The Man I Hate

I gazed through my living room window, toward his front door. In a wine-induced stupor, I stumbled along the razor’s edge that separated love from hate. Soon, I was bound to fall.

It was anyone’s guess on which side I’d land.

Braxton Rourke’s cell phone number was included in the contacts of Hollywood’s A-List actors and actresses, successful musicians, and professional athletes. When a problem arose, Braxton fixed it. Receiving an “I need help with—” text from Selena Gomez, Ryan Gosling—or the police—was a common occurrence.

A well-dressed protector who appeared like an actor himself, he was sickeningly handsome, confident, and spoke with an educated authority.

I met him while settling the estate of my deceased parents. Enamored by his tailored Italian suit, bravado gait, and undeniable charisma, I suggested the unthinkable.

A one-night stand.

He agreed, but only because I was leaving in three days. His life, he explained, couldn’t include a woman.

For the three days that followed, I watched him come and go, knowing we’d never be anything other than two people who shared a magical moment in the front seat of his Range Rover while parked outside a trendy Hollywood diner.

Then, the unthinkable happened. A bizarre of series circumstances forced us to be neighbors.