When you think you know someone

A fictional vignette

Something different from me this week. I don’t often write fiction. So I’m not quite sure where this one came from..?

For me, Substack is about being brave with my writing, and this is definitely outside my comfort zone. I hope you enjoy it.

Photo by Michael Alake on Unsplash

They were standing in the kitchen leaning against the marble countertop, laughing. Almost touching.  Diana’s skin flushed from the heat. The remains of a glass of merlot in her hand providing unexpected, yet much needed, dutch courage.   She breathed out slowly, deliberately, trying to calm her nerves, dismissing the charged atmosphere as friendly banter.

Diana reached out to refill their glasses, brushing past his arm.  A moment normally unnoticed seemed heavy with intention.  She glanced towards him, aware that he had clocked it too.  More wine; no doubt was not the answer, but anything to break the tension.

The evening had started like normal. A reunion at one of their houses.  This time, Daniel’s London flat. They’d chatted with their usual easy transition from travel and sport to family members and greying hair, gently teasing each other along the way.  Nothing new here.  They’d been friends since university, not always close, but consistent.  But tonight, tonight was subtly different - the first time in their two decade history that they’d ever been single at the same time, but that was no big deal. Surely? This was Daniel for heaven’s sake.   

His eyes sparkled in the dim under-countertop light with a unfamiliar intensity and Diana instinctively grinned back at him, unable to look away. A chasm-sized gap filled the few inches that separated them, and for the first time this evening, silence.  Like time had stopped.

Diana averted her gaze, briefly. Not wanting to break the spell but unable to sit in it any longer. His hand reached out, pausing her fingers that had been unconsciously worrying at the stem of her glass, causing her to look up. Catching his eyes glistering. Focused. No longer laughing.  Her fingers instinctively moved around his and her body rocked towards him, a miniscule, yet perceptible, movement.  Diana’s heart raced, pulsing through her chest.  She wondered if he could hear it too.

He leaned towards her.  She could feel his breath against her cheek.  A fragment of air now all that was left of the chasm.  Then, a moment of hesitation. It would be so easy to change direction, she thought. Laugh it off.  A silly idea. It was Daniel after all.