The One that Got Away... Almost Ch. 02
by Ghostwalker
(
With input by IrishLass & edited by LarryInSeattle
)
Time slowly passed and thoughts of Carol faded with it. I met a new woman and after a year of dating we married but from the onset I knew I'd made a mistake. Though I loved her, I still thought of Carol and on rare occasions found myself driving past her old apartment. Then, after 7 years, my wife and I divorced, not because of my thoughts of Carol but because I caught her in bed with two of her co-workers.
Once again single, I decided it was time to pursue my dreams of a degree in Nursing. The first three semesters went by without any problems then one day in late Spring I saw her... Carol.
She was walking across the concourse with a group of friends. Her brown hair was longer, tied in a ponytail, hanging almost to her waist, and sun-streaked from being outside. Her breasts seemed larger or it could just have been wishful thinking on my part. Her skin was the color of honey and the off-the-shoulder peasant top revealed tan lines which for some reason stirred my thoughts of her.
"Please stop. Please stop. Please stop,"
I thought and then, almost as if she'd heard me, she stopped and looked around as if searching for something... or someone. Our eyes met and she paused as if thinking about something before she began walking towards me. "Ohmigod! Is that really you?"
"Hey, Carol."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm taking Nursing classes. I hurt myself working on the Rescue Squad so I needed to find something else to do for the rest of my life," I said, nonchalantly. "What about you? What are you up to?"
"That's a long story," she replied as she glanced down at her watch. "Tell you what. I have class right now but I'll meet you in the Food Plaza in an hour. Okay?"
"Deal," I said as I watched her disappear back into the crowd.
An hour passed and then 90 minutes. I was almost ready to leave when I heard a soft voice behind me. "Hey, handsome. What's a girl got to do to get a seat around here?"
"Ask," I answered as I looked back into her sparkling, ocean-blue eyes.
"Well then," she stood there with her arms full of books and her purse dangling from her shoulder.
I, immediately, got up and pulled out a chair for her.
"Thanks," she said with a smile as she put her books on the table and sat down.
"So, you said you'd tell me what's been going on with you."
"Long story, like I said."
"I got time if you do. My classes are over for the day. So what's your major?" I asked as looked at the pile of books.
"I'm taking classes in Education with an emphasis on special ed for the cognitively challenged."
"Wow!! That sounds like a pretty heavy load."
"I'm only here part-time so it's not too bad."
"How come it's only part-time? I figured your son must be in second grade by now."
"Actually, he's in third grade. He's really smart," she said, beaming with pride. "But I still need to pay the bills so I can't go to school full-time as I'd like to."
It was only then that I glanced down at the ring finger on her left hand and noticed that she wasn't wearing a wedding band any more.
She saw where I was looking and held her hand up simply saying, "Single."
"When?"
She paused before continuing. "About two years after you and I split up. He went out with 'the boys' one night and got drunk. When he came home he wanted sex and I said 'no'. That was when he..." she paused and looked away before continuing. "Anyway, I landed up in the hospital for three days and he ended up going to jail for spousal abuse. After that, it wasn't hard to get a judge to see my side of the situation and award me full custody of my son."
"I'm sorry to hear that happened."
She shrugged her shoulders and replied, "It's okay I guess. I got what I wanted. Though I have to admit I might have deserved it a little bit.
"Why?"
"Well, after he forced me to come back to him I never let him forget about the time you and I spent together."
"Really? How?"
"Oh, I'd make little comments about what a gentleman you'd been and what a good lover you were but the final straw was when I did this," she stopped and raised her left leg revealing a delicate gold anklet. "I told him that you were my soul mate and that this anklet would always signify our bond to each other. He went ballistic and tried to rip it off but it's brazed together so the only way to get it off is either to cut it off," she chuckled.
"Wow. And I thought I had it bad being married to a narcissistic bitch for 7 years," I laughed. She smiled and I continued. "So... ummmm... you wanna get together some time for dinner or something?"
"I don't know," she faltered. "It's only been my son and I since the divorce. I haven't gone on any real dates or anything."
"You gotta be kidding. A woman as good looking as you. There must have been something."
"Well," she blushed a deep shade of red, "there were a few 'bootee calls' with a friend but there was never anything serious."
"I'll tell you what, how about we meet somewhere for a drink. Nothing fancy, just two old friends getting together."
"I'll think about it," she replied as she stood, "but right now I need to go. I have to get my son from school at 3 o'clock and drop him off at my parent's house. Then, I'm meeting some girlfriends from work at the new bar downtown for a 'lady's night'."
"Ahhh, okay. Maybe next time."
"Maybe," she called over her shoulder as she walked away, a little extra swish in her stride.