(originally posted 02/23/2012)
So I head over and the seller is so happy she accepts our offer on the place almost immediately.
I turn in my notice at work and the weeks fly by. Laurie sells On The Rocks to an antique dealer of all people. They plan on opening a shop. I'm so happy because now we don't have quite as much competition in town.
More weeks pass as Laurie and I get the bar ready for opening. We get rid of the bright, cheery interior and favor a darker wood. We open up the back wall and put in a stage and dance floor. The place has an upstairs, but we can't afford to do what Laurie wants to do to it yet. He wants to create a more exclusive lounge club. I trust his judgement.
I'm still dating both John and Greg. John remains ever the gentleman and Greg still tries to convince me to let him move in. I feel myself holding both of them at arms length. Greg makes snide comments about Laurie and the time I'm spending with him. I can't tell exactly how John reacts to Laurie. I catch the occasional scowl on his face, but he hasn't broached the subject about him. I don't want to initiate that conversation.
After about six weeks we're almost done, and I take an afternoon off to take a walk. I make a stop at the bookstore and buy another romance novel. This one is about a girl who finds her true love but worries that she loves him so much that he could badly hurt her. So she pushes him away and marries another man only to find that years later she realized she could never stop loving her true love even though she tried. I don't know how it ends, but it'd better be good. It makes me think of Greg.
Occasionally I still have time to get online to chat with OnTheRocks. He still hates that I'm stringing the two men along. I always feel guilty when I start chatting with him because there's the inevitable question about them. All the same, I like chatting with him once we get past that part.
I arrive at the park and see John's brother Eric waving me over. He glances to his right and walks towards me as I walk towards him.
Me: Hey Eric, what's up? Sorry I couldn't make it last night.
Eric: Yeah. We missed you. It was a good party none the less.
Eric circles around me, and I have to turn myself so that I'm facing the town square with my back to the rest of the park.
I can tell he's nervous about something. He keeps looking over my shoulder and fidgeting.
Me: What is it?
Eric: Um...
He runs his hand along the back of his neck and looks at me apologetically. I feel my eyebrows raise in a questioning expression.
Eric: Aw, crap. Elena. I'm sorry.
I'm getting aggravated now: What?
Eric sighs and looks down at the dirt, drawing lines in it with his shoe: Turn around.
Eric's eyes look back up at me and then behind me. I slowly turn around.
My vision zooms in on the pair in front of me. There they are. Greg and Sylvia. Again. Together. In public even. The edges of my sight get a little blurry as I feel my chest constricting. Oh. Oh oh oh. How can he do this to me? Again!
I stand there, barely able to breathe, as I realize this is not all in my head. It's really happening right here in front of me. He never ended it with her, did he? He's lied to me all this time. These past few months... those times he melted my heart with his wonderful words. And to think I was honestly considering letting him move back in! Eric starts to walk towards them, acting like he can't stand what they are doing to me. I get the feeling he's thinking that if I'm not going to do anything about it, he is. Even though that man is no longer my brother-in-law, he still feels a lot like a big brother to me.
My breath starts coming in little short bursts now, and I can feel the blood draining from my face. Don't faint!
Greg and Sylvia appear to be unaware of the outside world as she stands there kissing him. He looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself as well. Why does it have to be her? She's the ex he's always tried to get away from but just can't. At least, that's what he's told me. It doesn't look like he's trying to get away from her now, though. I have no right to be angry. We're not going steady or anything like that, and I'm dating John too. But he said he loved just me! He should've at least TOLD me he was seeing her too.
Eric: Greg, Sylvia, get a room.
Greg turns away from Sylvia and glares at Eric: Butt out, Eric.
Then Greg looks over at me and his eyes get huge. Yeah. Uh huh. Guess who's here!
Greg: Sylvia! I told you to leave me alone!
Sylvia: What? But then what about the other night when you...
Greg: Shut up!
I stop wiping my eyes for a moment to see that Sylvia looks about as shocked as I do.
Sylvia: Greg, I...
Greg: I've asked you not to do that.
Sylvia: But I thought after what happened the other night that things were better with us again.
The other night? I wonder... does she mean night before last when I wouldn't let Greg sleep over because he wanted to woohoo and I didn't? So. That's where he went when he stormed out.
Greg starts hyperventilating: That was a mistake. I don't know what I was thinking. I never should've gone over to your place.
Greg starts to turn towards me to look like he's going to apologize, but Sylvia stops him.
Sylvia: What! After everything I've ever done for you, when it comes down to it you still prefer HER? How can you do this to me?! When you came by almost in tears talking about how much she's hurt you I thought the two of you had decided not to see each other anymore! I'm sick to death of being the other woman, Greg Turner!
Greg: I'm sorry, Sylvia. Like I said, I should not have done that. I love Elena.
I look at Sylvia, Sylvia looks at me. We may not like each other, but I can tell we both see eye-to-eye on how much we think Greg is a world-class jerk.
Greg: Elena darling, please let me explain.
Me: Don't you "Elena darling" me! I'm not your "darling". Not anymore! Not ever again!
Greg: Wait, just wait. Don't get upset. It's not what you think.
Sylvia: No, it's exactly what you think, Elena.
Greg shoots Sylvia a withering look. Sylvia lifts one eyebrow, almost daring him to contradict her before walking off a little ways in a huff.
Me: How dare you! How DARE you, Greg?! How dare you cheat on me with her during our marriage, how dare you lie to me and say that you've ended it with her, and how dare you now tell me that it's not what I think! You know what I THINK? I think you're scum. The dirt under your fingernails has more moral fiber than you do.
