Page 83 of Two for Joy

They pinned him down and stabbed him in the arm with a sedative.

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Romeo stood in the bathroom of a fancy hotel, breathing heavily, staring at himself in the mirror. He looked raving, like he was at the point of having a nervous breakdown, and others that needed to use the facilities quickly changed their mind when they saw him bracing himself by the sinks.

Nothing, his life felt empty of anything, where positives emotions were supposed to be, there was nothing. He’d got a new job. He’d bought a new apartment. A new car.

From the outside, he was flying high, but inside, he was barely hanging on. The desire in his head was so constant, so all-consuming, a never ending need to itch it, and knowing he couldn’t relieve it yet was pure torture.

Romeo twisted the taps, then slapped water on his face and the back of his neck. He looked at himself in the mirror, calmed his breathing, then left the bathroom.

He approached the table his mother and father were sitting at on the balcony. They hadn’t noticed him, too wrapped up in each other, leaning closer, their hands linked on the table. They always hugged and held hands, but he’d hardly ever seen them kiss. It seemed to be enjoyable for them having their bodies pressed together, their fingers entwined. Romeo didn’t get it himself. If he let someone get that close, they’d see his ugliness, his murderous intent.

He forced his lips into a smile, then slipped into the chair opposite them.

“Sorry about that.”

His father laughed. “You needed to use the bathroom, there’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“True. Do you feel like an after-dinner coffee?”

His mother nodded. She liked coffee, always with a dash of milk and two sugars, just the way Romeo liked it, too.

“You know, when you asked us out for dinner, I thought you might have an announcement to make.”

Romeo frowned. “I did. I’m head of the company.”

“Okay, not an announcement as such, more … that you might introduce someone special to us.”

“Someone special?”

“Yeah … someone special…”

“What your mother is trying to say is we thought you were gonna introduce us to a romantic partner.”

Romeo looked at his mother, her big green eyes that seemed to get bigger the longer she looked at him. He’d played his parents for years, made them proud. All his triumphs were celebrated by them, too, but gradually the pride started to fade, and worry grew. He didn’t have romantic relationships, and they’d noticed. It was too dangerous, he might lose control, and he wasn’t ready to release the monster, not yet.

“So is there anyone?”

He saw hope in his mother’s eyes, and quickly looked away.

“No, no romantic partner.”

“I do worry about you.”

Romeo looked back at his mother. “It’s not me you should be worried about.”

“What?”

“I just mean, I’m happy as I am. The job, the apartment,” Romeo gestured to the restaurant, his clothes, then laughed. “The finer things.”

“But you don’t look happy.”

“I’m smiling, aren’t I?”

“But it’s not real, a mother can tell. I don’t want you to be lonely, Romeo, after we’re gone—”

He lowered his gaze. “We’re supposed to be celebrating.”

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