In Between

by Fernández M. A.

  On the other side of the room there was a door, which I assumed was to the bathroom since the opening on the opposite side of the room was his walk-in closet. I walked to the bathroom and opened the door. It was strange to see that apart from the rest of the house the bathroom was blacker than anything. Yes, it had white walls like the rest of the house but the floor tiles were black, which made the bathroom look much darker compared to rest of the house. There was a shower at the end of the bathroom that looked huge and it also had black tiles. There was a black and white tub in the middle shaped like a bowl. On the end opposite from the shower, to the right there was a white toilet and a sink next to it with a mirror on top with black edges.

  I walked to the shower and turned on the showerhead and waited for the water to heat. About two minutes later I saw steam coming out of the top of the shower so I hopped in. After the cool water of the pool it was good to get some hot water onto my body. I looked for the shampoo and conditioner and found the bottles of a very good brand. Next to them were three brushes. At that moment I felt an uncontrollable jealousy. How many women had been in the same situation as me? And despite what he said, was I going to be just another woman in his life? This thought kept bouncing in my mind as the water rolled off my body.

  Chapter twelve

  I was still in a daze, the thought that had just crossed my mind still bothering me, when I heard a knock on the door. and then Tom’s voice.

  “Rachel, is everything ok?” Tom called from outside the bathroom door.

  “Yeah, everything is fine.”

  “Did you find everything you needed?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Ok, the food is almost ready. Come down when you’re done.”

  “Ok.”

  I washed and conditioned my hair to untangle it. I also used a body wash he had in the shower, and in a few minutes I was done. I dried my body, then wrapped the towel around my hair. There were two more towels on the shower sliding glass, so I grabbed one and put it around my body. I came out of the bathroom in an infinity of fog. I walked to Tom’s closet and started looking through his dress shirts. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I borrowed one. I found a light one that would compliment me nicely and put it on. I walked back to the bathroom and started looking for something I could put in my hair. I found wax and mousse and decided to go for the mousse. I applied enough in my hair so that it would look natural but not too puffy. When I was done I put it away and headed downstairs. Already halfway down the stairs I could smell the food and it smelled great. When I got to the kitchen Tom had everything set out, had bathed as well and was fully dressed. He had on some light gray Tommy Hilfiger shorts and a black Tommy short-sleeved shirt. As soon as he saw me a smile crossed his face.

  “Nice shirt,” he said.

  “I thought you’d like it.”

  “Like it. I love it. It looks better on you than it does on me. Maybe you should keep it,” he said, pulling me close.

  “Not too close,” I said. “I don’t have any underwear on. I had to wash it. Can I hang it up somewhere to dry?”

  “You can’t tell me these things,” he said with a mischievous smile. “Now I am so unnecessarily tempted.”

  “Well, control yourself.”

  “Very well, very well. The dryer is through the other door in the gym.”

  “Thank you,” I said as I walked away.

  I made my way to the gym and through the door that did not lead to the pool. I think this was the simplest part of the apartment and still the washing machine and dryer looked pretty modern. I put my underwear in to dry and headed back to the kitchen. Tom called me from the dining room; when I got there I noticed it was smaller than I had expected. It had a six-person table and on it was all the food Tom had prepared.

  “Just as you requested, my lady. Here are your tacos.”

  I couldn’t help but look at him and laugh. “Thanks.”

  I sat down and Tom sat next to me. There were at least ten taco shells, a bowl with beef, another with cut tomatoes, one with lettuce and the last bowl had shredded cheese in it. There was even a plate for sour cream; there were two wine glasses and two plates, one for each of us. He even put out some champagne to drink with our tacos, an odd combination but sweet nonetheless.

  “I hope you’re going to eat at least 6 of those tacos.”

  “Come on, you’re a big girl and you need some food in your system.”

  “And four tacos is definitely enough food.”

  “Ok, fine.”

