by Moondi, Romi
Once I was outside, the same sound of the water hitting the rocks flooded my ears, as it had once before on that totally perfect day with Aaron. I stood here alone, and this would’ve been the perfect moment for him to find me. I imagined how he’d show up, how we’d silently stare at the water for a while, how he’d tell me that he just couldn’t leave things like this, and how he’d finally make a move and kiss me. He would do all of this because even if it never worked out, at least we would’ve lived in the moment.
It all happened perfectly in my head, but when I turned towards the pub he was still seated firmly at the table, having himself a blast without me.
Smart, sensible, and risk-averse. That was how I viewed Aaron now.
I sighed and slowly made my way back to the pub, leaving behind a moment that never was. As the sound of annoying laughter replaced the calming sound of the water, I started to get a throbbing headache. I went to the bar to get some water in the hopes that it might help.
“Let me guess…you were planning to ignore me all night?”
I quietly gasped and turned to see Aaron’s face only inches from mine. Despite everything, that face and those eyes made me smile. “I was just helping you forget me,” I said. “That’s the only way you’ll cope once I’m gone. To forget I ever existed in the first place.”
He smirked. “Yeah, you’re obviously one of the forgettable girls.”
Along with the headache now my heart was aching too. Was it easier to leave now or wait ‘til the night was over? I rubbed my temples as I tried to figure it out. “I have a headache,” I finally said. “I’ll probably head out now.”
He had a saddened look in his eyes, even though his face was smiling. “I’ll walk you out.”
I followed him out the door and we were suddenly alone in the dark, the train station just a few minutes’ walk away. I stopped at the edge of the boardwalk, with the intersection up ahead. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I can take it from here.”
He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Here’s my personal e-mail, because I want us to stay in touch!” He suddenly looked desperate. “We’ll stay in touch, right?”
“Of course we will,” I said, knowing that we definitely wouldn’t. I turned to leave. “Okay well, have a good trip back home.”
“Are you kidding me?” he said surprised. “I don’t even get a hug? You and me, don’t we at least deserve a hug?”
I realized how silly it was to just walk away, so I put out my arms for a hug. In all our hanging out together, we hadn’t actually ever hugged (that damn shoulder pat), so when his arms slipped around my waist and pulled me close, I could feel my body melting. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stroked his dark hair, thinking of how many moments just like this I was missing out on, since neither of us was bold enough to break the rules.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered into my hair.
“For what?” I whispered back.
“For not being good at sorting out my life.”
My eyes brimmed with tears and I wiped them before pulling away.
When I was ready to suck it up I looked at him and smiled. “Now don’t forget, you gotta do some workouts for your big fat ass when you get home.” His jaw dropped. “Remember,” I continued, “if it doesn’t hurt to sit on jagged rocks, you still have more butt-lifts to do.”
He laughed, and I loved seeing that expression on his face. I wanted it to be my last memory, so I turned to walk away. “Bye Aaron.”
“Bye Romi…goddammit.” I turned back to see his smile but it wasn’t a weightless smile, not when his eyes were already screaming regret.
I smiled a final time and walked away, stopping once to turn and see him heading back to the pub. His butt wasn’t big at all, in fact it was just the right size for his manly body. Still it was my favourite joke, and I needed one to get through the sadness that would carry me home…
***
Two years later
I opened my portfolio to psych myself up for the presentation.
But I wasn’t psyched at all.
Knowing that the shine of becoming a Sales Director had now worn off, I’d high-tailed it to the café in search of simulated energy. A double shot of espresso in my latte should do the trick.
A young woman in front of me was wearing jeans and a light sweater. Don’t you a have job? I sneered at her as I straightened out the collar of my suit jacket. In reality I was jealous of her denim, as I longed to ditch my polyester prison, for the chance to be a little more carefree. This was probably why my dating attempts with office professionals had always failed. How can I respect their career choice, when I don’t even respect my own?
I sighed and looked down at my shoes as the barista started to greet me, which he interpreted as my overall displeasure with the day. “Sounds like you could use a cheer-up,” he said. “I’m not a comedian, but would a coffee help?”
My head jerked up in his direction, as his English accent registered in my eardrums. Soon after that I registered his pale blue eyes, and a mop of dark brown hair atop his head. Finally I registered his dimples.
He better not have a girlfriend…
The End
(or…the start of the “Year of the Chick” trilogy)
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this short story and prequel to the “Year of the Chick” series. This story tells you who the main character Romi Narindra was, before she became a bat-shit-crazy girl with a one-year countdown to find a prince, in the quest to avoid arranged marriage. What I just described in that last sentence is what “Year of the Chick” book one is all about. It’s the story of a character that quickly becomes a self-obsessed but well-intentioned nutter, and luckily learns a lesson or two along the way. If you’d like to read “Year of the Chick” it’s available now for FREE, and books 2 and 3 in the series are out as well!
If you read this installment last after reading the whole series, well I hope you enjoyed it, and I’m certainly not done writing, so follow me on social media for updates!
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PS: If you haven’t yet started the series of 3 full-length novels, begin now with "Year of the Chick" (which is FREE!)
