Page 200 of The Heart You Kept

“Good morning, I’m Alora from Sorenson Antiques,” she says, my heart constricts at the sight of her smile, I feel it all the way to the pit of my stomach. Her hair is down and she’s wearing a fitted cream dress.

Always so effortlessly beautiful.

I don’t know why I keep putting myself through this by watching her morning videos, all it does is screw up my entire day. She’s clearly composed, happy, and carefree. While I’m over here dying a slow and painful death.

“Today we have a beautiful chest that I want to show you.” She runs her hand over the chest. “It’s early seventeen hundreds and would have been used as a blanket or storage box.” The camera angle circles the chest. “Perfect for hiding useless things.” She opens the lid. “Perhaps even spineless cowards and their pathetic letters.” She slams the door shut. “Just joking, those things belong in the trash with all the other nasty things.”

Adrenaline surges, even when not addressing me directly she still has a way of pissing me off.

“And these marble lamps are beautiful.” She picks one up and pretends to swing it. “Excellent for knocking people out.”

I click out of my phone in disgust.

I won’t be watching these stupid videos again…who am I kidding, until tomorrow when her next one comes out.

The club is loud, the drinks are strong. My mind…distracted.

It’s been two weeks since I last saw Alora, although she’s haunted my every thought. Starred in my every dream.

Beautiful women are sauntering past, circling like vultures…. And yet all I can think about is her.

I’ve got it bad…really bad.

My friends are laughing and chatting, having a great night. And me, I think I’m having a midlife crisis. Perhaps even an existential crisis.

A big one.

I drag my hand through my hair, annoyed with myself.

Get the fuck over it.

She’s just another woman and this feeling will pass. From the depths of my dark soul a little voice whispers:

What if doesn’t?

I slam another shot back and slosh it around in my mouth, I feel it burn all the way down. I lick my lips and take another off the tray.

I’ll do anything to numb this feeling.

Mikaela saunters over, she’s wearing a silver minidress and has legs up to her ears. She straddles my leg and bends down to whisper in my ear, “I need to be fucked.” Her teeth graze my ear and my cock twitches with approval. “And only your cock will do.”

Hmmm….

Perhaps a good hard fuck with someone else is all it would take.

It would be so easy to lose myself in someone for a while.

But then…. The thought of having another woman doesn’t interest me in the slightest.

I only want her.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I pull my ear away from her mouth. “Not tonight.” I wave her away and glance at my watch. It’s only 1 a.m.

Screw this.

I need to go home.