(Submitted by Janet)
Claire was in her office, working on a report on her
computer 
and silently cursing out her spell checker's
inadequate 
dictionary, when the door burst open.  This was
quickly 
followed by Trevor striding up to her desk,
unannounced and 
uninvited, as usual, carrying a small red gift bag and
an open 
bag of jellybeans which he was munching from. 
"Can you believe it?" he said as soon as his mouth was
empty 
enough to speak.  "Cupid's Day isn't even over yet and
already 
the stores are dragging out the Easter candy.  Talk
about 
getting the bum's rush.  Want some?"  He held the bag
out to 
her.   
"No, thanks.  Um, Trevor, did you just come here to
deliver a 
diatribe on modern marketing practices or --" 
"Actually I came here to give you your Cupid's Day
present," 
he said, reaching into the gift bag. 
"Well, Trevor, that's very nice of you, but as your
therapist, I 
don't think I can accept --" She saw what he had put
on her 
desk  "-- a cactus?" 
"Hey, you did say you always felt guilty about getting
cut 
flowers because they died so soon.  And I thought
maybe 
a plant would brighten up this room a little --"  He
looked 
around doubtfully.   "I think I should have gotten
more than 
one."  Looking back down at the plant, he continued,
"See, 
I even found a little plastic pink flamingo to put
next to it 
so it'll look like a real garden." 
"Well, um, thank you, Trevor.  Now, if you don't mind,
I 
really need to get back to my work..."  She had gotten
up from 
her desk and had almost successfully guided Trevor out
the 
door when he stopped and said, "Wait - I have some
good 
news I wanted to tell you about." 
"You've decided to get out of the matchmaking business
and 
become a kamikaze?" 
A momentary hurt look flickered across his face, but,
seeming 
to recover quickly, he continued, "Remember that
couple I was 
telling you about before?  The one that was having
trouble 
working out their religious differences because he
practices 
Buddhism and she's into voodoo?  Well, last night, I
managed 
to get them both to come to the bar, and after getting
them into 
an open and receptive state of mind --" 
"You mean you got them drunk?" 
"--they decided that what they had in common was more
important 
than what they didn't, so they're going to give it one
more try.  And 
right now, the only thing they're arguing about is
whether to get 
white or avocado appliances for the apartment they're
moving into 
together." 
"That's a lovely story, Trevor, but right now..." 
"So what are you doing for the Big Day?  Has Frank got
something 
special planned for his little dumpling?" 
"If he has, I wouldn't tell you." 
With that remark, the realization that he really
Wasn't Wanted there 
seemed to hit him.  "Okay...I guess I'd better be
going then... See 
you later, Claire." 
After he had gone, she went back to her desk and tried
to get back 
to where she had left off.  She noticed that Trevor
had left the gift bag 
on the desk.  Thinking it was a nice looking bag and
maybe she could 
use it for something, she picked it up and was about
to fold it up when 
she realized there was still something left inside. 
Looking inside, she 
found a white envelope with her name on, and a card
inside with a 
photograph of a hyena.  As she opened the card to see
if there was any 
message inside, she saw a small piece of cardboard
with something 
attached to it sliding out.  Picking it up, she found
herself staring at a 
red 
enameled heart pin with a gold plated arrow across the
center.   Curious, 
she looked at the card again and read, in Trevor's
large scrawled printing: 
Claire, 
Here's something to help you get all the love you
deserve. 
Happy Cupid's Day. 
Trevor 
P.S.   Apology accepted.