After She Said Yes

by Kaya Gravitter

  Dan did not know how to console her without bringing up what Gannon did. So, they just remained silent and went back downstairs. Dan sat on the couch and waited for Tessa. Dan was not normally a patient man. He wanted to yell up the stairs and ask Tessa if she was ready, but since they were in their honeymoon stage, he didn’t want to rush or annoy her.

  Dan and Tessa insisted that Aurora come with them to lunch, but Aurora insisted that she should stay home. Aurora thought it would be a win-win situation. This would also give Aurora some more time to work on her book, while Dan and Tessa had their alone time. If Aurora went a day without writing, she would feel like she had forgotten something and would not be able sleep. If she weren’t writing something for work, she would write in her journal. Sometimes both. It was her go-to to destress. In addition to that, Aurora knew she would go crazy if she had to sit and be the third wheel. Noooo, thank you, Aurora thought

  Moments later, Tessa came down the stairs with a pep in her step and smile on her face that Aurora had never seen before. Wow, Aurora thought. Aurora smiled and stood up, almost pushing them out of the door.

  Aurora yelled to them as they walked off the porch and she wrapped her gray cashmere cardigan around her to brace the wind, “Well, you cats have fun!” Cats?

  Tessa rolled her eyes as her face became red. Aurora laughed at what she had said to them and walked back inside. She then went back upstairs to work on writing some more of her book.

  When Dan and Tessa were enjoying their lunch, Dan brought up the idea of inviting Aurora along for their evening. Dan said, “We could eat anywhere. Then afterwards, go downtown to dance or hangout.”

  Tessa was getting confused as to why Dan was so persistent on inviting Aurora out with them. She wasn’t an expert, but she knew that he was not being completely honest when he said, “I just feel bad for her because her divorce was yesterday.” Tessa just decided to brush it off, then texted Aurora insisting she should go out with them. Tessa was just worried Aurora would feel like a third wheel.

  Aurora agreed after both Dan and Tessa messaged her, persuading her to hang out with them. Well, they won’t stop annoying me. I guess I will go. I need a break from writing, anyway, Aurora thought.

  Chapter 29

  Aurora, Dan, and Tessa walked to the restaurant together that evening for dinner. Dan looked at his phone right before they walked into the restaurant. The restaurant was called Dos Rancheros. The hostess welcomed and addressed them by asking if anyone else was coming and where they would like to sit.

  Dan interjected frantically before the hostess could finish, “Oh, we are meeting someone here.”

  “Oh, okay.” The hostess continued, “Do you know where….”

  Dan interrupted her again, “Yes, we know where he is sitting.” Dan pulled out his phone to look at it.

  He? Aurora thought. Am I going on a blind date?

  Aurora whispered to Tessa, “What does he mean by he?”

  Tessa shrugged her shoulder as she said, “I have no idea, Aurora. You know as much as I do. Maybe this is why Dan has been acting weird all day and looking at his phone.” Tessa seemed to be as confused as Aurora.

  Dan was talking with the hostess in between texting someone, so he did not notice what Aurora and Tessa were talking about.

  “Seriously, Tessa?” Aurora said in surprise. She whispered more quietly, “You don’t know who we are meeting?”

  “I swear,” Tessa said.

  “You ladies ready to sit down?” Dan said to them as he looked up from his phone.

  Not realizing how long they had been whispering, they both said “yes” at the same time.

  They followed Dan to the table. As she got closer to the man, Aurora could see the back of his head. The man’s hair was shiny and black. She saw the man run his fingers through his hair. Oh my God. Don’t tell me. She rolled her eyes to the back of her head. As soon as Dan said hi, the man turned around.

  It was Melih.

  “Hey guys!” Melih said with a huge smile on his face. He stood up and pulled out Aurora’s chair for her to sit down.

  “Thank you, Melih,” Aurora said as she gave Dan a peculiar look.

  Tessa whispered to Dan, “So this is why you wanted her to come so bad? You know she is moving to New York. Why would you set her up like this with Melih?”

  Dan grabbed Tessa’s hand from under the table and smiled as he said, “I promise I will tell you about it all later…. But wait, Aurora is moving to New York?”

