MY PRETEND WIFE

Date in the Park

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He stared at it for a couple of minutes as if contemplating on what to do. He played around with it for awhile until he started scrolling through his contacts. He stopped on the name he was looking for and finally after a moment's hesitation he pressed on the call button.

Maine jumped and almost dropped her phone when it started ringing. She looked at the screen and felt her heart speed up as soon as she read the caller id. She took a couple of breaths to calm her self and finally answered on the fifth ring.

"Hello" Maine's voice was heard through the other line and all too soon Richard felt a certain feeling of contentment. It felt as if he has not spoken to her for a long time and he felt his heart jump a bit as soon as he heard her voice.

"Honey, how are you?" He asked softly as he leaned back against the park bench.

"Everything is great. I'm having fun so far" she replied. He can feel her smiling.

Richard cleared his throat before answering. "That's good to know"

"Surprisingly, I'm managing quite well for a beginner" she said proudly.

Richard couldn't help but smile.

"Guess where I am right now" Maine said mysteriously.

"The Empire State Building?" Richard guessed although he crossed his fingers and hoped that he was wrong. For some reason he did want his wife to go there at all.

Maine laughed at his comment. "No, although I do have plans to visit that soon" she remarked. "Anyway, I'm in Central Park."

"Really?" Richard said his smile widened. "Well, guess where I am right now."

"The office?" Maine guessed.

"No, although I'm supposed to be there right now" he answered sheepishly.

"Then where are you?" Maine asked curiously.

"I'm at the park" he answered.

Maine was surprised when she heard this. "It's not Sunday right now. What are you doing there?"

"I don't know. I had the sudden urge to come here. No particular reason at all" he admitted.

Maine was quiet for awhile. If there was one thing that she likes doing with him the most, it was their weekly trips to the park. "Too bad we won't be able to have our weekly park trips for a month" Maine remarked sadly.

"We're both in the park right now aren't we?" Richard replied softly. "We can still have our park trips, it's just that you're there and I'm here"

"It won't be the same" Maine said as she tried her best not to cry. She's never missed RJ as much as she's missing him right now.

"It's alright honey. We'll make the most out of it" Richard assured her. "So tell me, have you been to any Broadway musical?"

"Not yet, although I'm thinking of seeing Les Miserables on Saturday and maybe CATS on Monday" she replied.

"They're both good. I'm sure you're going to enjoy them" Richard said in an approving tone.

"It's kind of lonely doing it alone" she admitted.

"Don't worry, I'll go to New York with you next time and we'll watch them again together" Rihard promised.

They talked for over an hour as they sat on their respective park benches from across the globe. Richard updated Maine about the company while Maine told RJ about the places that she is planning to visit. The sun has already gone down in Maine's side of the world when she finally thought that it was time to say goodbye. She was quite reluctant to put the phone down but she knew that she had to get home soon and RJ probably needs to go to the office.

"I have to go. It's already dark. I have to start making my way back home" she said reluctantly.

Richard was silent for a while. "Yeah, I think I have to get going too. If mom finds out I came to work late she's going to have my head chopped off" Richard replied halfheartedly.

"I'll talk to you again soon?" she asked hopefully.

"I'll call you back tomorrow" Richard promised.

"Bye" she whispered and finally pressed the end button.

She stared into space for a moment as she recalled her entire conversation with RJ. Just five minutes after they ended their call and she was already starting to miss his voice. With a heavy heart she pulled herself up from the bench and started walking back home.

Richard was thousands of miles away but she was glad that at least for a brief moment in time it felt as if he was just beside her.