Page 2
Story: Sophie’s Second Chance
I was surprised and exclaimed, “How did you do that?” as I took the rose. “I know a few tricks, Sophie,” he said with a cheeky smirk.
Damn. He’s very sexy. I suppose I’m going to pass out, too.
I spun the rose around in my hands and whispered. “Uh, my coworker really likes you chap. Would you mind meeting her?”
He smiled. “Of course.”
I smiled and stepped inside. Lila was leaning against the door and trying to hear what we were saying.
“This is your chance, Lila.” I took her hand and pulled her out.
“What if.” She couldn’t finish her sentence when she saw Liam.
He smiled at her in a way that took her breath away. “Hi,” she said in a high-pitched voice. “Oh my God! Hello!”
Thank God there weren’t any customers in the restaurant at the time. “What’s your name, miss?” He reached out his hand for a shake.
She shook his hand slowly. “L-Lila.” “Lila,” he said, “that’s a nice name.” She blushed and stuttered. “Th-thanks.”
“I would have loved to talk to you more, but I have to go to work,” he added with a shy smile.
“It’s okay,” she said quietly.
He moved in closer and kissed her cheek, which surprised both of us.
“Bye,” he said as he walked away.
Lila’s jaw fell, and she cautiously raised her hand to touch her face where he had kissed her.
I caught her arm just before she fell. “He kissed me,” she said in a low voice.
And then she screamed. I rolled my eyes and said, “He kissed me!” “Yes, I saw that.”
But he didn’t kiss mine.
For God’s sake, you have a fiancée. Yeah, right.
She was so happy that she was bouncing about, but then she remembered something and stopped and hit her face.
“I am so dumb,” she remarked. “What happened?”
“I didn’t get a picture with him. How can I forget it?!”
“Next time, you can have it.”
“Next time?”
“Yeah. Don’t forget that he is still Alley’s brother-in-law,” I told her, and she smiled big.
And for the rest of the day, she kept saying how hot he looked, which drove me crazy.
I have to agree with it.
I smiled when I gazed down at the rose in my palm.
Sophie’s point of view:
Alley remarked to Lila in a nice way, “I’ll see what I can do about it.” “He’s a workaholic; he never stops working.”
“Yes,” Lila remarked as she washed the dishes. “I’ve read that he’s a workaholic.”
Alley and I hummed back.
“Blake is back,” I said softly as Alley stirred the sauce next to me. She hesitated for a second, then turned to me and said, “What?”
I let out a sigh. “He came to see me yesterday, here in the restaurant.” She gasped. “How did he get to you?”
I told her how he found me, and I even repeated what he said. He even told her everything else he had said.
She softly put her hand on my cheek. “Are you okay?” I grinned. “Yes, I’m fine. I won’t let him get to me.”
She touched my cheek. “That’s the way to do it.”
I laughed quietly, and then my phone rang, which broke off our talk.
I pulled my phone out of my handbag, which was on a nearby counter, and grinned when I saw Ryan’s name on the caller ID.
“Hi,” I said to him.
He spoke back in a dry voice, “Hey.” “Can we get together tonight?”
“A date?”
“Uh, not really. I just need to talk to you.” “Is everything okay?”
He laughed uncomfortably. “Yes, of course.” “As you say. So, where are we meeting?”
He seemed like he was in a rush when he said, “I’ll text you the time and place.” “Okay. Bye.”
He whispered “bye” and hung up the phone.
Strange.
I walked back to the stove and kept working on the bread dough. “Can I go home early today?” I asked Alley.
She moved her eyebrows. “A date?”
I let out a sigh and a laugh at the same moment. “No. He just needs to say something.”
“Okay. You can go early.” “Thanks,” I said quietly.
*****
Ryan told me to meet him in the Maple Bean Cafe, so I went inside.
I saw him seated at a table in the corner and smiling, so I went up to him. An oval face, light blonde hair, and a light beard. A white shirt with flowers on it and blue pants. He looked nice.
I sat down across from him, leaned over, and kissed his lips, but his eyes told me he didn’t enjoy it.
“So,” I said. “What do you want to talk about?”
My hands were on the table, and he kept looking at my left hand, where the engagement ring was.
“Ryan,” I yelled. “What happened?”
At that moment, a server came up to us, and Ryan anxiously said, “Coffee?” I nodded, and he ordered for us.
I said right away as the waiter left. “You look nervous.” He cleared his throat. “Look. I don’t think the marriage can–”
“Does this happen this early?” I cut him off. “It’s fine if you’re busy. We can wait a few more months.”
He let out a sigh. “No. What I mean is.”
“I understand. We don’t have enough money for all the planning. That’s fine. I don’t want a big wedding with a lot of guests.”