  “Yes, but don’t say anything. I will tell you about it later.”

  Dan pulled Tessa’s hand to his lips and kissed it. She then rolled her eyes because she didn’t think it was good for Aurora to be seeing anyone, even though she didn’t want Aurora to leave for New York. She didn’t want a man to be the reason she would stay.

  Tessa said to Melih like she was a detective, “So, Melih what are your plans with Aur…”

  Dan interrupted her and said, “Yes, Melih, how was your day?” Tessa grunted.

  “Ah, good. Just enjoying my day off,” Melih said. “I didn’t know you two vould be joining Dan and me. Dis is a nice surprise.”

  Aurora rolled her eyes. Is Dan trying to play matchmaker? Aurora thought. She felt like she was in an awkward position because she had not returned Melih’s calls or texts and had hid from him after the divorce hearing.

  “Well,” Aurora said, “we are just as surprised as you are.”

  Melih looked at Aurora and smiled. “So how are you doing today, Aurora? Is your phone not vorking?” She took a deep breath in, He smells so good.

  “Yes it is,” Aurora said. “Why would you think that?”

  “Oh, I thought it wasn’t,” Melih said. “Since you haven’t been returning my messages or calls, I just thought….”

  “I am sorry. I just was so upset yesterday,” she said to him softly, so Dan and Tessa couldn’t hear her. “I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone.” Aurora stared at Melih’s hand, which was a centimeter away from hers. He looked down too and immediately pulled it away.

  “It’s okay. I understand,” he said while looking into her eyes, as if he were lost at sea.

  What are you doing, Aurora? Stay strong. Ignore his beautiful smile, smell, and hair. Oh. My. God. He just put his hands through his hair again. It’s making me weak... How can a man look so beautiful and handsome at the same time?

  The rest of the dinner was full of awkward silences. Tessa was upset Dan had hidden something from her and Aurora was mad at herself for hiding things from Melih. She was hoping that their going out to dance would relax some of the tension, though Aurora didn’t want to be around a lot of people. She promised that she would go out for a little bit because she had promised Dan and Tessa she would. She was only was staying out with them because she wanted to spend time with Melih, now that Melih had moved passed her avoiding him. Aurora thought avoiding Melih was easier than telling him the truth about the day before and that she would be leaving for New York. She had promised herself days before that the next time she saw Melih, she would tell him that she was moving to New York.

  They went to a Latin American dance club that night because Aurora liked to dance to the music. When they walked in, Merengue music played on the loud speakers. The smell of sweat and the sight of hips swaying and bodies touching had Aurora feeling a sense of comfort and happiness. Aurora loved to dance to Latin American music because no talking was required. Your bodies did all of the talking for you. Tessa didn’t like dancing but Dan did, so he danced with Tessa and her two left feet.

  Melih and Aurora sat at a table. The passion between them was a fire that the whole ocean would not be able to put out. They were not saying anything to one another. Aurora didn’t dance yet because she was waiting for Melih to ask her to dance because she knew how talented of a dancer he was. She also wanted to feel his touch against her body. She craved the softness of his skin touching hers and the smell of his sweet sweat.

  Aurora and Melih
sat at one of the tables surrounding the dance floor. As she was waiting for Melih to ask her to dance, another man came up to her. He was cute, short, had black hair, green eyes, a big white smile, sun kissed skin, and the shiniest black leather shoes she had ever seen. She thought he looked like a more muscular and shorter version of Enrique Iglesias, or maybe the lighting was just that good. Melih sat up straight and flexed his arms and jaw muscles as he listened to him talk to Aurora.

  “Hola, Linda,” the man said. “Do you want to dance?”

  “I am not Linda,” Aurora said shyly. “You have the wrong person.”

  “Oi, no.” Aurora noticed his Colombian accent because she had Colombian friends in college. “Linda means beautiful.”

  “Oh.” Aurora giggled like a schoolgirl as she looked at Melih, to see if he was paying attention. Testosterone raged through Melih's body.

  The man said, “So, is this man next to you your novio?”

