The second meeting
550 Words
It wasn’t long before he came again.
Alex slipped on the guest slippers naturally. Sam even had me prepare a fixed seat just for him.
"Alex, these are all your favorite dishes. Xiao Yu made them specially for you. Please taste them."
Alex picked up his chopsticks, yet his eyes stayed fixed on me.
"They always taste perfect."
I couldn’t tell if he meant the food… or me.
Sam took a bite, then stood up and patted my shoulder. "This tastes a little bland. I’ll run out to buy some salt. Take your time, Alex."
The door clicked shut, leaving only Alex and me alone in the house. An awkward, charged atmosphere hung between us.
"I… I should go wash the dishes..."
"Wait."
"Alex...?"
He shook his head gently. "Just call me Alex."
I froze, still aware his fingers were lightly wrapped around my wrist. Curiosity got the better of me.
"Does your name have a special meaning behind it?"
A faint, soft smile tugged at his lips.
"My mother was a literature teacher. She loved meaningful verses, so she chose this name for me, hoping my life would walk its own gentle path."
"Do you like it?"
"I do. But life really is full of unexpected turns. Some people stay, some drift apart… just like my ex-wife."
His tone dropped, his gaze growing dim, as if touching on a quiet, forbidden part of his past.
Deep down, I knew how inappropriate this was.
Alone with my husband’s superior, listening to him talk about his ex-wife—the air felt thick with quiet ambiguity.
Yet his warmth, his tone, the stillness between us, made me feel strangely at ease.
Maybe it was alright to ask a little more.
I hesitated, then spoke softly, "What was your ex-wife like?”
Alex left half an hour later. It wasn’t long before I heard the lock turn, and Sam peeked in through the crack of the door.
"Don’t look anymore. He’s already gone."
I looked at the leftovers on the table, drinking a glass of wine alone.
"Honey, did Alex...?"
"He said he’ll come again."
I replied calmly, watching him rush over and put his arms around me.
"Wife, I know you’ll help me. Did you find out what his ex-wife was like?"
I nodded faintly, a bitter taste in my heart. "Don’t worry. I’ll learn to act like his ex-wife and get along with him, try to put in a good word for you in front of him."
Sam murmured sweet nothings against my ear.
"Honey , I’m only doing this to earn more money... to give you a better life. Once I get promoted... I’ll buy you that necklace you’ve always liked..."
"No need. Alex said he’ll buy it for me."
I stared at the handsome face I’d known since I was fifteen, suddenly filled with indescribable strangeness and exhaustion.
"I’m going to lie down for a while."
Sam hugged me, starting to clear the table on his own.
I closed my eyes. He trusted me completely. He knew I would never use my body to trade favors with Alex, so he felt safe leaving us alone together.
Yet my phone screen suddenly lit up with a text message
Xiao Yu, are you free for lunch tomorrow? At your favorite restaurant
- Writer
