God, she’s beautiful. I can tell even from nearly a block away. She’s wearing a dress that shows off miles of leg, she has flawless olive skin, and her dark hair is loose and sexy going down her back. And she’s young. So young. I don’t want to think about it.
There’s something about her that reminds me of myself, only prettier and younger. She’s the two point oh version of me. I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse about the whole thing.
I wonder how long they’ve been seeing each other. I squint at her face, and it doesn’t look familiar. I haven’t seen her featured on his Facebook page or other social media. It’s got to be a new relationship. Maybe even a first date.
I wonder if they’ve kissed yet. If she’s been to his apartment. If they’ve slept together.
This is the point where I know I should turn around. I have gotten an answer to my question, and even though it’s not the answer I had wanted, it’s an answer. Yet I can’t make my feet move. I can’t look away.
Especially when he leans in toward her until his lips are against hers.
I can’t describe how it feels to see the man you love—the man you were certain you would marry and spend the rest of your life with—kissing another woman. It’s a sick, horrible feeling, like the entire world is falling out from under me. And the kiss… it lasts forever.
I remember the first time Joel kissed me. It was the night we met. We were at a Christmas party thrown by a mutual friend, and he showed up in his scrubs （no surprise there） and was passed out on the sofa sitting up when I arrived. When I sat down on the couch, it jostled him awake. I apologized for waking him, and as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, a smile spread across his face. I’m glad you did, he said.
We spent the next two hours talking and ignoring everyone else at the party. He entertained me with stories from his med school rotations, and I confessed to him my dream of opening my own shop someday. We had several drinks in us when he got shakily back on his feet, then offered me his hand to help me up. Can I walk you home?
I had been hoping for a kiss at my front door, but instead, we ran into a piece of mistletoe stuck above the doorway. I can’t remember which one of us pointed it out, but as soon as I saw it, I knew what he was going to do. When he leaned in to kiss me, I knew this was the man I would spend the rest of my life with.
Or at least, that’s what I thought.
Stupid, I know.
And now he’s kissing another woman. There’s part of me that can’t believe this is happening. Maybe I’m trapped in some sort of elaborate dream I can’t escape.
God, why is this kiss lasting so long? Are they trying for the World’s Record?
I need to leave. I need to walk away. I need to forget all about Joel and move on with my life. But instead, I keep staring at them as they kiss.
And then something inside me snaps.
Chapter 8: The New Girl
It ends up being a great dinner and a great date. The best Cassie has had in years, although to be fair, she can count on one hand the number of dates she’s been on in the last few years.
Is it as good as the first date between Bea and Marv? She doesn’t know. She wasn’t there for that date, although she has to assume it was a good one since they were married only six months later.
Joel won’t let her see the number on the check when it arrives. He yanks it away before she can even attempt to reach for it and hands it back to the waiter with his credit card. She doesn’t want to think about how much the meal cost, considering how many plates are stacked up in front of them, and they had two glasses of wine each. She tried to take the salmon plates, even though he told her to get whatever she liked. Well, she does like salmon.
The sun has gone down, and the air has gotten brisk when they leave the restaurant. Her formerly comfortable dress is no longer warm enough, and Cassie feels goosebumps prickling her arm.