Don't Break Up With Her

CHAPTER 1

The mansion on Paddington Street was soaking in the afternoon sun, the red brick twinkling. Steve stared at it. The large iron gate at the entrance of the wide driveway that led to the mansion looked imposing. Each time he came here to pick Alisa up, he felt a twinge of unease.

His phone buzzed, and Steve looked down at the screen.

It was a text message from his friend Kevin: You be careful with that woman, man.

Steve huffed. During the last couple of weeks, Kevin had been busting his balls a lot about his relationship with Alisa. He knew Kevin did it with the best of intentions, but even so, it was starting to get annoying.

He wrote back: You’re paranoid, Kev. Either that, or you’re jealous. He added a smiley.

Kevin: I’m serious, man. There’s something about that woman that I don’t like. She’s too controlling.

Steve: That’s bullshit. Honestly, man, give me a break.

He powered down his phone and tucked it away in the soft fabric of his light-gray jacket’s pocket. He gripped the steering wheel, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm as his gaze drifted towards the imposing mansion.

The thing was, deep inside, Steve agreed with his friend. In fact, Kevin had used the very word that had been trying to materialize in his head recently. Controlling. That was it. That was the term that had been attempting to infiltrate his mind, but which he’d rejected time after time.

Controlling.

Steve squinted, his eyes focusing with intense concentration. He couldn’t shake off a slight feeling of trepidation.

Just then, the gate of Alisa’s parents’ opulent estate groaned open with a piercing screech, and Alisa emerged.

His hands clenched the steering wheel, and Steve inhaled, bracing himself.

Alisa spotted him waiting for her at the entrance of the driveway, right in front of the gate, and her lips stretched into a smile.

Her blond, wavy hair fluttered in the air.

Alisa’s outfit comprised a purple sweater and a pair of faded, comfortable jeans.

Her appearance sent a jolt of anxious excitement through him.

She opened the passenger door of his old Ford and got into the car. When her green eyes rested on him, he felt his body vibrate with desire.

She leaned towards him, and he could smell her perfume. “Hey,” she said, then kissed his lips. “Sorry for making you wait.”

“No problem.” The moisture on her lips remained on his, and he felt like kissing her for hours. Now that they were in the car together, his heart overflowed with unbridled joy, and the nagging unease he’d felt moments before evaporated.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked him.

“Huh?”

“You look thoughtful.”

“Oh, um…” He let out a nervous laugh.

“You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”

“No!” he exclaimed. “No, absolutely not. I was just–”

She smiled at him. “Relax, Steve. I’m just teasing you.”

She tickled his right side, and he pulled away, laughing. He felt wary, though, because she hadn’t sounded like she was teasing him.

“Feel like going to Slattery’s?” he said.

“Sure.”

Steve pulled out of the driveway and set off for the Irish pub on Jacob Street, the leaves fluttering about on the road.

◆◆◆

The pub, located in the center of Parnell, New Hampshire, was full, rock music blaring out of the speakers and filling the space. Some customers were their same age (early twenties), but most were in their thirties, and they all looked pretty drunk.

Steve and Alisa were seated at a wooden table. He’d thought she would hate coming to a place like this (her parents would probably call it a working-class joint), but she didn’t appear to mind. In fact, despite her opulent upbringing, it looked like she always tried to mix in with the middle class.

Steve felt soft fingers caressing his knee, and a jolt of excitement darted across his body. When he looked up, Alisa was beaming at him with a wide smile.

“You do seem thoughtful this afternoon,” she said. “More than usual. Is something troubling you, honey?”

Steve shook his head. “Quite the opposite.” He smiled at her and took her hand. “I was thinking how much I enjoy being with you.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “Now you’re messing around with me.”

“No, I’m not. I mean it.” He leaned closer to her, and whispered, “The moments we spend together mean so much to me…”

Alisa’s smile faded as a serious look took its place. She kissed him on the lips. “They mean a lot to me too.”

Some guys seated at a table close to theirs began singing loudly, completely drunk. Steve and Alisa looked at them, looked at each other, and laughed together.

“How’s school going?” Steve asked as he sipped at his beer.

Alisa sighed. “Boring, of course.” Alisa moved her milkshake around in circles.

“Then why don’t you quit?”

A mournful smile touched her lips. “You know why, honey.”

“Why don’t you stand up to your parents? Tell them you’re not interested in that?”

“Because they’d cut me out of their will, is why.”

Steve’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before he offered a nod. “I get it. I do. It just doesn’t seem fair, you know?”

“You’re right. It isn’t. Not much I can do about it, though.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help you.”

A warm smile spread across her face as she clasped his hand. “You’re such a sweetie.”

He returned her smile, and he wondered why he’d been having misgivings about their relationship recently.

Alisa was a gorgeous woman; she filled him with a warmth that spread through his chest. Steve felt a spark of anger towards Kevin for criticizing their relationship.

He was sure it was just plain old jealousy.

Steve held Alisa’s hands, his thumbs stroking the backs of them. There’d been a vast hole in his life for many years. And Alisa was the one who could fill that empty space.

He noticed she’d finished her milkshake, so he gulped down the rest of his drink. “Where do you feel like going now?”

She drew her face near his, her breath a soft whisper as she murmured, “How about if we go to your place?”

He felt a smile sprout on his face. “You sure?”

“Oh, yeah.” Her eyes were sparkling. “I’m sure.”