A Leo's Love Life

Stacy slammed Trent’s front door leaving as she had so many times before. This was the last time, she vowed, as she stormed off to her pickup. She placed the final box of her belongings into the passenger’s side and sighed heavily. 

This relationship was supposed to be different. The one that would mark the end of her single life. The partner to last a lifetime. Ten whole years of her life she’d been stuck in the cycle of sacrificing pieces of herself in the name of keeping them together.  

She climbed in the truck and started the engine, glancing over one more time at her neglected garden. She sighed again. Would there ever be a yard she could claim as her own? She thought as she took off down the road towards her new apartment. 

As she drove, her mind drifted off to her past adult relationships, men she hadn’t thought about in ages, yet all the sudden couldn’t stop analyzing. 

Her trouble in romance started with the two Leos. Being a Leo herself, even amateur astrologists warned her not to date another fire sign, least of all a Leo. While she believed in astrology, her younger self liked the idea of a challenge. 

Nick was the first. The relationship had started out great, fabulous even, and Stacy had lived with him for nearly a year straight out of high school. They seemed like such a good fit with both being such passionate creatures, but unfortunately the fire spilled out into spectacular fights. 

Just as the arguments were reaching violent new heights, she met Brian. He encouraged her to get her own apartment, even promising to move in with her and pay half the bills. About six months in, Stacy had paid every single bill from the jump and done all the housework as well. One night, in a fiery Leo versus Leo battle of wits, Stacy threw all of his clothes into the hallway and locked him out, marking the end of that relationship. 

Then there was Joe, the Virgo. He moved into the apartment next door a few months after she had kicked Brian out. He was kind, self-sufficient, and funny. Nearly two years after they began dating, they started house hunting together. She still wasn’t sure what had happened with that relationship, and he swore up and down it couldn’t be boiled down to their final fight over how much closet space there should be in a master bedroom. It always felt like he had been too perfect for her to hold and simply slipped through her fingers. Just as well, since the lioness in her would have eaten him eventually. 

She pulled into the complex driveway and parked, looking down at her left hand. Palm reading had been an interest of hers since she was a kid, although she didn’t know much about it anymore. Once upon a time she could read her whole hand. After years of failed romances, though, she could only remember the love line. 

Trent was supposed to be the last notch that intercepted her life line. Happy ever after. She stopped obsessing about the lines on her hands and accepted her fate. Maybe that’s how she justified so much of his drama for so long. 

He was an Airies. She didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing in her limited knowledge of astrology, but it wasn’t another Leo or painful Virgo. Another fire sign, just like her. That was supposed to be compatible, right? Or rather, another thing she used to justify staying with him. 

As she got out of the truck and headed to the passenger’s side, her phone rang. Looking down at the number, she mumbled “Of course it’s Trent.” 

Answering the phone she asked, “What? What could you possibly want?” 

“You took my tablet,” the voice on the other end replied. 

She yanked open the door and looked in the box with the rest of odds and ends that had once been her side of the bed. There on the top was the tablet. 

“Yeah and? It’s mine, you gave it to me,” she spat back, scooping up the box into her free hand and tucking it under her arm. She used an elbow to shut the door. 

“I didn’t give it to you. I let you use it. And now I want it back. I need it,” Trent demanded. 

Stacy frowned, quickening her step towards the apartment entrance. 

“For what?” she barked as she reached the door. Before she could figure out how to open it while juggling both box and phone, a hand reached out and opened the door for her. Stacy was a little startled as she hadn’t seen anyone standing there. 

“I need it for business. But that’s not the point. I want my property back.”

Stacy’s face burned, part from anger at his choice of words and part embarrassed because a woman with dark short brown hair that looked vaguely familiar was standing there listening to this mess. As much as she wanted to scream back at Trent, she wasn’t about to do it in front of a probable neighbor in the lobby of her new apartment. 

She briefly wondered how much of the conversation the stranger could hear, and if she sounded like a lunatic. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to the woman who helped her with the door before flashing a weak smile. 

“You’re just going to have to wait until tomorrow when I go to work. It’s late and I’m tired, I’m not driving back over there,” She said as quietly as her temper would allow. Having worked the lunch shift before arguing for the rest of the afternoon at Trent’s house, she was down right hangry. 

“I need it tonight.” 

“Stop saying need. You don’t need it,” she quipped. 

“Whatever Stacy. I want it. I’ll be over in an hour or two.” 

She felt like throwing the phone, but ended the call and shoved it into her back pocket instead. 

“Sorry,” Stacy turned to the slightly older woman still standing there. She didn’t want to seem rude or weird, so she added, “Thank you for the help. I get a little cranky when I haven’t eaten. And he makes me so mad.” 

“Don’t apologize, the guy sounds like a real jerk,” the neighbor replied. “And you’re welcome. I’m Amber, by the way. I live just a couple doors down from you. What’s going on, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

“This stupid idiot wants his tablet back tonight. I’m starving and I don’t even know if I have enough in the fridge to throw together a meal,” Stacy answered as the two climbed the steps to the third floor. 

“I can help you with that, too,” Amber grinned. “Seriously I have a fridge full of homemade spaghetti I just made yesterday. Someone has to help me with it.” 

“Honestly, that sounds amazing.” 

After tossing the box onto her kitchen table and changing out of her work clothes, Stacy walked down the hall to Amber for a nice home cooked meal. 

“This is so much better than spaghetti at work,” Stacy mumbled through a mouthful. 

