The Room That We Left Behind

With her heels clicking on the smooth marble floor, Allegra entered the ballroom. With its enormous glass windows, chandeliers that hung like frozen waterfalls, and a constant buzz of chatter, the hotel was the height of luxury. She felt the weight of her deep blue dress fall perfectly over her body as she brushed the cloth. Tonight, she had worn it with intention; she was strong, self-assured, and every part of her was designed to radiate strength.

She looked across the room at the familiar faces in evening dresses and fitted suits, each one someone to outmaneuver or impress. She was now accustomed to networking meetings and fit right in with the routine, which included handshakes, courteous giggles, and the covert transfer of power through small talk. She had learned to navigate these waters with accuracy from her years as a business lawyer.

Then she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye.

Vincent.

He had a drink of whiskey in his hand and was standing at the bar, leaning casually on the counter. Allegra knew his comfortable posture, the same one that had drawn her to him years before, even from the other side of the room. Even though he was older now, he still had the same quality as her. That quiet assurance. The way he smirked, as if he knew a joke no one else did.

She was briefly transported back in time as her breath caught in her throat. Return to that room, return to their affair, return to the lightning and heat that had burnt between them too quickly and too brightly.

She shook her head and turned away. No, she told herself, not tonight. Tonight was about connections and her career. She had long since buried her history, and Vincent was a part of it.

However, destiny had other ideas. A voice behind her made her shudder a few minutes later as she stood close to the buffet table, wondering if she should bother with the little hors d'oeuvres.

"Allegra," he began in a familiar, smooth voice. Vincent was standing too near as she turned around.

"Vincent," she said with a forced smile. "I did not hope to meet you here.I "

"I also didn't anticipate seeing you. However, here we are. He always stared at her as though he saw everything she tried to conceal, and she could feel the heat of his gaze as his eyes danced over her. "You look… incredible."

With a well-practiced shrug, Allegra dismissed the comment, but she could feel her heartbeat speeding. "Still the charmer, I see."

"You used to like that about me."

"I used to be drawn to a variety of things. Her voice was harder than she had intended, and she saw the tiniest trace of pleasure on his face. He was unfazed. He had never been.

"Allegra, hurry up. He took a step closer and added, "Let's not act like we're strangers." The tension in their relationship increased. "It’s been a long time."

She clipped her words and murmured, "Long enough," but even she wasn't sure if she wanted to forget him or to wonder what may still be there.

He grinned—that crooked smile from years ago. "I’ve missed you."

Despite their simplicity, the words had a powerful impact. Allegra's gaze shifted to his in an attempt to spot the man she had known. The man who, when she was younger, less self-assured, and more inclined to flout the rules, had kindled something wild inside her. However, years and decisions they couldn't reverse had changed them into different individuals.

She ought to have left. She was aware of that. She found herself suggesting, however, "Let’s get some air."

Amid the commotion of the occasion, they managed to slip out of the ballroom without anyone noticing. Allegra's feet slowed as they approached the elevator, and the hotel hallways were darker and quieter.

The tension between them increased as the doors slid shut, confining them in the small area. Although neither of them said anything, the quiet was far from meaningless. Allegra knew where they were going when they got to the floor above. 315.

The room was the same every time.

When Vincent opened the door and they entered, she didn't think twice. The suite was just as she had remembered it: a sanctuary of soft, subtle luxury, where secrets were hidden out of sight.

She sensed the pull, the gravitational force that had always been between them, as soon as the door snapped shut. The years of separation vanished in an instant as she turned to face him. After all this time, Vincent's touch seemed both familiar and unfamiliar as he reached for her waist.

He said softly, his breath warm against her ear, "You haven't changed."

With more breath than tone, she answered, "Neither have you."

However, that wasn't accurate, was it? Maybe neither of them wanted to acknowledge how much they had changed. What they had shared in those days had been tremendous, engulfing, yet short-lived. A free-for-all collision of bodies and wants. However, as they stood here, Allegra wasn't sure if they were attempting to make sense of the last embers or to relive that fire.

It was like a spark igniting a blaze as their lips connected. Their hands tracing familiar paths across foreign skin, they kissed with the desperation of those who understood what it was like to lose one other. Beneath the heat, however, was something else—a question dangling between them, a weight.

Vincent's hands remained on her hips, pressing his forehead into hers as they withdrew, their breath breathless. With an almost imploring tone, he said, "What is this, Allegra?" "Are we saying goodbye or are we attempting to return?"

Allegra closed her eyes and let the question weigh heavily on her. Would they be able to return? Was she even interested in doing so?

"I'm not sure," she muttered. "Perhaps neither."

A long, heavy period passed, and then Vincent took a step back, releasing his grip on her body.

"Perhaps that's the solution," he answered in a quiet, resigned tone.

When Allegra opened her eyes, he was staring at her with an enigmatic face. The only sound in the room for a while was their erratic breathing.

Allegra stood alone in the room where they had once been together as Vincent turned and walked out without saying anything else. She noticed something as she surveyed the well-known walls and the bed where they had formerly shared love, laughter, and arguments.

They no longer owned this room. A long time had passed since then.

She sighed quietly, gathered her belongings, smoothed her clothes, and left the past behind as she closed the door and walked out into the hallway.