my ex husband romance

Allen stared at the whiskey in his tumbler, watching the ice cubes melt into the heat of the alcohol and his body temperature. The bar was filled with laughter, music, the soft thud of pool balls hitting and clinking of glasses but it all felt muted.Three months. Three months since Clare had walked out of their apartment with two suitcases and a lawyer's business card. Three months since she had told him he wasn't the problem and she just needed "space to find herself". Three months of sleeping alone in the bed that still smelt like her, no matter how many times he had washed the sheets. Three months of battling with insomnia."You want another?" The bartender gestured towards his empty glass.He nodded, unsure of himself. He'd been coming to Barny's three nights a week since the separation, and the staff had learned not to make small talk, which was why he preferred this place. It wasn't the kind of bar where everyone knew your name and wanted to solve your problems, it was the kind of bar where you could disappear into your own misery without judgement.The bartender served him a fresh drink and he took a careful sip, the burn in his chest was almost gone now. He checked his phone out of habit, expecting to get a reply from Clare who had stopped responding to his texts a month ago, after he had sent too many texts begging her to come home."Rough night?"The voice was soft with just a hint of an accent he couldn't place. Allen looked up to find a woman sitting on the barstool beside him. She was striking with dark hair that caught the dim bar light, blue eyes that seemed to show genuine concern and a smile that seemed unreal. She wore a simple green dress that smelled like luxury."Rough few months, actually" Allen blurted. The whiskey had loosened his tongue, made him more open than he usually allowed himself to be with strangers.She gestured to the bartender "Vodka tonic, please". Then turning back to Allen "I'm Sarah. You look like you need company and well, I needed one too" She kept her fake smile."Allen" he stressed. "But I should warn you, I'm not exactly great company these days""Let me be the judge of that" Her smile didn't seem so fake this time and for the first time in months, Allen felt something other than the constant ache in his chest "besides, we're all going through shit, aren't we?"She raised her drink towards him "Cheers to temporary escape"He chuckled "yeah, temporary escape"As they drank, Sarah studied him "Heartbreak?""Separation. Maybe divorce. I don't even know, anymore" the words came out easier than it should have, lubricated by whiskey and the strange comfort of confessing to a beautiful stranger. He continued, after staring at her for a while and noticing she was ready to listen to everything he had to say "My wife, I mean ex-wife, whatever decided to just leave all of a sudden with no damn reason, telling me about she needed to find herself, what does that even mean, man? Apparently, 5 years of marriage was draining her?""That's rough" Sarah muttered, thinking of what else to say to keep the conversation going "How long has it been?""Three months" He let out a slight chuckle.She took another sip of her drink "Want to know a secret? I've been there. The counting of days, the late nights in bars like this, wondering where you went wrong""What happened to you?""Same story but happened differently. He cheated with someone younger and prettier. But then, its men. Always looking for the next best thing" She shrugged as if it didn't matter but Allen caught the flash of pain in her eyes."I never looked for anything else. Clare was it for me, is it for me. I don't just know what I did wrong. It's not just about men, I think it goes both ways""Yeah, right. Maybe you didn't do anything wrong, some people are just too selfish to appreciate what they have, they don't deserve us" She moved closer, her knee brushing against his.The contact sent an unexpected jolt through his system. He had forgotten what it felt like to be touched by a woman, even something as accidental as brushing of knees. Clare had stopped touching him or letting him touch her months before she left. No more casual caresses, no more cuddles, no more kisses, he had gotten used to it."You're very kind but I think I'm past saving at this point" he said, his voice slightly hoarse."No one's past saving, hon. Trust me, we just need someone to show us how worthy we are" she took his hand in her soft palms, it felt warm.He stared down at their joined hands, feeling something loosen in his chest. The constant tension he'd been carrying for months seemed to ease, slightly "can I buy you another drink?""Sure"They ordered another round, then another. The conversation flowed like they had known each other for years as the alcohol worked like magic, they were getting to know each other and it brought a sense of relief to Allen.Sarah was a marketer from Portland but living in the city for the past two years. She loved anime and good wine, hated crowded restaurants and people who talked during movies. She had a lot of memories to share which made Allen laugh for the first time since Clare left."You have a sweet smile, I bet you don't use it enough, anymore""It's hard to smile when your whole life falls apart" He admitted. The room was starting to feel pleasantly fuzzy "Clare used to say I had a nice smile too before she decided she needed space from it""Clare's an idiot. I mean, any woman who would walk away from someone like you is making a huge mistake""You don't even know me""I know enough" Her eyes held his "I know you're loyal, you're still wearing -your wedding ring even though she left you. I know you're honest, you could've told me you were single, though you are but yeah…I know you're hurting but you're not bitter. So, you see I know more than enough"He looked at the gold band on his left hand. He hadn't even realized he was still wearing it. Clare had taken hers off the day she moved out, leaving it on the bed stand like a parting gift or something."Maybe I should take it off""Maybe you should. Or maybe you should do whatever seems right for you" She squeezed his hand "There is no rulebook for heartbreak, honey. Sometimes you just have to figure it out yourself"The bar had emptied out, leaving just dedicated drinkers scattered throughout the place, and Allen only realized that after trying to comprehend why this woman was trying to seduce him."I should get going" He said, making no move to leave. The thought of going back to the empty apartment filled with memories felt horrible."Me too" She hesitated, then seemed to make a decision "I know this might be awkward and too forward but would you like to come with me to my place? Just to talk or …I don't know?""I don't…" he started to decline."Look, I'm not asking for forever, I'm not asking for anything more than tonight. I just feel lonely and I'm sure you do too. Besides, we enjoy each other's company. Or, don't you?" She said, softly."I do. Fine, I'd love to"She smiled and this time it looked genuine "good, let me just settle up"As she signalled to the bartender, Allen sat back in his chair wondering what he was doing. This wasn't him, he didn't pick up women in bars, didn't go home with strangers, didn't cheat on his wife even if she had already left him. But that was probably the problem, maybe being loyal and faithful had never been enough. Maybe it was time to be someone else for a night.