Raymond walked into the restaurant and hollered greetings to all the association’s members before heading towards the back. Since he and Ron were higher in ranks, they have the privilege of sitting with Michael in the private room. The woman on his arm was someone that he met only last night. He didn’t even remember her name. It was Lily or Leila. Not that he cared either. To him, she was another faceless being to kill some time with. So there was no sense in even trying to dredge up her name. He walked swiftly towards the door as the woman tried to catch up, lagging on his arm. When he was at the door, it opened from the other side and he came face to face with Charmaine.

Raymond was stunned and didn’t move but Charmaine took matters into her own hands. She smiled at him, like he was a stranger who clumsily bumped into her, then walked around him down the corridor. The woman on his arm tugged at his sleeves, snapping him out of his revere. Tonelessly, he said, “Let’s go in.”

Michael saw him and waved him over, “Come over here and sit next to Ron. We were wondering what’s taking you so long.”

Raymond glanced at the occupants of the table and recognized Tavia and Jessica. Two chairs down from Jessica was Joe, who sat looking at Raymond with an unreadable expression. As he sat down, he felt Joe’s eyes following his every move. The woman, his date for the night, dropped herself onto the chair next to him and removed her coat. Inside she wore a tight tube dress that revealed more than concealed. Raymond was suddenly embarrassed by the way she was dressed. Leaning towards her he hissed, “Put your coat back on.”

His date whined, “Why Raymond? It’s so hot in here?”

Raymond was about to say something when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charmaine walking to their table. Turning his back on his date, he diverted all his attention to Ron and the other.

Joe stood up deftly when Charmaine approached. He pulled out her chair and when she was seated, placed an arm across the back of her chair, his fingers lightly caressing her shoulder. He said something into her ear and she lifted her hand to touch his hand on her shoulder.

Raymond watched the display of affection with annoyance. He didn’t have the right to say anything and he knew he couldn’t. Feeling desolated, he spent the evening stealing glances at Charmaine. The more he watched her, the more incensed he got. She completely ignored him, except for a brief hello when Michael re-introduced them. Furiously, Raymond picked up his glass of wine and chugged it down. His date took hold of his arm and cooed, “Raymond, you’re drinking too much.”

Raymond lifted his arm slightly and flung her hands away. “Don’t tell me what to do!” he barked in a low voice only she could hear. He continued watching Charmaine as she got up from the table and left the room. Joe was in deep conversation with Michael and another man. Raymond took this opportunity to get up as well and followed Charmaine.

Charmaine came out of the ladies room and was about to head back into their private room when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her inside a linen closet. A flickering lightbulb hung overhead and provided the only light in that small narrow space. Squinting her eyes she turned to confront the culprit and was outraged to see it was Raymond. “Why did you pull me in here?” she demanded.

Raymond leaned against the door, blocking the only way out for her. “I want to talk to you.”

Glaring at him, Charmaine said, “You could talk to me outside. There’s no need for you to pull me in here.”

“Outside? You don’t even want to look at me, much less talk to me,” he accused bitterly. “Can you just hear me out?”

Charmaine remained motionless as she stared at him, “Talk then but make it short.”

Raymond took a step forward and looked into her eyes. In a gentle voice he said, “First, I want to apologize for what happened that night years ago.” When Charmaine didn’t respond, he continued, “I’m sorry that you saw what you did. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I never should have cheated. I’ve regretted it ever since.”

Charmaine stood staring at him without a glimmer of emotion. Inside she felt as if she was thrown onto a roller coaster ride, going up and down the falls non-stop. She held her hands together to stop them from shaking. In a voice devoid of emotion, she asked, “Is that all? If you’re done, I have to get back to Joe.”

Raymond’s eyes flashed with anger hearing the name, “Why are you with Joe? Are you that desperate that you would even pick someone like him?”

Charmaine recoiled from his words and looked at him with scorn. In a choked voice, she said, “Should I have picked someone like you? Someone who pretended that I was the love of his life and then behind my back, cheated every chance he got?”

Raymond felt a heaviness in his heart as he stared into her eyes, eyes that were shimmering with tears. He reached his hands out and whispered, “I’m sorry Charmaine. Sorry for hurting you so much.”

Charmaine cringed from his outstretched hands, “Don’t touch me!”

Raymond let his arms drop to his side. Feeling the verge of his own tears, he pleaded, “Charmaine, please forgive me. I know it was all my fault. I didn’t realize how I much you mean to me until you left me. Please say you’ll give me another chance?”

Charmaine lifted her eyes to his and saw the pain and anguish in them. Steadying her voice, she said, “No, I will never give you another chance. To me, you are dead so please leave me alone.” She pushed roughly past Raymond and barged out the door.

Raymond remained in the room staring unseeingly at the white wall in front of him. The tears he had been holding in raced down his cheeks. When his grief was spent, he wiped at the tears and said softly to himself, “I can’t leave you alone, not now, not ever.”