Resist Me Not

47

As I was nearing the subway at the end of the day, my phone rang. It was Eric! I considered ignoring him, especially since I planned on calling my parents to talk to them about my promotion. But I knew he'd probably keep calling until I answered. Or worse, he'd show up at my apartment to talk in person.

"Hi, Eric," I greeted, trying to be as polite as I would be when speaking to a client.

"Hey, Vicky," he responded in his usual friendly tone. "I was just leaving work and was hoping I could swing by your place to talk."

I started feeling sprinkles of rain landing on my hand. I looked up and saw the dark, ominous clouds above. I couldn't help but think how perfect the timing was for the bad weather to arrive right when Eric called.

"I'm not home."

"Oh? Where are you?" He asked, like this was any other casual conversation.

I realized I never did tell him that I got my job back. "I'm just leaving work."

Thankfully, I reached the subway entrance just as the rain started to pick up.

"You got another job already? Wow, you don't waste time. Another reason why I knew I wanted to marry you." I could hear he was impressed by his tone.

I cringed when he said that. Knowing that he only ever saw me as someone who benefited him and his future images of being part of a power couple. "I actually got my job back. Mr. Giam agreed to only work with the company if I was leading the project." I don't know why I told him that, but I did.

I swiped my MetroCard and made my way, along with the rest of the rush-hour crowd, to the train platform.

"Wow, that's incredible, babe. Congratulations!"

"I'm not your babe anymore, Eric," I whispered harshly, looking at the other yuppies around me to make sure I didn't recognize anyone.

"Sorry, old habits die hard. As I see, the same can be said about you. Going back to your old job. I bet you're already fucking Ryan again, too," he jabbed.

"Fuck you, Eric." I was enraged. "I don't need to listen to this anymore."

My train rolled in as I arrived on the platform. I hugged the wall along the bottom of the stairs as hoards of people piled in and out of the cars. I decided to wait for the next train, as I knew I wasn't in the right state of mind to put up with being tightly packed with no room to breathe. I was too pissed at Eric to deal with any other asshole that would try to even accidentally touch me.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He sighed into the phone. "It's just a knee-jerk reaction. I'm still trying to navigate the whole idea of having an open relationship. Which is what I wanted to talk about."

I moved further down the platform, to a less crowded area, and watched the train pull away. "Well, I don't think this is a conversation I want to have over the phone. Or ever, if I can avoid it."

"I get it. It's not a conversation I'd thought I'd ever have. I don't want to be like my parents."

I already knew Eric didn't want to be like them. He had always resented them for ruining his teen years. He had even told me of a time when his father brought one of his mistresses with them on a family vacation. She was roughly sixteen years younger than his dad, and the whole time everyone was told she was Eric's cousin.

I pitied him as I realized he was in the same predicament as me. "Why don't you tell your mother that? I'm sure if she heard it from you, she'd be more willing to just let us part ways instead of having to go through with something we both don't want to do."