Take Flight - Josie's journey #Wattys2017

Chapter 2: Numb and hollow

"Why would you do this to me?" 

"Because sometimes, my dear friend, you need to be forced into your luck," Hannah replied with a melodious laughter.  

"And I know you just all too well to know, that this will make you happy. Believe me, Josie, someday you'll thank me for this!" 

Her eyes were beaming and her shining blonde hair was cascading down her shoulders, as she was bouncing up and down in front of me. The pure joy she radiated was so contagious, I couldn't help but start to giggle. In this moment, she reminded me of a little girl standing inside a candy shop, so innocent and happy, without a care in the world.

"Do you know, just how much I love you?" I said with a chuckle as I linked arms with her. 

"Not as much as you will after tonight. Look, there they are!" Excited she started waving at two silhouettes standing in front of La Piazzetta, the restaurant we were supposed to meet her boyfriend Marc and his friend. 

"What's his name again?" My heartbeat was slowly increasing as we inevitably got closer to the two men. 

"For god's sake, Josie! It's Dominic, how many times do I have to tell you?" 

I ignored the slight annoyance in her voice as my attention was now drawn to the man standing next to Marc. By the time we reached them, I could feel my heart beating, mesmerized by his tall frame and handsome features. His lips curled into an amused grin , glancing at the two lovebirds locking lips before he turned his attention to me. That's when our eyes met for the first time. At this very moment, I was lost. Lost in the depth of midnight blue eyes with thousands of green little spots. Just like a sky full of stars. Hypnotised by his gaze, I almost didn't hear him speaking. 

"Good evening. You must be Josie." 

His voice was deep and husky, my name whispered in a deep and sensual way. And as he kissed me on the cheek, I could feel his breath on my neck, causing me to shiver.

"I'm Dominic. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I had stopped to tremble. I don't know how long I had been sitting on my balcony but it must have been long enough to get immune to the cold. 

After Dom had left, I had wandered through my apartment for quite some time, looking for some kind of distraction. Watching Netflix in my bed didn't work, it's what Dom and I always used to do on lazy Sundays. I wasn't hungry, so the kitchen wasn't a place to be either. In the living room, I found five pictures of us, mocking me with their disgusting happiness. Then I fled to my balcony. Covered in the elephant blanket my mom had gotten me a while ago, I had silently been crying for what felt like hours. Memories of our relationship had been stuck in my mind, like a bad movie you dread to see. 

Over and over again I relived the day we met, our first kiss and all the little things that I cherished about the past four years. Every sensation, every place was pictured so clearly in my head as if it was happening in this moment. And then, when the memory faded, I was brought back to reality and the stream of tears would start to flow all over again. Who knew human beings were capable of producing that much salt.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard the ringing of a doorbell right before I drifted into the next daydream.

"So, tell me, why would a man like you agree to go on a blind date?"

As we sat down on a bench, Dominic absent-minded folded up the sleeves of his vinous shirt. 

"Honestly? Ever since Marc has met Hannah, he's become a whole new person. She's really good to him and of course, I got curious at one point and wanted to meet her. So when we fixed the date, Marc told me that Hannah would bring a friend along as well. That's all I knew." He shrugged his shoulders and let his gaze wander over the lake, that lay steady in front of us, the moonlight reflecting on its surface.