The Affair

It was all getting to be too much.

The lies, the deception, the tortuous secrets. She could no longer handle this. She was tired of being caught in the middle of such a tangled web. Somehow, some way this would have to end.

Rain pounded relentlessly on her car as she sat in the driver’s seat for what felt like forever. She would just go in there and face them and all they had both done.

Face the person that she had been twisted in a series of lies with. She knew things had gone too far. Redemption didn’t seem possible for either of them. Too much had happened. 

But forgiveness was the last thing on her mind. All she wanted was a solution. 

Finally she worked up the courage to venture out into the storm. Her heels clicked as she hurried up the driveway. The door was unlocked.

The house was dark, but she knew they were there. Slowly she made her way to the living room and clicked on the light. 

Red was all she could see. Splattered on the furniture and walls, dripping from the coffee table, puddled on the floor.

And in the center of the bloody mess was the person she had sucked into pure destruction. 

She realized they would never truly know of her sordid tales and the mess she had created for everyone around her. However, she felt overwhelming guilt that her dark secrets were the reason for their demise. 

Who knew being in love could be so deadly?

***

Six Months Earlier

Emile Astor was a murderer.

Not in the normal way, of course. While he didn’t slash and slice or bury any bodies, he was still a killer. With every hour he came home late, lipstick mark on the collar of his shirt and whiff of perfume that didn’t belong to her, he was killing his wife.

Sienna Astor was dead. 

Emotionally anyway. She was wasting away, waiting for her husband to love her once more so that she could be brought back to life. 

Sienna had never pictured her life turning out this way when she married Emile nine years ago. She thought they would be happy and in love. She was starting to realize she was wrong.

Sure Emile had slept around before. But all of those affairs were brief and she knew they meant nothing. This one, however, seemed to have a real hold on Emile. 

He seemed to like this other woman more than the others. He giggled like a child when she texted him and Sienna knew he was spending egregious amounts of money on her. It was how he showed love.

Sienna thought she was the perfect wife for Emile. She made him breakfast and put his coffee in his favorite thermos that she hand washed herself every morning. She dressed her best for him, especially when they went out. Her shiny red hair was never out of place and her full lips were always painted to perfection. 

She couldn’t help but wonder why that wasn’t enough for Emile.

Sienna glanced up from her omelette. Emile was smiling down at his phone, surely talking to her. 

“Darling?” Sienna asked. ‘“What do you want for dinner tonight?”

It seemed Emile had to tear his eyes away from his screen. His stunning mossy green eyes met her dark blue pools. 

“I won’t be home for dinner, honey. We’re taking Mr. Wallace out tonight to his favorite gentleman’s club and you know how late that can go. I’ll just sleep at Freddie’s I think.”

It sounded so innocent. Emile seemed so casual that had Sienna not known of his mistress, she would have believed him.

But she did know, so she didn’t believe it.

“The bed will feel lonely without you,” She commented. “And I hate to eat alone.”

“We’ll have dinner tomorrow night hm? Your favorite place. How does that sound?”

Sienna forced a smile to her lips. “It sounds perfect.”

“Good. Well I should get going. Can’t make money if I stay here all day, can I?” Emile laughed. 

He rose to his feet and gave Sienna a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, Emile,” Sienna said, almost desperately. 

“Yeah, you too.” Emile mumbled before grabbing his thermos of coffee and heading out. 

His phone buzzed as he got into his black Tesla. He couldn’t help but smile at what she had sent him. She was so funny and witty.

As Emile drove to work, he couldn’t help his excitement for later that night. He would be with her again. Feel her delicate warm hands on his body, her soft pouty lips on his own, and make love to her for hours on end. 

Emile had given up on feeling guilty about his affair. He had tried to stop it multiple times and keep it short like his other trists, but this particular affair was hard to put a stop to. All he could think about was her. 

Her rose petal and champagne scent, her bright amber eyes that hypnotized him, every inch of that perfect body that he would die to feel against him for all eternity. And the way she said his name…all sultry and full of love and lust. She was his perfect match. 

