Simply Love

The Other Love (lyttlejoe)

He pulled up his collar and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The wind kick up tiny devils of sand from the beach alongside the boardwalk and he had to keep his eyes down, watching the weathered planks give slightly with each step. An elderly couple strolled by the other way, hands clasped and arms touching. They nodded, smiling, and he chewed the inside of his lip, imagining what might keep a couple together and seemingly happy for so long.

The lake was grey, and complacent ducks bobbed on its surface, occasionally tipping upside down leaving their tail feathers in the air. He stopped and stared at the scene without seeing, another scene was playing vividly in his mind.

******

She had tipped her sun glasses up on top of her head and closed her eyes accepting the dusting of a warm summer breeze on her face. That face. To say it was beautiful meant nothing. It was the culmination of all the precisely constructed facial details defining perfection and the body was its flawless equal. He admired her for several moments before approaching the patio table, placing a gentle hand on the smooth, tanned shoulder.

"Hi, babe." He leaned down and they tapped lips. She shifted on her chair, crossing her legs and stirred her cocktail with a straw.

"I don't have very long."

The words came out with indifference and he sat heavily, emotions pin balling.

"Long enough for lunch?"

"If we order now."

"Helen what the hell's the matter. When I called you agreed to this meeting and now you sound like you don't even want to be here."

"I don't."

"Terrific. I cancelled a number of appointments for today so that we could take some time to make this work." He raised a hand to the waitress, miming a drink and a menu. "Why are you suddenly so... hostile."

"That's rich. And just how do you think we could possibly work?" She threw the straw on the table and swallowed the last of her drink.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He sat back frowning, as the waitress appeared with her note pad.
"Another of whatever she's having and I'll have a vodka, seven-up and lime... large." He accepted a menu and opened it. "Give us a minute."

Helen absently folded the edges of her serviette. "You have acted like a manic idiot since you found out. No hint of understanding, no recognition of the facts."

The hum of conversation from those at the other patio tables settled like a dust on their ears and the drone of canned music became oppressive. He sat rigidly as she continued addressing his shortcomings in their situation. Finally, he took a deep breath and blew it out unhappily.

"Know what you want?" Looking up he felt his chest shift inside as her grey eyes met his and held.

"Yes, but I guess I'll eat something first." She flipped her menu open and scanned the page.

"You aren't going to make this easy, are you."

"Nope."

"Fine." He slammed his menu shut. "I'll sign the damned papers. You can bloody well move on with your- your new life."

There was a pause, she closed her menu and picked up her purse.

"Marilyn will be pleased."