THE SUNDAY READ .... OR THE WALK-TO-WIN WRITING WORKSHOP CHALLENGE cont/d from 3 March

To recap: This party for more than a thousand guests was totally business. Why else would you be in their company. A total disaster by his usual standards of working the room. His traditional schmoozing had been non-existent and subsequently showed no signs of baiting the next client. He could handle that. After all, everyone has off-days. And now for the next episode:

Through the haze of too many sub-standard glasses of Merlot, he wondered if he was developing a conscience. This terrified him. He tried to focus on finding her; she just may have the answer. God knows he didn’t. Off days. It seemed that just lately most of his days were off. He realized that his colleagues were staring at him. Had he spoken out loud?

The next morning as he lay recounting the events of the night before, her image took on the only meaning to the whole evening and yet he had not even spoken to her. Did he only imagine that she recognized him? Surely not. That small glimpse of recognition from her was what he clung to. He knew she certainly didn’t altogether look the same. Time can change so much but not the understanding of what they had had together.

By the time the hot water had rolled over his body, steamed up the bathroom mirror and was followed by the ritual of shaving at his hazy reflection, he knew he wasn’t going mad. In fact, it was altogether a dream. It was better she stayed in his mind. Something he could control. This new Susan was someone he did not know. And, more importantly he preferred that he didn’t know.

The close proximity of fellow passengers on a rush-hour bus into the city mingled with the bright, low-lying sun of what promised to be a warm and welcome Spring day eradicated all uneasiness of the previous evening. Similarly, the familiar tensions and jockeying-for-position humour of the work day cozied him into a recognizable pattern.

He arrived home later than usual that evening but his equilibrium had been reinstated. Comfortable he felt, back home. He cracked open a beer and turned on the CD he'd been playing that morning. It was then he noticed the flashing red button on the answering machine. On recollection, it was strange that he immediately sensed apprehension .... it could have been anyone ..... but it was her. ....... to be continued .....