  “No,” Aurora said as she sat up straight. “He is not my boyfriend.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “So, I was wondering if you would like to dance with me?”

  Melih interrupted them and said, “She and I vere just about to dance, actually.”

  Melih put his hand out for Aurora and said, “Shall vee?”

  Without saying yes, Aurora took his hand and he spun her around the dance floor as they swung their hips with their bodies intertwined. But they were still not touching. They had all of the eyes in the room on them, and Tessa stopped dancing for a moment when she noticed.

  After a few songs had passed, Tessa had to pull Aurora to the side and tell her, “What are you doing? You shouldn’t be flirting with him. You are leaving.” Dan and Melih took a seat at one of the tables.

  “Tessa, I know.” Aurora hesitated. “I just..”

  “You just what?” Tessa said.

  “You are going to think I am crazy, Tessa.”

  “What, Aurora? Tell me.”

  “Well, I like him a lot,” Aurora said.

  “Well,” Tessa said, “I figured that much.”

  “Oh, you did?”

  “Come on, Aurora, I am your best friend.” Tessa then started to laugh. “Also, you are not great at hiding your emotions.”

  “That is very true,” Aurora said as she laughed with Tessa.

  “You know, it’s just that you are leaving. Though I don’t want you to leave, I also don’t want to see you give up your dreams again for a man.” She keeps saying the same thing over and over again. She knows I am stubborn.

  “You don’t have to worry. I am taking that job.”

  Dan put his arm around Tessa and said to them, “What are you two talking about?”

  “Nothing,” Aurora said as she looked down.

  After their feet were sore and they became tired, they got into Dan’s car and he drove everyone back to Aurora’s apartment. Dan and Melih got out to walk them to the door.

  They said good night. Dan hugged and kissed Tessa. Aurora saw them embracing and hugged Melih. This was the first time Melih had seen Aurora’s new place.

  “Oh,” Melih said. “Thank you for da nice night, Aurora. Let’s get brunch tomorrow, okay?”

  She squeezed him tighter and said, “Okay.”

  She then stopped hugging him and said good night. She walked into her house. Tessa came in shortly after that and Aurora said, “I am getting brunch with Melih tomorrow.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She and Aurora started to walk up the stairs after taking off their jackets and shoes. Tessa continued, “You going to tell him?”

  “I will tomorrow. Good night, Tessa.”

  “Good night, Aurora.”

  Aurora showered and got ready for bed. Then she texted Melih.

  Aurora: I had a great night with you tonight. I love dancing with you.

  Melih: I love it as well.

  Aurora: Good. I am glad.

  Aurora: Well, I will meet you at the Flapjack at 10:30.

  Melih: Ok, Pretty Lady.

  Melih: Can’t wait to see you.

  Aurora: Good night, Melih.

  Melih: Good night.

  She put her phone on mute then set it on her nightstand after she set her alarm. She stayed up for hours thinking about how she was going to tell Meih she was leaving. Why can’t I just stop thinking about this? She didn’t want to ruin their connection. She was wondering how she could look into his kind eyes and tell him she was leaving. She kept replaying scenarios in her head until she finally fell asleep.

  Chapter 30

  Aurora walked into the Flapjack and heard the sound of bacon sizzling on the griddle and pancakes being flipped. She smelled maple syrup and heard people laughing and sipping on their coffee. The Flapjack was a breakfast and brunch restaurant known for their pancakes, but her favorite thing on the menu was the eggs benedict. It typically came with ham but Aurora never liked ham, so she got tomatoes and spinach as an alternative. The restaurant walls were mint and blue, and covered with pictures of pancakes. There were brown wooden tables and chairs scattered throughout the restaurant.

  Aurora’s favorite meal of the day was breakfast, but her favorite meal of the week was Sunday brunch. It is something that she had always enjoyed since she was a little girl. She just hadn’t done it in a while. Her father used to take her and her family out after church for Sunday brunch. That was a tradition that stuck with her. If she were not making brunch at home for a guest, she would go have brunch by herself at a restaurant. It was comforting to her.

