I See You for Who You Are

Wilma woke up to the sound of someone knocking at her door. She quickly got up and put her robe on, feeling the corners of her mouth starting to point up when she thought about last night. She had fallen asleep on the chair with Roberts head in her lap. Jocelyn found them sleeping outside after everyone else left and woke them up. Robert, a bit embarrassed for sleeping and drooling on her.
He called a taxi for her and waited with her until it came. He thanked her for coming with him to the party and told her he would see her the next day when he came to get his things in the bar, asking if she had wanted and had time to grab a coffee and she said she did, she would be working the evening shift but had time for a coffee before. It made her mile thinking about how nervous he looked when he had asked. He confused her, he looked pretty confident while drunk and sometimes while sober but at times he seemed really shy. Like it was something he was working on.
She opened the door and found Drea standing outside with a coffee and sandwich in hand.
-Morning, partygirl! She laughed at Vilma’s sleepy look.

-Party girl? That’s an exaggeration I’d say. Come in!
She moved out of the way to let Drea in, she sat down on the sofa putting down the breakfast she brought.
-Eat! She pointed towards the food. -Work in one hour love.

Vilma looked at the clock on the wall with a surprised look, two o’clock already!

-I slept too long, nine hours! Oh, Coffee…and an avocado sandwich. Thank you Drea, I owe you.
Wilma sat down next to her friend and carefully sipped the coffee.

- I am glad got a lie-in. I know you’ve had trouble sleeping lately. It’s just nice to take care of you for a change. You always take care of us and the bar.

Wilma leaned her head on the older woman’s shoulder. –That’s bull and you know it. You and Mark take care of me, you always have.

-Well…we take care of each other then. So, how was it last night hun? Did you have fun? I hope the boys took care of you or I’ll give them a piece of my mind.

Wilma laughed, knowing that could indeed be scary for the twins. Drea was like their mother and older sister rolled into one and they loved her dearly but she had a temper though it rarely showed. When it did cats, dogs, husbands and twins usually ran for their lives.

-They didn’t leave my side and when they did their friend was with me. I felt very well taken care of, not left out like I was scared I would.

-That Robert is a sweetheart, always have been. He is in the bar actually, packing his stuff in the car.

-He is here now!?
A look of panic swept over Vilma’s face.

-Yes. He said he was going to wait until you came in though so no rush. I’ll get him some lunch while he waits. Take your time hun.
Drea got up and leaned down and gave Vilma a kiss on her tousled head. –I am really glad you had a good time last night.

Vilma sipped her coffee, trying to calm her stomach by nibbling on the sandwich, her thoughts running wild. She felt nervous, of course she realized it had to do with seeing Robert and wasn’t sure she liked it. Sure, she had decided to be more open, that her life had to change and she had had a good time last night. She even made a couple of new friends.
But putting herself out there meant there was a risk of getting hurt. She still remembered all too well what that felt like. Having your heart ripped out of your chest and stomped on. She remembered the shocked look in Dan’s eyes when he saw her sitting in the lobby outside his office when he left work to go home.

*** Flashback ***
-Wha..what are YOU doing here!? Why…why are you here?

He stood in front of her and her two suitcases, looking down at her with a bewildered face.

-I…you. We decided… You said I should come. That I should come live with you. When we said good bye that night... you couldn’t bear not being with me, that I belonged with you. You told me…

He cut her off. –No! That’s not…I didn’t mean ‘hop on a plane and come live in London with me’. That’s in your head.

Vilma just looked at him, and then felt her head spin and her vision becoming blurry from the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. –But…Dan! You told me to come, that’s…no, that’s not in my head, it was very clear! I don’t…understand. What do you want me to do? Why did you say...

He cut her off again while crouching down in front of her and taking her hands gently in his.
-Vilma sweetie, what I want is for you to go home again. You can’t stay here, you can’t be with me.

She shook her head trying to grasp what he was saying. –So, what are you saying? You don’t want to be with me anymore?

He let go of her hands and sat down next to her leaning in so the people walking by wouldn’t hear them and sighed.

-God if I had known you would take me so seriously I wouldn’t have…I...who just packs up all their belongings and leave home like you’ve obviously have? Ok…I should just tell you. Vilma, I am married. I have a wife and…we have a daughter, a home together.

