Maria, who had met a great guy who she really liked, had ended up alone. Again. What did she have to do to find her prince charming?
Her musing was interrupted when somebody approached the table. She looked up and was shocked to find the Michael guy from the night before standing beside her. “Can I join you?” He asked and then sat down without waiting for Maria to reply.
“Coffee together…how much is Kyle paying you for that?”
“He didn’t pay me last night and he’s not paying me now.” Michael sighed.
“So the Rangers tickets were a gift out of the goodness of his heart?”
Michael squirmed in his seat. “Kyle told me that he needed somebody to pretend to be his friend and take a girl out to dinner. I told him no. Then he pulled out the tickets. I’m a huge Rangers fan. Next week’s game is one of their biggest this year and they’re great tickets. I’d have licked his boots for them. I didn’t even think about the girl or how she’d feel if she knew, which was a pretty asinine move, I admit. I’m really sorry for lying to you but I can’t apologise for going along with it because I had a really great time getting to know you.”
“Oh please, was anything you said last night even true?”
“Most of it was. I’ve never played football for a team or been to camp. And I never met Kyle before yesterday. But everything else is true. I’m an architect and I make furniture in my spare time. I’d like to do it full time. I lived in Santa Fe while I was in college, not high school, and I have an aunt living there.”
“Last night, when we were talking you seemed to be into me. Was that real or fake?” Maria asked shyly.
“Very real. I think you’re the prettiest, funniest, most interesting girl I’ve ever met and I’d love to take you out and get to know you better. What do you say Maria? Do you think I’m worth another chance?”
Maria played with the bracelet on her wrist as she tried to decide. Part of her didn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth and the other part of her really wanted to believe him. Why did he come back? He already had the tickets he so desperately wanted, so it wasn’t for them and Kyle wasn’t putting him up to it so the only other explanation was the one he’d said. Because he liked her. That realisation brought a smile to Maria’s lips. She nodded. “I guess so.”
Michael returned her smile. “Great. Are you free tonight?”
“You’re eager,” Maria laughed.
“Yes I am,” Michael agreed. “Hey what did you mean last night when you asked if I could dance?”
“See my friend Isabel is organising a ball on Valentine’s night and I don’t have a date yet. Kyle told me that he knew a great guy who could dance, that’s why I agreed to the date last night. So, can you dance?”
“I took dance lessons once. My dance teacher told me that I was a lost cause but if you’re willing to risk bodily harm I’d be willing to try dancing.”
Maria smiled. “I’m willing to take a chance.”
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Epilogue
On the night of the ball, Valentine’s night, a light snow began to fall as cars drew up in front of the hotel to deposit the partygoers. The snowflakes dancing around the thousands of fairy lights made a beautiful and very romantic backdrop for the occasion. Everyone looked wonderful; the men handsome in their dark tuxedos and the ladies beautiful in their colorful, sparkling, flowing evening gowns.
“Wow, this is amazing,” Maria gasped as she and Michael stepped into the ballroom. Isabel had really pulled out all the stops and produced an evening that was just magical. Everything had been planned to the smallest detail and everything was perfect.
Michael cast a nervous glance at the stage where the orchestra members were tuning up. A woman on a grand piano was playing a soft medley to keep the atmosphere romantic. “There’s nobody dancing,” he exclaimed in relief.
“The dancing doesn’t start until after dinner,” Maria informed him, giggling as he pouted. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You’ve made great progress in class.”
“Sure, but I wasn’t wearing a strait jacket then,” he complained, pulling at the neck of his shirt.
Maria laughed. “But you look so sexy in the strait jacket.”
“Oh yeah? You think I’m sexy?” Michael asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Yes, very sexy.” Maria pulled him close and kissed him gently before whispering in his ear. “But I can’t wait to get you out of that jacket either.”
“Oh really?”
“Did I mention that Liz is staying at Max’s tonight?” Maria teased.
“No you didn’t,” Michael replied, pulling her close and kissing her again.
Maria couldn’t help but giggle as the butterflies in her stomach began to do the cancan. In the three weeks since she and Michael had met, she had learned that he was an amazing kisser but that was as far as her knowledge of his talents went. Tonight she was going to learn more and she couldn’t wait. Only her fear of Isabel kept Maria from dragging Michael out of the ballroom and back to the empty apartment then and there.
“Hey you guys,” A voice close to them squealed and they broke apart to see a radiant Liz bouncing up and down and waving her left hand. A left hand that now sported a dazzling new ring. Max stood behind her with a smile from ear to ear.
“Hi Liz, you look great,” Maria laughed. “I love your dress.”
“That’s a great color on you,” Michael added with a grin, quickly following Maria’s lead. “Hey Max.”
Liz squealed with frustration and waved her hand again, closer to Maria’s face.
“Oh you got a manicure, that was a good idea,” Maria commented glibly looking at her own nails.
“Maria,” Liz screamed, fit to burst.
Laughing and squealing, Maria pulled Liz to her and hugged her tightly. “Congratulations sweetie, I’m so happy for the two of you. Congratulations Max, you got a real good one here.”
