Author's note: Okay this isn't a new story. I wrote this years ago. I decided to combine the two short chapters into one. i didn't realize it would show up as a "new story" LOL.
He was awestruck by her. Beautiful flowing blond hair. Chocolate colored eyes that sparkled. A smile that lit up the room. She was elegantly dressed in a black cocktail dress looking so beautiful, so amazing that it took his breath away. He wanted to go over to her. To say hello. But, he couldn't. Not under these circumstances. So, he just watched her completely forgetting everything and everyone else in the room: including his date. She was asking him a question. He reluctantly shook himself out of the spell of the beautiful lady across the room and turned his attention to his date. She was blond too. But, no where near as beautiful. No where near as elegant. No where near...well let's just say there was no way in a million years she would ever hold a candle to the beautiful lady across the room.
He had been listening to her rambling on and on about her childhood with only half an ear. But, it was more out of politeness than interest. But, the truth was he wasn't interested in her. But he was in her: The beautiful lady across the room. He answered her question and she went rambling on. He went back to listening with half an ear and turned his attention once more back to her. Her dinner companion had her laughing so hard that she had to cover her mouth with her napkin. He glared at him. How dare he?! Wait a minute. How dare he what? How dare he make this beautiful lady laugh? What was so wrong with that?
He sighed. He knew what the problem was. Making her laugh used to be his job. And he was good at it. She would come home in a bad mood and sometimes in just twenty minutes he would have her laughing, just as hard as she was now. But, now another man was making her laugh. He had lost that right. That privilege. When he had broken her heart. When he had broken her spirit. But, here she was laughing again. He was glad. He was he assured himself. It had been so long since he had seen her laugh much less smile. That he realized sadly was all his fault. Stupid, stupid, stupid he berated himself. He had made this beautiful lady sad. He had made her stop smiling and laughing and for what? For another woman? For another woman who never would measure up to the beautiful lady across the room? He was ashamed at his behavior. At the pain he had caused her. There was nothing he could do about it now. The damage was done. As the saying goes he had made his bed now he has to lie in it.
"I'm tired. Could we go now?"
Once again he reluctantly shook himself out of her spell and turned towards his date. He nodded yes and signaled the waiter for the check. He left him a tip and went to pay the cashier. She was hanging on his arm. He felt very uncomfortable. He wanted to pull away but he didn't want to cause a scene. He got his change and they started walking out. He looked back once more at her. Drinking in her beauty. Drinking in her elegance. He sighed and turned away. The realization hitting him like an ice cold bucket of water. He had lost her.
He had lost this beautiful lady.
She saw him across the room. He looked so handsome that it took her breath away. Dark, ebony hair. Brown eyes the color of chocolate fudge cake. A smile that made his handsome features even more so. She wanted to go over to him and say hello but she couldn't. Not under these circumstances. So she turned her attention back to her date. She listened to him telling her stories about his family, his work, and his interests. But, even though her attention may have appeared to be on her dinner companion it was really on him. On the handsome man across the room. He was with her she noticed with a sadness that overwhelmed her. She looked down for a moment telling herself not to cry. She wouldn't cry. She had cried enough. She looked back up and gave her dinner companion her complete attention. At least that is how she hoped it looked. The truth was she wanted to be with him: with the handsome man across the room. But, he was otherwise involved.
Her dinner companion was telling her a funny story about his childhood. And it was funny. So funny that she had to cover her mouth with her napkin. But even though she was laughing on the outside she felt sad on the inside. She hadn't laughed or smiled in so long. She used to. He could always make her smile and laugh. But, he hadn't in so long. Not since... she didn't want to think about that so she shook off the bad memories. It was strange but there were moments during the night she felt his eyes on her. But, every time she would look at him he would be looking at his date or elsewhere. She berated herself for being so naive. Why would he be looking at her when he was on a date with her? She noticed them leaving. She was hanging on to him. It made her uncomfortable. It made her sick. it broke her heart.
"I'll be right back. I see some business associates I need to go talk to."
She looked up at her dinner companion and nodded. He walked away but she didn't even notice. Her attention was on him. On the handsome man across the room who was now leaving. With her. Unable to take it anymore she looked down so she wouldn't have to look at them. It was to painful. She felt it again. The feeling that he was looking at her. But, when she looked up he was walking out with her. He wasn't looking at her. He never had been. It had all been her overactive imagination.
She sighed as the truth hit her once more. He didn't want her. He had never wanted her. She had to face the fact that she had lost him.
She had lost the handsome man across the room.