Jermaine Deon Carter
February 11, 2021
Platonic Valentines
On Friday afternoon the week before Valentine's Day, I had a lunch date with Princess Ariel and Princess Tiana. We went to a local, small restaurant that recently opened up.
"Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day, Jermaine?" Ariel asked.
"No. I actually don't like Valentine's Day all that much," I said.
"Why not?" Tiana asked.
"Because I've never been on a date or in a romantic relationship," I said.
"You can still celebrate Valentine's Day even though you're single," Tiana said.
"Tiana's right, Jermaine. Even if you weren't single, you wouldn't automatically have to celebrate Valentine's Day. In fact, there are couples out there who don't like Valentine's Day because they feel pressured to be more romantic for it," Ariel said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes," Ariel said.
"You know, friends can celebrate Valentine's Day together, too. The three of us should go to the movies and out to dinner for Valentine's Day," Tiana said.
"Alright. Sounds like fun," I said.
Over the weekend and early the following week, I made Ariel and Tiana valentines. Ariel's valentine was mermaid-themed. Tiana's was food- and frog-themed. I worried neither girl would appreciate my valentines. I was also anxious about accidentally saying something stupid around them. On the evening of Valentine's Day, we met up at the movie theater.
"Hey, Ariel. Hey, Tiana," I said. I had their valentines with me, which I was still nervous about giving to them.
"Hey, Jermaine," they said in unison.
"I got you both something," I said. I handed them their valentines. They gasped.
"Did you make these?" Tiana asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"I love this! Thank you, Jermaine," Ariel said as she hugged me.
"I like mine, too. Thanks, Jermaine," Tiana said as she hugged me.
They put their valentines in their pockets. We bought our tickets and went inside the theater lobby. We gave the usher our tickets. The auditorium we were directed to was fairly empty. More people came in after the previews were over.
The film was an animated musical dramedy. The plot concerned a young woman who felt trapped in her small hometown and wanted to escape from her overprotective parents. She longed to explore the world and possibly find love. The main villain was a selfish, greedy, middle-aged businessman scheming to control everyone and everything in the area.
"Something about this movie feels very familiar," Ariel said.
"I agree. I'm getting some serious déjà vu," Tiana said. Despite that, we enjoyed the film. After it was over, we went outside and talked for a few minutes before leaving.
We made our way to the restaurant from before. Tiana personally knew the head chef and many of the waiters. As such, everything we ordered was either discounted or free. Everything was delicious. Once we finished eating, we left a generous tip for the staff. Ariel and Tiana went to the bathroom to redo their makeup. Afterwards, we exited the restaurant.
"Did you have fun, Jermaine?" Ariel asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Good. We have a Valentine's Day present for you," Tiana said.
"You do? What is it?" I asked.
They closed their eyes and puckered up their lips. They kissed my cheeks. I blushed intensely and felt a little dazed.