Page 4 of A Simple Love
Mike
Seeing his lips pressed to her cheek spikes my blood pressure beyond healthy levels. I can feel the anger radiating off my body in waves. Ben turns and walks towards the bar, away from where I’m standing so he never notices my infringement on their moment. What the hell was that about? Uneasiness courses through my veins as I contemplate my next move, but I shake it off quickly and focus on the reason I’m here. I can’t walk away from her again. I have to see this through.
Taking a step forward, I stalk over to her as she turns to head down the hallway to the restroom. “Vic…” My voice booms through the enclosed space.
She freezes at my mention of her name before slowly turning and shooting me a death glare, her eyes narrowing into two thin green lines. Wow. Okay, that was not the reaction I was expecting.
“What do you need, Mike?” Her teeth are clenched, making her anger with me more than apparent.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” My mind instantly recalls Ben’s forward move, wondering if it made her uncomfortable.
She huffs at me, looking behind us before lowering her voice an octave.
“Am I okay? I don’t know, you tell me.” Her hands find her hips immediately. “I’ve been waiting for you to find me tonight, curious about what you wanted to talk to me about, and now you show up almost,” she glances down at her watch on her wrist before meeting my eyes again, “almost four hours late!”
“Calm down, please. I’m here, okay? I just had to make a delivery for a customer, and I needed a minute to compose myself, alright?” I reach out to touch her, but she pulls away quickly.
She laughs at me. “Don’t you know better than to tell a woman to calm down? That will only make the exact opposite occur.”
Brushing my hand through my hair, I look down at the floor, questioning what the hell happened in the last four hours. This is NOT how I envisioned this conversation would go down.
“I thought….. I thought you stood me up again.”
My head snaps up at her words, the slice through my gut ripping my emotions open, exposing my mistake from before. Her anger has fallen away, replaced with disappointment.
“Vic. I would never do that to you again. I’ve been waiting years for tonight. I want another chance with you, and I promise I won’t let you down again.” I’m pleading but I don’t care. I can’t lose this opportunity with her again.
“Well, I’m afraid you’re too late,” her words twist the knife already penetrating my gut. She puts more distance between us and crosses her arms over her chest, leaning up against the walls of the small hallway.
“What? Why?” My eyes are bouncing back and forth between hers, trying to read her.
“Ben just asked me out and I said yes.” She pops her head to the side and raises her eyebrows, challenging me with the next move. The one she just threw at me hurts worse than any punch she could have landed.
“BEN?” I shout way louder than I intended to, but I’m seeing red, the image of him kissing her cheek flashing through my mind again.
“Yes, Ben. He said he’s always wanted to ask me out, so he did. Such a simple idea, don’t you think?”
I pause for a moment, contemplate where we go from here, my hand pushing on the note still folded up inside my pocket. That idea and any plan I had about this evening have gone to shit, so I’m flying by the seat of my pants now. Fuck it then. Here goes nothing.
“Then I want a date too.”
Her hands drop from her body instantly. “What?” She seriously looks shocked, which makes me chuckle.
“I want a date too. I’ve been waiting, just like good ol’ Ben, so I think it’s only fair we both get a shot.” I stand up tall again, resolving that I’m not letting her get away this easily, especially after all of this time. I can fight for her. I’ve been doing it subconsciously all these years anyway. Now there’s just one more person in my way, but I won’t let it stop me.
“Uh….” She stutters, her eyes bouncing all over the bar, searching for something.
I’ve rendered her speechless. Good. “Then it’s settled. When are you free?”
“I never agreed to this, Mike.” She’s retreating down the hall backward now and I slowly follow her, walking towards her as if I’m stalking my prey. Her breathing has become more shallow, her hands fidgeting at her sides.
“Vic,” I declare as her back hits the wall. “We've both been fighting this for so long. Why can’t you give me a chance to show you that it’s been worth the wait? If you’re going to give Ben a chance, after all this time, then I think it’s only fair I get my chance too.” I trace my finger along her soft cheek, my thumb pulling her full bottom lip down as I reach her chin and tilt her face up to meet mine. She’s trembling, the wariness of her face telling me she’s scared and conflicted yet yearns for the same thing I do.
Frankly, I’m terrified too. I’ve never been this bold and forward with a woman in my entire life and the idea of finally getting my chance with Vic scares the shit out of me, makes every fear I’ve ever felt about love come to the surface. She has the ability to ruin me, force me to own up to my mistakes, and finally turn me into the man I know I want to be for her. But I could make one wrong move and lose the one person I know could be made for me. I’ve ignored so many women for years, avoided commitment because none of them held a candle to her. And I’m done hiding, running, avoiding. I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.
“Mike, how do I know you won’t let me down again?” Her voice is hoarse, clouded with her anxiety from my proximity, but also undeniable fear.
Staring down into her hazel eyes, I cup the side of her face, her head leaning slightly into my touch before she catches herself and straightens her spine again.