She looked at him, shaking her head again, not wanting to believe what he just said. She couldn’t stop her tears from falling anymore. She didn’t make a sound, her tears just kept rolling down her cheeks. –You…so… You lied. It was all a lie.

-It wasn’t a lie baby. It was kind of true. An adventure, in a different place you know. We had a great adventure together.

When he called her baby now, it made her feel disgusting, not at all like it had felt those warm nights on the beach. She felt like she was going to throw up and suddenly felt rage bubbling up inside of her. –Adventure?! It was an adventure for you? For me it was very real. You told me you loved me, to me those words mean something…important. You told me to COME to you, to be with you, I am not making that up. But our time together meant very different things for us, that is very clear to me now. You really put up a good act Dan. I must give you that, I believed every word.

-Vilma babe…

-Don’t call me baby! I swear I will break your nose if you ever call me that again!
She didn’t want to seem weak, didn’t want to cry in front of him anymore. Anger, only raging anger and rejection had taken the place of the hurt and shock.

-Ok... I am sorry you came all this way for...this. I am sorry I can’t help you with a place to stay either. I just…didn’t think you would come.
He quickly stood up.

-No, clearly you didn’t.
She spat out.

-Take...care ok?
He leaned down to give her a kiss but she jerked away like she was afraid to get burned. He looked away.

-Yeah..sorry. I’ll just leave. Again, I am really sorry.

She kept her head down when he left and stayed that way until they were closing and she was asked by the doorman to leave.
When she got out it was already dark, she walked around, not knowing what to do when she saw a sign in front of her that said ‘Down bar’, she looked at it for a while and then walked in.
She sat down in a corner booth and just stared into the wall. Then she put her face in her hands and finally Dan’s words sunk in. ‘I am married. I have a wife and we have a daughter.’ ‘But we had a great adventure together baby.’
She could feel real physical pain in her chest and completely broke down, frantically wiping away tears streaming down her cheeks with one hand while trying to suffocate her sobs with the other.
*** End of flashback***

The memory still hurt a lot.
But five years had gone by, she was older, not so…naïve. It hurt to admit that but she had been really naïve. He swept her of her feet and she believed every lie he fed her, gladly. She wasn’t the same person anymore. Not starving for attention and confirmation. She should be ready to see someone again.
But then again she wasn’t even sure that was going to happen. She and Robert may just become friends.
She sighed at her own confused thoughts and headed for the shower.
After a quick warm shower she put her hair in a messy bun, put on a pair of jeans, a Misfits t-shirt, mascara and a pair of red converse and ran down the stairs and into the bar.

-Good morning Vilma, or should I say good afternoon!?
Mark shouted to her from behind the bar.

She laughed and shouted back at him -Very funny old man! If I remember correctly it was you who decided I should go to a damn party.

Another voice was suddenly by her ear. -I hope you don’t regret going to the damn party.

She turned around, startled. Robert was stand behind her, a smile tugging at his lips.

-Uh, no not at all. I had…a good time. A great time I mean.

He nodded. -Good, me too. How about that coffee you promised me? Drea has been feeding me so much food I can barely stand up, I need a whole pot not to fall asleep.

She laughed – She tends to do that. Follow me then, let’s get some coffee into your system sleepyhead. By the way, you were quite sleepy last night too.

He chuckled. –I was, wasn’t I? Sorry for using your lap as a pillow, but it was such a nice lap I couldn’t resist it, Longstocking.

She looked back at him surprised and started laughing. He joined in and they kept laughing and talking while making coffee.

Drea and Mark peeked out from the kitchen, looking at the pair behind the counter and at each other.
Mark nodded. -Well well…that’s a laugh we don’t hear too often. This could be a good thing, maybe the twins are on to something here.

-Maybe they are…for once.
Drea agreed laughing and then looked at her husband again. –Wipe that worried face off Mark, she’ll be fine. Robert is a good guy.

-I know he is. I just can’t help when look at her now, seeing her happy and laughing, to think about that night when you found her there at the corner, she was in pieces and it took a long while to get her to where she is. I don’t want her to be in pain again. And if Robert were to cause here that kind of pain I don’t know what I’d do. I mean, we love him too, it’s complicated.
-Don’t think like that love. Everything will be ok.
Drea put her hand around his back and pulled him with her back into the kitchen while Vilma’s and Robert’s laughter rung in their ears.