Abby Ch. 01 - Introduction

Feedback and constructive criticism are very much appreciated and encouraged.

This story contains graphic scenes, language, and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words, and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape, or violence against women. Any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Chapter 01 - Introduction

I watched dispassionately as my clients initialed the final changes to the agreement of sale. It was my fifth sale so far this month, and given the state of the current economy, an achievement I should be proud of. Walking the couple to their car in the parking lot, I shook their hands one final time, making small talk as they got into their vehicle, waving one last time as they drove off.

The hot summer sun warmed me as it beat heavily on the hint of cleavage from my open-cut dress, and my legs drank up the heat from the pavement greedily as if they had gone weeks without its warmth. Humid air filled my lungs as I breathed deeply, savoring the smell of summer for a moment longer before returning to the office.

The few realtors present, mostly older agents still preferring the familiarity of the office to mobile work, stood and applauded me, as was the tradition whenever an agent made a sale. Their fast but slightly out-of-time clapping filled the office as if I had just won a grueling marathon or performed some miraculous feat. I always felt awkward, never wanting to be in the spotlight, and I smiled shyly at my co-workers before hurrying to my office, shuffling through paperwork as if I was busy. I found it odd that they always seemed more excited about my sales than I did. As if on cue, my co-workers returned to whatever tasks they had been doing as if the whole thing had never just happened and that I had never even existed.

"I can't believe I have been doing this for nearly five years now," I thought as I absently stared out my office window, watching the water flow by as fast as the time had seemed to. I sat there for several minutes thinking about my journey over those past five years, turning to look over at the achievements lining my wall: Designations and certifications, Realtor of the Year awards, all marking my professional successes.

Continuing to scan the wall, I glanced at the picture of my fiancé, Dan, sitting on my bookcase. Although there had been a few dates before him in high school and college, nothing serious had ever developed. Being raised in a strict religious home, it had always been uncomfortable bringing boys around, so I just hadn't for the most part.

Dan was a quiet and reserved man, just over two years older than me, having turned thirty-one last month. We had gotten to know each other slowly over the past few years of dating, and although it was a little rough initially, we had settled into a steady relationship and were now engaged. In the beginning, he had been quite suspicious of my social interaction for work, especially when I would do house showings, but things settled down eventually... mostly. He had proposed to me last year, and we were supposed to have been married this summer, but after some discussion, we decided to move the date forward until next year. Dan had been offered an unexpected job promotion, which had been a decent raise in pay, but unfortunately, it had also meant more travel out of town, so we decided that he should settle into his new role first.

"Maybe Dan and I could celebrate with a nice dinner somewhere tonight," I thought. We could certainly afford it, and perhaps it would make me more appreciative of the sale today.

I jumped as my cell phone rang, seeing Dan's face appear on the screen; he had an uncanny knack for calling just as I was thinking about him.

"Hey, you," I said as I picked up.

"Hey, Babe. How is your day? Did the buyers agree to the terms for the house?"

"Yes, they just signed and left. How are you?"

"Oh, fine," Dan replied. "Just wanted to check in and see how you were."

"Actually," I replied. "I was looking out the window, thinking about you just now. I was wondering if we could maybe go somewhere nice for dinner tonight to celebrate."

"That sounds like a great idea," Dan replied. "What do you have planned for the rest of today?"

"Not much. I need to drop off the buyers' deposit for the Elm Street house at the lawyer's office, and then I have another showing at three."

"OK, well, let me know when you're done with that, and I'll come by and pick you up."

"All right," I replied. "See you later; love you."

Hanging up while simultaneously picking up my purse and keys, I stepped into the main common area, the smell of old coffee and paper greeting me as always. Checking the time, I entered the parking lot, once again feeling the mid-day summer sun immediately assault me. I squinted, reaching into my purse for my sunglasses, their dark lenses shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun as I quickly walked the length of sticky asphalt to my car.

Driving through the quiet streets of the borough, I thought about the surrounding area I lived in. I had never been too far away from my hometown for any length of time. At twenty-eight, many of my peers had already traveled abroad to exotic destinations, sometimes once a year or more. I always wondered how they managed to do it and stay out of debt or if they were secretly living beyond their means.

