Chapter 2

Bad Love Life

When the morning of my flight came, I could no longer afford to dress nicely. I didn't have the energy. One week in Paris was supposed to be meaningful and romantic, but I roamed alone. No matter how hard I tried to be okay and to feel happy, I just can't. Not even the world-renowned paintings can lift my mood up.

I looked like a mess in my blue hooded jacket and black sweatpants. What's worse was that I got the aisle seat. Could this week get any worse? I was pretty sure that while I suffer in this non-stop 9-hour flight, Jose and Leila were out there doing all kinds of positions in a romantic hotel room in Paris. I hoped he didn't do the reverse cowgirl with her. That was our position! That was ours!

Interrupting my thoughts was a man dressed in a black suit and tie who stood next to my seat. This man obviously came from the corporate world. He looked a few years older. He might be in his early 30's. I couldn't help but overhear his phone conversation while he angrily placed his bag inside the overhead bin.

"Andrea, this is economy. I told you to get me first class." His voice was calm, okay, but it didn't mean that it wasn't spiteful.

My brows arched at that.

"Do you know how long it takes for me to travel from Paris to Seattle? A whole nine hours, Andrea! You could have gotten me a better seat!"

I rolled my eyes. This man talked as if the world was ending because he got a seat from economy.

"Andrea, stop with your apologies. They will not fix anything. I expected a lot from you. I am very disappointed. Please just make sure that the private plane is fixed next time. Goodbye."

Private jet? This guy must be so rich then. Then that explained why he's acting like he was looking down us, 'economy people'.

"Excuse me, Miss," he told me. Oh, right. He'll be seated next to me. Great. Just great.

I stood from my seat to let him get through. When he sat on the window seat, he let out a sigh of frustration. He even cursed multiple times. Didn't this man know that I would kill for the window seat?

When I sat again, he began taking his phone out and he made multiple calls. He was speaking in jargons. I couldn't really make anything out of the words he was talking about. They were something about business and profit and return of investment. I took a glance at him from time to time and he was good looking. His copper hair was well-kempt and his gray eyes just popped out because of his pale complexion. His chiseled jaw added some odd masculinity there.

He just seemed too . . . business-like and serious.

He only stopped using his phone when the plane began to take off. Phone, huh? Phone. I didn't have that anymore. I rolled my eyes and thought about how stupid I was.

The Night Before...

It was my last night in Paris and I wanted to do something spontaneous. Maybe I can go to a club and make some French friends! I definitely was dressed for the occasion. I got my black sequined dress and it was backless. Kate once said that my best feature was my back. I was offended at first but when Ethan took a photo of me at prom, I realized she was right! My back was flawless. No hint of acne.

I got my silver heels on too. Taking a deep breath before stepping out of my hotel room, I told myself in the mirror, "You can do this."

I put on a coat and decided to just walk my way to the club. It's just ten-minutes and I was using my Location App. Glancing at my app from time to time, I slowly felt like I was becoming an independent woman after the breakup. Well, tonight I was going to be. Tonight will be so wild that I might forget my flight tomorrow.

Then, suddenly, my eyes caught a pair of almond ones. Goodness gracious! This man was downright gorgeous. All of a sudden, the whole world went slow motion. It was like when Romeo and Juliet first saw each other at the party. There was this spark.

I was instantly attracted with this man.

He was so tall, more than six feet. He had facial hair and he wore a shift and quite old jacket above it. He was rugged, exactly my type. This French man with almond eyes and ash blond hair just took my breath away.

Oh, my goodness! Is this it? Is this the moment when I get to have a meet cute? He'd introduce himself to me and I'd be staying in Paris for perhaps, forever?

As the space between us closed in, I gave him a radiant smile. He gave me a grin too and I was ready for him to say bonjour, but I gasped out loud when he took my phone out of my hand and ran as fast as he could!

Some citizens saw what happened and attempted to help me out but to no success. There I stood like a statue, feeling like a loser.

I was attracted to a robber? How did I get this low?

Clubbing was cancelled. I went back to my bedroom crying in my sequined dress.

Present Day...

"Are you okay, Ma'am?" My flashback of last night ended when a flight attendant asked me if I was alright. She was handing out the meal and I took it from her hands. I realized I was crying and I sniffled too. Last night was such a low blow to me.

"I'm okay," I hiccupped.

She gave me a warm smile before handing out the meal to the guy right next to me and proceeding to the next row. I took tissues out of my bag and wiped my eyes and nose clean. I took a glance at the man next to me and he was staring with that strange look on his face.

To be honest, he's really gorgeous, but he wasn't my type. I usually go for the ragged ones who had beard, just like Jose. . . and the robber! Tears started building up again when I remembered last night. I was so stupid!

"Miss, are you sure you're okay?" The man next to me. Okay, I'll call him Stranger. Stranger asked.

"Yes," I lied.

"I don't buy it."

