Summer Fling

by Tarrah Anders

  "Names. I'm going to need names," the deputy states.

  Royce speaks up. "Sylvie Callaway. She likely received a letter recently invalidating an agreement with Emma and her business partner."

  "And what is her relation to either of you?"

  "My ex-wife." Royce's voice is toneless as he answers the deputy’s' questions.

  "Oh, this just got interesting," the deputy mumbles as he writes down the information. He looks up from his notepad. "How long have you been divorced?"

  "A little over four years."

  "Why would she be a person that you would think would want to harm you?"

  "I told you, she received a notice from my lawyer to void a business contract. She wanted to get her tentacles back into my life somehow and was planning to use my girlfriend as a pawn to get her and I back together. She's made up lies before; I imagine she planned to do so again. I'm not entirely sure what her motive would be, but she lives in a different reality. She acts like she's never done anything wrong and like she and I had a great relationship, when that's far from the truth."

  "And you, ma'am?" The deputy turns to me.

  "The only person I can think of who might be mad enough at me to do something like this is the woman who just learned that I mistakenly had an affair with her husband several years ago."

  "Mistakenly?" The deputy quirks his eyebrows.

  "I wasn't aware he was married until the end of the summer. I saw them in town this week and she probably put two and two together when she saw the look on his face."

  "Is there anything else?"

  "Yes. He came to talk to me the following day and confirmed it."

  "Do you have her name?"

  "No, but his name is Pete Devonshire."

  "Wow. This is a whole lot of interesting events we have here. You do know who Pete Devonshire is, right?" the Deputy asks me as I nod.

  "Who is he?" Royce asks, looking at the deputy and then me.

  "He's running for governor," the deputy replies. "Folks say he’s the golden boy, a real up-and-comer. Talk about a major scandal. Whew," he whistles.

  "It’s unlikely his wife would try to ruin his parade, but I will still make sure to question her. If either of you think of anything else please let me know." The deputy pulls out a business card and hands it to Royce. "Hopefully, we can wrap this up quickly."

  Everyone stands up and Royce walks the deputy to the front door, shakes his hand and then closes the door after him.

  He comes to stand in front of me, wraps his arms around my lower back and kisses my forehead.

  "Do you think its Pete’s wife?" he asks.

  "No, I'm sure an angry wife could go postal after seeing the ‘other woman’ in the flesh. It would make her husband’s affair that much more real."

  "Especially with you being so hot and all." He laughs.

  "Do you think it's Sylvie?" I ask.

  "I have no doubt." He nods.

  HIM

  The clinic opens today, a mere three days after the craziness that happened at my house. My windows are fixed, but the case is not anywhere close to being solved.

  But today, life goes on and our clinic opens. I have no idea how Cyrus and I will handle running our own business, and suddenly I have so many nerves that I may throw up. Emma and Willie are here with us to celebrate the Grand Opening by our sides and that’s helping quench some of my panic.

  Cyrus, our new staff, the town mayor, Effie, Emma and I stand on the front porch. A reporter and photographer from the Sweeny newspaper, as well as a few other local papers, are gathered below us on the sidewalk, surrounded by practically every resident of Sweeny and their pets.

  Emma tied a large yellow ribbon across the stairs and hands me the large pair of scissors. The mayor says a few words and then Cyrus and I take our damn sweet time to cut that ribbon. Cheers erupt from the town and flashes go off from the reporters.

  "And we’re open! Please be patient as you make your way in. Also please enjoy some iced tea or lemonade supplied by our town’s wonderful diner and Jo," I shout to everyone.

  I roll up my sleeves as everyone walks inside.

  "Son, I can’t tell you how excited we are that you fellas are in our town. If you need anything — anything at all — please call me." The Mayor smiles as he shakes our hands.

  Emma stands to the side with a bounce in her posture and a huge smile. Once it's her turn, she jumps into my space and wraps her arms around my neck. She kisses me quickly on the lips.

  "Good luck today, Doc. You're going to be great," she says sweetly.

