The Warehouse

Tanner stepped into the warehouse, carrying a bouquet and a box of chocolates. His fiancé wasn’t expecting him, especially since she would never dream of someone being crazy enough to drive two hundred miles straight on one of the hottest days of the year, just to surprise their love with now wilted flowers and melted candy. But Danica just didn’t quite get that Tanner had passed the level of hopeless romantic the moment he laid eyes on her and tore up his practicality card whenever it came to her.

Tanner loved Danica more than life itself, more than anything he’d ever loved before. He wanted her to know it and the best way he knew how to do that was with showy surprises. Tanner had always been one for showmanship in relationships, even before he entered the world of dating. His mother had gotten used to the giant signs and mass of wildflowers he’d leave on the porch for every occasion, big and small and sometimes just for the hell of it.

He loved big, but his heart had never opened to a woman the way it opened for Danica. They met during a university mixer, one of those mild daytime barbeques that always ended up attracting crowds of hungry, broke students. Tanner had come late, when the selection had been picked over and only stale salmon patties and tofu burgers that had traveled from previous barbecues remained.

But one single juicy meat patty remained, calling to him as he made a dash towards the table.

A young woman elbowed him out of the way and snatched the burger from his waiting grasp. Tanner groaned as she placed the succulent meal on a plate and grabbed a bag of chips. She frowned at him, then shook her head.

“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t even see you there.” She didn’t sound rude, but entirely sincere. She smiled at him, and picked up a plastic knife. “We could split it if you want.”

Tanner just shook his head. “That’s okay,” he said. “You won it fair and square.”

The woman laughed and nodded. “Okay, but at least let me buy you a coke.”

“Sure,” Tanner said. “It’ll help me wash down my salmon burger.”

“Deal,” the woman said with a laugh. “By the way, I’m Danica.”

Tanner grabbed his food and walked with Danica over to a vending machine. He took a good look at her and saw that she looked a lot more mature than most women her age. She wore her hair auburn hair cut short, black slacks and a pair of patent leather shoes. The only thing that showed her age was a shirt that said “Scientists Like to Experiment.” Tanner had a feeling she didn’t actually get the double meaning.

They sat under a tree and talked as they ate, falling into a quick rapport he wasn’t expecting, as they shared their aspirations and details of their life. The talked for hours, but Tanner never expected they would be friends, let alone form a relationship. They were as different as peas and cake, two people speeding past each other, going in opposite directions.

Tanner was an English major, writing books in his spare time, while working his way through college as a advice columnist. He told a joke a minute, tried his hand at acting and joined every frat party his house provided.

Danica, on the other hand, majored in forensic anthropology, studied in her free time and gained a full scholarship to graduate school by being one of the top students in the state. She didn’t always get the punch line of a joke, tried her hand at quantum physics and thought parties were a waste of time.

But Tanner’s jokes always made Danica laugh and Danica’s dedication to science intrigued Tanner. They both loved nature, loved to talk about deep issues most their age laughed at and loved to just sit side by side, each drawing in warmth from the other as they stared up at the night sky.