Isaac reached for her hand, his voice edged with tension. “This is incredible. You are the most amazing woman, and I’m so sorry for the way I’ve acted the last two days. I’ve been an immature bastard who doesn’t deserve you.”
Elly simply nodded as she piled her plate with lasagna. Her face was flushing and her throat was tightening. Elly had never been one to break up with someone. In high school and college, she had always been the dumped, rather than the dumpee, and she was finding it much harder on this end. She had been unprepared for this rush of guilt, this tidal wave of pitying love that she felt bursting through her. She watched him, piling his plate high with food, the light reflecting off the chocolate shades in his hair, his long lashes blinking slowly. It took every ounce of restraint to not let herself fall into his arms, to let him love her and eventually leave her.
Isaac walked past her, on his way out to the patio, and slapped her behind playfully. “You’re the best, babe.” Elly hung her head. This was going to be harder than she thought.
The night was moist, the threat of frost hanging in the air. Isaac quickly built a fire in Elly’s small fire pit – something she never bothered to do. The small flames crackled to life and gave out just enough heat that the patio was perfect.
Isaac patted the couch next to him as he shoveled lasagna into his mouth. “You don’t want to sit by me? I won’t bite …much.” He chuckled at his own joke.
Elly declined and sat across from him. Her plate sat still on her lap. She cleared her throat. “Isaac, we…we have to talk.” She choked on the last word and took a huge gulp of water. So far, disaster, she thought.
“Mmm hmm.” Isaac put a huge bite of lasagna into his mouth. “I know!” he agreed.
Elly smiled slightly, “You do?”
“Of course, there is so much to discuss.”
Elly felt a rush of relief. “I couldn’t agree more.”
He wiped his mouth hastily with his napkin. “So, for the Everest Oppressed set on this coming Saturday, I was thinking we could start with ‘Perplexed Apathy’ and then segue into ‘Cherry Revolution’ and maybe close the show with our big number: ‘Curves of a Woman.’”
Elly shut her eyes. If she never had to hear the song about her ample bosom again, it would be too soon.
“That song is our big hit, you know.” He leaned over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “You are the perfect muse. I think that Gene butchered the bridge though, last time, and I was thinking if we added a fourth….”
With that, the fog in Elly’s brain lifted, and she steeled her resolve. Best to just get it over with, she thought.
“Isaac – stop. Just stop talking.”
Isaac looked up from his plate with shock, a bite of Greek salad falling off his fork onto the ground.
“I don’t think that this is going to work out between us.”
His face displayed disbelief. “What?”
“I’m so, so sorry, but I just can’t be with you. And I know you won’t understand but I need you to believe that…”
“Wait, WHAT? You’re…breaking UP with me?” Isaac’s face fell apart. “But…how can you? Elly, I love you.” His lip quivered. “Elly…please don’t do this.”
Elly’s felt a piece of her heart chip off. She stood up and snuggled beside him, tucking her legs under his. She set his plate on the ground and she cradled his face in her hands. He wouldn’t look at her.
“Look at me,” she said. He wouldn’t. “Isaac. Look at me.”
His deep brown eyes gazed reluctantly into hers, red and watery.
“I learned something about myself yesterday, something that I should have always known. We each have flaws, each of us, and it’s a rare moment that we can see them clearly. Yesterday I saw our relationship…but through my ex-husband. Isaac, it was like looking into a mirror. Does that make sense?”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand. Are you leaving me for him?”
Elly bit her lip. She was failing miserably at this. Elly Jordan, world’s worst breakup artist, she thought inwardly.
“I have a type. Do you know what it is? Men like you. Beautiful men - artists, painters…musicians. Why do you think I love my job so much? Because I love beautiful things. It’s the reason I love flowers, it’s the reason that I fell so hard for you…and for Aaron. My ex-husband. I’ve told you a little about him.”
Isaac made a face. “Don’t compare me to him, that’s not fair.”