Vicky and Mirabel arrived at "The Place" restaurant at 7:18 pm, after a leisurely and pleasing 13-minute walk from Mirabel's home. The evening air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, creating a serene atmosphere that set the tone for a relaxing evening. As they approached the restaurant door slowly, the aroma of savory dishes wafted through the air, teasing their taste buds and building their anticipation.
"This place is awesome, you really have good taste," Vicky said.
"Thanks," Mirabel replied, urging Vicky to enter the building.
As they entered the restaurant, they were warmly greeted by the hostess, a friendly young woman with a bright smile and a welcoming demeanor. She was dressed in a crisp, white shirt and a black skirt, with a name tag that read "Clara" pinned to her lapel.
"Good evening, sir and ma'am, welcome to The Place restaurant," Clara said, her voice warm and inviting. "Right this way, please. I'll show you to your table."
With that, she led them to a cozy table by the window, where they could enjoy a lovely view of the surrounding area while they chatted and dined. As they settled in, Clara presented them with menus and took their drink orders.
Within six minutes, Clara returned to their table, pen and notepad in hand, and smiled warmly at Vicky and Mirabel. "So, what would you like to order?"
Mirabel glanced at Vicky and said, "Well, I'll be okay with a smoothie."
Vicky raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you sure?"
"Sure," Mirabel replied.
"And you, sir?" Clara asked, turning to Vicky.
"Same here, I'll have whatever she's having," Vicky said.
Mirabel blushed, and Clara left with their orders.
When Clara returned with their orders, Vicky turned to Mirabel and said, "Well, Mirabel, I just realized that I don't know much about you."
"That's true, so what would you like to know?" Mirabel inquired.
"Everything, but what I really want to know is why you decided to give up on love," Vicky said.
Mirabel sighed and said, "It's a long story, and I don't really like recalling it."
"Oh, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Vicky said.
"No, you told me yours, so I have to tell you about mine. I want us to have an open relationship," Mirabel said.
"Are you sure? Because if you really don't want to recall the past, I'm okay with it," Vicky said, looking at Mirabel.
"It's okay, I'm fine. I'll tell you about my ugly past," Mirabel said.
"Okay then, I'm all ears," Vicky said.
Mirabel began her story. "Well, my childhood wasn't that awesome, although I was born with a silver spoon, life didn't treat me the way I expected it would. My dad was a busy man; he barely had time for me and my mother, so he hired a nanny. She's the one you met at my home; she's really awesome. Well, my mom and nanny spent most of their time taking care of me, but unfortunately, I lost my mom when I was five. The night before she died, she said to me, 'Dear, I'll not always be with you, but you must face every problem with bravery...' and the next morning, I never heard my mom's voice again."
Mirabel broke down, but Vicky consoled her, wiping her tears with his hands.
"Her death broke my dad, but he never really showed it; he just pursued his job with focus. As time went on, by the time I was twenty, my dad built his own company, he was successful, and he really took care of me. I never really lacked anything. I just had one wish then, to find someone, my soulmate, someone who would love and cherish me. And as time went on, I got that wish. I met Richard; he was awesome. He was also rich, so I didn't have any fear that maybe he liked me only for my riches and stuff. It felt like he was truly the one for me, but things don't always go as planned."
Mirabel paused, collecting her thoughts. "It turned out that Richard was the son of my dad's business rival, and due to that, he didn't accept our relationship, so did Richard's dad. I was ready to give up everything for Richard; I wanted to end the relationship I had with my dad for him, but he just left me; he didn't look back, Vicky. He left."
Mirabel continued, "His departure left me heartbroken, and seeing my condition, my dad suffered a heart attack and fell seriously sick. A few weeks later, he died, but before he did, he passed down his entire property to me. I became the CEO of his company, I changed the name, I called it 'The Journals...'. I started afresh, and I still hoped that I would find my soulmate."
"Then Charles came along, unlike Richard, he had a poor background, but one thing I really liked about him was his mentality; he always saw the good sides of everything. He was kind of just like you, but a little bit different. We fell in love, I supported him financially, and he supported me emotionally. We had a blissful relationship. I really thought he was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with. We hardly ever argued, we never fought; it was just a good relationship."
"But then he started asking more from me, he wanted more from our relationship, and I just couldn't grant his request. But I was so afraid that I was going to lose him that I decided to fulfill his wish. I went to his house, and what I saw shook me. He was in bed with another woman; he cheated on me, Vicky. It felt like a dream, it felt like an illusion, but it was real."
Mirabel's eyes became watery, but she held back her tears. "I supported him in every way I could, I shared nearly all my company's profits with him, and what did he do? He betrayed me, he broke my heart. It was then I decided never to love again, I vowed to only focus on my business and nothing else. But then you came along, I tried to fight the feelings I had for you, but I just couldn't."
As Mirabel finished sharing her story, Vicky's expression softened, his eyes filled with empathy and compassion. He leaned in, his voice taking on a gentle tone. "Mirabel, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You deserve so much better than to be hurt like that." Mirabel's eyes welled up with tears, but she smiled weakly, touched by Vicky's kindness.
