Cupid's Arrow
By Missy

"I dunno, Shirl." Laverne held up a string of paper hearts and gave her roommate a dubious glance. "Do these look like hearts or baby tushies?"
Shirley froze, turned around and frowned. "Why in the world would you ask such a thing?" She plucked at one of the hearts. "Baby tushies have deeper cracks."

"Got it," Laverne said. She ran to the closet, grabbing out a stepladder before stopping in the living room to seize a stepladder. "Boy, Shirl, this is gonna be the best Valentine's Day party ever!"

"I hope so!" Shirley said, giving the punch one more stir. "Does this look smooth enough?"

Laverne shot a look over her shoulder as she climbed the rickety metal steps. "Sure! It's supposed to be all slushy, right?"

Shirley stared at the bowl. "How did I manage to destroy punch?" she exclaimed in horror, poking at the slushy mixture with Great Grandma Feeney's crystal ladle.

"Just let it sit in the sun," Laverne instructed, pushpinning the banner into place.

"FEBRUARY sunlight?! It'll barely defrost," Shirley scoffed.

"Then put it in the oven!" Laverne shimmied, hopping the stepladder across the freshly-washed floor. It glimmered up at Laverne as she tried to keep her balance and make sure that the banner was properly tacked up.

Clomp. CLOMP!

"WOAH!" was all Laverne was able to get out before she fell to the floor with a moan.

"Laverne!" suddenly a rain of semi-frozen slush-punch was the last of her concerns as her teary-eyed best friend hovered over her anxiously. "Oh Laverne, SPEAK TO ME!"

"I..." she winced and tried to work her hand, only to be met with a wave of pain. "Oh No, Shirl! I think my wrist is broken!"

***

Later that afternoon, Laverne sat on the couch, partially relaxed thanks to the painkiller the emergency room had given her. She frowned as she glanced at her cast-covered right hand.

"Lousy timing," she muttered, pouting to herself. She'd spent two weeks of her salary on the gorgeous dress she wore, and now she wouldn't get to show it off. Who'd wanna dance with a mummy? Even Lenny had turned down her request.

Laverne glanced up at the dancing, jolly mass of guests circling her living room floor. She was so distracted by her own envy that when Norman arrived with a cup of punch, she jumped.

"Geesh!" she seized the punch and drained it.

"Sorry! I've been practicing my tactical training. You're supposed to sneak up on your guy..."

Laverne winced. "I get it Norman."

How're you holding up?" he asked.

"I feel itchy," she said.

Norman stood up and held out his hand. "I think I've got something to scratch it with."

Laverne's eyes widened and she peeked over her shoulder. "Right here in the living room?"

He frowned. "Not that! Let's dance, Vernie!"

Someone put some Bobby Vinton on the stereo, and Norman wrapped his bearish arm around Laverne's waist, and they rocked carefully backwards and forwards. Laverne realized she was wrong - she didn't need both of her hands to dance, not with the guy she was crazy over.

She smiled and leaned into Norman's side, her eyes enormous, her gaze steady on his face. He took a long bite of his hoagie and looked down at her mid-chew, an enormous grin breaking out. The love for her in his eyes was palpable and gorgeous.

She let Norman swing her around the dance floor, keeping her eyes locked on his. The love she saw there was radiated back tenfold in her own gaze.

"Boy, wouldya look at the two of them?" Shirley sighed, resting her head on Carmine's shoulder. "That's what love is."

"Yeah," Carmine said. "We've got that too."

"You don't mind the burnt punch?"

"Well..." Carmine teased, before sweeping her onto the floor.

The two girls whirled away the night with their men, overjoyed by their luck in finding two men who loved to spend time with them, no matter their flaws.

THE END