“I know,” Max told her proudly hugging Liz close to him while shaking Michael’s hand at the same time.
“Tell me details,” Maria ordered as she steered Liz to the table where Alex, Kyle and Tess were sitting.
“We were in the limo on the way over and Max ordered the driver to stop for a minute. We were just outside that little park; you know the one where we go for picnics? That’s where Max and I had our first date. There was a balloon tied to a bench and when I got close I saw that it said ‘Marry me Liz’ so I screamed and said yes.”
“Aww that’s so sweet,” Maria and Tess gushed.
As the meal was served, a flushed Isabel rejoined her table and beamed at her friends. “This is going so well,” She announced smugly. “We’ve only been here for an hour and already three couples have got engaged since they got here.”
“Three?” Alex gasped.
Isabel nodded, “There’s a veranda outside and I made sure it was decorated with lots of plants and lights so that there were lots of private places for couples to steal a moment of privacy. It’s so lovely out there and the snow makes it like something out of a fairytale. Trust me, by the time tonight is over at least ten times that number will be engaged.”
“And I thought I was being so original,” Alex huffed.
“What do you mean?” Isabel asked.
“I thought it was such a cool idea to propose here but if everyone else is doing it, I think I’ll wait.”
“Alex Whitman,” Isabel said in a strangled voice. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears, though whether it was out of happiness or anger nobody was sure.
“Yes dear?” Alex asked cheekily.
“You better propose to me right now.”
“Yes dear,” he said meekly and dropped down to his knee. He pulled a small velvet box from his jacket and opened it up. “Isabel Evans, love of my life, will you marry me?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Isabel screamed throwing her arms around his neck and peppering his face with kisses. People at the tables surrounding them burst into applause and their friends rushed to hug and congratulate the pair.
Later, after dinner had ended and the actual ball was in full flow, Maria and Michael left the intense heat of the ballroom to get some air on the Veranda. The air was crisp and cold but thanks to several well placed heaters it wasn’t uncomfortable, even in Maria’s thin evening gown.
“How are your feet? Will you be able to walk tomorrow?” Michael asked.
“Probably not, but since I’m planning to spend all day in bed tomorrow, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Maria teased, nibbling his lower lip suggestively. Michael laughed and pulled her closer for a scorching kiss.
“I think you’re having fun tonight,” Maria said with not a little hint of surprise when they pulled apart.
Michael opened his mouth to say something but his reply was cut short by the high pitched scream of a woman close by. “Yes I’ll marry you.”
They laughed and Michael pulled her into a more secluded area. “I am having fun. It’s a good night,” Michael answered. He looked down at her and smiled. “I’m having fun with you. These past few weeks have been really great, the best of my life. And it’s because of you Maria Deluca.”
“You’re not about to propose are you? Because I think it’s a little soon for that,” Maria joked, her stomach flip flopping wildly at the look Michael gave her.
He smiled softly and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “No, I’m not going to propose. But is it too early to say that I’ve fallen in love with you?”
“Probably but say it anyway.”
“I’ve fallen in love with you,” he whispered, kissing her cheek.
“Ditto,” Maria said, a smile gracing her lips, before Michael claimed them with his own.
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Disclaimer: Roswell doesn't belong to me and neither does friends.
Thanks to to_kiss_a_frog for my lovely banner and to orangesky for being a great beta.
<center>Fairytale of New York.
</center>Once upon a time, in a small town miles from anywhere, lived a young girl named Maria Deluca. She was the type of girl that fairytales are full of. Her hair was long and golden, her skin fair, her lips full and red. Her eyes were green like the sea. She had a smile that could light a room and a voice that charmed all who heard her sing.
Like all young girls, Maria dreamed of meeting a handsome prince and falling in love. As she grew older, her dream grew more realistic. Instead of a prince, she dreamed of meeting a handsome man who was good and kind and who could make her laugh. She was prepared to kiss as many frogs as she had to until her dreams came true.
And there were many, many frogs.
When Maria and her best friend Liz Parker had first moved to New York they had been amused and delighted to find a coffee shop on the corner of their block named The Crashdown. It was a small cosy place, furnished with mismatched armchairs and tables. With weird and wonderful artwork on the walls and a soft eclectic soundtrack, it was a world away from the kitschy, 50's style, alien themed Crashdown Cafe they had grown up with in Roswell, New Mexico. For many years the diner, owned by Liz's parents, had been the center of their world. It was where they hung out as children and where they had worked both as teenagers and on vacation from college. And now the New York Crashdown had taken its place in their lives. It was here that they would go to relax and chill after work, it was here they would sit and chat with friends.
Sunday afternoon was kept as a standing appointment. No matter how busy they were at work during the week or how crazy their Saturday night had been, Maria and Liz would always make it to the Crashdown on Sunday for a catch up chat. Though it had originally just been the two of them, their number had grown in the three years they were in New York.
