Revenge In Stilettos

Volume One


Candace Jacobs waits, fairly impatiently, for her boyfriend Ron to arrive. They have 8 o'clock reservations at an exclusive new sushi restaurant in Westwood and he was running late, again.

She had spent hours rummaging through her closet in search of the perfect outfit for tonight. This was going to be a special evening. She stands in front of her floor-length mirror and inspects herself.

Candace is a beautiful, mocha-brown skinned woman with sparkling brown eyes and short, well-manicured hair. After much debate, she finally decides on a bronze-colored halter dress that broadcasts every foot of the four miles per day that she runs to keep everything in place.

Candace looks at the small digital clock on her nightstand for what seems like the thirtieth time. 7:32 glares out at her in harsh red numbers, taunting her.

Candace picks up her cell phone and stares at it. She didn’t want to seem like a nag, she had already text Ron twice. “Screw it!” She said as she dials his number, “I made these reservations two months ago!”

The phone rings four times before Ron finally picks up. “Hello?”

“Ronald? Where are you?”

“Hey, wassup Candy Cane?”

Candace winces at Ron’s insistence on using that stupid nickname. Couldn’t he call her Candace like she’d asked time after time?

“Um, where are you?” She asks again, “If we’re not at the restaurant in twenty minutes they’ll give away our table. You know I’ve been waiting a long time to go to Sake Fire!”

“Yeah, I’m just running a little late.” Ron takes a deep breath, “You know I’m not really into sushi. Shit, Asian food altogether!”

Candace rolls her eyes. He can be so selfish! “I’ve already told you that they’ve got steak and rice on the menu, things you eat everyday.”

“I just don’t know why you couldn’t take one of your girls or something. Every time I turn around y’all are eating something wrapped in seaweed!”

She is on the verge of losing her patience now. “Dammit Ronald! Are you coming or not? It’s too late to call one of my girlfriends and I wanted to spend this evening with you anyway! I mean shit, you wait until twenty minutes before our reservation to pull---“
Ron cuts her off, “I said I was coming! I was just asking you a question. I’m around the corner.”

Candace smiles and hangs up the phone. She runs into the bathroom to touch up her makeup and check her dress. “That was pretty selfish of him. I’ve made it perfectly clear how special I want this night to be!” She decides to shake it off. He’s still coming after all and they can still make it on time.

Ron pulls up in front of Candice’s townhouse and honks twice. She runs out the door and into his black Chevy Tahoe. Candace leans over and pecks him on the cheek while simultaneously lowering the volume on the radio.

“I really wish you wouldn’t honk. This is a quiet neighborhood and I don’t need people in my business.”

Ron speeds away without looking at her, “We’re in a hurry right?”

As they drive, Candace admires Ron’s strong appearance. His long, lean frame coupled with his caramel complexion would make a beautiful child. She senses tension between them but credits it to Ron’s embarrassment for making her wait. She proceeds to ramble on about her day at work until they reach the restaurant.

The building is packed with patrons and there are many unhappy-looking people milled outside. “They obviously didn’t make a reservation,” Candace whispers triumphantly to Ron. He rolls his eyes and glances, longingly, towards an IN-N-OUT burger joint across the street.

A very petite Japanese woman holding a clipboard greets them just inside the door. Candace admires the woman’s long, dark hair. It hangs almost to her waist! “Welcome to Sake Fire! Are you on our guest list?”

Candace chimes, “Yes! Jacobs, party of two.” The woman checks her clipboard, smiles and leads them inside the establishment.

Sake Fire is flawless! The décor made Candice forget that she just stepped out of a Los Angeles parking lot. She felt as though she was IN Japan! The music was authentic but not intrusive and every employee’s presentation was immaculate. Candace felt pleased with herself for deciding on this location to surprise Ronald.

They are led to the back of the restaurant. Their table was a small two-seater next to an enormous fish tank housing the most colorful and exotic fish that either of them had ever seen! Candace couldn’t avoid beaming. They had the best table in the house!

“Here are your menus. Your personal server will be with you very shortly. Enjoy your experience.” The dainty woman then turns and weaves her way through the tables back towards the entrance.

Candace instantly begins talking. “Isn’t this place amazing? I’m so glad we were able to get here in time! Close call though huh?”

