Page 97 of Save the Drama for your Mama
ChapterTwenty-Three
MELODY
Three Days Later . . .
“You are worthy. You are enough. You deserve healthy love. You have all you need inside you already. Your worth isn’t defined by another person. You are whole all on your own.”
The radio silence back was devastating.
I exhaled deeply, taking in the words of the positive affirmations from the much-needed app on my phone, hoping I’d start to believe them.
Nope. Not yet. Too early.
My so-called vacation by myself turned out to be nothing but a big, giant mope-fest. Nothing could make me feel better. Not the Ultimate Haunted Hollywood Tour. Not the Heritage Square Museum. Not even shop-hopping for vintage collectibles in the NoHo Arts District.
These were sure things!
I shook my head, pulled out my ear buds, and stuffed them in my purse, giving up on the affirmations as well. I had one more chance to get Cooper off my mind before I headed back to Coronado, and it was the one and only Rose Bowl Flea Market. If this couldn’t snap me out of my funk, nothing could.
I trudged through the aisles lined with antique treasures and vintage knick knacks. I browsed antique oil paintings in gilded frames, teak sideboards, rhinestone brooches, porcelain dolls, first edition novels, coin collections, and brass horns, for starters. Not even those things could take my mind off Cooper today.
Maybe I needed to cut myself some slack.
Getting over him would take a while.
Suddenly, there was a commotion as people began pointing at the sky and chattering excitedly. I looked up to see what the fuss was about. A small plane was flying over the stadium, towing a long banner behind it. As it circled lower, I could read the message it displayed:
You have bewitched me, body and soul.
My breath caught in my throat.
I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.
The antique dealer in front of me followed my gaze. “My, my, someone is quite the romantic! I dare say any lady would melt to have such a message intended for her.”
Too bad it wasn’t for me. Not that it was possible, since Cooper didn’t know I was in Pasadena. Part of me wished he knew.
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Yeah . . . very romantic.”
“Oh, no—wait a minute,” the woman said. “That is quite unfortunate.”
The letter L peeled off the banner and fluttered away.
Then the letter S.
Then the B.
One by one, random letters continued to fall off the banner, the message of “You have bewitched me, body and soul” disappearing right before our eyes.
Only eight of the original letters remained.
The woman grimaced, reading what was left. “Interesting turn of events.”
I snorted. “That’s an understatement.”
The banner behind the plane now read something completely different.
You witch.
