VDay

Prologue

Samuel Moore knew that his friends inside the restaurant were waiting for him. He knew that while one of them was growing concerned, the other was growing impatient not so much with Moore's absence but with the girl's concern for him. He knew it was rude and very awkward for everyone else involved; but Sam was in the middle of a fairly important conversation that could have only been done in the privacy of the backseat of a parked car.

"Farrino's; you guys are at Joey Farrino's?" a distant female voice was asking him, "I totally miss that place!"

"I miss..." Sam began to answer before catching himself. The distance of a cell phone separated them and he still couldn't get his words just right. And why not? Moore knew that if he got just one word wrong, Lauren Claye would hang up on him awkwardly, putting a halt to the matter until the next time she bothered to answer her phone for him. He missed simpler times. He missed when he wasn't the odd man out in these dating situations since there had been a time when Lauren had accompanied everyone as well. He missed—well, there was no real way to beat around the fact. He missed her.

"Sammy?" the confused voice filtered in over the dead space of static separating the pair.

"Sorry, Lo; I'm right here." Sam replied, shaking his senses back together. The static filtered over the line and he knew what was about to happen. Cell phones!

"I-It's a---ght." Lauren answered, "Anyw--, - was just saying that I really ---- the old restaurant and ju—hanging out wi—ev---one, --u know?"

He knew. Oh, how he knew. Whether Lauren realized it or not, she was talking to the one person who knew the best what she was talking about and, in a matter of moments, this conversation would be over, either at her jurisdiction or at the dying phone signal's. Soon, she would be lost to him until the next time she decided to actually answer her phone.

"I completely understand where you're coming from, Lo; believe me. I miss," Sam began again; then, with every intention of finishing a coherent, honest thought, "you."

Dead, awkward silence. Sam removed the phone from his ear long enough to check the screen to be sure. Sure enough, the Florida sunset that served as his wallpaper stared back at him, confirming the worst. Either Lauren had hung up or the signals had cut off again. That phone call, a phone call that Lauren had actually picked up knowing it had been from Samuel Moore, had defined his Valentine's Day weekend. Still, he also knew that he had been driven out to Joey Farrino's on a mercy third-wheel opportunity by Tyler and Taylor; and they were probably wondering what the Hell had happened to him after they had gone out of their way to drive him to the Italian bistro and pub.

I

Tyler and Taylor; Taylor and Tyler; Tylor. They had been almost destined to find each other and since they had, roughly 90% of their mutual friends found their "power" relationship to be pretty obnoxious. 50% of that 90% went out of their way and told the "power couple" that they found the shared similarities between the two (from damn near the same name all of the way on down the list of shared interests), to be fairly nauseating. Regardless, the power couple stayed strong. The shared, similar interests could not be denied. Tyler Kerris's primary interest was Tyler Kerris and, in Taylor Kristenson, he was determined that he had found a girl who shared his interests and concerns. She was devoted and caring and, granted that she was devoted to and cared for him, they were two of her best qualities. Still, when her concerns went elsewhere, even Tyler had to agree that she could get downright annoying. Even at their own Valentine's weekend dinner, Taylor went from "endearing" to "annoying" as she voiced as follows: