Refills

Refills

Simon chuckled to himself at the sight of the bearded man in his sparkly red dress stumbling over from the bar, beer in hand. He clearly had been drinking but the oversized, high heeled shoes didn't help for keeping his balance either. The group of friends cheered as the guy returned to them and raised their full glasses in celebration. All were talking too loud and laughing too often for Simon's liking. It didn't fit his mood at all. In fact it only reminded him of the very reason he still felt somewhat miserable in the first place.

The guys were obviously enjoying the dressed-up man's last night as a free man. The poor soul was made to look like Jessica Rabbit with a big pair of fake breasts dangling around his neck to complete the outfit. However the bad wig, bushy beard and smeared lipstick made him look more like a bad drag-act instead. Tomorrow morning he'd wake up with a huge hangover and dress up in a different kind of costume, only to be tied down by some pretty girl he'd walk on eggshells for, for the rest of his life.

"Better enjoy those heels while you can, buddy!" Simon thought out loud and took another swig of his beer.

"I'm afraid he's already taken," a warm voice spoke behind his back and Simon turned around to face a middle aged woman smiling at him. "Besides...I don't think your equipment is his cup of tea," she said while waving a hand towards his groin area.

"Oh, I'm not into..."Simon stuttered, feeling his cheeks burn up as the woman's straightforwardness had caught him off guard.

"No? Is it the hair?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

He wondered if the question was inspired by the amount of alcohol in her blood and eyed her drink closely.

As if she could read his mind she answered him, "A virgin margarita..." and emptied her glass.

"In case you want to buy me another one," she added while winking at him.

That made Simon smile and he nodded his head while picking up her glass to get a refill at the bar.

While waiting for the drinks he glanced back and saw the woman sitting down at his table. He wondered who she was and why she had come up to him. Even though Simon had been coming into the pub frequently the past few weeks he hadn't seen her before so she hardly could be one of the regulars. He wasn't looking for company and secretly hoped all she was after was a free drink. Perhaps she was just meeting a friend and her chat with him was just to pass the time waiting.

Walking back to the table Simon decided he would make the best of it. With a polite smile he put the drinks down and took the seat opposite his new table guest.

"Thank you," she replied with a warm, radiant grin on her face. It made her look confident and comfortable with the situation. Raising the glass to her red lips she kept her eyes focused on his. Her attention did something to him and Simon suddenly felt intrigued by this woman.

"So... Do you come here often?" Simon asked and immediately cringed at his own cheesy pick up line.

She laughed in response and shook her head, "I don't...but you seem to do so lately."

Simon raised an eyebrow at her words. They sounded like more than a well educated guess but she couldn't possibly know about his evening drinks from the past few weeks. It wasn't something he was proud of and Simon had even kept it from his friends and co-workers. For a moment he feared this lady was a friend of his mum who had sent her over to check up on him. She seemed the same age as her but even though his mother was a bit...special...she surely wouldn't think up an idea this crazy.

"I'm sorry....I didn't catch your name," Simon tried, raking his mind on who she could be.

"How rude of me! I didn't even introduce myself," she replied and stretched her arm out towards him, "I'm Anne, nice to meet you...?"

"Simon," he replied while shaking her hand. It was soft and warm but felt firm as he squeezed it lightly.

"Nice to meet you, Simon."

"And you, Anne." Simon felt himself relax a bit now that he realised he was as much a stranger to her as she was to him.

They were both silent for a moment, staring at each other while sipping their drinks. For a split second Anne even seemed a little nervous to Simon but she quickly recovered and leaned towards him over the table.

"Look, I know this sounds crazy..." Anne said, biting her lip as she appeared to gather her thoughts. "And it's a bit out of my comfort zone too," she continued while her fingers dreamily ran up and down the stem of her glass.

All Simon could do was sit and wait patiently at what she had to say. Not that he minded much. Her red lips were a treat to stare at and he caught himself wondering if they'd feel as warm and soft as her hand did.

"It's just...I've seen you coming here a good few times lately and you kinda caught my eye," Anne confessed while staring him down. She raised her drink to her lips and sipped it while waiting for his reply.

