Breaking the Routine

by Taylor Lowe

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to work, he thought bitterly. She was supposed to love him back and they were supposed to get married, have children, and grow old together. He sighed and took another long drink from the bottle. Maybe he was wrong, maybe there was no happy endings after all, maybe those were just lies to keep people forming relationships and thus continuing the mess that is the human species.

  Someone knocked on his door, but he ignored it taking yet another drink. He didn’t want to talk anyone at all he just wanted to sit there and drink; he didn’t care what other people thought about it. He just wanted all of them to leave him alone! He scowled as the door opened. Seems that was the one thing people couldn’t do, leave him the hell alone and stay drunk in peace. He grimaced as he glanced up at the woman standing in front of him. Why the hell did she come here? “Davey you shouldn’t be doing this too yourself baby,” she told him and sat down next to him wrapping her arms around shoulders. She pulled him close to her in a warm embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her shoulder feeling some of the pain ease.

  “She must really be something,” the woman added combing his hair with her fingers and he scowled.

  “Please mother don’t mention her, she is nothing,” he slurred and pulled away to take another drink but she took the bottle out of his hands.

  “No more of that young man, I can’t stand to see you like this David,” she told him sternly.

  “I am old enough to do what I want mother, if you have come to lecture me then you can leave,” he snapped reached for the bottle.

  “David, I want you to stop this, I know you’re hurting and hurting badly but becoming a drunk isn’t going to help anything,” his mother scolded him.

  “What do you know about hurting? You and Dad are the happy little couple,” he snapped as he tried to grab the bottle but in his drunkenness she managed to keep it easily out of reach.

  “David Andrews just because I am happily married now doesn’t mean I don’t know what heartbreak is. Now get yourself sobered up and take a shower because you smell horrible for God’s sake! Now when you’re ready your father still has the accounting position open for you. I know you don’t want to work for your father but you need something to help keep your mind off of that woman,” she told him, going directly to the point like always. She was right in everything though he wasn’t ready to admit it openly just yet.

  “Now go on get yourself into the bathroom and cleaned up. I will go make you some lunch and see if we can’t get you sobered up some,” she ordered him and David frowned at her.

  “I am a grown man, I don’t need you to baby sit me,” he snapped standing up but tripped over his own feet as he tried to take a step.

  “Oh I can see that,” she replied tartly with her hands on her hips before walking over and helping him up. David continued to complain as she helped him into the bathroom. He sat on down on the toilet as she started the shower. “Now be careful I don’t want to lose you because you broke your neck,” she scolded him before leaving. He scowled at the closed door as he removed his clothing with extreme difficulty.

  Stepping under the hot water, his foggy head started to clear. As he cleaned away the dirt and grime David grew resolved to end his self pity right there. He wasn’t going to let that woman destroy him, no he was stronger than that. As he got out of the shower with a more sober David decided that Sam couldn’t have been that special as he thought her to be. She was just probably like a million other women, he would find another easily. One thing he never had problems with was finding someone to keep his bed warm.

  Walking out of his bedroom in fresh clothing and feeling much better he smiled a more authentic to his mother who handed him a cup of coffee. “Now that is much better Davey,” she told him returning his smile.

  “Thank you mother,” he told her before taking a cautious drink of the hot coffee. “You’re right about everything. I can’t keep doing this and I promise I won’t be drowning myself in a bottle any more. I’ll talk to dad later about taking that job,” he told her and she smiled even more.

  That night David entered the club where he first met Sam and the place that was usually his favorite spot when he was younger. He walked up to the bar, greeting the bartender and ordering himself a drink. David was a little disappointed when Mark refused to come with him, he seemed to think it was a bad idea that David wanted to go. He wasn’t sure why his friend thought so; in fact he had expected Mark to be thrilled.

  The bartender handed David his drink and he thanked the man taking a drink scanning the crowd at the bar. There were several women there, many were quite attractive but he didn’t feel motivated to talk to any of them. Just when he started to think that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea a blonde walked up to him. With a coy smile on her brightly painted lips and her fingers twirling her hair, she leaned towards him just enough.

  “Hello there handsome,” she purred and David returned her smile, then again maybe it was a good idea.

  “Hello sexy, like to dance with me,” he asked her and her smile grew.

  “More than anything,” she told him. David took her small tanned hand in his leading her to the dance floor, noticing her touch did nothing like Sam’s did.

  The blonde pushed and grinded her body against his as they moved but David couldn’t help but start to compare every little aspect of hers against Sam’s. Frustrated with himself he leaned down capturing the woman’s lips in an angry kiss. The blonde quickly responded the kiss, sloppily, her hands roaming along his body. David felt disappointment as the kiss didn’t produce the desired effect in him and once more found himself comparing her to Sam. Clenching his jaw in frustration, he forced any and all thoughts of Samantha Peters out of his head.

  “How about we take this party somewhere else,” he asked the blonde once their messy kiss had ended. He was determined to forget Sam, no matter what it took. The blonde purred grinding herself against him more.

