My Dearest, Laurens

Chapter 5

By the time five o'clock rolled around I got up from my desk and decided to take a shower. I got to the bathroom and looked at myself in the large mirror. My hair was falling out of my ponytail and my face was very oily. I had bags under my eyes and my hair was greasy.

I stripped down to my boxers and looked over my frame. Average.

I got into the shower and washed my hair twice because once didn't feel like enough. When I was finished I dried my hair quickly with my towel and applied lotion to my face to keep it from getting too oily.

I brushed back my hair and got dressed for my date with John in an hour. I pulled on a blue button up shirt and black slacks, pulling a grey and black sweater over it. I parted my hair down the center in the mirror and sprayed hairspray lightly over the part. I put my wallet and my phone in my pockets and headed out to stop by the flower shop to pick up some roses.

Stepping out into the cool fall air I took a deep breath, glad I got new lungs because my old ones sucked. I started walking towards the inner city where I managed to get reservations at a nice restaurant. I stopped into the flower shop we went to for our wedding and picked up a red rose.

"Hey Alex!" Maggie said to me. She was a teenager with one bad arm and had always been familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on where I've seen her. Maybe when we were hunting for our flat.

"Hey Maggie," I said picking up a carnation and smelling it. "I need a red rose."

"Date night?" She asked pulling a rose out of one of the six pails of red roses. She clipped the thorns off and tied a white ribbon around it.

"Yep, I got reservations for Riccituo's." I said looking over the various flowers.

"Oh, that's exciting, the fanciest my boyfriend's ever gotten was home made sushi." She laughed, "It was a mess."

I smiled at her, handing her a five and heading out.

"Alex, your change!"

"Keep it." I said waving as the door shut.

I kept walking towards Riccituo's and got there early. There were people crowded around the outside, hoping for a table sometime that night. I headed in and approached the hostess.

"Reservation for two," I said smiling, "Hamilton."

She ran her finger down a sheet of paper and nodded, "You can follow Jamie," She said pointing to a waitress with her black hair pulled into a curly ponytail.

"I'm Jamie and I'll be your waitress for the night, I assume your waiting for someone?"

I nodded, setting the rose on the table next to me. "I am."

"I'll get you waters."

"Thank you." I said curtly.

I watched out the window for John and smiled brightly when Jamie brought me two glasses of water.

As the sun set, I because more wary as John got later and later.

Jamie checked on me for the eighth time, "Sorry," She said rubbing my arm.

"I'm terribly sorry," I said standing up, "I think he forgot about tonight." I said picking up the rose. I dropped a five on the table and left the restaurant.

I started walking back to the apartment, expecting John to be in our room again doing who knows what.

I handed the rose to a girl passing me on the sidewalk and kept walking.