First Kyle Valenti, Liz’s high school sweetheart, had joined them. Then Alex Whitman, an old friend of the girls, had moved to New York and the three quickly resumed their close friendship. Around that same time Kyle started dating Isabel Evans. Though the relationship only lasted a month, the longest of any of Kyle’s relationships, by the time it ended Isabel had become a good friend of the gang.
As the break up had been amicable, Isabel kept coming on Sundays and after a few months, she started to drag her older brother Max along, saying he needed to get out more and meet new people. After Max and Liz started dating, Maria admitted to Liz that she had persuaded Isabel to bring Max along in order to set them up together. A few months later, Maria turned Cupid again to help Isabel and Alex get together.
One Sunday late in January, Isabel was telling her friends about her company’s annual charity event. She had been put in charge of organising it and had decided on a huge Viennese Ball to be held Valentine’s night.
“All the tickets sold out in two days. My boss can’t believe it. My company’s never had this kind of response to a charity event before,” Isabel explained proudly. “And I had an idea to arrange Waltzing classes at work. The idea is that anybody who attends will pay a small fee which we’ll also donate to charity. We only had room for fifty couples, but it was filled so quickly that we’re going to have to put on three or four more classes to meet demand. I signed us all up for a class. It’s Wednesday night at seven.”
“I can’t wait for the ball, it’s going to be so amazing.” Liz sighed happily, snuggling into her boyfriend’s arms. She leaned closer to whisper into his ear, but everyone heard what she said. “And it’s going to be extra special because it’s my first Valentine’s with you.”
“Wait…not only do we have to dress up in tails and dance at the ball, but we have to take a class too?” Kyle groaned.
Isabel rolled her eyes. “If you want to know what you’re doing on Valentine’s Day, you do. Besides, it will be a good chance for all of us to finally meet Belinda and get to know her.”
“Oh yeah, about Belinda…” Kyle began. He held up his hands to cover his face as he was immediately pelted with rolled up napkins. “Cut it out.”
“Belinda snores? Or her feet are too big?” Maria guessed.
“She eats off your plate?”
“She says axe instead of ask?”
“She doesn’t laugh at your jokes?”
“She doesn’t like Mayo on her sandwiches?”
Kyle glared at his friends. True, they were all reasons that he had used to break up with past girlfriends, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a legitimate reason this time. “If you must know, I broke up with her because she thinks, and I’m quoting directly here, that ‘Paris Hilton is sooo cool’.”
“Ok, that’s a valid reason.” Alex laughed.
“Does that mean you won’t have a date for the ball?” Isabel had everything planned to the most minute of details and Kyle not having a date could throw everything off course.
“Of course I’ll have a date, it’s three weeks away,” Kyle assured her confidently. His friends laughed, knowing full well that by the time the ball came around, he would have gone through two or three girlfriends.
“That means you’re free to be Maria’s partner in dance class,” Isabel decided in relief.
“I’ve been thinking Isabel…maybe you should give the tickets to somebody else. I’m not going to get a date by Valentines,” Maria said. “I’ll take dance lessons with you because I think that’ll be fun, but I just won’t go to the ball.”
“What? No, Maria. There’s loads of time to find a date. You have to come,” Liz cried at once. “We’ll never be able to enjoy ourselves if you’re home alone on Valentine’s night.”
“I’ve been home alone on Valentine’s night before,” Maria pointed out then laughed at how pathetic that statement had made her sound. “It’s no big deal, but if I go and have to watch you four being all lovey-dovey while I’m playing third wheel, I really won’t have any fun. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Please Maria,” Liz pleaded. “Don’t sit at home feeling sorry for yourself. I know this guy who-”
“Is he a scientist?” Maria interrupted sharply.
“He’s really cute and he plays the guitar. He’s so sweet.”
“Is he a scientist?”
“He’s hilarious. He does hysterical impressions of our boss and - ”
“No scientists Liz. I love you but every scientist guy you’ve tried to set me up with has been boring, a freak or both.”
“David’s really nice though, I swear….it’s just a silly rumour that he likes to dress up in Jedi costumes during sex.” Liz held a straight face for about five seconds before dissolving into giggles along with Max and Isabel.
Alex frowned, as though wondering how that was funny. “Jedi knights are cool.”
“And I’m not going on any blind dates you set me up with either,” Maria told Alex with a laugh.
Liz nudged Max in the ribs with her elbow and gave him a meaningful look.
“Uh…I know a guy who’d be great for you,” Max told Maria, rubbing his ribs as he spoke.
“Thanks Max, but I’ve already been out with the great guys you all wanted to set me up with and none of them worked out. You’re onto the second string now. I appreciate the offer but I’ll pass.”
“The perfect guy is out there for you Maria. Any day now he’s going to walk through the door,” Liz assured her best friend sympathetically.
Maria smiled. “In time for Valentine’s day? Look, don’t worry about me. I’m just feeling a bit sorry for myself. I don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy. When the time is right, I’ll meet Mr. Right.”
“Wait,” Kyle said, interrupting the conversation. “How come you’re all offering to set Maria up with your friends but not me? I’m single too.”
