A Sensational Love Affair

And she said to him, “I have fallen in love.” With a quizzical bemused look, he said, “What, at your age!” She was pained by the comment but decided to ignore the hurt. “And what’s the name of this love?” he continued. Eduardo was the answer. Derisively he replied, “And what sort of name is that? I think you need to see that young psychologist of yours as soon as possible.”

‘At my age,’ she thought, ‘why can’t I fall in love? Why was it so wrong to declare love for Eduardo?’ Her thoughts wandered. For her, the very name Eduardo, conjured up wonderful images. It was foreign. It was exotic. It was iconic. Romance and elegance describe him to a tee, she thought. She lived for every meeting. Her love was all consuming. Just to look at him, just to listen to him, the very smell of him, was enough for her. When she thought about her love for him she realised that it was quickly becoming an obsession. She could list or describe everything about Eduardo. Was that normal behaviour?

‘He is irresistible’, she thought. ‘He dresses in black……very suave and sophisticated. What style he has. Such attention to detail! His silver accessories accentuate his dark looks, making him mysterious and exclusive. What a minimalist,’ she reasoned, ‘because his modern style allows him to display his daring side for all to see. Such strength of character to dress in retro style when others are quite conventional ……..boring even. He could well be dancing along side Fred Astaire as he swirls with such fluidity and charm. His elegance of flow as he dances, transforms me to a level of enjoyment I thought never would be possible,’ she decided. ‘He is lovely….just lovely.’

She knows that his utterances are soft but masterly yet he can be volatile and velvety at the same time if he chooses. Eduardo’s Latin origins betray his distinct character. ‘His complex alchemy is unrivalled,’ she wanted to tell the world, ‘but how would others be able to understand his mystical chemistry upon me.’ How could she describe in words her feelings and emotions to others in any way other than love? Even her own feelings about Eduardo, she cannot fully understand or express, especially as they evoke a feeling of delicious bitterness within her. She realises that as a result, her relationship with him and with others, are affected. Feelings and emotions are so hard to put into words without hurting others. Yet she knows that she cannot live without him. Hurt feelings and emotions, others will have to live with. She cannot give him up.

He has become more than an object of her desire, she realises. He has become part of her daily life. She does not care that when he works, he works under high pressure. Yet she delights in knowing how sensitive he can be especially when he teases her with such fragrances. It makes loving him even more precious, more worth while. She understands that he is a perfectionalist whose only aim is to please and that she is fully captivated by his charm and exclusiveness. Her love for him will last forever and that is all that matters to her.

She decided to talk to her psychologist about her love affair. Her psychologist is a sensitive young fellow who listens very carefully. From time to time, he jots down notes as she speaks. He asks questions. She speaks of Eduardo’s exceptional qualities, his uniqueness which makes her feel set apart from others with less sophisticated tastes. She talks of her appreciation of meeting other people who share or understand her love. Mostly she confesses to the discontent created when Eduardo first appeared on the scene of married life. Jealousy has loomed on the horizon, not hers, she points out. She is quite happy with the status quo, loving Eduardo and loving her husband.

Her psychologist ponders the problem. “Well,” he begins, “secrets in a marriage are a no-no and I’m pleased that you have told your partner about your new love. I understand that, for you, Eduardo possesses wonderful qualities but you have to strike a subtle balance in your life between competing loves otherwise difficulties will definitely arise within this and other relationships.”

“Also, my dear,” he said, “you have to realise that Eduardo belongs to an exclusive and privileged club. Firstly, he is not solely yours. Eduardo is one of many. His type belongs to others as well, you know. Secondly, his life is as transient as yours and his life span may not be as long as yours. Thirdly, you may find with time, your life changes and Eduardo will not have the same meaning for you. Have you considered all these aspects of your relationship with him?”

“No,” she said, “I haven’t. I don’t want to think about that. My heart tells me that I want to live in the here and now. I want to love today, tomorrow and the next. I want to live with my love every day. I do not have a problem. My husband has the problem. How do I sort out this difficulty?”

“Unfortunately, my dear, I cannot solve this difficulty. I too, am caught in a love triangle. I love Carmen. She also is foreign, and, like Eduardo, dresses in black with silver flashes. Each morning, Carmen dances deliciously as she emits a sexy growl when she swirls an ebony tinted liquid into my cup, with such an aroma that my head spins. I too, am captivated by her charm. She is my inspiration. Each morning as I drink my coffee, her efforts are rewarded. She puts a little zing into my day. I have not dared to express my love to my wife. She just would not understand as she does not partake in my coffee ritual.”

They both sat quietly for some time thinking about life, marriage and coffee when the psychologist said, “I propose that we both go home to gaze with wonder upon Eduardo and Carmen, our coffee machines and then, to enjoy an unrivalled and inspiring latte”.