“Yeah, the night you told me to go to the gym, I went. We flirted, and he never once said he was engaged. He made it seem like the woman the flowers were for wasn’t important. But she was, she was his fiancée and they’re getting married. He claims it’s an arranged marriage, that he doesn’t love her, yada yada bullshit!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was a good thing the store was closed, so she wasn’t making a scene in front of customers. She got loose from Mickey’s grasp and went after the orchids. She picked up the bucket and threw it as she screamed. Water and flowers went everywhere.
“Stop destroying the inventory! Orchids are expensive. Now settle down and talk to me.”
“I don’t want to talk.” She was shaking, sobbing so hard she could barely see. Mickey wrapped her arms around her and hugged her.
“It’ll be ok. He never said ‘romantic’.”
“What?”When he bought the arrangement, you asked if they were meant to be romantic, and he said no. Which means he didn’t love her; he had no feelings for her. Arranged marriages happen all the time.”
“All the time?”
“In circles we’re not privy to. He’s rich; he’s from one of the very richest families in our community. Maybe that’s how they do it in his circle.”
“She was dressed like a princess. This long form fitting gown, and diamonds around her neck. She looked like she stepped out of a fairy tale. It was ridiculous. It’s all so ridiculous, he’s ridiculous! His love of dragons… he had a shirt on today, of a green European dragon killing a Chinese luck dragon. He thought it was cool.”
“You saw her?” Mickey asked.
“We were about to kiss, and then she walked in. He took her to his office for who knows what, and then he chased me out into the parking lot, begging me to listen to him. He looked so pathetic.”
“Did you? Did you listen to him? Give him a chance to explain himself? Sometimes it’s not what we think it is. It could have been a big misunderstanding. I can drive you over there.”
“Of course not! He used me. I’m done. I am so done with him. If he comes in here, I will lock myself in my office and refuse to come back out until he’s gone.”
“Sarai, what if it was not what you think? What if she went there to break things off with him? What if he broke things off with her so he could be with you?”
“I have no interest in being with a stupid liar.”
“Come on, you need a drink.”
“I’m not drinking till after the marathon. Now I’ve got to work twice as hard. I’m going for a run.” She took off out of the shop and ran around the block. She didn’t care that it probably wasn’t all that safe for a woman to run alone at night after dark, but she was fuming. She figured she could handle anyone or anything that tried to harm her.She ran several laps around. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t run from him. He was in her mind, that night playing in her head like a broken record. Why did it have to be so perfect? At last, she returned to the shop.
“Better?”
“No.”
“Ok. Go home. I’ll stop at the store, get a big tub of ice cream and your favorite cookies. We’ll have a movie marathon.”
“No ice cream, no cookies. I’m training for a marathon, or have you forgotten?” She stormed out, got in her car, and drove home. When she got home, she put on her favorite exercise video and started working out. Mickey came over with food.
“You need to eat.”
“If you want to feed me, make me a protein shake,” she said as she ran in place.
“You need real food. I got you a salad with fat free dressing.”
“I’ll eat when I’m done. I didn’t get my workout today.” Her cell phone began to ring. “Don’t you dare answer that.”
Mickey took her food to the couch and grabbed the remote. She turned off Sarai’s exercise video and turned on their favorite show. That didn’t stop Sarai from jogging in place.
“Sarai, you just went for a run, you got your exercise today. Relax, settle down, and come eat.”
“I can’t. I need to train.” She started doing jumping jacks. Mickey ignored her as she dove into her salad and focused on the TV. Sarai continued to exercise till her legs gave out and she crashed on the couch. Mickey got her a protein shake and then handed her the salad.
“I’m here, whenever you’re ready to talk about it.”
“Nothing to talk about. I got played.”
“You don’t know that for a fact.”
