Short Story: Valentines Day Part 1

Where: Alexis Bar
Date: 14 February
Day: Tuesday a.k.a. Valentines Day


It was the dreaded Valentines Day and I was feeling low, work had been shitty and it’s been a year since my last relationship. I needed a drink and I needed want fast. I headed to Alexis, they had a jazz quartet; the music soothed me along with the glass of vodka in my hand. The place was crawling with love birds, ‘Suckers’ I thought celebrating over price everything on a day a Saint is killed maliciously. Sometime during the night my eye caught this bunch of people at the bar. There were 4 guys in posh suits along with a beautiful slender woman. She was obviously bored with her crowd. We exchanged glances. She smiled and I turned away. I sneaked a peek, she was wearing a red dress with I must say it came with a high cut. She was playing around with her lime in her martini. She caught me looking at her and smiled again. I smiled back.

The guy next to her was her boyfriend, he tried to include her in their conversation but she was reluctant. She must be a romantic I figured, maybe she wanted the attention on Valentines Day, all women do anyway. She looked and me and this time I smiled, I noticed her drink was finished and I got the bartender to send her another martini. She accepted it, the boyfriend didn’t notice it either I guess he was too engrossed with his friends. She mouthed to me thank you and I nodded with my glasses raised and I took a sip and so did she. I would have walked over and introduced myself if she was alone but she was with her boyfriend and my rule is never disturb a couple.

So all I could do was to look at her and smile, we were flirting with our eyes I guess. She excused herself from her party and then headed to the bathroom. She said ‘Hi’ on the way to the toilet and I just choked like any typical male. Five minutes later, someone sat next to me and it was her, she said hi again. I looked at her part and her boyfriend was still engrossed with his friends. I said hi back. She ordered another martini and I had the same as well. She introduced herself to me; her name was Shamayne Leelawati she worked for a leading magazine company as an Editor. I felt belittled. I introduced myself and we began talking we had so much in common. I guess being an Editor; books would be one of them. It was funny that we have nearly the same taste in them and what was weirder we are reading the same book currently Tash Aw’s Silk Harmony Factory.

She said her boyfriend brought his clients to what was suppose to be their romantic diner. I sympathized with her. We talked on so many things but at one point I just tuned out all I could think of was to reach out to her and give her a kiss. She was definitely enjoying herself with me I guessed, she was laughing and after 3 martinis each, that’s where the trouble began her boyfriend finally noticed she was missing and began looking for her. He came to us all smiles and introduced himself. Shamayne was in a ‘Happy State’ and wasn’t really in the mood to leave. I didn’t do anything, it wasn’t my place. He wanted to leave immediately; he raised his tone of voice. I looked at bartender trying not to be involved. Shamayne’s voiced too raised she was saying stuff like how dead their relationship is and how she wants it to be over. The guy shouted ‘FINE ! ! !’ and stormed out of the bar. Shamayne looked at me smiled and ordered 2 tequila shots, we both downed it and she pulled me to the dance floor.

It had been ages since I’ve danced. Shamayne hold me close as the singer on the stage her rendition of Frank Sinatra’s - Dancing Cheek to Cheek. The crowd was looking at us, who wouldn’t after such a commotion and we were the only ones on the dance floor. Everyone must be thinking I ruined their relationship. I could help but notice that Shamayne smelled good, she smelt of fruits…wild fruits. I looked into her eyes and I lost myself in her dreamy eyes. There was connection that night that I couldn’t understand. I wanted to kiss those lips and I gathered all of my courage and came closer, Shamayne closed her eyes and collapsed in my arms.