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In theory, Ricky's plan was flawless. He had the whole day planned, hour by hour, and if he had anything to say about it, Valentines Day would be perfect. Two cartons of ice cream, a picnic by the lake, and the love of his life was nothing short of a dream come true.
Getting stuck in traffic an hour away from Gina's house was not on the agenda.
He'd figured the Salt Lake City roads would be pretty clear on a Sunday in February. Every couple he knew had no plans of leaving the house, and as far as he was concerned, that meant the ice cream shop a few miles out of town would be a breeze to get to.
Now he had a phone that had died long ago, a bunch of red roses in the front seat, and two tubs of melting ice cream in the back. To say he was panicked was an understatement.
Gina knew he hadn't forgotten. He couldn't have, it was Valentines Day. Nobody forgot a day like that, especially a hopeless romantic like him. Only, she hadn't heard a thing from him all day, not even a message. When she messaged him, she was left with silence. When she called a couple of hours later, his phone went straight to voicemail.
She let it slide at first. Perhaps he'd just overslept, maybe he had other things to attend to first. Her thoughts were totally rational. Once the sun had started to set, however, she found herself curled up on the couch, clutching the new teddy bear her mom had bought her and trying her hardest to focus on the silly romcom on the TV.
It definitely made matters worse. Watching a young Hugh Grant confess his love to Julia Roberts didn't make her feel great when she was all alone, totally ignored by her boyfriend.
She was mad, and she was confused. This was supposed to be the first time she could truly celebrate this day, with someone she truly loved, yet here she was, brought to tears and ready to rip into Ricky with a wrath she hadn't felt in a long time.
The sudden, rapid knocking at the front door scared her half to death, and she was ready to dart up to the safety of her room until she heard the voice behind it.
"It's me! I'm here! I made it!"
And so the anger returned.
"Where the hell have you been?" She screeched, the door flying open. Ricky stood sheepishly in the doorway, his cheeks flushed as he panted. He held a weak bunch of roses in his right hand, a dripping plastic bag in his left.
"Gina, I am so sorry-"
"I've been on my own the whole day! You didn't even send a text!"
He stepped inside, setting his things on the side as quickly as he could so he could wipe her cheeks dry with his thumbs. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry, the whole day was a mess. I got this ice cream from your favorite store, but then I was stuck in traffic and my phone was dead and eventually I just ran here and-"
"Wait, you ran? Where's your car?"
He shrugged, like he hadn't even given it a thought. "I'll find it tomorrow. I just had to get to you. I'm going to make it up to you, okay? Just- I need to get some more ice cream, and maybe some better flowers. God, and the whole picnic is back at my place."
Every ounce of anger Gina had felt for him had faded in an instant.
He did care, he did love her. He was just a terrible planner.
"I don't need all of that," Gina said softly, one hand resting on his cheek. "I'm just happy you're here."
Ricky let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing. "You're not mad?"
"No, Ricky. I was, and I think you should leave the date planning to me for a while, but I'm just glad I get to see you."
With a smile, Ricky pulled her closer by her waist. "Happy Valentines Day, Gi."
She kissed him softly, and took in the warmth and love she'd been craving.
"We have the ice cream machine, at least," Gina mumbled. "And for the record, I think the flowers are perfect."
Ricky grinned, kissing her once more. "I adore you, Gina Porter. Trust me, the next bouquet I buy you will be the most extravagant thing you've ever seen."
She giggled, taking his hands and pulling him to the kitchen.
"And that, Ricky Bowen, is why I wouldn't want anyone else as my valentine."