Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo.

Posted in Romance on Jul 27, 2021

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✍️ 181 stories

“Anniversary” by Jop Van As

Submitted to Contest #81

“I’m home”, he shouted as he opened the front door and stepped in the warm comfort of his house. No response. He shook some snow off of his jacket and took off his shoes. As he walked to the kitchen, he put his bag on the stairs and rubbed his hands against each other to get them warm. He opened the bottle of red wine he bought earlier this week for this occasion. “A nice glass of wine to start of the evening”, he mumbled to himself. It was the fourth of January, not an ordinary day no, it was the anniversary of him and his wife and he had p...

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“Anniversary” by Darryl Lehane

Submitted to Contest #81

Our first anniversary together we had been poor. Mac and Cheese from a packet, with non alcoholic wine, cheap chocolate mousse, bargain basement cognac and cheap cigars had been our very cheap dinner of choice.It soon became a yearly ritual, no matter how well we were doing. Our personal in joke. We’ve always joked about how horrible it was. But the truth is; The fact that the two of us were together makes it taste like the best food from the finest restaurant in the world.It’s amazing how love can do that. Make the mundane into the magical ...

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“A Closer Vantage Point” by Ryan Hays

Submitted to Contest #81

Yvette hassled over the details with such a scrutinous eye that her roommate, Dina, had told her to calm down on six separate occasions leading up to her date’s arrival. She had ignored her friend on each and every instance. This was something she had never done before, at least not within her own abode, and so if she was able, she would make damn sure that nothing about this dinner went poorly. Her dish of choice was Cassoulet, something her mother in France had taught her how to prepare, and she had spent the better part of a day fussing o...

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“Unbreak my heart” by Arynn Diaz

Submitted to Contest #81

Trigger warning; mention of a miscarriageThe tantalizing aroma of roses wafted from the Indian scented candle, the beautiful smell enveloping the dining room of the Mystic Meadows Mansion as multiple servants placed multiple expensive china on top of the twenty-sitter dining hall table under Mia's strict directions. The wonderful smells of roasted potatoes, seared duck, salad ranch and fresh fruit warred with the rose scent in the air, all of the the scents vying for the spot of most pleasant smell in the big house. Expensive whine from the ...

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“First Dates” by David Seybold

Submitted to Contest #81

I could never remember where the utensils go. Do the forks go on the right or the left? Big then little or little then big? And what about the knife? She would have known. This was her thing. But it didn’t matter, right? The effort is what counts. Hopefully, that’s still the case. I put the forks on the right, spoons on the left, the knife above and stepped back to admire my handiwork. The table looked nice, I thought. I had set it for two, a white tablecloth, napkins on the plates—paper not cloth, I’m not that insecure—and a candle in the m...

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“Anniversary” by Andrea Kepple

Submitted to Contest #81

Now, where did I put the herb bouquet? Ah, there it waits on the cornflower blue countertop by the strawberry shaped cookie jar. Once people realize you have a theme to your kitchen, gift giving becomes easier. Just grab something in that theme and you are all set. In my wife Joan’s case we have years of cannisters, glasses, cups, clocks, place settings, magnets, even salt and pepper shakers on display throughout the kitchen. It’s been a sick joke for me because I’m allergic to strawberries. The bundle of parsley, thyme, and a bay leaf is a...

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“Time Flies” by A Holden

Submitted to Contest #81

The breeze couldn’t have been sweeter. I had spent an hour cleaning my apartment. I opened a window, the sweet smell of flowers outside had uplifted my mood. It was the day I had a date with the love of my life. I remember how the thought of her spun around my head, I felt like I was going to pass out.We met on my first day of university. Most students had visited the campus on a previous date though I was too busy to attend. I was searching for the library during my lunch break. I looked around for a few minutes and that’s when I saw her, m...

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“Together” by Sasha G

Submitted to Contest #81

Cory double-checked his watch for the third time in as many minutes. The hands hovered around 5:30PM, and Cory took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It was useless to keep checking – Amanda always showed up 15 minutes after their scheduled meeting time, so he still had 45 minutes to go. But tonight was the night, and it had to be absolutely perfect. He’d scrubbed the kitchen, decorated the table with her favorite magnolias, even bought the tapered candles he hated that reminded him of stuffy childhood dinners with his parents. The marinara ...

