Fiction: Mistaken Identity

[meridian_rose]

For the allbingo “meet-ugly” prompt “I thought you were my ex so I yelled at you in public. You’re not them”.
Thomas mistakes graphic designer Eddie for his asshole ex, Finn. Luckily, Eddie is more than understanding.


It had been a bad break-up and Thomas was still smarting from it so when he saw Finn, tall red-headed asshole, perusing the second-hand bookstall in the busy market, he couldn’t help himself.

“Thought you were going off to London, you wanker!” Thomas railed, hands balled into fists. “Going to get away from me and my issues! By screwing Gary, no doubt! You scumbag!”

Finn glanced over his shoulder but, to Thomas’s horror, it was not Finn’s face regarding him with puzzlement. Same build, similar long woollen grey coat, but this man was a little older with sea green eyes. Just as, if not more handsome than Finn. But absolutely not Finn.

The blood drained from Thomas’s face. If only the earth would open up and swallow him.

“I’m sorry?” the stranger asked.

“No. I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.” Since when had Finn carried a laptop bag!

“Some scumbag wanker?”

Thomas nodded, numb. “My ex,” he said by way of explanation. The stranger laughed.

“Well hopefully I’m not a scumbag. Excuse me a moment.” He picked up a book, an action thriller, and handed over cash to the stallholder.

Thomas was slinking away when the stranger, slipping the book into a voluminous inside pocket, said, “I’m Eddie.”

“Thomas.” He shook the proffered hand.

“I’ve got forty five minutes before my train,” Eddie said. “Would you like to get a coffee? I’d like the company.”

Thomas shrugged. He wouldn’t mind sitting down and gathering himself after his outburst. “I guess so.”

( Read more... )