Chapter 2 A Failed Proposal

"And what? And I should tell her you are asking her out? That's not going to be mine this time around Bro. You're grown enough to ask a woman out. This isn't your first time dating someone anyways."

"But it's my first time asking someone out."

"Oh my God Haha, think about it. Isn't this comical? You have dated scores of women but never asked one of them out. They followed u because they enjoyed your money and you did not date any of them because you have feeling for them, all because you could form big boy like others and maintain the same tradition of having girlfriends. This time around, you've got feeling and you'll surely ask her out. Now go go goo!!."

Stefen looks at the lady where she stands after discussing with Mark. He looked back at Mark and got a thump up sign from him to keep on moving. "Mark must have asked her to wait for me there. Why couldn't he work everything out for me, so she'll just come and be mine like other girls used to. Gosh!!." He said to himself.

While he moves closer to her in hesitation, he noticed she did not even take a glance at his movement.

"Can we enter the room for discussion, I feel nervous out here." He asked as he gently looked at her eyes while pointing at the door she rested on.

"Isn't it safe here?" She probe

"I feel nervous out here. Just for privacy." She made a numb face and entered the room.

"Hi." Stefen said with heavy exhalation from his mouth.

"Hi." She replied loudly and simultaneously replied that incoming messages on her phone.

Stefen stays quietly at her front, rubbing his two hands together in search of what to say. "Uhm..my name is Ste.."

"I know your name Mister. You are Stefen Michelson. You're known acrossed the nation. Why would you want to introduce yourself for me?"

"Oh! Sorry, Actually...I asked my friend to uhmm.. called you." He stammered after two seconds of speaking words. Her replied got his heart thudding alarmingly from his chest. He was not only afraid of getting on her angry with words but the natural gynophobia lives in him.

"I asked my friend to tell you I wanted to see you separately."

" Oh that's nice. I'm May Jones, nice to meet you. I'm here already so"

"I uhmm.." His hands got sweater and he was unable to find the best statement to use for her. He started to play with his shoes, placing one on top of the other. He pried into his memory bank, in search of the best words to use. Immediately he got one, he is wide awake from his deep thought.

"If there is something I am going to change in you..." He said, expecting words by he finishes it.

"Okay, continue."

"It is gonna be your surname."

"She bursted into laughter. "Interesting but not enticing." She whispered.

"What'd you say." He asked.

"Nothing, I said nothing. You will have to explain yourself because I don't get you." She surprised him with her words.

He knew she understood him, but had to pretend as if she didn't.

"Since you walked into the, on this Friday afternoon, you got my tongue stuck cause I was paralyzed."

"Are you a poet?" She asked with an innocent face.

"Actually...my heart's been empty for so long and seeing you this morning, I found a new delight."

"So, what's the point." She asked.

He was starting to feel frustrated as she kept on turning his words down as if they meant nothing to him.

"I wish we can... Uhm go on a date." He said

She looked into her phone again and replied, " well, most of our wish will only come true if they concide with reality."

"Okay, I just want to ask you out. I.. I'll give you anything you want, I have them, you name it."

"So, that is the statement that took you a journey out of the universe to spill. Let's come to real discussion. Firstly, you do not know m about me because if you do, you wouldn't come near me for such a thing." Stefen got shocked with her courage and how she spoke incessantly.

"Secondly," she continued. "My friend Annie who invited me to your Uncle's birthday told me lot of things about you."

Counting with her fingers; " the number of girls you dated; how easily ladies followed you around to during your time in colleges. Even high school; also that you've slept with a number of women with money that means so much nothing to you. Isn't it?."

He looked at her in pain, he felt remorse after she highlighted how he lived his live carelessly. He never realized those act could bring him regret.

"What are you going to call it?" She asked.

"What? What is that?" He mumbled

"Your past!" She replied firmly.

After few minutes of no reply, she replied herself. "Achievements. You call it achievements."