“There’s no way that I’d inflict you on any of my friends,” Isabel answered Kyle with snort. “I know what would happen if I introduced you to one of my friends. You’d sleep with her then dump her after a few days and I’d get the blame for introducing her to you. She’d never speak to me again.”
Maria and Liz nodded in agreement.
“Maybe I keep dumping all these girls because you’re keeping all the good ones from me,” Kyle sniffed.
“Kyle, the Paris Hilton lover aside, all the girls you’ve gone out with in the past few years have been great. You just aren’t interested in settling down,” Max reminded his sister’s former boyfriend.
“Maybe I would be if I met the right girl,” Kyle retorted.
His friends laughed and shook their heads in amusement.
“So if you met the right girl you would be willing to stop sleeping around, get a place together and get married?” Alex asked.
“Maybe. If the right girl came along,” Kyle insisted.
“I know girls that I think would be great for you but there’s no way I’d introduce you to them,” Maria told her friend apologetically. “You’d break their hearts. They’d totally fall for you…you’re sweet, funny and such a great guy…but you’re just not ready for commitment yet. When you’re ready, then I’ll introduce them to you.”
Kyle leaned forward in his seat to look Maria in the eye. “Some of these girls that you’re afraid to introduce to me work with you, right?” When Maria nodded, he continued. “Like underwear models?”
Ever since Maria had started her job as an underwear designer for an up and coming clothing company, Kyle had been obsessed with meeting underwear models. No matter how many times Maria insisted she never dealt with models directly and didn’t know any, Kyle never seemed to get the hint.
“No.” Maria laughed.
“Because if you could hook me up with an underwear model, I might be able to do something for you.”
“Like what?” Maria asked suspiciously.
“I know a guy, a really great guy, who would be perfect for you. He’s not a scientist or a Star Wars fan. You’d love him. And…he can dance.”
Maria shook her head. “Not interested.”
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That night Maria found it hard to sleep. The loud noises coming from the bedroom beside hers where Max and Liz had taken an early night wasn’t helping, but other things were playing on Maria’s mind, making sleep impossible. Wrapping a duvet around her body, she crawled out onto the balcony and curled up on a chair. She loved coming out on the balcony at night to see the city light up. Every light was another person and she loved the feeling that it gave her, that she was one surrounded by millions. It was such a far cry from the desert she had grown up in, where there were no lights, just vast, empty darkness.
Although the city blazed with light as it did every night, for once Maria wasn’t getting the feeling she usually did. It felt more like it did back in Roswell. It felt lonely. She felt lonely.
A part of her knew that she was being silly. She was still young, still had plenty of time to find Mr. Right. But as she faced yet another Valentine’s night alone, Maria felt melancholy. She was tired of bad dates and relationships that fizzled out in weeks. She was tired of being the fifth wheel every time she went out with her friends. Everyone always tried to include her, but as their relationships with their significant others naturally intensified, Maria was feeling more and more alone. In fact, sometimes when the others tried to include her, it made her feel like even more of an outsider. It wasn’t their fault…it wasn’t her fault…it was just the way things were. She knew that she wanted a serious relationship - not because she needed a man to validate her - but because she saw how happy it made Liz and Isabel. She wanted somebody to cuddle up with at night, to share secret smiles with, to notice the small things. But the closest she had come to a proper long-lasting relationship was in freshman year of high school. It seemed so long ago.
Maria sighed and shifted position in her chair. So what was she doing wrong in her quest to meet her handsome prince?
Maybe there was something wrong with her that had prevented her from forming a proper relationship with a guy. But Maria wasn’t about to change who she was. She knew there was a guy out there who was right for her because Maria believed there was somebody for everybody. She just had to meet him. But therein lay the crux of the matter.
Nothing she had tried so far had brought her what she wanted. Not speed dating, not club hopping, not evening classes and) working in the fashion industry certainly didn’t help. None of the guys her friends had tried to set her up with had been remotely the kind of guy she was looking for.
Something that Kyle had said to her as they were leaving The Crashdown that evening came back to her. As they were walking out he stopped her and said in a low voice, “You know, if something’s not working, maybe it’s time to change it. Fix me up with one of your friends and let me fix you up. What harm could it do?”
What harm could it do? If it went badly, it was just one more bad date in a long line of bad dates. If it was good, well – the possibilities were endless.
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The next morning Maria made her way across the hall to Kyle’s apartment.
“Hi Maria,” Kyle greeted between mouthfuls of his cereal. “What’s up?”
Maria smiled and took a seat on a stool beside him. “I have a friend. I think you and she would make a great couple.”
“Is she an underwear model?”
“No.”
“Not interested.”
“She’s a clothes designer,” Maria went on. “She’s really great. She’s funny and smart and sweet and does awesome things with color.”
“Not interested in being set up with any of your friends unless she’s an underwear model.”
“She used to be a swimwear model. Does that count?”
Kyle dropped his spoon with a clang in the bowl and grabbed Maria by the arm. “How come I’ve never met her before?”
