Single Minded

A man steps from a taxi in a strange city. He pays his fare, grabs his notebook case, and catches his faint reflection between moving bodies in a shop window. Squaring his shoulders, he checks the address once more, then his watch, and notes he has three-quarters of an hour to burn. With a half breath, he calms himself and a familiar single thought enters his busy mind.

Merging with the endless bodies in motion, he walks past his appointment and finds an internet cafe with an open table. Darting in, he counts his blessings and thanks God, yet again, not only for shapely women, football, and beer, but caffeine and that, that thing that is ever-present in his mind.

As he places his order, his mind and voice almost betray him as his lips try to form his order; however, he checks the impulse to speak that, that word, and manages to squeak out "Coffee, please."

The server smiles, delighted with his handsome appearance and endearing Southern accent. His seeming nervousness makes him all the more appealing, she thinks. With disappointment, her trained eye notices the gold band on his left hand. Of course, he's taken, she says to herself, all the best ones are.

In a few moments, she returns with his order. As she attempts to place it before him, he gratefully takes it from her and thanks her properly. His manners are impeccable and his kindness is genuine. She sighs after smiling and turning away.

Holding his java and taking a deep whiff of it's heady aroma, he mentally ticks off the events of recent days and prepares himself for the meeting to come. Big wigs, those in the know, those who kiss their butts, and those who make the decisions will all be there.

Trying to focus on the business at hand, he's distracted yet again. His thoughts are carried back to the phone call he had received from home that had stirred him from the restless sleep of being away just an hour or so before.

The voice on the line had been low and instructed him to open the brief case holding his laptop. With phone in one hand, he pulled the sleep from his eyes and disentangled himself from the bed clothes before he could reach the case.

He had arrived very late the night before and had not even bothered to plug in or check emails. In fact, he had done little more than drop his clothes and chew on a toothbrush for a moment or two before falling into bed.

Cupping the phone between his chin and shoulder he pulled the case onto the foot of the bed and quickly opened it.

Then he saw it.

There was a handwritten note attached:

My Dearest Husband,

When you return we can share this together.

Until then, just remember the last time...

All my love,
Darling Wife

The note was attached to a snack-sized container of pudding...