Nelly is desperate to find love but fears she won’t ever meet the right person. As she sees people around her finding love, she notices a man she would love to meet getting ditched by another girl. Nelly decides to leave him a note, pretending to be the other girl, to get a chance to talk to him.
At the counter in a local bar, a thirty-year-old waitress named Nelly wiped glasses. As usual, she chatted with her colleague, Ron, the bartender, during the free moment between serving and taking orders.
Ron poured drinks for customers while chatting with Nelly. “Let me get this straight. You don’t like going to clubs because they’re too noisy,” Ron said, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, that’s right,” Nelly confidently replied, wiping a glass until it sparkled.
Shaking his head, Ron continued listing his points. “You don’t like going on blind dates because they take too much time, and you don’t enjoy them…”
“Yes, that’s also right, I don’t like them,” Nelly nodded, placing the clean glass on the shelf.
“And you don’t want to register on dating sites because there are too many weirdos. But you still want to find the love of your life, right?”
Ron said with a sarcastic tone, smirking as he poured a beer.
“Well, that’s pretty much it…” Nelly replied, realizing where Ron was leading. She sighed, feeling a bit defensive.
“So, how do you expect your prince to find you if all you do is work and read books at home?” Ron asked, leaning on the counter, his eyes twinkling with amusement
“In the books you dislike so much, the prince always finds a way!” Nelly shot back, crossing her arms.
“Maybe that’s why they’re called books. Real life is different,” Ron added with a laugh as he returned to his work and handed a customer their drink.
Nelly knew Ron was right. At just over thirty, she couldn’t boast much personal experience.
As she got older, it became increasingly difficult to meet new people and muster the courage to develop relationships.
She felt a pang of frustration. Why couldn’t her life be more like the stories she read? She yearned for a connection, but her fears and insecurities held her back.
The bar was dimly lit, filled with the hum of conversation and clinking glasses. Nelly glanced around, noticing the regulars and a few new faces.
She loved her job, but it often made her feel even more isolated. She watched people come and go, laughing and connecting while she remained on the sidelines, cleaning up their messes.
Suddenly, Nelly noticed a man trying to flirt with a beautiful woman at the counter.
She found it very interesting because the man’s face seemed so genuine and kind, and she liked how awkwardly he nervously approached the woman. Nelly decided to move a little closer to eavesdrop.
“Excuse me… You are very beautiful. Can I buy you a cocktail?” the man asked, his voice trembling slightly.
The woman was clearly not impressed. She slowly looked him up and down and reluctantly replied, “I drink martinis…”
The man turned to Ron and, showing two fingers, said, “Two martinis, please.”
Turning back to the woman, he continued, and Nelly tried to discreetly observe the pair because she was very curious about the man.
“My name is Peter,” he said, smiling nervously.
“Monica,” the woman replied, barely making eye contact.
Nelly watched as Peter tried to keep the conversation going, but it was clear to her that the woman wasn’t interested.
She only wanted the free cocktails. Peter kept talking, asking Monica about her favorite movies and hobbies, but her responses were short and disinterested. She kept glancing around the bar, looking bored.
A few minutes later, after returning to the counter from one of her rounds, Nelly noticed that the woman had left the bar, but Peter was still sitting at the counter, looking around as if waiting for her.
Nelly approached Ron and whispered, pointing at Peter, “What’s he waiting for? She left.”
“I heard her say she was going to the restroom. She lied to him and went home. Classic. Why do you care?”
“I don’t, just curious…”
Nelly felt very sorry for Peter. She saw the genuine kindness in his eyes and felt a pang of empathy. He didn’t deserve to be treated like that.
While he was away in the restroom, she did something she never expected of herself. She grabbed a pen and wrote a note on a napkin.
“Sorry, Peter, I had to run… It was very nice talking to you. Here’s my number. Be sure to text me!”
She wrote down her number, placed it under Peter’s glass, and walked away. When Peter returned, he saw the note and read it, and his face immediately lit up with a smile. He paid his bill and left the bar, clutching the napkin like a lifeline.
Ron looked at Nelly in surprise and asked, “What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” Nelly replied with a smile. But inside, she felt a flutter of excitement. She couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
That evening at home, Nelly kept glancing at her phone, knowing she had done something wrong. She shouldn’t have written anything. She had only deceived Peter and definitely hadn’t improved things.
She should have approached him herself if she wanted to meet him, but that was the scariest thing she could imagine doing. She would never have dared.
Nelly’s mind raced as she replayed the events of the day. She knew she should have been honest from the start, but fear had taken over.
Now, she was stuck in a web of her own making, and the anxiety gnawed at her.