“Yeah Grace’s Diner doesn’t have very good food. I recognised your uniform, I used to work there years ago. In the kitchen,” Amber said before she took a large bite from her fork. 

Stacy nodded, totally agreeing with the assessment of the diner’s quality of cooking. The only thing that would make Amber’s spaghetti better was some wine. 

Amber suddenly stood up, as if she read Stacy’s mind. “Hey! How about a glass of wine? After the day you’ve had, you deserve it” 

“Oh! I …” Stacy was caught off guard by the intuitiveness. She could barely get Trent to listen to her, and here this woman was meeting her needs without her asking. “Yes, please!”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to think I’m trying to get you drunk or anything. I know what you gotta go give What’s-his-face his toy back,” Amber said with a smirk. 

“Trent. It’s fine. When he says an hour or two it’s usually about two and a half. I’ve got time,” Stacy answered, still trying to settle her mind after dealing with him for half the day already. 

“Good! Plenty of time to enjoy our dinner then,” Amber said as she grabbed the wine and poured two glasses. “And we don’t have to talk about the jerk. Tell me more about you instead. How’d you get here, right now, in this apartment complex?” 

“Whew,” Stacy said as she released a big breath. “That’s a long story. You sure you want to hear it?” 

“Of course!” Amber replied, handing her a glass. 

Stacy rambled off the same explanation she’d given herself on the drive home. About the exes, her silly fascination with astrology, and how she got together with Trent. Amber rarely interrupted, mostly nodding and laughing occasionally. 

She spilled everything, feeling comfortable with this new friend. It had been so long since she’d had anyone to talk to like this, who would actually listen and ask questions. Trent had somehow managed to isolate her from any friends she once had. She barely noticed when Amber refilled her wine while she was going on about herself. 

“So about six years ago, I got a job as a waitress at Grace’s,” Stacy explained. 

“That tracks. I worked there a whole ten or twelve years ago. Probably just as you were getting with What’s-his-face.” 

Stacy laughed, amused at Amber’s game of not learning his name. She hadn’t had this much fun in ages, and was soaking in the feeling of freedom from all the drama that had become so much a part of her daily life. 

“I got the job at Grace’s to make my own money again. As an escape plan, if you will. I was just tired of being taken care of, or being someone’s property, ya know?” Stacy said as she swallowed the last drops of wine. 

“Sorta,” Amber said with a smirk, before she also finished her glass. “Astrology aside, why do you think you were attracted to any of these men?” 

Stacy had to claw through the wine fog to search for an answer. “Stability, I guess. To get married? The option of having a family, or something. I don’t know, that’s just what we’re supposed to do, right?” 

“Not necessarily,” Amber smiled, as if she had a secret. “So, money, basically. A house. Two point five kids or whatever. Because they were attracted to you, understandably,” she paused to give Stacy a look-over in her casual jeans and t-shirt with her long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail before she continued, “Not because you love them or because they looked and acted like Prince Charming.” 

Stacy couldn’t argue, yet knew there had to be more to her love life. She loved Trent, right? Or did she just love the garden, the house without bills, and all the perks someone with money could give her? Like the tablet…

“What time is it?! How long have we been sitting here?” Stacy said as she jumped out of her seat. As she rushed to the door, she added, “Thank you! Really! So much…” 

“Hey no problem. Want me to come with you? Or at least stand in the hall and eavesdrop?” 

“Nah, I’m good. I need to deal with him alone,” Stacy replied, thankful there was finally another human with a genuine interest in her wellbeing. “But again, thank you.” 

She gave Amber a quick surprise hug that was even more surprisingly returned before rushing out the door. 

Trent was standing in the hall as Stacy approached her apartment. 

“Where the hell have you been? I thought you were tired?” Trent snarled. 

“Shhh. This is an apartment. You can’t be yelling in the hallway. I have neighbors,” Stacy whispered as she led them both inside. 

“I know what an apartment is,” Trent hissed. “Are you drunk?” 

“No!” Stacy lied. 

He wasn’t interested in probing any further, because he was never interested in Stacy’s life outside of what she could offer him. He continued, “Well, we wouldn’t be doing this right now if you’d stop playing this game and come home.” 

Stacy rolled her eyes and walked over to the box where his precious tablet was still sitting on top. It annoyed her that he was still pushing for them to get back together, as if he could buy it. There was not one ounce of love left, if there ever had been. No trace of feelings or concerns for him. She just wanted him gone for good. 

She turned to face him, tablet in hand, and stated firmly, “No. We’re done.” 

“Oh come on, you can’t be happy here. You make nothing, have nothing,” he waved his hand around, gesturing at the sparsely furnished room. “You don’t even have a TV!” 

She looked down at the tablet, which she had planned to use for movies, games, or something to keep her entertained. After tonight, though, she felt confident she’d survive without it. 

“Here. Get out,” Stays said flatly, thrusting the device at him. She could have been angry about his insults, but instead she felt empowered. Amber may not have come with her, but her words sure did. 

Trent tried to protest, but Stacy stayed firm, shoving him out and slamming the door in his face. 

Stacy slumped against the door, smiling. She felt relief and excitement for standing up to someone that had stolen so much of her life. She wasn’t sure if it was the last time she’d have to deal with Trent, but she was certain the door of her heart was securely closed for him and men like him forever. It felt like a new world, one not predetermined by the stars or the lines in her hand, stretched out before her. 

She was free.