Simon felt his cheeks burn up and awkwardly shifted in his seat. She had seen him?! The few beers on a regular night weren't enough to get him too drunk to recall an evening. It was true that lately he'd been coming into Robinson's more often, but he would have remembered seeing her for sure.

"I don't think I've seen you here before. Must have been too focused on myself, " Simon replied, not wanting to call her a liar.

A soft chuckle was her response, "I'm too old to go to bars and cafes really."

"You're never too old to go out for a drink!"

Looking up at Simon she smiled warmly, "I live across the street."

He nodded at her words. That made enough sense and would explain how she had seen him but he had never noticed her. At the same time a thought crossed his mind. Why did she observe the entrance to a bar on a regular base? Was there someone she was keeping an eye on that was drinking...a husband perhaps? Were there some ulterior motives for making small talk with a stranger?

Anne didn't seem to mind the other people around the bar however and she was solely focused on Simon. It made him feel somewhat apprehensive that a lady like Anne would just come up to a guy like him. A few moments passed before he could bring up the courage to ask her about it.

"What made you decide to come into Robinson's today?"

She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a shy smile, "I guess I finally felt bold enough to take a gamble."

Her choice of words piqued his interest and Simon leaned forward a bit as if she was going to tell him a secret.

"You see, I normally wouldn't dare to just strike up a conversation with a handsome young man like you."

Simon huffed in response and slowly shook his head. No woman had ever called him handsome before but he felt somewhat flattered by her remark.

"A friend of mine suggested it actually," Anne continued. "According to her, I should get out more and just have a good time with somebody new."

He was listening to her attentively while his eyes kept dropping to her red lips every now and then. Unsure of how to react to her explanation he raised an eyebrow, "Somebody new..?"

"Yes, somebody to get me out of my daily...grind."

Simon felt a little confused at her intentions but didn't want to offend the woman sitting in front of him by asking inappropriate questions. He decided to go for a safe reply instead, "It's always good to get out of the house and meet new people."

"Yes... But that's not exactly what I mean..." Anne responded with a somewhat mysterious look in her eyes.

She licked her lip and Simon couldn't help but stare at the seductive gesture. It was obvious that she was flirting with him, but he was still trying to make up his mind on how he wanted to react to it. Surely she was a good bit older than him, heck she could have been his mother. But somehow that didn't seem to bother her. They sat opposite each other in silence for a few moments, just sharing nervous smiles until Anne cleared her throat.

"So... Are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Simon asked with an easy smile on his face before taking another sip of his beer.

"Who broke your heart?"

Simon coughed in response, almost choking on his drink. "Who... broke my heart?"

Anne nodded her head, a warm smile on her lips. "I can't think of anything else that would make a guy like you look gloomy for days... or weeks even." She placed her glass on the table in front of her and leaned closer towards Simon with a serious look on her face.
"Look...I know it's none of my business, but I think you're too young to act exasperated about life and love."

He didn't reply right away and let her words sink in for a moment. It became more and more evident that this woman had been observing him for some time. To Simon's surprise she'd drawn the right conclusions by just looking at him. If she could read him like that there was little point in trying to make up a story. Instead, he sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. Avoiding her eyes, he reached into the pocket of his jacket hanging over the back of the seat. He pulled out a small box covered in black velvet.

Anne's eyes opened wide at the sight of the object but she quickly recovered and smiled the same warm smile at him. There was a compassionate look on her face as she whispered softly, "That serious...?"

Simon shrugged his shoulders, still not looking up at his new acquaintance. He felt somewhat awkward at sharing this piece of personal information. "I guess I was more serious than her..." Simon replied with a sad sound to his voice while fiddling around with the box.

"Can I see it?"

"Sorry?"

"Can I see the ring?" Anne asked, offering him a sweet smile when he finally looked up at her again.

The question caught him off guard but he nodded his head and opened the box. He turned it around and showed her the dainty silver ring inside. "It's not that impressive but-"

"It's lovely!" Anne interrupted him as she reached forward.

Simon quickly snapped the box shut and withdrew his hand. Blushing at his own sudden reaction he looked up to her face and apologised to Anne, "Sorry..."

