Face-off in the parking lot

I am determined to have a good time this evening, whether Alex is a no-show or a go. And so when my doorbell rings as I am sitting on my couch enjoying a glass of wine, I smooth down my dress and get ready to open it.

“Hi Liz,” Harry says as he walks through the door. Today he is not carrying a massive attack of flowers. I look at the clock on my wall. Harry is bang on the time that we had agreed to meet up – which is five minutes before Alex is due at my house. Now is as good a time as any to leave.

“Thanks for coming, Harry,” I say. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure,” he says, holding the door open for me as I pick up my purse and house keys. Then we exit and I lock the front door, keeping an eye out just in case Alex walks up the apartment stairs.

Then we walk down the steps, making small talk while I try very hard to maintain my calm. In the parking lot, there is still no sign of Alex, so I sigh a sigh of relief; whether or not he shows up this time, it doesn’t matter now.

I stand by the passenger door of Harry’s car, waiting for him to open the door for me, which he does. And just as I am stepping in to sit down, I hear, from behind me: “Liz?”

That’s Alex’s voice.

I turn around. Indeed, there he is, coming towards me from the gate. He must have parked in the visitor’s section outside the block.

He’s got his hands in his pockets and a puzzled look on his face. His eyes move rapidly from Harry, holding the car door open, and me, with my one foot in the door. Meanwhile, my heart ratchets up its pace immediately I set eyes on him because I can see that he is not happy at all.

HOSTILE CONFRONTATION

“Excuse me for a few seconds, let me just go handle this,” I turn to Harry.

“Are you sure? Do you want me to make him go away?” Harry asks. I look at his short, rather portly frame and then I turn to glance at Alex’s tall, gym-honed body. There is no way that Harry will get away with attempting to tell Alex off, so I turn to him and caress his cheek for a few seconds.

“It’s alright, he probably came to deliver some sort of message or something. I’ll be done in a few seconds.” Then I place my purse on Harry’s passenger seat and rush over to Alex.

“What the hell is going on, Liz?” Alex says as I approach and stand in front of him. His voice is controlled but I can hear the restrained anger underneath. “I made time for you today and now you are going out with another man?” He wraps those last two words in an arrogant sneer that reveals to me just how narcissistic Alex is.

“Very funny, Alex,” I say. “I have made time for you on three occasions and not only did you not bother to show up, but you didn’t even apologise. You really think I was going to give you another chance? You must be joking.”

Alex doesn’t even bother to respond to my last comment. “Ditch the loser,” he indicates with his chin in the direction of Harry. “Let’s go have that meal I promised you.”

I roll my eyes. “Are you serious?!” I say. “You come here and find me in the middle of something and you expect me to just drop everything for you?”

“We had plans, didn’t we?” he counters. “Do you know how many women would kill to be in your position? Now, get in the car and let’s go.”

I feel almost physically assaulted by the height of this man’s arrogance. If I ever felt any attraction for him, it has died instantly, and all I feel right now is disgust – disgust for him, and at myself for ever thinking he was worth being with. But I don’t tell him this. Instead, I say:

“You’re right. A lot of women would kill to have this time with you so I shouldn’t waste it. You wait here. Let me go get my purse from his car and then we’ll go, okay?”

“Good girl,” he says, and then stays standing in his spot while I go back to Harry, who’s still holding the car door open. I reach into the car, pick up my purse… and then jump into the seat. “Shut the door and let’s go,” I say to him.

Harry doesn’t need telling twice. He slams my door shut, jumps into his, starts his car up and zooms off, leaving Alex staring at us in disbelief.