At that time, the waiter came back with our coffees, set them down, and left.
Ryan’s jaw got tight. “I can’t marry you, Sophie. Not now, not ever. We just can’t.”
My voice got quite quiet. “Why?”
He wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I think we should end this engagement and whatever else we had going on.”
My lips opened a little. “W-what?”
“I’m breaking things off. We’re done.”
I leaned in closer, my eyes got bigger, and my jaw fell. “We’re engaged, Ryan. You asked me to marry you. What happened next?”
He didn’t say anything and looked down.
I figured something out. “Did you find someone else to take my place?” He tightened his fists and didn’t speak.
My voice broke. “Y-you found someone else, didn’t you?” He raised his head. “I can explain.”
“What do you mean? How long has this been going on?” He stroked his beard. “A month?”
I started to cry. “You’ve been lying to me the whole time. You’re a liar. I thought you loved me. I even loved you back.”
“I did love you, Sophie, but things changed.”
“Someone else came into your life, and now you don’t love me anymore?”
He tapped his finger on his forehead. “Kind of.” I hit the table with my fist. “Unbelievable.”
He muttered, “I’m sorry.”
I laughed without any humor. “Sorry? Do you think that will change the fact that you cheated on me?”
A tear fell from my eye. “I loved you, but right now, I hate you.” I wiped away the tear with the back of my hand.
He really looked guilty, but I didn’t believe him. I remarked in a mocking tone, “Who’s the lucky girl, by the way?”
I asked him again when he didn’t answer. “Who’s she?” “She started working in our office a month and a half ago. I met her then.”
I scoffed, stood up, and angrily took the ring off my finger and hurled it at him. “I hope you both have a great future together.”
He yelled for me when I turned around and walked towards the door, but I ignored him and hurried out the door, quickly wiping away the tears that were streaming down my face.
*****
I had stopped sobbing. I won’t cry for that jerk.
I am delighted I finally saw his genuine face. I thought he loved me, and I loved him back. That’s all there is. Not anymore.
I chose one of the nicest dresses from my collection, but I never got to wear it. It was silver with sparkles all over it and had a deep plunging neck. It went all the way to my mid-thighs.
I let my hair down over my shoulder and grabbed my purse. Then I dialed for a cab.
Let’s get this party started.
The lights were low, the music was blaring from the speakers, and everyone in the club was dancing like mad. That is exactly what I need tonight.
Damn. He’s very sexy. I suppose I’m going to pass out, too.
I spun the rose around in my hands and whispered. “Uh, my coworker really likes you chap. Would you mind meeting her?”
He smiled. “Of course.”
I smiled and stepped inside. Lila was leaning against the door and trying to hear what we were saying.
“This is your chance, Lila.” I took her hand and pulled her out.
“What if.” She couldn’t finish her sentence when she saw Liam.
He smiled at her in a way that took her breath away. “Hi,” she said in a high-pitched voice. “Oh my God! Hello!”
Thank God there weren’t any customers in the restaurant at the time. “What’s your name, miss?” He reached out his hand for a shake.
She shook his hand slowly. “L-Lila.” “Lila,” he said, “that’s a nice name.” She blushed and stuttered. “Th-thanks.”
“I would have loved to talk to you more, but I have to go to work,” he added with a shy smile.
“It’s okay,” she said quietly.
He moved in closer and kissed her cheek, which surprised both of us.
“Bye,” he said as he walked away.
Lila’s jaw fell, and she cautiously raised her hand to touch her face where he had kissed her.
I caught her arm just before she fell. “He kissed me,” she said in a low voice.
And then she screamed. I rolled my eyes and said, “He kissed me!” “Yes, I saw that.”
But he didn’t kiss mine.
For God’s sake, you have a fiancée. Yeah, right.
She was so happy that she was bouncing about, but then she remembered something and stopped and hit her face.
“I am so dumb,” she remarked. “What happened?”
“I didn’t get a picture with him. How can I forget it?!”
“Next time, you can have it.”
“Next time?”
“Yeah. Don’t forget that he is still Alley’s brother-in-law,” I told her, and she smiled big.
And for the rest of the day, she kept saying how hot he looked, which drove me crazy.
I have to agree with it.
I smiled when I gazed down at the rose in my palm.
Sophie’s point of view:
Alley remarked to Lila in a nice way, “I’ll see what I can do about it.” “He’s a workaholic; he never stops working.”
“Yes,” Lila remarked as she washed the dishes. “I’ve read that he’s a workaholic.”
Alley and I hummed back.
“Blake is back,” I said softly as Alley stirred the sauce next to me. She hesitated for a second, then turned to me and said, “What?”
