The more I thought about it, the more the idea of dating Abigail became less repulsive. She knew my past and I’d been honest about my emotional state. And she still wanted us to get together.
She wanted companionship. And I wanted to forget Chaz.
“Hey, stop being so serious. We’ll just hang out together… maybe have some fun,” she said and that was the final push that I needed.
All right, it would be just sex. Nothing like what I had with Charlotte.
Alex
My phone vibrated with a call as I prepared to leave the hotel in Cleveland for the airport. Being in Ohio had been torturous. It was too near to where I’d left my heart. The previous day, as I’d been driven from the airport to the hotel, I’d kept searching for Charlotte’s face.
I knew that she had left the state and gone to start a new life elsewhere, but my brain associated Ohio with Charlotte. Life had been tough then and a real struggle, but it was the period in my life when I’d been the happiest.
I glanced at the caller. It was a new number. I sat back on the bed and answered it. It turned out to be one of the guys I’d met at the legal conference calling to ensure that he’d gotten the correct number. Like me, Andrew worked for his family firm and we’d bonded and agreed to hook up when he was in New York or I was in Maine.
Just as I disconnected the call, another call came in. This time, it was from Abigail. I fought down feelings of irritation. The promise to keep it just sex had only worked for a few days after which Abigail had become clingy and demanding.
It was only a matter of time before we broke up. I didn’t want to be called twenty times a day and having all my time being hijacked. I’d known that Abigail loved socializing but the parties and dinners were too much. I missed my quiet evenings at home with Charlotte.
My time with Abigail was definitely up. In fact, it was a mistake. It was not fair to her. I had nothing to give her. I was an empty shell. Even the sex was not exciting or fun. I was just going through the motions.
“Hi Alex, I just wanted to confirm what time your flight is coming in,” she said. “I can pick you up and we can go straight to the brunch I told you about at the museum.”
“I’m not going to brunch, Abigail,” I said.
“But you promised,” she whined, sounding like a petulant five-year-old.
“I’m not interested in these social events, Abigail. It’s not me. I work hard and at the end of the day, I just want to put my feet up and relax.” Like I used to with Charlotte.
I’d been thinking of Charlotte more and more. I knew the reason for that. It was because I was so unhappy. Again, I’d made a wrong decision. Picked the wrong woman. It seemed as if I was doomed as far as women were concerned.
“Don’t be such an old man,” she snapped. She’d also grown impatient with me. We were just wrong for each other and one of us needed to put a stop to it.
This had gone on far enough. “We need to talk.”
Something in my voice warned her that whatever I wanted to talk about was serious.
“We can talk when you get back,” she said quickly. “And we don’t have to go for brunch. We can relax at home,” she said, her voice dripping with sweetness.
That did not entice me. The thought of relaxing with Abigail was a complete turn off. She did not know the meaning of that word. I needed to talk to her and fast, but a glance at my watch told me that I was perilously close to missing my flight.
“I’m sorry, I have to go, but you have to know that this thing we’ve got going is not working.”
“Look, let’s talk when you get back, okay,” she insisted stubbornly.
Frustrated, I said goodbye and hurried out. I’d already checked out and a car was waiting for me outside the hotel to take me to the airport.
“It’s going to be a close call,” the cab driver said. He was right.
“Just try your best.”
I glanced out as we headed to the airport. The world was so big and at times I wondered where Charlotte and her boyfriend had made their home. I could think of her and her lover without feeling like someone was stabbing me repeatedly.
One thing gave me satisfaction whenever I thought about them together. They were not married. I’d not signed the divorce papers and the time had elapsed. If Charlotte wanted to divorce me, we would have to begin the process again.
I found comfort in the fact that I was still her legal husband. It was petty but it made me feel damn good.