The Affair

"That's got to be rough."

"That bitch Laurinder made them leave because she didn't want a scene to ruin her precious party. How considerate is that? It really pissed me off."

"I can tell," says Julian. He takes her hand and kisses it lightly. Sparks fly up her arm as he does so. "You're right, though. That was wrong of Laurinder. I've never heard you call her a bitch before now. Uptight, maybe, but never a bitch."

Victoria sighs. "She isn't that bad...I suppose."

"You're a hundred times a better person than her. Apparently Ash walked on her having sex with the gardener last week."

Victoria gasps. "No way! When did you find out?"

"A couple of days ago," he admits. "I didn't want you to get all freaked out before the party."

"You know, I wondered where Ash was today. I couldn't see him at all..."

"They're staying together for Georgie's sake. He's a fool, if you ask me, but there we go." He gets up and stretches. "I'm gonna hit the shower, I think."

Victoria stays in her seat for a few minutes, her mind racing with this new information. Who would have thought that Laurinder Pinter would ever have even considered having an affair? Her marriage seemed so happy, so perfect...well, in the world of Laurinder, anyway. Poor Ash -- what the hell must he be going through? And as for Georgie -- how were they able to keep all this from her? There must have been arguments, fights, tears. Is her bedroom sound proof or something?

Victoria makes her way to their bedroom, checking in on Kyle as she passes his bedroom. Sound asleep. He was screaming bloody murder not ten minutes ago, and now he's as silent as anything. She will never cease to be amazed at her son.

The sound of the shower running in the small bathroom opposite their bedroom is wonderful to hear; in her mind she sees Julian naked under the hot running water. She feels the warmth herself, memories of shared showers caressing her. She wants him tonight; she made up her mind about that sometime ago, it seems. When was it...? Who knew? Who cared? Little things, remember? Little things.

Victoria perches on the edge of their double bed. It almost takes up the whole of the small bedroom, but there's just room for a double wardrobe along the wall and a small dressing table. A television is perched on the corner of this; she switches it on and lazily flicks through channels until she finds her favourite music one, a channel specifically for club and dance music.

Somewhere they've got cameras inside a club -- the music is pounding, beating, pulsing. The dancers on the floor are all young, attractive looking -- quite obviously hand picked by the management for this broadcast. Male and female models, all semi-dressed, are dancing on top of plinths dotted around the massive room.

The energy of the dancers is infectious. Victoria taps her foot along to the beat, reliving nights out with her friends, with Kellie, who is, in Victoria's opinion, the greatest dancer ever. The way that she moves, especially when she is dancing with a guy, is so evocative and exciting, and sends them off with their heads spinning, unsure of what just hit them. Victoria has often wondered if her friend would ever consider teaching her how to dance like that, so one night she can really surprise Julian.

The sound of the shower in the background stops; he will be with her soon. She turns the volume on the television down, unties the pink bow in her jet black hair, running her fingers through it as it falls to just over her small breasts. A new strain of music begins in the club, and the dance becomes more intense. Victoria can almost see the sweat glistening off of all those beautiful bodies.

He walks casually into the bedroom, a simple brown towel tied around his waist. His body, his skin, his muscles -- all wet from the shower. He smells wonderful; the fragrance of the shower gel he uses is one of her favourites. He always buys it for her, every time.

Seeing him now like this fills her with a warm lust that quickly begins to work its magic. She strides confidently up to him and, taking his head in her hands, kisses him fully on the lips. Their tongues dart on top of and underneath each other, her hands caressing his skin, damp to the touch. Already a lump sticks out from the rough material of the towel. Her fingers, quick, hungry, reach underneath and loosen the bind, letting the towel drop to the floor around his feet.

His member stands out, not too long, thick. She lightly squeezes it with her hand as she continues to kiss him, feeling its warmth, feeling it throb gently on her palm. It grows, but not enough for her; it was taken by surprise, it's understandable. Grinning wickedly, she breaks the kiss and slowly sinks to her knees, kissing his body all the way down: his chest, his stomach, his thighs -- tasting the dampness of his beautiful skin.

