Pepper Spray

What we see is what is true.

Love is like every other thing,

If we don't see it, then it does not exist.

It's just an illusion,

Until we see it.

Nicole felt like tearing up. Everything seemed to have stopped, but her blue eyes couldn't stop themselves from spinning. She felt the world crumbling around her. Her chest felt heavy. Perhaps her heart had turned to stone from what she had just seen. A sight that broke her heart. The sight of the love of her life 'Nike' on his knees proposing to another woman.

"Nike?". She called out to him. Tears left her eyes the moment his name came out of her mouth.

He looked over. His eyes widened. Perhaps he was shocked to see the lady he had left in New York with the lie that he was going on a business trip to Spain, Now in Paris with him today.

"Who is she?". Nicole heard the unknown lady who Nike was on his knees proposing to ask.

"She's nobody". Nike replied as he shifted his attention from Nicole unfazed and continued with what he was up to as though she was never there.

'Nobody'. Shit. Who would have known that she was nobody to the man she had visualized spending the rest of her life with?

That was how her only love story ended four years ago. That was how 'Nike Gabriel' the supposed love of her life who she dated for three good years ended up deceiving her and marrying an unknown lady who he was also dating, behind her back.

When she asked Nike when they had accidentally crossed paths in New York later that year, why he did what he did to her. All he said was that "he never truly loved her". That incident redefined Nicole Richard. From that day henceforth she stopped believing in love. That was the reason she hated weddings. To her,  love was nothing more than an illusion. It wasn't true.  However, for today she would keep her opinion to herself and enjoy every occasion of her friend Julia's wedding.

The couple exchanged their vows and it was time for the kiss.

"You may now kiss the bride". Nicole heard the priest say. Immediately Julia and Brown locked their lips and wrapped their hands around each other. The sight seemed to interest the crowd as they gave the couple a clapping ovation but not Nicole. Rather she felt pity for Julia.

The rest of the occasion went pretty noisily to Nicole. She sneaked out of the reception and stopped by a bar close to her house on her way home. It was ten p.m already. After taking a bottle or two, she would head home and prepare for work tomorrow. She was the assistant director of "The Creator" the second-biggest real estate agency in the whole of New York. A position she had gotten through her hard-given efforts, an effort fueled by the heartbreak she suffered four years ago. Tomorrow she was going to be meeting her new boss. The previous CEO of The Creator Mr. Will Johnson had decided to retire and hand over everything to his son and tomorrow she was going to be meeting him for the first time.

"Is something perhaps bothering you pretty lady?". She heard someone ask her from behind. She turned to see who it was. She didn't recognize him. It was her first time seeing him. He was damn handsome. He had Viking gold hair with bristly eyebrows. His cheekbones stood out in a well-defined way with his sculpted nose.

"No." She simply said and turned over again. She wasn't interested in talking to him. His look reminded her of Nike and the last thing she wanted was to get involved with anyone that looked like Nike.

"Can I get you a drink?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"No" She replied again and turned her head away from him. She noticed how the smile on his face revealed his dimples. His eyes sparkled brightly

"I am Brad. What's your name?". He asked.

"None of your business". she replied as she paid for her drink and stood to leave.

She stepped out of the bar and moved towards her car. It was around eleven p.m and the parking lot seemed empty. There was practically no one around. She couldn't wait to get into her car and drive home. She had almost gotten to her car when she noticed the man from the bar moving towards her from behind. Fear gripped her.

'Was he a stalker?'.

'Did her response at the bar anger him?'.

She placed her hand in her bag to quickly bring out her car key so she could get in and drive off before he got to her but her hands didn't seem to find it. Luckily for her, it touched her pepper spray.

"Miss". She heard him call as he grabbed her shoulder.  Without wasting time or thinking twice she turned and sprayed the pepper spray all over his face. She got him.

"Shit, shit". He screamed.

"Why the hell did you follow me?". She asked. She wondered why she asked the moment the word dropped off her mouth. 'Who asks a stalker, why he was stalking?'.

"You left your key back there. I just wanted to give you your key."  He said stretching out one hand to show her a car key that he held in his hand while his other hand covered his eyes. "You dropped your key at the bar. I only wanted to return it to you." He explained.

The key was indeed her car key. She must have left it at the bar.

She knew she had made a mistake. She would have waited to know why he followed her before using the spray on him.

"Thank you". she said as she took it from him.

"You don't have to thank me." He said with his eyes still covered. "can I at least know your name?"

"My name is Nicole. Nicole Richard." She said with a smile.

"Nicole Richard. I'll remember the name. It's too beautiful not to remember". He said tenderly as he smiled back at her.

She heard the tenderness in his voice and thought to herself,

'It's just an illusion.'

'Until we see it.' With that thought in her heart, she went into her car and drove off without looking back.