  “I’d party with you anywhere gorgeous,” she replied and David forced a smile on his face as he led her out of the club.

  David got up from the bed where the blonde snored loudly with a scowl on his face as he walked towards to the shower to wash off her cheap lipstick and perfume off his body. Pushing away the disappointment he was determined to not give up. There had to be a woman that would make him feel like he did when he was with Sam. Just because it wasn’t the blonde in the other room didn’t mean that there such woman didn’t exist. If he had to sleep with every woman that came along his path, then he would.

  Sam was nothing special, he told himself again as he got out of the shower and dressing. David quietly then snuck out of the hotel room thanking God he didn’t tell her anything about himself, there was no way he would be repeating last night.

  David went to the club every week, alone because Mark refused every single time to accompany him. Apparently he and Tabby had become something serious; he flew to Illinois every weekend to be with her. David was happy for his friend but he was also filled with envy. So he started going to the clubs almost every night instead of only the weekends.

  He would go to a hotel or her house, the first woman that would accept. Most of them he did like the blonde, spend the night with them then sneak out before they awoke. It was rare if he actually spent more than one night with a woman, but a few were actually good enough in bed that he didn’t mind repeating the experience, though none of them could ever interest him farther than what their abilities between the sheets.

  It had been four months since Sam had thrown him aside but David managed to keep himself busy so he would think about her as little as possible. “See you later Sexy,” David told the brunette before giving her a quick kiss good bye. He couldn’t seem to remember her name, seemed like it ended in Y. Nancy, Stacy, or maybe Lacy, he thought then shrugged, he really didn’t care what her name is.

  He walked over to where his friend was waiting for him. Mark shook his head at David with a look of
disapproval on his face. “When are you going to stop,” Mark insisted and David looked at him confused. “The women, David, this isn’t you!” Mark told him his look of disapproval growing. “I know that Sam really hurt you,” he started but David grabbed him violently and slammed him against the side of the building.

  “Don’t,” he warned his friend. “Don’t you ever say her name to me again, do you hear me! You don’t know shit about me Mark, got it,” David snapped at his friend. Mark looked at him with surprise.

  “I know a lot more about you than you think David and we both know this player act of yours isn’t you,” Mark shot back pushing David off of him. “I am just trying to help you know. That’s what friends do,” he added with bitterness in his voice fixing his cloths where David had mussed them.

  “Since it’s clearly you don’t want my help, I will just keep my mouth shut. Anyways I have to go pick up Tabs from the airport,” Mark told him once he finished.

  “Tabby is coming to New York,” David asked surprised. It was the first time he had heard anything about it.

  “Actually she moving up here, I asked her to move in with me,” Mark replied.

  “So things are getting serious,” David asked with a smile that Mark returned happily.

  “Yeah, that’s what it looks like,” The blonde told him happily. David had to admit he was a bit surprised; Mark was the one that always insisted he would never settle down with just one woman.

  “That’s great man. Tabby is awesome woman,” David told him honestly. Mark thanked him then they said good-byes and David had completely forgotten about their previous disagreement.

  That afternoon at Tabby’s insistence David had lunch with Mark and her, surprisingly he actually enjoyed himself. She was incredibly cheerful and it was extremely contagious. David found himself laughing and smiling like he use to and so easily. The mood only darkened when she had forgotten herself and started to mention Sam, Tabby quickly caught herself before saying her name and replacing it with “a friend” but David knew she was talking about Sam. Not wanting to ruin her first day in town he kept a smile plastered on his face and the general appearance of not having caught on to anything.

  As they stood up from their table about to leave the little café David cringed very visibly as the nasally high toned voice called his name. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Davey” the brunette from before stated as she walked up to them. David groaned inwardly, he never introduced the girls he slept with to anyone but Mark and that was only if they had accidently run into each other.

  Tabby raised one eyebrow at him and David felt embarrassed for Tabby to see another woman by his side and that in turned made him angry. He was a single man, he could be seen with any woman he chose, he thought heatedly. “Hi Mark,” the brunette squeaked to his friend that gave Tabby a suspicious look. “Who are you,” she asked bluntly.

  “This is my girlfriend,” Mark replied with a hint of irritation.

  “I am Tabby and you are,” Tabby shot with the same hint of irritation.

  “I am Kasey,” the brunette replied with a cheerful tone. Kasey, David repeated silently, he knew it ended with a Y. He suddenly draped his arm across the brunette’s shoulders bringing her closer to him.

  “She is my girlfriend,” he told Tabby wanting to prove that he had moved on from Sam and didn’t miss or need her at all. The brunette gave a soft squeal wrapping her arms around him with a huge grin, obviously thinking they had officially become a couple. He would worry about that later, he thought watching as Tabby gave the woman a quick once over. It was clear that Tabby didn’t like what she saw.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Kasey,” Tabby told her with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

  “Well we got to go,” David announced pulling the brunette along with him.

