"What the hell?" Hayley stared, dumbfounded, as the man she dated for the second time asked her to marry him.
The situation in front of her made her reminisce about their relationship, or the lack of it.
A friend introduced Jacob a week ago. He was looking for a relationship, and Hayley happened to be single. In theory, they were a good fit. However, the reality was different.
Their first date was catastrophic. The man spent the entire evening rambling about how witches were nosy and how demons would be better off with them dead. Hayley had no interest in the supernatural. Yet Jacob talked about it from the moment they met until they separated. He even went into details about how to proceed with destroying witches.
At the time, Hayley had thought Jacob was weird. She hadn't planned on a second date. But, he called, and she agreed. Jacob was just that good-looking.
"Maybe things will be better. He might have been too flustered too, that's why he talked about weird stuffs." She had tried to justified at the time.
Nevertheless, looking at how things turned out, she shouldn't have let beauty alter her judgment.
Their second date was in an upscale restaurant near the commercial street. At first, he night was enjoyable as Jacob steered clear of his hobby. He was humorous and handsome. Hayley felt happy about her decision.
When dessert came, though, two men wearing tuxedoes approached their table. One held a violin and played a romantic song. While the other handed her date a bouquet. Jacob got up from his seat and got on one knee.
Hayley thought Jacob was good-looking but he was not that good-looking.
"What the hell?" Hayley stared, speechless, her eyes and mouth wide open. Frozen, she held her spoon above the cake she had ordered.
As the music stopped, his voice echoed in the silent restaurant, "Hayley, do you want to marry me?"
Her mind went blank. She blinked hard, trying to process what was happening. That proposal was unexpected and weird. No one should ask for marriage on the second date.
They were in the middle of a crowded restaurant. Hayley sensed the gaze of the other diners fixed upon her. A few looked on with kindness, while most held curiosity about the unfolding scene.
Hayley hated being the center of attention. She paled under their scrutiny. Her breathing accelerated. Her heart pounded like it wanted to break out of her chest. Sweat gathered on her forehead.
Unable to bear the pressure, she picked up her bag and rushed out of the restaurant as if the hounds of hell were on her heels.
Back at her house, Hayley felt uncomfortable. She should have refused his proposal calmly rather than fleeing the restaurant as she did.
Her sister, Aurora (or Rory), felt differently. She laughed uncontrollably.
"Stop laughing," Hayley smiled wryly at her sister, "It's not funny."
Aurora yelled, still cackling, "Yes, it is!"
Hayley shook her head in helplessness. She didn't get Aurora's sense of humor.
"You got proposed to on the second date. If you go on a third, your future kids might have names or even dates of birth."
Hayley let out an awkward chuckle, feeling a bit embarrassed. Given his behavior, it was a safe assumption. Fortunately, a third date with Jacob was impossible.
"I..." A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
Aurora looked at Hayley, "Do you think it's him?"
It was nine in the evening; no one should be visiting at this hour.
Hayley rushed to the window. Jacob, her date, stood facing the house.
"Tell him I am not here; tell him I went to Antarctica." She crouched down when he looked her way, motioning for her sister to answer the door. Guilt and shame battled in her heart. She was unprepared for the upcoming confrontation.
Amused at her dramatics, Aurora went to check the situation.
"Hello, can I help you?" She said, staring at the man on the threshold.
He was different from her imagination. She assumed he would look crazier. After all, regular people do not propose on the second date.
"Hello, is Hayley here?" Jacob asked with a polite smile.
"And who are you?" She knew the answer, yet was curious how he would respond.
"I am her fiancé, Jacob."
"What?!" Two surprised exclamations sounded together.
Hayley, who had been crouching, stood up and stared, not understanding what he was talking about. Did he think they were engaged?
"Hayley! You left too fast and forgot the ring. Please, let me in?" He stood outside like a gentleman, waiting for permission to enter.
Aurora glanced at her sister, waiting for her instructions. He was her date; she should decide how to deal with him.
Hayley was indecisive. Although she was unwilling to talk or let him in her house, she needed to consider his feelings. He was a friend's friend.
She had already left him in the restaurant, dealing with embarrassment. He even thought she accepted his proposal when she didn't; calling him crazy and closing the door in his face was too much. He was just too enthusiastic for her taste.
Seeing her hesitation, Aurora rolled her eyes. If she waited for Hayley, they might still be here tomorrow morning.
"Sorry, it's late, we're tired. Can you call tomorrow and make an appointment with Hayley?" She tried to be as polite as possible. Unlike her sister, she had no qualms about sending the weird guy away.
On the side, Hayley sighed with relief. The decision was made. The pressure on her diminished.
