An Affair Remembered

His frown turned to a chuckle.

"Prego, Bella. I might never have known if you hadn't pointed that out to me. Let's see if you understand this.Baciami, Bella." He placed his hands against my cheeks and gazed down affectionately at me.

My hand was still wrapped around his cock and it was beginning to stir in my grasp. I leaned forward and kissed it gently on the crown before parting my lips and taking him into my mouth.

"My god, you're practicallyfluent!" he said with a laugh.

I let his erection slip from my lips. "I understandyou, Maestro. I don't need to be fluent for that. Now, come down here in the water with me before you get sunburned on that thing," I urged as I slapped the water and thoroughly splashed him.

I saw the twinkle in his eyes when he admonished me. "Thatthing? First, you call me 'Maestro' and tell me how beautiful my cock is...and now, you call it 'thatthing'? Wait until I get my hands on you! I'll show you mything and what it's used for!" he sputtered as he made a sudden leap for me.

A wave of river water surged over my head as I tried to scramble away from him. I coughed and sputtered as he seized me and pulled me into his arms.

"Look what I caught! It's a half-drowned mermaid!" he laughed while he waited for me to clear the water from my lungs.

"Well, now that you have her, what are you going to do with her?" I asked as I nestled against his chest and looked up at him with adoring eyes.

"I'm not sure. Do you think I should I eat her or fuck her? I believe I promised to show her what this 'thing' is for," he said pressing his cock against my stomach.

"Then you should definitely fuck her," I offered as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he lowered his head to kiss me. The kiss lasted as we hungrily devoured one another. He broke away and ran one finger along my cheek.

"I have decided Iam going to fuck you, Bella," he said firmly. He slid one arm under my hips and scooped me up from the water. He grunted loudly as he made his way up the embankment to the blanket.

"You're going todrop me, Maestro!" I squealed as I clung to his neck laughing. "You're too old and I'm too fat for you to tote around, you fool!"

He sank to his knees and deposited me safely on the blanket. "I'm not too old to handle you!" he protested with a grin as he paused to catch his breath. "And you're not fat...you just have a very...ample ass. Next time, I'll throw you over my shoulder," he laughed.

He pressed me back onto the blanket and lowered his weight on top of me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and breathlessly urged, "Fuck me, Maestro."

He slipped his penis between the lips of my pussy and pushed. "Scopare, piccola mia!" he cursed as he penetrated me with some effort. He moved slowly, gently at first, allowing me to accept the full length of his cock before he began fucking me in earnest.

"There are no surprises this time, Bella; barring any interruptions, we're going to take our time," he promised.

I closed my eyes to the dancing light and shadows that filtered down through the tree branches overhead. The warmth of his body against mine and the cool breeze stirred my senses and I felt as if I were dreaming. His lovemaking was ethereal and unrestrained.

He explored my responses to the touch of his fingers, his lips, his tongue. Some unseen energy seemed to flow between us, fed by the sound of the water and the wind and the heat our bodies created as we moved flawlessly in unison. It was slow and effortless, like floating on a cloud as we melded into one.

We didn't speak; we couldn't speak with our tongues so completely entwined. There was only one long breath that passed between us as a mutual sigh when we came at precisely the same instant. It was as quiet and gentle as a whisper on the wind, but it seemed to go on forever. It was the most exquisite feeling I'd ever felt and it took us both a very long time to come back from the place it carried us.

The kiss continued until I felt him soften inside me. We parted lips and I opened my eyes to find him staring at me with a distant look in his eyes.

"Bellissima," he whispered. "You're right, Cindy. I am a complete fool."

His tone startled me for a moment, and I didn't reply or ask him what he meant.

"And, I'm a hungry one," he smiled before he rolled away from me.

We resumed making small talk as we shared the picnic lunch in the shade of the oak tree. When we were finished with lunch, we curled together and he quickly fell asleep. I draped his shirt over his hips to prevent him from burning as the sun shifted to the west and I fell asleep with my head resting on his shoulder.

