A Jeannie Valentine
It was such a nice warm night that no one could ever believe it was winter. Weather was just like that in Cocoa Beach: never too hot and never too cold. Captain Anthony Nelson was working in his studio, enjoying the peace and quiet of this evening. He could hardly hear anything, but the faint sounds of the ocean coming through his window. In fact, one could say that everything was a little too much quiet…Captain Nelson did not exactly live alone, and his roommate, for lack of a better term, wasn't exactly known by her quiet behavior.
With his thoughts turning to his beautiful genie, in spite of himself, Tony started to move uncomfortably on his chair, calling her name aloud: "Jeannie!"
No answer came. No genie popped up to say "What can I do for you, master?" He could only hear the same dense silence that, instead of comforting and friendly, now seemed disturbing and deafening…
"Jeannie!" He called again, standing up and walking towards the stairs. Now that he was standing next to the stairs, he was starting to hear a fainting sound from downstairs that almost sounded as someone sobbing helplessly.
"JEANNIE!" He cried, desperately going down the stairs, running, and covering two steps at a time.
Downstairs, the sight of a very distraught Jeannie, sitting on the couch, hugging her knees, and weeping, awaited him. He immediately went to her, and kneeled in front of her, without even knowing what to say. The words started coming out of his mouth, as an avalanche coming down a mountain, without any preparation. "Jeannie...Darling…Please… Tell me what's wrong…"
Her sobs were the only answer he got…
"Jeannie…"
"It was nobody's fault but my own. I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there…" Deborah Kerr's voice, with the faint notes of An affair to remember in the background, fulfilled the whole room.
Tony looked at the TV screen. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, in a passionate embrace, while his genie cried her eyes out… He sighed. Sometimes, she was just like any other girl.
"Oh, Jeannie"
"Master, this is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen!" She said, between sobs.
"Sure." He said, standing up again, a little embarrassed for being so worried about her. "But you do know that it is only a movie, right?"
She dried her eyes with the handkerchief he handled her. "Oh, yes, Master, I know." Then, she looked at him curiously. "Master…"
"Yes, what is it, Jeannie?"
"What is Valentine's day?"
He looked at her, a little surprised by her question. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Well, you see, Terry and Nick decided to meet at the…"
"…Top of the Empire Stated Building in Valentine's day." He finished.
"Oh, have you seen it too, Master?"
"As a matter of fact, I did. Once." He didn't elaborate further. It would not do him any good to mention that he watched it with Melissa. The mention of any girl, and his former fiancée in special, usually did not bring the best in Jeannie.
"It is not only the movie, Master." She went on. "I have seen so many commercials with people mentioning Valentine's day, and I was wondering what it was."
"Well" He started "Valentine's day is celebrated in February, the 14th. Usually, lovers would celebrate their love by giving each other gifts." He laughed a little bit. "It is essentially a plot to sell jewels, chocolates, flowers, Wall mart cards, and make poor fellows expend an insanely amounts of money at theaters and restaurants."
"Oh. February the 14th? Then it is tomorrow!" She said excitedly, clapping her hands with joy. "What shall we do tomorrow, then, Master?"
"Huh? Nothing at all, Jeannie." He said firmly.
"What do you mean nothing?"
"Well, first of all, we are not lovers, so we have nothing to celebrate. Secondly, I have tons of work to do this week, and I don't plan to go out at all."
"But, Master, It is my first Valentine's day." She pouted.
"Twenty seconds ago you didn't even know what that was, and now it is the end of the world if you don't celebrate it? I am sorry, Jeannie, but you are not my girlfriend, we are not together, and I am most certainly not going out with you tomorrow. Do you understand?" He said sternly.
She looked at him with a mischievous smile on her face. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. Now forget about this. It is late, and you should go back to your bottle."
"All right, master. Good night" She said, disappearing in a puff of pink smoke.
He watched, while the smoke slowly got inside her bottle, and put the cork on her bottle, congratulating himself for not giving in this time.