  "Without you, a lot of this wouldn't have been possible. Thank you, babe. I love you," I say, surprising myself.

  Her jaw drops. "What?" Her voice quivers.

  I gather my composure and take a deep breath. "I love you. There I said it. I do. You have been everything I could have ever asked for. Without your help and support, much of what we built here would still be in the beginning stages. Thank you. And I love you." I kiss her nose.

  "I... I…," she stammers.

  "You don't have to say it; I just needed to get it off my chest."

  "I love you too," she says firmly as she grips the lapels of my dress shirt, and then runs her hands along my shoulders, smoothing my shirt. She can’t hide her smile.

  "I love the both of you, but I think we need to start rolling. Make googly eyes at each other later. We have a business to run," Cyrus says with his arm around Willie’s waist.

  I kiss Emma one last time before she pulls herself out of my arms with a silly smile on her face. I slip one of my folded notes into her hand and squeeze as she starts to walk away.

  The day ran longer than we were anticipating, and yet somehow zoomed by in a blur of activity, friendly faces, and happy pets. We registered every pet from Sweeny plus the three neighboring towns as a patient with our clinic. We saw several animals for more than registration as well. It was a very productive day.

  It is well after dark when I pull my truck up to my house. I see that Emma's car is already in the driveway and I am happier than a fly on shit to come home to her after a long day — the first of many, I hope.

  Walking into the front room, I stop when I see Emma sitting on the couch in her birthday suit. She is laid out on the couch, one arm draped over the back of the couch, the other resting on her stomach. Her legs are together and angled to not show too much, and her eyes are focused on me. I drop my shoulder bag, momentarily cringing at my thoughtlessness since my laptop is inside, but completely enthralled with the gorgeous woman naked in my house.

  "How was your first day at work?" she asks in a sultry tone, while trailing her fingertips over her stomach, drawing an invisible line down to just above her pelvic bone.

  My eyes follow her fingers and my mouth goes dry as they go even lower. My tongue dashes out to wet my lips. "It was busy. But a good busy." I loosen the tie I'm wearing, release it from the collar, and drop it on the floor. Then I begin unbuttoning my dress shirt, figuring I should be just as naked as she is.

  "I thought it would be nice for you to come home and relieve some stress, in case today was a lot for you," she says seductively.

  "Oh, Em. You have no idea how stressful today was and how much I need you right now," I respond, my voice low and my cock hard. “Every day.” I add.

  My shirt drops to the floor. I toe off my shoes and unbuckle my belt. My pants fall to the floor and I kick them off. She licks her lips as my strained erection springs out once I pull down my boxer briefs.

  She opens her legs, letting me see the pink of her pussy, drenched from anticipation. I drop to my knees in front of her and place my head between her thighs. I run the tip of my tongue against her as her whole body shudders.

  I spread her thighs apart further so my shoulders fit, then reach in and drag my fingers through her folds. Still fucking her with two fingers, I lean in to swipe my tongue around and inside her. Her taste drives me crazy as I plunge my tongue as far as it can go.

 
"Royce!" she moans as I flick and suck lightly on her clit.

  Her pussy grinds against my face, while her fingers thread through my hair, clutching and pulling as she comes on my tongue.

  "Get up here," she demands in a throaty tone.

  I wipe her juices from my chin as I obey her command and situate my cock at her entrance. I lean down and kiss her. My mouth slants over hers, while the taste of her pleasure on my lips ramps up my need. My hips move on their own, my cock inching into her pussy.

  Our hips align and we begin moving in rhythm as her pussy squeezes and contracts around my cock and her hands cling to my shoulders.

  I can't hold it back much longer. I was already beyond aroused from going down on her, and now the way her pussy feels has me so keyed up.

  "I need you to come. I can't hold off any longer," I grunt with each thrust.

  "I don't have any more in me. Come. You can make it up to me later," she teases as she lifts her hips up.

