losing out on another life

Eric was in a soured mood when he awoke. He had never been in this sort of situation before. Now had he?

Well, it wasn't exactly like this with Amanda. They'd really had a nice time catching up. A good laugh too. And then this last thing sort of popped up, and he went with it. It had been all so jovial and the thought of Oh so this is what it means to be on holiday.

This was definitely not a holiday with Liz. It was all sex. And for a moment there in the first kiss, he was going to say no. Flat out. NO. But as the thought in his head was somehow put on pause, it began as a kissing match-up. And it progressed as if there was an unspeakable destination in mind.

He winced now. Eric didn't want to make this habit. He thought about the time he'd been with Ellie for all the wrong reasons. This was like that, but he didn't know Liz. Not really. Sex with a stranger, that's what it was.

Just what was he suppose to do now? No cuddling. None of that. But as it was they'd been going for a record of some kind. Perhaps a quota for the year's end, in one of Liz's so called books she kept of science experiments.

"How long has it been? Since you know, right now. Sex?" He asked sometime after the fifth condom was used about three in the morning.

"God, maybe last Christmas when I was home and saw my ex." She shrugged but didn't give him a chance to think on it. She ate at his lips instead.

But the futon was cold now. He guessed she left. He hope she had. He hoped it was over. He hoped she wouldn't show up, wanting more. He hugged up in the covers feeling a bit shaky. Just one more regret, he supposed. When would he get his act together? When would he fall in love again? Was that even possible?

Eric closed his eyes and tears came. He was suddenly filled with an emptiness that he could hardly stand. Why was he like this? Why did he have to be the terrible one?

His cell buzzed. He looked at the number. He thought it might be Liz. It was an unknown number. He didn't even want to talk to her. What could she possibly want now?

"Hi, I know you don't know me, but how's Belle?"

"Belle?" Eric squinted. "You must have a wrong number?"

"This is Eric, right?"

He told her his name, wishing he hadn't. What if this was sort of scam where they got a hold of your information in a foreign country and sucked your bank account dry just by saying, yes.

"Who's this?"

"Syd, " she said. "And you have my cat, Belle."

"Belle? She's your cat?" He hated to tell her he'd been calling her Black Cat, mostly. He'd been rather generic. "Are you coming to get her?"

"I'm in Boston."

"Oh, right," Eric sighed. "Well, no one told me anything really, about the cat. Other than, you know, feeding her and stuff."

"She likes sleep on your chest. And she loves tummy rubs, and her chin scratched." Syd told him.

"I'll get right on it." He blinked.

"I so wish I could see her. I saved her, you know. She was on the street. De-clawed. Couldn't fend for herself. She was starving, flea infested." He could tell she was crying just talking about her.

"I'll send you a picture if you want. Do you want me to send her to you?" Having the black cat gone would be good riddance.

"Yes. No. You can't- I can't have her, as of yet. They barely let me have a plant to take care of. But its winter. Plants are hard to keep growing in the winter." She sniffed.

"I see." He sighed, wishing she wasn't so far away. She seemed worse off than him. "Well, we'll keep in touch. I'll send you a picture right now." It seemed Belle the black cat knew he was up to something. She hopped on the futon. He snapped a picture of Belle on his cell. "She's fine, she really rules the place. Honestly, she does."

Syd thanked him then. Eric caught his bottom lip. Syd had made his day just as much, and she would probably never know it.