WhenTheCold Pounds on the door

小寒 [12] / [20]

She smiled at him again,

"Maybe you can tell me over drinks. Later on, I mean, when you have time. I know you're a busy man."

He didn't respond, he simply watched her, waiting for her to continue. Her gaze turned seductive.

"You can come over to my place. I've got alcohol, a fireplace, and a really comfy couch. I'm sure we can find a lot to do to pass the time. Isn’t it the perfect place to talk?"

He could feel his blood rushing to his lower body as she spoke, and his mouth watered a little at the thought of her naked body sprawled out across his, both of them tangled in each other's embrace as they made love. By the look in her eye, she was thinking the same thing.

She stared at him for awhile, and her peculiar expression reverted, giving way to that naive, innocent look that was familiar to Alexander when they first met.

"You want my address now?"

she asked him mischievously. Alexander willingly took down her address.

When they left the restaurant, Alexander's heart was jubilant, and as light as a cloud. But he felt paralyzed like a stone since finding Violet in front of him. She looked like a tiny, young woman with shining green eyes and dark gray hair. She looked much younger than her real age. Everybody who knew Violet said that she was like a fairy captured by a dull bear, which represented Alexander.

One thing was certain: he was smitten with Sarah. But he had to keep things moving slowly. He was still recovering from what had happened to his previous relationship, and the betrayal still stung horribly. Still, he could use a distraction; best to keep it casual. Alexander pretended not to see Violet, and tried to step outside. But Violet approached him, twisting her fingers as she did so.

"We need to talk,”

she seemed not to see Sarah next to him, or pretended not to, ignoring her existence.

"Please give me a chance to explain,”

her voice implored.

"There's nothing to discuss,”

he answered coldly.

“I saw what I saw, so don't you dare insult my intelligence by trying to make me doubt my lying eyes and swallow your bullshit. We're done."

Violet looked shocked at these last two words, and didn't know what to say. She just stood there, eyeing him with that mix of scorn and guilt.

Alexander recalled an episode in the military when a friend, Mike Hancock, was going through a nasty divorce. He had discovered that his wife was screwing their neighbor while he was deployed. But the curious thing was that, as soon as he was beginning to get over her, she'd pop back into his life: calling him, texting him, suggesting they meet for drinks.

Hell, even during the divorce, she let it drag on not just so she could try to get the best settlement possible, but because she could keep him firmly gripped in her talons. He told Alexander something that had always stuck with him: "Some women can sense when you're starting to forget about them. It's like magic."

That was Violet in spades.