Simone.

Subconsciously glancing back at the time, I bring the wine glass to my lips. When Beth came through to get Abby and the twins, I was left lonely again, and my thoughts were nothing but murderous.

To keep my mind off of it, I did a little tidying up in the living room, where the twins left a mess but not as big as Abby had said earlier. She even offered to clean before leaving but I had dismissed her. If I'm to be friends with an interesting woman, I need to be on good terms with her and something tells me we will get along perfectly.

In the few hours that I spent with Abby, I learned that she's a mom of two, Tim and Turner, and also the younger sister to Beth, a neighbor and very close friend of mine---best friend if you will.

“Live a little,” Beth always tells me. I understand how she sees my life as boring, but I went to that altar, and I confessed my love and undying loyalty to my good-for-nothing husband. Living a little to me means I'm betraying him in ways even I don't understand.

Abby did not open up much about the twins' Dad, whether he is still around or if they're still together, but it's not like I opened the doors to that kind of sensitive topic either. I refused to let her see my weakness and she was right about something being amiss. Tequila at noon is a clear sign of life fucking me up.

A few hours later, I was in my black lingerie, a white robe, and Zack's big house shoes, making him dinner.

I don't know how many hours have passed since, but I realize dinner will have to be warmed when he gets here, he has been out a while. The lingerie I had thrown on to try and impress him or remind him rather of what he is missing, is not on my body anymore. The thought of being that desperate for his attention appalls me even when it is nothing but the truth.

I want the Zack that I met in the first year of college, I want the Zack that I dated for two long years, the Zack that cared for me. The first man I ever loved and straight away got married to. In my little world, fate was at play, and I was amongst the few lucky people who found love, and it never left them.

But now here I am, half a bottle of wine already down my throat moving on to the next half with more regrets and a heavy heart. Maybe I should live a little like Beth likes to put it, maybe then, he will look at me and once again see the angle he fell in love with. The woman that he wanted to marry and spend the rest of his life with.

I'm still in my thoughts when I hear wheels screech in the driveway. I take a sip from my glass, drowning out the thumping rhythm of my heart. It makes me wonder if I'm happy to see him or not.

A moment passes before I hear keys jingling around, then the door finally bursts open. My eyes snap to the tall man staggering in, I can tell he is either drunk or tipsy.

I glance at the time again; not too late, but too late for a married man to be coming home to his wife.

I take another sip; this time, the liquid moves slowly past the huge ball in my throat. I try to keep breathing.

“Late night at the office?” I ask, my voice is surprisingly calm even when I can still feel that marble in my gut

Zack mumbles something incoherent before he clears his throat. “How did you know?”

I plaster something close to a smile on my face. “I just figured since you didn't come home in time for dinner.”

He scratches his auburn beard, his blue eyes staring at me with the mischief of a ten-year-old who just broke his bike and wants his Dad to buy him a new one.

“Oh, uh, the guys --- we ordered some takeout.” He rubs a hand over his stomach above that white shirt that was tucked in his pants when he left home in the morning. But now, the shirt is lazily draped over his body.

He bears down and plants a kiss on my cheek. Pizza? Not so much. But booze and a peachy perfume I recognize from a few other ‘late nights at the office'. My stomach tumbles. I'm not sure what nauseates me the most, the kiss or him lying to me with a straight face.

He pulls back and wrestles to remove the tie from his neck. “So, uh, tell me about your day?” He slumps in the seat next to me.

“Nothing much. I still haven't gotten any feedback from my clients, but I did make sandwiches, though,” I explain, my eyes not leaving the side of his face.

My dear Zack, a work of art. I wouldn't be surprised if women threw themselves at him. From his beautiful eyes to the beautiful auburn hair that he got from his mother, and don't get me started on his lean and muscular body. It's a whole thing when he throws in his charming smile.

He is the guy most women dream of sleeping with or fantasizing about when they're pleasuring themselves and yet I got him for myself. Did I not?

“Oh yeah? Leave some for me?” He offers me his best goofy smile. I can't help mine crawling to my lips.

I nod. “I brought some to your office actually,” I say, watching carefully for his reaction.

“I didn't see you.”

“Yes, but I saw you…” I pause, hoping to get something out of him. Anything. “With your secretary.”

The only thing I get from Zack is an exasperated sigh before he shoots up from the couch. “Simone please, not this again.”

I scoff, following him. “What do you mean not this again? How do you want me to see that and just stay quiet?”

“Can you just give me a break? I had a long day and the last thing I want when I come home is to fight with my wife.” Zack makes it to the bedroom, and he is about to slam the door, but I'm right there, so he groans and walks over to the closet.

“You make a valid point. I don't want to fight you either but I also don't want to sit while you fuck other women!”

“Oh, c'mon, how dare you?” Zack growls, emerging from our walk-in closet in nothing but his pants.

My thought process shutters a little when I see his abs, but a second later, I remember that some other woman was looking at them and thinking: why don't you fuck me already?

“Tell me I'm wrong about this, Zack; tell me you're not flirting with your secretary,” I spit, my eyes fixed on him.

He runs a hand over his face, eyes lifting to gaze into mine.

“I…” Zack sighs before he takes a step towards me, I don't move. “Simone, it is you I love, no one else matters because I chose you. In a stream of women, I chose to make you my wife.” His voice is soft. The kind of softness that he knows makes my insides melt into a vulnerable puddle.

I exhale as he gently lifts the tip of my chin.

I know, somehow, somewhere, his reasoning about all of this does not make sense, but I choose to do it again; I choose to trust him, and I choose to take his word for it because that's what a good wife should do. Thanks to my mother for subconsciously teaching me how to be a submissive wife.

When Zack puts his lips on mine, I cuss myself for taking off that lingerie. This night could have turned into something heated, but I can taste salt on his tongue and that's how I know I have been crying.

He pulls away and looks me straight in the eye, not flinching. “Always remember that I chose you, and I will choose you every day.” He brushes my cheek with his warm, calloused hands, before laying another kiss on my forehead. “Now can I please go and take a shower?”

A little smile tickles the corner of my lips, then a nod.

When Zack disappears, I stand by my window letting the evening gush of breezing air slash across my face.

Anything to wake me up from this sweet nightmare.

I don't know what propels me but after a moment of staring at nothing, I lift my eyes to Beth's. Right across from me, a silhouette figure stands in a spot at the window. Slowly, it transforms into an actual person. A mere shadow to a full-fleshed human.

Standing there is Abby, a phone to her ear even when her lips don't look like they're moving. The dress from earlier is not clinging to her body anymore, but there's a loose satin pajama top. I don't know what she is wearing down there, and I don't want to know.

Her eyes are directly staring at me, and I'm not so sure if she is looking at me or doing the same thing I had been doing a few seconds ago: staring at nothing.

But my doubts vanish when she waves, but with furrowed eyebrows.

“Oh my–” I mumble under my breath, wondering just how much she heard, or saw.

“Come to bed, honey,” Zack's voice saves me, and without returning Abby's gesture, I pull the curtains together and crawl into bed next to Zack.

His hand moves around to find the spot on my back that he likes to touch to get him to sleep and I try not to overthink it.

Abby did not see or hear anything.

Right?

++++

Me again!!
Happy reading and thank you!
See you in the next chapterrrrrrrrr!