In addition to being very successful in real estate, despite my inherent shyness, I had always been financially savvy, preferring to save my money rather than spend it on frivolous things. I owned a small but cozy home alone, having opted not to move in with Dan to avoid the dismay that would cause my parents. Dan was there most of the time anyway, however, which sometimes made me feel more smothered than I would have liked. It's not that I didn't love Dan, but I often found myself looking forward to some alone time, taking in a good novel, or binging a new show.

Arriving at the law office, the receptionist gave me a familiar warm smile as I approached.

"Hello, Abby; how are you today?"

"Hi, Marcy; how are you?"

"I am good, thanks," The receptionist replied. "Can I help you with something?"

"Just dropping off a deposit check," I replied, handing it to her, "and could I get a receipt for that? Oh, and do you mind if I use the ladies' room as well?"

"No problem," The receptionist replied. "It's through there, first door on your left. I'll get your receipt."

Making my way through the mahogany-lined walls, my heels echoing on the patterned marble floor, I entered the ladies' washroom, adjusting my dress and checking my makeup in the mirror as I looked at my reflection. I was tall and slim with green eyes and blonde semi-curly hair that fell to the middle of my back. I knew men found my ample curves attractive as I would frequently catch their glances from the corner of my eye, the attention making me feel a little overwhelmed.

"They look at every other woman like that, too," I always told myself, trying to downplay the attention.

I checked myself one last time, ensuring everything was in order and washing my hands quickly before returning to Marcy at reception.

"Here you go, hun. Good luck out there; stay cool," Marcy smiled as I picked up the receipt with a wave.

"Take care."

As I drove to my three o'clock showing, I thought again about my parents. We had moved from South Africa years ago, just before high school, when my father had been transferred for his job. My parents were devoutly religious, and I had initially been hesitant to bring Dan around my family since he did not come from a religious background. My mom, especially, harped on me constantly about getting married. Although my parents had initially voiced their silent disapproval of him, they had finally warmed up some, even inviting him for Christmas eve last year after Dan had proposed. My father had still been a little reserved at first, but over the past few months, he had warmed up even more.

"It's not like they have any choice now," I thought as I smiled at the diamond ring on my finger, reflecting brightly in the summer sun.

Parking on the street outside of the house I was showing, I walked to the front door, removing the key from the metal lock box, hot from the afternoon sun. I entered the empty but staged home, taking a quick look around the house, ensuring all the lights were on, and everything was in order. At the same time, I familiarized myself again with the layout before finally sitting down on the sofa and taking a deep breath while mentally preparing for the showing.

"One more house, another showing," I sighed to myself. "Helping the wife picture her furniture in the house to make her fall in love with it while the husband meanders to the basement to check the foundation and plumbing. Well, happy wife, happy life, they say."

My thoughts had that same slightly hollow feeling that had been nagging me quietly lately, still unable to put my finger on precisely what had been bugging me these last few weeks.

Ding, Ding!

The doorbell cut my thoughts short as I stood, straightening my dress quickly and putting on a huge smile before walking to the door and opening it, inviting the couple in like they were the closest of friends and that I hadn't seen them in years.

The showing went as well as any other, and as I walked the couple to their car, I could imagine them arguing on the drive back home, "It's lovely," the woman would tell her husband. "It's too expensive," he would reply.

"I'll let you know if we're interested," the woman said as her husband held her car door open.

"Sounds great. I'll be waiting to hear from you. If you need anything or have questions, you have my card."

Going back inside to turn off the lights, I grabbed my purse and checked the other doors before leaving again through the front door, locking it behind me and placing the key back in the lock box.

My thoughts were still distant as I drove quietly back to the office, my mind drifting. I again welcomed the late afternoon heat hitting my face as I crossed the parking lot to the door, greeting the two remaining co-workers as I made my way back to my desk.

Sitting down, I pulled my cell phone from my purse and checked my messages after texting Dan to tell him I was done for the day. I closed my eyes and sank further back in my chair as I waited for the familiar chime of his response.

"Another day is done," I thought. Was this what life was supposed to feel like at twenty-eight? One day after another, bleeding into each other over and over like some never-ending loop you can't escape? And really, what would you do if you could?

