Spiked Coffee

Short Story: Love, Lost

Time and time again people fall in love, even though they shouldn't. They charge head first into doomed relationships without seeing the warning signs of what's to come. In stories, everything seems to turn out ok, sometimes even better than before, but life isn't a book or a movie and no one walks away unscathed.

Sawyer had yet to learn this one day in early spring, as he walked through the streets of downtown Toronto, surrounded by the smell of fried food and cigarettes. He was on his way to meet Leon, an old friend from high school. Since they had gone their separate ways four years ago, they had made it a tradition to meet every year to catch up and check in on each other. There was a spring in Sawyer's step and a smile plastered across his face that made a single dimple in his left cheek. He had everything to look forward to.

"Hey man, how are you," Sawyer said, crossing the street to meet Leon. He held his hand out to his friend who grasped it and pulled him into a one-armed hug.

"Sawyer, long time no see. I'm good, how 'bout you?"

"I've been great, I've got good things coming my way," Sawyer said, keeping his arm around his friend's shoulder and leading him down the street as the two of them chatted.

Leon turned to Sawyer. "First things first, some of my other friends and I are going to a bar tomorrow night before I leave if you want to come with us?

Sawyer shook his head. "Sorry, I can't. I have a party for that hedge fund I was telling you about." As he said this, the two boys came across a man with an unkempt beard and a long, sorrowful face. He was sitting on a piece of cardboard, holding out a used coffee cup to the people on the street. Sawyer crouched down and took out his wallet. He looked the man straight in the eyes and smiled brightly at him, before dropping ten dollars into the cup.

"Promise me you'll buy food with it."

The man nodded his head and thanked Sawyer. Sawyer stood up and wished the man well. As he and Leon continued on their way, Leon leaned over and whispered in his ear "Should you have done that? You don't know what he's going to do with that money."

"Of course, I should have done that." Sawyer looked at his friend as if he were crazy, "He'll buy a meal. He promised."

"You always have been too idealistic for your own good," Leon said.

* * *

It was the next evening and Sawyer was standing around a marble-floored room in a museum that was full of bankers, wealthy investors, and cocktail waiters. His future boss had spared no expense. It was a beautiful party, sleek and sophisticated. Everyone was dressed in their best. Some of Toronto's richest and most influential people stood mingling with employees from all sorts of financial institutions.

Sawyer was loving every minute of it. From the time he had gotten to the party his supervisor had been taking him around the room, introducing him to all sorts of important executives and clients. Sawyer could see his future of high-rolling business before his eyes and it was exhilarating.

He had come to a lull and for the first time that evening had a chance to really look around the room and take everything in. There was something about the luxury of the party that mixed with having so many people from all different walks of life that excited him. It felt as if anything could happen. As he sipped his drink and scanned the crowd, a girl in an emerald green dress caught his attention.

She was standing by the bar waiting for her drink. She tucked her brown hair behind one ear as she looked around the room. There was an elegance about the way she moved. Even just standing there Sawyer could tell everything about her was refined. Sawyer was struck by this girl. He had to meet her. In his typical confident fashion, Sawyer walked right up to her and introduced himself, a huge smile on his face the entire time.