The Last Standing Merlot

It was a lovely clear early night; the sun had set, and the moon was shining at its brilliant best.

Joshua was walking down the street while talking on his phone, and with the streetlights and the moonlight Joshua’s bold head was shining and glistening.

“So, you’re running late…” Joshua said down the phone.

“Well, I can promise you, when do you get here, that this first date will be one that you will never forget.”

“I’m here now” As he walks past the front window of the restaurant.

“I will be at the table waiting for you, ask for Chambers.”

He finishes the call a put’s his phone in his pocket.

He opens the double glass doors and walks into the restaurant,

“Good evening sir” said the waiter.

“Yeah Hi, I have a booking for two, name is Chambers.”

The waiter looks at his tablet, “Mr Joshua Chambers.”

“Yeap, that’s me’”.

“Table for two,

“Yeap”

“Will your partner be joining you.”

“Well hopeful, it’s a first date and she did just phone me, to tell me that she is running late.”

The waiter shows Joshua to his table, Joshua sits down.

“Here you go sir, your waitress today will be Michelle, and she will be with you in a minute.”

“Thank You”.

A minute or so passes.

“Good evening sir, my name is Michelle, and I will be your Waitress tonight, can I get you a drink.”

“Hi, yesss, can I have a glass of your finest red wine.”

“An excellent choice sir, a glass of Merlot.”

The waitress heads of.

At the entrance a young female couple enter the restaurant.

“Good evening ma’ams” said the Waiter.

“We have a reservation for two.” The name is Chambers.”

The Waiter looks at his tablet, “Khloe Chambers.”

“Yes”

“Thank You, please follow me.”

The two young ladies follow the waitress to the table next to Joshua.

“Here you go ma’am, your waitress today will be Michelle, and she will be with you in a minute.”

Joshua is sitting there playing on his phone. He looks up as the first of the couple walk past him to their table.

“Khloe” Joshua says as she walks past his table.

Khloe looks at him, “Josh, oh my god.”

Joshua stands up and gives her a hug.”

“What are you doing here.” Joshua says.

“I could say the same for you.” Khloe says.

The waitress returns with a glass of Merlot, and places it down on the table.

“Well, I’m supposed to be a date, but she is running late up at the moment.” How about you” Joshua says.

Khloe says, “Well I don’t know how much longer I could hide this for this, but this is Penelope”

Khloe looks at the other young woman.

Penelope walks over and gives Joshua a hug.”

Khloe says, “She is my… girlfriend”.

“So, your gay, why are you hiding it, if your happy don’t hide it.” Joshua says.

“I have never been happier” Khloe says.

“So why you are hiding it then.” Joshua says.

“Well, I’m not really hiding it, I just haven’t told Mum and Dad yet that’s all.” Khloe says.

“Why not, they are going to support you 100% like they have done in both our life’s no matter our choices or decisions, and as you know we have both made some stupid decisions in our life’s, but for you coming out as gay is definitely not one of them, tell them.” Joshua says.

“Your probably right.” It’s just a massive thing and I wanna make sure I tell them at the right time.” Khloe says.

“The right time would be now.” Joshua says.

Another young woman enters the restaurant.

“Good evening ma’am.” The Waiter says.

“Hello, yeah I am supposed to be a date, and I think he is already here.” Chambers.” Ashlynn says.

“Oh yes he did mention that you were running late.” Please follow me.” The Waiter says.

The waitress shows Ashlynn to her table with Joshua.”

“Oh wow, you look... amazing.” Joshua says.

He leans in and give Ashlynn a kiss on the cheek.”

“Ash, this is my sister Khloe, and this is her date Penelope. Khloe this is Ashlynn, this is official our first date.” Joshua says.

Khloe goes and give Ashlynn a hug.

“Ooh really, if that’s the case, we will leave you two, to get to know each other then.” It was nice meeting you Ashlynn.” Khloe says.

Khloe and Penelope sit down at their table, while Joshua and Ashlynn sit down at their table.

“Sorry I’m late, my ex, found me.” Ashlynn says.

The waitress walks over to the table, “hello ma’am is there a drink I can get for you.”

Ashlynn, looks at the menu,

Josh grabs his glass of Merlot.

Ashlynn asks, “is that a Merlot?”

“Yes” Joshua says.

“Can I please have one of them please.” Ashlynn says.

“Of course,” the waitress says.

The waitress goes off to get the drink.

As Josh goes to take a sip of his drink, his phone rings. He puts the drink down on the table and takes his phone out of his pocket.

He declines the call, then turns the phone off.

“Sorry about that” Joshua says.

