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Annie had to look twice. My God it looked just like him; but it couldn't be...Tony lived fifty miles away and had always done so.
She realized that she had been staring blankly for a while and busied herself by packing her purchases in the car.
Fifteen years...seemed like a lifetime ago. She had been a teacher at the local Derbyshire primary school, and Tony Meadows had been the deputy headmaster.
Tall, suave and sophisticated, he had been the epitome of what Anne looked for in a man. There was just one problem though...he was engaged to be married.
There was definitely chemistry between them and although nothing was ever said...Anne knew that she wanted him.
The real problem was that at a Christmas party for the school staff, Tony had brought his fiancé Mia along with him, and she was a lovely girl.
She was witty and had such a nice personality that Anne despaired.
If Mia had been a terrible person, it would have been so easy to have stepped between them and caused a
rift; then Anne could have made her move. As it was, Anne really liked her company, and soon they became friends.
Months went by, and one day Tony managed to find time to speak to Anne between school lessons.
He said that Mia wanted to have a dinner party the next Saturday and would Anne come to
it? Mia was evidently inviting her colleague Paul, who had recently separated from his wife, and rather thought that Annie would like his company.
"Sounds like a match-making job to me," said Anne well heartedly...but she agreed to attend the function.
The day arrived, and Annie took a lot of time with her appearance. You have to understand that she had no desire to hurt Mia, nor would she attempt to break her and Tony up. The attraction though between them at times seemed electric, although no words of romance were ever spoken.
Mia had a lovely house and made all feel at their ease. Paul was charming company and entertained them with news of his travels around Asia.
He seemed to quite like Annie, and the sentiment was reciprocated...but Tony was the only man for her, and he was unobtainable.
Around midnight, Paul jumped up from the oak dining table and told Mia that he would help her clear the table.
Mia told Tony to get Annie another liqueur, as the night was still young. Tony poured a brandy and passed it slowly to her.
As his fingers brushed hers, a surge of electricity sparked between them.
"You know I want you don't you?" said Tony roughly.
"Mia..." began Annie. "You're engaged, there's no way I would hurt her...she adores you"
Tony explained in a low voice that although he cared deeply for his fiancé, he couldn't fight his passionate feelings for Annie.
"I know you feel the same, don't tell me you don't," he said looking darkly at her.
Annie bowed her head, and when she looked up again she had tears in her eyes.
"I've loved you from the first time I saw you," she said softly.
"But Mia is my friend...I just can't hurt her...I've got to go now, please don't call me!"
In her rush to leave the table, she nearly upturned the chair. Annie put her head round the kitchen door where Mia and Paul were deep in conversation. Annie made her excuses, saying that she had a headache starting. She thanked Mia for a lovely evening and left.
As she had been drinking, she hailed a passing cab and gave the driver her address...the tears starting to pour down her cheeks.
Why was she feeling like this? Annie had been out with many men, and always her career had come first. She enjoyed a good salary, and up until now had been happy with her lot.
Why had this man made her feel like this...like a love struck teenager?
Once home and tucked up in bed, Annie vowed to forget Tony. She made up her mind to have a few days off sick from work and to look for a transfer to a different school.
Surely if she didn't have to see him...she could forget him...
Annie did indeed get a transfer, to a village some fifty miles away. She left her house so quickly that she did never
did have to say goodbye to Tony. A few times she went to contact Mia, but somehow never found the courage. She probably didn't know the circumstances surrounding Annie's swift departure, but Annie couldn't be sure.
She tried to kid herself that she had gotten over her one true love...she obviously hadn't though.
Even now, fifteen years later, she still looked for him in a crowd and sometimes thought she'd spied him...like in a supermarket car park!
The man had disappeared now anyway, and Annie had a date with a prawn curry and the television tonight. She drove home.
That night she sat in her kid leather armchair with a glass of Bordeaux. The prawn curry was long gone, and Annie thought about her life.
She had a lot of friends...some were married, others not. Her male friends were very dear to her, and although she occasionally went on a 'date' Annie very rarely got romantically entangled with any man. The only man she had ever wanted was Tony...he had Mia.
The next day was Saturday, and Annie decided to go and indulge in some retail therapy.
She called her friend Rhona, and they arranged to meet at one-thirty for lunch at a local wine bar.
Annie bought a few bits and bobs and met a couple of friends whilst shopping...her spirits began to rise.
She had such a lot to be thankful for and no children meant freedom...she was lucky...wasn't she?
Annie arrived at Luigi's Wine Bar and seated herself at a table by the window.
She ordered a bottle of Chianti and waited for Rhona to arrive. Her mobile phone began to warble loudly, and she answered it quickly.
It was Rhona. She had been delayed...something to do with an important client. That was Rhona; she even worked on a weekend. Annie told her not to worry and agreed to call her that evening.
'Oh well' she thought to herself. 'I suppose I'll have to finish this bottle myself'
Just then something momentous occurred. A face...a face so familiar was watching Annie from the street...it was
him. Tony, whom she hadn't laid eyes on for fifteen long years, was looking at her.
Quickly pulling herself together...heart pounding, she indicated to him to come and join her.
The waiter brought over another glass and poured some wine for Tony. They looked at each other.
"My God, you haven't changed at all," said Tony looking incredulously at her.
"Nor, you" answered Annie, blushing, " Just a touch grey at the temples...that's
all."
"How's Mia?" she asked softly.
Slowly, Tony explained everything. When Annie had run out after the dinner party, he had been desolate, but had been determined to make a go of things with Mia.
Then she had dropped a bombshell.
It turned out that she had been having an affair for a couple of months with Paul. Literally two days after Annie had disappeared out of his life, Mia had told him that she wanted Paul.
In fact, they had been married not long after and evidently were very happy, still, with three children.
"I didn't try to find you," explained Tony, "I didn't want you thinking that I was after you on the rebound from Mia".
He touched her hand and said in a brusque voice, "I've never stopped loving you
Annie; there has been no one else...a few short relationships maybe, but you were always there!"
"Where are you living now?" asked Annie, still clutching his hand.
Tony told her that he had given up teaching some years ago and was now living a couple of miles away. He was a free-lance journalist now, and he loved his work...he loved Annie too.
"I kept on thinking that I could see you," said Annie, "In the supermarket car park...was it you?"
"Yes" he said, "I'd seen you with a man the other day, you were laughing and looking so relaxed, I thought you were maybe spoken
for."
Annie explained that she had some casual male friends but was completely unattached.
"Annie, we've wasted so much precious time," said Tony, putting her hand to his mouth and kissing it,
"Will you marry me?"
A group of teenage children were watching the couple from outside the wine bar.
They giggled at the sight...they were kissing and obviously so much in love. They reckoned that they must have been really ancient...maybe in their forties!
Maybe love really did get more intense the older you got...just ask Mr. and Mrs. Tony
Meadows.
©2002 StoriesByEmail.com
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