Dandelion Lover

A bunch of voices and the sun shining annoyingly close to my eyes woke me up from my thoughts. I was so enticed by the smell of freshly made coffee and the ideas running through my head that I forgot I was at the office.

Animated loud voices and laughter were heard full force, slapping me awake and scratching at the back of my head. I soon mumbled an excuse and left to close myself up in my office.

Finally, quiet again... my head was hurting and I was tired, didn't really feel like entertaining anyone right now.

"Gray, we got a meeting in half an hour," Rob said popping his head in my office. "Want some coffee?"

"No thanks." I curtly replied and gestured to the coffee mug. "Let's postpone the meeting, I got to go." And as soon as I said this Rob turned serious and entered the office closing the door behind him and shutting out the noise from outside.

"Everything alright?" he questioned, obviously noticing the way my eyes were scrunched and the deep frown of my brows.

"Yeah, just a bit tired. I got some business outside, just continue with the project as before." And with this I took my jacket and walked out of the office, passing the curious stares of the people around me.

I didn't feel like facing anyone today, I just wanted to slip away and go somewhere where I could think in peace and quiet. I still didn't know what to make of what had happened these last few days. I was confused and at the same time, I was annoyed and anxious.

What would become of us?

As I entered my car I pushed the gas pedal and opened the window, letting the loud music drowned out my thoughts. I had a place where I went when I felt upset, a place that was just mine, that would let me relax without worrying about other people.

After half an hour of speeding through the city, I finally managed to arrive at my sweet haven. There was a little pathway at the foot of the mountain that was only an hour away from the city.

I quietly parked my car on the side of the road, threw my phone in the backseat and just closed the door. I soon was on my way up the mountain and sweat started soaking the collar of my shirt, but I didn't care.

After another hour I was at a place I really loved; halfway up the mountain was a small clearing, a place I never showed anyone, where I came when I really needed to think about what to do in life. It was there I had decided to ask Melanie for her hand in marriage, there that I had come to cry when my mother had died and even when my first love had dumped me and I was miserable.

Taking off my sweat filled shirt, I hung it on a branch and just let myself fall on the slightly wet grass, allowing my body to feel the chilling breeze and my breathing to return to normal. I missed the smell of nature, the rustling of the trees, the hustle of the insects and the wind that always made me feel better by gently brushing my skin.

After a few moments of absorbing the calming feeling of just laying in the grass and sensing the nature around me, my mind was suddenly sharp once again and I was able to make sense of all the new information I had.

"Let's think about this clearly," I said trying to put my thoughts in order. I didn't really mind talking alone because no one would hear me anyway; it was my way of sorting through my problems"

"The first problem, she came back home at 5 in the morning." I knew she had gone to hang out with her friends the previous morning, but why had it taken her all day?

"Second thing I'm not clear on, she didn't answer my calls." I had tried calling her to see where she was but there had been no answer. After a few more tries I had given up and continued lazing around the house. It was possible she had just lost the sense of time while hanging out with the girls.

"The thing that annoys me the most, she avoided talking about what happened that day." I didn't really want to play the part of the controlling husband, but I felt there was something she was hiding and that led to a whole new set of problems. "For years we hadn't had such a bad fight as yesterday's argument; it was as if she was trying to find faults with everything I said."

Unfortunately, a small seed of doubt was in my mind already and trying to suppress it wasn't working; I remembered one of my old friends boasting how he easily managed to keep two girlfriends at the same time, simply by using college and his friends as an excuse.

I didn't want to even think of the possibility, after all, it was her we were talking about, sweet Melanie, the one who followed me around everywhere like a little puppy, who took note of every word I said... I could make or break her day with a simple word or look.

"It's true that we haven't really had much time to spend together, and even s.e.x has become a rare occurrence, however, this is normal for long-lasting couples like us." And as much as I wanted to believe this, the nagging feeling at the back of my head wouldn't leave me alone.

With my frequent flights all over the world and her business keeping her away from home, it was natural we didn't really have time for us as a couple. I must be overthinking things again. However, my thoughts didn't stop there, they pierced through all my excuses and the restless impressions in my heart didn't disappear until I admitted it.

"Something doesn't seem right." My mind kept circling around the same ideas, going round and round, and the conclusion was always the same.

"I don't believe it!" I shouted trying to convince myself more than anyone else. Once planted, like a weed, the doubt I felt was there slowly eating away at my sanity.

"That's enough! I just need a bit of help untangling this." I declared and suddenly my mind was cleared.

"I better keep my suspicions to myself and just get a professional to help me with my questions." And so, the best solution I could find was to hire a private detective to put my mind at ease. This way I would get to know once and for all that it was nothing to worry about, that I was overthinking things.

Feeling a lot calmer, I simply laid in the grass and enjoyed the feeling of being in my own space, my headache subsiding and giving way to a blissful sleep.

...

When I woke up it was already evening, so I put my shirt back on and headed down the mountain to my car. As soon as I got my phone in my hands, I noticed I had a few missed calls from the office.

"Yeah Rob, you called?"

"Yeah, we have a problem, Gray, and we need you to decide what we're going to do."

"What's wrong?" I asked, my mind still flooding with thoughts of Melanie and my suspicions.

"We were contacted by the Cap One company representative. They want the whole theme of the website changed; apparently one of the shareholders didn't like it. We only have a week left of the deadline, what do you want us to do?"

I rummaged through the glove compartment and found what I was looking for, my pack of smokes. I lazily took one out and placed it in between my lips as a spark flew from the lighter, making me take a deep breath. I could sense my mind waking up as the smoke-filled me up with a nostalgic scent.

"I'll do it." and as I turned on the ignition, I could feel a slow pressure rising on the sides of my head. "Just in time," I muttered as I turned once again to my phone, and after a few minutes, a call was answered by a lazy voice.

"I would like to request an investigation..."