Day 01

It is always interesting how a single moment can change everything.

Since she had decided to utilize her freedom, I had been an emotional wreck. Until that fateful day, I had been dedicated to her for the past 4 years with all intention of taking the relationship to the next level. She, however, had other ideas.

Looking back upon it, it appeared that I should have seen the signs. We had spent less time together over the past few months, and the connection seemed to be slipping away. I could finally look back on everything and accept responsibility for the way everything had fallen apart, but it would still be a while until the emotional scars would heal.

Since that fateful day six months before, I had not even had a date or even had the pleasure of another woman. As I had no desire to be social, I spent my time devoted to my career and building for the future.

I was at a turning point. At 30 years old, I was at that point in my career where I could take the step to future stardom within my company. It actually seemed a good thing to leave women out of my mind so that all focus could be paid attention onto working long hours and impressing the higher ups. I succeeded more within the past few months than in all the years before combined.

That's why a single moment today would bring on a change like no other I had ever seen. It would bring out desires and actions within me that I never knew resided deep within my body.

Out to lunch, bundled in a trench coat over my suit, I walked along the cold winter city streets searching for a place to grab a bite to eat. However, hunger didn't strike me today as it usually did, and I had the passion to find myself a new book to read instead. I sauntered to the book store located just a couple of blocks from my office building.

I had been reading quite a bit of Bukowski, as the depth of his despair with life, packaged within a quick and enjoyable read, was a great escape from the hard working days I had been putting in at the office lately.

Perusing the shelf, I picked up Bukowski's "Women." As was my custom to pick books by title, it seemed interesting that I would choose that title. I thought about it with a laugh, unsure of what the book was even about as Bukowski's work never had descriptions, and proceeded to the check out.

The check out at the book store was always tended by a cute girl with a curvaceous body which could hardly escape notice. Shorter, at 5'4 she was quite a bit smaller than my 6'3 frame, over many visits I had been gazing about her figure and knew it well. Her ample breasts were full and inviting, and I was always grateful that her wardrobe selection showed no signs of hiding her attributes. Thin would not be a word used to describe her, nor would thick. I would say that she blended the perfect amount of mass with defined curves to elicit desire within my eyes and loins. Her legs were shapely, and the knee length loose skirts she chose to wear displayed them with a tease to my imagination.

I had always smiled politely while making my purchases, but, as I believe, in retrospect, the focus on my career and all other distractions had kept me from picking up on any signals she may have been giving me.

I placed the book on the counter and proceeded as normal to break out my card for purchase. She picked up the book to scan it, and with some excitement, looked at me and said "have you read this before?"

"No," I replied, "but I must admit that Bukowski has impressed me as I have been reading more and more lately."

"I love this book," she commented with a playful smile while a coworkers of hers came to the counter. "Kelly, look at what book he's buying," she said with some excitement while showing her the book.

Kelly looked at it and laughed, "I just read that," she looked at me, "that's a good book, you'll enjoy it."

It is always curious to me how strangers can tell you what you will and will not like, but that's another story.

I smiled, a bit awkwardly, not expecting so much attention. "Well thank you, I look forward to it even more," I responded politely.

"You will have to come back and tell me what you think of it." the attendant smiled as she swiped her card.

I signed my name, grabbing the book, and looking into her eyes, "Definitely."

I left the store with the book, with a feeling of want I had not felt in a long time. Her black hair, canvassing her shoulders and cheeks, accentuated her blue eyes with definitive beauty. Her breasts, covered with potential by her tight shirt, remain a fixture in my mind as I walked along the street, securing my trench coat tightly against the cold winter wind.

The innocent yet seductive look in her eye remained a fixture as I tried to finish the day at work. Looking at the book often, I wondered why it caused such a furor. Why was she so caught up in Bukowski, a dead writer who's last work of consequence came 30 years ago? I was intrigued.

I looked at the book sitting on the desk, and grabbed it. Despite having a large presentation that would put me on the map in the corporate world, I decided to call it a day a bit early and head home. Living in a loft downtown, it didn't take me that long to walk home, but her figure, her eyes, remained with me and gave me an unexplained bounce in my step.

I slipped into my pajamas and poured some wine, and sat down in my large easy chair with a view of the city from my higher floor loft. Needing an escape, I opened the book and started to read.