Alice Doop wasn’t sure how she’d gotten to this point. Well, that wasn’t completely true. She knew exactly how. But in that very moment she saw the past five years flash before her eyes. And everything became clear as day. She knew exactly what she wanted.
Maybe it was the man sitting before her with the uncertain smile on his face that had made her see the light. Or maybe it was the precious item in the velvety box he held before her that turned on the light.
Between the silent man in front of her waiting for her to say something, and the whispering voices from the other couples in the restaurant, Alice Doop reacted in a way that even surprised herself…
Earlier that day…
Her phone vibrated. And absent-mindedly, she picked it up while finishing the riveting chapter of her latest thriller.
A message from her boyfriend of five years blinked before her eyes and a faint smile spread across her lips.
Chet Parkes. The love of her life.
She’d met Chet her first year at college. They were polar opposites. While Chet Parkes spent his college years dating and partying, Alice Doop buried herself in her books and homework.
Alice disliked everything Chet stood for and kept a safe distance. Then life decided to throw her a curveball when she was assigned as his tutor, and their story became a real-life enemies-to-lovers trope.
By the end of their final year, and to everyone’s surprise, Chet had chosen her. Of all the girls that he’d dated and were available to him, Chet Parkes, the golden boy, had chosen her.
Alice read the message again and smiled to herself.
MyChetJet: Meet me at Bella Cucina at 7.
Alice: What’s the occasion?
MyChetJet: Do I need a reason? 😉
They had dated for five years. Five rocky years. But the past six months the dynamics had changed drastically, after Alice had admitted it was time for them to move on and end things. She hadn't expected Chet to react the way he did, but eventually he convinced her to stay and work through the rough patch. So, she stayed.
They’d both made the necessary adjustments and found a nice rhythm. The spark had returned. She appreciated the efforts Chet had made. And Alice was no quitter either.
A date night on Valentine’s Day after five years could only mean one thing. Right?
Alice arrived at Bella Cucina at precisely 7 pm and settled comfortably in her seat. She was excited…and a little nervous if she was being truthful. She looked around at the happy couples while she waited and allowed her mind to wander to the what ifs and why nots. Was she just as happy as those around her appeared to be? She thought so…
“Can I get you a drink, ma’am?” the waiter asked, pulling Alice out of her own thoughts.
She really should wait. Shouldn't she? That would be the polite thing to do.
“I’m waiting for my…”
Date? That sounded to informal, and Chet was more than just a date. Boyfriend? That sounded too juvenile to call someone she’d loved for five years her boyfriend.
“Ma’am?”
“Sorry…I’m waiting for…someone.”
The waiter nodded briefly and walked away, leaving her to skim through the menu. They'd been to Bella Cucina on several occasions, almost always to celebrate a milestone in their lives. But she refused to read too much into these subtle signs.
Better use time to try something new...
7.15…
7.20...
Waiting for your date, at a romantic restaurant on Valentine’s Day is no picnic. No one prepares you for that. The side-eye. The murmurs. And twenty minutes into her waiting, Alice was ready for a drink.
7.27…
7.32…
“Hello, beautiful.” Chet's voice boomed before he came into sight.
She looked up at his handsome face and let out a soft sigh. Finally, he’d arrived. Thirty. Minutes. Late.
Worth the wait, though.
“I’m starving…” He bent down to kiss Alice before he sat down and picked up his menu.
But Alice hesitated. Waited. She opened her mouth, but then decided to leave the matter. For now. She didn’t know what she’d expected…An explanation maybe? Or an apology?
Never mind.
She was hungry, and she’d spent the past thirty minutes reading the menu, learning it by heart. She didn’t have to read it again to know what she hungered for.
When the waiter arrived to take their order, Chet took over as per usual.
“We’ll have the Beef Toscanini, the Chicken Salad…And a bottle of your finest Barbara d’Asti.” His word was always final.
Chet closed the menu, but Alice was in the mood for something new. She noticed the couple on the next table giving them a side-eye, whispering to each other.
Was it her imagination?
“Actually,” Alice said softly, addressing the waiter. “I’d like the Chicken Vesuvio…and the Smokey Negroni along with my glass of red.” She was in the mood for something new. This was after all her choice. She noticed the frown on her boyfriend's face deepen and he was about to say something when she beat him to the punch. “Tell me about your day, honey,” she quickly said softly and reached for his hand.
That did the trick, brought him back to life, and he proceeded to tell her about his day.
Alice listened attentively, like she always did. Nodded. Smiled. And laughed in all the right places. But her mind wandered. And it was hard to focus. It was a familiar dance they’d performed countless times before, and it was getting more difficult to pretend to care.
