This is my latest... and assignment for Senior Year English! Yaaay!!!
As always, opinions are appreciated!
Love Me Tender
By: Amrutha K Prasad
Isabella Stultridge sighed as she put on her mask and fixed her left earring. ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ she sighed to herself. Isabella generally wasn’t a very secretive person, if ever told a secret, she’d have to tell exactly one person, before faithfully keeping her mouth shut. For the past 10 years, the one person she’d told every secret to had been her husband Daniel Nathaniel Charles Stultridge, the love of her life. The fact that he practically owned the Upper East was just a matter of convenience. However, for the past two months, she had hardly told him anything, and had started talking to a masked stranger.
They had met at the Bass Annual Charity Masquerade Ball, where after being separated from Daniel, Isabella had been swept into the arms of a man that she could not recognize at all- something strange in itself. Talking to this man had been as easy as breathing and Isabella shamelessly danced with him all night long. They shared such a deep connection that when Isabella first looked up at his face she felt a type of shock surge through her, followed immediately by a feeling of extreme ease. It was almost reminiscent of the first time she looked at Daniel after falling in love with him… but only almost. This was different because it wasn’t Daniel, her husband, but someone she knows yet can’t identify. The man had acted the part of Cinderella, leaving the Ball at only midnight, but only after forcing a promise out of Isabella that they would meet again, the next week at the Copacabana, at precisely seven on Tuesday. They were to meet wearing exactly what they were wearing on that night.
After that, they met at a different restaurant every week on Tuesday’s at seven. Lola’s, Gardenia Italiana, The Cuban Cigar, and even Escape, always in the same formal dress but with varied conversation that ran so deep, and telling Mr. Mask felt so right that Isabella no longer felt like she needed to tell Daniel anything beyond the events of her day. Of course, she did feel guilty about all this sneaking around, but what else could she do? She was sure that Daniel would never find out, and even if he did, it wouldn’t matter that much… would it? Isabella was so confused, but this was one secret that no one could ever find out, and so she kept it to herself, and hoped that her masked love would do so as well.
Today’s dinner was meant to be different. It was obvious that the Man in the Silken Mask was tired of thinking of Isabella only as Lady Elegance, and had requested that at the end of this meal, they both take off their masks and continue without the secrecy.
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The conversation at table four flowed quite easily, over at The Plaza’s top restaurant. The servers couldn’t help but wonder, though at the odd masked couple that had such easy conversation. They found it quite silly that a couple so in love should need to hide from each other.
Slowly, business began to slow as 11:00 drew near and the beautiful but masked couple rose from their seats, and turned with their backs to each other.
“One.” They said together, unfastening the masks around their faces.
“Two.” They removed the masks and shut their eyes.
“Three.” As Isabella spun around, her eyes flew open before widening with shock. Before her, stood a tall, and ever so familiar figure… her mind was reeling.
“Bella?” said the deep, cautious voice of Daniel Stultridge before Isabella ran the short distance between them and held him tightly to her.
“Dan, oh Dan, I love you so much.” She whispered into his chest. Daniel bent his head, and kissed his wife’s hair.
“Bella, I always have and always will love you… and only you,” he said sincerely.
And there, on the other side of the restaurant the staff watched on as the sultry words of Elvis floated and hung in the air, over to the couple locked in each other’s arms as they swayed to the melody.
Love me tender,
love me sweet,
never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
and I love you so.
Love me tender,
love me true,
all my dreams fulfilled.
For my darlin' I love you,
and I always will.
Love me tender,
love me long,
take me to your heart.
For it's there that I belong,
and we'll never part.
Love me tender,
love me dear,
tell me you are mine.
I'll be yours through all the years,
till the end of time.
