Back at Emily's apartment

“Ummm! Good morning, love.” She said turning around and putting her arm around Scotty. He opened his eyes, slowly and turning his head to look at Emily. Her sleepy eyes looked lovely in the morning sunshine seeping through the curtains. He hadn’t felt this way about a girl in a very long time. He felt alive, apart from the rotten fish taste that occupied his mouth. Scott White turned around in Emily Stonebridge’s bed and kissed her lightly on her mouth. Then he looked in to her eyes and ran his hand along her cheek. He smiled. It was perfect; Emily was perfect. He carefully climbed out of bed, like a man freeing himself from a tripwire. Emily pulled the covers up to her head and closed her eyes.

That evening….

“Hello! Mate!” Bobby heard someone say behind him. He put down the glass of beer and turned around to see who it was.
“Hello! Mate, good to see you, didn’t think you would be able to make it, with all that work and all.” He said recognizing his friend.
“Well, I couldn’t say no to an old friend now could I? Besides it’s been ages since we’ve met innit?”
“Yeah! Grab a seat and let me get you a pint”
“Alrighty”

Bobby waved to the bartender and gestured for another pint. Eddie received his pint and they toasted to nothing in particular. Bobby was the first to speak.

“So how is life? It’s been such a long time since we’ve met”
“Yeah! I don’t think I recall the last time we had a pint together. By the way, you were seeing someone weren’t you? What was her name now” he thought for a moment, staring in to his mug as if it would magically reveal the answer he was looking for. “Emily, that’s it. Emily, how is she?”
”Not seeing her anymore.” Replied Bobby with little emotion.
“Oh! Dear, sorry I didn’t know and if I did I wouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No. That’s ok. You didn’t know. Well things weren’t going well and we called it off. I spoke to her recently and I think she maybe seeing someone else.”
“Oh! Really. Hmm! Well nice to see you are still in touch with her. At least you are friends I guess. So, got anyone new in your life mate?” Eddie took another sip.
“Nope. Being single and enjoying it.” Bobby lied.
“That’s the way to live mate, I’m telling you. That’s the way.” Eddie smiled. Bobby couldn’t disagree more. This conversation was becoming a little annoying now and he tried to change the subject.
“Oh! I didn’t tell you, I quit my job. I’m looking around for something at the moment.” was all he could think of to change the subject.
“Ahh! Moving ahead I see. Very nice. I think my brother-in-law might have something for you. Let me see…” He took out his mobile phone and started pressing a few buttons.

A little bit about Bobby and Emily…

Bobby Seawell was a middle aged man, sporting day old stubble on his face and always wore an old-looking jacket. He worked for one of those start up internet companies and earned a decent living now, even by London standards. The new flat he’d managed to rent, just south of Victoria allowed him easy access to and from his office premises. With life heading in the right direction, he had met Emily one fine morning on the tube. They talked briefly and Bobby decided to make the tube journey at that very same time everyday. Inevitably they bumped in to each other and they started meeting for coffee and the odd pint after work. Soon the friendship blossomed into a relationship that they both enjoyed. Emily began to notice that Bobby was increasingly like herself and that they shared most of the likes and dislikes. They fell in love.

Bobby spent many a weekend with Emily, at her apartment and they both enjoyed the bustling life of London. As time went by, Bobby became increasingly possessive of his love. She had to report to him whenever she went out without his company. Soon, this began to get on her nerves. The proverbial icing on the cake was when he’d casually show up at the places she went, pretending that he was meeting a friend as well. They fought; a lot. Emily was at the end of her tether. She confronted him one evening in her apartment and was shocked to find out that he was convinced that she was seeing someone else. She sat down and told him that perhaps it would be a good idea to take a break.

“What? So that you can go gallivanting around with that other chap?” he yelled.
“Bobby, there is no other chap. I swear.” She tried not to cry.
“Yeah! Right. I’ve heard all about it. And I know, so you can stop pretending now.” He tried to control his welling temper.
“I… I swear. I don’t know what I need to do to prove to you that I am not cheating on you.” Tears started to roll down her cheeks.
“You… Slut…. How dare you sleep around and lie to my fucking face? How dare you?”
“What? How dare you accuse me of sleeping around? I did no such thing. Get out. Bobby, just leave, get out of here” she started to sob.

Bobby, enraged by the tone of her voice, slammed his palm in to her face. She collapsed on her sofa and kept sobbing. Get out. I said, get the fuck out of my house she was able to muster. Bobby left. He slammed the door hard behind him. Emily lay down on the sofa and cried. She didn’t get out bed for the next three days, except to use the toilet. Emily’s friends visited her from time to time and she recovered from her state of depression. She began to loathe Bobby. She burned everything that reminded her of him. It gave her pleasure and a sense of freedom as the few artifacts burned to ashes. She would begin a new life. A life free of Bobby and any other Bobbies.