Uncrowned Princess

7

Jenny stretched on her tiptoes, fingers straining to reach the glass cleaner tucked away on the top shelf. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she balanced precariously on her feet.

Suddenly, Dan burst into the room, his entrance causing Jenny to start. "You're here!" he exclaimed, a bit too loudly. "Finally, I find you."

Startled by his sudden appearance, Jenny spun around. Her elbow caught the edge of the shelf, sending an array of cleaning supplies tumbling to the floor. The cacophony of clattering bottles filled the air.

"Oh no!" Jenny gasped, immediately crouching to gather the fallen items.

Dan, his face flushing crimson, dropped to his knees beside her. "I'm so sorry! Let me help," he stammered, his hands shaking as he reached for a bottle of window cleaner.

Their fingers brushed as they both grasped the same spray bottle. Dan jerked his hand back as if he'd been shocked, knocking over a container of furniture polish in the process.

Jenny glanced at him, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Dan, are you okay? You seem... off."

Dan's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "I'm fine!" he squeaked, his voice an octave higher than usual. He cleared his throat, trying again. "I mean, I'm okay. It's just... there's something I wanted to ask you."

Jenny sat back on her heels, giving Dan her full attention. She noticed the way his fingers fidgeted with the label on the cleaning bottle, how a thin sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead.

"What is it, Dan?" she asked gently, curiosity and concern mingling in her voice.

Dan took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He set down the bottle he'd been clutching like a lifeline and met Jenny's gaze.

"Jenny, I was wondering if... if you'd like to go out sometime. With me. On a date," he managed to say, the words tumbling out in a rush.

Jenny's eyes widened, a rosy blush spreading across her cheeks. For a moment, she was speechless, her heart doing a little flip in her chest.

Dan, misinterpreting her silence, began to backpedal. "I mean, if you don't want to, that's totally fine. I just thought—"

"Yes," Jenny interrupted, a shy smile blooming on her face. "I'd love to go on a date with you, Dan."

The tension in Dan's shoulders visibly melted away, replaced by a look of awed disbelief. "Really?"

Jenny nodded, her smile growing wider. "Really."

Dan's face lit up with a mixture of relief and joy. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, seemingly at a loss for words. Instead, he grinned broadly, his eyes shining.

"Great! That's... that's great," he finally managed. "I'll, uh, I'll text you later about the details?"

Jenny nodded again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sounds perfect."

Dan stood up, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. "Okay, well, I should let you get back to... cleaning stuff," he said, gesturing vaguely at the scattered supplies.

"Right," Jenny replied, her cheeks still flushed.

With one last smile, Dan turned and left the room, his steps lighter than air.

As the door closed behind him, Jenny remained seated on the floor, surrounded by cleaning supplies. She hugged her knees to her chest, a dreamy smile playing on her lips. Her heart raced, and she felt as if she could float away at any moment.

She replayed Dan's words in her mind, each repetition sending a new thrill through her body. The cleaning supplies lay forgotten around her as she basked in the warm glow of newfound possibilities, her mind already dancing with thoughts of their upcoming date.