An Email a Day (Andy Barber)

Chapter 2 - Delilah

Meeting another widower was the last thing that I expected, but as the saying goes, 'it's a small world', and it is.

In truth, I was against coming to Mexico, feeling like I was betraying Will by coming to 'relax' and 'have fun'. It's not been fun, not when I know that he was supposed to be here knocking back Singapore Sling's with me, forcing to me to do excursions amongst other things.
When he wasn't working, Will was a dare devil, into rock climbing, skiing, anything that was fucking dangerous in my book. I swear his main goal in life was to enjoy scaring the absolute shit out of me - and sometimes he succeeded. Even now I have no idea what he saw in me, you wouldn't have put us together but somehow we just seemed to match.

Now I'm sat on the beach in the dark, ready to see in the New Year with a man who I've known for all but fifteen minutes. This is my version of being a risk taker, but I don't care. Besides, Andy seems nice and I'm not about to let the guy sit alone and wish himself a Happy New Year. I'm also confident that he's not gonna pull anything shady either.

"So...what do you do when you're not sat with a strange woman drinking on a beach". I ask with a smirk.

He chuckles at this. "I'm an ADA".

I look a little blankly at him. "What's that? Some kinda doctorate thing?"

"Assistant District Attorney".

My mouth forms an 'o' shape in realisation. "Oh right! Over in the UK we call them crown prosecutors I think". I explain even wondering how the hell I know that when I'm not exactly big on knowledge of law. "Wow...that seems like a full on job though"

"You have no idea". He passes me the bottle so I can pour myself some wine. "What do you do?"

"Florist, you ever need flowers then I'm your girl - husband even made me do his". I laugh to myself lightly, "Sorry...sometimes dark humour is the only way I can actually cope".

"At least you're coping in some ways". He smiles at me, unaffected by my humour. 

"I'm really not, I'm a mess". I admit freely because that's what I am. Everyday I just put on a mask, smile, say "I'm ok" and try to get on with life.

I'm ok.

They are the only two words I can say in the hopes that people will buy it and stop asking me. My friend Abi sees through me though, but she knows me better than anyone else. "For fuck sake Deli, just go to Mexico, drink yourself stupid and chill out. Will literally told you to". She'd stated as I toyed with the idea of going.

"Yeah well he's not here is he". I threw myself on the bed and stared at the open empty case next to me. It had been sat glaring at me for weeks where I'd brought it down from the loft, but even with it open I was struggling to just chuck anything in there.

"No, but if he was then he'd be literally throwing everything into the suitcase and kicking your ass out of the door". Abi looked at me pitifully. "You know what I'm gonna say".

"That I'll piss off my dead husband if I don't respect his dying wish to go on a holiday that was meant for both of us?"

"Yep".

I huffed and chucked a pair of sandals into the case. "There, happy?"

"Not in the slightest, you can't just take sandals to Mexico, make an effort and wear some damn clothes - you'll be chucked out if you walk around naked". Abi jested lightly.

"Oh shut up". I smirked and rifled through my wardrobe to look at what I could take. Not that I planned to make any sort of effort. I wasn't dressing to impress, all I had to do was just make it through New Year so I could then try and get back to some sort of normality. 

Andy breaks me from my thoughts, "well that makes two of us then".

"How do you cope? If you do?"

"Same as you, I don't". I glance over and see him take a long slug of wine from his glass. "Anyway, what part of the UK you from?" He now asks.

"The Cotswolds" I reply, "basically pretty villages and more tourists than you could imagine in the summer, the house belonged to my husband's grandparents, but he left it to me, we've only been there a few years - moved in probably six months before we got married". I explain. "It's a bit quiet now, I mean the area we live is quiet obviously, but...well, I'm alone". 

I take the bottle and pour some more wine into my glass, downing it. "Look at us eh" I half laugh to myself. "Sat here on New Years just trying to drink the end of the year away in order to try and get through another". 

"You got that right". Andy agrees and shakes his head. "Makes you wonder what we did to deserve what we got". 

"I've been asking myself the same thing".

We carry on drinking until the bottle runs dry, then realising that the New Year countdown is happening while everyone yells inside of the bar of the hotel. 

"5...4...3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone yells, setting off party poppers. 

I look across to Andy, "Happy New Year"

He smiles weakly back at me, "Happy New Year - let's hope this one's better than the others".