very good shape, she thought, noticing the slight paunch that was starting to hang over his belt.
Victor worked out hard each day, brutally pushing his body to the next level of fitness. He worked out during the afternoons when he said his mind was dullest and the workout gave him the ability to concentrate further into the evening.
Drew hadn’t ever worked out that she could remember although she knew that he complained an awful lot about his boring job.
Come to think of it, she thought as she sipped her latte slowly, Victor never complained. She’d seen him irritated by people at work but when he talked about the situations, he was always working out how to resolve the problem.
Other differences she could think of between Victor and Drew popped into her mind, one rapidly after the other. Victor constantly told her how pretty she was, how sexy and desirable. No matter how much she’d tried to look nice for Drew, he’d never been very complimentary. The man had always found something to make her feel bad about. Her hair wasn’t fluffy enough, or it was too fluffy; her lipstick didn’t match her sweater or a wrinkle marred her outfit. She hadn’t realized how demoralized she was until Victor had entered her life and told her how lovely she looked or what a nice color a particular sweater was with her skin or hair.
Overall, Victor was so much more of a man than Drew could even dream of being. With a secret smile, she realized that Drew walking out on her had been the best thing that ever happened to her. With that realization came freedom. Freedom from the past, freedom from all of her old insecurities although she knew that Victor had already gotten her most of that way with his “lessons” and his praise, both verbal as well as the admiration and desire that showed in his eyes whenever he looked at her.
The feeling of freedom was so wondrous, so liberating that she felt as if a bubble were growing inside her, about to burst in a happy cloud of fairy dust or something else just as ridiculous sounding.
Turning back to her computer with a smile, she quickly logged off, closing down. She wasn’t running from him she thought happily. She was just leaving an area that no longer interested her. How refreshing.
As she shut down her laptop and closed up her large carry-all bag, she smiled to herself. She’d often wondered what she would do the next time she saw him. She’d imagined horrible scenes where she’d broken down in public, begging him to come back to her, to help her out. Other times, she’d imagined a yelling fit where she blamed him for so many things that had gone wrong in their marriage. And in the dark of night, when she’d be laying in bed wondering how she would pay the rent or buy food, she’d pictured herself trying to become the woman he wanted her to be, someone who could meet his standards, who he wouldn’t criticize, wondering how she could have made herself over if she’d just had enough time and insight, instead of who she really was. Standing here, in the cozy coffee shop with her newfound confidence and success, she knew she’d moved on in her life. Drew was definitely someone from her past. And not a very nice part of her past either, she acknowledged. This was so much better than what she’d been anticipating and dreading.
“Going somewhere?” Drew asked, sidling up to her with his superior-looking expression and huge cup of coffee.
Lana looked at him and smiled politely. “Hello Drew. How are you doing lately?” she asked and was proud of herself for not cowering in front of him, or showing any sign of anger. It was actually quite easy to talk to him without feeling any emotion at all. It was as if he were an old acquaintance that she’d known a long, long time ago, but who no longer had any part of her life.
What a relief, she thought to herself. She also thanked God that Victor had come into her life before this meeting between her and Drew. She couldn’t imagine what
Victor worked out hard each day, brutally pushing his body to the next level of fitness. He worked out during the afternoons when he said his mind was dullest and the workout gave him the ability to concentrate further into the evening.
Drew hadn’t ever worked out that she could remember although she knew that he complained an awful lot about his boring job.
Come to think of it, she thought as she sipped her latte slowly, Victor never complained. She’d seen him irritated by people at work but when he talked about the situations, he was always working out how to resolve the problem.
Other differences she could think of between Victor and Drew popped into her mind, one rapidly after the other. Victor constantly told her how pretty she was, how sexy and desirable. No matter how much she’d tried to look nice for Drew, he’d never been very complimentary. The man had always found something to make her feel bad about. Her hair wasn’t fluffy enough, or it was too fluffy; her lipstick didn’t match her sweater or a wrinkle marred her outfit. She hadn’t realized how demoralized she was until Victor had entered her life and told her how lovely she looked or what a nice color a particular sweater was with her skin or hair.
Overall, Victor was so much more of a man than Drew could even dream of being. With a secret smile, she realized that Drew walking out on her had been the best thing that ever happened to her. With that realization came freedom. Freedom from the past, freedom from all of her old insecurities although she knew that Victor had already gotten her most of that way with his “lessons” and his praise, both verbal as well as the admiration and desire that showed in his eyes whenever he looked at her.
The feeling of freedom was so wondrous, so liberating that she felt as if a bubble were growing inside her, about to burst in a happy cloud of fairy dust or something else just as ridiculous sounding.
Turning back to her computer with a smile, she quickly logged off, closing down. She wasn’t running from him she thought happily. She was just leaving an area that no longer interested her. How refreshing.
As she shut down her laptop and closed up her large carry-all bag, she smiled to herself. She’d often wondered what she would do the next time she saw him. She’d imagined horrible scenes where she’d broken down in public, begging him to come back to her, to help her out. Other times, she’d imagined a yelling fit where she blamed him for so many things that had gone wrong in their marriage. And in the dark of night, when she’d be laying in bed wondering how she would pay the rent or buy food, she’d pictured herself trying to become the woman he wanted her to be, someone who could meet his standards, who he wouldn’t criticize, wondering how she could have made herself over if she’d just had enough time and insight, instead of who she really was. Standing here, in the cozy coffee shop with her newfound confidence and success, she knew she’d moved on in her life. Drew was definitely someone from her past. And not a very nice part of her past either, she acknowledged. This was so much better than what she’d been anticipating and dreading.
“Going somewhere?” Drew asked, sidling up to her with his superior-looking expression and huge cup of coffee.
Lana looked at him and smiled politely. “Hello Drew. How are you doing lately?” she asked and was proud of herself for not cowering in front of him, or showing any sign of anger. It was actually quite easy to talk to him without feeling any emotion at all. It was as if he were an old acquaintance that she’d known a long, long time ago, but who no longer had any part of her life.
What a relief, she thought to herself. She also thanked God that Victor had come into her life before this meeting between her and Drew. She couldn’t imagine what
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