  Aurora went straight to the hostess and Melih tapped her on her shoulder from behind and said in his mellow sweet voice, “Good morning, Aurora. I got us a table.” She felt like the entire restaurant became quiet, but it was only in her mind.

  She turned around and looked up at Melih and smiled at him. His jet black hair was swept to one side and he had on a dark gray cashmere sweater with a white collared shirt underneath it. He also had a pair of light brown corduroy pants on and brown leather oxford shoes. After she realized she was checking him out, she snapped back into reality and said, “Thank you.”

  “Shall vee sit?” Melih said as he signaled to their table next to the window, which overlooked downtown.

  Aurora nodded her head yes and followed him to their table. He pulled out the chair for her. Melih then sat across from her and opened the menu.

  As he was glancing through his menu he said, “So, did you get my texts last night?”

  “No. I didn’t look at them yet.” She continued, “What did you say?” She took the phone out of her jacket pocket.

  He looked at her and said, “Nothing important. Just seeing if you wanted to invite Dan and Tessa?”

  She put her phone back in her pocket. She didn’t know why he wanted to invite other people until she remembered that Tessa stayed at her house the night before and then Aurora felt selfish.

  Aurora then said, “I can call Tessa to join us.”

  “No need. I messaged Dan this morning and he said he and Tessa were going out for brunch as well.”

  Aurora said, still feeling embarrassed and selfish, “Here?”

  “You look like someone died, Rora. It’s okay. Just relax,” Melih said, laughing. “I vanted to spend time alone vith you to be honest.” Aurora’s face started to turn red. Aww.

  “We are not alone here,” she said. “There are other people in the restaurant.”

  “Vant me to tell them to leave?” Melih started to stand up and Aurora grabbed onto his hand. She felt the sparks and warmness go from her hand straight to her heart.

  “No!” She smiled at him but quickly pulled her hand from his. “You don’t need to.”

  “I am just kidding,” Melih said.

  “I know.” Her eyes opened as if she were a kid who had just arrived at Disneyland for the first time.

  The waitress came to the table and they both ordered coffee. They told her what they wanted to eat for breakfast. Aurora ordered what she usually ordered, a veggie eggs benedict.


  “I vill have the same as her,” Melih said to the waitress.

  “Anyway, did you have fun last night, Melih?”

  “Of course I did.”

  “So,” she said, “what do you think about Tessa?”

  “Oh. She is wery nice. She dances like she has two left feet.”

  “Yeah, I am the artistic one in our friendship.”

  Melih said, “Have you only been friends vith her for a short time?” Aurora remembered how Gannon had never wanted Tessa around, but Gannon never declared that to his friends.

  “Oh,” Aurora said, “Tessa is my best friend and has been since the beginning of freshman year in college.”

  “Oh vow! Really? I cannot believe ve never met her if she vas your best friend.”

  “Well, Gannon didn’t like her,” Aurora said as she crossed her arms. “He probably didn’t like how she saw through his bull crap.”

  “Vee all did. You don’t have to explain anymore. We don’t need to talk about Gannon. He doesn’t deserve our breath.”

  She looked and Melih and smiled, “Yes, you are right.” He is probably sick of hearing about Gannon.

  “The outside of your new place looked very nice.”

  Aurora took a sip of her coffee and then said, “Did you see inside?”

  “No, of course not,” Melih said. “I didn’t look inside out of respect for you and your privacy.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Why is that?”

  “Common decency?” Melih said. “Vell, maybe it is my culture or my religion or the vay I vas raised. I don’t look into the house of someone else because that is their personal space. You know? I also vasn’t invited inside last night.”

  She almost choked as she said, “You what?”

  “I meant to say,” he then put his hand to his forehead after being embarrassed by the comment he had just made, “I vill only look into someone’s house if I am invited in. I didn’t mean anything else.”

  “I figured so. You are very respectful.”

  “And Aurora, for me,” Melih said, “sex is for marriage.” Thank God he said that. Though she assumed he wouldn’t be that kind of guy, but after her experience with men, nothing surprised her. Melih continued, “I also have a lot of respect for you. I vould never do that to you.”