By: Lesli Calloway
She flexed her feet and smiled looking down at her new boots. Sandra was pleased with herself. She managed to reign in a giggle as others passed by the stoop in front of her building.
She’d eyed them from two months ago and was finally able to afford them. They were going to be perfect for tonight. Everything was going to be perfect.
Sandra’s black patent leathers rose up and covered her knees. She knew it looked hot with her tights and mini-skirt. Just then a gust of wind blew and seemed to suck the air right out of her. Her wool kitten coat didn’t provide her much protection from the weather either.
“Sandra, what are you doing out here?” Her neighbor Mira was coming down the steps behind her and not trying to hide the snide look on her face at all.
“I’m waiting for Sam,” Sandra pouted. She thought she was dressed most appropriately for a warm Mercedes S-class with heated seats.
“He’s probably just caught up in traffic anyway. He was supposed to be here almost,” she looked down at her phone, “five minutes ago.” Sandra screwed her face up disapprovingly.
“Well, I’m sure he has a perfectly good reason for being five minutes late,” Mira said patronizingly.
Mira often spoke in a patronizing voice to cab drivers, newsstand guys, vendors, pretty much anyone she happened to cross paths with and whom she didn’t qualify as intellectual enough to understand that they were being patronized.
“Well, it’s not that cold out here anyway. It’s just the wind,” Sandra winced as another gust blew past them.
Then around the corner, Sam’s Mercedes pulled around. She promptly stood up, giving Mira a wry smile, and bound down the steps to the heated seat awaiting her inside.
She took her time stepping into the car, carefully showing off her new, shiny, black ornaments. She slid into the passenger seat and turned beaming at Sam, anticipating his reaction.
But he was staring dead ahead out of the windshield. Sandra looked too to see what he was so concentrated on.
“What’s wrong babe,” she asked innocently.
He remained silent for a moment and finally turned to her with a sweet smile. Sandra smiled back, but hesitantly.
“Sandra, you know how crazy I am about you, right?” He asked.
“Uh-huh,” she responded while bobbing her head up and down.
“Well, things have been going really well - and you know how much I love being with you.”
“But … ?” She waited expectantly.
“I think we should maybe slow things down a bit and take a step back. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea though. I’m not trying to break up or anything.” Sam looked back out the window nervously and coughed.
“Funny, that’s exactly what it sounds like.” Sandra’s eyes began to tear up. She couldn’t believe it. He was actually breaking up with her.
“You know things have really been ramping up at work and my semester exams are about to get started too. I just don’t know that I can juggle everything and do right by you.”
Sam continued with his explanation for why he was breaking up with her.
However, Sandra was no longer listening. She just couldn’t make sense of what he was saying anymore. All she knew was that she had on the most perfect boots for the most perfect date and he had completely destroyed it.
Her eyes began to well with tears. She turned to look at his apologetic face and watched his mouth, still moving.
Then, unexpectedly, Sandra’s sadness began to turn into something else. She felt hot all over.
Sandra raised one boot clad leg and screamed, “You see this? I bought these for you! A week’s paycheck for you!”
Sam stopped mid sentence and stared back at her. “Sandra I didn’t ask you to do anything for me. Much less spend a whole pay – ”
“I thought it’d be nice to do something special for our anniversary!” She spat back.
“What? What anniversary? What are you talking about?” Sam asked, bewildered.
“I can’t believe you didn’t even realize this is our three month anniversary of our very first date!” Sandra stamped her foot, which had been hanging in the air, into his formerly scratch free dashboard.
Sam looked at her sternly. HIs breathing was heavy and measured. She could tell he was trying to keep his composure.
Finally, he looked her in the eye and said, “Sandra I don’t think this is going to work out.”
Sandra looked out of the window in silent anger. He’d ruined what was to be the perfect night. He’d thoughtlessly ruined everything.
After a few moments, when it finally registered that she and Sam were truly over, she broke.
Sandra swung around and smacked Sam square in the jaw. She held his eyes, and for a moment she feared what he might do in retaliation. His face had turned crimson where she’d hit him.
Sam spoke very carefully and evenly. “Sandra.” He paused. “You need to get out of the car.”
Sandra looked down at her outfit and fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Finally, indignantly, she stepped out onto the curb – barely having time to close the door completely before Sam sped off.