Maria grinned at Kyle “So you are interested?”
“What am I going to have to do to get a date with her?” Kyle asked with deadly seriousness. “Because I will literally do anything.”
“You don’t have to do anything.” Maria laughed, extricating herself from Kyle’s grip. “I just figured that we could all go on a double date together…me, you, Tess and that guy you told me about yesterday.”
“Right, that guy.”
“What’s his name?” Maria asked excitedly.
“Uh…Mike.”
“What’s he like? What does he do? He’s not an actor is he? Because I don’t think I’d like to date an actor. No offence.”
“He…he’s…he’s great. And you’ll find out the rest on the date. If I tell you, it won’t be a blind date.”
Maria frowned, puzzled at Kyle’s evasiveness, but shrugged it off. She kissed his cheek before hopping off the stool and going back to her apartment. Kyle waited for the sound of her apartment door closing before banging his head on the counter top.
Now he just had to find a great guy called Mike.
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“Hi Angela, it’s Kyle Valenti….I’m good thanks, how are you….Yeah, I’d love to get together sometime but that’s actually not why I’m calling. You have a brother called Mike right? I was just wondering if he has a girlfriend?…I see…that’s a shame. OK, thanks Angela, tell Mike and Henry congratulations from me.”
Kyle snapped his phone shut with a curse. Angela was the last name in his phonebook; he didn’t know any other Mikes. He shook his head in disbelief. How could he not know any other Mikes? Everybody knew a Mike. It’s why he had said Mike when Maria put him on the spot.
He called the waitress over and ordered another cappuccino. What was he going to do? He had to meet the underwear model.
“Think Valenti.” He scrunched his eyes up and furrowed his brow hoping that if it looked like he was concentrating hard enough, some kind of inspiration would hit him. But before any light bulbs went off his phone rang and he snatched it up, praying that it was somebody calling back with a Mike. “Hello?”
“Hi Kyle, it’s me,” came Maria’s cheery voice.
“Hey Deluca.”
“So I spoke to Tess a while ago and she’s really excited about meeting you but the only problem is that she’s flying to LA tomorrow afternoon and she’ll be there all week. So I was thinking, if you and Mike are free, we should have dinner tonight. ”
Kyle held the phone away from his mouth and swore silently to himself. “…OK.”
“I’ll call Horatio’s and change the reservation to tonight. ”
“OK.” Kyle’s voice was barely more than a croak.
“Cool, see you tonight at eight,”
“Ok bye.” Kyle closed the phone. Crap.
The waitress came by and placed his drink in front of him. “Can I get you anything else?”
“A great guy named Mike?” Kyle half-joked. The waitress frowned at him and hurried away.
With no other options, Kyle stood up, glanced around the crowed café, and shouted. “Mike?”
A man sitting at a table by the window looked up and answered, “Yes?” Not recognising Kyle, he assumed it was another Mike who had been called and went back to reading the paper.
Kyle grabbed a passing waitress by the arm and pointed at the ‘Mike’ guy. “He’s good looking, right?”
“I’ll say,” the waitress sighed. “But he’s straight.” She added apologetically. Kyle glared at her, picked up his cup of coffee and made his way over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down
“Hi Mike.”
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“How do I look?” Maria asked, twirling around in her bedroom for Liz's opinion.
“Beautiful,” Liz assured her. “This Mike guy is going to be blown away.”
Maria smiled nervously. “Am I crazy to agree to a date with a friend of Kyle’s?”
“Maybe, but I think you’re even more crazy to be setting up one of your friends with Kyle. I mean I love the guy, but he’s going to break her heart. It’s what he does. And then you’ll have lost a friend.”
Liz wasn’t being mean, it was just fact. Kyle had done it to so many of their friends in the past that Maria and Liz could fill a big boat with girls who were no longer talking to them.
Maria laughed and threw her lip gloss into her purse. “Tess is a total man-eater; she’ll chew Kyle up and spit him out. They’ll either have a great fling or they’re a match made in heaven.”
From their living room they heard the sound of the buzzer ringing. “That’ll be Tess now. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck sweetie,” Liz wished her sincerely.
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“I can’t believe that I agreed to this.”
Kyle pulled out a pair of tickets from his jacket and waved them at Mike. “Rangers tickets, front row.”
“Fine. Shouldn’t we have a story?”
“There’s no time now, there’s Maria. Just follow my lead,” Kyle instructed as he rose to his feet so that Maria could see him. She waved at him and made her way towards their table with a gorgeous, curvy blonde following behind her. She was the type of blonde Kyle thought only existed in Sports illustrated swimsuit edition.
“Hi guys,” Maria greeted with a smile. “Kyle this is my friend Tess Harding.”
Kyle shook the blonde’s hand before turning to Mike. “This is Mike….Mike this is Maria.”
Maria and Michael shook hands and they all sat down. From behind her menu Maria gave Kyle the thumbs up sign. She certainly liked the look of her date and from the way Kyle was drooling, he liked the look of Tess. They made light chit-chat about the weather and what looked good to eat as they looked over their menus.