"Listen, Mr Stefen, Money isn't everything and I am not like others. Do not think I will fall for money, just like other irrelevant women do. No. I deserve my own respect also. Every respect you're being given aren't because of the kind of person you are but for your wealth. Not even your wealth but your father's wealth. Someone like you never can have true love."

Stefen couldn't hold the shades she was throwing any longer, he feels the worse feeling in his entire life. Even though it is an enclosed discussion, he felt more than an humiliation. He has thought so much about himself being with her. But the opposite happened. Each words he heard from her hurts him as if they were peircing thirty centimeters holes in his earth.

"Please hold on." He spoke to wince out of the pain. May came to halt to hear him out.

"We are meeting for the first time, you should at least be nice." He tried willing strength into himself to not die of her words.

He lifted his gaze to see her face's reaction. He returned his gaze immediately after meeting a deadly glare she shot him.

"Sorry, we are not of the same match. Bye."

The door creaked out as she opened it and left him inside the room.

Stefen stayed quietly, resting his back on a load of plastic chairs packed together. His hands feel cold as he grew timid. His mind isn't at rest as he felt pain from his chest as if he carried a load for hours. He started slipping his back downward till he's buttock hits the ground where he folded his legs with his arms like a child. Tears became inevitable. It was more like an involuntary actions this moment. He had no choice but to allow it. It began with a muted and heavily breathing tears. In a moment, his voice got louder as he cried out like a baby. Face filled with tears and mucus.

The door opened from the outside but got stuck at half-way. It was Stefen's leg stopping it from getting opened wildly. It was pulled harder than he couldn't endure it, then he took his leg out of the way.

Mark entered the room, and found his pal sobbing on the floor.

**TWO HOURS LATER**

The two pals are sitting on a table, doing nothing but listening to the party going on. Mark broke the silence on their table in a moment.

"I can't believe she did this." Mark beat the table with the cup of wine he just emptied.

"I think I'll be getting sick." Stefen grumbled. Mark, who was giving May and her friend a fleeting look returned his sight to Stefen immediately.

"What do you mean? This isn't the end Bro. It's normal for someone to get rejected by one's crush, understand?" You'll have her, don't worry bro." He tried giving him hope.

"Just believe me Stefen. Do you believe she'll later accept you?"

"I..I, I believe."

"You're in doubt dude. Gosh, all these days you've never approached a woman to ask her out. They all will come to you and you'll think that's how it'll continue to be."

Stefen lowered his head, facing the table. It's covered with pink designs of flower on it.

"Money isn't everything Bro." Mark said to him. Stefen raised his head in hesitation. He catched a glimpse of his chiseled face friend for fee seconds.

"You're surprised with what I said. You should be, I think you've never heard of such a think before."

"No, I have heard it before." He replied with low voice.

"Hmmhmmm."

"Yes, May said that when we were discussing."

"Oh! I get that. Did you try to lure her with something materialistic? Or money?."

"Not exactly..but I said I would give her anything and uhm..."

"Gosh! You spoiled it Bro. You weren't supposed to say such easily. Real people will not demand for money in exchange for love. Is there anything else she said which relates to what she likes or wants."

Stefen stayed quiet racking his brain to remember, what they discussed. He went on a train of thought for minutes within which Mark answered a call and ended the call.

"Is this going to take you a century?" Mark scowled

"I don't think so." He replied

"Oh, damn! Means we're going to find something she likes, to...."

"I remember, I remember something." He interrupted. "She said, 'someone like you can never have true love for someone'."

Mark made a scathing glance through the surrounding before speaking out. "it's easy Stefen."

"How?" He replied desperately.

"She thought you did not have true feeling for her and only wanted to have a taste. All you need to do is to prove to her you truly love her!!." He hit thr table as he finished speaking.

"You really are somehow naive Stefen. You can do this in different ways. I'll be back, give me ten minutes."