Matti2714
Once upon a time, at a friend's engagement party, ZOE was there-but not really present. ZOE didn't notice much of anything that night. Definitely not Dimitri .
A few months later-maybe longer; memory's slippery that way-there was another celebration at the same friend's family restaurant. He was there too, but again, ZOE didn't register his presence.
At that point in her life, ZOE changed her focus on men as often as ZOE changed lipstick. Her attention shifted fast and often. Maybe ZOE was distracted by someone else. Maybe ZOE wasn't ready to notice Dimitri .
Then came a night that, in hindsight, became a quiet turning point. ZOE had just returned from a three-month overseas trip-a story in itself-and joined her friend at a nightclub we'd never been to before. It was new, unfamiliar.
She had a couple of her own friends join us that night. ZOE didn't care for their company. ZOE wasn't interested in who they were. And, yes - he was one of them. The same man from those two earlier events. And still, ZOE didn't notice.
Later that night, for reasons ZOE can't recall, they all went for a drive-to a spot people usually go to when they want to be unseen. It was the early '90s; not much stayed open past midnight. They drove up and drove back down. That was it. No grand moment. No sparks.
After that, Dimitri -started showing up regularly at our usual nightlife haunts. Sometimes we'd hang out, sometimes they wouldn't. He didn't stand out to ZOE yet. He was always... there.
He started holding onto ZOE car keys. It became our quiet routine: Zoe would give Dimitri her keys, and whenever he left-or ZOE moved on to another venue-I'd get them back. ZOE didn't question it at the time. Years later, ZOE realised: he held her keys so he could know when she was leaving.