Emile did love Sienna…in his own unromantic way. She was stunning and classy and at the time of their marriage it was financially prosperous for both of them. She was the kind of woman he had always been expected to marry. Added to the fact that she, like him, never wanted children and she was perfect. 

But they didn’t laugh. 

They didn’t have fun and nothing ever felt spontaneous. There was no warmth or feeling of safety and security with Sienna. It all felt so transactional. That had been the reason Emile first started sleeping around. All he wanted was excitement. And then he met his mistress and he knew it was more than excitement that he yearned for. 

He should have never gotten involved with her, but he just couldn't help himself. Eight months ago his life changed forever.

He had just been out with his friends. He was dreading going home to Sienna, so he had to get drunk to make it bearable. 

Emile made his way through the crowded bar, trying to get back to his table. He bumped into someone, making his beer slosh onto her tight cream dress. She gasped loudly before looking up at him.

The first thing he noticed was her eyes. So bright and alluring like amber stones. They crinkled as she smiled up at him, despite what he had just done.

“I’m so sorry,” He stated. “I didn’t mean to get you wet.”

“Have you seen yourself?” She questioned. “You were bound to get me wet anyways.”

Emile couldn’t help but smile. Women weren’t usually so bold. They of course would bat their eyelashes and give him that seductive smile, but she was different. She didn’t seem like she played games. 

“I would be so lucky to get you wet,” Emile winked at her before he kept going to his table.

“Why didn’t you invite your friend over?” Mark Rylance asked, his dark brown eyes leering at the woman Emile had just talked to her.

Emile understood the lust. That woman was stunning. 

“She’s way out of your league, Mark,” Emile commented. 

“Doesn’t mean her standards aren’t low,” He chuckled. “What do you think, Freddie? Is she too out of my league?”

Freddie Munson snorted. “Absolutely. But it’s not your fault, she’s out of everyone in this room’s league…except maybe Emile, but he’s spoken for.”

“I’m married, I’m not dead,” Emile stated. 

His friends of course knew he wasn’t always exactly faithful, and they didn't even pretend to care. Sienna annoyed them and they thought she made Emile boring. They also admired Emile. He was a man that could have his cake and eat it too.

He was living the dream according to them. 

Emile’s olive eyes once again met her golden orbs. She was daring him to invite her over. He took up the challenge easily. With a simple movement of his head, he beckoned her over. She whispered something to her two other friends and the girls headed over.

They were all beautiful. One had rich chestnut skin that was adorned with body glitter. Her coily hair was like a cloud resting on her head and under her ringlet of bangs were dark, almost obsidian black eyes, perfectly decorated with makeup. She had a broad nose with one hoop in her right nostril. Emile knew she turned heads easily.

The other was a tall Asian girl with skin that imitated silk. She had a warm tan that made her beige skin glow even in the dimly lit bar. Her almond shaped eyes were so brown they were almost copper colored. She had a quite dazzling smile that had a playfulness to it. Emile could almost immediately tell that she was the kind of woman who enjoyed the finer things in life. 

And then of course there was her. She was the shortest of the three, but in Emile’s eyes the most alluring.  She had flawless tawny brown skin that went perfectly with her long wavy mahogany hair. Her curvy body was being perfectly displayed with that dress that was leaving very little up to the imagination. Still Emile was imagining the filthiest scenes with her. 

“Hello boys,” She spoke in her raspy voice. “What are we celebrating tonight?”

“Life,” Freddie answered, pushing his dark red hair off of his forehead. “And you ladies?”

“Death,” The Asian girl answered. “Of a relationship anyways. She’s newly single.” She gestured to the woman Emile had spilled his drink on.

Emile hated how excited he got hearing that she was single. He himself wasn’t single and yet the possibility of having her thrilled him beyond belief. He hoped that would be enough. 

Of course he enjoyed all of his previous affairs, but they made him feel guilty. He knew Sienna never cheated on him and he should pay her the same courtesy even if they weren’t happy together.

