And another.
Eventually, I stopped trying.
Worse, I began to hate myself.
When I changed clothes, I stopped looking in the mirror.
I started thinking that this part of my life as a woman was simply over.
Until I met Eric.
He was thirty-four.
Anatomy
I was at a bar with a friend when I noticed him looking at me.
At first, I actually turned around to see whether there was another woman behind me.
There wasn’t.
He was looking at me.
A few minutes later, he came over.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
I laughed.
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“I’m old enough to be your mother.”
He didn’t even blink.
“I’m not looking at your age.”
That one sentence stayed in my head for days.
Eric gave me his number.
I promised myself I would never use it.
I lasted three days.
On the fourth, I sent one word.
“Hi.”
That one word became the most dangerous word in my marriage.
Marriage
At first, we only talked.
Then he started telling me I was beautiful.
When I sent him a photo, he never said, “You look great for your age.”
He simply said:
“You’re beautiful.”
I started wearing makeup again.
I bought a new dress.
A new perfume.
And most dangerously of all, I started waiting for his messages.
One night Eric wrote:
“I want to see you. Alone.”
I knew exactly what he meant.
I put down my phone.
Robert was sitting just a few feet away from me.
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