Catch Me
Starting Over
Have a nice life, Zack. Hope it goes well, no matter what happens.
I really wanna see you again.
“You too, Riley.”
The conversation kept resonating in my head and was giving me another headache. The pain in her words was evident even if she didn’t intend her words to be true or she didn’t even notice. I knew she wanted to see me again and the fact that the feeling’s mutual makes me question my relationship with Anna. Who knows with a relationship where I’m gonna be gone maybe three-hundred days out of the year, until last week. We had a one night stand for fuck sakes; some things just can’t be explained, I guess. Most of that day may have been great, but all that was on my mind was Riley.
“That was a great night! I had so much fun.” Anna exclaimed, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“I had a lot of fun, too.” I said spinning her around.
She smiled and kissed me, but it felt different, not the way it should. Must be a sign.
“What’s wrong? she asked once she was out of my arms.
“Nothing.” I said, shaking my head.
Was I ready?
“Yes. There is.”
“Well, um... I slept with another woman.”
That earned a well-deserved slap to the face.
“Why? When? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Last Saturday, I was on my fourth beer when I saw her. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking.”
“What did she look like? How was she? Was she prettier than me?”
“Anna, why are you even as-“
“Just answer me, you bastard.”
“She was 5’7, had long curly brown hair and brown eyes. She was so amazing and I can’t tell you that.”
“Why? Why can’t you? You should be able to.”
“I just can’t. Okay?”
“What? Don’t you love me anymore? Is that it?” she was in tears now.
“I do love you... but...”
“But, what? You may have feelings for her?”
I gulped and looked away.
“She was a one-night stand, Zack! How can you even say this?”
“I don’t know, Anna. I don’t know.”
She sighed and wiped her eyes.
“I have a question.”
I wanted to say ‘another one’ but I knew she would hit me again for that.
“What is it?”
“That was the woman at the restaurant. Wasn’t it? The woman looked so distraught. So, it’s seeming as though as she has feelings for you, too. Well, isn’t that just fucking dandy?”
“Yeah. That was her.”
“What was her name?”
“Riley.”
“I can’t believe this. I just can’t. I don’t know if I can forgive you for this. If you’re having feelings for her, I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sure you are!”
“I am.”
“I don’t know how you can even say that!” she said screaming at me again.
“Anna...”
“Don’t you Anna me! Ok, if I don’t call by the end of tomorrow, we’re done. You understand me?!”
“Yeah.”
“Ok.”
She walked out and slammed the door. I had a feeling she wasn’t gonna call, and usually when I have a feeling about something, it comes true and I’m not sure if I even want this feeling to be right. I guess whatever happens is the way it should be; things always happen for a reason. I fell asleep with a lot on my mind.
The following day, I gave John a call.
“Hello?”
“Hey Zack, what’s up?”
“I told Anna.”
I heard him sigh on the other end.
“What happened?”
“She kissed me after a night of fun and it wasn’t feeling right. When we pulled apart, she noticed something was wrong and after asking me what it was, I told her and she slapped me. She went ballistic and asked me all these questions. Boy, was she hysterical.”
“Not surprised. She is an emotional person.”
“You can say that again.”
“What else?”
“Well, she asked if I had feelings for the girl. We saw her that day after at lunch and he was hysterical. She connected the dots and assumed she probably had feelings for me too.”
“Oh, wow. I-I don’t know what to say.”
“I happened to see that girl yesterday.”
“No. You didn’t.”
“Yeah. I did.”
“What happened?”
“She saw me and kept walking...”
“She knew, didn’t she?”
“Yeah and I told her about not telling. She told me to stop being a wuss and tell her no matter she would say. I then told her I would and she said have a nice life, no matter what happens. I told her to have a nice life and walked away.
“Um...whew. Anna say anything before she left?”
“If she didn’t call by the end of the day, we were done. I don’t even know if I want us to be done.”
“What about Riley?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t.”
“This is random, but what does she look like?”
“She has long, curly brown hair and has brown eyes.”
“Complete opposite of Anna, huh?”
“Definitely.”
“You’ve fallen hard. Really hard. Maybe you’re not supposed to be with Anna? Hasn’t it been a while since you’ve felt those kind of sparks that you did with her even though it’s a one-night stand, life is crazy. You know?”
“It is.”
“So if things end, maybe you should see Riley?”
“What if she doesn’t like me anymore?”