Finally, their food arrived, looking delicious as ever, and Chet dug in like a hungry wolf while finishing his story. Alice wasn’t sure if he truly enjoyed his food by the way he hacked at the meat. Well, she was at least thoroughly enjoying her volcanic chicken which tasted amazingly. It tasted of danger and possibilities. It made her think about her future, and what she really wanted from life and…
“…that’s why I think we’ve reached the end of our story…”
Alice blinked. Once. Twice.
Wait. What?!?
He waited for her to respond. But what could she say when she didn't even know if she'd heard him right? Her eyes fluttered to the velvety box he’d placed in front of her and confusion hit her again.
“Look. I love you Alice, and you’ve been amazing. You’re everything I should want, but it’s just not working out.”
It wasn’t an engagement ring. It was a necklace...of a Forget-Me-Not flower.
Alice’s ears tuned in to the muffled whisperings in the background and she felt blood rush to her cheeks. She’d always shied away from confrontation. Never made a scene. But here she was, thinking she was going to be proposed to, but instead her boyfriend of five years was breaking up with her, in a very public way.
Why?
“Can you please say something?” Chet gritted nervously between his teeth and pushed the necklace at her.
That ridiculous necklace.
And maybe it was the shock. The disbelief. How he’d sprung this on her unexpectedly. Maybe the wine and the Negroni was finally getting to her. Whatever it was, she couldn’t help herself.
Alice Doop started to…laugh.
This was priceless.
“For crying out loud, Alice, you’re making a scene…”
That prompted her to laugh even harder. From her peripheral vision Alice noticed heads turn in their direction, and the murmurs grew louder. And still she could not contain herself.
“What do you want me to say, Chet?” Alice finally asked chuckling, drying tears from her eyes. “Thank you for giving me five years…Thank you for the honor of knowing you…and I promise to never take off this precious necklace because I will never forget you…” She paused to catch her breath. “Do you want me to say no one will ever measure up to you…that you’ve ruined all other men for me? Is that what you want?”
He straightened his back defensively because he had never seen her reacting like that before. This was out of character.
But it was the new Alice, whose bullshit meter was finally overflowing. The confidence she'd built up these past months. And this was the last straw.
“You are being overly dramatic, Alice,” Chet whispered, trying to get her to simmer down. But she wasn’t angry. In that pivotal moment she wasn’t even sad.
She was just done.
“Overly dramatic is planning a date on Valentine’s Day for your girlfriend of five years and breaking up with her in public instead of committing and proposing to her…”
Everyone in the restaurant was now silent, listening in on their very private conversation.
This is what he wanted. This is what he’d get.
“...overly dramatic is giving your girlfriend of five years a necklace of the Forget-Me-Not flower, and assuming she’s so under your control and charm that she will just roll over and accept it without a word…”
“Alice…” His tone was dark and steady.
“...overly dramatic is arriving thirty minutes late and letting your date wait before you executed your plan to belittle the past five years we’ve shared…”
Alice finally managed to take her focus away from the man in front of her and looked around. All eyes were on her. She hadn’t intended to make a scene, and she hadn’t. Not really. She’d only stood up for herself. She’d merely decided not to keep silent anymore. And she didn’t mind the looks or the voices that murmured in the background. She didn’t care what people thought. She was way beyond that.
“Don’t worry, Chet…you’re right, I won’t fight you on this…” She slowly stood up and elegantly savoured the last sip of her Negroni before looking back into the eyes of the man she’d thought would one day become her husband. “Thank you…”
He looked confused, fidgeting in his seat.
“Thank you for doing what I should have done a long time ago…And thank you for showing me that I deserve so much more…Keep your necklace as a reminder of me.”
As Alice Doop walked toward the exit, she heard the whisperings of the other guests that had witnessed her humiliating break up.
Wow!
Epic mic drop.
He deserved that…
What a douche!
Her feelings were mixed, but she felt no regret. And she did not look back. Not once. A turmoil of thoughts and memories came flooding her system. And they all reminded her of the common consensus among her friends when it came to her relationship with Chet Parkes. The subtle hints. The kind warnings. The cautionary words that at the time she'd misconstrued as jealousy.
She probably should have listened.
Stepping outside Bella Cucina, the tears began to fall and mixed with the heavy raindrops hitting her face. And yes, she mourned the loss of what she thought they’d had. Her heart had been hit hard, but it would heal. She was in no doubt it would.
While the skies mourned the death of her relationship, Alice Doop knew the rays of the sun were hiding somewhere behind the dark clouds. They would burst through again, and then the sun would shine brighter than ever.
As she carried on down the street, sure enough the clouds cleared up and the moon showed its face.
She would settle for the comfort of the moon for now.
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