Heartbreak Dulled His Senses

She was sitting on the upper level of the train. He couldn’t see her face from where he was standing but he could see that her hair was auburn colored.

It was enough. He was in love.

It was easy and pleasurable to imagine meeting her in the city after work. He would take her to Dymocks and she would rest her head on his shoulder as he introduced her to his very best friends: Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell.

It was Thursday, so they would stay out later than usual and have dinner. They would most likely go to the Thai place he really liked. He was convinced she would like it, too.

The train pulled into Central and he knew he had to step off of the train and out of her life. He did, and the day that followed was cloudy and overcast with regret. He spent the train ride home wondering why he wasn’t meeting her in the city. Why had he not introduced himself to the love of his life?

He made macaroni and cheese for dinner and went to bed early. Heartbreak dulled his senses enough that he fell into a deep sleep.
He tried not to think of her as he stepped onto the train the next morning. The carriage was crowded. The scene was the same.

He could see a girl sitting on the upper level of the train. He couldn’t see her face from where he was standing but he could see that her hair was strawberry colored.

It was enough. He was in love.

Watching The Trains Come And Go

He could go out to the staircase and have a smoke without his boyfriend giving him shit about ‘bad life choices’ and him ‘being smarter than this’. Those moments could instead be spent sitting on the outdoor stairs watching the trains come and go rather than listening to the other (admittedly handsome) bad life decision that he was too smart for – the one that never shuts up.