said, after so much silence Sarah had settled to barely hum the tune of the current song on the radio. “I used to be, but that was years ago, and I haven’t had a girl in my own bed in eight years. Besides my own daughter, when she was smaller. So, no, no girls in my bed. Girls in my house? Yup. Just never overnight.
“I wasn’t always like that. Lucy’s mum was meant to be a keeper, but guess it wasn’t meant to be. I can’t afford a broken heart. Mortgage, child support, my job to support clients with a broken heart … I see it and have experienced it and life is better now than it was before.”
Sarah gulped. If that wasn’t opening up, she couldn’t say what was. She couldn’t decide if it was worse if he were a player or like this, but then, she felt bad for assuming he’d play girls around. He’d just told her otherwise, anyway.
Still, she couldn’t pick his type. Now, she knew, and it seemed worse like this. Not because he had a little girl, because Sarah would be delighted to meet her, but because of his habits. His learnt way-of-life meant she was sure she’d never be the one who would change him.
She realised two things were wrong with that. She was attracted to Malik because of the way he was. Changing him would not only be selfish, but also to her detriment. The other thing was, she wasn’t a kid anymore. Sarah well and truly knew that only characters in movies “changed” a man. Life didn’t work like that. Her dad married her mum, had an affair with Alyssa Fawnheart for years, moved onto Jessica Stone, and after them, all the women blended into one blonde skinny prototype. Her dad had said the whole time he “just knew” the current girlfriend would be the one.
Life wasn’t fair, but it was how it was.
Trying not to hesitate, Sarah took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s not meant to happen that way, is it?”
Malik had expected a different answer, just as much as Sarah had. But Sarah was more mature than her friends. She’d heard “I’m so sorry to hear that” and “It’ll all work out” one hundred times too many, and they were weak answers coming from a person who didn’t care enough to say a fitting response.
She went on, “We’re meant to have the one dad stick by family, a wife who’ll be forever. In the end, we have to make do with how it all breaks apart and find a way to put it back together enough to be happy with it and move on.”
“I haven’t had one person who’s replied anything like that,” Malik said.
“Happy to be your first.”
They had driven into the outer city, and were getting closer to Crown now. The roads were denser than where they’d taken off from the train station, and everything was brighter here: signs, lights, cars. It was a clue they were getting closer to their destination, and it made Sarah’s muscles tighten, anxious at the thought of getting there, anxious at the thought of driving forever.
“Here,” he said softly, holding out his hand.
Sarah took it, and a calm drifted over her. She relaxed into the contours of the leather seat, and turned only her head to gaze at Malik.
“What you lookin’ at?”
“Thinking, really,” she said. “I worried you were too busy-slash-important-slash-gorgeous-slash-whatever-else-you-can-add for me. But now, it’s only been four and a half hours or so and … ergh, I don’t even know how to describe it.” Sarah grunted. “Like you know me? Or understand me?”
Sarah continued to grumble, trying to describe her thoughts and only succeeding in her cheeks getting redder and hotter, and getting more agitated.
“Like we were meant to meet and we somehow must have met before. Like it was in another life, or something.”
“Yes!” Sarah cried, after he’d barely finished talking. “Wait …” She turned so her knee was bent, foot under her thigh, and her torso facing him. “Have we met?”
“I hope not, or else I’d be concerned. How old are you?”
Sarah’s chest
“I wasn’t always like that. Lucy’s mum was meant to be a keeper, but guess it wasn’t meant to be. I can’t afford a broken heart. Mortgage, child support, my job to support clients with a broken heart … I see it and have experienced it and life is better now than it was before.”
Sarah gulped. If that wasn’t opening up, she couldn’t say what was. She couldn’t decide if it was worse if he were a player or like this, but then, she felt bad for assuming he’d play girls around. He’d just told her otherwise, anyway.
Still, she couldn’t pick his type. Now, she knew, and it seemed worse like this. Not because he had a little girl, because Sarah would be delighted to meet her, but because of his habits. His learnt way-of-life meant she was sure she’d never be the one who would change him.
She realised two things were wrong with that. She was attracted to Malik because of the way he was. Changing him would not only be selfish, but also to her detriment. The other thing was, she wasn’t a kid anymore. Sarah well and truly knew that only characters in movies “changed” a man. Life didn’t work like that. Her dad married her mum, had an affair with Alyssa Fawnheart for years, moved onto Jessica Stone, and after them, all the women blended into one blonde skinny prototype. Her dad had said the whole time he “just knew” the current girlfriend would be the one.
Life wasn’t fair, but it was how it was.
Trying not to hesitate, Sarah took a deep breath and exhaled. “It’s not meant to happen that way, is it?”
Malik had expected a different answer, just as much as Sarah had. But Sarah was more mature than her friends. She’d heard “I’m so sorry to hear that” and “It’ll all work out” one hundred times too many, and they were weak answers coming from a person who didn’t care enough to say a fitting response.
She went on, “We’re meant to have the one dad stick by family, a wife who’ll be forever. In the end, we have to make do with how it all breaks apart and find a way to put it back together enough to be happy with it and move on.”
“I haven’t had one person who’s replied anything like that,” Malik said.
“Happy to be your first.”
They had driven into the outer city, and were getting closer to Crown now. The roads were denser than where they’d taken off from the train station, and everything was brighter here: signs, lights, cars. It was a clue they were getting closer to their destination, and it made Sarah’s muscles tighten, anxious at the thought of getting there, anxious at the thought of driving forever.
“Here,” he said softly, holding out his hand.
Sarah took it, and a calm drifted over her. She relaxed into the contours of the leather seat, and turned only her head to gaze at Malik.
“What you lookin’ at?”
“Thinking, really,” she said. “I worried you were too busy-slash-important-slash-gorgeous-slash-whatever-else-you-can-add for me. But now, it’s only been four and a half hours or so and … ergh, I don’t even know how to describe it.” Sarah grunted. “Like you know me? Or understand me?”
Sarah continued to grumble, trying to describe her thoughts and only succeeding in her cheeks getting redder and hotter, and getting more agitated.
“Like we were meant to meet and we somehow must have met before. Like it was in another life, or something.”
“Yes!” Sarah cried, after he’d barely finished talking. “Wait …” She turned so her knee was bent, foot under her thigh, and her torso facing him. “Have we met?”
“I hope not, or else I’d be concerned. How old are you?”
Sarah’s chest
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