After the waiter had taken their order, Maria turned her attention to Mike. “So Mike, it’s funny that we never met before. How do you and Kyle know each other?”
“Boy, if I had a dollar for every time somebody asked us that,” Kyle laughed. He was watching the conversation between the pair carefully, fearfully even.
“We met at college,” Michael answered, receiving a swift kick to the ankles. “Uh, I mean high school.” For that remark he got another kick and glared at Kyle.
“You’re from Roswell?” Maria asked.
“No, we met when we played football against each other in high school. And we became friends at football camp,” Kyle jumped in, then looking at Michael pointedly. “You’d know if Michael was from Roswell because that’s where you’re from.”
“Oh, so you’re from New Mexico. What part?”
“Actually I’m from New York but I lived in Santa Fe for a few years in my teens. I have an aunt there.”
“Tess is from Boston,” Maria informed Kyle, who was too busy right now listening to Maria’s conversation with Michael to pay attention to Tess.
“That’s great,” Kyle responded.
“She’s a designer,” Maria added when Kyle failed to start a conversation.
Tess began to talk about her job so Maria refocused on Michael. “I’m a clothing designer too. We work at the same company. What do you do?”
“I’m an architect,” Michael began.
“Mike the architect,” Kyle said loudly. “You’ve heard me talk about him before.”
Maria smiled apologetically at Mike. “Sorry, I don’t think I have.”
“That’s ok,” he assured her. “Actually, architecture is just a day job. I make furniture. It was just a hobby at first but it really took off so I’m going to take some time off and see if I can make a career from it.”
“That’s so cool,” Maria exclaimed. “What kind of furniture? Do you design it yourself too?”
“Yeah, sort of. I mean, I just make chairs and tables and things and for some reason people really like them. It’s all made with wood. I try to keep it natural and simple but with a twist.”
“Wow, I love that.”
“That’s why I waited until now to introduce you guys,” Kyle explained with an over exaggerated nod.
“You said he was an architect,” Tess pointed out.
“Let’s order drinks,” Kyle decided loudly and gestured wildly for the waiter to come over.
Michael and Maria began to talk about his furniture and the process of design, discussing the differences and some surprising similarities in their different jobs. Happy that they weren’t talking about anything that could get them into trouble, Kyle was able to focus on getting a conversation started with Tess.
Maria was really enjoying the evening. Mike was great, just as Kyle had promised. He was funny, smart, interested in what she had to say, he had strong opinions which she liked and he was really, really sexy. At that moment he looked up from his dinner and met her eyes. Maria smiled at him and he returned it with a killer grin of his own. Butterflies danced in Maria’s stomach.
“So you and Kyle go way back then?” Michael asked as the waiter placed their main course meals in front of them.
“Oh yeah. I’ve actually known Kyle longer than I’ve known Liz. We’ve been friends for years but it’s really only since we moved to New York that we’ve become close. He was the popular athlete at school and I was the weird chick so we never really mixed even when he was dating Liz.”
“You don’t seem weird.”
“I’ve learned to hide it well.” Maria laughed. She looked up to see Kyle watching them closely and grinned at him. He smiled nervously back at her, which caused Maria to frown. She had thought that as soon as Kyle laid eyes on Tess she’d be forgotten about for the night but so far Kyle had paid more attention to her than he had to the busty model beside him.
“So what’s weird about you that I should look out for?” Michael teased.
“I’m not telling you now, I’d frighten you off.”
“I don’t think so,” Michael assured her with a voice that caused Maria to blush. She grabbed her water glass and gulped some down. “Who’s Liz?”
“Liz Parker, Kyle’s high school sweetheart. She’s my best friend. We share an apartment together. Actually we live just across the hall from Kyle. He never mentioned her?”
A strange look passed over Michael’s face as though he was conducting an internal debate. “That Liz. Of course.”
He smiled again and Maria’s heart thumped wildly. She had never in all her life liked a guy this much so soon after meeting him. Why on earth had Kyle never brought him around before? She’s never seen him at any of Kyle’s legendary parties or on a night out to a club. “It’s so weird that we’ve never met before. I thought we knew all of Kyle’s friends,” Maria told him.
“Well that’s because we had a bit of a falling out,” Kyle chimed in. “Mike killed my dog.”
“You’re the guy who killed Mutsy?” Maria asked, shocked and angry. Mutsy had been loved by all the gang until his sudden and tragic death.
“What? No, I didn’t kill any dog,” Mike protested.
“Wait Kyle, I thought you said you didn’t know who it was,” Maria remembered.
“I…uh…didn’t want you guys to hate Mike.”
“If they’d never met Mike, why would they care?” Tess asked.
“Let’s get another round of drinks,” Kyle suggested waving the waiter over again.
“I’ve had enough, Kyle,” Michael told him with a look that said he wasn’t just talking about drinks.
“I think you should have another, Mike,” Kyle insisted, misreading Michael’s hidden meaning.