"I want to speak to Hayley now." Seeing his date on the side, saying nothing, he addressed her, "Hayley! Why did you leave so fast? If you have a problem, you can talk to me. Please, invite me in." The man seemed to care about her.
The two sisters exchanged glances, dumbfounded by the unexpected visitor and his insistence.
"Jacob, let's talk tomorrow, okay? I'm a little tired," Hayley said in a small voice, trying to make him leave.
"I'm already here. It won't take too long," Jacob insisted.
Aurora got annoyed at his persistence and at her sister's indecisiveness. She suddenly didn't feel like meddling in their business. An idea came to mind. It was a little mean, but Hayley deserved it.
"Why don't you both speak on the porch?", Rory suggested as a prank.
Aurora knew Hayley would be embarrassed at the suggestion. She watched as her sister fidgeted, and blushed.
Hayley didn't want to expand on what happened at the restaurant. She glanced between Rory and Jacob, hoping one of them would relent. None of them did.
After a few minutes to build her confidence, Hayley sighed in defeat. It could be a good compromise; the conversation would have to be short if they were outside.
"Okay, I guess. Let's talk on the porch."
"Why don't you invite me in? I'm not a monster. I'm not going to kill you." Jacob looked genuinely perplexed.
Aurora frowned. Something felt wrong. The man had mentioned several times that he wanted to be allowed in.
"Well, on second thought, it would be better to wait for tomorrow." She didn't let the man say anything else and shut the door.
"Why did you do that?" Confused, Hayley asked her sister.
Aurora's actions baffled Hayley: first, she asked him to leave; then she agreed to talk outside; and finally, she shut the door on him.
"There's something weird..." Rory hadn't finished explaining when knocks sounded again.
They both looked at the closed door. The frowns on their face deepened.
"What does he want? He kept asking to come into the house. It's weird."
"Let's call the police?" Hayley suggested.
"And tell them what? You abandoned a guy who just proposed in a crowded restaurant. He came demanding an explanation, and we closed the door in his face. He didn't threaten us or look like he was going to. The man is just weird. It's not a crime."
"So what are we supposed to do?"
"Tell him to go. There's something strange about him always asking to be invited in. Did he ever mention something like that on your dates?"
"Now that you mention it, he did ask to come home to visit. I refused and joked that only my husband would be allowed in. Do you think that's why he asked me to marry him?"
Rory went to the kitchen and took a knife as a precaution. Her sixth sense was tingling. Something was wrong about this man.
"What..."
"You're going to open the door and tell him to go. If he tries something funny, I'll get him." Even though Rory waved the knife threateningly, the uneasiness in her eyes was palpable.
"I think calling the cops would be a better idea." The knife didn't reassure Hayley. If they were safe, why was the knife needed?
"Come on, Hayley. The man is not a monster. He looks decent. You talk to him. Tell him you don't want to date him anymore, that his proposal was inappropriate, and that you don't even want to be his friend. It's not that hard. And I'll be right next to you. You'll be safe."
Hayley was reluctant. Under the persistent knocking and her sister's persuasion, she chose to do as advised. She went to the door and opened it slightly ajar. Jacob smiled at her.
"Hayley, I think we need to have a serious conversation."
"I know..." Hayley didn't feel good. She didn't want to say what her sister told her to say, even though they were similar to her thoughts.
"Tell him to go away," Aurora whispered, nodding her head and glancing his way. She was standing on the side where the man couldn't see her.
"Well, I think you should go." Hayley faked a calm she didn't feel. Her hand on the doorknob tightened, betraying her uneasiness.
"Why? Why can't we talk now? We can talk inside. It's cold out here." At Jacob's words, Hayley's heart beat faster. Aurora was right. The chance that he wasn't a creep flew out the window.
"No! Tell him 'no'!" Aurora whispered.
Hayley cast panicked glances at her sister, hoping she would find a way to resolve the situation. Her call for help was left unanswered, though. Cold sweat dripped down her back. She pursed her lips, feeling even more uncomfortable.
Jacob's smile faltered, but he recovered quickly. He had been pretending not to hear the sisters' whispers. The two didn't notice his slight stumble: one was busy whispering instructions, and the other was panicking.
"Can I use your bathroom?" The sudden change in conversation took Hayley by surprise, pulling her out of her daze. She reflexively agreed.
"Hayley!" Aurora shouted.
Hayley tried to close the door. Jacob blocked it with one hand and pushed it wide open, making Hayley stumble. Aurora fell, trying to avoid the door hitting her. Hayley stared wide-eyed as a huge smile appeared on Jacob's face. It stretched literally from ear to ear. No regular human could smile like that.