Picking up the Pieces
by Agent Newbeau
I was shopping with Mike when it happened. He was buying groceries for a
special dinner he had planned for his girlfriend, Julie. I didn't like
Julie, but Mike didn't know this. Why didn't I like her? It was a
combination of things. I never felt she was good enough for Mike. He
deserved someone better, someone who would always love him and support
him. Someone like me.
I admit I had a crush on Mike. He was a great guy, so cute and funny and
very talented. Nobody knew how I felt about Mike, although I think Julie
always suspected. More than once I had seen her give me a hand off look
when all of us were together. What she didn't know was that I had seen
her kiss Davy the week before. I hadn't told Mike, but I had been
tempted to.
Mike had asked me to help him shop because Micky, Peter, and Davy were
busy doing other stuff and besides, being a girl, I could help him plan
a dinner that Julie would enjoy.
"What do you think I should do?" he asked me.
"Candlelight," I replied. "And soft music in the background and flowers.
Women love flowers."
"Has any guy ever done that for you?" he asked, fixing his warm brown
eyes on me.
My heart skipped a beat as I looked up at him. "No, but I have my
fantasies," I answered.
"Anybody I know?"
"What?"
"Do you fantasize about anybody I know?" he asked, smiling, and again my
heart skipped a beat. He had no idea how he made me feel.
"I'll never tell," I said playfully.
"I bet it's Davy. Girls are always falling for Davy and you two are
about the same height."
"I'm still not going to tell you. Davy's about two inches taller than I
am." Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone stop at the end of the
aisle. "Hey, isn't that Julie?"
"You're just trying to change the subject," he said.
"No, I'm not. That's Julie down there," I said, pointing out the
person.
"Hey, that is Julie. I wonder if she's looking for me?"
"I'd say so since she's walking this way. Maybe I better go hide
somewhere."
"No reason to hide, she knows about you."
I thought to myself.
"Hi, Julie," Mike said. "What brings you here?"
"I need to talk to you, Mike," she said, totally ignoring me.
"Right here? I'm busy right now and I don't think a grocery store is
exactly the place to talk."
"It can't wait," she said. "Mike, you're a really nice guy and we had
some great times, but I think it's time to move on."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I'm breaking up with you, Mike. I've been thinking of doing this for a
long time so don't try to talk me out of it."
I stood there and watched the whole thing. Mike just stood there and
watched her walk away and I knew his heart was breaking. I wanted to
take him in my arms and hold him until he forgot her, but I think he
didn't remember me being there. "I never did like her," I said as she
walked away.
Mike turned to look at me and I could see the tears forming in his eyes.
"Why didn't I see it coming?"
"I don't know," I said. "They say love is blind."
He didn't say anything, just reached in the basket and picked up a
pineapple. Then he threw it as hard as he could, startling an old man
turning down the aisle. I reached out to him, "Please, Mike, don't do
that. I know you're hurting, but don't make a scene. Come on, I'll drive
you home."
It took several minutes and lots of thrown objects for me to get him out
to the car. He wanted to drive, but I wouldn't let him. He was too upset
to drive. He sat in the passenger seat and kept saying, "Why?" over and
over to himself. I didn't have an answer.
When I got him home I was relieved to see that Micky, Peter, and Davy
were not there. I knew Mike wanted to be alone then or so I thought. I
was leaving when he asked me where I was going.
"I'm going home," I told him. "I thought maybe you'd want to be alone
right now."
"Don't leave," he told me. "I need you here."
I didn't hesitate for a second. I shut the door and went to sit down
beside him on the couch. I noticed that he had stopped crying. I reached
out to hug him and he didn't pull away. We held each other for what
seemed like forever. "I'm sorry about what Julie did to you. I may not
have liked her very much, but nobody deserves to be treated like that,
especially you," I said.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"I mean, you're such a nice guy and you treated her like a queen and she
treated you like dirt. You deserve much better than that."
"You mean I deserve someone like you," he said, gently caressing my
cheek. "I never saw it until now."
"Saw what?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too nervous. All my dreams
seemed to be coming true right then.
"You were always there for me and I never really noticed until now. I
guess love really is blind," he said, leaning down to kiss me.
It was better than I had ever dreamed it could be, so soft and warm and
so right. It was the beginning and I was glad I was there that day to
pick of the pieces.
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