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“The First Date” by Your Best Ever

Submitted to Contest #81

It was April 22 the year was 1962, it was pouring down rain and the wind was gusty, just another day in Centralia Washington. A beautiful seventeen year old Eileen was trying her best to make it on time to her first date and wasn't having much luck. Her tire was flat and she was drenched and a bit nervous about going to meet a stranger. Her best friend Betty, and Betty's fiance, Charles assured her he was a decent respectful young man and that they would be great together, so she pushed her nervousness and skepticism aside and started walkin...

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“Meeting the Match” by Floraine Thwin

Submitted to Contest #81

In January 1, 2018, Lucas was staying in the bed and the alarm was ringing loudly. He didn’t want to get up because it’s holiday. So, he moved his hand over the table near his bed to stop the alarm clock. But he was opening his eyes wide open immediately because he touched something weird, soft and warm it doesn’t seemed like alarm clock or table. He looked closely to his hand go and he saw something that he didn’t expect. He scratched his head and looked at t...

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“A Special Date” by Alexa Muirheid

Submitted to Contest #81

Another year… Another Valentine's Day, yet my thoughts still only revolve around her… My darling, Jessica. I hum her favorite song as I drive home to set up a special dinner. The music and thoughts of her making the time pass by faster than what seems to be normal. I pull up to a charming little house where the snow decorates the yard and where Christmas lights still hang way beyond their time. The green paint is peeling a bit on the house but I barely notice as I grab the pink daisies and a small box of c...

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“Only Everyday” by Raveena Weerabahu

Submitted to Contest #81

He looked woefully out of place - an average Joe with a tie askew, whose mundane routine had been temporarily disrupted to accommodate a commercial spectacle he was expected to begrudgingly fulfil. There was a box of store-bought chocolates with a frayed ribbon beside a bottle of warming beer. A battered briefcase was shoved beneath the table - its clasps seemingly offering no security as crinkled papers made their presence known along the openings. She spared him a second glance as she wiped the table clean diligently. She so dreade...

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“The Valentine's Ritual” by Dnyaptee Adhao

Submitted to Contest #81

Eyes glued to the laptop screen; she had been staring right into the wallpaper since half an hour, shutting out all the functional windows, just a click away from logging out of the system. Vibrations were sent down her leg every tenth of a second and the phone screen lit up with every finger tap. Her eye lashes met on fixed intervals as though it kept a track of time. She had to remind herself to draw some breath every once a while until finally her cell phone bleeped at 16:00 hours and she jumped out of her chair twice; to turn off the ala...

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“One Half” by Katie Cheyne

Submitted to Contest #81

“Fuck,” Greg spat as the bright red sauce sputtered from the pot onto his white shirt. Great. What a great sign. What a great idea. What a great moron. He breathed in slowly, consciously ridding his mind of the negative self-talk. Remember what Annie always said: confidence is key; our thoughts become our reality; blah blah blah. Her self-help drivel always buoyed his spirits, even if just the humour of the threadbare application. Tossing the soiled shirt towards the laundry basket, Greg rifled through his other options. He’d already done t...

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“Benjamin Cooks” by David Zasloff

Submitted to Contest #81

Benjamin flicked a speck of dust off Rebecca's fork, struck a match, and lit the candles. The china and silverware sparkled as he dimmed the lights. She'd be home soon. He opened the oven. Gravy-scented steam poured out. He pulled the roasting pan out and set it on the counter. Lifting a leg of lamb didn't used to tug at his back like it did now, back when he and Rebecca had first moved in together, but that was a long time ago. He took a serving dish out of the cupboard and scooped broccoli and pearl onions from the stovetop pot into the ...

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Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 181 stories

“Anniversary” by Jop Van As

“Anniversary” by Darryl Lehane

“A Closer Vantage Point” by Ryan Hays

“Unbreak my heart” by Arynn Diaz

“First Dates” by David Seybold

“Anniversary” by Andrea Kepple

“Time Flies” by A Holden

“Together” by Sasha G

“The First Date” by Your Best Ever

“Meeting the Match” by Floraine Thwin

“A Special Date” by Alexa Muirheid

“Only Everyday” by Raveena Weerabahu

“The Valentine's Ritual” by Dnyaptee Adhao

“One Half” by Katie Cheyne

“Benjamin Cooks” by David Zasloff

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about two people reconnecting after a rough patch in their relationship.

Write a love story about an older couple who’ve been together since they were teenagers.

Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

Write about someone asking out an old crush, only to realize their crush doesn’t remember they’ve ever met before.

Contest #81

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

915

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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