*****

Over the next few weeks, Marc and I found both ample time and opportunity to spend together. I didn't inquire as to whether Deidre was awarded the part for which she was supposed to have auditioned. In fact, I didn't ask him any questions at all about his marriage; I simply arranged my schedule to suit his whenever he was available, and his availability seemed to occur with more frequency as time passed.

So much so, that no one seemed surprised to find us together at any given time of the day or night. People seemed to keep a respectful silence and a few of our close business associates appeared to be protectively supportive of our relationship. I knew John was one of those people, but when it came to my attention that James also approved, I was surprised, to say the least.

James was one of those people who when you first meet them, they keep you guessing about who they really are. He had the physique of a greyhound and a face like a malnourished bulldog. He always appeared to be dissatisfied about something until you spoke to him. Then his face would break into a broad grin and he would laugh like a hyena.

Before Richard announced I was taking control of the entire agency, he appointed James as head director of the acting department. We agreed that James would be the best candidate for the position, however, James had no clue that I was the one who requested his promotion. Because of his gruff exterior, I seldom spoke to him, and I came off as being uneasy in his presence. James was under the misguided notion that I didn't like him.

At the time, we were also in search of a new secretary, and while we searched, I was filling in, doing both my own job and that of front desk receptionist and secretary. That explained why so many people were unaware of my true title and function.

At night, long after everyone else had gone home, I was quietly working behind the scenes, evaluating both our programs and personnel. I quickly discovered exactly how much in disarray our acting department was, and I began the preliminary steps to resolve some of the issues within it. I went through every single file in James' office over the course of two days and nights.

Of course, being meticulous in nature, James noticed right away that his office had been invaded and his files rifled in his absence. He made a mild and disagreeable mention of it, but when I ignored his complaint with a shrug, he didn't confront me further about it.

He and Richard both were away over the long weekend that followed and I took advantage of the time it afforded me to completely reorganize every single item in James' private office. I worked eighteen hours per day for three consecutive days to accomplish my goal, and by Monday afternoon when James returned, his office and the acting department had an entirely new look.

I inconspicuously watched as he unlocked the door with his key and he stopped dead in his tracks. I wandered up behind him and waited for his response, but it was a long time coming as he simply stood there in complete awe.

"Well, what do you think, James?" I asked from behind his shoulder.

His voice was shaky when he rasped, "Who did this?" He took a few small steps inside and gazed about in wonder. He picked up the new ceramic coffee mug on his desk and examined it. It read, 'World's Best Director'.

"My God! Look at this...look at what they left me!" he said proudly displaying the mug for my inspection. I nodded silently.

"Open your files, James."

He slowly followed my instructions and began opening filing cabinet drawers. He ran his hands over the new crisp file folders and checked their contents.

"There's over twenty thousand new and complete scripts in those drawers, so I don't want to hear anyone complaining they can't find the script they need," I said smugly.

He turned to face me and I noted the tears that overfilled his eyes and trickled down his cheeks before he reached in his breast pocket and wiped them away with a fresh handkerchief.

"Cindy, didyou do this?" he asked in disbelief.

"Not me," I denied shaking my head firmly. "I heard a noise in your office last night and when I opened the door to check, there were hundreds of these little tiny fairies flitting about. I didn't think they could do much more harm, so I left them alone."

James burst into tears as he grabbed me and hugged me to his chest. He sobbed openly against my shoulder for several minutes while I patted his back.

Cindy...I...don't know..." he sputtered between sobs of joy. "I didn't even think youliked me. I had decided to turn in my resignation this week. I don't know what to say!"

"James, if you resign now, I'll kill you!" I laughed as I pushed myself free of his hug.

He, too, began to laugh loudly in his signature laugh, like a hyena. "Do you know this is the first time I haveever seen the top of this desk? When I took over this job and realized what a mess everything was, I was completely overwhelmed. I couldn't even bring myself to try to straighten up in here. But, just look at what you have done! No one hasever done anything this nice for me."

