Night By Night

Chapter 9

“Absolutely not. I want nothing to do with Adrian,” said Jennifer.

Malcolm had come to deliver a bouquet of flowers on behalf of his friend, and also to try and pacify her.

“Take a look inside,” he prodded her.

Her curiosity began to peak and she peeped between the petals, wondering what could be hidden inside. Snug in the middle of the bunch was a white card. She stuck her hand inside and procured the piece of paper and brought it to her face.

“What is this?” She asked. It was an invitation to go sailing with him…around the Mediterranean.

“Just as it says. Adrian would like the pleasure of your company on that cruise,” he grinned.

“And he thought I would just go with him just like that huh? That doesn’t change anything, and you can tell Adrian that.” She took the flowers and tossed them on the table and closed the door shut. She didn’t care what Adrian had to say. She didn’t want to see him. At times she felt as if she was being too harsh, but then she remembered he was the one who had pulled her in and then let her go again, and it didn’t seem to take much effort. And then, after a month he figured he could walk back? She was not to be used and she would not allow it. Still, a cruise…

Just then her phone began to ring. “Yes?” She answered.

“Would you mind having dinner with me tonight? It’s been a long time since we went anywhere fancy and I think it will cheer you up. Food always seems to,” she said.

“Very funny Sara. That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea anyway. I need the distraction.”

“Why, what happened?” she asked anxiously.

“Malcolm was just here with another invitation from Adrian, this time for a cruise.”

“A cruise? Was he serious? And you said no?” asked Sara surprised.

“What was I supposed to say? He doesn’t get the right to turn up and just invite me to any place, even if it is a cruise,” she replied, now infuriated.

“Okay! Calm down. I’m coming to get you at seven,” she said and hung up.

Jennifer spent the rest of the afternoon lazing about the house, occasionally thinking about the cruise. She blinked purposefully when she did, as if that could erase any thought of it. She rose now, realising the time and that Sara would be by any minute to pick her up to go to dinner.

She decided that she was going to dress up tonight. She was going to have a ball, maybe even go dancing afterwards and for that, she broke out the pearls from their secluded spot in the treasure chest. She had on a plain black dress with a chiffon covered back that fell all the way to the rise at her derriere. Her hair was gathered at the top of her head, and the pearl teardrop earrings she wore accentuated her oval face. She had on light makeup and the pearl necklace she wore fell in a perfect circle around her slender neck. She slipped on her glass slippers and grabbed her wristlet when she heard the familiar honking of Sara’s horn.

“Wow. Looking hot,” she hooted.

Jennifer blushed and turned her head away. “Where are we going?” She asked.

“You will see,” Sara said, eyeing her suspiciously.

She turned the car around and headed in a direction the two had never gone before. After only four blocks Jennifer intervened. “Which classy restaurant do you know in these parts? We are passing all the ones I know,” Jennifer lamented.

“Nothing wrong with trying new places and new things. There is this fabulous restaurant I know about not too far from here,” she grinned.

By the time they neared the restaurant Jennifer’s mouth was agape with astonishment. “The Japanese restaurant? You know it? This is the place I told you Adrian had taken me. What’s going on?” she asked in a fright.

“This place? Wow. Talk about coincidence,” Sara said as she pulled into the parking bay.

The two got out and was ushered to a table for two when they walked in. Jennifer loved the place and she already knew what she wanted, so Adrian or not, she would enjoy her dinner tonight. She was just about to place her order when she saw her meal of Onigiri, kare raisu and sushi arrive. She looked over at Sara who seemed oblivious to what was going on, which was unlike her.

“Sara, did you order this for me?” she asked, now getting suspicious that this was the exact order Adrian had made for her that day.

“I did. Mine will be out shortly,” she said. “I think I need to powder my nose. Excuse me for a second.”

She got up before Jennifer could even respond. Oh well, she thought. She dug into her Onigiri and scooped out some of the rice when she felt her chopsticks hit something hard. What the hell? She relaxed the seaweed wrap and started digging some more, until she found the alien matter. She lifted it from the meal, and her hand flew to her mouth in an instant.

“Will you?” she heard him ask from behind her.

She wheeled around and saw Adrian standing there. She was unable to speak still. He moved closer and sat across from her. “You told me that I was too unstable and that you wanted to be sure of me. Well, I am sure of you, and nothing would make me happier than if you say yes and spend the rest of your life with me.”

Jennifer was unable to hold back the tears, especially when she saw Sara walking back to them with a smile. “Sara, you knew?”

Sara held her hands out as if unknowingly and then grinned. “What can I say? Have a great night guys.” She walked out then and Jennifer turned her attention back to Adrian.

“So, will you make me the happiest man on earth?”

Jennifer’s mind was in a whirl and she had temporarily lost her voice. She held onto her throat as the tears kept coming. “Ask me again,” she eventually said.

“Jennifer Halstrom, will you marry me?” He asked now, more certain of her answer than he was the first time.

“Yes,” she said. “I will marry you,” she cried. He got up amidst the applause of the listening guests, and walked over to her, wiping the ring of all residues before slipping it onto her finger.

She hugged him and cried some more as he kissed her forehead, her cheeks and then her lips, whispering tender words she had forgotten. She held onto him for the first time in a new way and she knew she had found her happy ending.

“So, how about that cruise?” He asked now.

She laughed. “You can take me sailing any time.”