Is This Forever?

Take My Time

October 23rd, 2023
Owen's Story
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"How's your day been?" He asked. "It's been good but I kind of regret covering Hogan's shift." She replied.

"We would've had the house to ourselves." He smiled at her on the other end. "You are a nasty, nasty man." She said shaking her head.

Just then a message came up on Owen's phone.

It read:

~Back in town for the week. We should catch up.~

"What happened?" Tommy said snapping him out of his thoughts. "Catherine happened." He replied.

"What?" She asked. "She just texted me and said we should catch up." He relayed.

"Well, do you want to?" She asked. "I don't know. I rather wait  for you to get home." He replied.

He heard the bell go off from her end of the line.

"Go catch up with her. I'll see you at home." She rushed out. "I love you." He said.

"I love you too." She replied before hanging up.

Owen went back to the message that burdened him in a matter of five seconds.

It wasn't a secret that he and Catherine never got the closure they deserved. But he has a beautiful woman that he loves. A woman who looks at him like he hung the moon.

Wait. Why was he even thinking of Catherine in that manner? He was only going to catch up with her nothing else.

He shot her back a quick message telling her he'd be at the bar around six if she wanted to come then.

That would make a matter of three hours until Tommy came home.

********
Six hours later

Owen sat at a table a few feet from the door. He had been sitting here for about half an hour. Waiting for a woman he barely wanted to see.

He wanted to go home and wait for Tommy. He wanted to hold her in his arms and ask her how her shift was. But here he was waiting for a woman that wasn't Tommy.

Just when he was about to get up, Catherine walked into the building.

When she saw him she smiled all while he tried to hide a grimace.

It wasn't that he didn't like her. At one point he was in love with her and maybe it was his fault for them breaking up. He shouldn't have accused her of something because of his insecurities.

But- never mind, it wasn't important.

He honestly should be thanking her because if she didn't break up with him he would've never stopped fighting himself and asked Tommy out.

But he quickly stopped thinking about that when she walked up to his table.

"Owen." She greeted him with a wide grin. "Catherine." He replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Can I get you a drink?" He asked. "Scotch, neat please." Owen walked away from the table. Leaving just her, the music, and his drink alone.

When he came back with her drink she smiled and thanked him.

"So tell me. How's life?" She asked.

"If  I'm being honest, the past year of my life has been better than I could imagine." He smiled.