“I doubt it. Just go after her.”
I had a lot to think about and I wasn’t so worried about it. If she doesn’t, it’s not a big deal. If she did, then... I might break up with her. I can’t stop thinking about Riley.
“I can’t wait for this day to be over.” I said to myself before walking into the kitchen.
It turned out to be a long day as I stayed home, by midnight, my phone hadn’t rung and I knew me and Anna were over. I let out a sigh of relief.
We’re done.
I sent to John.
At lunchtime, I decided to call Riley.
Well, Zack, didn’t you get rid of her number?
I did get rid of her number, but I memorized it. It’s bad, I know, but I did.
Riley
While I was out for lunch, my phone rang; I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it anyway.
“Hello. Who’s this?”
“Hey Riley. It’s me, Zack.”
“Hey Zack. What’s uh... what’s going on?”
Myra, who met up with me for lunch, looked over at me with a questionable look; I shrugged.
“Why are you calling me?”
“I like you.”
My heart lifted and I smiled.
“What about Anna?”
“I told her about the other night, she asked me questions and said that if she didn’t call me by the Sunday, we were done.”
“And you two are done...”
“Precisely.”
“Well, I don’t know. You two broke up on Saturday and I like you too, but this is crazy. It’s so soon.”
I heard him sigh.
“I know, but could I come see you? Just to talk.”
“Of course. When were you thinking?”
“Could you go out for dinner tonight?”
“Yeah. Dinner sounds wonderful. Where and what time?”
I smiled when he said what restaurant.
“I’ll pick you up at 6:30?”
I gave him my address and I could hear him smile on the other end.
“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
“Don’t mention it. Bye, Zack.”
“Bye, Riley.”
I was smiling to myself.
“What’s that smile all about?”
“Zack and Anna are over.”
“What?”
“He told her a couple nights ago about us and yeah... that’s all he told me about that.”
“Oh my God. He likes you!”
“Yes, but I told him that this was crazy. He asked if we could talk and go to dinner, just friends.
“That’s gonna evolve though. You know?”
“Yeah.” I said smiling.
She hugged me. I laughed.
“Enough of sleeping around. I love this.” I said getting teary.
“Oh honey.” she said laughing.
I laughed even more.
I really wanna see you again.
“You too, Riley.”
The conversation kept resonating in my head and was giving me another headache. The pain in her words was evident even if she didn’t intend her words to be true or she didn’t even notice. I knew she wanted to see me again and the fact that the feeling’s mutual makes me question my relationship with Anna. Who knows with a relationship where I’m gonna be gone maybe three-hundred days out of the year, until last week. We had a one night stand for fuck sakes; some things just can’t be explained, I guess. Most of that day may have been great, but all that was on my mind was Riley.
“That was a great night! I had so much fun.” Anna exclaimed, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“I had a lot of fun, too.” I said spinning her around.
She smiled and kissed me, but it felt different, not the way it should. Must be a sign.
“What’s wrong? she asked once she was out of my arms.
“Nothing.” I said, shaking my head.
Was I ready?
“Yes. There is.”
“Well, um... I slept with another woman.”
That earned a well-deserved slap to the face.
“Why? When? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Last Saturday, I was on my fourth beer when I saw her. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking.”
“What did she look like? How was she? Was she prettier than me?”
“Anna, why are you even as-“
“Just answer me, you bastard.”
“She was 5’7, had long curly brown hair and brown eyes. She was so amazing and I can’t tell you that.”
“Why? Why can’t you? You should be able to.”
“I just can’t. Okay?”
“What? Don’t you love me anymore? Is that it?” she was in tears now.
“I do love you... but...”
“But, what? You may have feelings for her?”
I gulped and looked away.
“She was a one-night stand, Zack! How can you even say this?”
“I don’t know, Anna. I don’t know.”
She sighed and wiped her eyes.
“I have a question.”
I wanted to say ‘another one’ but I knew she would hit me again for that.
“What is it?”
“That was the woman at the restaurant. Wasn’t it? The woman looked so distraught. So, it’s seeming as though as she has feelings for you, too. Well, isn’t that just fucking dandy?”
“Yeah. That was her.”
“What was her name?”
“Riley.”
“I can’t believe this. I just can’t. I don’t know if I can forgive you for this. If you’re having feelings for her, I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sure you are!”
“I am.”
“I don’t know how you can even say that!” she said screaming at me again.
