Plus One

Celebrate Good Times!

When Anna was younger there was nothing, she adored more than the holidays. There was something so magical about every single one in her opinion, not just Christmas. She took pride in rocking out her red and pink on Valentine's Day and sharing handmade valentines with her classmates. She made sure to wear all green down to her undies to ensure no pinching once March 17th arrived. Easter rolled around and her mother made sure she and her two siblings were in their Sunday best all the while yelling at them for getting themselves dirty egg hunting. Memorial Day was spent in the pool while her Dad barbecued. Juneteenth would come faster than anyone knew, which called for block parties and cookouts.

The fourth of July wasn't as festive as Juneteenth for her family, but her father appreciated it nevertheless for a day off work. Anna lived for sitting on the roof and watching the fireworks with her siblings. Labor Day was always a relaxing one that she appreciated, while Halloween would creep in and be full of frights that would make her squeal with delight. Then it was time to gain at least ten pound as Thanksgiving waddled its way into everyone's lives. By Christmas, Anna found herself full and happy with all the love surrounding her. In a blink, she'd be begging her Mom to let her stay up with her older sister as they counted down until midnight. Just like that the cycle would repeat itself and Anna would be filled with excitement almost all year round.

That changed dramatically once Anna started 8th grade. Her love began to dwindle as she realized that she had missed a memo. She missed the memo that said holidays required having a girlfriend or boyfriend. There seemed to be dances and parties for every holiday as she grew older and they all required a plus one. Anna learned the hard way that showing up without one was a sure-fire way of being negatively branded.

Anna was used to being seen as weird or different, but not for missing a date. Anna was an all animal loving, comic book reading, country music listening Black woman in her mid-twenties who had yet to have a boyfriend and drowned herself in her work as a graphic designer. She enjoyed her life, but to her mother and older sister, the holidays proved the perfect time to remind her that she wasn't getting any younger and was missing out.

Anna looked around at the large party and sighed. She was thankful for her father's success as a best-selling author. She was proud of him, but she couldn't help but miss the days of syrup sandwiches and cramped rooms as he tried to get his first book published. The story from the show Everybody Hates Chris was her real-life tale and she loved it. Things changed when she became a senior in high school. Her father had written his first hit book and was getting called to do various interviews and meetings. She was thankful to finish high school before they moved to their current residence in Portland, Oregon. Portland allowed her father to blossom into the author he had always wanted to be and she was truly happy for him.

As she doodled on a napkin, she smiled to herself thinking about the father she remembered back in Oakland, California. He always told her when she was younger that her little drawings would never make her any money, but he had personally asked her to draw something for his second book. She was beyond happy and felt like it was a full circle experience for their relationship. Now 26, Anna found herself drawing for one of the wealthiest business men in the country as a graphic designer. She made sure to remind her father of that fact once a week. As she looked up to her parents her smile faded as she saw her sister, Arielle, storming towards her. Anna wasn't in the mood for the conversation she knew was coming, but there was nowhere else to hide. She thought her little nook was good enough to get her through photos and small talk.

"Anna Marie Anderson, what do you think you're doing?" Arielle scolded. "I don't know Arielle Mae Anderson, what are you wanting?" Her older sister narrowed her eyes before pulling her away from her drawing. "It looks like you're trying to hide in this little corner to avoid mingling with Dad and Mom's friends." Anna rolled her eyes. "They're not their friends. They're acquaintances at best." Arielle waved her off. "Where's your date, little sis? You swore up and down that you'd have one and I have yet to see you interact with anything other than that pen and those napkins." Anna looked everywhere but at her sister. She distinctly remembered her drunken rant to Arielle informing her that she had a man and would be present with him at the next function. She wished in that moment that she could take it all back. "Well, Anna, where is he?"

Ethan had been watching her all night. She intrigued him for various reasons, but there were random moments where he'd catch her smiling to herself that took his breath away. He got as close to her as he could without her noticing and just watched. The latest event for the noteworthy in Portland was another snooze fest and Ethan wanted nothing more than to get out of there, but he had promised his mother to be a representative for the Crane family. His father was in New York, his mother was in Paris with his twin sister and Ezra was...He didn't want to think of Ezra. Ethan downed his champagne and placed it on a passing tray as he got close enough to hear his mystery woman talk rather uncomfortably with a woman that looked like her.

"Anna Marie Anderson, what do you think you're doing?" The older woman chided to his mystery girl. "I don't know Arielle Mae Anderson, what are you wanting?" He could see his mystery girl, now knowing her name was Anna, be pulled away from the drawings he had watched her do all evening. He listened on as Arielle dug into her and it didn't sit well with him. He knew he didn't know Anna, but the look of desperation on her face called to him. Before he knew what he was doing, Ethan found himself wrapping an arm around his Anna's waist and kissing her temple. "There you are, babe. I'm sorry it took me so long. I got held up in the office."

Ethan wanted to laugh hysterically at the looks on both Anna's and Arielle's faces. "Who are you?" Arielle asked skeptically. He turned on his bright smile and extended his hand. "I'm Ethan. It's so good to finally meet you, Arielle. Anna has told me so much about you." Arielle looked from the handsome man in front of her to her younger sister who looked like a fish out of water. "Anna are you okay?" At the sound of her name Anna snapped out of it. She plastered on a smile and nodded.

"How come you never told me about Ethan here?" Anna watched as her sister sized him up and couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I did tell you when I said I'd be bringing a date to this party." Anna felt Ethan trace random lines on her waist and looked up at him. He smiled down at her and she tried her hardest not to swoon. "Well, we're going to sit for dinner in about twenty minutes, so make sure you swing by Mom and Dad so they can meet Ethan." Arielle looked at them once more before rushing off to find her fiancé.