"What I saw today"
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The Partner

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Mark turned the wheel of the car and drove onto the broad drive of a gothic style house that had been converted into a restaurant and hotel. 'This is one of my favourite eating-places”; He said without looking at her - yet during the four months that she had known him he had never mentioned the place before. Mark was playing classical music quite loud in the car; he always played music of any kind loudly. It made it hard to reply, difficult to have a conversation with him, perhaps that was the idea, outside the Auberge du Vieux Logis she could see that people were eating under oyster coloured candlelight.  It was another part of what had so far been a pretty good day.

In the restaurant Ailsa sipped the almost bittersweet raspberry frambois aperitif, during drinks Martin said he needed to go out to a cash machine. To get money for a trip he was making to Bristol the next day; it seemed odd for him to go at that moment leaving her alone at a table in the restaurant especially when he could just go into the bank the next day. While she waited for him to come back she glanced through the menu again and again then looked out of the windows and into the grounds, tiny electrical flower shaped light bulbs illuminated the trees and flowers. It was a beautiful place, she didn’t mind sitting by herself for a short time.

She thought of him alone out at the cash machine, it was quite a way back to the village High Street. He had pointed out where it was as they drove in to the restaurant - it was amongst a small group of shops, there were a couple of trees and a pale lemon street light.  The scene had looked quite eerie as they drove along.  It must have been an after thought that he needed to go there or they could have both stopped on the way.  Quite often he did things in an illogical order. Although she found him very attractive lots of little things bothered her about him.

Ailsa had been seeing this man for almost fifty-two months now; she knew about his work, the health club he used, what art he liked ...but as she waited for him the same thought that she had had many times came back to her - she couldn’t help wondering why she didn't feel as though she was really getting to know him at all.

It was as if everything about him was superficial. She couldn’t really put her finger on why it was that the more time she spent with him the less she felt that she knew him. She just couldn’t get close to Matthew this man that she liked so much. Sometimes he would virtually disappear for a few days, perhaps casually mentioning that he would be going away just the day before, saying it was simply a business trip. Or he might just ring and say “I’m ringing from Bristol, London, Edinburgh or wherever and Ill be back on Friday” She did not ask lot of questions, his work as an architect was lucrative and involved traveling throughout the UK plus he didn't like being asked lots of questions.  She felt increasingly alone whilst being with him.

As he stepped back into the restaurant for some reason as she watched him approach the table she felt uneasy. Something appeared to be different about him - or perhaps she was just starting to see him in a real way. He stared intensely around the room as if he had forgotten briefly where their table was, then his glance fell on her and he adjusted his stare to a more casual glance, as if there was a way of looking at her and another for examining the world.

He sat down and indicated to the waiter that he was ready to order. He had been gone for what seemed like a long time,
"Have you chosen?” He asked
"Yes, of course, you have left me alone here for over half an hour”.
"Well why didn’t you think about me sitting here not knowing how long you would be, just waiting on my own? You’ve been gone for ages. I was about to get a taxi home.
“Don't make a fuss, I knew you would be all right, and it wasn't for long,” He sounded intense and irritated.

The evening was panning out strangely she made the decision there and then that after the meal she would get him to take her home and, perhaps she wouldn’t go out with him again. She knew that one of the reasons she kept putting him first was because her lifestyle was so much better since she had met him, he had a beautiful apartment and even when he was away she had a key to go there and use the pool in the apartment complex.  She did like him too, although it definitely wasn't love, she had meant to give him up twice before but the lifestyle had drawn her further in.  She felt ashamed to even admit that to herself, but there was no getting away from it, it was true. He always felt a little like a stranger to her. Like the week that she agreed to see him even though she didn’t want to - but there was this party in Hampshire that she wanted to go to so much so she compromised herself and saw him again - you pay a price for decisions like that. Then there was the weekend at this beautiful French chateau she certainly didn’t go because she wanted to be with him, it was the party. How shallow she was becoming the longer she was with him the more she could feel herself changing.

Short stories include: The Webmasters Wife, The Christmas Message, The Partner, The Old Girls Trip To The House of Lords, What Was Left - these are just five of the titles you will receive out of your fifty-two. Click here to read extracts of the stories.

Would you like to go to bed every Thursday night, knowing as you fall asleep that for the next fifty-two weeks you will wake up on Friday morning to an original, unique short story created by me in your e-mail box ,followed by one every Friday morning for the next fifty-two weeks. Pay one pound in total and receive all fifty-two – Lucinda.

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The Webmaster’s Wife

"Anna sat opposite to her husband Mark in the bookshop’s cafe. It felt to her that he was slipping away like a golden magical ball with a momentum all of its own slowly disappearing over green rolling hills silently without drama but definitely, as if by magic vanishing."

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The Christmas Message

"The lift door opened, a woman was already in there, she smiled a little but Sarah couldn’t help noticing how sad and tired she looked. Her hair was pale blond her eyes barely blue – and she was dressed almost in summer clothes, a white embroidered gypsy top and turquoise long skirt with pink sandals; there was a guitar by her feet."

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The Partner

"Mark turned the wheel of the car and drove onto the broad drive of a gothic style house that had been converted into a restaurant and hotel. 'This is one of my favourite eating-places”; He said without looking at her - yet during the four months that she had known him he had never mentioned the place before."

Read More...

Art For Sale

Sophie J Rush

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