Thinking of You

“Motion detected at front door.”

Mina’s phone buzzed with the text message generated by her doorbell camera app. Normally, she found the messages annoying but this evening was different.

She was expecting a special package - a surprise and normally she hated surprises.

So when the box arrived in her front porch at precisely 7 p.m., Mina was pleasantly surprised.

She hadn’t known what to expect tonight, but she had to admit this was refreshingly different. He was, thus far, very different from anyone she had met.

It had been so long since she dressed for a first date, that even getting ready had been a process. Applying her make up and doing her hair felt unfamiliar but good and she wanted to look perfect the first time she saw him. She was even wearing her favorite crimson dress tonight.

Opening the sealed box, she found four smaller boxes, each time-stamped and numbered from one to four. The first was marked 7:00 p.m., the second marked 7:15 p.m., the third marked 7:30 p.m. and the fourth marked 7:45 p.m. Accompanying the boxes were four numbered envelopes, each sealed with red wax.

Eagerly, she opened the first box marked “#1” and time-stamped “7:00 p.m.” Inside was a bottle of wine, a silver corkscrew, a wine glass and a tiny plate packed with crackers, cheeses, a few dried apricots, nuts and some slices of cured meats. She also took the cream envelope marked with a “#1.”

Delighted, she took everything to the couch. Examining the bottle closely, she traced the label with her finger, a woman painted in the Renaissance style, reclining on a couch. Merlot, her favorite. She scrambled to recall if she’d told him that but couldn’t remember. Lucky guess, may be?

Chewing on an apricot, Mina opened the first envelope and found a handwritten note on beautifully written stationary.

My dearest Mina,

Please help yourself to the wine and the accompaniments I have prepared for you. note. Please pardon the delay, I promise I will join you shortly.

As always, thinking of You.

David

Mina watched the corkscrew drill into the cork and heard the satisfying pop as she pulled it out. The dark red liquid poured into the glass, like a lover’s caress.

She took a sip, allowing the Merlot to warm her tongue. It was too long since she had tasted wine. It was delicious. The cheeses, crackers and fruit all paired perfectly with the Merlot. She was impressed, quite a feat after endlessly boring video dates with the men she usually found on the dating apps.

Still, there was no sign of David. She didn’t think he was going to stand her up - not after all the effort he seemed to have gone to.

Still, no texts. No missed calls.

It was 7:10. She considered opening the second box, so what if it was five minutes early? Her curiosity was boundless.

Unable to resist, she opened the second box. Inside was a small tray with oversized marshmallows, chocolate bars and a few graham crackers. There was also a mini tin, some kabob sticks and long lighter. Charmed and curious, she opened the second note.

My dearest Mina,

Please enjoy the dessert I have assembled for you. Enjoy the garden and the firesafe tin I have provided for you. It will be enough for a small fire to make your favorite treat - s’mores. Again, please pardon the delay. I will see you shortly.

As always, thinking of You,

David

She took her glass and s’mores kit outside with her as instructed, watching the afternoon sun slowly dive below the horizon. The backyard had a small patio with an even smaller fire pit, which hadn’t had much use lately. She uncovered the tin, placing it in the fire pit and lit the contents. The tiny glow of the fire complimented the warm spring evening and she sat down beside it. She placed one of the marshmallows on the stick and placed it over the heat until it caught fire. She gently blew out the flaming marshmallow and sandwiched it between the chocolate and the graham crackers.

She lifted it to her lips - heaven. She found herself amused at how refreshingly simple it all was and yet so effectively charming.

Still, she was alone. Her phone remained dark and silent. And David’s whereabouts remained unknown. A bit awkward for a first date. She wondered if she should text him but decided against it since she didn’t want to appear desperate.

She took another sip of the wine and licked marshmallow fluff off her fingers, glancing at her phone. 7:27 pm.

She went inside to open the third box, marked 7:30. At this point, minutes were meaningless she figured.

Inside was not what she expected. It looked like a child’s toy. It took her a moment to realize it was a small - telescope?

Confused, she opened the third envelope.

My Dearest Mina,

I am guessing the telescope is probably not what you were expecting. I wish for you to take it outside and simply take the next few minutes to gaze at the stars. Again, business has kept me from joining you but this is only temporary and we will see each other soon.

As always, thinking of You.

David

The note stirred her, its warm romantic tone made her feel flushed. If only men still spoke like that and wrote letters to the women they pursued.

May be it was the wine.