“What’s the poor sucker’s name who lost out on this gorgeous creature?” Mark questioned

“We called him douchebag,” The curly haired girl grinned “But his given name is Cal.”

All three men raised their glasses. “To Cal.” They announced before taking a drink.

“How about you ladies join us and let us buy you a round?” Fred asked.

“We’ll never turn down free drinks,” The amber eyed beauty’s attention was on Emile.

“Put it on my tab,” Emile announced to his friends who were getting up to grab the drinks. 

The ladies scooted into the crescent booth. The two girls sat on the curve of the booth and the one who really had his attention on the outside, next to him. He couldn't remember the last time he had been squeezed in between three beautiful women in such a way.

“I’m Emile,” He stated. “What are your names?”

“Korah,” The girl’s eyes crinkled under her corkscrew bangs.

“And I’m Joi,” She tossed her jet black hair over her shoulder.

“And you?” Emile hoped he didn’t sound too desperate to know her name. He watched her perfect lips form her name before biting the lower one. “That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thanks, I got it for my birthday.” She giggled. 

He found her much too charming. 

Freddie and Mark returned with the drinks and the night took a turn for the exciting. The three ladies were quite entertaining. Just like the men, they were coworkers. They all owned and ran a health and wellness practice. 

“So that means you’re good with your hands?” Freddie asked. 

“Well I am a professionally trained masseuse,” Joi smiled. 

Emile felt a hand on his thigh and looked down to see painted red nails. He glanced over at the woman who was leaning towards him.

“I’m good with my hands too,” She whispered.

Chills danced through Emile’s body. She was dangerous and he knew it. He should ask her to politely remove her hand and show her his ring. 

But he didn’t. Instead he slipped the ring off under the table and shoved it in his pocket. 

“I’m good with my tongue,” He murmured. 

He wasn’t sure why he was doing this. He had no intention of sleeping with her. He couldn’t. He had to be a good husband. 

Joi letting out an adorable high pitched giggle snapped Emile back into reality. She actually seemed taken with Freddie. He did have a great sense of humor, along with an incredible jaw, a perfectly pointed nose and a great smile.

While Korah didn’t seem sexually interested in Mark she was having a great conversation with him. Maybe she was keeping him distracted because the stunning woman wanted Emile all to herself.

“Do you want to get a drink?” Emile blurted out to the woman.

She smiled and nodded, before getting up. Emile couldn't help but to check her out. The way the fabric hugged her curves was enough to make him drool.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd. They went right past the bar, and yet Emile didn’t protest. He knew where she was going.

She glanced over her shoulder before opening the supply closet and pulling him inside and using a mop jam the doorknob.

“Look-”

She slammed her lips into Emile’s before another word could be said. Emile easily gave in. Her kisses were hot and passionate and so persistent. She wanted him desperately and he wanted her the same way. 

He moved his hand down the curve of back until he reached her firm ass. Emile moaned into her mouth as he squeezed it. She pressed against him as she kissed him harder. 

Emile lifted her off her feet easily and pressed her against the door as he eagerly moved his lips to her neck. He took in her scent. Rose petals. 

“Can I ask you something, Emile?” She breathed. 

This was it, she would ask if he was married and this would all be over.

“Sure,”

“Can I make you breakfast in the morning?”

He should say no. Tell her had to go home to his wife.

“I like eggs.”

***

Emile had made up a lie about staying at Freddie’s.

Instead he spent his night tangled in the sheets with a woman he barely knew. He had never made love like that before. Every touch, moan, and whimper was so charged and electric. No one had ever handled him that way before or made him feel so alive. 

After one night, he was in love.

“I want to see you again,” Emile admitted to the woman from across the table as they ate breakfast.

Even her cooking was better than Sienna’s.

“Emile, are you married?” She asked. 

He didn’t want to lie to her. He never lied to women who asked him about being married. It seemed silly to. 

“Yes, I am.” Emile whispered. 

“Do you love her?”

“Not really.”  

“I see.”

“Does me being married mean that we can’t see each other again?” Emile questioned. 

A strange smile came across her face before she looked up at him. “No…it doesn't.”