She was beginning to get worried, but she didn’t want to call him. What was wrong with Nate? He was late for one hour and over thirty minutes and no text or call from him to tell her his excuse? Had he forgotten that they had arranged to meet or was it the anniversary he had forgotten in general. Her eyes began to swell, as behind her, people came in and out of the restaurant, but she didn’t have the energy to look up to see if she knew someone between them. Who would she even know? She hardly knew anyone in Florida, hardly ever came until she was destined to meet Nate.
Should she call him? Or maybe wait and give him two hours? It would be two hours in a very short time. If she called him, he might not really pick and that would surely hurt her pride more and she might not be able to control her tears like she did that if that happened. Why not send him a text? She quickly shook her head as she brushed that idea away, not welcoming it herself. He would ignore that as well, that’s if he wanted to hurt her deliberately. He had always ignored her messages, even when they weren’t having a fight and only chose the ones he felt were okay for him to reply and ignored the ones he felt weren’t so important for him to, even though every text she sent to him was as equal important to her.
Did she agreed to meet her today because he didn’t want her to go to his place yesterday? Was he still angry at her? But she had apologized, didn’t she? She had cried, begged, and knew that she was the one at fault. No, it didn’t even matter whether he was the one at fault or her, she was ready to do everything for them to get back on their usual track. She lifted her face and tried to dry her wetting eyes by fanning her eyes and before she set them back on her phone, which had been with her for the past one and half hour, she was hit by his scent and her heart wanted to skyrocket out of her chest.
He had never looked this handsome, and he was smiling at her both apologetically and lovingly. This was it, the reason why even if she wanted them to prolong whatever fight they had between them, he was so handsome to be ignored and each day, he kept reminding her of how amazing and unique he was from all the men she had ever known in her life. And what added more to his sophistication was, he was the man she had ever loved, the first and hopefully, the very last. “Nate…” she whispered, as though she had already given up on him coming there and the tears she had been fighting cascaded down her cheeks in two single slits and he handed her a tissue paper.
“Oh Anna, I’m sorry I got choked up with work and you know today is among the days the roads of Florida get swamped, traffic.” He flashed her a sweet smile as she managed to clear her tears making sure it didn’t get along with her makeup. She tried to smile and when she nodded her head, he added, “You actually look so beautiful in just a day I haven’t seen you. Nice outfit as well.” He was scrutinizing her with his eyes sweetly as she fought so hard to stop her blush from creeping out, but it was no use, it did.
“Thank you, and you look as handsome as ever. Let’s order for something, I’ve been starving.” She wished she could tell him that she didn’t even have the time to see that she had been waiting for him for almost two hours until thirty minutes ago, because she got too carried away looking for how beautiful their wedding would be. But if she told him that, that would make the surprise he thought he had for her spoilt, right?
They ordered for their meal and ate silently as he told her how his two days went and when he asked her what she meant that she nearly died, Anna didn’t tell him anything, she didn’t want to spoil the perfect mood and she only shook her head while she apologized to him for being ‘too childish and nagging’ when she shouldn’t have. They ordered for their deserts and Nate looked all serious before it arrived.
“I want us to talk about something serious, Anna.” Oh well! Yes, it’s here! For the first and last time in her life, she would be asked to be someone’s wife and that was the most overwhelming thought she had ever had in her life. The blush came, and she entwined her hands to give her support and the poise look she wanted to give off as she nodded her head.
“Okay, what is it about?” She thought all proposals came off when you least expected them? But everything about Nate was unique and different, wasn’t it? Maybe he would have to do it this way, and that too was fine by her.
Before he told her his next words, she saw a tall figure beside their table, and she didn’t have to look up at the face to know it was a woman from the curves that stooped low on her hips. She didn’t have to look up to know that whoever was this woman, was beautiful. It spoke loudly through the smooth and beautiful hands she had laid on the table or was it smashed on the table? Anna was forced to look up at her face, for this didn’t look like what a waiter could do, and behold, she was as beautiful as she had imagined her in the few minutes she had thought about what she would look like.
“Hey, how may we help you, Miss?” She asked casually, trying so hard not to be rude but the look in this woman’s eyes didn’t look promising.
“I thought you said you’ve broken off with her, Nate?!” The woman thundered, and that question came as though a lightening into Anna’s ears. Who was this woman and where was the word broken came from?
“I’m sorry, but you might have been mistaken…” her words were roughly halted when she heard the way Nate spoke back to her in such a shaky way that she didn’t have to ask what was going on around her. How slowly she was going to unfold something she didn’t want to.
“Lancy, I thought we spoke about this yesterday? Why would you be here?” His voice shivered as he replied her. And his last sentence sounded more an apology than the question it was. He didn’t sound as the confident and ready to be rude Nate Anna knew, this was a whole new situation.
