Main Character Vibes

He gave her a slice of land, she wanted the world

The knocking continued. Fearing the worst, Wayne immediately froze in his place. His mind began reeling all the different possibilities, chief among them being that Elias had been followed and was not as diligent as he thought he'd been. Of course, it might just be his mistress who had been there just hours earlier, coming back for her umbrella that she'd forgotten. In any case, it was far from the ideal time to host anyone. He stood silently not wanting to make the faintest rustle, reasoning that whoever it was, they would grow tired. And with the waning hope of anyone answering, they would simply leave. But the knocking only grew louder and louder and became more intrusive, more incessant...

Straightening his back, he plodded impetuously towards the door and flung it open. "We're closed!"

Slouching in the doorway out on the sidewalk was a nondescript man whom he did not recognize. The man stood silently for a few moments sizing up Wayne; up and down with bitter eyes that were visibly glossy with inebriation.

"Can we talk?" the man finally garbled, completely discounting Wayne's aggressive tone of inhospitality.

"What?! Do we know each other?"

"I'm Francis, Marie's..." Francis quivered and broke off midway, clearing his throat before he could begin again, "Marie's my wife."

Upon hearing his name, a spark of recognition flickered across Wayne's face. He did recognize Francis from Marie's Snapchat stories; the rare ones which he was in. After a few moments of silence, during which both men maintained intense eye contact with one another, Francis was first to break the silence.

Innocence was slowly leaving his face. "Can we talk?"

Wayne clenched his jaw. "Look, I don't know what you're hoping to find here. Marie's not here, this really isn't a good time for me."

"You're fucking my wife, the least you can do is talk to me for five minutes."

Wayne let out a defeated sigh as he shook his head before he opened the door to let him in.

Francis sauntered in with an air of intentional insolence, completely disregarding any etiquette or protocols of decorum. He did not even wait for Wayne to usher him in before he began surveying the halls of the art gallery. His begrudging eyes were absorbing the plush detail of it all... The intricate sculptures and other art pieces that hung across the walls of exposed bricks; timeworn, hefty, and full of heritage...everything had an intimidating pedigree about it... an air of superiority that left Francis feeling inferior, as if, unbeknownst to him, his wife had been measuring him against something grand and primordial... eternity. And now he knew. Wayne's coiffured silver hair...his well-groomed fit physique which was ensconced in all the modern trappings of comfort. This was a man of exotic refinements whose mere existence at such proximity was making him feel gauche by comparison.

All the while, Wayne was silent. Looking at Francis with curious eyes. It was too alien of a notion for him that a husband would want to meet the man who seduced his wife. He found Francis' coming here to be a strange penance of masochistic torture. It was needless. Too melodramatic for his pragmatic taste, and Wayne had no illusions about himself.

"You own this place?" Francis finally muttered as he turned to face Wayne who was making his way behind the bar.

Francis's dazed eyes were siphoning the fuel feeding the bitterness burning inside of him. It was a cruel bombardment of culture, of refinement, of sophistication, of affluence. It wasn't merely the fantastical arts and artifacts garnered from the far reaches of the earth that stabbed Francis like a dagger. No, no. It was the intangible stuff that they signified. Not only that Wayne was a well-traveled worldly man, but that the purpose of his travels was the acquisition of theories of life more precious, more delicate than can be attained from a place like Francis' suburban nest. Wayne could have easily given Marie more than he ever could; Francis gave her a slice of land; she wanted the world.