Chicago, 1935

The marquee lights of the Tivoli Theatre glimmered in the rainy night as Evelyn hurried inside, her heels clicking on the wet pavement. She felt a thrill run through her as she entered the sumptuous lobby, all red velvet and gleaming brass. At 25, Evelyn still got a little starry-eyed at the cinema, a place where she could escape into romantic tales of love and adventure so different from her ordinary life as a shop girl.

Brushing droplets from her curled brown hair, Evelyn took her usual seat in the balcony. As the film began, she was soon swept up in the story of star-crossed lovers defying the odds to be together. But her mind kept wandering to thoughts of Charlie. Handsome, charming Charlie with the crooked smile who came into the five-and-dime every Thursday like clockwork to buy tobacco and flirt with Evelyn as she rang up his purchase. Last week he had finally asked her to dinner. They were supposed to meet at the cafe on Saturday – only three more days. Evelyn felt flutters of nervous anticipation.

Lost in her daydreams, Evelyn barely noticed when the film ended. The house lights came up, revealing a young man in the row ahead of her. With a shock of recognition, Evelyn realized it was Charlie. He turned and their eyes met.

“Well hello there,” Charlie grinned as he climbed over the seats to join her. “Fancy running into a pretty dame like you here.”

Evelyn blushed, flustered. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

“Should I take that to mean you aren’t happy I’m here?” Charlie teased, eyes twinkling mischievously.

“No, not at all,” Evelyn stammered. “I’m very glad to see you. I was just surprised, is all.”

Charlie’s expression softened. “I’m glad too. Truth is, I couldn’t wait until Saturday to be in your company again. When I saw you across the theater, it felt like kismet, like the stars aligned to bring us together.”

Evelyn’s heart raced at his earnest words. The chemistry between them was magnetic, undeniable. Impulsively, she leaned in and kissed Charlie, the press of his lips igniting a fire inside her. The kiss deepened as his arms encircled her, pulling her close.

They finally separated, both breathing hard. Charlie rested his forehead against hers tenderly. “What do you say we continue this conversation someplace more private?” he murmured. “My place isn’t far.”

Evelyn hesitated for only a second before nodding. She wanted him with a desperate urgency that scared and thrilled her. Propriety be damned – tonight she was going to burn incandescent with the force of her desire.

Hand in hand, pulses pounding, they dashed out into the rainy night to Charlie’s waiting car. The drive to his apartment passed in a blur of heated glances and furtive caresses. By the time they stumbled through his door, frantically undressing each other, Evelyn was delirious with need.

They made love with passionate abandon, reveling in the intense connection between them. Evelyn had never experienced anything so powerful, so all-consuming. Lying tangled together afterwards, sweat cooling on their skin, she felt the words “I love you” rising to her lips. She bit them back, afraid to shatter the perfection of the moment.

In the following weeks, they were inseparable, wrapped up in the giddy thrill of new love. Charlie brought Evelyn flowers, took her dancing, read her poetry in the park. She had never dreamed she could be this happy. Her heart sang with joy every time she saw him.

But their blissful bubble could not last forever. Slowly, doubts started to creep in. Charlie’s stories didn’t always quite add up. He was cagey about his work, his family, his past. Sometimes he would disappear for days without explanation. Evelyn tried to ignore the red flags, not wanting to sully their romance with suspicion.

Then one day, Evelyn arrived at Charlie’s apartment to find it empty, stripped bare of all his possessions. No note, no goodbye, no trace of him remained. He was simply gone, vanished like a ghost. Evelyn was stunned, devastated, her heart shattered into pieces.

She searched for answers, but no one knew what had happened to Charlie. Wild theories abounded – that he was a wanted man on the run from the law, that he had been killed by the mob, that he had never truly existed at all except as a dream lover conjured by her lonely heart. Evelyn didn’t know what to believe.

As the months passed with no word, Evelyn slowly started to rebuild her life. The ache of losing Charlie would never fully heal, but she was determined not to let it define her. She would keep her memories of their incandescent love tucked away in a cherished corner of her heart, a bittersweet reminder of what once was. And maybe, someday, she would love again.

Feature Photo by Burak The Weekender