She kisses the tip of his cock, growing now in excited anticipation, before she slides her lips and tongue over its head. Julian leans back against the wall, his eyes half-closed in rapture. He places his hands on her shoulders, gently stroking and caressing them through the material of her summer dress as she sucks. What has he done to deserve this? It's wonderful; she's so good at this, he has to fight hard not to get overexcited and end things before they're just beginning.

Thankfully, with a farewell lick, Victoria moves away from his warm body. Perching on top of their bed, she runs her hands up and down her smooth, tanned legs, her gorgeous eyes fixed on his. She reaches under the material of the dress, slowly pulling down a simple pair of white panties until they slip off her feet onto the floor beneath her.

She sits there, legs slightly open, her sex showing; the smell of it is almost intoxicating. A finger beckons him to approach. He does so slowly, smiling at her, now more lust in his eyes than the love he has for her.

They kiss again; her hands stroking his flesh, his holding her face. The music from the television beats through the air, like a heartbeat that's racing. Their own pulses quicken -- now is the time. Victoria lies back onto the soft bed, Julian on top of her. He pulls himself into her wetness, causing her to shudder as he enters. He kisses her breasts through the material of her dress. The contrast of his nudity against her clothed is wonderfully arousing to him.

He fucks her to the beat of the music, slowing down every so often as she is brought to the brink, teasing and toying with her. Every time he does so she moans in frustration, clenching onto his strong shoulders, until he starts again, feeling her buck beneath him. Her moans increase and he begins to sigh back at her. Her hands grip onto the sheets tightly, almost ripping them. She will explode tonight; she can feel it building up and up and up.

The force of his release makes her arch her back, her eyes open wide. She tries to make a sound but the pleasure is too intense for those first few seconds, before she can finally reply with a high-pitched squeal. He collapses on top of her, their chests heaving as they begin to sink from that high. They kiss hungrily, thankfully, breaking apart to gasp for air before their lips and tongues meet again. The music continues around them, a sound they are seemingly oblivious to in this aftermath.

After a while of lying like that Julian gently pulls himself out of her, an act that gives her a few muted shocks of tired pleasure. His cock, shrinking now, is glistening with her juices. Seeing this makes her want to place it in her mouth again, to taste herself on his salty skin, but one look at his tired yet happy face decides her against this. It's strange -- she never usually has such a large libido as she seems to have tonight. Maybe if she wakes up early the next morning she can surprise him before he goes to work.

He looks at her a little sheepishly. "I think I got cum on your dress."

She giggles lazily. "I forgive you. It's an old one, anyway." She looks into his eyes; for some reason she is moved to say, "I love you," as if she needed to convince him more.

"I love you, too," he replies, smiling warmly.

Victoria reaches for the remote and switches the television off; she has had her dance for the night. She pulls the dress over her body; naked, she lies down with him. He falls asleep first, and it takes a while for her to drop off too. Is she still so hungry for more of him that it's going to keep her up? No, there must be something else. Thankfully, though, practising an old childhood trick of imagining absolutely nothing and concentrating on her breathing, she soon falls into a deep slumber.

***

She wakes the next morning alone; the warmth of the sun shining through their bedroom window is her only companion. She stretches her dozing body, thrilling at the sudden remembrance of falling sleep naked.

Yet something is missing. She frowns, puzzled. Something is playing on her mind. It has been for a while now. What is it? She stares up at the white ceiling of her bedroom, half-listening to the sounds of Julian and Kyle eating breakfast in the kitchen down the hall. Her stomach begins to rumble, but it isn't the hunger that is bothering her. It's a different kind of emptiness.

Did she cum last night? Of course she did; she felt it, didn't she? It was like an explosion. She is so lucky, so very lucky to have such a lover for a husband as Julian; she has heard so many different horror stories from her friends about bad sex experiences, of lovers who just don't know what it means to give pleasure to a woman. Julian knows -- boy, does he. She did cum last night, for sure. What is there to be so worked up about?

She knows she has to move soon from this wonderful comfort, slight paranoia or not; Julian has work to go to, and she and Kyle must get ready for the park in the afternoon. The reminder of this little adventure fills her body with a strange sense of serene happiness. It is a change to their usual schedule, and she is helping a new friend.

