A Walking Red Flag
“When it seems too good to be true, it usually is ”
— Anonymous
TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME, with a mysterious aura and bespoke fashion, Sam was immaculate. With his athletic build, he could have been a renowned sportsman, but he chose Wall Street due to his enthralling connection with numbers, especially when they accumulated in his account. Money compensated his other passions— real estate, fashion, and women. Realty was the only investment he trusted. Fashion was for his benefit, a reminder of the past woes he experienced and conquered. Dating balanced his work-life dynamics.
But his relationships were short-lived. A busy schedule was his excuse to abandon them. The ones who persisted, witnessed unrelenting commitment issues, and allowed him to go and “find himself”. His targets were ladies who watched him with veneration — the lonely girl at the bar, a winking waitress, flirtatious air hostess, or some touchy-feely nurse — it reduced the pursuit time. Some days, he travelled to a different city for his escapades, using distance as a ruse to eschew commitment.
A colleague proffered that he had abandonment issues. As a toddler, Sam’s mom left him at Grandma’s door, never to return. His first love had jilted him for a richer stud. In college, his ex-girlfriend became a groupie. He had sulked after the breakup, but Grandma advised him to be undeterred by unnecessary emotions and focus on his goals. Her teachings informed his sedentary, go-getter lifestyle. His broody, island personality was meant to discourage prospective dates, but some were content with his equanimity and munificence. Others believed they could transform his natural disposition. The culmination was anguish and disappointment.
Sometimes, Sam contemplated his lifestyle. How did he enjoy the company of a pretty woman but could easily discard her without remorse? Why did he prefer reclusion without an urge to cohabitate, unlike his colleagues, who were eager for marital bliss? Anika, his umpteenth ex, had tearfully proclaimed him a “narcissistic walking red flag.” He was ostensibly indifferent. Their breakup was inevitable from the moment she met him. A week later, another curious lady welcomed his esoteric charms. He admitted she had the “semblance of a dream come true.” Soon, there was a tete a tete. He left her apartment, promising to call her.
That was the last time she ever saw him.
