Thanks to her unexpected, before dawn wake up, Anne had lots of time to get ready and make it to work on time. She spent a little extra time on her hair and chose a pretty new green skirt in anticipation of her dinner with Gilbert this evening. She tried not to think to hard on that fact.
Now that her hand was well on the mend, she was back to most of her normal duties at the library. Today, she was working the check out counter. This was one of her favorite roles because she got to interact with the library patrons and see what books were popular.
A little before lunch, a tall dark haired young man dressed in an expensive suit she recognized from school came into the library and smiled at her as he passed. She recognized him from football games- he was on the team with Gilbert. She did not remember his name or what year her was. She had attended many of the football games to cheer Gilbert on but she rarely interacted with anyone from the team. Gilbert didn't seem to interact with his teammates much outside of practice and games so she had not met most of them through him.
After a short time, the same young man approached the check out desk with two books in his hand. He smiled brightly at her again as he set the books down before her.
"Anne Shirley right?" He asked pleasantly. She was slightly surprised he knew her name.
"You are correct but I am afraid I do not know your name," she replied, blushing a bit in embarrassment for not knowing who he was in return.
"Adam McClure. I'll be a senior this year at Redmond. I'm on the football team." He answered with a cocky smile.
"Yes I remember seeing you on the field. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." She looked down to the books he was checking out.
"Poetry? I am impressed. I haven't seen anyone check out a poetry book yet this summer," she commented with a tone of surprise. It was rare to find a boy who enjoyed poetry in her experience. Even rarer for a boy interested in poetry to be tall, dark and handsome.
"I am studying business as I will be taking over my fathers logging business but I enjoy poetry in my spare time." He answered her unspoken question.
"It is a worthy pursuit. I have always enjoyed poetry as well," she replied trying to make conversation. She marked down his books on the check out register. His smooth voice caused her to look up from the paperwork.
"I would love to discuss poetry with you more and get to know you. Would you be interested in going to tea tomorrow?" His question shook her. She would never have expected a boy to walk in and ask her out today. She especially didn't expect it from a boy she literally did not know. His eyes watched her confidently, an easy smile on his handsome face. It was clear that he expected an affirmative response. He was handsome, likely well off and she was amazed there was a man who enjoyed poetry. She wanted to say yes but something was holding her back. He was looking at her expectantly, awaiting her answer.
"I'm sorry but I'm not interested," she finally blurted out. She was sure her face was red as she spoke the words she hadn't even realized were true. Instead of looking disappointed as she expected, he looked utterly annoyed. He snatched his books of the desk with a scowl.
"Have a nice day," he said cooly and walked out the door. The interaction left her utterly perplexed.? However, based on his reaction, she was glad she had not agreed to step out with him. His pleasant manners were apparently just for show to get what he wanted.
She had said she wasn't interested and she knew it was the truth. She wasn't interested in him or any other Redmond boy. In that moment, sitting in the library on a humid Friday, it hit her like a flash of lightening. She knew there was only one person she was interested in. It had been there all along but she had just never realized what the feelings truly were.
It was Gilbert. It had always been Gilbert. There was no one else who was going to capture her attention. He had been her rival, her friend, her closest ally. He had been right beside her for so long and she hadn't even realized that some where along the way, she had fallen hard for him. It was so much more than just attraction. She knew he was handsome and she had never failed to acknowledge that fact, even when they were schoolchildren. No woman could deny that he possessed classic good looks. She now realized that the deep bond they shared was something she valued as more than friendship. She realized that the reason he was the first person she wanted to tell any good news to was because she was in love with him. There was a reason her heart beat fast around him. She revaled in the fact that he made her laugh like no other. He challenged her in a way no one else did. He made her feel intelligent, special and important always. He was everything she had ever been looking for and she wasn't sure why it had taken her so long to figure that out. He had been right in front of her all along.
Anne looked at the clock- it just past noon. She wasn't sure how she was going to make it the rest of the day before her dinner with Gilbert now that her feelings had become crystal clear. She may be certain of her feelings now but his were still a mystery. She had her suspicions based on some looks he gave her, his lack of interest in other girls and the overwhelming opinion of her friends but she could not be sure until he told her. For now, she could merely hope her feelings were reciprocated.
She realized she now faced an agonizing afternoon of deciding what to do tonight: to tell Gilbert her feelings and accept whatever resulted or hide her feelings for the sake of protecting their friendship. Both choices terrified her. It was going to be a long afternoon.
...
Around six''o'clock that evening, Anne was putting the finishing touches on a simple frosted chocolate cake while the Shepherds Pie baked. She had arrived home from work still unsettled and undecided and hadn't sat down since. She figured if she kept busy, her brain wouldn't wander as much. She tried not to think about her feelings and whether or not she would reveal them. The house was sparkling clean, she had recurled her hair and baking the chocolate cake had filled another bit of her time while she anxiously awaited Gilbert. She laid down her spatula and looked at the simple cake. She had baked the cake in a whim, remembering that chocolate was Gilbert's favorite flavor. Was it too much for friendly Friday night dinner?
She didn't have a chance to ponder further as a knock sounded at the door. She nervously smoothed down her skirt as she made her way to the door. She opened it to find a smiling Gilbert holding a small bunch of daisies.
