Blue Flowers Part 2

‘ I hope you’re behaving yourself,’ I could see the smile on her face as she said
this.

‘You know me too well. She’s just left but there are more queuing up outside.
Haven’t found one to equal you yet love.'

She must have heard something in my voice; we knew each other so well.

‘You OK Neil? You sound a bit down.’ I find it difficult hiding things and I very
nearly told her whom I thought I’d seen.

‘Just tired and missing you that’s all. I’m going to watch an old movie and get an
early night. I’ll phone you tomorrow before I leave, shouldn’t be too late.
Make sure the toy boy’s out of the way by the time I get home!’ I could hear
her giggling. I must have managed to lighten my voice because she asked no more
questions.

‘Night love, take care. See you tomorrow.’

I put the phone down and decided to skip the film. I idly picked up the
conference list thinking I might be able to get my mind focused on the next
day’s seminars. And there it was a name that brought the past flooding back. I
don’t know why I hadn’t spotted it before, too concerned about finding the
Butterick name I suppose. Keith Branton!

Usually I can sleep anywhere and in fact I dropped off as soon as my head hit the
pillow. But I did not sleep well. My dreams were full of blue flowers, which seemed
in some way to be trying to overwhelm me.

The next day’s discussions and meetings seemed to be interminable. I couldn’t
concentrate and I kept looking round to see if I could spot Keith. I began to
wonder whether I had imagined it all but then his name had been on the list. I
just wanted to go home, back to Ruth and normality, the present and not the
past.

I was ready to leave, was in the lobby with my luggage and there he was. He
stopped and stared. His mouth dropped open and he took a step towards me but
then shook his head picked up his bag and walked away.
 ‘Keith!’
I don’t know why I did. I didn’t want to renew our acquaintance, to bring back
painful memories. Part of me wanted him, and everything connected with him,
buried in the past, but a very small part wanted to face up to what had
happened