Page 6 of The Dare

I’m supposed to be the ‘interesting and exciting’ guy doing my fair share of travel for work. But the reality is I’m bored.

I’m forty-three and have made a success of everything I touched. I have it all, with some change left over.

Some people have it all then blow it all.

Me, I just keep getting more and more whether I like it or not.

Real estate mainly, some other investments. I started in construction, sold the first house I built for myself and things just kinda grew from there.

What Idon’thave is someone special to share it with.

I don’t have an equal, a partner. And I don’t mean a business partner either. Been there, done that.

What a fucking nightmare.

A king without his queen if ever there was one. That’s me.

Michael Stapleton. Most eligible bachelor of the year since nineteen ninety-eight.

The one thing I can’t even tell my doctor, let alone anyone else out loud, is that I’m not having a mid-life crisis.

I’m having aneed-a-wifecrisis.

My balls ache from not being drained for I forget how long, and my go-to sigh of frustration every night and morning when I feel the empty bed next to me is beyond depressing.

I catch a glimpse of myself in the train window, reflecting what others see right back at me.

Stooping a little to slot my bag into the overhead compartment, I remind myself that I’m not other people.

At over six and a half feet, built like a linebacker I’ve got more money than I know what to do with.

I watch my reflection, my winning smile grins at me like a ghost from the glass.

I even catch a sly wink from myself.

I’ve still got it.

Just don’t go letting it give you a big head.

As if I needed reminding, I clock my head on the luggage locker above me, changing my grin to a grimace as I rub my head.

But it still makes me smile.

Life’s not all bad. It’s not bad at all.

I just want… love.

I just want someone to share all this with.

Once the train pulls out and the city grime gives way to trees and wide-open spaces, I feel myself relax.

I wouldn’t get this view from an airplane, staring at a screen for three hours, or worse. The back of someone’s head if I flew coach.

I used to do that, fly coach, even catch a bus.

Trying to be different. Trying to—

This is why I took the train.