  We each made our tacos and didn’t stop eating until all of the taco shells were gone. We drank some champagne and then started to take the dishes to the kitchen. I helped him wash the dishes since he had washed everything from lunch while I was in the shower.

  “So what would you like to do now? Do you want to see the library? Maybe read a book?” Tom asked.

  “I do want to see the library, but I’m too tired to read today. Maybe another day.”

  “Ok, that’s fine. How about we go lie in my bed instead?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  We walked upstairs and into his room again. He pulled me onto the bed and I laid on his chest, which felt nice and firm. He grabbed my hand and started playing with it, caressing it softly. Putting his fingers where mine fit so perfectly and then taking them out and he repeated this motion again and again, each time our hands aligned perfectly like two pieces to a puzzle. Then he started drumming on my knuckles while I just laid on him. His hand started sliding up and down my leg softly while I enjoyed every single aspect of this moment. The perfume he had on smelled fantastic. I’m pretty sure it was Lacoste. His touch was the most amazing feeling in this world and I just couldn’t help passing my hand through his hair. It was so soft and yet rough at the same time. It was perfect just like him. I couldn’t help myself and I started kissing him, softly at first, and then the intensity escalated.

  Tom started touching my legs with more force and he laid back against the bed. I got on top of him and started kissing him, on his mouth, on his neck, under his ear, anywhere that might make him lose control. Slowly he unbuttoned my shirt and just stared at me, admiring me, as if my body were a treasure he had just discovered. He started kissing my body slowly and after that I lost myself to him.

  Chapter thirteen

  In that moment everything was perfect. I laid with a perfect man after a perfect situation. His chest was a lot softer than I had felt before but still firm. He caressed my lower back softly and I stroked his arm until we both fell asleep. I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing and immediately fell into a panic when I saw the time. It was twelve thirty pm. Oh crap, I screamed in my mind.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, babe, where are you? I got home from work and you weren’t here.”

  “I’m on my way, Ethan. Some girls from work invited me to go out since they found out that you were working late today. We went to one of their apartments afterwards and stayed talking.”

  “Oh. Ok, that’s good. I hate it when you stay home alone.”

  I definitely wasn’t alone, I thought.

  “Do you want me to pick you up?” he asked.

  “No, it’s ok. Don’t worry about it. I already hailed a taxi and will be home soon.”

  “Ok, see you soon. Love you.”

  “Love you too.” I hung up and shook Tom awake. “Tom.”

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “We overslept. Ethan just called and he’s already at home from work. I have to go.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That I went out with some girls from work.”

  “Won’t he try to corroborate that story?”

  “Not really. Ethan trusts me. But I’ll tell Cindy to cover for me just in case.”

  “Won’t she ask where you really were?”

  “I’ll tell her I went to Brooklyn to get away, but I didn’t want to tell Ethan because he doesn’t like it when I go alone to Brooklyn and even less i
f I get home late.”

  “Ok, perfect.”

  “Now help me get my stuff together while I call a taxi.”

  Tom and I gathered my things together but couldn’t find my purse. He finally found it in the kitchen even though I had no memory of putting it there. I got dressed as quickly as I could and started walking toward the door. I gave Tom a kiss goodbye and he gave me a hug.

  “Can you call me when you get home?”

  “You know I can’t do that, Tom. I’ll be fine so don’t worry.”

  “But...”

  “How about this? As soon as I get home I’ll post a status on Facebook.”

  “Ok, fine.”

  He gave me a kiss and I walked out the door.

  When I reached the exit of the building the taxi was just pulling up. I got in and gave the driver the address to my apartment. He got there in about 15 minutes since there wasn’t much traffic and was driving like a maniac. I went inside and posted the status on Facebook just as I told Tom I would do. He probably wouldn’t like thinking of me with Ethan at home, but I had to post something that Ethan would find normal. So I posted, “Home sweet home. After a long day it’s so nice to have someone waiting for me.” I closed Facebook and walked into my apartment.