  “Oh Davey, I can’t believe you finally said it, this was the first time! I was starting to wonder just how you saw our relationship but now I know. I am so glad we have gone on to the next level,” The brunette started and David frowned slightly. Great, he thought bitterly as she continued to ramble on and on saying the words “Now that I am officially your girlfriend,” at least a million times.

  “I so need to call my parents, now that I am officially your girlfriend and you should call yours,” She announced. Like hell, David thought but he didn’t say anything. “Oh my gosh,” She suddenly stated nearly shouting stopping in her tracks. “I have never met your parents! We should set up a lunch date or something! Call them Davey, and let set something up for tomorrow” She demanded.

  “No,” he snapped harshly and she looked at him confused. “There is no way in hell I am going to have you meet my parents, nor do I have any intention of ever meeting yours,” he told her bluntly losing his patience finally.

  “But Davey,” she started and he scowled. “You said,” she said but he cut her off.

  “I lied, okay. I lied, don’t you get it woman, I am using you like I have used so many others,” he told, knowing he was being hurtful but he simply couldn’t take it anymore. Ignoring the pained look on her face he walked away leaving her standing there. This was all her fault, David thought bitterly. How was it possible that four months later and so much distance between them, Sam still managed to screw with his life? Damn woman, how I hate her, he cursed silently.

  That night no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t sleep, his mood fouler than it had been in a long time. He got up from the bed walking to the kitchen grabbing a beer from the fridge. Taking a long drink he once more cursed Sam blaming her for his problems. He finished the bottle quickly and grabbed another finishing it off just as quickly only to grab another.

  Drunkenly he stumbled back towards his bed room, feeling haunted by memories he had fought hard to bury. In the back of his dresser he grabbed a well hidden pillow case and sitting on the bed. He buried his nose in the cloth smelling the painfully pleasant scent that after all these months was still there. Longing, need, and desire filled him as he asked silently why did she do this to him, and why couldn’t she love him back?

  All the carefully guarded pain and rejecting came running back to the surface so strongly he felt crippled by it. David clenched his jaw feeling himself grown angry remembering that day, forcing all the unwanted feelings away from him and focused slowly on his anger and indignation. He wouldn’t allow her to do this to him again, he wouldn’t David vowed as he got up from the bed quickly making him become a little dizzy in his drunken state.

  He stumbled over to the dresser stuffing the pillow case back where he had found it, telling himself he should just throw it away instead. “Damn you, damn you to hell, I will never forget nor forgive what you have done! I hate you Samantha Peters!” He swore loudly.

  Chapter 9 Consequences

  It had been a week since Sam said those things in her father’s office and David returned to New York. She entered in her empty house and tossed the keys as was her custom. She took off her heels and pushed them under the table. She looked over to the couch and remembered the day David came over for lunch more or less.

  She felt tears well up in her eyes and her heart ached. She wanted him gone that day more than anything. She wanted things to go back the way they were; now she had just that. In the diner no one whispered or snickered at her any more like she had wanted but now everyone looked at her with disapproval, concern, or pity. Sam wasn’t sure which look she hated most.

  No one longer tried to talk to her and ignored her when possible but instead of simply not seeing her as they used to, they hated her. Stephanie accused Sam being a traitorous brown nosing douche bag when she had heard of what had happened, except Stephanie had used much more colorful language. Even Adam, the biggest goody two shoes had started looking down on her and snubbing any conversation with her.

  Sam wiped a tear from her cheek and turned away from the couch. Out of all those people in the club why did David have to dance with her, and why out of all the companies in the country did he have to wor
k for her father, she asked silently. Why did he care for her when she was the one person in this world that wasn’t made to live like everyone else because as she had proven time and time again she could only screw things up! Sam was sure it was some kind of defect at birth she had that made a simple thing impossible.

  Tabby still wasn’t speaking to her and the house seemed to be haunting her. She trudged towards the kitchen to start dinner but only threw it out when she was finished. She wasn’t able to stomach anything despite her hunger; her stomach clenched on itself and threatened to reject anything she would eat.

  Sam asked herself for the millionth time, if she did the right thing lying to David like that and if it was then why did she feel so awful. She let out a loud sigh to break the silence as she dragged her feet towards the bathroom. She slowly took off the clothing staring at her reflection as if she expected it to tell her what she needed to hear but of course it only mimicked her movements. Scowling at her reflection she turned on the shower and stepped under the steaming hot water trying to ease the stress that attacked her body ignoring the fact the water had scalded her skin pink.

  She stepped out of the shower once the water had gone cold and wrapped herself in a yellow fluffy towel, yellow was supposed to make people feel better or so she had heard but she didn’t feel better. She walked into the living room and picked up her cell phone where it laid near her keys.

  She needed her friend and needed to fix things between them. Especially since it was probably the only thing she could be able to fix out of this whole mess. Her spirits rose slightly upon hearing Tabby’s voice.

  “I am so sorry, Tabby! I am so sorry I said those awful things to you! I didn’t mean any of them at all,” she sobbed.

  “Oh I know Sam, I am sorry too. I guess I shouldn’t have been so blunt,” Tabby replied.