I thought about my friend Mandy who had escaped, as she liked to say, to the big city. I had never been quite sure what she did for work there, photography or modeling of some sort, but whenever we talked, she always seemed excited about everything. I opened my phone and sent her a quick text, "Hey girl, how are things?"

"Hey, you!" came the almost immediate reply. "Busy right now, but we need to catch up! Come into the city for dinner this Thursday? My treat!"

"That sounds great. I need a distraction."

As soon as I hit send, Dan's text also arrived, "Hey babe, be there in 15 minutes. I made reservations at that new Italian restaurant, Marzano's."

"Ugh," I thought. As much as I appreciated him taking the lead, I wished he would have at least asked me first.

"It's not the worst thing in the world, I suppose," I thought, locking my office door before making small talk with the two agents until Dan arrived.

***

Soft classical music lingered delicately in the air as I sipped on my second glass of wine at dinner. I was lost in my own thoughts, faintly aware of Dan trying to tell me about some recent sales presentation. He was very proud of his work and never missed a chance to brag about how he had gotten this or that sale, something I would always smile and nod at patiently.

I knew something felt off within me, like there was a light not quite shining at full brightness, imperceptible at first until you compared it next to other lights, but unmistakable once you realized it. My eyes silently observed the other patrons seemingly engaged in their lively conversations, the low drone of their collective voices competing for dominance in my ears with the classical music.

"Earth to Abby," Dan's voice pierced through.

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry, you were talking about your sales meeting...."

"Sales presentation." Dan cut me off, clearly annoyed, "What's going on in that brain of yours that's so important?"

"Nothing, really. I've just felt a bit off lately."

"You have been working a lot lately; you are probably just tired."

Dan's half-hearted attempt at appreciating how I was feeling didn't go unnoticed, and I sighed as he launched back into talking about his sales "presentation." I smiled and nodded at him with a half-hearted effort of my own as I took another sip of my wine.

"It wasn't that he was inconsiderate," I told myself, "It was just that sometimes he got wrapped up in his excitement and couldn't see others' reactions to it."

He was reasonably attentive, and I knew that he cared deeply for me in his own way, and his child-like enthusiasm for talking about something he found exciting was one of those flaws I found endearing.

"Love is in the imperfections," I thought to myself as he continued.

After finishing our meals, we headed out into the summer evening. I slipped my hand around his arm as we walked to his car, the steamy air hanging heavily, making my exposed skin feel slightly damp with sweat before a cool breeze from the river washed it away.

"My place?" Dan asked.

"Mmmhmm," I smiled as I pulled myself closer to him.

***

I lay with my head on Dan's chest after our lovemaking, my fingers absently coursing through his soft chest hair. He was a gentle lover, if a bit routine, although the thought always occurred to me that I didn't have anything else to compare it to other than the exaggerated stories I had heard from my friends, as Dan had been my only sexual partner. I didn't mind so much in reality; plenty of those stories had been horrific tales of lovers ranging from bad to "what was he even thinking?" and the thought of getting to know someone new made me extremely nervous.

Still, I secretly hoped we could turn up the passion a little bit one day soon.

"Oh, I was thinking about going into the city to have dinner with Mandy on Friday," I said casually, "Do you mind?"

"Mandy." The subtle context was clear. Dan and Mandy's personalities didn't mesh at all. Mandy was always bright and flirty, contrasting Dan's somber and reserved demeanor.

"I haven't caught up with her for months," I replied, trying not to trigger his jealousy and avoid an argument before going to sleep.

"Well, have fun," he said as he rolled over. I knew Dan wouldn't outright forbid me to go, but I knew he wasn't pleased about it either.

As we drifted off to sleep, I tried to banish the feelings of boredom that I had been having, reminding myself repeatedly how lucky I was to have the comfortable life I did while so many others were barely scraping by or still searching for a partner.

Just as I was on the edge of sleep, somewhere between waking and darkness, I squinted my closed eyes slightly tighter, confused, thinking I had heard the howl of a lone wolf in the distance. It's lonely howl challenging Dan's light snoring for supremacy.