She took the small gift outside, by the fire. The sun had nearly set and twilight was falling and the dark purple sky was bright with stars. She felt a little awkward as she held the telescope up to her eye and closed the other. But she loved what she saw. Although the tiny telescope was limited in its view, she was amazed at what she could see. The stars still looked like tiny nondescript points of light but she could see the moon in greater detail, its shadows and dark edges. She felt a small thrill like that of a child and began to fervently wish David was here to share this magical moment. She couldn’t help but smile.

She focused on her feelings for a moment. Why would he go to all this trouble and then not bother to contact her at all? She had not heard from him all day which was unlike him. Since they had met online a couple weeks prior, they talked almost every day, either chatting online or texting. When he finally asked her out, she had been hesitant but still said yes to a video meet tonight. He was so vibrant and full of life, while she preferred a book to a crowded evening out.

It was 7:45. Time to open Box #4, although having not heard from David had squashed some of her excitement. Perhaps he really was standing her up?

She opened the fourth box with a slightly heavy heart. She was also surprised to find she was starting to feel a bit drowsy, which was odd since she had been so wound up all day.

She stared inside, confused. The box was empty.

The fourth note was even more confusing as it was brief.

My dearest Mina,

No further delays.

As always, thinking of You.

David

Her phone rang, immediately snapping her out of her stupor. The call she had been waiting for all day - a video call. He hadn’t stood her up after all!

She picked up the phone and the image of a handsome dark-haired man appeared.

He smiled warmly. She really was as beautiful as her photos.

“Well...” he said. “how did I do?”

“The fire was a nice touch,” she said. “So was the wine and the s’mores. Nicely done, David.”

“I told you, just give me an hour and I would give you a night to remember,” he said. “By the way, you are gorgeous.”

Mina smiled. Since she’d contracted COVID, life had been rough. She had spent the past month recovering and it was only the past week had started to feel well again. The fever had finally abated and she could taste again. But quarantine never seemed to end. Working from home was lonely and dating was forbidden, other than video chats. COVID made her feel ugly and lonely and she hadn’t really wanted to meet anyone. The dating site was her last attempt at being social at all. Then she stumbled upon David.

And now, hearing David say she was beautiful actually made her feel beautiful again. Although she was confused and nervous when he asked for her address since he knew they could not meet in person as she was still in recovering and in quarantine. And she had, of course, heard so many cautionary tales and read news stories about young women being abducted by their ride share drivers or by creeps they met on online dating apps. If there was one thing quarantine did offer it was the safety of dating via text and video chat whilst safely at home.

No crowded bar scenes, no awkward meetups at coffeehouses, social distancing had made dating apps convenient and safe. She was excited about their first video chat, after what seems like endless days and nights of messaging via the app and later by text. And David had been respectful, unlike so many of the other men she had met online.

Still, it had taken some heavy convincing on David’s part to get her address since she was reluctant to give out that information being that she lived alone. Normally, she would not have given out her address out to a stranger but he no longer felt like one. Only after he promised not to try and come visit her in person during quarantine did she give him the address I he could send her the package.

David had made the evening so special. Their first date, socially distanced as it was, had been one of the best she had ever had.

“It was wonderful,” she said, yawning. “I am actually sorry you weren’t here to share it all with me.”

She was surprised. She never felt tired this early, it was barely 8.

“So it was OK, then?” David asked. “I knew it was a risk. But I like to think of myself as a risk-taker.”

Why was her head spinning so much?

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “Actually, it was perfect.”

“Good,” he said. “Because I have one more surprise.”

She sat up, trying to shake off the drowsiness. How slow everything suddenly seemed to feel - like she was trying to walk through heavy water. Confused, she looked at her wineglass, now empty. It was only one glass of wine.

Her phone buzzed again.

“Motion detected at front door.”

Startled, Mina immediately opened the app to see the front door camera. The porch was dark, odd since the porch light was on. She stared at the screen, struggling to make out the image with her head still spinning. What she saw made her mouth go dry.

A dark menacing figure stood at the door, the face hidden from view - until he suddenly turned and looked directly into the camera. As his face came into view, his eyes shone bright on the black-and-white screen and he displayed what could only be described as an extremely disturbing smile.

A feeling of dread descended on Mina, made even more horrible by the dawning realization that she wasn’t sure she had locked the front door after the package arrived.

Suddenly, the app buzzed her phone again but she could barely hear it and only briefly saw the message - just before the screen started to swim before her eyes.

“Front door open.”

Then, just before everything went dark, the voice spoke in a low growl.

“Surprise.”