Page 71 of Tainted Love

“The doctors diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s dementia,” I explain, my voice heavy with emotion.

Sascha places a comforting hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, Michael,” she says sincerely. “But she’s lived such a long life with such a sharp mind.”

I let out a sigh. “I know,” I say sadly. “It’s just hard to see her forgetting about me after all the effort I put into bringing her to live with me.”

Sasha’s eyes well up as she speaks. “She will never forget you,” she says, her voice full of emotion. “You are her world.”

I smile and thank her, touched by her words. Changing the subject, I ask about her parents.

She chuckles and replies, “Fran and Don are driving me crazy as usual.” We both laugh at the comedic chaos of having elderly loved ones who refuse to slow down.

“I called the other day and found my dad on the roof,” she continues, shaking her head in disbelief. “The man has lost his mind.”

“They are such great people,” I say, my voice filled with wonder.

“They truly are,” she agrees, her tone mirroring my own. She turns to me, curiosity dancing in her eyes. “Do you like it here?” she asks, shifting the topic.

I nod enthusiastically. “I do. The winters aren’t as harsh as back home, and something exciting always happens in the summer. The art and music scene here is unparalleled. You’d love it.”

A smile graces her lips. “I’m sure I would,” she replies wistfully.

My mood fades as she redirects the conversation again.

“So, will you finally tell me why you brought me here?” she asks, her face serious and expectant.

“I told you the truth. Yes, I miss you, and you have consumed my thoughts since the wedding,” I admit, “but I would never deceive you just to have you here with me. I truly believe you are perfect for this campaign.”

Her lips part in a soft smile as she nods, her eyes sparkling with appreciation. “Thank you,” she says sincerely.

Glancing at my watch, I realize it’s way past late. “Well, I should get going.” As I open the door and step into the hallway, I turn back to see her leaning against the door frame, her hair messy and a sleepy smile on her face. “Good luck tomorrow. You’re going to do great.”

Sascha nods but remains quiet.

I make my way down the hallway, my footsteps echoing softly against the walls as I head toward the elevator. But before I can reach it, I hear her voice behind me.

“You played awesome tonight, Michael.” Her words send a swell of pride through my chest before her door clicks shut.

I drive back to my apartment, feeling exhaustion settle heavily into my muscles. When I climb into bed fifteen minutes later, I anticipate falling asleep immediately. However, despite my body desperately craving rest, my mind is stuck in a loop of nostalgia about Sascha.

Chapter 31

“Far Behind”

Sascha - Age 24, 1994

Itossed and turned restlessly all night. Try as I might, I couldn’t stop my brain from being consumed by thoughts of the past twenty-four hours. When I finally succumbed to sleep around 1:45 am, my body felt like lead, a heavy weight pushing down into my plush, queen-sized mattress.

My alarm beeps sharply at 6:30 am, and I struggle to pull myself out of bed. Every muscle aches, making it feel like I ran a marathon in my sleep. Side note: I don’t run. Unless being chased by a chainsaw-wielding serial killer. And honestly, even then, I might give up and accept my fate. That’s how much I abhor most forms of physical exercise, especially running.

This entire experience has been like a dream. Yesterday, I woke up at home with high hopes for landing the biggest account of my career and a “boyfriend.” Granted, it wasn’t the strongest relationship, but after this trip, that relationship will cease to exist.

So here I am in a strange city, tasked with working on a campaign I had no time to prepare for, all while trying to avoid the world’s most distracting force, Michael Tazman. Not that he’s outright tried anything, but he did show up in my room at midnight. There’s always tension between us and the promise of what could be if we crossed that line. It’s exhilarating and exhausting.

With a deep yawn, I shuffle over to the window and slowly draw back the curtains. The brightening sky outside reveals the beauty of this mountainous city. A light dusting of snow covers everything in sight, transforming the streets into a glittering winter wonderland. It’s a picturesque scene that only adds to my chest’s unfamiliar and overwhelming ache.

There’s a small coffee pot in the corner of my room, but I prefer to drink my coffee with creamer. All they have is that horrible white powder that clumps on itself and makes your coffee taste like glue. I’ll wait and find a cup later. I’m sure they have a break room in the office. This organization has a lot of money, so they better have some half and half.

Showering helps me wake up a bit, and by the time I’m finished and brush my teeth, I’m slightly more human. I was going to call a cab, but Jerry called and said there would be a car waiting for me at 8:30, which is kind of them. I scramble to get ready, pulling my damp hair up in a low ponytail.