"I'm glad you like it, James. I saw you last week and I could tell you were really stressed out, so I thought it might give you a little boost. With everything organized now, you should find your job a little easier to do."

"There's no way I can ever thank you enough, Cindy. I mean...I seriously thought youhated me! I was going to quit."

"Why did you think I hated you, James?"

"Well...I didn't honestly know why...but, I thought maybe you hated me just because...I'm gay. Youdo know I'm gay, right?"

"Yes, I knew. It would be a little difficult to miss something like that, James."

He held up the mug I had made for him and hopped up and down. "I'm soexcited now. And, Ilove my new mug. I hate drinking out of those plastic cups!"

"But, you haven't even seen the best part yet, James," I said as I stepped behind his desk and opened the top drawer. I removed a small, shallow gift-box and handed it to him. "Open it," I urged.

He gave it a small shake next to his ear and grinned broadly at me. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked glowing with excitement.

"Open it!" I repeated as I crossed my arms and leaned again the door frame.

He slowly lifted the lid of the box and withdrew a man's silk tie. It was navy blue with the Looney Tunes character, Marvin the Martian, printed on it. He gasped and his jaw dropped open wide. His hand flew to his cheek and he just kept shaking his head with wonder.

"I know it's late, but congratulations on your promotion, James."

I didn't wait for him to respond. He was clearly overcome with emotion. I stepped from the office and closed the door behind me. I could hear him quietly sobbing as I walked away. I knew James liked ties and I also knew that his favorite character was Marvin the Martian. I didn't tell him how I knew. I left that detail a mystery for him to ponder.

Now, some six months into our professional relationship, James and I were good friends. We both enjoyed the professionalism of one another and sometimes, after a long day, we would go for a drink together. However, I was surprised the morning he broached the subject of my affair with Marc.

I delivered a cup of coffee to him when he arrived and I took a seat across from him to discuss whatever came up in conversation. The early morning was our time to just casually chat.

"So, what's happening, Sweet-Baby-James?" I asked as I sat down with a sigh.

"I love it when you call me that. You have a pet name for everyone here and it makes us all feel so special," he grinned at me from across his desk.

"That's because you allare special, James."

"I happened to notice that some of us...well, one of us anyway...seems to be more special than others these days."

"Are you by any chance inquiring about my love-life?"

"Only if you want to talk about it."

"Sweet-Baby-James, you of all people should know that talk is cheap."

"I'm not really trying to pry, but I am curious about something."

"What's that?"

"Do you know what goes on behind the scenes of a certain production that shall remain nameless?"

"Why do you ask, James?"

"So, you must know what and who I am talking about."

I sighed heavily. "Yes, I know. I knew long before I met him...or her. It's one of the reasons I can sleep at night without the nasty little demon I call my conscience waking me up at all hours." I made a swipe at my shoulder and hissed, "Go away!"

"Doeshe know?"

"At this point, I can safely say 'no, he doesn't know'. I can't speak for what might transpire in the future."

"How did you find out?"

"I saw them together."

James sat back and pondered for a moment. "Why haven't you told him? I thought if you didn't know, and I told you, you would go straight to him with it. That's what most people would do."

"That knowledge would only hurt him, James. I know he'll probably find out someday, but it won't be from me. These things do have a way of coming out in the open eventually. When that happens, I'd like for Marc to remember how beautiful our relationship has been to us. If he can remember that, then maybe he'll understand that whateverthey have is just as beautiful to them. Then, perhaps he'll be able to forgive her and move on."

"My God, Cindy...you're not trying toend their marriage; you're trying to help him save it."

"Fifteen years is a long time to just let it all go up in smoke. Or in bitterness. I think there are times when the end does justify the means." I said as I stood up. "I should get back to work now, James."

