Jonathan's Wish

Jonathan’s Wish

Chapter One

Jonathan was excited, tonight was the night! He had a date with his longtime girlfriend, Beth and he was going to pop the question. He had a stunning ring, a white gold band with a heart shaped amethyst surrounded by 1 carat diamonds. It had cost him a small fortune but she was worth so much more. They were going to meet at the bar where they first met and have a few drinks, and then he would propose. The bar staff was in on it too, and he had the corner booth reserved. This was going to be the best night of his life!

He got out of the shower, toweled off and wrapped his long hair in the towel, then trimmed his beard, put on some cologne. Pulling on a purple polo and black jeans, he checked the clock, "Shit! I'm going to be late!". He grabbed his keys, bolted out the door and jumped in his car.

Jonathan's favorite bartender, Keelie, looked up and grinned as he walked through the door. "Well if it isn't the man of the night. I've got your booth ready for you." she said and waved Jonathan over to the corner booth. Which was set up with a candle and a single red rose in a small vase. As he sat down on one of the chairs that wobbled slightly with age Keelie came over with his usual; an Angel's Envy served neat. "This one's on me, for your lucky night. Let me be the first to say welcome to the engaged life."

"Thanks, I'm going to need this." he said as he took a swig from his drink. "The nerves are starting to hit. It's about time this bachelor settled down. I can't imagine being with anyone else. Want to see the ring?"

"Most definitely!" she exclaimed and leaned in to get a better look. He pulled out the purple crushed velvet box and popped it open. "Ooh, she's a lucky one! I wish my boyfriend would get me one that beautiful," she said, shooting a glare at one of the guys sitting at the far end of the bar. If he noticed, he didn't show any signs of it.

"Yeah, it cost me a fortune. It's about time for her to show up and it looks like you have a few patrons trying to get your attention. So shoo." Jonathan said as he gave her a playful wave and took another sip of his drink while he waited for his soon to be fiancee to arrive.

Three drinks and two unanswered phone calls later he was starting to worry. She had a habit of running late, but always called to let him know. It wasn't until after his fourth drink and an hour past their agreed upon time did his phone finally ring. He fumbled to answer, but the name that he read wasn't hers, it was his best friend Nate. “Why would he be calling me? He knows I’m popping the question tonight. Must be important."

Jonathan shrugged as he answered, "Hey man what's up, you know I'm supposed to be on a date right now."

"Yeah, about that... Are you sitting down?" Nate said in an uncharacteristically serious voice.

"Um, yeah. What's up man?"

"She's not going to make it. I went to pick her up like we agreed, but when I got there there was an ambulance." There was a long pause and a deep sigh from the other end. "I'm at the coroners right now. She had a heart attack. I'm so sorry."

Jonathan dropped his glass and it fell off the table and shattered on the floor, spilling what was left of the drink. "You're joking! You have to be joking!"

"Trust me bro, I wish I was." Nate said. "You going to be okay?"

Jonathan didn't answer, he just stared at his phone for about thirty seconds before hanging up and staring vacantly into space.

Keelie walked over at that point and asked, "Hey is everything okay? You look a little pale."

Jonathan turned his thousand mile stare towards her and said simply, "She's dead," before slumping into his chair, all his joy having been sucked from him in that instant.

"What do you mean, 'she's dead'? She was in here just last night and seemed fine."

"That was Nate on the phone just now. He was going to pick her up but the paramedics were there and had pronounced her dead on the scene. Apparently she had a heart attack or something. Sorry about the glass."

"Fuck, I'm so sorry man. Here come over to the bar, I'm not going to have you sulking over here in the corner all alone. Your tab’s on me tonight." Keelie said as she half helped, half forcefully dragged Jonathan over to the bar. After putting him on a bar stool she went back around the bar and poured a full glass of Angel's Envy for him and set the bottle in front of him as well. "Drink up man, I'll take you home tonight. Still on 18th Street?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Keelie."

Some time and more than half a bottle later he waved keelie over, "Hey got a smoke? I know I quit like a year ago, it was for her. But I really need one right about now."

"Sure sweetie, just a sec." She disappeared into the supply closet and came back with a pack of smokes and a lighter. "Here, I take it you need a lighter as well? Keep the pack and I can send my boyfriend for more." Jonathan nodded and scooped up both the pack and lighter before pulling one out and lighting it. "Hey, not inside the bar! You know the rules!"

Jonathan sighed and walked outside with the cigarettes and bottle. Outside he took a long drag off the cigarette burning down about a quarter of it before exhaling a large cloud of smoke, the full moon illuminating the cloud as it drifted upwards. Taking a gulp straight from the bottle he let out a heavy sigh and followed the smoke with his eyes as it crossed the moon. "She would have loved this night. She always said the full moons were her favorite. I wish I was anywhere but here." At that moment a shooting star streaked across the full moon and he could have sworn he saw the shadow of a unicorn on the surface of the moon but he brushed it off as just being drunk.