The Death of a Bachelor

Nope.  

Absolutely not.  

No way.  

No, gracias.  

It was all John could think about. One moment he was happily single and with no responsibilities, and then he met her.  

This had to be some weird reality.  

It started when he was at the bar one day. He didn't enjoy bars, but some days he decided to go with a couple of coworkers after work to wind off. He was off work, and he decided to get a nice cold beer. The construction business was rewarding but very tiring.  

Then, Melissa appeared. She was a stunning-looking woman; he was not going to lie. Tall, gorgeous, nice legs, flawless brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and sunny personality. She was the whole package deal.  

She wasn't bad, but John should've known better than to approach her. Women like her were hard to come by and so he followed his caveman instincts and talked to her. He found that he liked her far more than he should have, and she seemed to like him well enough. He invited her for a drink, and they talked. She was irresistible.  

“So... Why are you in a bar alone? Seems unusual,” he asked, trying his best to sound uninterested and casual while in truth, he was desperate to get to know her.  

She smiled and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “To be honest, I'm here with my friends. I don't particularly enjoy bars.”  

“Oh.” John looked around. “I don't see them.”  

Melissa pointed out the karaoke area where a bunch of drunk women took charge and sang like banshees. John laughed. "Those are your friends?”  

"Yes...” Melissa blushed a bit from embarrassment. “I mostly come for their safety, but my idea of fun is sitting down and watching a movie or reading a book.”  

John put his beer aside. “What type of movies do you like?”  

That was how he first started going out with Melissa. She was just so interesting and so much like him. It lured him. That was his first mistake. They shared a lot of interests, like pastries and long walks in the park. Things that made him boring among his peers but made him interesting in Melissa's eyes.  

John was still in denial that all of this was happening. But after careful thinking, he finally accepted that he'd probably never be single again. He was in love. They spent weeks like that before John finally decided to ask her to officially date him, to which she agreed. His coworkers, however, weren't so happy.  

“Dude! Why!?” Clement, one of the younger workers, exclaimed.  

"He's a goner.” Another, Marcus, shook his head.  

Damian, a much older and massive man, simply looked at him. “I hope you know what you're doing, son.”  

“I'm just dating a woman. What's the big deal?”  

The workers all looked at each other with somber looks. “We're losing him.”  

“Soon enough, he'll be chained down.”  

“You can still get out of this, you know.”  

“I hereby declare your membership to the single men's club suspended for the time being.”  

John simply looked at them. They were just joking, right? “Membership...?”  

“You’re in love.” Marcus lamented. “Men in love... they do stupid things. Believe me, I know. Soon enough, you'll marry her off, and then all is fine and pink at first, but then... you must do as she says. All of it. You'll get home from work and from home to work. No more drinking with coworkers, no more parties, no more--”  

Marcus was interrupted as he was smacked in the back of the head by Damian. “Let the older men do the talking, boy. You're just an immature child.” He stated. Damian was always looking out for the younger ones. “If John has found a good woman, then good for him. You don't find those very often. Especially if they're compatible.” He glared at Marcus. “You, however, are an immature child who likes to sleep around.”  

“Well, if the ladies--”  

“Just wait until you get one of them pregnant and then you'll see,” Damian mentioned it and turned back to John. “Ignore the single men's club, John. They're a bunch of pussies who failed in the love game and don't know how to capture a woman's heart.” He drank some of his coffee. “Men in love indeed do stupid things, but so do women. If anything, you can be stupid together as long as you're happy with each other.”  

John arched an eyebrow. “Somehow, that weird advice makes a whole lot of sense.”  

Marcus rolled his eyes. "John will come back from that cloud. You'll see." 

"You're just in denial that John found someone willing to stand him." Clement grinned. "Meanwhile, the ladies keep running away from you." 

Many months after that, John had learned to let go of his denial and accept the fact that Melissa was here to stay. 

He had proposed to Melissa, and she said yes. They were to be married in half an hour and there he was, lamenting the death of his singleness in front of the mirror. Was this what Marcus meant? He stopped to think.  

No, any advice from Marcus was bad advice as he'd come to know.  

There was a knock on the door and Damian stepped in. The older man, usually dressed in dirty clothes and covered in paint and concrete, was unrecognizable.  

John whistled. “If anything, I'd say you're the one getting married today.”  

Damian chuckled. “Nah. Did that thirty years ago. There's no need for a second time. That's the whole point.” He patted John's shoulder. “You seem to be getting a case of cold feet.”  

John sighed. “Am I doing alright, Damian?”  

"You're mourning your bachelor years’ death?”  

“No, I just--”  

Damian chuckled. “You're good, my boy.” He looked at John in the mirror. “You're taking a mature step after careful consideration. Unlike Marcus.”  

They laughed.  

“Melissa is a good woman. Does she make you happy?”  

“Yes, she does.”  

“Then good. Because she's as crazy as you are.”  

“What!?”  

Damian gave him a look. “John, I won't deny it. You're an idiot for suggesting the wedding be held at a construction site.” He motioned to their surroundings. “And the changing rooms are storage wagons.” He kicked a stray toolbox to the side.  

“She likes construction work.” John shrugged. “And she said it would be a unique wedding.”  

Damian chuckled. “As crazy as you, then. I rest my case.” He quickly fixed John's bowtie. “I won't lie to you. Marriage is hard, my boy. There will be challenges and there will be times you will say that you made a mistake. But you're not.” He sighed. “Marriage is an everyday commitment. You must wake up every day and choose her. Unlike Marcus, who will choose anything with skirts on.”  

John laughed. “I'm sure he'll come around and grow up.”  

“He will.” Damian grinned. “...Eventually.” He patted John on the shoulder again. “Ready?”  

“Yes, sir.” John nodded. “And thanks.”  

“Whatever for?”  

“For looking out for us idiots so we don't make a huge mistake.”  

Damian gave a loud laugh. “I've been married for over thirty years. My children are around your age. I'll be damned to see any of you screw up.”  

John almost fainted when he saw Melissa dressed in a beautiful white gown and the smile she gave him. He knew he had made the right choice. Maybe this was the death of a bachelor, but the bachelor in him was sacrificed for a good cause.