  I pick up my speed, and our hips pound against another. My release is imminent so I pull out of her. Even though I know she's on the pill, my worry is still there. My cock thickens and I come, stroking my shaft into my hand. My heart pounds out of my chest, and sweat drips from my brow as I catch my breath.

  "I think that's got to be my new favorite thing," she says breathily.

  "What’s that?" I ask once I've caught my breath.

  "Watching you do that. It's hot and so primal." A smile forms on her lips.

  "I think my new favorite thing is coming home to you naked on my couch." I slowly stand up and walk over to the kitchen to wash my hands.

  "That's a close second, but I vote for watching you stroke yourself until you come." She props her head on her arms as she watches me over the back of the couch.

  "Now, about you coming…." I round the counter and approach her. I kneel in front of her again but she pushes me away.

  "No, no, no. I'm too sensitive. Feed me first and then make me come. Preferably with your cock."

  14

  HER

  I've spent the past several nights at Royce's house, only stopping by my own to pick up clothes. The entire town is still buzzing over having a vet clinic in town and suddenly Effie has a dog, who has chosen my bed as his domain.

  I'm stuffing clothes into an overnight bag when Effie, Willie, and the dog, who she named Zeus, walk down the hall and into my bedroom. Zeus jumps up onto my bed, circles twice, and then lays on my pillows.

  "Hey stranger." Effie flops down bedside the dog. "You here to grab and go?"

  "Well, it looks like my space has been already invaded," I joke, rubbing the top of Zeus's head.

  "He does find comfort in your room over mine. It's strange." She shakes her head.

  I pause my packing and turn to Willie, who is leaning against the doorframe. "I know we really didn't get a chance to really talk about the whole jewelry consignment thing…," I start. "I needed to jump on that whole thing quickly."

  "I got the gist of it, along with the really fucked up message she left us."

  "What message?" I’d heard nothing about any message.

  "Oh shit, I forgot to tell you. Yeah, she called the shop and left a rambling message about lies that we are being told and then she started talking in the third person about the Callaway line. She said we’d be sorry we cancelled the agreement and that we should watch our backs. There was a lot of slurring involved." Willie laughs. "So, I think alcohol fueled that call."

  "Wow. Talk about crazy drama. Let's talk about something better. How's it going with Cyrus?" Effie asks her sister. Willie’s face turns red.

  "Good. Really good." She smiles, looking up at the ceiling.

  "You look like a fool," Effie teases and tosses a pillow at her.

  I’m happy for my friend, but I’m stuck on the previous topic. "Can we back up to the crazy once more? Have you seen any weird stuff around the shop?" I turn the conversation back around.

  "Not really. The door opened and I heard footsteps but never saw anyone. I thought of it more as a ghostly encounter. But nothing seemed missing or anything," she replies.

  "When did that happen?" I ask.

  "A few nights ago. I think it was the same night Royce's place was trashed. He needs a watchdog like Zeus." Effie smiles.

  Zeus's ears perk up at the mention of his name. He's fifty pounds of mutt with the face of a Labrador. His short, multi-colored coat is more silky than wiry, and his honey brown eyes will make you melt. He’s sweet natured and smart, but not the watchdog type. He’s more of the love-dog type, one who likes to nap on the furniture and spend time with his people.

  "Do you think it’s the ex?" Effie asks.

  "She's our primary suspect. But the sheriff’s department hasn’t been super communicative."

  "Interesting," Effie says quietly.

  "What's so interesting?" I ask.

  "What's this lady look like?" she returns.

  "Tall, brown hair, snobby. Dresses like she's made of money."

  "Does she have an overly dramatic tone to her voice?" Effie asks in a voice, which mimics Sylvie’s haughty tone.

  "Yeah, how did you know?" I question.

  "I came home the other night and there was someone like that at our door. She asked for you, and when I told her you weren't here, she seemed pissed off or annoyed."

  "When was that?" I ask.

  "Maybe three or four days ago." Effie shrugs.

  "How the hell does she know where you live?" Willie gasps.

