Sam Chapin's my name, recently divorced is my game. It's been a while since that day she left, about 3 months now. No kids to fight over, and no real property since we both rented a condo and had our own cars. Most of our pictures together were in "the cloud", and I guess they'll stay there. I don't visit it. She probably doesn't either. No longer friends on any social media. No longer really on each others' phones. No reason to. She has a good job and can make it on her own without my support, and I am doing fine as well. She took some dishes and one of the TVs and darted out as fast as she could. I never knew if there was another guy, though there were a few hushed calls in the final months. Right before Christmas. It was almost like a present.
Do I still love her? Hard to say, there's always a feeling for or at someone when you've spent 18 years together. Maybe getting married at 26 was too soon. Too immature maybe? I know people who got married before that and are still together, as well as those who married later and gave up. All a crap shoot as far as I can tell.
I wondered if I gave up too easily at the time, like I should have begged or suggested marital counseling. Trouble was, I had stopped putting effort shoretly after she did. The marriage had become like a daily tradition. Meals together, watched movies here and there together, fucked maybe once a month and that was like a planned event, like I had to be penciled in. No early morning suprises, not even by the middle years. She didn't even like exploring different apsects of sex, liked it straight on like a lullaby because she went to sleep soon after.
Three months later, I was sitting in a booth at the local diner. Some shnook at work set me up with "the perfect" woman for me. I haven't been looking, there has not been a desire to 'get back in the saddle' so to speak, but I was doing it as a favor. Plus I was hungry.
Several people, mostly in family packs, had walked in. As I sipped my coffee I watched the parking lot idly, not really excited about the upcoming meeting. After about twenty minutes, a lone woman came in. Hard to tell how old she was, maybe 44 like me, but she looked younger. Her thin frame turned with her face as she glanced around then found me. She smiled that smile that says, Whew, glad I found you before I looked like a total dipshit. She sat down across from me, keeping that smile. "Hi, I'm Wendy", she said as she extended her hand.
I shook it carefully. Nice soft hands. Dry. A good sign. "I'm Samuel, though people just call me Sam."
"Yes, Gil told me." She released her grip as the server came up and offered us menus. We took them, though I knew what I wanted. She looked at the menu for what seemed like an eternity. "Is anything good here?"
"I like the reuben, though the personal pizzas are pretty good."
Wendy made a small crinkle-nose expression. "Not really a meat-eater, I think I'll do a small salad."
I nodded and smiled, not in approval, but in the knowledge that this would be our only 'date'. "So what did Gil tell you about me?"
She closed her menu in final decision and folded her hands on the table. "That you're divorced and need to get laid."
I almost spit out my coffee in shock. "Beg your pardon?"
She smiled again, but I could see no real warmth or even humor...it was almost wolfish, even in that blue jacket and skirt. "That's what he said."
"Well, I am divorced, that is the truth. Having said that, I am fully happy in surviving that situation with flying colors. As for needing to get laid, I'm all for a great party, but that's not why I'm here."
The wolfish smile morphed into a cold stare. "Why are you here then?"
I sighed. "Curiosity, hunger, and obligation."
"You were NOT obliged to meet me." Her face was a deep crimson now.
"I was obliged to Gil since he's a friend and he's helped me a lot over the years. I was indeed curious to see how this would turn out, and as it has been a long day, I'm hungry.Would you like to eat with me?"
Without another word, Wendy stood up and walked out. As she got to some car I couldn't quite make out, I thought of the movie The Matrix where the heroes could lean back to dodge bullets. The mere mention of the word 'obligation' was the dodge that probably saved my ass.
The server came back with a smile. "She wasn't hungry?"
"Hungry for herself. As for me, it's reuben time!"
And with that, the post-divorce dating game had begun!
