The Ugly Secret

I saw her, I think I knew w

something a

r hips sway when she walks. Her eyes seem to bore right through you. When she talks, you are the

ung and impressionable. Maybe I was in an "experimental" stage of my life. Or maybe Sarah was that pers

working for a buddy of his as the office manager for a warehouse. I didn't know a soul in the to

—shall we say—"unrefined", but they were all basically good guys. Most of the time, they tried not to tel

on, I was just one of the guys. It helped that I liked football and could cuss up a bluestreak with

ffice, a mom-and-pop Chinese restaurant and the local branch of a large bank in it. It turned out that a teller and a medical technician ha

enior year. We had gone out for about two years, but she never exhibited a lot of drive. She seemed to be on th

g anger which led to poor communication which led to her not being able to keep her fingers in her ski

r's girlfriend would join us; other times she had to work late or we had a boy's night out. I dated around a little bit, but I w

ah along with her. She was a few years older than the rest of u

scholarship and was tall, with a firm, muscular build, dark hair and perfe

't know what I wanted out of life. I didn't have a plan for tomorrow, much less for 10 years. Hell, I was just happy to have a col

cing. Saraha was nice and friendly. She's the kind of person that doesn't know any strangers. I ended up sitting n

nce it was a work night, we couldn't stay out

some reason I turned over my shoulder to get one last

a hottie , right

nd said with a wink, and I could

hings Sarah had said to me earlier might have sounded li

my pulse raced when I saw her s

mes a week. After a few months, I was settled int

hat she was hitting on me, but nor could I ignore the fact

o of us; the rest of the world faded away. She would smile at me, as if

until my birthday, which happen

pick me up. One of the advantages of working for a liquor distributor is that there is never a shortage of b

ur friend Jacob or our other friend The Captain when Caroline and Sarah showed u

uor involved, followed by dinner and some singing by the servers. Then we went out to the clubs. Alexander, Christopher and I got p

a-induced haze, I have one

rinding on anything that moved. Apparently it made me very

g it suggestively towards me. I was making a big sh

with an amused smile on her face. I don't know what

ful for her. Here I was—drunk out of my mind, smelling of smoke and too much per

tic, don't

hen she pulled back and, for the first time I could recal

inued to dance, but I remember Sarah standing there for a lo

The next morning was ugly. I hadn't had a night like that since college. Granted that wasn't to

g your guts out, all the while saying to yourself (repeat after me), "Dear God, I promise I will never

near my apartment. After all, the kids on the other side of my bedroom wall were always up at 7 am and raising hell by 7:15. The superintendent liked to mow the lawn earl

looked around the room for a clock. It was a li

up. I let out a stream of unladylike curses under my brea

rt. Underneath, my boxers were on. I brushed my hair out of my ey

ncle's age next to the clock radio. A couple of paintings hung from the walls. A soli

d with the handle. It opened into a hallway. The sunlight coming from an open

I was looking f