Lucky Ones

It's Friday night. The Guilded Truffle is one of the classiest, no, the classiest restaurant in town. With it's black-tie dress code, spotless, pastel decor, walk in fireplace and fresh-faced staff of lean, muscular waiters and fairly busty waitresses, the establishment projects an image of beauty similar to that of an upscale New York hot spot. The waiters move to and fro. Each of them rushing trays of warm meals and cold drinks to tables currently occupied by several twenty to thirty-somethings exchanging hilarious anecdotes, existential commentary and flirtatious looks as sultry music fills the background. Like a secret realm of fairies filling the air with their magickal light, the den is buzzing with the young crowd's positive energy. But, among all this brightness, rests a dark cloud.

Paige Rosenberg is 22 years old. She is single, somewhat overweight, and very upset. "You'd think if somebody was going to chicken out on a blind date they would at least have the balls to call you!" But he didn't. Perhaps he would've, had he not been giving his ex-girlfriend, well, make that"girlfriend" the best sex of her life right at this very moment. Sitting alone at a table meant for two, Paige is looking at her watch. "Nobody's ever this late. Nobody!" Being ditched was definitely not new territory for Paige. But, being ditched by someone she'd never even met, that was different. Twisting a lock of her black hair with the fingers of one hand and tapping the table with the other, the girl was growing more impatient by the minute.

She didn't exactly match the "Cover Girl" image of the girls in the restaurant. Her hair was long, thick and slightly curled, her elegant black cocktail gown was big enough to hide the love handles underneath, but not so large it could be mistaken for some sort of circus tent, her makeup job was adequate but not very glamorous, and clunky high heels that matched her dress and hair were somewhat school teacher-ish unlike the stilettos girls usually wear to these type of places. She may not have looked like what some would call beautiful, but she didn't look half as bad as she felt. A housekeeper at a local hotel still living in parent's house where she usually spent her Friday night's watching Buffy reruns, Paige wasn't very lucky. Not in finance, friendship and certainly not in love.

Every so-called boyfriend she could remember had turned on her in one way or another. Each one a liar, cheater, or just plain asshole who hurt her in ways you couldn't imagine. "Why couldn't I have had a nice, sweet, caring boyfriend who just turns out to be gay like so many other girls? With a "heartbreak hotel" history like this it was no wonder she never gave up her virginity. Not technically anyway. Surveying the room she took in the scene of

happiness. Thin and gorgeous girls laughing it up with their equally thin and equally gorgeous boyfriends. "Lucky", Paige thought. Groups of buddies toasting glasses and having the time of their lives, "Lucky", a cute couple leaning over to kiss each other across their table, "Lucky" a group of waiters singing "Happy Birthday" to three smiling blonde teenage guys who were obviously triplets, "Lucky" and two Maitre' Ds flirting with each other, "Lucky".

As the cheeriness in the room grew so did her jealousy. She glanced over to her left side and noticed a bald gentleman with caramel skin who propped on one knee proposing to his date.