A Divine Comedy

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Alex: 7:30, got it. I'll try and show up a little early.

Maria: go ahead and pick a place.

Alex: you're letting me pick?

Maria: yeah, sure, lol

Alex: s w e e t, uh, how about that joint next to gamestop? They do pizza night on Saturday's for members and a plus 1, and I just so happen to be a member 😎

Maria: wait, is it that where they play Dungeons and Dragons?

Alex: Yeah! Lol, you know about it?

Maria: yeeeaaahhh, It's a little too nerdy for me. Plus, I think my ex's friend works there.

Alex: Alright, well, what did you have in mind?

Maria: There's this restaurant I've been wanting to go to...

9:45pm

No sign of her, no text asking for a reschedule, nothing.

Maybe it was a little stalkerish of me, but after checking her Instagram page to see that the woman who was supposed to be my date, had made a post about how her and her boyfriend had just made up… Whatever that meant.

Shaking, trying to control my frustration and ignore the new sting of rejection, I dropped my phone in my pocket, pushed away my half finished glass of wine, and held my face in my hands. At least now I couldn't see the looks of pity from the surrounding patrons who had watched me sit alone, at this stupidly expensive restaurant I had made reservations at.

Looking at the bottle of Merlot I had bought with the hopes of sharing it, I clenched my teeth and sighed. I should have known that it wouldn't work out. What happened between now and the day we set up the date that made me think this would work?

After a few minutes of self pity, I got up, left a tip, and headed for the door. By now, anger replaced the feeling of having been punched in the gut, and I already had in mind what I was going to do when I got home.

"Whatever." I thought, as I stepped out of the restaurant. "My character sheet isn't done, and I've been wanting to look into that new DOOM dlc, anyway-"

A loud clap of thunder, shook me from my mental rant, followed by the sound of rushing wind and fat drops of rainwater splashing against my face.

As calmly as I possibly could, I walked back inside. Disheartened, defeated, drenched in cold water, I was too angry to drive, and the storm outside certainly wasn't helping. I walked my way back to my booth, and dropped into it, watching the rain explode against the window next to me, and dark gray clouds swirl in the sky above. The way they churned and folded in on themselves captured my feelings perfectly, hell the whole storm did. The lightning my pain, the thunder my anger, the swirling clouds my confusion and above it all the rain was my sadness. All of my feelings mirrored and waved in front of me, as if I was being… Mocked.

It was then that I knew. I understood it all. I was in the modern version of an old Greek legend, if not the butt of some cosmic joke. Two deities were bored and saw the perfect opportunity to torment a hopeless mortal and I was the perfect target.

For fun, what little I could garner from the situation, I wondered which great beings decided to partake in my suffering.

"Excuse me, this seat isn't taken, is it?"

My waitress. She seems to be the only one not pitying me at the moment.

"Never has been." I say flatly.

She slides into the booth and folds her hands together, as a long silence ensues. Me staring blankly out the window, and her just… What is she doing?

I open my mouth to say something, anything to cut through this recently blossomed awkwardness but she's quicker than I am.

"I'm sorry about your date. It sucks to get stood up, and believe me I know exactly how you feel."

Involuntarily, I barked a laugh. "Did yours magically decide they liked their ex again last minute?"

"Yes, actually."

Her delivery is flat and humorless. Dry, even. So much so, that I was sobered from my sour mood which was then replaced by a bit of shame.

"Oh, goodness, uh I'm so sorry-"

She shrugged, waving her hand dismissively with a slight smile. "I wouldn't worry about. It doesn't hurt to talk about, and I joke about it from time to time."

"So it's okay if I laugh?" I said, verbally testing the waters.

With a chuckle of her own, she nodded.

A few minutes passed and we were deep in conversation. Her name was Samantha, and before I knew it, she had me chuckling, smiling, and in a much better mood than I was before. Despite the raging storm and the now dim and flickering lights at this restaurant, everything seemed brighter somehow, and I was happy.

"Oh! I almost forgot-" Samantha got up and quickly made her way to the kitchen.

She came back with two small plates holding some sort of cake.

"What's all this?" I asked, eyeing Samantha with a bit of playful suspicion.

"The tip you left practically covered it. Plus, the guys in back-" She said, setting the plates, and sliding back into her seat. "Felt it was the least they could do."

I thanked my past self for leaving the Merlot relatively untouched, save for the one glass I had poured myself. My dashed hopes of having someone to share that bottle with had come back to life with a new vigor. We poured our glasses, ate our cake and continued our talk.

Hours had passed. The storm was just beginning to lighten up, and I was starting to build a little courage to ask Samantha a very important question.

"Samantha, uhm-"

"You can call me Sam."

"Right, right, uh, Sam… I really enjoyed our time tonight and I wanted to ask you if you… Wanted to go on another date? Well, our first date technically, I dont know if this would even count-"

"Yes." She said, her smile wide, and slightly smug. "If I can pick the place."

Blown away by the fact that she even said yes, I agreed.

"Of course! Uh, there are plenty of pretty good restaurants I can think of that you might like! I think I can catch us a discount at Red Lobster if you're interested."

She shook her head. "I've got something else in mind, actually."

"That being?"

Samantha grinned sheepishly as she put her wine glass down, a soft blush coming onto her cheeks as, for the first time this whole evening, I saw her say something without her usual confidence.

"There's this joint next to a Game Stop that does pizza on Saturday's for members and I can bring a plus one..."