Jenna
"Honey, what do you mean you are getting a divorce?" I hear my mother whisper in bewilderment. The three of them are sitting at the dining table, my mom, dad, and sister that is.
I woke up to a noise coming from downstairs, I looked to my left to see the time on my clock and it read 5:45 am. I freight easily so it's not a shock that as soon as I heard the noise, I immediately went to my parent's bedroom to find solace with them. To my surprise though, my parents were not in their bedroom. My curiosity got the better of me and I went downstairs, only to see my mom, dad, and sister.
My sister just told my parents that she is divorcing her husband of three years. I am so shocked.
I have to admit, that everything that I thought I knew about love and marriage has been totally wiped out by this new revelation.
I mean how can they break up, they were the perfect couple, they are the perfect couple. Thomas adores my sister and has to be touching her in one way or another. I am completely flabbergasted by this news.
When I go back to my room to try and get more sleep, I can't find any sleep, I toss and turn until I see that the time reads 9:13 am. I am still thinking about what I heard while eavesdropping on my sister's conversation with our parents.
Thomas and Stephanie met in High School. Thomas was the bookworm and my sister the cheerleader. Their love was unconventional, by high school standards because nerd and cheerleader, hello! Their schedules didn't mesh most of the time, but my sister was totally smitten with Thomas, much to the chagrin of the other guys in their grade.
When they got together, I was in grade 8 and they were in grade 11 and I saw that the students at school didn't make it easy for them. They wanted my sister to be with one of the football guys because apparently, that's how it's supposed to be, the football guy with the cheerleader. However, they persevered and held it together for so long, I just hate to see it all fall apart. I need to talk to my sister, I didn't even know that they were having problems!
Asher
I have a terrible headache and my brothers are none the wiser as they goof about around me.
We are at my eldest brother Mickey's house for my niece Tara's birthday party. She turns 2 today and her parents decided to throw her a princess-themed party that, ladies and gentlemen is the reason for the multiple bows in my hair and makeup or painted toenails that are seen among my brothers.
When I first started having these headaches, I went to see my Doctor because I was alarmed that it could be cancerous but fortunately it had nothing to do with cancer. He gave me a list of reasons that could be the cause, among those were stress and anxiety and I have neither of those things. My mother has told me to try and take things slower at work and not try to do everything all at once, however, I don't think that's the problem. I just can't quite put my finger on what the problem is.
I am turning 28 this coming August and I feel like my life is stagnant and worse of all I have no one besides my parents to share things with. I hate being the fifth wheel when my brothers go out with their significant others and only invite me out of obligation, hell I think even my youngest brother Ethan has a girlfriend. Only I don't want a girlfriend, I want a wife or life partner, I just want something serious and very much committed.
I want to have someone to go home to, someone to tell all my problems to, someone who will have my back when I have to make difficult decisions, and someone to tell me when I'm messing things up. I want someone who I can be myself with and we leave all pretenses aside when we are together.
At this point, I honestly think that I can only dream about these things and they are not meant for me. It hurts. I don't want to force the situation and end up with someone who isn't right for me or who just wants what I can give her financially, I've seen it happen with some of my friends.
The next day I am feeling so much better which I am thankful for because I can go to the office, there is a lot of work to be done.
"Hey boss man, have you gone through those blueprints I sent over to you?" Gerald my second in command says as he enters my office without knocking, by the way, he is the only one of my employees that can get away with just barging into my office without permission to enter.
"Uh yeah man, come on in. Let me get them for you along with the approval papers." I get up to get the blueprints for him and proceed to sign the approval forms, so he can forward that to the construction guy we use for our buildings.
"Are you not heading home?" he asks me. I check to see the time and notice that it's almost 5 pm.
"Wow, I didn't notice the time. I'll just finish up here and then head home." I give him a forced smile because I really don't want to go home, there's nothing but stillness and loneliness waiting for me at home.
"You don't sound too sure about that." He chuckles, the little stinker. "Boss man I think you need someone, you know like a female companion." Don't I know it dude, I whisper to myself.
He continues without allowing me the opportunity to answer, "You know what? I have a friend who could literally be the woman that you've been waiting for all your life." I see the glee in his eyes, but I don't think I want someone who is friends with Gerald, I mean come on the guy is a train wreck on a good day.
"No thanks man, I'm good," I say with a grateful smile on my face, or at least what I'm hoping is a grateful smile.
He steps closer to me and shoves his cell phone in my face, "Here, isn't she a beaut? She could really use this date, so please go even if nothing comes of it at least you would have gotten out of the office and she out of the house."