*****

It was midnight at a sprawling ranch house in the country; a private gathering of friends, business associates, and strangers brought together to celebrate the New Year. The noise was deafening as the clock struck twelve and the band struck up the first chords of 'Auld Lang Syne'.

I slipped through the sliding glass door that led to the stone patio surrounding the pool, still carefully nursing a now warm, fluted-glass of champagne. I disappeared into the darkness and breathed deeply of the cold night air. Outside, the sounds of laughter and music were still loud enough to mask any sound of footsteps.

"Happy New Year, Bella."

My heart seemed to rise into my throat at the sound of the familiar voice. I turned and there he was; a bit older and slightly greyer, but unchanged in any other way.

"Marc?"

"It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has. How are you?" I asked automatically.

"Good. And, you?"

"I'm...good. A little stunned to see you. What are you doing here?"

"I came with a friend. She's somewhere around here," he said peering towards the glass windows as if he was looking for someone.

"You said, 'a friend'. Did Deidre come, too?"

There was an almost imperceptible shake of his head. "We've been divorced for over seven years, Cindy."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." My breath came hard and I felt a tightness in my chest.

"It was a long time ago. I'm over it now," he said with a shrug as he turned up his glass to sip from it. "What about you? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I work for Doc now."

"Doc?"

"Yes. Our host. I work for him."

He nodded and mouthed a silent, "Oh." An awkward moment of silence followed.

"Your friend...I guess, she must know Doc," I said lamely.

"I guess so," he agreed. "So, are you..."

"Married," I said almost too quickly. "I'm remarried now. Over five years."

Our conversation was abruptly interrupted by a feminine voice from the dark. "There you are! What are you doing out here?"

A woman stepped from the shadows and slid her arm through his. She stared expectantly at me.

"I was talking to an old friend. Sandra, this is Cindy. Cindy and I used to work together. We were just catching up on old times."

"Nice to meet you, Sandra," I murmured as I held out one hand. She pretended not to see the gesture in the dark.

"Marc, come back inside with me. There's someone I want you to meet," she purred up at him.

"Alright. You go ahead. I'll be along in a minute. I just want to say 'goodbye' to Cindy."

The woman hesitated for a moment, but she turned and made her way towards the sliding doors. Marc turned his attention back to me.

"You'll forgive me for saying it, but you're far too thin, Bella. You look tired. You must not be taking care of yourself. I heard you were in the hospital for a while, but that was a few years ago. You're not ill again, are you?"

I suddenly felt very tired.

"You should go, Marc. Sandra is waiting for you."

"Yes. I guess I should." He glanced at his empty glass and frowned. "I think I need another drink."

He hesitated a moment before he said, "Cindy, I loved you and I was a fool to let you go. I just thought you should know that, Bella."

"Thank you for that, Marc. It was good seeing you again. Happy New Year, Maestro," I quietly whispered.

I watched him wander back inside and disappear into the crowd. I followed suit a few minutes later and found a spot on a sofa in an out of the way nook in the den. I was lost in thought when I felt a weight sink down beside me. It was Doc.

"What are you doing sitting all by yourself over here?" he asked with a slight slur.

"Hiding."

"From who?"

"Everyone."

"Well, Cindy...they say that 'misery loves company', so I think I'll just hide out here with you for a while."

Doc was married; essentially, he and his wife were newlyweds. They had married less than two years earlier.

I looked past him and stared across the room where a group of people were laughing together. A man and a woman were the center of attention among the small gathering. The man said something and the woman touched his arm and laughed. Everyone laughed.

He leaned his head close to hers and whispered something more that made her laugh even louder. Their mannerisms, the way they looked at one another, spoke louder than any words. It was obvious that they were in love. I felt a familiar pang of jealously.

"What are you looking at?" Doc asked as he turned his head to look in their direction.

"Them," I said nodding in the couple's direction. "They seem to be having a lot of fun together."

"Them who?" he asked as he squinted at the couple and suddenly snorted with contempt.

"Your wife, Doc...and my husband."