Romance and Roses

After reading the last page of her favorite romance novel, Makoto let out a wistful sigh. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to trade places with Rose, the beautiful heroine of the story! Unfortunately, she was still unlucky in love. The only romance she experienced nowadays were the ones in books and movies, and, frankly, Makoto was tired of it. She wanted to feel love and passion; not just read about it.

She was about to put the book away when she heard the doorbell ring. Makoto frowned. She wasn’t expecting any visitors today. Who could that be? After setting the book aside, she answered the door.

It was a deliveryman, holding a beautiful bouquet of pink and red roses and a small package in his arms. “Delivery for Makoto Kino?”

“That’s me,” Makoto said, confused as she took the bouquet and box from him, “but I didn’t order anything. Who are these from?”

The deliveryman shrugged as he glanced down at his clipboard. “Doesn’t say, miss.”

Once he had left, Makoto turned her attention to the flowers. She took the bouquet to the kitchen and placed it in a crystal vase, using her considerable skills to style the roses into a gorgeous arrangement. Though she had expected to find a note attached, saying who the flowers were from, the placard was left blank except for her name.

“Maybe the box holds a clue.”

Makoto returned to the living room with box-cutter in hand. Like the roses, only her name and address were printed on the outside of the box. She cut open the package to discover a key with a rose-shaped keychain and a note inside. She picked up the note and read it:

Meet me at the address engraved on the back of the keychain at 2:00 today. Use the key to unlock the gate.

Though a part of her realized the foolishness of running off to meet some stranger, Makoto couldn’t resist the romance of it all. She quickly changed into something more presentable and ran to the address on the back of the keychain, which she knew well.

The house was only about a block away. Makoto often passed it on her way home from work and stopped to admire it. With shaking hands, she unlocked the gate and entered the front garden. The only other person present was a gardener, trimming a rosebush.

Makoto walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Um, excuse me, I was told --”

She gasped as the gardener turned around and revealed his face.

“You’re my secret admirer, Asanuma-kun?”

He blushed. “Surprised? I just bought this house, and, well, I know how much you love it, so I thought it would be the perfect place to tell you how I feel. The truth is, I love you, and maybe it‘s too soon, but I would love for you to someday share this house with me.”

Makoto answered by kissing him passionately on the lips.

DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com. Written for the “Three of a Kind” (romance novel, a keychain, and a gardener) challenge at the “sailormoonland” community at Livejournal.