Coming Together: Special Hurricane Relief Edition by Alessia Brio Page B

which was exactly what
I was beginning to say before I was cut off.
    "Look.
I know. I know. But I rented a room for the weekend. I want you to
come down here."
    "No."
Sounding quite pissed-off.
    "Yes.
It's going to be a beautiful day. Come on. We need this."
    I
couldn't deny that. I did need to just relax. Work was becoming very
difficult to deal with, and I was taking it out on the one person who
meant everything to me. Every time I would come home, my thoughts and
conversation orbited my job, my anger, and the inabilities of
everyone around me. Our relationship was becoming strained. We hardly
talked about what mattered to "us" anymore and I knew that
I wasn't helping much. We had a huge fight last night after dinner.The fight dealt with my getting older, being stuck in a dead end
job and quite possibly a dead end relationship. There were quite a
few colorful words spat at each other, and instead of sleeping at my
house, he sped off to his apartment.
    I
was still angry with him and really didn't want to see him. I thought
of every excuse I could say, but as I opened my mouth the only words
that came out was, "Fine." I heard his soft laughter from
the other end of the phone and smiled. I pictured him in my mind.
Tall, brown hair that was thinning, brown eyes, and a gorgeous smile.
He hadn't exercised much lately, but his body was still in wonderful
shape. Although I loved feeling safe in his arms, the warmth of his
body, and inhaling his scent, something was missing. I missed feeling
romantic with him. The passion in our relationship was starting to
dwindle. I found myself fantasizing about other men, flirting with
them, sometimes wondering what it would be like to be fucked by
another man. Our lovemaking had become rudimentary. Getting it in
before it was too late, then giving a quick kiss before falling
asleep. "I'm not getting any younger," I was beginning to
think. "Is this all there is?"
    "Great!"
Mike said. "You know the place. Room 16. See you soon. Be
careful!"
    "Bye."
I sighed as I hung up. I paid the cashier and started to the parking
lot. I breathed in deeply when I saw the sun shining. "Maybe
things will be brightening up after all!" On my way home, I
thought about what I would say to Mike. Perhaps ask him for a bit of
a break. Just to see where my life is heading. But every time I tried
to think what to say, I just couldn't come up with the right words. I
was hoping that the ride down the shore would clear my mind. Maybe I
was looking into everything just far too much. He never seemed to
have a problem expressing himself, and I knew he didn't want out of
this relationship. I didn't either. I loved him deeply.
    When
I finally got home, I threw my bathing suit into my duffle and put on
a pair of blue shorts with a tight, white tank top. Tossing my bag
into the back seat, I hit the road. Since the weather was holding
out, I put the top down of my convertible. I loved my car: a 1969
blue Camaro SS with black "bumble bee" striping. The old
man I'd bought it from had rambled on about the 350 engine, the
horsepower, and how the model was one of the first to have air
conditioning and blah, blah, blah. But all I'd seen and what had won
me over was the shape of the car and that it had hide-away
headlights. "Women!" was all the guy had said as I had
written a check and driven the car away.
    Mike
knows a heck of a lot more than I do about cars and racing cars. He
stopped dead in his tracks when he first saw my car, and I swear it
was love at first sight. I often joked to him that if I got rid of
the car, he'd probably leave me. With the wind whipping through my
hair and my music on, traveling down the shore went quickly. Pulling
into the hotel parking lot, I noticed a white note on the door of the
room Mike rented. "Now what?" I thought as I reached the
door and ripped the note off. It read:

    "G
- Didn't want to waste the sun. Meet me on the beach! - M"

    I
shook my head and tried the door. "Locked!" I laughed