"Be My Valentine" - A Love Story

Part 3

Part 3

      You and a “Valentine” of your choice are cordially invited to Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas’ Valentine’s Dinner. There will be cocktails and casual mingling, followed by the finest cuisine, prepared by our chef. We would be delighted if you could make it.

      When:
             Thursday, February 13th
             (The day before Valentine’s Day)
             7:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
      Where:
             Mr. and Mrs. Thomas’ Estate
             118 Key Island Drive,
             Savannah, Georgia 31410
 
       No RSVP is necessary.

      Mrs. Thomas’ invitation arrived at the beginning of the week, and it wasn’t long before the night of the dinner rolled around…
     
      “What do you think?” Tyler asked, looking down at his shirt with his arms resting at his sides.
      Mindy shook her head. He was wearing a graphic tee with a picture of a tie plastered to the front of it.
      “Are you serious?” She rolled her eyes. “This is Mrs. Thomas we’re talking about. It’s going to be formal. Like really formal.”
      “I’m wearing a tie,” he argued. “I don’t think it should be ignored just because it’s 2D.”
      “Have you ever even worn a suit before?”
      “Umm… I think I have. Maybe. Once.”
      “Yeah? When?” she challenged.
      “A funeral,” he said, matter-of-factly.
      “Oh,” she said as her brows furrowed. “Who died?” (Like it made a difference.)
      “I don’t remember. Someone important I think.” Tyler stared out into space, reflecting on it for a moment.
      Sometimes Tyler amazed Mindy. She knew he was only joking, but really? The night was going to be stressful enough, without her having to worry about him remembering to bring his brain. Exasperated, she interrupted his dazed look. “Would you go change?”
      Tyler sighed. “Okay.”

      They arrived at Mrs. Thomas’ Estate and were overcome by its beauty. It was the last house on the street, in a neighborhood filled with multi-million dollar homes. Resting on a peninsula, it had one-eighty degree views of the water, not to mention the pool and Jacuzzi out back. Walking up the grand portico steps, they were greeted by two six-foot-wide, oak doors that were hand-carved with great detail. Mindy felt slightly out of place in this world, knowing it was so financially different from her own. She was relieved to have Tyler with her. Even this much wealth was nothing compared to what he was used to. He was completely at ease.
      “Well, here it goes,” she said lightheartedly, mainly trying to keep herself calm. She rang the doorbell and took a deep breath. She just wanted to get the dinner over with. Mrs. Thomas was a sweet woman, but mingling with the rich wasn’t Mindy’s idea of a good time. It mostly just sounded like a lot of stress, anxiety, and a bad headache. But there was no backing out now.
      Mindy and Tyler heard soft footsteps inside, hurrying to the door. When it opened, they were greeted by the gracious Mrs. Thomas herself. She was wearing a royal blue, floor-length dress and was adorned with jewelry. Her hair was up, mimicking a French style that had recently been debuted on the runways. Enthusiastically, Mrs. Thomas welcomed them inside. Closing the door behind them, she took ahold of Mindy’s hands. “Mindy, I’m so glad you could make it.”
      Mindy smiled graciously. She knew it must’ve been important to Mrs. Thomas that she was there. “Thank you for inviting us.”
      “And who is this young man with you?” Mrs. Thomas inquired playfully. “It’s not that boyfriend of yours who’s been avoiding you this Valentine’s, is it?” Mrs. Thomas laughed heartily.
      “No, Mrs. Thomas,” Mindy smiled, humoring her. “This is one of my closest friends, Tyler.”
      “How do you do, Mrs. Thomas?” Tyler interjected, nodding his head. “Thank you for extending your invitation to me. And may I say, you look lovely tonight.”
      “Why, thank you, Tyler.” Mrs. Thomas was impressed. Turning to Mindy, she added, “Maybe you should go out with him instead, Mindy. He has fine manners, and he’s a nice-looking boy.”
      “I’ll take that into consideration,” Mindy answered.
      Distracted, Mrs. Thomas suddenly changed the subject. “Let me introduce you to my husband, John,” she said, beginning to look around the room for him. Spotting him, she declared, “There he is. Follow me.” Then she turned around and quickly made her way through the crowd of people.
      Before heading after her, Mindy whispered to Tyler, “I think she’s already had too much to drink.”
      He stifled a laugh. “Maybe she just needs more practice.”
     
      The night wore on slowly for Mindy. She and Tyler ran into Trish and her husband, Matty, and spent most of their time talking to them. But ultimately, Mindy’s eyes were more focused on her watch than on the person she was speaking to. Finally, it was time to eat. Dinner was fantastic. It consisted of a radicchio salad covered in sherry-mustard dressing for the appetizer, grilled rib-eye steak for the main course, and finally, cherry bourbon pie for dessert. Mindy had never eaten food that tasted so incredible. By the time the evening was over though, she was definitely ready to leave. She and Tyler said their good-byes to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, thanking them again for such an amazing dinner. Then they headed out.
      Mindy was so relieved to get home that when she got in bed, she fell asleep with a smile on her face. Just for those few moments, she was able to block out the fact that when morning came, it’d be Valentine’s Day. The one day that was meant to be filled with love, she’d be spending alone, without Bradley.
     
      Mindy was woken up by the annoying, continuous ring of her cell phone. She checked the clock on her nightstand. It was 3:00 a.m. Who in their right mind would call at this time?
      It was Bradley.
      Oh no, is something wrong? Something must’ve happened… Now Mindy was wide awake and filled with fear, worrying about him. She immediately answered. “Hello?”
      “Hey, Mindy?”
      “Yeah?”
      “It’s Bradley.”
      “I know. Are you okay? You’ve never called at this time before.”
      “I’m okay. I just— I’ve been…”
      “What is it? What’s wrong?”
      “Well, I’ve been feeling really badly lately.”
      “Are you sick?”
      “No. No.” Bradley sighed.
      Mindy was getting confused. She didn’t know what was going on with him.
      Bradley started talking again. He sounded frustrated. “I’ve been feeling badly about us lately. Things aren’t like they used to be. We’ve changed. Or I have anyways. I think we should break up. It’s just not working anymore. We’re too far away from each other.”
      Mindy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had been right all along. When she could finally speak, she asked sheepishly, “But only a couple days ago, you said that no matter where we were…” Her voice faded. “You talked like everything was fine. Like you still loved me.”
      “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
      “Hurt my feelings? So you thought it’d be better to lie to me? To lead me on?”
      “Look, Mindy. I’m sorry, okay? I had to tell you tonight. I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow and ruin your Valentine’s Day.”
      “Well, that’s very thoughtful of you. Thanks. I’m so glad I can enjoy Valentine’s Day now. It’s not like I’ll be heartbroken or anything. I mean, what’s two years of dedication anyways? Nothing!”
      “Mindy, like I said, I’m sorry. But I’ve really got to go. I’ll try to call you later.” He hung up.