Forever After

Who would have ever thought that true love exists? If you had told me that a few months prior, I would have laughed. It wasn’t until I experienced it for myself that I learned that it truly does exist.

It all started one warm June night. I was staring into the mirror, straightening my dress out to smooth out all of the wrinkles. I stared into my floor-length mirror, bouncing on my curls to make sure that my hair would stay put. I sprayed some hairspray on my curly brunette locks to lock the curls into place. I applied minimal makeup to my face to cover up all of my imperfections. I stepped back and looked at myself in the mirror. I gave a small smile as I stepped away, grabbed my purse, and headed down the stairs to my apartment. I grabbed my keys, waiting for the Uber to drive me to the bar downtown called Ritz.

When I arrived at the Ritz, I stepped outside, the breeze blowing my hair so slightly. I walked inside. The sound of the music blared from the speakers, and strobe lights were flashing in every direction.

I took a seat at the bar and ordered my usual: Malibu Sunset. I waited, looking around the bar as people were drinking and dancing to the beat of the music. The bartender set my drink down. I turned back around and thanked him. I took a small sip, the liquid cooling down my throat as it slid its way down.

I slowly drank the Malibu Sunset. I scanned the room a second time, this time catchinghisgaze. He had jet black hair that was slicked over to one side and piercing brown eyes that struck my soul. I felt his presence was still on me as heat crept up into my cheeks and a burning sensation pricked my face.

We continued to catch each other’s gaze a few times. Finally, after what felt like an hour of us staring in each other’s direction, he came over to where I was seated.

“Is this seat taken?” He asked, his brown eyes locked onto my hazel greens.

“Uh-uh,” I muttered, before shaking my head “no”. I hid my face behind my brunette locks as the heat crept back up into my cheeks.

“I’m Alex,” he shouted as he was trying to talk over the blaring music.

He stretched out his hand, and I slipped my hand into his. He gave a gentle shake.

“I’m Arielle,” I said, shaking his hand in return.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked, slowly grabbing my hand to put into his.

“Sure,” I shouted, as he led me to the dance floor.

The first song that we danced to had a slow beat. I put my arms around his neck as he put his hands on my waist. I lay my head down on his shoulder, breathing in his spicy aroma. We slow danced through the bar.

The next song that played was more of an upbeat song. So we let go of each other as we boogied right on the dance floor.

Even though we had just met, I had a strong connection to Alex. It was an attraction that I had never once experienced before. Maybe I hadn’t met the right man. But how was a man that I just met someone I could possibly be attracted to?

When the music concluded and the DJ said some words, we made our way back to the bar. Alex offered to buy me a drink, which I couldn’t refuse. We sat and made small talk over the drinks and the sound of the music playing.

A smile spread across his face, and I knew he was feeling the same way I was feeling. My heart fluttered when he was nearby. I had only hoped that I wouldn’t lose sight of this man after leaving the bar.

After sitting and talking for at least an hour, we bid each other farewell. He pulled me in close for a hug.

“I had a great time tonight,” he whispered into my ear. The sound of his voice tickling my ear.

“I had a great time tonight, too,” I said, my heart beating out of my chest.

“Before you go, I’d like to exchange numbers so we can keep in touch,” he said, giving me his phone to put my number into. I gave him my phone so that he could give me his number too.

When my Uber arrived, both of us stepped out into the still of the night. Like a gentleman, Alex opened the door for me as I climbed inside.

I gave a small smile as I looked out the window and waved as the car drove away.

The entire ride home, all I could think about was Alex. He had a certain charm to him, one that I wasn’t used to. I thought about all of the details that attracted me to him. He had an amazing smile, one that I couldn’t help but notice every time he looked in my direction, and he had a wonderful personality. Both of which make it or break it for me.

Once we pulled up into my driveway, I got out of the car and made my way inside to the front foyer. I pulled my phone out of my bag. I looked at it and noticed a text from Alex. It read:

I can’t stop thinking about you, Arielle. I hope you will accompany me on another date. A formal date this time. Maybe next Friday? How does that sound? -A

My heart began palpitating out of my chest as a smile spread across my face.

“I’d love that,” I texted back.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth before slipping into my favorite pair of flannel pajamas. I slid between my satin sheets and my white comforter.

As I closed my eyes, the thoughts of the evening flooded my brain. All of the new memories I had made with Alex, taking away all of the negative thoughts I had had with men in the past.

Seeing Alex in that bar felt like fate. It just had to be. What if he could be the one?

I quickly erased that thought from my mind. We had just met at the bar. We hadn’t even been on a formal date yet, and my heart was already calling him mine?

I tossed and turned as I finally fell asleep.

The next morning, I was awakened by the vibration of my phone. I took my phone from my bedside table, examining the reasoning for the notification.

A good morning message from Alex greeted me. I texted him a good morning message and ended it with a heart.

I froze.

My heart began palpitating out of my chest, and my hands became clammy and shaky. The phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. I tried to catch it to no avail. Luckily, when I picked it up, there wasn’t a scratch.

Alex replied a few moments later with a heart emoji.

A smile quickly replaced the worried look I had worn a few moments earlier. I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down at my computer.

I checked emails and looked around online for a dress to wear on my next date with Alex.

The day went by slowly when it usually flies by pretty fast. I tried to get caught up on my favorite shows, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I caught myself looking at my phone quite a few times, hoping that Alex would flood my inbox.

When he didn’t, I hesitated. Maybe I was moving too fast in my feelings. I didn’t want to scare him away, but I had never felt this way about a man before.

When it began to get late, I ordered takeout. I didn’t feel like making an actual dinner.

I ended my evening by taking a nice hot shower. I undressed and stepped into the steaminess of the shower.

I lathered my hair and body and rinsed. I soaked up all of the warm water as the water began to slowly get cold.

I stepped out of the shower, drying my hair. I did my nightly routine before slipping back into bed. I had to go to bed early tonight because early tomorrow I’d have to get up and get to work. 7 AM comes early.

My job isn’t physically demanding. I work from home as a sales representative of an online company. I answer phone calls and reply to chats from the comfort of my dining room table. It’s an easy job, per se, but it can be pretty tiring.

My mind drifted back to Alex. I didn’t believe in love at first sight before meeting him. I had been on numerous dates with different men, and none of them felt right. I always seemed to find something I disliked about each one of the men that I went on dates with. But not this time. I only hoped that this was the beginning of something new. A smile spread across my face as Alex was the last thing I thought about before drifting off into a deep slumber.