  "Ask anyone in town where anyone lives and no doubt they'll give the address. I'm sure it was that simple. She’d been to Royce's house too, before the windows were broken."

  "So much mystery. This could be an interesting show," Effie says, spreading her hands dramatically. "Set scene: wooded area, lakefront houses, super small town. Crazy rich lady speeds through the streets with broken glass in her hair, pounds on unsuspecting single woman's door, but stomps away when she doesn't get to see who she wants. End scene."

  "You could totally be a storyteller, Ef!" Willie says, bringing the three of us into a fit of laughter.

  "It would be a Lifetime special — a romantic suspense story. When the ending comes, the twist will be that it wasn't even the rich bitch in the first place, but her twin! Dun dun duuuun." We all laugh again, so much that it interrupts Zeus’s nap, so he jumps down and saunters off to find a quiet place to snooze.

  "I've got to get going, girls. I promised Royce I would meet him at the clinic and we'd go to dinner tonight in Chesterville." I zip up my overnight bag.

  "Don't do anything that I wouldn't do," Effie says wiggling her fingers at me.

  "Good, that leaves tonight wide open to possibilities," I return, repeating our usual exchange when one of us leaves the house.

  HIM

  Today has been a merry-go-round of stories as my lawyer and Sylvie's lawyer talk in circles. She's suing me for selling the townhouse without consulting her, despite my lawyer having provided them documentation that her name was never on the deed or any paperwork having to deal with the home. Then she points her finger at me for her jewelry line losing business after Em and Willie’s shop canceled its purchase order. My attorney is trying to make her see reason, to make her understand that it happened at Emma and Willie’s discretion, since they are the owners of the shop. It's become a mess; a mess I wish would just go away. These latest attempts of Sylvie's just prove her instability.

  Regarding the vandalism at my home, the Sheriff’s department has told me their guys took images of the tire tread that was found on the dirt path just after the street gravel ends. They also found faint footprints, likely belonging to a woman in a few locations outside the house. None are clear enough to determine a shoe size, but it’s enough to gauge the way the individual allocates his or her weight on their feet. The lead I'm waiting for the Sheriff’s department to get moving on is the statement from my neighbor who said he heard the breaking of the glass and caught sight of a silver vehic
le. Sylvie’s car is silver, so I'm banking on that putting more suspicion on her.

  I should have been focused on the next patient on my schedule, and reading up on the dog’s file, but instead I walk into the waiting area distracted and come face to face with my ex. Again. Why is she turning up everywhere? She holds a small Pomeranian in her arms, dressed in a black pencil skirt and a matching shirt.

  "Don't you have your own vet back home, what are you doing here?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips.

  "I rather go to where the vets are the best, and the Yelp reviews on this place are amazing. And I was in the area, so why not?" She shrugs, feigning innocence and mostly failing.

  "Sylvie. This is getting out of hand." I pull her by the elbow to the side, away from onlookers. "Whatever shit you're trying to pull isn't going to help your cause. I will get a restraining order if I need to," I threaten.

  "I'm not quite sure what you are insinuating here, but I think you are mistaken. I'm here for my dog, Coco, not you." She turns up her nose.

  I look over her shoulder at our receptionist. "Please switch Cyrus's patient with mine. He can see Coco," I tell her as she nods.

  "But if you're available right now…," she starts.

  "I'm not," I interrupt. You can wait here until Dr. James is available." I walk away, through the door marked “Employees only,” and down the hallway that leads back to the offices.

  Cyrus's feet are up on his desk, he's looking at the newspaper on his lap while eating a banana. When he spots me, he moves his feet quickly, and looks at me with worry evident in his eyes.

  "I'm going to need you to take my patient. I refuse to deal with the owner," I say angrily.

  "Wow, we already have a burn list?"

  "And Sylvie is the number one spot on that list," I reply.

  "Oh shit, what the hell is she doing here?"

  "Apparently here to get her dog looked at. I had the appointments switched. I'll see the next patient on your list if you deal with her."