Michael threw down his napkin. “It’s Michael. I hate being called Mike.”
“I’m sorry,” Maria apologised, a little confused by the way Michael was glaring at Kyle.
“If you’re his friend how come you didn’t know that?” Tess asked Kyle.
“We’re having a conversation here,” Kyle snapped.
“You’re so much nicer on TV,” Tess commented.
Michael snapped his fingers. “You’re the bartender on that show. I knew I recognised you from somewhere.”
“What?” Maria asked.
“Uh…. Maria, I can explain,” Kyle began quickly.
“You don’t know him do you? You set me up with a complete stranger. Did you just pick him up off the street or something? Did you pay him to date me? I can’t believe you’d do this to me Kyle.” She stood up and threw her napkin down then looked at Michael with tear filled eyes. “And I thought you were a nice guy.”
“I’m really sorry about this,” Michael told her rising to his feet. “I didn’t think it would go like this.”
“Can you even dance?” Maria asked.
Thrown by the totally random question, Michael blinked in confusion and looked at Kyle for an explanation.
“Thanks very much Kyle,” Maria hissed before storming out of the restaurant.
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Maria was curled up in a soft armchair in the Crashdown staring morosely into her, by now, cold cup of coffee.
Even yelling at Kyle for twenty minutes that morning hadn’t help lift her gloom. She should have known better. Yelling at Kyle never helped, it was like yelling at a puppy. He had a way of looking so sad that she ended up feeling like a bitch for shouting and if she was honest with herself, she was really just going through the motions. Maria wasn’t really mad, she was just disappointed.
She had realised just that when Tess emerged from Kyle’s bedroom wearing only the shirt he had on at dinner the night before, minus several buttons. Kyle had ignored Tess for most of the evening and yet still managed to end up in bed with her. Yet Maria, who had met a great guy who she really liked, had ended up alone. Again. What did she have to do to find her prince charming?
Her musing was interrupted when somebody approached the table. She looked up and was shocked to find the Michael guy from the night before standing beside her. “Can I join you?” He asked and then sat down without waiting for Maria to reply.
“Coffee together…how much is Kyle paying you for that?”
“He didn’t pay me last night and he’s not paying me now.” Michael sighed.
“So the Rangers tickets were a gift out of the goodness of his heart?”
Michael squirmed in his seat. “Kyle told me that he needed somebody to pretend to be his friend and take a girl out to dinner. I told him no. Then he pulled out the tickets. I’m a huge Rangers fan. Next week’s game is one of their biggest this year and they’re great tickets. I’d have licked his boots for them. I didn’t even think about the girl or how she’d feel if she knew, which was a pretty asinine move, I admit. I’m really sorry for lying to you but I can’t apologise for going along with it because I had a really great time getting to know you.”
“Oh please, was anything you said last night even true?”
“Most of it was. I’ve never played football for a team or been to camp. And I never met Kyle before yesterday. But everything else is true. I’m an architect and I make furniture in my spare time. I’d like to do it full time. I lived in Santa Fe while I was in college, not high school, and I have an aunt living there.”
“Last night, when we were talking you seemed to be into me. Was that real or fake?” Maria asked shyly.
“Very real. I think you’re the prettiest, funniest, most interesting girl I’ve ever met and I’d love to take you out and get to know you better. What do you say Maria? Do you think I’m worth another chance?”
Maria played with the bracelet on her wrist as she tried to decide. Part of her didn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth and the other part of her really wanted to believe him. Why did he come back? He already had the tickets he so desperately wanted, so it wasn’t for them and Kyle wasn’t putting him up to it so the only other explanation was the one he’d said. Because he liked her. That realisation brought a smile to Maria’s lips. She nodded. “I guess so.”
Michael returned her smile. “Great. Are you free tonight?”
“You’re eager,” Maria laughed.
“Yes I am,” Michael agreed. “Hey what did you mean last night when you asked if I could dance?”
“See my friend Isabel is organising a ball on Valentine’s night and I don’t have a date yet. Kyle told me that he knew a great guy who could dance, that’s why I agreed to the date last night. So, can you dance?”
“I took dance lessons once. My dance teacher told me that I was a lost cause but if you’re willing to risk bodily harm I’d be willing to try dancing.”
Maria smiled. “I’m willing to take a chance.”
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Epilogue
On the night of the ball, Valentine’s night, a light snow began to fall as cars drew up in front of the hotel to deposit the partygoers. The snowflakes dancing around the thousands of fairy lights made a beautiful and very romantic backdrop for the occasion. Everyone looked wonderful; the men handsome in their dark tuxedos and the ladies beautiful in their colorful, sparkling, flowing evening gowns.
“Wow, this is amazing,” Maria gasped as she and Michael stepped into the ballroom. Isabel had really pulled out all the stops and produced an evening that was just magical. Everything had been planned to the smallest detail and everything was perfect.
Michael cast a nervous glance at the stage where the orchestra members were tuning up. A woman on a grand piano was playing a soft medley to keep the atmosphere romantic. “There’s nobody dancing,” he exclaimed in relief.
