The first time he saw her, she took his breath away. Her heart-stopping ice blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and tight little body covered with smooth alabaster skin classified her as beautiful. She wore little makeup and was dressed in jeans and a tight black t-shirt that made her blue eyes even more piercing. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail that hung a few inches below her neck. She sat at a table in the cafeteria and nibbled on her sandwich, unaware he was watching her so intensely.
Steven began to make his way over to her, but she stood and walked away before he had time to get to her. Frustrated, he muttered something under his breath and made his way back to the classroom to finish out the day. He was a physical therapist and taught courses at the local college to help out during teaching shortages.
Upon re-entering his classroom, he found his students equally as antsy as he was for the day to be over. Since it was the first day of classes, he dismissed them a bit earlier than usual. He saw her again as he was exiting the building to walk to his car. She was climbing into the passenger side of a black sports car next to an older looking man with gray hair. He chuckled to himself, thinking he was crazy for assuming she would be single. He continued on toward his vehicle, a BMW SUV. Once inside, he blasted his air conditioning to cool off the stifling heat inside his vehicle. August was typically the hottest month in south Texas, and thankfully, it was nearing an end.
Steven followed along his usual path and made it home about 20 minutes later. He pulled into the drive and saw a familiar figure in the driveway. Meredith noticed him pulling up and walked down the driveway to meet him as he climbed out of his car; she slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him into an all-too-familiar liplock. He kissed her back and then the pair walked inside the house and settled into their usual routine; him reviewing his planner for appointments the next day and her finishing up cooking their dinner and setting out the food. Although they didn't live together, Meredith had a key to his house and used it often. Almost too often.
Steven's mind began to drift as he stared at his appointment book. He started wondering what life would be like with someone other than Meredith. She was a beautiful, wonderful woman, but she was definitely not the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He yearned for someone who was unpredictable; someone who would surprise him and break him out of his comfort zone. Meredith was 30, the same as Steven, but was so set in her ways and had no desire to try new things. Everyday life with her was just, well, boring. She had the same grilled chicken breast for dinner every night, wore the same variations of loose jeans and a sweater set every day. Their sex life was the worst part of all; her unwillingness to try new things had lead to a highly predictable 10 routine of intercourse, with him always in charge and her acting as though she only slept with him out of obligation.
"Busy day tomorrow?" Meredith questioned, breaking him out of his private world.