"No need for sorry. It's a very personal object."

He nodded in agreement and smiled weakly at the woman in front of him. "Thank you for understanding. It just seems that I'm unable to part with it."

"With it...or with the idea of...her?" Anne asked cautiously.

He shrugged his shoulders as he thought for a moment, "Both, I guess."

Simon looked into Anne's eyes, trying to read her mind. It seemed like she wasn't judging him for clinging onto the engagement ring. She appeared to be genuinely interested in his story. For a good while he'd been wallowing in self-pity but perhaps it was time to try and move on.

"I thought she was the one," he continued, "and it seemed time to settle down."

"How long have you been together?"

"It would have been two years last week...but she's already moved on to have fun with other guys."

Anne slowly nodded her head and gave him an empathic smile as she realised they had officially broken up. They were both quiet for a few moments before she spoke up again, trying to lift the mood a bit, "You're way too young for marriage anyway, have you even finished school yet?"

Simon laughed in return, thankful for her attempt to break the awkward silence. Leaning back towards her again he teasingly winked at her, "I realise that you're ol- more mature than me but I'm not that young and unknowing."

"Were you going to call me old?" Anne asked with a grin on her face.

"I wouldn't dare, ma'am..." Simon replied. Shaking his head while holding her gaze to test her reaction.

She bit her lip to hide a cheeky grin, feeling tension between them grow stronger. "My sons are your age and they call me ancient all the time."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "You're not ancient, just older than me. Most things only get better with age anyway... Just like good wine."

"Or cheese..."

"But you're not salty," he replied with a full grin on his face.

"How can you say that without ever tasting me?"

The line was just a joking tease but as Anne leaned closer, Simon found himself staring at her red lips once again. He wondered if she would let him kiss her. She seemed more than fine with their flirtatious banter, but that didn't mean he was allowed to make a real move on her. At the same time he realised that she was the one that had come up to him. Something she wouldn't have done in case she wasn't interested in any interaction. The simple question was: what sort of interaction was she hoping for?

His eyes flicked down to her mouth again and without thinking he licked his lips. She noticed it and smiled before biting down on her bottom lip teasingly to test his reaction.

Simon held her stare for a moment before he spoke in a seductive whisper, "So, you live across the street?"

Anne replied without breaking eye contact, a sly grin on her face, "I do indeed, wanna see?"

And that's when they both knew...

*****

Simon was staring at the silver picture frame standing on the desk in front of him. In it was a picture of a family. A man, his wife and two young boys. The woman in the picture looked familiar to Simon and there was no doubt in his mind that he was looking at a younger Anne. All were smiling and the way the man had his arm wrapped around Anne's shoulder made them look like a happy family. Simon immediately felt a twinge of jealousy because of it.

He carefully picked up the frame to inspect the picture better. The two boys, unmistakably brothers, had the same curly hair as the man standing behind them. Simon didn't have any siblings himself and his father had more than once mentioned to him how he had been an accident. When his parents divorced, Simon was relieved to see his father leave and it had been years since he last saw him. Though the connection with his mother was still there it had grown somewhat cold when she more or less agreed to what his father had said about Simon's birth being unplanned.

Simon wanted nothing more than to start a family of his own. To be the husband his mother needed and to be the father he never truly had. But mostly to prove to himself he could be part of a loving bond between people and feel like he mattered. The rejection of his proposal had hit him like a slap in the face and even Simon himself was surprised at how long it had taken him to recover from the heartbreak. Even now he was squeezing his hand around the little box in the pocket of his jacket while staring at the family portrait. It was as if he just didn't dare to let go.

Anne's voice pulled him from his thoughts as she entered the room.

"You're allowed to take off your coat if you want," she said with a giggle, "I don't think it's that cold in here."

Simon carefully placed the photo frame back on the desk and turned towards her with a smile, "You're right, it's a lovely warm and cosy place."

Anne shrugged her shoulders, "I guess so, it's home to me at least."

She sat down on the big sofa and expectantly looked up at Simon. He nodded at her reply, took his jacket off and draped it over the back of the sofa before sitting down as well.