Honestly, she's not bad to look at and what would one date hurt? I decide on going to the date because what could go wrong?
***
I get to the restaurant earlier than the agreed time and get a seat that is facing the door, so I can scope her out before she gets to me. I already know what she looks like so that won't be a big surprise and if I know Gerald like I think I do he would have shown her my picture as he did with me.
She enters through the door and I have to admit she is definitely beautiful, a bit on the tall side for a woman but I don't really mind since I'm over six feet tall. She has long jet-black hair that reaches about her waist and she is wearing simple jeans and a plain white t-shirt and she paired it up with a pair of gladiator heels. Classy.
I rise up from my seat to greet her. "Hi, Asher McLaren" I jut out my hand for a handshake and she does the same.
"Stephanie Jones, it's nice to meet you," she says. We sit down and from the small talk, we make before our food arrives I see that she's an alright girl and I don't mind getting to know her. Yeah, it wasn't the instant spark that my parents and some of my brothers always claim but I'm not bored with her either.
I like that she is blatantly honest with me, "So I have to be honest with you, I'm still technically married." I flinch as if I've been hit because I totally don't condone cheating,
"What?! I'm sorry I can't continue this date-" she doesn't let me continue.
"Wait, please don't go, I can explain."
Against every fiber of my being, I settle back into my seat. And nod for her to continue and she does.
"Okay so, yes, I am married but I am in the process of getting a divorce." She looks so heartbroken as she says that, and I have to wonder if she's truly over the guy and I voice my thoughts.
"Are you sure that you're ready to move on?" I say only out of concern for her.
"Of course. I have to," she says then quickly wipes away a tear, "I want nothing to do with that cheating bastard." She says in a huff.
I feel for the poor woman.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you find out that he was cheating on you?" I ask being totally nosy. I watch her face, so I can take back my question if she doesn't feel comfortable talking about it.
"Well, the hotel that he visited with his mistress called me and told me that I had left my watch there while I visited with my husband. Of course, I didn't know anything about a hotel stay, so I didn't let him onto the fact that I know about his whereabouts. When I asked him about what he did the previous weekend, he told me that he was at his friend's house. And that is how I caught the sucker." She says with a scowl on her face and distaste in her voice.
"How did the hotel know to call you?" I ask, at this point, our food has arrived and I'm digging in there and listening to this as if I'm watching a soap opera. Hey, what can I say? I love a good drama.
"He used our joint account to book the room because he knows that I seldom check the activities on that account because I trust him implicitly...I mean trusted him. After he lied to me, I broke things off with him and demanded a separation."
I don't understand why the dude would keep up the charade even after being caught maybe he would've been able to grovel and salvage their relationship unless he wanted an out anyways. "Wow, I don't condone his cheating, but I think I would have fessed up once I knew that I'd been caught instead of losing my wife, that is if I loved her to begin with," I say to her in a compassionate voice.
"Oh no, I didn't tell him why I'm divorcing him. If he didn't have the courtesy to tell me to my face that he broke our vows, then why should I give him the courtesy of telling him why I want a divorce? He will see that once I've served him with the papers and I guess he never really loved me then huh? Would you like to get dessert?" She says effectively ending the conversation and I also take the hint.
For the remainder of the dinner we talk about mundane topics and I think we can both tell that there's no spark or chemistry between us, however, she is a cool girl and would be a good friend to have.
Once I've asked for the bill I start by letting her down gently since she's been through the wringer in the past couple of months. "So, this was nice but-"
"There's no spark. Yeah, I get that too, but I wouldn't be opposed to being friends." She shrugs her shoulders and I'm thankful that she saved me from having to say that being I didn't know how to word it and make it not offensive.
"Of course, we can be friends," I say with a smile, a grateful one at that.
"Since we are now friends, I've got a favor to ask." I narrow my eyes because I don't want to agree just yet, she continues in my silence, "My mom is hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law Gwen and it's next week Saturday. I hate people feeling sorry for me and giving me pitiful looks so please be my date, so they can see that I've moved on and stop giving me the look of pity."
I don't see anything wrong with her plan, they don't know me, and I have nothing to lose from it, it's not like I'll ever see them again.
"I'll do it, here put your number on my phone and we'll be in contact. Is that fine?" I ask while handing her my phone to put her phone number in.
I arrive home and instantly my mood changes. I am almost certain that I'm meant to be alone. But whatever, at least I gain friends from some of these bad dates.