She stood still, pressing her body against the broadened railing, challenging it to let her fall

She stood still, pressing her body against the broadened railing, challenging it to let her fall. And below her, she could spot him, his tall, understated figure, maneuvering through the waning crowd. He walked in a brisk fashion, carrying himself shamefully and she immediately knew that he was going to see her this afternoon while she was working uptown. And thinking of her request to take the day off, she was tickled with a pang of guilt. She taunted the gold band around her finger, slid it off the bone and flicked it thoughtlessly into the air. Watching him, watching the ring, a flash of recognition warmed her eyes. He had stopped underneath the bridge, pausing briefly to grab a coffee before meeting with a small brunette, waiting across the verandah of the café. Her heart knocked, beating at her ribcage. She silently prayed that he would keep walking, that he wouldn’t fall into her as she outstretched her arms, as she smiled and laughed. But he resented his wife’s silent pleas, and bowed his head against this other woman, pecking at her lips, her skin, tasting the forbidden fruit.