‘Step 2: Conflict. Boy opens mouth and messes everything up.’
He shook his head. “Yeah, that tracks.”
He followed the trail further, each note pulling him deeper into the story arc of a romantic comedy. The story of them.
‘Step 4: Boy realizes he’s an idiot.’
‘Step 5: Girl gives boy a second chance; and maybe a third because she’s feeling generous.’
Chad chuckled as he continued reading them, pausing again to re-read the eighth one.
‘Step 8: Boy and girl sing wildly off-key karaoke. Extra romance points for butchering Sweat Caroline. Girl sings much better than boy.’
Chad actually laughed out loud at that one. There was definitely a method to Daisy’s nuttiness. The notes weren’t just playful, they were them. The messy, beautiful story their lives had been writing all along.
Finally, he reached the last one. It read:
‘Step 9: This is where the boy kisses the girl.’
Chad stood there for a moment, staring at the handwritten words. “Uhm, okay…”
At that moment, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He startled, turning to find Daisy standing there, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Apparently, he hadn’t heard up sneak up on him from his bedroom.
“So…,” she said, “what do you think?”
“I think you’re a nut. And I think we should make it our next book.”
“Me too,” she smiled. “But first, you need to follow the instructions.”
He looked quickly at the last note, the one about the boy kissing the girl, and turned back to her.
“Happy to,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him. His lips found hers, and for the next few moments, everything around them faded.
When their lips parted, Chad was smiling so wide it stretched clear to his ears. And Daisy was pretty sure her knees were about to give out.
“I’m liking this story,” he said. “So, what comes next?”
“This one,” she said, fingering one final Post-It she had in her hand. She held it up for him to read, then playfully stuck it to his chest.
It took Chad only a moment to read and process it; and before Daisy had time to enjoy the sudden smile that filled his eyes, he had pulled her into him again, cradling the back of her neck as they blended into a kiss.
The Post-It, which had come loose as Daisy brushed against Chad’s chest, fluttered to the floor.
