"Hello," said the man with the mustache, wrapped in a trench coat like a detective from the twenties, as he stepped through the door."Hi, Peter."
"Ben! Nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand with a warm smile. Ben Urich—a great guy. If you were to look through his articles, you'd be amazed how many details match the NYPD's criminal database. The man is so thorough and professional that even the police turn to his investigative work.
My first thought was, 'If this guy has dirt on the entire criminal underworld, then why the hell is he still alive?!'
The answer was simple: Ben's no fool. He hides much of his investigative trail under layers of pseudonyms like John Milton, Henry Adams, even Juan Ramirez.
A genius. What more can I say? I've even borrowed this pragmatic technique myself.
"You're a very talented guy, Pete," Urich said with a nod. "I'd be glad if you'd join me at the opening. Your photography skills will come in handy."
"Really?!" I glanced at Jonah in disbelief. "As sad as it is to admit, you're our youngest, most promising, and talented photographer. But don't get cocky, man! This is your one shot. Miss it, and you're locked out of the big leagues. Got it?"
"Of course, Mr. Jameson! I won't let you down!"
"Excellent. Now get out!"
"Yes, sir." I headed for the door but paused for a moment. "The photos—will they be captioned as we agreed?"
"Yes, yes, Mr. 'Ben Reilly.' Now get out of my way!"
"We'll discuss the details later, Pete," Urich called as I left.
As I walked away, I spotted Robbie, who had just stopped by Betty's desk. "Hey, boss, here are the negatives—the latest adventures of our wall-crawler."
"Great work, Peter. Take these to the illustration department," Robertson said, passing the photos to one of his interns. "And by the way, Pete, I told you not to call me 'boss,'" he added kindly.
"True, but over these months, you've practically become a mentor to me in all things about the editorial office. If you really don't like it, I'll stop."
"Just kidding, it's flattering. Okay, have a good day, 'student.' I need to get back to work."
"Good luck, sensei," I said playfully, giving him a small bow as he waved me off. "Betty, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," she said, pausing her typing. "I'm all ears."
"Okay, so here's the thing," I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "If I don't know what flowers a girl likes—or maybe she has allergies and I want to avoid trouble—what should I get?"
"Do I look like a florist?" Brant asked sternly.
"Uh…"
A moment later, Betty burst out laughing. "God, Parker, you're hopeless! You still fall for our jokes!"
"You never know with you girls. Betty, I swear, my heart stopped."
"Alright, seriously though, who's the lucky lady that's got our photographer all flustered?" Ms. Brant whispered conspiratorially.I wasn't sure why, but I was certain the question had made him blush right down to his ears.
"Her name is Mary Jane."
"That's a beautiful name. As for flowers, tulips are always a safe bet. You'd be surprised, but roses are pretty good too—their pollen is heavy, so allergies don't tend to get triggered, and they smell great. Orchids are nice if you want something unique."
"So I did end up talking to a florist."
"Get out of here, smarty-pants!"
"I owe you one, Betty. Thanks." I dashed out of the room just in time to dodge the stapler Brant threw after me.
*******************
*******************
So, I bought the flowers. My suit was freshly ironed. I combed my hair and spritzed on cologne. Excellent—the tiger was ready to hunt. Gathering my thoughts, I took a deep breath and knocked on the Watson family's door. Mrs. Watson opened it for me.
"Good evening, Mrs. Watson. I'm here for Mary Jane."
"Hello, Peter. Mary's upstairs getting ready. Come in." Closing the door behind me, I settled into an armchair. Anna sat down across from me on the sofa. "Peter, I'll be honest." This woman always seemed kind-hearted, but now, even knowing I could bend steel barehanded, my insides clenched. "Mary's going through a tough time right now. She may seem cheerful and carefree to the outside world, but deep down, it's hard for her. Still, I can tell your intentions are serious—you really care for my niece, don't you?"
"Very much," I responded confidently and sincerely.
"Okay. My advice: don't be too pushy. Be the man she can lean on."
"Very... unexpectedly wise and strong advice, Mrs. Watson."
"Surprised?"
Before I could answer, noise came from the stairs. I turned and froze. Mary Jane appeared in a stunning green evening dress. Her hair was perfectly styled, and she carried herself with effortless grace. Jewelry caught the light just right.
"Peter, shut up—there's a fly coming!" the redhead teased cheerfully.
"I'm just… wow. I'm at a loss for words."
"These are for you," I said, handing her the orchids. "I wasn't sure if you liked any particular flowers or if you had allergies, but these are both beautiful and hypoallergenic, and…"
"Easy, Tiger," she interrupted, placing her small hand gently over mine.
"They're beautiful."
"Aunt Anna, would you like to put these in a vase?"
"Of course, kids. Have fun." After putting on our shoes, Mary and I stepped outside.
"Where are we going?" she asked, slipping her fingers into mine in one smooth, easy movement. I fought the urge to focus on that simple, sweet gesture and answered, "There's a small, cozy restaurant on Grand Avenue. We'll get there quickly. By the way, what kind of music do you like?"
"I love music. I listen to almost everything, but mostly rock of all kinds. A little pop too, why?" she said, surprised by the sudden change in topic. Silently, I pulled out my headphones, connected them to the player, and offered one ear to Mary Jane.
We arrived at the restaurant, alternating conversations about different kinds of music, the stories behind songs, and sometimes just enjoying the silence together with our hands clasped. The atmosphere was alternately fun and comfortably cozy. "Hello, a table for six o'clock, Peter Parker."
"Of course, right this way," the sweet hostess replied, leading us to our table. "Please follow me, Mr. Parker.
.
.
.
Vote with power stones and write a review guys 🙏 😁