She showers quickly and dresses simply: a light mustard yellow bra and panty set; loose fitting jeans; pale short sleeve yellow top to go under a thin pullover. Julian has just enough time to kiss her goodbye when she goes into the main living area. She pulls him back for a second, deeper kiss that whispers of thirst. He seems a little taken aback but reciprocates lovingly before heading out the apartment door towards the garage forecourt and his car.

Time moves quickly; soon Victoria and Kyle were out the door, heading for the park. Kyle carries a large white soccer ball. He's crazy about the sport; he gets it from his father. Victoria keeps an eye on him as they cross the several streets before the entrance to the park. As they enter a smartly-dressed man, going back to his office presumably from his lunch break, passes them. Victoria feels his eyes scanning her gorgeous figure, her body, with immense approval. For some reason this fills her with a thrill, a buzz of schoolgirl excitement.

For a moment it looks like they've arrived a little early; then, around a large oak tree that rests to the side of one of the paths, comes first Nick and then Tim, chasing after each other and laughing loudly. Victoria feels their laughter is infectious; it is so good to see such a pair, who have had such tragedy, laughing and having fun. She calls out to them. Tim stands up straight and waves back at her, a broad smile on his face. Nick stops stock still and watches the newcomers warily, though his eyes are distracted by the soccer ball in Kyle's hands.

"Look, Nick. It's Kyle and his mum. Look what Kyle's got," says Tim, squatting down so he is level with his son.

Nick, a momentary shyness seizing him, whispers something into his father's ear. His father in turn smiles and nods.

"I'm sure that will be all right, but we'd better ask first, hadn't we? And let's use the magic word..."

Nick edges forwards towards Kyle, who watches him with a curious glance. "Please can I play?" Nick asks quietly.

"Of course you can, can't he, Kyle?" asks Victoria gently. Kyle, in turn, drops the ball onto the ground and kicks it towards the other small boy. Hesitantly it is returned, but soon shyness is overcome with enjoyment, and the two boys are re-enacting the latest World Cup Final.

Tim and Victoria stand on the path, watching them as they play. They chat for a while, making small talk about the park, the weather, how weird it was that they bumped into each other at the grocery store. Tim tells her about his job, working as an illustrator for children's books, which is currently on hiatus due to the move to Sechs City. Victoria in turn explains how she decided to go along the traditional path of maternity leave becoming stay-at-home mom, something she'd promised herself she'd never actually do.

"This was a really good idea," says Tim. "Thank you for suggesting it."

"I'm due good ideas every so often," Victoria jokes.

His jeans are faded; how blue had they been when he first bought them? The unbuttoned shirt over the plain white T-shirt is a nice combination. The faintest whiff of aftershave -- almost all worn off from this morning's wash, not a re-dabbing. His eyes are firmly on his son, though when he does break away and look towards her its that same sparkle she sees of fun and good humour.

"Why did you decide to move to Sechs City?" Victoria asks. They have been silent for a little bit too long. At least she thinks so.

Tim sighs. "Thing is, when I tell you...you're gonna think the worst of me. I mean, I could say it was for the schools, for Nick...it really wasn't that at all."

"Try me," says Victoria helpfully. She doesn't stop to think it would be prying; natural instinct just takes over.

Tim shakes his head. "No, it's okay. I don't want to put a downer on today...that was a great tackle, Nick! Well done!"

"Tim, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know," Victoria persists. She worries that she will quickly become annoying, and so speaks in as level a tone as she can. "You can tell me. Part of the reason I invited you and Nick out was so that we could talk, to get to know one another a little better." She pauses, then adds, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours?"

Tim looks at her for a moment; as if he's analysing her, trying to work out whether she's being honest or not. Finally he clears his throat and says, "Well, there were three reasons, really. The first was to get away from my mother, who'd become pretty much insufferable over the last twelve months. The second was that I needed to be as far away from anything to do with Sonia as I could. Moving to another city just felt like it was the right thing to do. Not just for me, you understand; for Nick too. We no longer walk past the office where she used to work, the swimming pool where she took him for his lessons, our favourite restaurant."

"Of course," replies Victoria. "It must have been heartbreaking."

"Yeah...then there was the third thing. I'd...read that Sechs City had the highest rate of marriages this side of the States."

