Valentines Day Love Triangle

By Samuel Mattei

The Borders Book Store in Springfield had one table left. The table was in the corner with the setting sun peaking through the window. The scheduled meeting time had come and gone once the clock struck 8 p.m.

At 8:10 Christine McKenzie walked in the door. She explained that her train at Temple had been late. Christine majors in pre pharmacy at Temple University in downtown Philadelphia.
Growing up with a single mother and younger sister in Drexel Hill meant she had no money for college. Her only way to get through school is to go every other semester through borrowing loans from the bank.

With Valentines day coming up Christine has a choice to make. She has a caring boyfriend named Greg who she has spent a short but loving relationship with. According to McKenzie Greg is a full time employee at Boeing with a sure future ahead of him. She said she also has a new, more interesting option in a newly acquired friend Kowal. Kowal is a student at Williamson Trade School who aspires to be a painter.

Q: First off, I would just like to say thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. The time was not too much of a problems was it?

A. No. Not at all.

Q. Great. So Valentines Day is on the rise. Are you excited?

A. Excited might not exactly be the right word. But it will definitely be a special day.

Q. Has Valentines Day always been a special day for you?

A. No not really. I have had Valentines in the past, but none that have been extra memorable or special.

Q. Why not?

A. Because I never do anything special. It always ends up being, here are some flowers or candy. Never anything very spontaneous.

Q. Is this year an exception to that rule?

A. Yes. This year I’m supposed to celebrate Valentines Day with my boyfriend Greg, which is fine because Greg is a great guy and I really feel like I love him. But there is Kowal with whom I have I started a secret relationship with, honestly I would rather spend the day with Kowal.

Q. Do Greg and Kowal know about each other?

A. Well, Kowal knows about my boyfriend Greg, but Greg has no idea I am seeing someone else.

Q: If your feeling are stronger towards Kowal then what’s your reasoning for not breaking it off with Greg?

A. I’m afraid I would hurt him too much. He has been calling me telling me that he has been shopping every day buying me gifts and that he can’t wait to see me. I don’t know how to break it off without really hurting him. But I feel like I should make a decision before Valentines Day.

Q: What is it that you find so much more appealing about Kowal?

A. He seems like he will never give up on me. He knows I have a boyfriend but he is so consistent with trying to get me. He calls me, texts and talks to me more than Greg does.

Q. Do you see any chance of your relationship with Greg lasting much longer?
A. Not really. He works so much that I only see him once a week, but I see Kowal nearly every night. When I do get to hang out with Greg he ignores me and talks to his friends at the bar and other girls.

Q. When did yourself and Kowal start this secret relationship?

A. About two weeks ago, which is about three months after Greg and I started seeing each other.

Q. So as of right now what are your plans for Valentines Day?

A. I am supposed to go out with Greg, dinner and movies maybe. My dad told me his is planning on proposing to me sometime soon. I am nowhere near ready for that.

Q. What would you do if he popped the question to you on Valentines Day?

A. I would cry and have no idea what to say. It’s way too soon to even think about marriage. I have school to worry about and I am still so young.

Q. How is this Valentines Day going to stay in your memory over the next few years?

A. As a much more interesting one. Things change so much that who knows where I will be this time next year. I just hope everything goes well and all of these problems fade away.