Valentine's Recipe for Love

♡ Megan ♡ I stared at the perfectly folded napkin on the pristine white tablecloth as I twisted the stem of my wine glass absently. Around me, laughter and conversation filled the packed dining room of Bella Notte, one of Rockland’s most sought-after restaurants. The soft clinking of silverware against plates, the hum of romantic ballads drifting through the speakers, and the occasional pop of a champagne cork only added to the Valentine’s Day atmosphere. It was exactly how I had imagined this night would be – except I was sitting alone. Brendan wasn’t coming. That much was obvious. My phone, which I had placed face up on the table, remained frustratingly silent. I had sent him a text twenty minutes ago, but there had been no response. And I knew that he wouldn’t respond either. I let out a slow breath and leaned back in my chair, as I tried to act like I was simply waiting for someone running fashionably late. But the pitying glances from nearby tables told me I wasn’t fooling anyone. Especially not myself. “Miss Sawyer?” the hostess, a woman who looked barely out of high school, approached my table with a nervous smile. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but we have a bit of a situation,” I arched a brow, relieved by the distraction. “What kind of situation?” “Well, another guest has also been, um, left waiting, and we are completely overbooked. Would you be open to sharing your table? Just for tonight?” she questioned, and my first instinct was to say no. This table was supposed to be for Brendan and me. A romantic evening that I had planned months in advance. Sharing it with a stranger felt like I would be admitting defeat. But then I glanced around at the crowded restaurant and caught another wave of sympathetic looks. Sitting here alone was humiliating enough. Why not rip the bandage off? “Fine,” I said with a tight smile. “I guess it’s better than sitting here by myself,” “Thank you! I’ll bring him over,” she exclaimed in obvious relief. “Him?” I muttered under my breath, but she was already weaving her way through the tables. A moment later, she returned, accompanied by a man who looked like he had just stepped out of a fitness magazine. Tall, broad-shouldered, and effortlessly confident, he wore a simple button-down shirt that stretched slightly across his chest. His light brown hair was neatly trimmed, and his deep brown eyes scanned the room before landing on me. “This is Shane,” the hostess said brightly. “Shane, this is Megan. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” as she disappeared, Shane slid into the chair across from me and offered a polite smile. “Well, this is awkward,” he remarked, and I let out a short laugh, more at his bluntness than the situation. “Tell me about it. Did you get stood up too?” I couldn’t help but ask. I couldn’t imagine anyone standing him up. The man was gorgeous. Of course, looks weren’t everything. Shane’s polite smile faded. “Something like that. My girlfriend…or maybe ex-girlfriend now…texted me to say she wasn’t coming,” “At least she texted you,” I remarked dryly. “My boyfriend didn’t even bother,” Shane frowned at that as he shook his head. “That’s rough. I’m sorry,” “Thanks. And, uh, sorry about your girlfriend,” I said, and I hated how awkward this was. I couldn’t help but silently curse Brendan for standing me up. Shane shrugged as he picked up the menu. “I guess it’s their loss…so…are we doing this? Dinner for two?” I hesitated, but his easygoing demeanor put me at ease. “Sure, why not…might as well make the best of it,” I said. My earlier server approached, and we ordered appetizers and wine. Thankfully, the initial awkwardness had begun to fade. As it turned out, Shane was surprisingly easy to talk to and his self-deprecating humor had me laughing more than I had in weeks. “Wait, wait,” I said as I put up my hand. “What?” Shane asked and the sheepish look on his face made me giggle. “You are a fitness instructor? I mean…of course, you are…just look at you,” I blushed as I ducked my head. “Me? What about you? A baker? What are you talking about…I once tried to make a simple loaf of bread, and it ended up so dense that my neighbor had jokingly used it as a doorstopper,” I burst out laughing at that. “Well you are lucky I own a bakery…if we ever do this again, I’ll bring dessert,” I said and he raised an eyebrow. “Is that an invitation?” “Ah…maybe. If you play your cards right,” I said, and by the time the appetizers arrived, I had almost forgotten all about Brendan. Shane had a way of making me feel seen. Like I wasn’t just some lonely girl trying to salvage a ruined Valentine’s Day. After all, he had been stood up too. “So, Megan…what’s up with you and your boyfriend?” Shane asked after we ordered our entrées. “I mean…who would ditch you on Valentine’s Day?” “I guess I thought he would change,” I admitted. “I mean, we have been together for two years, and I kept hoping he would start prioritizing me. But tonight…” my voice trailed off, as I shook my head. “Tonight was the last straw,” “You deserve better,” he remarked with a nod, his gaze steady. Just then, my phone buzzed on the table and I glanced down to see that it was a message from Brendan. I couldn’t help but check the message despite Shane sitting right across from me. Brendan: s**t, I’m sorry. Something came up. I’ll see you tomorrow. I stared at the message in disbelief. Then I glanced over at Shane, who was watching me with an unreadable expression. “Let me guess…that’s him?” he asked and I nodded. “Yeah. Apparently, something came up,” “And what are you going to say?” he asked and, for a moment, I actually considered sending him a reply. But then I thought about all the effort I had gone through for tonight. Booking a reservation at the restaurant. The sheer number of hours I had spent picking out a dress. And of course, the fact that I had closed the bakery early for tonight. “Honestly, I don’t think he deserves a response,” I said to Shane. Eventually, our entrées arrived and even though I had just met Shane, I didn’t want the night to end. “Would you like dessert?” I shyly asked him. Shane looked over at the menu, but I quickly shook my head. “No, I meant…from my bakery?” the meal was pretty much over, and we had already agreed to split the bill. But when I saw him hesitate, I knew the night had come to an end. At least for us. “Maybe next time,” I hurriedly said before he could outright reject me. We paid the bill and left the restaurant. “I’m this way,” Shane said, and I smiled. “And I’m this way,” I pointed in the opposite direction. “This was…unexpected,” he said. “But I’m glad it happened,” “Me too,” I said, and he hesitated for a moment before he leaned in and kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you around, Megan,” “See you around, Shane,” I whispered as I watched him disappear down the sidewalk. Finally, I turned in the opposite direction and headed for my car.