I let out a sigh. “He came to see me yesterday, here in the restaurant.” She gasped. “How did he get to you?”
I told her how he found me, and I even repeated what he said. He even told her everything else he had said.
She softly put her hand on my cheek. “Are you okay?” I grinned. “Yes, I’m fine. I won’t let him get to me.”
She touched my cheek. “That’s the way to do it.”
I laughed quietly, and then my phone rang, which broke off our talk.
I pulled my phone out of my handbag, which was on a nearby counter, and grinned when I saw Ryan’s name on the caller ID.
“Hi,” I said to him.
He spoke back in a dry voice, “Hey.” “Can we get together tonight?”
“A date?”
“Uh, not really. I just need to talk to you.” “Is everything okay?”
He laughed uncomfortably. “Yes, of course.” “As you say. So, where are we meeting?”
He seemed like he was in a rush when he said, “I’ll text you the time and place.” “Okay. Bye.”
He whispered “bye” and hung up the phone.
Strange.
I walked back to the stove and kept working on the bread dough. “Can I go home early today?” I asked Alley.
She moved her eyebrows. “A date?”
I let out a sigh and a laugh at the same moment. “No. He just needs to say something.”
“Okay. You can go early.” “Thanks,” I said quietly.
*****
Ryan told me to meet him in the Maple Bean Cafe, so I went inside.
I saw him seated at a table in the corner and smiling, so I went up to him. An oval face, light blonde hair, and a light beard. A white shirt with flowers on it and blue pants. He looked nice.
I sat down across from him, leaned over, and kissed his lips, but his eyes told me he didn’t enjoy it.
“So,” I said. “What do you want to talk about?”
My hands were on the table, and he kept looking at my left hand, where the engagement ring was.
“Ryan,” I yelled. “What happened?”
At that moment, a server came up to us, and Ryan anxiously said, “Coffee?” I nodded, and he ordered for us.
I said right away as the waiter left. “You look nervous.” He cleared his throat. “Look. I don’t think the marriage can–”
“Does this happen this early?” I cut him off. “It’s fine if you’re busy. We can wait a few more months.”
He let out a sigh. “No. What I mean is.”
“I understand. We don’t have enough money for all the planning. That’s fine. I don’t want a big wedding with a lot of guests.”
At that time, the waiter came back with our coffees, set them down, and left.
Ryan’s jaw got tight. “I can’t marry you, Sophie. Not now, not ever. We just can’t.”
My voice got quite quiet. “Why?”
He wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I think we should end this engagement and whatever else we had going on.”
My lips opened a little. “W-what?”
“I’m breaking things off. We’re done.”
I leaned in closer, my eyes got bigger, and my jaw fell. “We’re engaged, Ryan. You asked me to marry you. What happened next?”
He didn’t say anything and looked down.
I figured something out. “Did you find someone else to take my place?” He tightened his fists and didn’t speak.
My voice broke. “Y-you found someone else, didn’t you?” He raised his head. “I can explain.”
“What do you mean? How long has this been going on?” He stroked his beard. “A month?”
I started to cry. “You’ve been lying to me the whole time. You’re a liar. I thought you loved me. I even loved you back.”
“I did love you, Sophie, but things changed.”
“Someone else came into your life, and now you don’t love me anymore?”
He tapped his finger on his forehead. “Kind of.” I hit the table with my fist. “Unbelievable.”
He muttered, “I’m sorry.”
I laughed without any humor. “Sorry? Do you think that will change the fact that you cheated on me?”
A tear fell from my eye. “I loved you, but right now, I hate you.” I wiped away the tear with the back of my hand.
He really looked guilty, but I didn’t believe him. I remarked in a mocking tone, “Who’s the lucky girl, by the way?”
I asked him again when he didn’t answer. “Who’s she?” “She started working in our office a month and a half ago. I met her then.”
I scoffed, stood up, and angrily took the ring off my finger and hurled it at him. “I hope you both have a great future together.”
He yelled for me when I turned around and walked towards the door, but I ignored him and hurried out the door, quickly wiping away the tears that were streaming down my face.
*****
I had stopped sobbing. I won’t cry for that jerk.
I am delighted I finally saw his genuine face. I thought he loved me, and I loved him back. That’s all there is. Not anymore.
I chose one of the nicest dresses from my collection, but I never got to wear it. It was silver with sparkles all over it and had a deep plunging neck. It went all the way to my mid-thighs.
I let my hair down over my shoulder and grabbed my purse. Then I dialed for a cab.
Let’s get this party started.
The lights were low, the music was blaring from the speakers, and everyone in the club was dancing like mad. That is exactly what I need tonight.