This Isn't My Idea of Love

Chapter Two: The Lotus Flower

Grinning to herself as she called her dance class to a close, Viola Grayson brushed some hair from her face as she spotted her boyfriend waiting for her; they had been dating for two years and Viola couldn't have been happier.

However she knew that sooner or later that their romance would come to an end, she had been promised to someone else when she had been five years old; someone that she had only met on that day.

“Hello beautiful,” Brent Thompson said as he wrapped his arms around Viola’s waist and kissed her lips softly; the brunette was now twenty-four years old and now taught singing and dance classes.

“What are you doing here?” Viola asked as she pulled back from Brent, who smiled at her as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She swallowed as she tilted her head wondering what she would tell him when it came to ending it if her parents ever decided it was time for her to marry Lionel.

“I wanted to take my beautiful girlfriend to lunch,” Brent said making Viola smile as she kissed his cheek before she moved to collect her coat and bag to leave for lunch.

Her boyfriend smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her from the dance studio, the couple talked as they walked out of the building only to bump into Viola’s boss.

The blonde woman pursed her lips at the sight of the brunette.

“Good Afternoon Ms. Wright,” Brent greeted the woman before him while Viola shifted nervously; she knew her boss didn't like her and probably never would.

“Brent… Viola,” Fiona Wright said sharply before she moved away from the young couple, who watched her before she slammed the door behind her.

Brent smiled as he linked fingers with his girlfriend as he lead her down the street, the two of them talked about their mornings before they entered the café where they often had lunch together.

“I picked up your mail for you,” Brent said as he pulled out her mail from his backpack and handed it to her; the brunette smiled at him as she pecked his lips.

Brent smiled before moving to order lunch for them, Viola took the chance to open the letters that she had; the brunette sighed as she flipped through her phone bill and others before she came across a hand addressed letter.

Viola furrowed her brow as she stared at the letter, she didn't even notice Brent until he set down her drink for her; the brunette jumped making her boyfriend chuckle before he sat down next to her.

“What’s that?” Brent asked as he sipped on his orange juice making his girlfriend shrug as she stared at the stamp; it wasn’t an American one and it confused her.

Viola licked her lips as she opened the letter, she furrowed her brow as she pulled out a card that was inside; it was the object that slipped out of the card and onto the table that made her heart stop.

Brent looked at his girlfriend confused as she stared at the lotus flower in horror.

“Is everything okay?” he asked the brunette who seemed to start hyperventilating as she stared at the beautiful blossom as if it would murder her if she looked away.

***

Stepping into his home, Lionel Messi grinned as he spotted his chocolate Labrador, Nico, rushing to greet him as his girlfriend of three years moved out of the living room with a smile on her face.

“Hola,” Antonella Roccuzzo said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly making him smile contently before she wrinkled her nose a little.

“Did you not shower before you came home?” she said making Lionel shake his head before she pulled away from him, she loved him but there were things about him that she would have loved to chance.

“There’s a letter on the table for you… it’s from America,” Antonella said as she headed back into the living room without looking back at her boyfriend, who sighed before he headed into the kitchen to collect the letter.

Lionel stared at the letter confused before he opened it, he didn't normally get mail that was hand addressed unless it was from his family; but none of them lived in America.

As he opened the letter, Antonella entered the kitchen and looked at him as he pulled out the card that was inside the envelope; opening it Lionel froze as he saw the Lotus flower that was inside.

“Whose sending you flowers?” his girlfriend asked annoyed a she walked towards Lionel, who seemed frozen as he stared at the flower; he hadn’t even noticed the jealously that his girlfriend had.

The Argentine swallowed hard as he realised that there was no escaping this, he had only met the woman that he was meant to marry once.

“Leo, who is sending you, flowers?” Antonella shrieked making her boyfriend look at her, he blinked as he looked at her before staring back at the Lotus; there was no way around it, he was going to have to tell her the truth.

***

Viola hadn’t wasted a moment in heading to her parent’s apartment after she had managed to calm herself down; Brent following her concerned about her reaction to the lotus flower.

Knocking on her parent’s front door, Viola held the envelope in her shaking hands; she had stuffed the lotus flower into the envelope before she had fled the café, Brent look at his girlfriend worried.

The brunette took a deep breath as her mother opened the door for her looking confused, however she spotted the letter that was the moment that she started to smile.

“It finally came… I was beginning to worry,” Annabelle said as she allowed Viola inside, she frowned slightly at the sight of Brent who followed his girlfriend inside.

The brunette took a deep breath as she turned to face her mother; she knew what this meant for her and Brent, it wasn’t something that she was looking forward to. “

Why didn't you warn me?” Viola asked making Annabelle look at her daughter, she knew that the brunette cared for Brent but she had a commitment to Lionel that she couldn't break.

Brent furrowed his brow as Annabelle sighed and signalled for them to follow her into the living room, Viola flashed him a weak smile before she followed after her mother.

“Will someone tell me what is going on?” Brent demanded making Viola look down at her hands guiltily, she knew that she should have warned him about this but she didn't think it would ever happen this quickly.

“Viola is engaged,” Annabelle said making the young man stare at her, he laughed for a moment thinking that he was being pranked but it soon became clear that it wasn’t.

Brent turned to look at his girlfriend, who couldn't bring herself to look at him.

“Viola…” he said wanting her to deny what her mother had said but it was clear that she couldn't; the brunette shook her head sadly as she looked at him.

“I’m sorry,” Viola said as tears filled her eyes, Brent shook his head in disbelief as he got to his feet and stormed out of the apartment leaving Viola heartbroken.

Annabelle looked at her daughter, she knew that it didn't seem like it now but this was for the best.