CHAPTER ONE
βLook Mike. I'm telling you for the last time. We're through. I don't want you to call me at home and I certainly don't want you to call me at work," Melissa growled down the phone at her ex-boyfriend. Suddenly as he shouted back, her eyes rounded. "You bastard! How dare you call me that. Just because you can't wait. You've no right. You bast..." Her last word was cut off as she hung up, trying to control her emotions as she turned to attend to a customer.
It was February 12th, two days away from Valentine's Day and Ian was still single. For as long he could remember, his New Year's resolution had always been to find a girlfriend. He felt he was a wonderful person on the inside, but his shyness and lack of jaw-dropping looks meant he was rarely in a situation for girls to get to know him. Socially he usually only went out to nightclubs, where appearance was all a woman desired. At work, all the girls were spoken for and seemingly happy. The only place he had the admiration of the opposite sex was on the internet, where the majority of females adored his charm and erotic writing skills, even when they knew what he looked like. The only problem here was that all of them were married, had boyfriends or lived on the other side of the world! Now, in front of him in the confectionery store was the young, beautiful lady who Ian had been admiring and dreaming about for some time. He did not want to take advantage of her vulnerability but it had taken him too long to pluck up the courage to back out now. He looked at her identification tag and thought, "Melissa, what a wonderful name." He took a deep breath and began to ask his question, the words tumbling out of him as fast as an auctioneer.
"Um, there's a karaoke night on at the local pub tonight and I thought, well singing is a good way to get your emotions out and we can sit somewhere quiet and talk and I was wondering if you would like to go with me?"
Melissa smiled at Ianβs brave attempt to overcome his shyness. He seemed nice enough but she wasnβt very attracted to him. Ian turned instinctively when the shop door opened then looked anxiously at Melissa's face, reading her body language, certain he was about to here the now infamous 'You sound like a really nice guy but you're not my type' speech. Indeed that was her intended reply, but unbeknownst to Ian the man who had just walked in was Mike. Melissa was torn - on the one hand she was reluctant to accept a date from a complete stranger but on the other she thought it might finally get the message across to Mike. Clearly within Mike's earshot, Melissa answered Ian's question.
"Yes I'd love to go out with you tonight," she replied, getting a pen and a piece of paper. "Here's my phone number. I leave work at five so give me a call around six to arrange a time to meet."
Ian ran out the door, desperate to find a quiet space in which he could explode and voice his amazed pleasure that a girl had finally said that wonderful three letter word - 'Yes'! His state of euphoria was cut short by a car horn pressed by an irate driver he had just walked in front of. Ian blushed heavily and carried on walking, starting to calm down and remind himself that this was his first date. What was he going to do? What was he going to wear? How was he going to act? These pessimistic thoughts sobered him up, but deep inside his elation could not be qualmed.
Back in the store, Mike stormed over to Melissa and sneered, "Well, you didn't waste any time did you? Already found some other poor sap to string along. I should tell him why you really agreed to go on a date."
"Grow up Mike. Don't flatter yourself," said Melissa emotionally but unconvincingly. "I've only just met him and I already know he's ten times the man you'll ever be. Breaking up with you was the best thing I've ever done. You're just pissed because you know no-one else will put up with your shit." Melissa normally frowned on swearing but she was so worked up over Mike's hold over her. She loathed him, and had no intention of going back into the demoralising relationship she had escaped from, but she also hated being single. She loved being wanted and needed emotionally but was not ready for a close physical relationship, which Mike constantly tried forcing her into. He was impatient and quite heavy-handed, giving Melissa no doubt that if she lost her virginity to him it would definitely hurt and maybe put her off sex for life. After he had drunkenly groped her in a nightclub, she had finally decided that no boyfriend was better than one that couldn't take 'no' for an answer but was having difficulty finding the strength to back up her convictions.
Mike responded to Melissa's insult by reaching over the counter, roughly grabbing her arm.
"You really think I give a damn what a prick-teasing slut like you thinks?" he raged, pulling her arm, the friction of his hand burning her skin.
"Let me go!" yelled Melissa, the tears welling up inside her as she fought them back, determined not to let Mike see her cry.
"You heard her. Let her go!" a voice echoed from behind him. It was Amanda, Melissa's friend and colleague, returning from lunch.
"You'll keep," said Mike, retreating out of the shop. He knew Amanda had a boyfriend in the army and didn't want to risk upsetting her as well.
With Mike gone, Amanda got behind the counter and Melissa collapsed in her arms, the tears flowing freely.
"It's okay Mel," Amanda reassured her. "It's okay." Amanda stroked Melissa's back, the perspiration caused by the confrontation making her blouse stick to her toned body.
"What am I going to do?" Melissa sobbed. "I've arranged to go out on a date with this guy that came in the shop. I wasn't going to accept but then Mike walked in and I just had to get at him."
"Well what's this guy like?" Amanda asked.
"Heβs a bit plain but he seems a nice person. Heβs really shy and it took a lot for him to ask me out so I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, but I'm just not interested in another relationship so soon," Melissa replied.
"Tell you what. Why don't I come along too?" Amanda suggested. "Not at the start. I'll just walk in shortly after and you can invite me to join you. If he's so nice he won't mind and with me there he probably wouldn't try and get too friendly."
"You're right. I think he'd have a hard enough time getting the courage to make a pass at me even if we were alone," Melissa agreed. "Anyway, let's forget about it for now and hope this afternoon is busier."
CHAPTER TWO
Ian wrapped the telephone cord around his finger, nervously waiting for Melissa to answer. He'd been on edge all afternoon and had only just managed to eat something for dinner. Suddenly, the ringing stopped.
"Hello," Melissa answered.
"Um. Hi, it's Ian."
"Who?"
Ian realised he hadn't actually introduced himself before. "From the shop," he filled her in.
"Oh, hi there," Melissa replied, trying to sound excited. She was still a little apprehensive about the date, but couldnβt bring herself to let Ian down. Besides, she had to prove Mike wrong, that not all men were as impatient as him and she thought Ian was the right person to demonstrate.