rebound

Day 1 of #NovelPossible. If you know, you know…

Veronica was on the prowl. She was 6 months out of a toxic 2-year relationship. She was in graduate school in SF. She had a new life and a new group of friends. She was in therapy, in school to become a therapist, and surrounded by want-to-be therapists. Healing was happening!

She lived in a cool part of the city with a great roommate who was almost never there. She felt amazing due to her obsession with ashtanga yoga. She was young, naive & feeling a little wreck-less.

One night at a tiki bar, Veronica danced with a cute fireman. He was the kind of dancer who made her feel like she was an amazing dancer. As he twirled her in & out of his arms, her ring flew off her finger into the crowd. It was a silver ring from Tiffany’s. She had bought it for herself and promised she would always choose and care for herself first.

She screamed in distress at losing her ring. Her fireman dance partner took charge of the room immediately. He cleared the dance floor in minutes & was searching for her ring on his knees until he found it. He presented it to her on his knee. She couldn’t imagine anything sexier. She took him home with her that night.

Cute fireman was all about her. He was always available & attentive in all the right ways. He gushed about how beautiful & sweet she was.

Veronica didn’t know about love bombing yet. She didn’t know that someone being too into you too fast could be a red flag. She thought red flags were more like someone being an obvious drug addict, an alcoholic, or abusive.

They went to karaoke, bowling, and for long Sunday drives up the coast. They went to costume parties in couples costumes. He constantly cooked her amazing meals. Hot fireman also aspired to be a chef. Classic.

It was the holidays & he took her to fireman parties. He was Mr. May in a calendar of half-naked firemen. They went for a ride in a Toys for Tots ambulance on a “toy collecting emergency” where they sirened their way thru SF holiday traffic.

On Christmas Eve, after 5 weeks of fun, they were at a party & fireman said he had a surprise package for her. They went upstairs & he got one knee & proposed to her with his grandmother’s ring.

Veronica had never felt so shocked or blindsided. She was 23. She had no idea that fireman didn’t know he was her rebound. She thought she had made that clear… Oops.