For a moment, Victoria is not entirely sure what to say. "Oh," she manages.

"I'm not looking for anything just yet, you understand. It's too soon...I think..."

"You think?"

The boys are further up the grass now; another small group of children are nearby. Both parents try to stay focussed on their respective son so that they don't get lost.

"Your friend at the party, the one who had a go at me initially...what was her name?"

Something drops in Victoria's stomach. What the hell? She tastes something bitter in her mouth. It alarms her, frightens her even. She replies quickly, "Kellie. Kellie Byrne."

He repeats the name. "Kellie. Yeah. I hope you don't mind me saying this, and I know she was pretty pissed at me, but...well, she's a looker, isn't she?"

Looker. Rhymes with hooker. She's a whore. A slut. You're too good for her.

What the fuck? Victoria swallows. She has to change the subject; its getting too weird. Thankfully, right at that moment, Nick stops behaving himself and starts screaming at Kyle, who stands bewildered, soccer ball at his feet.

Tim and Victoria rush over, each consoling their child, each trying to find out what sparked the tantrum. Eventually it is found that Kyle believed the ball to have missed the goal they have set up in their minds, whereas Nick is adamant that he scored the greatest goal in the history of soccer.

"Okay, okay," says Tim in a soothing voice. "Well, our imagination is all very well, but in this instance it just starts silly fights like this, doesn't it? So why don't we make some goals for you and then we won't have to have this again, okay?"

Quickly sticks are found; the backpack that Tim has been carrying, a carton of juice that Nick is willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the game. Tim removes his shirt to act as the final post; he stands there in his T-Shirt and jeans. The shirt is tight against his strong looking chest.

Victoria feels her knees wobble slightly as she watches him. Her heart has begun to beat just that little bit faster. She wants to cry; she feels awful, horrible. Snap out of it, she tells herself. Come on! Grow up, you stupid bitch!

The game finishes 2-2, Tim makes sure of that. The afternoon is slowly melting into evening, and it's time for them to go their separate ways. Nick seems to be a completely different child to the shy, awkward bundle of nerves he was when they first saw him. Now he's chatting away and giggling like nobody's business. Tim is obviously thrilled at this.

"We'll have to do this again," he says happily. Victoria merely nods before her eyes widen as he leans forward and kisses her goodbye on the cheek. She belatedly returns the friendly kiss and stands still, unable to move as he and Nick head off in the opposite direction.

How did this happen, she wonders as she and Kyle walk back through the park. When did it happen? There is absolutely no way that this kind of attraction hits you as quickly as that. Even with Julian it took a little while. She can't understand how fast she has been turned into this quivering wreck. And why? Why has it happened? Everything is going wonderfully in her life, in her marriage. She loves Julian, completely and utterly. What it is really, she decides, is just an innocent, pathetic little physical crush. That's all. The guy is very good looking. Not as handsome as Julian but still very good looking. That's what this is; as if she had met one of the handsome movie star she idolised and fantasised over in her youth. It is nothing more than that.

The screech of tyres wakes Victoria up from her troubled thoughts; she realises with sudden horror that she is standing in the middle of the road, a taxi cab stopping just in time before it collided with both her and a confused, scared looking Kyle.

The driver gets out, his ace pale white. "Jesus, lady; are you all right?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

"God...yeah, I'm sorry, I really am."

"You know the crossing's only just down the street over there, don't you?"

She nods, thoroughly embarrassed. "Yes. Sorry again, I really am. Come on, Kyle."

She looks down at him; there are tears in his eyes. With a little difficulty -- he is much heavier now than he was even six months ago, let alone a year --she pick him up and carries him back to the sidewalk.

"It's okay, darling," she soothes, hushing him and holding onto him tightly. "I've got you. I've got you."

***

The phone rings at a quarter to seven that evening in Tim and Nick's apartment. This is a rare event, so Tim is naturally a little pensive about who it could be.

"Hello, Tim?" says a vaguely familiar female voice.

"Yup?"

"Hey, it's Kellie. Kellie Byrne."

Tim raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Kellie. Hi, how nice to hear from you. Listen, I wanted to say sorry again to you about what happened yesterday at the party..."