Bitter/Sweet II

CHAPTER 10

TWO YEARS EARLIER

AT THE RUSSIAN TEA ROOM IN MANHATTAN

"Listen Mel I asked you to meet me because I have something I want to say." Mel starts to smile. In her mind she knows what it is. They are seated in a very up scale restaurant. Mel and her boyfriend Fred have been dating for only a few months, but she can tell that their love is strong and can last forever. Fred is going to ask her to marry him. This is what she has waited for. It is now coming true. He loves her and she loves him. In her mind she sees them living happily ever after. Fred starts out by saying, "I know we haven't been dating long, and you might feel this is a little premature.............."

"Yes, yes go on, as Mel encourages him to spit it out."

"Ok, Ok, I'm getting to it, said Fred. This is hard for me." At that moment Mel holds his hands from across the table and looks into his eyes in order to give him encouragement, and says, "I'm ready."

"Ok, here it goes, Mel I don't want to see you anymore." A huge silence seemed to fill the entire restaurant. Mel could not speak. Fred wasn't quite sure whether she was alright or not. Her face was expressionless. Then suddenly she lets out a big laugh and her eyes came back to life. She continues to chuckle.

"Mel what's so funny," Fred says in a serious tone?

"You're always cracking jokes Fred. You got me good with that one."

"Fred lets go of her hands and said, "I'm not joking this time Mel. I'm serious. This relationship is not working for me anymore."

"Fred, Whhhhhhhhat are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't want to see you anymore." Again a long silence fell over the restaurant in Mel's mind. She looked at Fred as if she could not figure out what he was saying. After the long silence Mel spoke.

"You are making a mistake."

"What mistake, said Fred? Mel I know what I want and this is not it. You and I are not going anywhere in this relationship."

"Now Fred you........, you, haven't given us a chance. We are good."

"We're not good. Maybe in your head you see this differently, but I'm only telling you how I feel."

"You're being unreasonable Fred lets eat first and after dinner you'll feel better."

"Stop it Mel! There you go again. I've been trying to hint to you for a couple of days about this, but you have ignored all the signs. You see what you want to see. You are to obsessive Mel. You smother me. When I'm around you, you take up all my air and space. I feel like I can't breathe."

"You can't breathe because you smoke cigarettes that's, why you can't breathe," said Mel. You think I smother you? Did you say I smother you? I love you Fred. Excuse me if I happen to show it. When I love, I give everything. I don't know any other way."

"I just can't take you anymore, said Fred. You want to know what I'm doing every second of the day. And on top of that, you got me going to that weird sex club and hanging out with your weird sex friends. I would like to have normal sex for a change, without multiple partners, without ropes, chains and hand cuffs. I just want my life back, I'm sorry if I hurt you but it's all over Mel."

Mel starts to cry, "You brought me here to this fancy restaurant to break up with me? I thought you were going to.......never mind."

"Look, I know you're upset."

"No I'm not upset these are tears of joy can't you tell. CAN'T YOU TELL?"

"Mel, you don't have to scream. You're making a scene."

"I'm making a scene? You took my heart and threw it to the ground and you say I'm making a scene. I thought we were good together Fred."............... Mel tries to pull herself together. "But if I am not the one you want I'll leave. You go on with your life and I with mine. I'll come by your place tomorrow night to pick up the things I left over there and after that we part and go our separate ways." Mel gets up to leave obviously upset. Her hands were shaking, tears streaming down beat red cheeks.

"Listen Mel, I'm sorry. I came off harsh. I never meant to hurt you."

"No one ever means to hurt but they do and the hurt lasts a lifetime." With that Mel walks out of the restaurant leaving Fred sitting there feeling guilty and relieved at the same time. After tomorrow, he thought to himself, that obsessive personality would be out of his life and he'd be free.

As Mel hailed a cab to take her home,she was barely able to stand. She feltas though she was kicked in the gut several times. She felt empty. The pain of loosing Fred gave her suchemotional pain that it crossed over to the physical and she developed a massivemigraine headache. Before getting in thecab she almost threw up. She sat in thecab with her head spinning. With her fistsballed up, she needed to strike something. She hit her thighs, she hit the back of the cabs front seat. The driver responded, "Please Miss I'm onlyleasing this vehicle, I can't afford to have it damaged." Mel didn't apologize but she did stop strikingthe seat. Her pain was so great if shecould somehow show Fred how much pain was inside her, how much love was insideher, she knew he would change his mind. She had to get him to listen. Shethought about it the rest of the ride home. Slowly a plan started to develope in her head. Tomorrow when she sees Fred will be heropportunity, her last chance and his