Ron’s attention shifts from her to the massive fish tank. There were many vibrant-colored fish in the tank but the one that wasn’t colorful caught his attention. What was it called? Oh yeah, a puffer fish! Ron had never seen one in real life before. He’d watched the movie Finding Nemo with his nephew once before and remembered that they blew up like a balloon. He wondered if he could get it to puff up. Maybe if he tapped on the ---

“Ronald?”

The sound of his name snapped Ron out of his puffer fish infatuation. He looked at Candace but didn’t answer.

“Did you hear anything I just said?” Ron frowns, trying to remember something she had said. Candace forces a smiles, “I’ve been trying to make tonight special because I have something for you.” She gestures towards a black, velvet ring box she’s placed in front of him. He hadn’t realized that there was anything there.

“What’s this?”

“A surprise. If you had been listening to me the last five minutes you would have heard me say how much of a good team I think that we make. I’ve just been promoted and with that big contract you’ve just landed, we’re prime candidates for marriage and children.”

Rob chokes, “Whoa, whoa! What?”

“Please let me finish Ronald.” She’s got his full attention now. “I have no desire to have a fall or winter wedding. Everyone knows that summer is the best time of year for that sort of thing so I figured that we could take the next logical step while we wait.” Candace grins and sits back in her chair looking as if she just cured cancer.

Rob stares at her with his mouth open. “What was that? Did you just propose to me? What the hell was that Candace?”

Okay NOW he uses my real name, Candace thinks. “Will you please just open the box?”

Ron picks up the box and looks at it intently. This didn’t seem right. Wasn’t a man supposed to propose to a woman, when he was ready? This is too much!

“Hi! I’m Kelly and I’ll be you server today. May I interest you two in our specialty Sake Bombs before I take your order?” Ron was relieved for the break from Candace’s impatient glare.

Candace directs her attention towards the waitress. “You know Kelly, I’d love one of those Sake Bombs. Also a glass of water with a splash of lemon juice, but not the piece of lemon in it, okay?”

“Sure! And for you sir?”

“Yeah, Sake’s fine.”

“Wonderful, I’ll be back to take your order in a few, unless you’re ready now?”

“No thanks, we’ll need more time.” Candace answered.

“Okay I’ll be back shortly.”

Ron watches Kelly walk away. He slowly returns his eyes to Candace’s and is met with an annoyed stare. “What were we talking about?”

“You’re kidding me right?” Candace takes a deep, cleansing breath, “You were about to open that box and give me an answer, Ronald!”

Ron takes his own deep breath and looks Candice directly in her eyes, “I hate it when you call me Ronald. I told you my mom is the only person who uses that name and I like it that way.”

She cuts in, “I hate nicknames. You’re a professional man and you should use a professional name.”

“Don’t interrupt me.”

Candace opens her mouth to respond then decides against it. Ron twirls the box around in his hands but does not open it. “I gotta be honest with you. I’m not interested in what’s in this box after that lil speech you just gave. I have no plans of getting married or having kids any time soon and I’ve explained that to you numerous times. And the fact that you would make the decision to go ahead and decide to do whatever this is anyway confirms what I’ve been feeling for weeks.”

Ron stands and walks to Candace’s side. He places the box in front of her on the table. “I can’t do this anymore Candace. I hope you get what you’re looking for.” Without another word, he walks away and Candace is left alone wondering what just happened.

“Oh I see we lost someone,” Candace was startled by Kelly’s return. “Is your friend in the restroom? Would you like to wait to order?”

“No Kelly, it looks like it’s just going to be me.” She opens her menu and does a quick scan. “I’ll start with the Kani Salad, Salmon Sashimi and two orders of Shrimp Tempura.” She folds her menu and hands it to the server. “Oh and Kelly? Keep these Sake Bombs coming.”

Candace downs drink #1 and turns her attention to the ring box Ron had returned to her unopened.

“Asshole.” She opens the box to reveal a singular key on a key chain reading HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS.

Her intentions were to ease him into an engagement by inviting him to live with her. She had plenty of space and her Sherman Oaks zip code was much more appealing than that shit hole he paid too much rent for in Reseda!

Candace reaches across the table and downs Ron’s Sake Bomb in one gulp. She notices all of the happy couples seated all around her and suddenly feels very self-conscious at Ron’s absence.

Instantly, she realizes that she didn’t drive there, “Shit! How am I getting home?”