Hardin Scott has been madly in love with Tessa Young since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but there's no way she could ever see him as anything more than a friend. After all, he's a bad boy with a promiscuous past and she's a sweet and innoce...
"Can I please finish my burger?" Hardin mumbles with a mouth full of food.
"You could have had time to finish it if you weren't telling off some stranger." I roll my eyes.
"Don't get me started on her again."
"I won't. Let's just focus on this next activity."
"Which is...?"
"Oh! Right in here!" I announce excitedly.
"I knew you were lying when you said it wasn't going to be girly."
"I think this will be fun."
"Yeah... For five year olds," Hardin complains as I drag him into the room and we find an empty table.
A few minutes later, Betty walks into the room. "It's so wonderful to see everyone again," she begins. "I hope everyone is ready to make some Valentine's Day cards!"
"No," Hardin grumbles.
"You should have everything you need at your table. Have fun!" she says with a bright smile.
I immediately start picking out construction paper and pick up a pair of scissors. I pass a pair to Hardin and glare at him until he takes them.
"Can't I just buy you a card?" he whines.
"No! We're going to make them!"
"Why?"
"Because a little bit of effort makes the card mean so much more. Anyone can just buy a card."
"Except me," Hardin mumbles.
"What?"
"Nothing..."
"Pick out some construction paper. And here are some markers," I say as I roll some markers toward him.
"Fine. I'll make you a stupid card, but no peeking," he warns and puts a divider between us.
"That's the spirit." I giggle. I begin to fold my purple piece of construction paper in half before cutting an oval shape out of my black piece. I cut a few strips from my yellow paper and glue them onto the black oval. I cut two tear drop shapes of white paper and glue them onto the black oval as well. I glue the whole thing onto the front of my purple card and then draw two antennas, two eyes and a cute little smile. I very carefully cut out the letters I need and glue them onto the front of the card, so that it spells 'Bee Mine' just above the cute bee I glued on the bottom of the card.
I quickly glance over at Hardin and notice he's scrunching his eyebrows together in concentration and he's very focused on what he's doing. I smile to myself because I know he's only doing this to make me happy.
I turn back to my own card and decide to add some gold glitter to the bee's wings and then I let it dry for a few minutes. "How's it going over there, Hardin?" I ask as I try to peek over the divider.
"I think these scissors are broken," he groans.
"How can they be broken?" I giggle.
"Well, I can't get them to cut this straight."
"I don't think the scissors are the problem." I giggle again.
"Are you saying that I am?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Never!"
"Get back over to your side, Theresa!" Hardin shoos me away.
"Fine." I stick my tongue out at him. I finish my card by writing a message for Hardin on the inside, then patiently wait for him to finish.
After waiting for five minutes, I decide to go speak to Betty while Hardin finishes up. "I'll be right back, okay?"
"Mmm-hmm," he hums as he continues to concentrate on making his card.
I make my way over to Betty.
"Oh, hello, dear," Betty says as I approach her. "Are you having fun?"
"Yes." I smile.
"Hardin looks hard at work." She laughs.
"Yes, he's really enjoying himself," I joke. "I was wondering if we could have our dinner brought up to our room again tonight."
"Of course!"
"Thank you so much."
"It's no problem. Now, you two have a wonderful rest of your night."
"You, too," I say cheerfully before walking back toward Hardin.
"What was that about?" he asks.
"I was asking to have our dinner in our room tonight. I don't want you to have another run in with that woman."
"Fine by me." He shrugs. "By the way... I'm finished."
"You are? Let's trade!" I exclaim.
"Really? You don't want to wait until tomorrow?"
"I can't wait. I'm too excited!"
"Okay." He laughs. "You go first."
"Here!" I say and pass him my cute and cheery card. I watch as he reads the front of the card and starts to smile.
"'Bee Mine.' You're too cute, Tess."
"Read the rest!"
He opens the card and continues to read. "Aw, baby, thank you so much." He gives me a tender kiss.
"Now give me mine!" I gently demand and hold out my hands until Hardin passes me a black heart-shaped card. As I take a closer look, I notice it's a bit lopsided. All that's written on it is 'Hardin' in white. "This is it?" I ask, a bit disappointed.
"Yeah. I'm giving you my heart."
"Why is it black?"
"You and Emma joke about my soul being black, so I guess my heart is, too." He chuckles.
"Hardin, this is actually the sweetest Valentine's card I've ever gotten. Thank you." I reach up and caress his cheek.
"You can thank me upstairs," he says as he yanks me out of my seat and drags me to our room.
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