my cup. It tasted divine. I inhaled the aroma like it was a drug, and it woke me up instantly.
I spent the next forty minutes getting ready for work. My hair was blown out. It was big, the way I liked it. The long thick black strands reached the middle of my back. My light hazel eyes were rimmed with black, and my eyeshadow was light, appropriate for office wear. I wore a subtle sheer lip gloss and used a bronzer, blush, and highlighter to contour my face. I dressed in a white blouse, a high-waisted black pencil skirt, and black pumps. This was my everyday polished look for work.
I moved to my jewelry box and grabbed a small pair of gold hoop earrings. My eyes briefly landed on my wedding ring. The pear-shaped diamond glinted against my jewelry, standing out as the nicest piece. I tried to keep my mind from going to Lincoln, but knowing what today was, it was hard.
What if he was released? How would I cope with that?
I shook my head and tried to rid the thoughts, reminding myself that he didn't have my phone number anymore. He didn't know where I lived. The only place he'd know to find me would be at my work, and there was a security guard at the door.
I took one final look in the mirror, accepting how put together I looked. I've always been grateful for my Spanish-Italian heritage. It gives me almost an exotic look, but today I thought about how my looks were what drew Lincoln to me. If I'd never met him...
No.
I needed to stop those thoughts and not continue to let my mind go there.
I threw on a thin black coat that cinched at the waist, grabbed my handbag, and keys, then locked the door behind me. Seconds later, I was on the elevator heading down to the first floor of my apartment and taking off down the street. The street was busy, as usual. People were too distracted on their phones to notice anyone around them. Not me. I was afraid of my phone today. I knew how resourceful he could be.
I boarded the L Train taking it to downtown Chicago. It's a twenty-minute ride from here and was always crowded. There were four seats open, so I hurriedly sat down in an empty one.
"Is this seat taken?" I looked up from my seat and saw an attractive hipster. He had a neatly trimmed beard, attractive glasses, and a tight man-bun. Even from down here, I could see how long his lashes were and the subtle pout to his lips.
"All yours," I replied, standing up so he could get to the window seat. There was no way I wanted to feel trapped with him on one side of me and the window on the other. That was the worst.
He sat down, and I did my best to not making eye contact. I didn't feel like talking. It seemed that these hipster types were always so friendly. I just wasn't up for it.
"So, are you on your way to work? That was a dumb question. Of course, you are. I mean, it's eight-fifteen on a Friday. Where else would you be going dressed like that?" He rambled.
"Mm-hmm," I answer non-committedly, hoping he'd get the hint.
My phone vibrated, making me jump and accidentally dropping it on the dirty train floor. I reached down to grab it and smacked my head right into the hipster.
"Ouch,'" I said at the same time he said, "Ow."
I sat up and rubbed my temple.
He handed me my phone, and for the second time, I thought that he was really attractive, almost pretty.
My phone vibrated again, and I looked down, seeing Ty flash across the screen. I let out a sigh. Ty is Lincoln's brother, whom I swore to secrecy with my phone number and address. He was the only person from my life with Lincoln that I continued to stay in contact with. No one else understood why I had to let Linc go. I couldn’t handle the judgment. As if me finally being finished with my con of a husband was so absurd.
I looked over at the man next to me. It was rude taking a call on the train, but I answered anyway.
"Hey, Ty."
"Hi, Honey. You doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm all right. Trying to keep my mind off things."
"I talked to Ma. She thinks it's going to happen. Said there's no reason he won't get released."