"Thanks, Vicky," Mirabel said. Vicky stretched out his hands to cover hers in a comforting gesture. "I'm here for you, always. And I have to say, I'm even more in awe of your strength and resilience now. You're an amazing person, Mirabel, and I'll always love you." Mirabel's face glowed with appreciation, and she felt a deep connection with Vicky at that moment.
As they sat there, hands touching, a warm and comforting silence fell between them. Vicky's eyes locked onto Mirabel's, filled with deep affection and connection. Mirabel's heart skipped a beat as she felt the tension between them build. Without a word, Vicky leaned in, his face inches from Mirabel's. Mirabel's pulse quickened as she realized what was happening; she didn't pull away, instead, she leaned in closer, her heart racing with anticipation.
Their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss. The world around them melted away, leaving only the two of them, lost in the moment. The kiss deepened, filled with a sense of wonder and discovery. As they pulled away, gasping for air, Mirabel smiled shyly, her cheeks flushed. Vicky grinned back, his eyes sparkling with happiness.
"I've been waiting to do that for a while now," Vicky said, his voice barely above a whisper. Mirabel's heart skipped a beat. "I've been waiting too," she replied, her voice equally soft. They sat there for a moment, hands still touching, the tension between them palpable. Then, without a word, they leaned in again, their lips meeting in another soft, sweet kiss.
Meanwhile, Rose lay in bed, her mind racing with thoughts. She couldn't shake off Rufus's constant threats. She checked the time on her phone; it was 8:45 pm. She had been lying there for hours, trying to distract herself with TV and social media, but nothing seemed to work. Suddenly, she had an idea. "I think some fresh air will do me good; I'll go to the restaurant beside the hotel, maybe it will clear my mind," Rose said.
She got out of bed and began to get ready. She put on a pair of jeans and a comfortable top and immediately left the room. She arrived at the restaurant, "The Place," and was welcomed by a male hostess who led her into the restaurant. Rose looked around, admiring the splendor of the restaurant. As she looked around, her eyes suddenly stopped when she noticed a familiar face.
"Vicky, I think that's Vicky," Rose said.
Rose's eyes locked onto Vicky and Mirabel's table, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. "Please, who has booked the table over there?" Rose inquired, pointing to Vicky and Mirabel's table.
The male hostess smiled politely. "Vicky and his date, Miss Mirabel."
Rose's eyes widened, and she rushed towards Vicky and Mirabel's table. "Vicky!!!" she exclaimed, pulling Vicky up from his seat and giving him a tight hug. "Vicky, I've missed you so much..."
Vicky tried to release himself from Rose's strong grip. "Excuse me..." he said, but Rose didn't let go.
Finally, Rose released Vicky and said, "Vicky, it's me, Rose. I'm back..." Vicky gasped, his eyes fixed on Rose's face.
Mirabel stood up from her seat, placing her hand on Vicky's shoulders. "Vicky, are you okay? What's wrong? Who's she? Is she Rose?" Mirabel inquired with intense curiosity.
Rose shook Vicky's hands. "Vicky, it's me, Rose. Don't you recognize me? I'm really sorry, Vicky!!!!"
Mirabel's expression turned furious, and she dragged Rose by the arm. "Who are you?" Mirabel demanded.
Rose replied, "I should be asking you that question. Vicky is mine. What the hell are you doing with him?"
The restaurant patrons abandoned their meals, drawn in by the spectacle unfolding before them. Vicky, who had remained speechless for a minute, finally spoke up. "Mirabel, I'm sorry, but I have to leave," he said, leaving the restaurant without looking back at Mirabel.
"Vicky, wait!" Rose exclaimed, chasing after him. Mirabel covered her face with her hands and screamed, "What's going on..." She sat down in her chair, trying to calm herself down.
Rose pursued Vicky, finally catching up to him. She pulled his hands and attempted to hug him, but Vicky pushed her away. "Leave me alone. What are you doing here? Why have you come back into my life?" Vicky demanded in an angry tone.
Rose moved closer to Vicky, her voice pleading. "Vicky, I'm sorry. Please take me back. I made a huge mistake. Please forgive me."
Vicky's expression turned cold. "Forgive you? I can't believe these words are coming out of your mouth. You disgust me."
Rose leaned her body against Vicky's chest, her voice desperate. "So whatever you want, hit me, slap me, I don't care. Just please forgive me."
Vicky pushed her to the ground. "To hell with you," he said, stopping a cab and leaving her presence.
"Vicky!!!! Don't go!" Rose cried out in deep tears.
Mirabel stepped out of the restaurant, her face twisted in rage. She saw Rose and scowled at her but then I mind drifted away from her as she wondered why Vicky left her just like that without even looking back. Mirabel muttered to herself. She stopped a cab and headed home.
As Rose lay on the ground, tears streaming down her face, she whispered, "Vicky, I won't rest until you forgive me."