nicotine

He lay on the floor, on his back, supporting his neck with two cushions of the dowaneya's furniture. You would have guessed, judging from the look on his face, that he just heard a name he knew being announced dead on the tele. Far from it, in fact, since Jay Leno was on. He used to think Leno was the funniest guy on TV. Far from it now, it seems.
He looked to his side and cursed under his breath noticing the ashtray was full of the waste of the filth he's just acquired a nasty taste for two days ago. He sprung up and emptied the ashtray in the bin, got back to his covers and cushions and noticed his mobile swerving on the floor silently. He knew it was her, so he ignored and proceeded to the fridge to get a coke. Then returned to watch bad television.

He has been weighing his situation ever since he saw her. It was her birthday three days ago, you see, and so he decided to skip work at the bank and go to the hospital to meet his wife. No, it's not like that.
His wife's a doctor who just turned twenty five. His idea of being romantic was to pick twenty four white flowers and one red to stand out representing the new year. He also thought that since he was in a hospital, everyone who saw him would think the flowers were for a patient. That was his plan.

Sucking in the nicotine, now, he wondered what would be easier for him. Letting her go, or keeping her and making her life miserable. Both, he thought, would eat away at his manhood. If he did let her go, his family and hers would eventually know why he let her go. If he didn't let her go, he still couldn't have children with her.

No, again, it's not anything like that.

As he walked into the hospital three days ago, he did so slowly and turned the bouquet in his hands making sure it was meticulously organized and presented. He gave himself a smile.
He reached his wife's office and opened the door, only to not see her there. He felt like an idiot having that big smile on his face, and thanked god he didn't just scream `happy birthday`.
He made his way through the corridor, and heard giggling from the corner.
He collected himself and turned down the extension of his smile, making sure one last time that the flowers were presentable.

Now, as he surfed through the channels, he felt what he thought was anger building up inside him. His hand started to shake as he looked over his side to see the shaking mobile again vibrating and displaying his wife's name. He still ignored it. Where it, he thought, referred to his wife and not the mobile.

He opened the door where his wife's giggles came from, and saw her leaning on the desk with her back to her male colleague who looked like he was having a realllly good time as he was leaning into her.
He pushed the door wide open and stood there. The male doctor noticed there was someone at the door and sprung back. The look on his face translated into 'i-could've-sworn-i-locked-the-door'. His wife looked up and within a nanosecond - no, instantly her facial expressions changed completely. He proceeded calmly inside the office to the two pairs of eyes fixated on him. He lay the flowers on the desk and looked up to see the scared male doctor.

He flicked the remote control until the tele was back on Leno, who had a guest who looked familiar. He kept it back on Leno to remind himself who the guest was and on which series or in which movie he saw her.