Holly:
I waved goodbye and started down the hall. As I turned the corner to the elevators, I looked back and Mark was still standing there. I blew him a kiss as he waved one last time.
I was filled with emotion as I waited for the elevator. My heart was beating rapidly with happiness and satisfaction. I could still feel the touch of his hands. I could still felt the intense sensations that surged through my body when I came.
Those thoughts and feelings stayed with me as I walked to my car. Once inside, I burst into tears. My thoughts turned to despair because I remembered that Mark is leaving On Sunday. We only have two days, two full days, then he has to go back to Ohio.
'Two days, TWO DAYS!' I thought.
"What am I going to do? What is Mark going to do? What are we going to do?" I spoke aloud.
All during the drive home, I played different scenarios through my mind. Mark could quit his job, move to Nashville, and find a new job here. I could quit my job, move to Columbus, and find a new job there. We could try to survive a long-distance relationship. Could we never see each other again? No solution could rid me of the misery I was feeling.
Arriving home, I walked into the kitchen and had a glass of water.
'A warm bath," I thought. 'That always helps.'
I went to the bedroom, undressed, and walked into the bathroom. Turning the water to lukewarm, I added some bubble bath.
While waiting for the bathtub to fill, I looked at my self in the mirror.
"Holly, you have a problem," I told my reflection.
Tears welled up in my eyes again. I wiped them, turned to the bathtub, and climbed in.
-----
Mark:
I watched her walk down the hall. As she turned the corner, she blew me a kiss. I quickly waved back and she was gone.
I went back inside my room, leaned against the door, and smiled.
Suddenly, I had a sick feeling in my stomach. Pain in my chest felt like I had been hit with a sledge hammer. My knees gave way and I sat on the edge of the bed.
'What is going to happen?' I asked myself. 'I have to go back to Ohio on Sunday.'
Lying back, I put my arm over my face. My eyes began to hurt and a tear trickled down the side of my face.
"Can I live without that woman?" I asked myself. "What can I do?"
I lay there trying to push all thoughts out of my mind. But I just couldn't stop thinking about Holly.
Finally, I said to myself, "OK, Mark, let's be rational. What are the options?"
In my mind, I began going through all possibilities. One, I could go home, quit my job, move to Nashville, and find a new one. Two, she, could quit her job, move to Columbus, and find a new one. Three, we could keep a relationship going and get together whenever we could. Maybe that would be enough, being together whenever the opportunity arose. No, that wouldn't be fair to her. It would be selfish of me. I have to think what's best for Holly. I think too much of her to make her a woman that I get together with just to have sex. Four, I don't want to think about. Four, I don't want a four.
But four is the most reasonable. Four is the easiest. And four would be the most painful. Four. We could go on with our lives just as they were before we met and never see each other again. No, I know we would run into each other at conferences. And she might be making sales presentations at my tech center and others close by. We could make an effort not to be at the same place at the same time.
Tired of thinking, I turned off the lights and tried going to sleep.
-----
Holly:
I awoke to daylight. Somehow, I had dragged myself out of the bathtub and into bed last night.
I immediately thought of Mark, thought of calling him. But that thought shot a stab of pain though me.
I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. With the feelings I was having in my stomach, I wasn't really hungry. But I knew I had to eat something. I fixed myself a bagel with cheese spread, grape juice, and started the coffeemaker.
I didn't know what to do, so I just sat, and softly sobbed.
'I have to make a decision,' I thought, 'Mark has to make a decision, we both have a decision to make.'
I thought of moving to Columbus. I thought of Mark moving to Nashville. It just seemed so hard to do either one. I thought about seeing Mark whenever we could. But that wouldn't be fair to him.
'Or to me,' I thought.
I asked myself, 'What would be best for Mark? Maybe we should just not see each other again.'
But that thought made me afraid.
-----
Mark:
I awoke as usual at 6:30. For awhile, I just lay there. The sickness in my stomach and pain in my chest was no better.
I thought of calling Holly, but told myself she probably wasn't awake yet.
'I wonder what she's been feeling,' I asked myself.
I took a quick shower and, not feeling like going down to the restaurant, I ordered room service. Neither the shower nor breakfast made me feel any better.
I asked myself, 'What would be best for Holly? It's asking a lot for her to move to Columbus. I don't know if I can make a move to Nashville. And I sure don't want to insult her by meeting only for sex.'
'Maybe,' I thought, 'it would be best for her if we just would not see each other again.'
But that thought made me sick.
-----
She answered on the first ring.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's me."
"Hi."
"Did you sleep OK?"
"No, I had a miserable night's sleep."
"Me too."
Silence
"I guess we need to talk," she said.
"Yes, I think we do."
"Do you want to come here?"
"Either that or you could come here. Bring your swimming suit and we could spend some time at the pool."
"That sounds OK."
'Have you eaten yet?"
"Not much."