I Need You to Know
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The fact's were these:
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It was Valentine's Day at the Pie Hole, which was yet another holiday that was never particularly favored by the piemaker nor the detective in this matter, but it happened to be highly favored by a girl named Chuck, and the female piemaker Olive Snook.
Olive Snook knew that the piemaker disliked this day due to the overexposure of reds, pinks, and whites, hearts of all shapes and sizes, and the suffocating aura of love. This was the day that she tried the hardest to win the piemaker's love and affection, other than her birthday. Just like Chuck had severely decorated the interior on Halloween, Olive had severely decorated the interior that had Valentine's Day written all over it. Literally.
Unlike like Olive who was clearly obsessed and focused on her goal, Chuck was a different matter. All those years that she had spent with Aunt Lily and Vivian not once had she celebrated the holiday in which she had dearly craved. She never got a card of reds, pinks and whites. Never decorated the house with hearts of all shapes and sizes, nor was she able to experience the suffocating air of love besides her first kiss. Chuck had gone to the store to find the perfect Valentine's gift for the piemaker whom she held high affection for, and she had dreamed to get a marvelous gift in return. Unfortunately for her however, she had a difficult time finding the perfect gift, not knowing that the piemaker had personally disliked the holiday.
The facts were these: Ned had never seen the appeal in Valentine's Day. From what he had seen, it was all about touching, giving, hugging, kissing, social outings, and love, which were the exact things he was trying to avoid. Even being reunited with his childhood sweetheart, the girl named Chuck, he had difficult time on figuring out what to do. He could not touch her in anyway, which meant no hugs, no kisses, no affection, in which he knew that every girl wanted.
The day before the dreaded/ highly anticipated day had come, Olive Snook remained behind after everyone had left to make the Pie Hole the most romantic place in the entire area, like she did every year, and she had made sure to outdo her self every time. The piemaker had learned to take deep breaths before entering his pie shop. This year was no different. As soon as he stepped in, his jaw dropped, stunned, horrified, and intrigued. Olive Snook made sure that she outdid herself every time. Olive Snook had indeed outdone herself.
"Olive, you have indeed outdone yourself this year." Ned said, near breathless.
She smiled deviously with her own seductive flair. "Do you like it?"
"No. Yes. Kinda. Maybe?"
Olive giggled. "Well, which one is it?"
"Why, WHY do you do this every year, Olive? You know I don't particularly like Valentine's day, why do you redo the entire shop? Why?"
The female piemaker playfully huffed. "Well, you let Chuck severely decorate the Pie Hole on Halloween. How come I can't on Valentine's Day, huh?"
Ned walked cautiously over to the counter, afraid to even touch the spawn of Olive's Valentine obsessed mind, shaking his head nervously, and stuttering as he did so.
"That-that was a completely different matter, she-she didn't REDO the entire shop, she just decorated it."
"Well so did I."
"Your definition of decorating and her definition of decorating are two entirely different definitions of decorating! I mean, Olive, you painted the walls red, white, and pink with hearts everywhere! And-and all the chairs and cushions are even heart shaped! Who does that?"
"I do," she pouted, "I guess you don't like it, huh?"
Ned sensed the acute sadness in her voice as she turned her vision downcast, and rested her head in her hands on the counter. He hesitantly sat down on a heart shaped seat, and a nervous smile fluttered on his lips.
"I-I'm sorry Olive. I didn't mean- I mean- uh, it's the thought that counts, right?"
Smiling, Olive piped right up and giggled. "Uh huh! Now wait right here, I brought the most romantic booze I had from my apartment!"
She skipped off to the back room while Ned gaped at his co-worker, "Wha? Olive!"
"What the hell happened in here?"
Ned turned around to find Emerson walking in with the same expression that he had. He sighed,
"Olive happened."
The detective glared at all the pink and the peculiar seats, and then shot one at the piemaker.
"Please don't tell me she got to the pie too."
The piemaker shook his head no, and Emerson gave a sigh of relief. He had once told Ned that he despised Valentine's Day as well. He had told him that he didn't see the point, and it was just another day to waste money. Plus, he had hated the way couples acted on this day, in which that it gave them a reason to be more obnoxious. He admitted however that Ned and Chuck was by far the most obnoxious couple he had ever met, and he had to deal with them every single day.
When Olive returned from the back room, Ned turned to face her.
"Olive, where's Chuck?"
"She went out."
"Out?"
"Yes, out. She told me this was her first official Valentine's Day or something."
The piemaker mentally kicked himself in the face. "Dammit!"
She giggled once again, "Don't worry Ned. We can have a nice Valentine's Day all by ourselves until she gets back."
"Ahem."
Emerson and Olive shot piercing glares at each other before Olive quipped at him.
"I'll give you a free pie if you sit in the corner."
"Olive!" Ned protested.
"Fine by me, pie girl."
"Emerson!"
"Great, I'll pop one out of the freezer." Olive set down the bottle and turned on her heels to head off to the back room again, and Ned followed her. Once their backs were turned, Emerson smirked as he grabbed Olive's booze and sat at the table in the corner.
As Olive went to grab a pie out of the freezer, and opened it's door, Ned immediately shut it.
"Olive, what has gotten into you?"
"Nothing!"
"It's something."
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is!"
The female piemaker sighed defeated and shuffled her feat. She walked over and sat on the table where Ned made his pies.
"I… I guess I just wanted today to be about you and me, when it was just you and me."
"Olive…"
"I know I know. Chuck's your childhood sweetheart, I get it. But, it's just not fair. I worked with you longer than she has, and I worked so hard…but she comes along and you two are almost joined at the hip."
Ned's visage was of confusion and sympathy for his co-worker Olive Snook. He nudged closer to her, with his naive yet kind face that Olive came to know and love over the years. His eyebrows raised,
"What… have you worked so hard for, Olive?"
She sighed, and signaled the hand motion for him to come closer, and he did. She twiddled her fingers before looking up.
"Ned, there's something I need you to know."
All he could do, was nod. Waiting, wondering what it was Olive wanted to tell him.
All the past Valentine's Days, Olive made an oath to once tell her beloved piemaker her feelings. It was hard enough before because he was so distant, so far away from everyone else. It took forever for him to be even remotely, even barely comfortable around her, and to her that was enough. But then Chuck entered his life, and she had lost that even remotely feeling that she was clinging so dearly to. In days past, she found herself unable to speak the words she wished to say, and actions she wished to do, but this Valentine's Day was different. Even though she had outdone her self this year, they were alone, and it seemed that she had gotten her wish. She was only able to find herself to speak, only an inch or two away from his lips.
"I love you."
The piemaker's eyes went wide, and found himself speechless. Deep inside he knew, but he was truly, and wholeheartedly surprised.
Olive settled for a peck on the cheek before she meekly smiled.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ned."
At that, she hopped off the table, grabbed Emerson's pie, and returned to the front of the shop, at the same moment Chuck entered the Pie Hole smiling happily, with massive amounts of bags over flowing with almost every Valentine gift imaginable.
Ned could only focus on Olive.
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