“Can you explain to me what’s going on here, Nate? What the hell is she talking about? Who is this woman?” She asked with a shaky voice, she didn’t want what it seemed like to be what it actually was. No, her life wasn’t taking that bad turn.
“Nate, I’ll be giving you just five minutes to explain to this pathetic woman right here who I am and what I mean to you, if not, forget about us! You can’t leave me alone on our anniversary and come to hang out with this hoe!” She thundered, and whatever it was that was holding Anna and making her calm loosened up and she immediately jerked upright. Even though the woman was taller than her, that didn’t mean what she was feeling in her heart was anything less.
“Look Miss, I don’t know what you’re speaking about here, okay? And how dare you call me a hoe when I’m here with my…” Nate stood up as well, and when he gently pushed aside that Lancy of a woman and came between them, Anna knew she didn’t have to ask further. She had seen everything in the way he looked at her and the way he had gently touched her with the softness and love she had always wanted to be touched. Funny how all this while she thought what Nate gave her of him was all he could muster, there was an even sweeter Nate she had never been able to see.
She stopped her words because it seemed like he had something to say to her. She dreaded what it would be, but then she had to listen, didn’t she? “Anna, I know this isn’t right and I didn’t want her to be here when I spoke to you about this, I’m sorry. But Lancy is the woman I love…”
She had to cut him off, she realized he and this woman probably knew each other somewhere and might have shared an intimate moment or still share. She didn’t mind that he obviously cheated on her, she was even ready to forgive him about that even before he asked for her forgiveness although a huge fraction of her heart painfully knew that Nate wouldn’t even bother to ask for one. Was it because he always knew that she would always forgive him no matter what?
“I understand that you might have something between you two, but you can outwardly tell me she’s the woman you love, Nate!” Her heart was thumping so loud that she feared they might see it through the beautiful fabric of her gown. She didn’t care that they were standing and that there were other people in the restaurant, all she cared about was Nate, and how she should possibly make her his.
“You can’t be interrupting me when I’m all doing is trying to be nice enough to tell you who the fuck she is! Lancy is the woman I love, yes, and you didn’t hear that wrong! I’m sorry I haven’t broken up with you when I should, but I met her last year, today is our anniversary as well…”
She was silently shaking her head, and a voice within her as she begged this not to be true. She should be hallucinating all this; Nate didn’t even arrive at the restaurant yet. “Nate you can’t say this to me. That means last year you freaking lied to me!” He told her that his Mother was sick, and he couldn’t come to California to visit her on their anniversary. She believed him even though when she insisted to come here and stay with him, he denied that outwardly.
“Yes, I lied to you, so what? Look Anna, I’m trying my all to be sound toward you, but it seems you’re getting this hard. I know there was once I time I thought I loved you, but it’s all clear to me now, I don’t love you. I love Lancy, and we should please break up.” No, she definitely didn’t hear what he had said right. Nate would never say such to her. Her Nate was such a loving guy that he would make sure he didn’t break her heart the way this Nate was trying to do.
Tears came pooling the brink of her eyes, but she fought then back. From the corner of her eyes, she watched as Lancy sat on the chair that Nate once occupied, probably enjoying what was unfolding before her eyes. She had Nate, she should be happy, right? “Nate…” Anna nearly choked on her words; she didn’t want to believe what this was even though it was as clear as the moon glowing outside. “I thought you were going to propose to me? I thought that tweet was meant for me? I fucking thought that you loved and wanted to marry me!” She couldn’t hold everything within her and when she yelled at him, it seemed as though whatever it was that was holding him back snapped out of his hold and he became a monster the moment she had closed her lips.
He chuckled, but it was more of a smirk and a taunt that a laugh. He flashed her the ‘you must have been so stupid to think about that’ look and she felt it ripped into her heart. “That wasn’t meant for you,” he began as he raced his fingers through his hair. The hair she loved so much. Nate’s beautiful and silky hair. “I thought I shouldn’t have to tell you all this, but then, it seems like this is the only way to have you let go of your obsession on me. “I was with her yesterday, even today, and damnit Anna, I love this woman a lot. Since you’ve spoiled what I’ve been hiding from her, I guess I should do that now.” She painfully watched as Nate went on his knees, the softness she had craved for from him back onto his face as he stared at Lancy. He pulled out the ring box from his pocket and straightened his hand toward her.
“Lancy, I love you so much, will you be my wife?” Was it really happening? Like she predicted today would be, Nate had himself on one knees with a hand straightened out showcasing one of the most beautiful rings she had seen. Yes, she knew not as expensive as the ones she had seen in her entire life, but everything from Nate was unique and beautiful. Nate was indeed proposing, but to Lancy, the woman he loved, not her. She wanted the ground beneath to consume her.