Assuming there had been a divorce, Simon asked cautiously, "Is it home to... just you?" while he eyed the family photo on the desk.

Anne followed his stare and nodded her head slowly. "I didn't want to stay in his house after his death."

The words had caught Simon of guard and he immediately regretted bringing it up, "I eh...I didn't know, I'm sorry-"

"Oh, don't worry about that. If the accident hadn't happened, I might have pushed him off a cliff myself!" Anne replied with a giggle.

Even though Simon's curiosity was piqued, he didn't want to push for any details. The giggle had thrown him off and he felt his face heating up as he was lost for words, "He... When eh-"

Anne noticed his discomfort and slowly shook her head, "I'm just playing...well sort of. Joe died in a car crash, nine years ago."

She stood up and walked over to the desk, picking up the frame just like Simon had done. Appearing lost in thoughts, she mindlessly stroked her finger over the picture.

"This was when we were still happily in love, or at least I was," she continued. "Before I knew he was screwing his secretary."

"Ouch," Simon replied, recognizing the feeling of being betrayed. He looked up at her and saw the hurt in her eyes as he realised that the family photo was just like his ring. A souvenir from good times and good memories.

"Yeah," Anne sighed while placing the picture back, "I don't even blame him really. She's a gorgeous blonde with big...talents, twenty years younger and better looking than his old missus at home."

For the first time Simon saw a fragile side of Anne. Where she had appeared confident from the very first moment she'd sat down with him at the bar, she now seemed a woman with a broken heart. In an attempt to comfort her, Simon got up and stood behind her. He hesitated for a moment before gently placing his hand on her hip.

"Hey now, don't be like that," Simon whispered, while turning her to face him. "You're a beautiful woman, Anne."

"Well now, I know I'm not-"

"Shush," Simon placed his fingertip on her lips to silence Anne. He felt hesitant about it, but there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to kiss her so he did the first thing that came to mind and simply asked her.

"Can I kiss you, Anne?"

Her eyes widened at his request but she slowly nodded her head and puckered her mouth against his finger. He immediately reacted and pulled her closer before locking his lips with hers, drawing a soft moan from Anne. Her lips were softer than Simon imagined them to be. He savoured the moment of intimate contact for a bit before pulling back again.

"There..." Simon said, as if the kiss had been a statement.

Anne's cheeks blushed bright red, but the brief kiss had given her a new sort of determination. She leaned in against his chest and planted another kiss on his lips before pulling back with a cheeky smile. It made Simon chuckle for a moment but soon enough he felt the tension between them grow as her eyes sparked with desire.

The next kiss lasted longer as Simon dared to part his lips and push his tongue against her soft lips. His tongue traced her mouth teasingly slow before pushing forward as if to beg for entrance. Anne moaned softly and granted access, her tongue darting out towards his to start a slow dance for dominance. All the while their hands were caressing and stroking up and down each other's arms.

Simon placed his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer against his chest. Anne moaned into the kiss and snaked her arm up around his shoulders to place her hand on the back of his neck. Her fingertips lazily played around with his hair as they stood there kissing for minutes.

It was Anne that broke the kiss as she leaned back with a soft gasp. She looked up at his face, her cheeks blushing as she had a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Simon?" she asked while teasingly tugging the collar of his shirt, "Would you like to see my bedroom?"

He swallowed hard and contemplated the offer. Was she suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? She couldn't possibly want him in her bed.

"Eh, Anne...I don't know how to react to that," he said while nervously running his hand through his hair.

"You can laugh about it if you think I'm a daft woman."

He shook his head at her reply, "No, not at all. I just didn't want to assume you meant...you know." Simon rolled his eyes as if the idea of the two of them in bed together was improbable.

She smiled again and took his hand. While bringing his fingers to her lips she locked eyes with him and whispered softly before kissing his hand, "And what if I mean exactly THAT..?"

Simon looked at the woman in front of him and watched as her red lips kissed his hand. He swallowed hard at her suggestive tone. It was more than a flirtatious remark. It was a clear invitation to her bedroom and still he felt unsure about what was happening.