Happy ever ... after

Chapter 14

By the end of the afternoon, the pub was buzzing, and seats were a rare luxury. A hopeful young woman put both hands on the back of the only chair that appeared to be available. She first spotted it five minutes ago. Only one man was sitting at the table, but two glasses were poured. She gave it a few minutes, yet nobody appeared, and the chair stayed stubbornly empty. She needed it, so she asked for it.

The young woman repeated her question one more time and then, in the absence of an answer, decided to shake the man's arm.

Olivier jumped. It was Emily – she had come back! But his smile was short-lived. He did not recognise this woman. The fugitive hope that had spawned in his mind vanished, and he realised that she was really gone. He had no use now for this extra chair; the woman could take it away for all he cared. He went back to contemplating his glass in the futile hope of receiving some epiphany. What exactly had happened? It couldn't be the woman at the cinema; he picked her coat up off the floor. Was it Isabelle? Was it a case of extreme jealousy? She had let her anger out before.

Emily had a problem. But so did he. His bedroom performance certainly didn't leave much to be proud of. Why couldn't they talk about it? He would give anything to be with her. Too many unanswered questions assaulted his head. He was now anxious to see Isabelle. She would help him decipher what had happened.

Her train arrived on time. Pulling her suitcase past the security barrier, she waved frantically with her free arm. Discreet as ever, she even shouted his name, unaware that he had been the target of enough screaming today already.

'Still quite reserved, I see,' he said.

'Hello yourself!' She swept the hall with the piercing gaze of a hunting animal. 'You're alone?'

His face answered.

'What happened?'

'To be honest, I don't really know.' His eyes moistened. He offered to take her suitcase and began to walk. On the way, he told his side of the story. Isabelle was shocked.

'Is she crazy, yelling like that?'

'Listen, I don't know what's going on with her. She has some problems with her job, and I probably have not been very supportive.'

'If she's as insane as she sounds, she needs to go elsewhere for support. She has no right to attack you like that.'

Without giving it any thought, his feet led them to the pub where they had met Emily's friends the other night. Isabelle sat down and put her suitcase next to her. At the bar, Olivier lost himself in his thoughts and did not see the tall, gorgeous woman approaching him.

'So, when the cat's away, the mouse goes out to play?' she said.

'Sorry? Oh, it's you, Sarah. What are you doing here?'

'I see that I need to keep an eye on you! Who is that?' she said, pointing towards his table.

'It's not what you think – she's a childhood friend, visiting for a few days. Come, I'll introduce you.'

She looked at him hard, unconvinced.

'Where's Emily?'

He breathed hard and deep.

'She...' To think about it all over again was too much, and he lowered his head.

'Well, what? Go on, spit it out!'

'We had a fight!'

'What did you do to her?' All claws out, she gave him three seconds to explain. He remembered her threat, but he was not playing any games.