Farewell at the Pier

The lady stands by the pier, feeling the warm sun and the cool breeze on her face. Her fingers are a bit numb from the cold and from holding on the rough, wooden rail so tightly. She’s been waiting for an hour standing in the same spot, not wanting to miss the man’s arrival. The woman is dressed in all black – smart slacks, chiffon blouse, black stiletto pumps – with a white shrug cardigan. Her long, thick black hair is wind-blown and a bit out of place in certain places. She’s biting her lip covered with pink gloss.

The man has been there all along. He sees her standing there but she doesn’t see him. The man’s breathe hitches at the sight of her but he doesn’t approach. He hesitates a bit from his position at the hotdog stand. The lady looks up, finally sees him and waves. He finally takes a step towards her.

The man’s steps are tentative but he starts rushing towards her as he realizes he can’t live without her. He suddenly stops when he got close enough to read her expression. Why does she look so sad? This doesn’t bode well for his hopes.

“Will you take the job?” the man asks. She responds, “I can’t. It would be too hard to work with you.” She looks down and brushes her hair behind her ear. She bites her lip again. He takes her hand in his and says, “I promise I will keep it professional this time. I really want to make this up to you.”

The woman keeps her eyes down but takes a deep breath. He knows he won’t be able to convince her to do anything. He’s known her too long but he waits for her to speak anyway. “I’m always going to want more. I want to be near you and I might be okay for a while. It’s not going to be like that forever though. A time will come that I will want more and I know you won’t be able to give it to me,” she finally says.

“I’m sorry to hear you won’t stay,” the man replies, “but I really think this will work.” She finally looks at him and stares deep inside him. Her dark brown eyes are hypnotic and seductive. The man inside him wants to pull her close and kiss her lips. He wants to hold her tight, smell her skin and touch her hair. But the woman looks away and shakes her head. “We won’t be able to help ourselves. I can see what I want in your eyes,” she correctly assesses his thoughts.

“I guess I will talk to you later then,” the man asks even though he wants to ask her a lot of other questions. He doesn’t want this to end right now. She steps towards him and puts her arms around his neck. He embraces her tightly and breathes in the scent of her hair. He only needs to move his head slightly to kiss her but he hesitates. She kisses the side of mouth and says, “Farewell, then.”

When the woman walks away, the man feels like running after her. Instead, he stands there, watching her get further and further away. He knows what she said is true but he wants it to be different. He regrets the many times he hesitated today and in all the other days that passed. The woman gets in her car and drives away, far away from the man.