"I want the window seat," I lied again.

To my surprise, he unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "Okay, let's switch."

I perhaps too excitedly switched seats with him. I breathed a sigh of relief. The window seat felt like luxury for me. It may not be for this man as he's clearly having a really bad time right now. He smelled the meal and he looked like he wanted to puke. But yeah, I should not be all judgmental about him. If he was that bad, then he wouldn't have let me switch seats.

Since I didn't have my phone anymore, I entertained myself by exploring the personal television installed in the seat. I found some movies, but mostly were actions. Where was The Notebook when I needed a good cry? Well, The Notebook may not be there, but Celine Dion was.

I plugged in the headset and my eyes were welling up. I rested my head against the window and listened to All By Myself.

It all came flashing to me like a music video: the moments Jose and I had. All the efforts I made for him. All the smiles and fights that go back to smiles again. Then, it had to end up with us breaking up in Paris of all places.

The music video moment got interrupted when Stranger gave me a little nudge. I took my headphones off.

"Yes?" I literally croaked.

"Really sorry to interrupt but your sniffing louder by each second. I know Celine Dion's song is sad, but maybe you can cry silently?"

Stranger's words were gentle but his voice sounded like a boss who would demand Andrea to get him a first-class flight.

"Listen, I had a bad time, okay?! Can you just let me cry?"

"Miss, I already gave you the window seat. Can you just keep quiet in return?"

I tossed my headphones aside and told him, "You know what? You're a businessman, aren't you? You invested by switching seats and now you want something in return. I guess all men are businessmen then. More like cons." I didn't know what I was talking about but I was mad.

He looked offended, "No, not all men can do business. It takes a great man to invest successfully. You'd be surprised that most human beings tend to miscalculate hence, loss of profit occurs."

"So, you think you're great?"

"I am," he said coolly. I grunted. This dude's arrogant.

"And I also know women who do great in business so, it's just not men," he said smugly.

I rolled my eyes, "Listen, Mister. You don't know what I have been through. I flew to Paris because I thought my boyfriend of three years gave me hints that he wanted me to follow him there so we could celebrate our anniversary, but you know what? He has a new girlfriend and he did not even break up with me first!"

Stranger looked at me expressionless.

I kept going, "And you know why I have to listen to Celine Dion in this small television? It's because I don't have my Spotify here. I do not have my phone! I thought I was having a connection with this cute guy last night, but he snatched my phone! He stole my phone!"

"You thought that thief was cute?"

"Yes," I couldn't take it anymore. I just cried.

Tears endlessly came out of my eyes. I was crying, but not that loud for other passengers to hear. Only Stranger can hear me and despite the cold expression on his face, I could tell that he felt bad for me.

He sighed deeply before taking a gray handkerchief out of his coat's inner pocket.

"Here," he handed it to me.

"Thanks," I blew loudly on it upon receiving it.

He just stared at me and I took his silence as a signal that I can talk my feelings.

"It's very frustrating, you know? I've never done anything to deserve this kind of pain. I grew up watching romantic movies knowing it will happen to me one day and when I thought I had it, it disappeared in the worst possible way."

"Sorry to hear that," Stranger said sounding too forcefully.

"I'm tired of this. It never works out. You wanna know why?"

Okay, he didn't say that he wanted to know why but I told him about my dating history from start to finish:

Ex-Boyfriend 1 - Michael

I was in my junior year and at long last, somebody finally took an interest in dating me. Michael was the tall and lanky senior from the art club and I was very ecstatic when he asked me out. For our fifth month celebration-yes, I told him that we should celebrate little anniversaries, like per month-Kate fixed my hair into an updo. I looked like a goddess to say the least!

I wore a dazzling red dress and matched it with white gloves like Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman.

But Kate dropped me off to the restaurant, I was more than disappointed when Michael only wore a gray shirt and faded blue jeans. As it turned out, he made reservations in the cheap diner next to the expensive restaurant.

I was a tad overdressed! I was embarrassing.

Long story short, Michael broke up with me that night.

"Why?" I begged for an explanation.

"Ana, I want to be with someone like my mother. You're nothing like her."

"Your mother?" I couldn't believe it.

His mother's not the nicest woman and she surely didn't dress well. She loved yarns and calico cats. She's also grumpy. I didn't want to be like her.

"But, I guess it's not you, it's me," he told me the classic line.

He left me at the diner. I was left there sitting alone in my red dazzling dress and my brown hair curled up to an updo.

Ex-Boyfriend 2 - Francis

A few months later, the school mascot, Francis asked me out for a date. Since I was too heartbroken from Michael, I gave Francis a chance. He took me out to that fancy restaurant and my lip curled up because this time, I wore a plaid shirt because I thought he's gonna take me out to that same diner where I overdressed. Now I was underdressed!

As it turned out, Francis and I had a lot in common. We both loved art. Even though he wasn't an artist, he was an appreciator. That made us a perfect combination.