“Don’t worry about it, it always happens, your phone rings, someone else’s phone rings, right when something is about to happen, or someone is about to say something important, it happens all the time on TV and in films.” Ashlynn says.

The waitress arrives with Ashlynn’s glass of Merlot and places’ it on the table.

“Your right about that.” Joshua says as he holds his glass up towards Ashlynn, Ashlynn picks her glass of Merlot up and tings it against Joshua’s glass.

Ashlynn and Joshua “Cheers”

They both go to take a sip of their drink when Ashlynn’s phone rings.

“Just as you said” Joshua says.

Ashlynn smiles and does a small laugh, as she gets her phone out of her bag.

She declines call and looks annoyed by it.”

“Everything OK” Joshua says.

“Yeah. Yeah, it was my ex that’s all, he thinks he is still in love with me, because when I told him that I was going on a date tonight, he was not happy, that is why I was late. But then why should I care, he was the one that cheated on me, not once but multiple times. So as far as I am concerned that assclown can go to hell.” Ashlynn says.

“Assclown Nice.” Joshua says.

“Anyways where were we.” Ashlynn says.

“Well believe it or not, we where about to have our first drink together, but phones keep interrupting us.”

Ashlynn picks her glass up again.

As they both, go to take a sip.

“Hello, are you both ready to order now.” The Waitress says.

Ashlynn and Joshua both look at each other and laugh.

“No not just yet, can you give us a couple of minutes please.” Joshua says.

“Absolutely” The Waitress says

“Thank You” Joshua says.

Ashlynn and Joshua look at the menu.

“Oh, look at that. 18-pound steak, that’s me sorted.” Joshua says.

“Really steak” Ashlynn says.

“Yeah, is that problem.” Joshua says.

“Oh no, no problem, that’s what I was going to order as well.” Ashlynn says.

“We have chatted online for a few weeks, we have spoke on the phone a few times, and now on our first date together, we both order the same, I might be getting ahead of myself but hopefully I’m not, I think this relationship is gonna be beautiful. Joshua says.

“That I will drink to” Ashlynn says.

Both put the menus down, and as they go to grab their drinks…

The front window of the restaurant smashes as a car comes crashing through the front of the restaurant.

The Waiter and Waitress take cover behind the bar, a few of the other couples all dive out of the way as debris, shattered glass, fish from the fish tank, tables, and chairs fly across the restaurant.

Khloe and Penelope dive for cover.

Ashlynn and Joshua both dive backwards away from the car, as the car comes to stop just as it touches the edge of their table.

The door of the car opens, and a bottle of vodka falls out, as does a battered, bleeding, and bruised man.

Ashlynn looks at the man.

“Andy” ANDY, what the hell, you could have killed us.” Ashlynn says.

Joshua, picking himself up of the floor, “You know this man”.

As Ashlynn picks herself up of the floor she says “this assclown is my ex.”

As Andy tries and stands up, Penelope from out of nowhere slaps him across the face, he stumbles and falls back to the floor.

Khloe to Penelope “Why did you do that”.

Penelope “like she said... that assclown is my ex.”

Penelope and Khloe hold each other’s hands and slowly climb out over the car through the destroyed restaurant window and onto the street.

Ashlynn walks over to Andy and gives him a few kicks to the ribs; Joshua walks over to Ashlynn grabs her hand and they both climb out over the car through the destroyed restaurant window and onto the street.

Just as the four of them get themselves straight, a police car pulls up, Ashlynn goes over to the policewoman and policeman and tells them what happened.

A few moments later, the policeman, goes into the restaurant to arrest Andy, who is still laying on the ground battered, bruised, bleeding and stinking of alcohol. While the policewoman goes and checks to make sure everyone else is OK.

Back in the restaurant, among all the destruction, debris and flapping fish, laying all over the floor, a policeman who is arresting Andy and a policewoman who is checking everyone to make sure they are OK, stands just one table, and on that table, stands two still perfectly preserved and untouched glasses of Merlot.

Outside Joshua and Ashlynn, Khloe, and Penelope, look on at the police arresting Andy.

An Ambulance pulls up, luckily no one was seriously injured.

“I’m still hungry, fancy a grabbing a kebab and a bottle of Merlot to celebrate our first date.” Joshua says to Ashlynn.

“Merlot and Kebab sounds amazing, right about now. Ashlynn says.

“How about it, wanna join us.” Ashlynn says to Khloe and Penelope.

Khloe and Penelope look at each other, smile.

“Love too.” Khloe Replies.

Joshua and Ashlynn hold hands and walk off together, Khloe and Penelope hold hands and follow them.

As they walk down the street, Joshua turns to Ashlynn.

“Told you this is a first date you would never forget.”