“The dancing doesn’t start until after dinner,” Maria informed him, giggling as he pouted. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. You’ve made great progress in class.”
“Sure, but I wasn’t wearing a strait jacket then,” he complained, pulling at the neck of his shirt.
Maria laughed. “But you look so sexy in the strait jacket.”
“Oh yeah? You think I’m sexy?” Michael asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Yes, very sexy.” Maria pulled him close and kissed him gently before whispering in his ear. “But I can’t wait to get you out of that jacket either.”
“Oh really?”
“Did I mention that Liz is staying at Max’s tonight?” Maria teased.
“No you didn’t,” Michael replied, pulling her close and kissing her again.
Maria couldn’t help but giggle as the butterflies in her stomach began to do the cancan. In the three weeks since she and Michael had met, she had learned that he was an amazing kisser but that was as far as her knowledge of his talents went. Tonight she was going to learn more and she couldn’t wait. Only her fear of Isabel kept Maria from dragging Michael out of the ballroom and back to the empty apartment then and there.
“Hey you guys,” A voice close to them squealed and they broke apart to see a radiant Liz bouncing up and down and waving her left hand. A left hand that now sported a dazzling new ring. Max stood behind her with a smile from ear to ear.
“Hi Liz, you look great,” Maria laughed. “I love your dress.”
“That’s a great color on you,” Michael added with a grin, quickly following Maria’s lead. “Hey Max.”
Liz squealed with frustration and waved her hand again, closer to Maria’s face.
“Oh you got a manicure, that was a good idea,” Maria commented glibly looking at her own nails.
“Maria,” Liz screamed, fit to burst.
Laughing and squealing, Maria pulled Liz to her and hugged her tightly. “Congratulations sweetie, I’m so happy for the two of you. Congratulations Max, you got a real good one here.”
“I know,” Max told her proudly hugging Liz close to him while shaking Michael’s hand at the same time.
“Tell me details,” Maria ordered as she steered Liz to the table where Alex, Kyle and Tess were sitting.
“We were in the limo on the way over and Max ordered the driver to stop for a minute. We were just outside that little park; you know the one where we go for picnics? That’s where Max and I had our first date. There was a balloon tied to a bench and when I got close I saw that it said ‘Marry me Liz’ so I screamed and said yes.”
“Aww that’s so sweet,” Maria and Tess gushed.
As the meal was served, a flushed Isabel rejoined her table and beamed at her friends. “This is going so well,” She announced smugly. “We’ve only been here for an hour and already three couples have got engaged since they got here.”
“Three?” Alex gasped.
Isabel nodded, “There’s a veranda outside and I made sure it was decorated with lots of plants and lights so that there were lots of private places for couples to steal a moment of privacy. It’s so lovely out there and the snow makes it like something out of a fairytale. Trust me, by the time tonight is over at least ten times that number will be engaged.”
“And I thought I was being so original,” Alex huffed.
“What do you mean?” Isabel asked.
“I thought it was such a cool idea to propose here but if everyone else is doing it, I think I’ll wait.”
“Alex Whitman,” Isabel said in a strangled voice. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears, though whether it was out of happiness or anger nobody was sure.
“Yes dear?” Alex asked cheekily.
“You better propose to me right now.”
“Yes dear,” he said meekly and dropped down to his knee. He pulled a small velvet box from his jacket and opened it up. “Isabel Evans, love of my life, will you marry me?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Isabel screamed throwing her arms around his neck and peppering his face with kisses. People at the tables surrounding them burst into applause and their friends rushed to hug and congratulate the pair.
Later, after dinner had ended and the actual ball was in full flow, Maria and Michael left the intense heat of the ballroom to get some air on the Veranda. The air was crisp and cold but thanks to several well placed heaters it wasn’t uncomfortable, even in Maria’s thin evening gown.
“How are your feet? Will you be able to walk tomorrow?” Michael asked.
“Probably not, but since I’m planning to spend all day in bed tomorrow, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Maria teased, nibbling his lower lip suggestively. Michael laughed and pulled her closer for a scorching kiss.
“I think you’re having fun tonight,” Maria said with not a little hint of surprise when they pulled apart.
Michael opened his mouth to say something but his reply was cut short by the high pitched scream of a woman close by. “Yes I’ll marry you.”
They laughed and Michael pulled her into a more secluded area. “I am having fun. It’s a good night,” Michael answered. He looked down at her and smiled. “I’m having fun with you. These past few weeks have been really great, the best of my life. And it’s because of you Maria Deluca.”
“You’re not about to propose are you? Because I think it’s a little soon for that,” Maria joked, her stomach flip flopping wildly at the look Michael gave her.
He smiled softly and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “No, I’m not going to propose. But is it too early to say that I’ve fallen in love with you?”
“Probably but say it anyway.”
“I’ve fallen in love with you,” he whispered, kissing her cheek.
“Ditto,” Maria said, a smile gracing her lips, before Michael claimed them with his own.
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