Chapter 1

Him:

It has been almost ten years since I met her. And though my reason is regretting that fact, deep down, my heart feels only joy for having her in my life. Somehow.

Everybody is happy. I see.  The occasion calls for it.  We have finished a long and exhausting project.  A hard, yet delighted, experience for all of us. Especially for me.

“I rather have my partner back.”  I said back then. Blind to new possibilities, to new people.  But after all, fate had its hand well played and planted her, for me. I think. A little too late. 

Now I feel like I want to turn back time, just to have one more moment. With her.

She is so full of life, so what my own life lacks of. Sometimes.  When I am with her, I tend to forget everything. Everyone. I need to get her out of my head. Now!

I have decided to drown all of this away. Tequila.  One shot, two shots… nothing.  A third? To forget her beautiful smile.  A fourth? To dismiss the fact that she completes me. A fifth? To… my wife.

Yes, she was here too, but not into the celebration.  She had come to talk to me. Privately.

“I left everything in place.” She said. My wife.  But I tried not to pay too much attention to the matter.  I focus on my drink.  She kisses my cheek and bids me good bye, heading for the door.  Everybody sees her. Even her. I dismay.

I ponder for a while how I got to this place. Not this place literally, but the place where my mind and soul are vanished now. A limbo.  My hands dance with the shot glasses. 

I don’t hate my wife. And as far as I am concerned, she does not hate me either.  We are friends. Good friends.  Always friends. There is just not enough passion left in our once burning love.  Gone.  Although it has been hard to adjust, it has been also relieving.

Going back to the subject of my fifth shot. Or was it sixth? I can’t tell for sure.  Ten years today and it seemed like a lifetime together.  All and all, this ends tonight.  Either I coward down myself into a corner and let her go, like I always do, or I brave up and tell her how I feel. How I really feel about her.  Tonight. 

Seems to me that the latter will not be happening.  I can barely stand straight. Damn tequila.

I do see her.  Enjoying the music. Dancing with our colleagues.  Sipping her drink. Oblivious to my presence. She looks more breathtaking than I can contain.  I turn around and ask for another shot.  

My forehead hits the table.  I lose all contact with reality.  My head is spinning.  Again.  Damn tequila.

I open my eyes, back to semi-consciousness. I am in my truck. How? On the passenger’s seat. When? I try to clear my fuzzy head and grip on whatever it is happening. I see her.  Driving my car?

I smile inwardly because, in all honesty, I can’t move a muscle.  I doze off again.