"Sorry I'm late. I wanted to pick these up for you as a thank you for having me to dinner again," he said holding out the flowers to her. She took them, surprised into silence, and moved out of the way to allow him inside. He had never brought her flowers before. After closing the door, she recovered her voice.
"Thank you for the flowers. It's a lovely gesture."
He grinned widely at her praise and followed her to the kitchen. She arranged the flowers in a small vase of water and set them in the center of the table while Gilbert filled her in about his day starting with his successful sneak back into his boarding house.
"So no one even noticed that you weren't home last night?" She asked incredulously. Gilbert shrugged.
"They don't keep that close of tabs on us boys, especially in the summer."
"For our sake, thank goodness for that," she replied with a laugh, thinking about how close of a call it had been. Thankfully no one had noticed their accidental sleepover.
"How was your day?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Surprising," she replied honestly. The day had been full of surprises, from romantic propositions to her own feelings.
"How so?" He inquired, his full attention on her.
"I met one of your fellow teammates." Gilbert raised his eyebrows, clearly confused. She explained further.
"Adam Mc-something. He came in to check out some poetry books- surprising I know- and he knew my name which I found odd because I've never met him but he did..." she trailed off as she noticed the look on Gilbert's usually happy face darken slightly with barely concealed anger. She wasn't sure why Gilbert would be angry about this. She forged on.
"Anyway, he knew who I was and I said I was surprised by the poetry books because I thought I was one of the few who actually read poetry. And then he asked me to go to tea with him," she didn't finish her sentence. At her words, Gilbert's face hardened instantly and he looked as angry as she had ever seen him.
"You can't be serious Anne! You can't go to tea with him- you don't even know him! Not to mention, I do and you can do so much better than that arrogant prat," he roared at her. His eyes flashed with anger but underneath she could see more. He looked hurt beneath his anger. Despite that realization, Gilbert had always had a knack for igniting her temper and she couldn't help but yell back.
"I am a strong, intelligent woman Gilbert Blythe and I can make my own decisions about who I spend my time with thank you very much!"
"You can't go out with him! He is a complete cad- he just uses girls! I've heard him at football practice, bragging about how many girls he had slept with. Do you really want to be another notch on that bedpost?" He hurled back at her, arms crossed and face hard. She felt as though she had been slapped. Not only was she incensed that Gilbert would question her judgement about men, she was outraged that he would insinuate that she would have such loose morals as to sleep with a boy she barely knew.
"How dare you! You have no right to tell me what I can and can't do!" She screamed at him. He didn't back down.
"Can't I? I can't tell you how stupid it would be to step out with a person with his reputation? You can't trust me enough to think that I have your best interests in mind after all these years?" He spoke with a quiet voice but she could hear the venom in his tone. He was as angry as she had ever seen him and she could partially understand why. She knew she could trust him. She knew he always looked out for her best interest. But her anger was too great and she was too stubborn to back down now.
"Why does that matter! I am a grown adult and I can make my own choices! You're not my father and you have no right to treat me in such a way! Why can't you trust my judgement?" She turned his own argument back at him, words sharp as a knife. She saw him flex his jaw, anger still radiating off of him. He looked almost as hurt as he was angry. He erupted again a moment later.
"God damn it Anne! He is just planning to get you into bed and then find another conquest. This is what he does! The reason he knows your name is because he asked me who the redhead I accompanied to winter formal was. He then told me that he had never slept with a redhead and that he would have to add you to his list. I told him to stay away from you but apparently he didn't listen."
Anne was shocked. First, Gilbert almost never swore. Second, she was so glad she had refused him this afternoon as he sounded like a worthless human being. But her stubbornness did not allow her to back down even though she was realizing Gilbert had a good point.
"That still doesn't give you the right to try to control me! I thought you were different than other men but it turns out you are not. You just think you are superior and that women should listen to men in all things!" She knew it was a low blow. She knew it wasn't really true. But she couldn't help herself- her anger and pride had blinded her. As the words left her mouth, Gilbert recoiled as if she had hit him over the head with a slate again. He looked just hurt now, his anger gone. Within a moment, he hardened his expression.
"Thank you for expressing your feelings on my shortcomings as well as my role in your life so clearly. I'll see myself out." His voice was low and clipped. He gave her one more long look before leaving the kitchen. His footsteps faded down the hallway and then she heard the front door slam.
Anne crumpled into a chair and buried her face in her hands. How had she mucked it all up. Tonight she was considering telling Gilbert she loved him and instead she had driven him away thanks to her pride and famous temper simply because he had shown how deeply he cared.
She sat up and glanced at the vase of daises. It was such a sweet gesture. No one had ever given her flowers before. She wondered if this was an indication of Gilbert's feelings for her and fear swept over her. What if she had ruined everything tonight? Could he ever care for her again?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a burning smell. She suddenly remembered the Shepherds Pie, forgotten in the argument, and jumped up to remove it from the oven. It was thoroughly blackened and the kitchen was now filled with smoke and the smell of burnt potatoes. It was ruined, just like her Friday.
Notes: Well there comes the famous Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe tempers. They had been getting along so well... and we all know those to thrive on a good argument every once in a while. Don't worry, they will make up eventually. Let me know your thoughts below! Thanks for reading!