The Vanishing Love Story

Alaine

I went outside wearing my black Zara slip on flats, and headed to the couch, Madeline joined me, while waiting for mom and Megan, we sat there quietly, on our phones, I was texting Elijah who was constantly checking up on me. A few minutes later, and we were finally joined by Mom and Megan. 

We headed to the apartment's underground parking lot, walking to the black prius, Madeline drove us to the uptown area because she was the only one aside from Mom who had a driver's license, while I still had a student's permit because I just started learning how to drive. Mom being in the passenger seat, connected her phone to the car's bluetooth speaker, she scrolled through the numerous playlists she made, and clicked on a new one that consisted of 2000s pop songs that we can all sing along to. 

When we reached the mall's underground parking lot, we went out of our car, which was parked next to a red pick-up truck. Madeline took a photo of it to show her car loving boyfriend, I always found it cute how they are both into cars and that Formula 1 racing thing. I liked Formula 1 too but I wasn't a super fan, would watch it mainly for the car brands and the race car drivers. 

We went to 4th floor of the mall, and heading outside to the different types of restaurants that were lined up and facing the clubs area. We walked to the right of a Japanese ramen place which was occasionally filled with call center agents, and businessmen. The Spanish restaurant had latin music playing, the reception lady, had her hair tied in a bun, wearing a black long sleeved top paired with a red ruffled skirt. She welcomed us, leading us to the booth, Mom and Madeline sat next to each other, while Megan and I sat across from them. 

The kind waitress handed our paper menus, consisted of 5 pages back to back, showcasing their dishes, and drinks that were good for sharing. She left us to scan over what we want, so far all of our favorite dishes were here including their paellas which looked delicious. After two minutes of deciding, our male waiter who was assigned to us named "Carlo" took down our orders. 

The waiter, with a friendly demeanor, kindly repeated our orders, ensuring accuracy before swiftly taking the menus from us. He left one behind, in case we wanted to peruse the variety of dishes they were serving. The restaurant exuded a warm ambiance with beige walls, adorned with a tribal Aztec feel that added an artistic touch to the atmosphere. 

Square tables were neatly arranged across the floor, offering an inviting setup for guests. The booths, adorned with blue accents, showcased the color scheme of the restaurant's logo - a blend of red, beige, and blue. The interior design was a thoughtful mix of modern simplicity and cultural aesthetics, creating a visually pleasing space for patrons. 

"The restaurant is so nice." Megan said, bringing me back 

"It is, isn't it?" I say, looking at her as the waiter placed down a cold water carafe and some glasses 

"Thank you." Madeline says to the waiter 

"It is. I like how the bar is near the kitchen and at the same time, we can see the chefs cooking our delicious meals." I say noticing a good looking chef, wearing a black chef's jacket plating some of the customers' dishes 

"Are you looking at the chef?" Madeline says, pouring water into her glass 

"No, I am not." Averting my gaze to her, who had her eyebrows raised 

"His name is Enrique, pablo's friend's son who moved here from Spain." She says, knowing that I was too shy to ask 

"ohh!" I say, focusing on the plate of croquetas jamon that I ordered for Megan and i since mom and madeline preferred gambas and chorizo as their appetizers

Megan and I ate, leaving only crumbs on the plate that our waiter cleared out, while coming back with the two appetizers. While mom and Madeline were sharing their appetizers, Megan and I talked about the podcast launch party that was happening tomorrow. Mom said a comment or two about how she was excited for us to support Elijah with his passion, I smiled and told her that I will always be supportive of him. 

Madeline chimed in, saying what outfit she was gonna wear, before our bone marrow paella came in, along with our two main courses; buttered scallops, and a plate of pan seared squid that looked super appetizing. 

"Your orders are complete." Our waiter said, after giving us our own portions of their delicious bone marrow paella 

We all enjoyed eating our meals, madeline commented on how she was gonna bring her friends here, while I told mom that maybe Elijah and I can come here together. She both supported our ideas, while Megan was happy that she was able to satisfy her cravings. We giggled at that, after finishing the last few pieces of meat, we had our plates cleared, and asked for the bill since we were full. 

After the bill was paid, we walked around for a little while, digesting our delicious meals, and seeing all the shops that were newly opened. Madeline, walked into a shop where they were selling Korean skincare products, megan and I decided to join her while mom went over to a stand selling room sprays. Mom always loved those peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus room sprays since it helps calms her down ever since dad past away. 

While I was in the face masks section, choosing which ones to get, my phone vibrated, I brought it out of my purse and saw a notification from Zach saying that we needed to talk. Good timing right? I thought to myself, because despite Sabrina apologizing to me, I still wondered if she was being sincere or this was a ploy to get Elijah back. The thoughts made me feel chills down my spine because from what I heard in the podcast, there wasn't any chance for them to get back together. 

I placed the 20 face masks pack I got on the rack, and placed it in my small basket to quickly draft a response. 

Alaine: 

Hey Zach! Meet me in our usual cafe in the downtown area. 

I sent it, wishing he didn't respond right away especially since a part of me was still angry at him. I headed over to the counter, while Madeline was already outside with her medium sized bag of goodies, while Megan joined mom who was still in the stall, sniffing samples, the kind cashier lady gave me my change and receipt along with my small paper bag. 

I walked out of the store, walking beside Madeline, to where Mom and Megan was, mom was finally paying for her stuff. She got 2 room sprays along with their refills, since the kind gentleman told her that it was a "Buy one get one free" promo. Knowing how much mom loves discounts and promos, she obliged, which made her so happy that she got a good deal. 

The drive back home was nice, the moon was full, shining bright, while the sky was clear showing off the stars that couldn't be seen due to the pollution. As we arrived home, we said goodnight to each other and entered our rooms, to get some good night's rest knowing that tomorrow was Elijah's podcast launch party.