Skippertyrell
Returning member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2024
- Posts
- 87
Jonathan Cross couldn't have thought his life would be starting over at the age of 46.
The ink on the divorce papers was barely dry when he packed for the trip — a four-day corporate training course in Edinburgh. He hated these types of things, but was glad it was in a different city as he thought he could also use it like a break.
He looked like a man who had led a sensible life. He packed neatly pressed shirts into his case, his hair flecked with early signs of grey, a toned body that still hinted at the runner he used to be and that was beginning to regain more of it's early musculature as he had been working out a lot since the seperation.
But behind his easy smile there was a quiet restlessness — and he had a sense that something in him had gone dormant for too long. His marriage had lasted 12 years, happy years he thought. But in fact, 12 years in which his wife had been squandering their savings on a lavish lifestyle, that he was currently still paying for.
The hotel was more luxurious than he’d expected. Glass-fronted, with soft amber lighting and the faint scent of tobacco and vanilla in the lobby. The young receptionist handed him his keycard with a practiced smile, and he caught himself noticing the curve of her wrist, the warm tone of her voice, and the slender figure in her smart uniform. It surprised him a little — but only a little. He had been starting to feel a lot more sexually aware in the last few weeks.
His room was on the seventh floor and overlooked the city’s evening skyline — a scatter of gold and blue lights across damp pavement, rain tapping against the window as he looked out. A king-sized bed, crisp white sheets, a chaise lounge angled toward the window. A large full length mirror opposite the bed. Everything was immaculate, and he felt relaxed.
He loosened his tie, grabbed himself a whisky from the minibar, and watched the rain threading down the window pane.
For the first time in a long time, Jonathan didn’t feel married, or divorced, or anything in between. He thought to himself he felt open - to new possibilities, a new job, a new life, open to new experiences.
Tomorrow, he’d meet the rest of the trainees — new faces, new stories, people who didn’t know a thing about who he used to be.
As he drank his drink and started getting ready to turn in for the night, he felt a nervous energy within.
The ink on the divorce papers was barely dry when he packed for the trip — a four-day corporate training course in Edinburgh. He hated these types of things, but was glad it was in a different city as he thought he could also use it like a break.
He looked like a man who had led a sensible life. He packed neatly pressed shirts into his case, his hair flecked with early signs of grey, a toned body that still hinted at the runner he used to be and that was beginning to regain more of it's early musculature as he had been working out a lot since the seperation.
But behind his easy smile there was a quiet restlessness — and he had a sense that something in him had gone dormant for too long. His marriage had lasted 12 years, happy years he thought. But in fact, 12 years in which his wife had been squandering their savings on a lavish lifestyle, that he was currently still paying for.
The hotel was more luxurious than he’d expected. Glass-fronted, with soft amber lighting and the faint scent of tobacco and vanilla in the lobby. The young receptionist handed him his keycard with a practiced smile, and he caught himself noticing the curve of her wrist, the warm tone of her voice, and the slender figure in her smart uniform. It surprised him a little — but only a little. He had been starting to feel a lot more sexually aware in the last few weeks.
His room was on the seventh floor and overlooked the city’s evening skyline — a scatter of gold and blue lights across damp pavement, rain tapping against the window as he looked out. A king-sized bed, crisp white sheets, a chaise lounge angled toward the window. A large full length mirror opposite the bed. Everything was immaculate, and he felt relaxed.
He loosened his tie, grabbed himself a whisky from the minibar, and watched the rain threading down the window pane.
For the first time in a long time, Jonathan didn’t feel married, or divorced, or anything in between. He thought to himself he felt open - to new possibilities, a new job, a new life, open to new experiences.
Tomorrow, he’d meet the rest of the trainees — new faces, new stories, people who didn’t know a thing about who he used to be.
As he drank his drink and started getting ready to turn in for the night, he felt a nervous energy within.