“Anna...”
“Don’t you Anna me! Ok, if I don’t call by the end of tomorrow, we’re done. You understand me?!”
“Yeah.”
“Ok.”
She walked out and slammed the door. I had a feeling she wasn’t gonna call, and usually when I have a feeling about something, it comes true and I’m not sure if I even want this feeling to be right. I guess whatever happens is the way it should be; things always happen for a reason. I fell asleep with a lot on my mind.
The following day, I gave John a call.
“Hello?”
“Hey Zack, what’s up?”
“I told Anna.”
I heard him sigh on the other end.
“What happened?”
“She kissed me after a night of fun and it wasn’t feeling right. When we pulled apart, she noticed something was wrong and after asking me what it was, I told her and she slapped me. She went ballistic and asked me all these questions. Boy, was she hysterical.”
“Not surprised. She is an emotional person.”
“You can say that again.”
“What else?”
“Well, she asked if I had feelings for the girl. We saw her that day after at lunch and he was hysterical. She connected the dots and assumed she probably had feelings for me too.”
“Oh, wow. I-I don’t know what to say.”
“I happened to see that girl yesterday.”
“No. You didn’t.”
“Yeah. I did.”
“What happened?”
“She saw me and kept walking...”
“She knew, didn’t she?”
“Yeah and I told her about not telling. She told me to stop being a wuss and tell her no matter she would say. I then told her I would and she said have a nice life, no matter what happens. I told her to have a nice life and walked away.
“Um...whew. Anna say anything before she left?”
“If she didn’t call by the end of the day, we were done. I don’t even know if I want us to be done.”
“What about Riley?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t.”
“This is random, but what does she look like?”
“She has long, curly brown hair and has brown eyes.”
“Complete opposite of Anna, huh?”
“Definitely.”
“You’ve fallen hard. Really hard. Maybe you’re not supposed to be with Anna? Hasn’t it been a while since you’ve felt those kind of sparks that you did with her even though it’s a one-night stand, life is crazy. You know?”
“It is.”
“So if things end, maybe you should see Riley?”
“What if she doesn’t like me anymore?”
“I doubt it. Just go after her.”
I had a lot to think about and I wasn’t so worried about it. If she doesn’t, it’s not a big deal. If she did, then... I might break up with her. I can’t stop thinking about Riley.
“I can’t wait for this day to be over.” I said to myself before walking into the kitchen.
It turned out to be a long day as I stayed home, by midnight, my phone hadn’t rung and I knew me and Anna were over. I let out a sigh of relief.
We’re done.
I sent to John.
At lunchtime, I decided to call Riley.
Well, Zack, didn’t you get rid of her number?
I did get rid of her number, but I memorized it. It’s bad, I know, but I did.
Riley
While I was out for lunch, my phone rang; I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it anyway.
“Hello. Who’s this?”
“Hey Riley. It’s me, Zack.”
“Hey Zack. What’s uh... what’s going on?”
Myra, who met up with me for lunch, looked over at me with a questionable look; I shrugged.
“Why are you calling me?”
“I like you.”
My heart lifted and I smiled.
“What about Anna?”
“I told her about the other night, she asked me questions and said that if she didn’t call me by the Sunday, we were done.”
“And you two are done...”
“Precisely.”
“Well, I don’t know. You two broke up on Saturday and I like you too, but this is crazy. It’s so soon.”
I heard him sigh.
“I know, but could I come see you? Just to talk.”
“Of course. When were you thinking?”
“Could you go out for dinner tonight?”
“Yeah. Dinner sounds wonderful. Where and what time?”
I smiled when he said what restaurant.
“I’ll pick you up at 6:30?”
I gave him my address and I could hear him smile on the other end.
“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
“Don’t mention it. Bye, Zack.”
“Bye, Riley.”
I was smiling to myself.
“What’s that smile all about?”
“Zack and Anna are over.”
“What?”
“He told her a couple nights ago about us and yeah... that’s all he told me about that.”
“Oh my God. He likes you!”
“Yes, but I told him that this was crazy. He asked if we could talk and go to dinner, just friends.
“That’s gonna evolve though. You know?”
“Yeah.” I said smiling.
She hugged me. I laughed.
“Enough of sleeping around. I love this.” I said getting teary.
“Oh honey.” she said laughing.
I laughed even more.
I’m so excited by this. I absolutely love Zack
11/4/18