Old Flames

Twist in the Tale

He’s waiting, as he always does on Wednesday afternoons. The moment he spots me in the crowd, he heads in my direction, his face wreathed in warm, handsome smiles – even though the smiles etch deeper lines in his face these days.

“Hi Susie. It’s so good to see you. I still can’t get over the fact that we’re meeting again like this after all these years.”

I smile back at Geoff, remembering the good times we had in the old days when we were working together. Strange to think how different things might have been if I’d accepted Geoff’s offer of marriage back then.

I think of my home, my husband Joe and the sometimes predictable, ever-so-slightly boring lives we lead and I’m glad, so glad for Wednesday afternoons and all the promise they bring.

“Wednesday is definitely my favourite day of the week,” laughs Geoff. “We never quite know which way it will lead, do we?”

I nod in agreement. Geoff and I always had so much in common and now we find we have even more; we can chat about our lives and plans, completely relaxed together.

Not that we weren’t always relaxed in each other’s company, even all those years ago when Geoff worked alongside me at the publishing company.

Each fresh out of college, we relied on one another in many ways, at work and in our private lives. We were both single, both ambitious, yet never in competition, Geoff heading in one direction with his job, me in another.

Sharing a flat worked perfectly at first. Geoff was the one to keep everything strictly in order, so that cereals added their name to the shopping list long before the box was actually empty, while I was always using his deodorant because mine had run out and I’d forgotten to buy a replacement.

We shared the cooking and cleaning and gradually grew closer than close. I took Geoff home to meet my parents and he took me to his home to meet his. Even before the proposal, it was more or less assumed that we’d marry and live happily ever after.

One night we’d eaten out at a restaurant instead of our usual pasta at home. We even splashed out on a glass of wine each before Geoff went down on one knee in full view of everyone.

“Will you marry me, Sue?” he said, and in a heartbeat I’d said yes. The people at the other tables applauded.

But long engagements aren’t always the best idea. We knew we couldn’t afford to marry until we were both earning proper money, so we had no choice but to set the wedding date so far in the distance that it could only be seen with a carefully focused telescope.

I can’t say for sure whether it was Geoff or me who first wandered away. The fact was that he became friendly with a new girl who came to work at the firm at about the same time I was introduced to Joe at a friend’s wedding.

So the perfect couple weren’t so perfect after all. Geoff realised he was truly in love with someone else, and I was swept off my feet by Joe. Within a year Geoff and I were married – but not to each other.

Now the years have fled by and here we are again, meeting regularly, discussing life and plans once more.

The crowd is increasing as we stand together, forcing us a step or two closer. Geoff winks at me in wry amusement at the situation and I grin back, happy with what’s happening.

Somewhere a bell sounds. Geoff and I smile at one another in recognition, for this is the moment he and I have been waiting for, the time we look forward to each Wednesday afternoon, the reason we are here in the same place at the same time every week.

A small boy runs to Geoff who holds out his hands in welcome.

A little girl runs to me. I pick her up and kiss her.

“It’s lovely meeting the grandchildren like this, isn’t it?” says Geoff, as we say cheerio for another week.