Suddenly, Nelly heard a message notification. It was Peter.
“Hi again, Monica! I’m sorry you had to go. I really enjoyed talking with you! Are you okay?”
Seeing the message, Nelly was stunned. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t just not respond. Maybe now was the time to confess everything and tell Peter the truth. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, her heart pounding.
But Nelly couldn’t resist holding the phone and seeing the message. It made her feel wanted, and she realized how much she missed attention and communication.
And here was a kind, polite, and attractive man messaging her. Nelly continued to respond, pretending to be Monica.
They flirted and joked, jumping from topic to topic, and at times Nelly even forgot she was pretending to be someone else. Each message from Peter brought a smile to her face, and she found herself eagerly awaiting his replies.
Peter: “What’s your favorite movie, Monica?”
Nelly: “Oh, that’s a tough one! Probably ‘The Notebook.’ How about you?”
Peter: “I’m a big fan of ‘Inception.’ It’s mind-bending but so cool.”
Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and Nelly felt a connection growing. But the nagging guilt remained, a constant reminder of her dishonesty.
As much as she enjoyed talking to Peter, she knew it couldn’t last forever.
But eventually, the playful mood changed to a moment of shock that nearly stopped her heart. She saw a message from Peter.
“I really want to see you again. How about tomorrow evening? I know a great restaurant nearby.”
Nelly’s breath caught in her throat. The reality of her situation crashed down on her.
She had hoped this moment wouldn’t come, but deep down, she knew it was inevitable. Her mind raced with possible excuses, ways to avoid the confrontation she dreaded.
Without thinking, Nelly replied, “Yes, of course! I’ll be there at seven!” But the realization quickly brought her back to reality.
Sooner or later, it had to happen, and now she would have to tell the truth. After such deceit, there was no way this would turn out well.
That night, Nelly barely slept. She tossed and turned, her mind filled with scenarios of how the meeting with Peter could go.
She imagined his disappointment, his anger, and the hurt in his eyes when he realized she wasn’t Monica. It was a tormenting thought, but she knew she had to face it.
The day passed quickly, and soon Nelly was looking at the clock in the bar, realizing she had less than half an hour before meeting Peter, and it would all be over.
Her heart raced as she thought about what she was about to do. She had never felt this nervous before.
After her shift ended, she went to the restroom and changed into a simple yet elegant dress she had brought with her. She took a deep breath, looked at herself in the mirror, and tried to muster the courage she needed.
As Nelly walked to the meeting place, her mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. She kept thinking about what she would say and how Peter would react.
Would he be angry? Would he feel betrayed? She had no idea what to expect but knew she had to be honest.
Approaching the designated spot, she saw him. Dressed in a suit and holding a bouquet of flowers behind his back, Peter looked around nervously.
Nelly’s heart sank as she saw the hope and excitement on his face. She almost turned back, but then she remembered how she had started this and how hurt Peter would be if no one showed up.
She took a deep breath and took the first confident step toward him.
“Hi, Peter,” she said cautiously.
Peter turned to her, a confused look on his face. “Hi… Do we know each other?”
Nelly felt a lump in her throat but knew she had to push through it. “We need to talk,” she said softly. “I’m not who you think I am.”
Peter’s eyes widened with surprise, but he didn’t say anything. He just looked at her, waiting for an explanation.
Nelly took another deep breath and began to explain everything. She told him how she had seen him in the bar and left the note.
She explained her feelings and how she had been drawn to his kind and gentle eyes. She confessed that, unlike the girl from the bar, she valued him and would give anything to be in that girl’s place.
Peter’s hands dropped as she spoke, and his face showed shock. He didn’t look upset, but he was definitely surprised. Such a situation was unimaginable.
“Please forgive me. I acted terribly. I’m so sorry. You probably don’t want to see me anymore. I just couldn’t leave you here without explaining the truth,” Nelly said, tears welling up in her eyes.
She turned to leave, wanting to get away as quickly as possible. She was scared and ashamed. But suddenly, she felt Peter grab her hand.
“Please, don’t go,” he said gently.
Nelly turned back to him, her eyes wide with surprise. “Of course, I’m surprised by how everything turned out, and I’m not happy about being deceived. But your words… I believe your intentions were good.”
Nelly felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she didn’t know what to say.
“The table is already reserved… It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity,” Peter said with a smile, nodding towards the restaurant.
Nelly, barely holding back tears, nodded in agreement. They walked in together, and Nelly couldn’t help but feel that this was the beginning of something new.
It was a coincidence that brought together two people who might never have met otherwise.
As they sat down and started talking, Nelly felt a sense of hope she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, this unexpected twist could lead to something beautiful.
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