We grew closer and we hung out with Kate, Ethan, and I at school for the rest of Junior. He was my first kiss. Alright, he wasn't a good kisser because it was so sloppy, but I didn't take it against him. I was his first girlfriend after all.

In the summer before senior year, Francis went to California. I sent him letters every single day like what Ryan Gosling did to Rachel McAdams in The Notebook.

I forgot to say this about Francis, but he was overweight. So, when he came back from summer, he was buff! I swore everyone's jaw dropped from his glow up. He was no longer the overweight teenager who wore the grizzly bear mascot, but he was recruited to be the basketball player himself. And, he was not the benchwarmer.

Before I knew it, we grew apart. He broke up with me.

"It's not you, it's me."

Fucking hell, it was him! A day after our breakup, he was making out with the freshman in the cafeteria.

For the second time, Kate listened to me until I felt okay.

Ex-Boyfriend 3 - Jerry

As a college student, my parents were disappointed with my choices. They wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer, but I took up fine arts because painting and drawing fueled my fire. Despite their protests, I went with my instincts. I went to be an art major and I excellently.

There I met Jerry, a football player who was taking up a business course. We met in one of the parties and we were stuck in the closet because of this game, we made out. Gone were the sloppy kisses given by Francis. This guy was a fantastic kisser!

He was also the man lost my virginity too.

Okay, about the sex, it wasn't really good. The first time, he came in like five seconds. I thought it was normal because he was losing his virginity too. However, we did for so many times after and he didn't last for ten seconds. One time, he lasted fifty seconds and I was shocked that he could do it.

Despite his lackluster performance in bed, I still went out with him for over a year because he was caring and he cooked really well.

However, unlike all my other exes, I was the one who broke up with him.

In my second year in college, he decided to be a drop-out.

"This is just a break, right? You're gonna come back to college eventually, right? And you're gonna work somewhere?"

"Oh no, Darling, I won't ever go back to college. I'll stay in our apartment and cook the meals while waiting for you to come home. I'll be like a house husband and you're the working woman. We're a modern couple, huh?"

I stared at him as if his face was upside down. Jerry and I fought that night and it ended with him leaving the apartment.

Kate and Ethan arrived later with a bottle of wine and they let me cry.

Ex-Boyfriend 4 - Josh

A year later, I started this guy named Josh. I was really astounded of his intelligence. He was an astrophysics major and always talked about the stars and how my eyes resembled them. For a moment there, I thought he was the one.

However, I failed at scrabble. I failed to identify that the cashier gave me the wrong amount for change. And, I failed to laugh at his pickup lines,

He asked me once, "Hot night tonight, huh? Why don't we test our... coefficient friction?"

I stared at him confusingly and he was very disappointed.

The sex was good, but we weren't in the same wavelength. I didn't appreciate his scientific languages and he didn't see the pride in my artistic works. We were too different.

We decided to break up. We didn't make sense.

Present Day . . .

Gray-eyed Stranger looked very invested in my story. His chin rested against the palm of his hand as he listened closely to my story.

I told him about Ex-Boyfriend 5 who happened to be Jose Rodriguez. I told Stranger about our story. Out of all the guys I met, Jose felt like the closest thing to a happily ever after. I told Stranger about our moments and about all of those thoughtful gestures which he described as grand. I even told Stranger that reverse cowgirl was our position and it killed me how he could be doing that to Leila.

I blew on Stranger's handkerchief for the last time. I said, "So, that's it. I have a bad life."

Stranger's back straightened and he told me, "Miss, you really need Celine Dion."

I felt validated. I said, "Yes, I do."

"And reverse cowgirl is not a good sex position," he formally said.

I almost argued with him, but I got distracted when everybody stood up.

"What's going on?"

"We just landed," he informed.

"What the fuck?!" I just spend almost 9 hours talking about my failed love life?!

For the first time, Stranger flashed me a smile, "Yes, you talked about your exes in the entire time. I kind of . . . enjoyed this economy flight."

Asshole.

"But seriously though, don't beat yourself up too much."

"I'll get there eventually. Thanks for listening to me. Somehow letting it all out made me feel better. And here's your handkerchief," I handed it out to him.

He stared at it disgusted before telling me, "You can keep it, Miss."

"Thank you. I was just waiting for you to say that," I said before blowing my nose into it again.

He let out a soft laughter before he stood up with the rest of the passengers. He got his bags from the overhead bin and before leaving the plane, he gave me one last glance and a small smile.

I just told the Stranger my detailed dating history, but what's there to be worried about? Seattle's a big city. We'll 99% won't see each other again.

Finally standing up from my seat, I grabbed my bag from the overhead bin and was surprised that a yellow post-it was attached to it.

It's just a bad love life and not a bad life.

It will be okay.

- C.G.

Oddly, Stranger made me smile for the first time this week.