Cathy was, from first impression a very unremarkable person, and I didn’t pay her much attention. The sight of seeing Carole being driven off by that man had really damaged me, and although I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I was hopelessly distraught.

But these things happen all the time; you meet someone, you are happy for some time, and then, that person moves out of your life. Once in a while, you get lucky and you get the perfect person, and she actually stays in your life.

Although, I knew that I had actually chased away Carole from my life, I just didn’t want to think about it that way.
Cathy didn’t say much, but she listened a lot. You could feel her paying attention to everything you said.

When I got a chance and asked Mark about her, he claimed she was "just his friend”, but of course at my age, I have learnt that it is almost impossible to have a woman who is "just a friend”. Sooner or later, that "just a friend” business turns into something more serious, and before you know it, you are announcing engagements.

As I told Mark about my disaster with Carole, Cathy listened. I didn’t mind her hearing it, I was too sad to mind such things. Mark, the idiot that he is, laughed at my story. He told me I was a fool for letting myself fall in love.

Maybe I was a fool, because I didn’t even know that I was in love with the chic, till she left. That saying, you never know what you have till you lose it is unfortunately right.
Somewhere along my storytelling, Cathy started talking, and soon, she was talking to me like a woman. Everything she said made sense.

She told me that once a woman loves, she actually loves with all her heart. But then, if she shuts you out, that is it. You can never really get her back. I asked her what to do about Carole and she told me to keep trying. Maybe, I would be lucky, and I would get Carole back.

Cathy said she didn’t think Carole was in love with the other guy. She was just being with the guy because she needed someone to be there for her. She said women can’t move from relationship to relationship that fast, so I still had an open window; if I played my cards right, I could get Carole back. But Cathy wouldn’t tell me how to go about it.

We exchanged numbers, and I left to go back to my place.
I found Martha still in my flat. I had told that girl to leave, what was her problem? Firmly, I told her to leave, but then, I think I have too much bad luck; as she was opening the door to get out, Carole walked in. What was Carole doing in my flat?

The sight of her standing there in my door-way left me speechless. Martha, on the other hand noticed my confusion, and asked, "Who is this chic?” Carole looked at her, looked at me, and walked into the flat. Martha didn’t leave. Looking from one chic to another, I knew that how I handled the next few seconds would determine if I kept Carole or lost her for good. As I turned out, I lost her.

Before I could talk, Martha had already started talking. She shouted; so, you were telling me to leave so that you could bring your stupid girls here? What kind of animal are you? Carole was quiet. I told Martha that Carole was my girlfriend, and Martha answered "she must be a really stupid girl to date a womanizer like you!

Carole, Jasmine, me, maybe a hundred other women...!” she stood up, walked out the door and slammed it behind her. Carole stood up too. I tried to say something, but I didn’t even know what to say. She told me she’d come for her picture frame, and to say goodbye.

She too walked out the door. In my panic, I called the only person I knew who would make sense of it; Cathy. We talked for an hour, and I found that I actually liked her a lot.

Ends