Stella Then And Now

tella's boyfriend Danny invites her to an upscale restaurant in the West Village. During dinner, she realizes how happy she is to be his girlfriend. One of the main reasons she feels content is because she knows he likes her company and loves her for who she is. But as the evening unfolds, Danny begins acting strange which makes her wonder if he's thinking about breaking up with her. He then hails a taxi and tells the driver to let them off at a specific part of Central Park, where he proposes to her. Taken by surprise, she's not sure how to react. But looking down at the glistening ring, she blurts out, "yes." The following morning, she wakes up feeling confused. Has she made the wrong decision? Why couldn't she have told him she needed time to think about her decision? Either way, it was too late. Her best friend and roommate, Leila, a professional violinist and music teacher at a Brooklyn school, notices the engagement ring on Stella's finger. Despite being a professional wedding planner, Stella begins to panic. Now that she's engaged, she begins to analyze love and relationships more than ever before. She wonders how happy her past and current clients truly are, and whether they regretted getting married. Desperate for advice, she asks a married co-worker for advice about marriage. Leila's affair with a married man makes Stella even more wary about marriage. She dreads the thought of making Danny an unhappy husband, which could lead to his marital infidelity. Danny, oblivious to Stella's doubts, confronts her about their wedding plans. Time is moving fast and they have to book a reception hall and a church, not to mention plan the other details. They agree to announce their engagement at Stella's parents' house the following Sunday. Stella realizes that she has exactly six months left until the wedding. Though she could divorce Danny in the case of a miserable marriage, her Catholic guilt doesn't make divorce seem like an option. Her free-spirited friend Edie sympathizes with her dilemma and gives her advice that only slightly helps. Stella realizes that only she could make a decision she won't regret. She finally concludes that the only way she could marry Danny, who she does love, is if she has one more fling. Three lifetime partners including Danny doesn't feel enough in a city like New York. Her plan is to sleep with another man, though not just any man, so as to feel like she won't be "missing out." Although she is consumed with guilt, she decides to join an online dating site. Because online dating is new to her, she quickly becomes addicted. To her delight, she comes across Mike, a musician from California who moved to New York. After exchanging a few messages and chatting secretly with him, he becomes her prospect. She uses a false name, Liz, to protect her identity. As the weeks go by, Stella gets to know him better and agrees to meet for a drink. Stella realizes how afraid she is about meeting Mike, whose band scored a record deal. Even if he's not ready for a serious relationship, he ends up falling for Stella. She hates herself for being a lying contradiction with a double-life. Whenever Danny calls and shows affection, she feels torn in two. Because her wedding is fast approaching, she forces herself to make a decision. Once she ends up in Mike's apartment and the opportunity arises for them to sleep together, she realizes that this is not what she wants and heads back home. Although she has been wanting more sexual experience, sleeping with him would fail to resolve anything. She's always loved Danny from the start and her obsession with giving up her freedom was holding her back. Stella gradually starts feeling better, as if she's on the brink of finding her solution. But because she lied to Mike, she figures he deserves a final apology. They agree to meet for one last drink. Before long, she begins telling Mike the truth about what happened. First things first, she confesses why she lied about her real name. As the evening unfolds, Stella sees Danny walk into the pub but he storms out after getting a glimpse of her with Mike. Paralyzed with dread, she feels too numb to call out after him. Stella dashes back to her apartment, where Leila is lying drunk on the sofa. Because she's drunk and depressed over her break-up with Liam, she doesn't make much sense. However, Leila does tell her that Danny had stopped by the apartment to surprise Stella and that she'd told him exactly where he could find her. Fuelled with rage, Stella snaps at her best friend for being so reckless and inconsiderate. Danny ignores Stella's calls and messages. Thinking that she's lost Danny forever, she feels like a total failure. She hates how ironic her situation has become. At one point, Stella calls his mother to ask where he is. His mother seems oblivious about the restaurant incident, which suggests Danny hasn't told her. It turns out that Danny went to Boston to spend time with his dying uncle.