Greg gets red in the face. I can't exactly tell whether or not it's from embarrassment or anger. Possibly both.
Contrary to his fiery visage, Greg's voice is icy: You have no right to judge someone on moral fiber, Elena. Oh, how willingly you flew into my arms when you were married to John. You should have done everything you could to push me away. At the time I was happy you weren't, but maybe now I think that you should have. Maybe then I could've gotten over you and moved on with my life instead of wasting my time.
I suck in a quick breath of air. Ow.
All I can do as I feel my breath catch in my throat is whisper harshly to the ground: Well, I'm sorry I wasted your time.
Greg reaches out for me when he sees how hurt and angry I am: Oh, God. I'm sorry, Elena darling. I didn't mean it. Please...
I get angry again: I told you I am NOT your "darling"!
Greg clenches his jaw.
I realize I'm making a scene. I realize how this must look to the random townspeople that are in the park today, but I don't care.
My voice now drips with ice this time: I'll help you get over me then, Greg. We're through. Done. Finished. I don't ever want to see you again. I don't want you to have anything to do with Benjamin.
Greg looks like I've slapped him when I mention our son.
Me: Get out of my life.
I was wearing this dress the first day we met. Well, I've come full circle and I'm wearing this dress for hopefully the last time I see him.
Greg recovers from his look of pain: You can't take away my son, Elena.
Me: The hell I can't. You signed him over to me, remember? You said you wanted nothing to do with me.
Greg: You know I didn't mean that at the time.
Me: Doesn't matter. It's all there in black and white. Ben is mine. (I have a memory come back to me.) Hah! I agree with Betty, Greg. Our son would be better off without YOU as a father!
Sylvia has walked back over to stand near us. She looks like she's about to burst into tears. I honestly don't care anymore.
I turn to Sylvia as I start to walk away: He's all yours.
Greg: Wait. Please. Don't walk away from me!
I turn back around and look at him with a bored expression. When he sees it he actually sobs for a second before recovering.
Greg: I never should have gone to her! I'm sorry okay?
Me: No.
Greg: You can't be serious. After all we've been through together? After all we've done to try and make it work? After all we did to be together? How can you want this? How can you want to leave me?
Greg: I love you.
The pain I experience is so intense I can't look him in the eye. If he should see it, he'll use it against me.
I almost choke on my words as they escape my mouth: We've TRIED to make it work, Greg. It just doesn't. How can you say you love me and then treat me this way? No, Greg. I'm tired of trying. You're not meant to be a one-woman man, and I'm tired of being your one-of-many.
Greg: Fine. But don't accuse me of not being a one-woman man when you're dating three guys. Oops, well now only two.
I roll my eyes: I'm not dating Lawrence.
Greg: Pity for him then.
I speak to him as one would speak to a toddler that was getting over a tantrum: The difference here, Greg, is that I TOLD you I was also dating John. I have kept nothing from you.
I start to walk away back over to where Eric is standing. Poor Eric. He wants to be here yet he doesn't want to be here. He wants to make sure everything is okay, but he feels guilty for wanting to know the gossip. I wonder what he's going to tell John... I don't want him to tell John anything. I want to tell him myself.
Greg stops me after I only take a few steps: Elena, please. Give me another chance.
I turn slowly to face him: I can't give you another chance if I can't trust you. I was just starting to again. I'm glad this happened before things got too far this time.
Sylvia suddenly speaks up and gets in my face: Good! Don't give him another chance! I'm sick of YOU and how bad you are for him!
Me: Oh good GRIEF! I am so OVER this! Fine! Take him! I hope the two of you have many happy months together.
Sylvia: See, that's your problem, Elena whatever-you've-decided-is-your-last-name-now. I'm the only one who's ever really understood him. I'm the only one who really knows what he needs! All you ever did was get in the way!
Me: And I'm trying to get OUT of the way, but SOMEbody won't get out of my face!
I can see Eric starting to walk over to us out of the corner of my eye. I really need to talk to him.
I start to turn towards Eric when out of nowhere, Sylvia jumps me. Greg is trying to reach in and grab her away from me while Eric just stands there shouting like a buffoon.
I didn't spend all that time in the backyard with John and Marie learning SimFu for nothing. Blondie doesn't know what hits her as I fight back and get this crazy woman under control. I notice the guys have backed away.
Me: Leave me alone, Sylvia. And take this loser boyfriend of yours with you.
Sylvia sits there and cries. I have no pity. She asked for it, and she did NOT need to mess with me today.
Oh, Greg! How could you do this to me? Why didn't you just tell me? Why did you feel like you needed to go sneaking around behind my back with this woman again? Why is it that you can still hurt me!
Eric: Uh, Elena? Are you going to be okay?
I actually smile back at him: Yes. I think I will. ... Just. Don't tell John about today okay? I'd rather talk about it with him myself.
Eric shakes his head quickly as if to clear it: Oh! Yes. Of course. He's out of town anyway, you know.
Me: I know. ... I'm going to see him this weekend at the opening.
Eric: This weekend?
Me: Mhmm. You're coming right?
Eric scratches the back of his head: I don't know. I'll have to check with Sue, but I hope so.
Eric: I'm sorry about you having to deal with this. Well.. I'm not sorry that you're through with Greg, though. Just saying.
I act nonchalant about the whole thing, belying my true feelings: Oh, yeah. No big deal right? The two of them deserve each other.
I look back at Sylvia to see her staring at the dirt with tears rolling down her face. Suddenly I remember when Betty told me the same thing when Greg and I got engaged. I hope for Sylvia's sake she learns faster than I did. Since she's been with him off and on since high school, I doubt it.
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