  “Hey, babe.” Ethan said as I walked in.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Come give me a kiss.”

  “Can I take a shower first? I feel like I stink and you know how paranoid I am about that.”

  “Sure. Come lie next to me when you’re done.”

  “Ok,” I said as I started to walk away.

  “Honey?” said Ethan, making me stop and turn to face him.

  “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I turned around again and started walking toward the shower, ready to wash all my sins of the day away. I felt ashamed and looking him in the eye was just too much. Why was I doing this? What was wrong with me? Now that I was in my house without Tom close to me and having any effect over my mind I knew that things today had gone much farther than I ever intended them to go. If there ever was a chance for me to run from this situation I had lost that chance tonight. A part of me was forever going to be linked to Tom.

  Chapter fourteen

  I got out of the shower, went into the bedroom, and Ethan was already asleep. So I put on my nightgown, laid down next to him and was soon fast asleep myself.

  I woke up to the smell of pancakes in the room. There was Ethan with a tray that he set in front of me. Five pancakes were stacked on a plate, with a glass of orange juice next to it, and a tube like vase with a rose in it. I couldn’t help but smile. Ethan could be very thoughtful and I loved that. Things like this had made me fall in love with him, but I still found myself switching from Ethan to Tom in my mind constantly.

  “Good morning, babe,” Ethan said.

  “Good morning. What’s all this?” I smiled as I rubbed my eyes.

  “I told you to come join me yesterday in bed. When you came out of the shower I must have been asleep already because I didn’t hear you. I felt kind of bad so I wanted to do something nice for you.”

  “Don’t be silly. It was no big deal. Honestly I was tired too. As soon as I got into bed next to you I fell asleep.”

  “That’s a relief, but still it’s never a waste to do something nice for you.”

  I couldn’t help but appreciate that sentiment. Ethan was so loving at times. Why couldn’t he be like this all the time? I’m sure things between us would be a lot better if he was.

  “So are you going to eat them or just stare at them?”

  “Oh, sorry,” I said with a laugh. “Guess I haven’t fully woken up yet. Let me just brush my teeth and wash my face first.”

  I walked to the bathroom, opened the sink faucet and splashed some water on my face. Tom kept invading my thoughts, but I pushed them away. After brushing my teeth, I went and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Ok, now I can eat,” I said, stretching my hands out and grabbing the tray from Ethan. I dug into the pancakes and heaven exploded into my mouth.

  “Do you like them?”

  “I love them. You know I love chocolate chip pancakes. They’re delicious. Even more so when you pour syrup over them. Thanks for making me breakfast.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, kissing me on the cheek. “I’m glad you like them.

  Ethan left the room and I finished my breakfast, devouring every last bit, even though Ethan had made a lot of pancakes for me. They were just so good; I couldn’t stop eating. I smelled the rose then started to drink the orange juice. By the time Ethan came back in I had already finished my breakfast.

  He grabbed the tray and put it on our bedside table. Then he sat in front of me and started kissing my neck randomly. I couldn’t help but shiver under the touch of his cool lips on my skin.

  “Ethan, I have to go to work soon.”

  “I know. This won’t take long,” he said, and he started kissing me again.

  About twenty minutes later I was getting ready for work and Ethan was washing the dishes. When I finished getting ready Ethan had already finished the dishes and was sitting on the couch reading a book.

  “What time does your shift start today?”

  “At 10.”

  “Ok. Well, I’ll see you after work.”

  “Ok. Bye, honey. I’ll be back around 7.”

  “Ok, bye.”

  I walked to the subway station and took the first train out to work. I didn’t see Tom that morning but around lunch he passed in front of my desk in a hurry, not even stopping to say hello. It was really weird since he always paid attention to me. After everything that had happened yesterday it really bothered me that he couldn’t even stop to say hi for a brief moment. Lunch ended and Tom passed again in front of my desk. This time he was talking on his cell phone, looked straight at me and kept right on walking. Not even a cordial wave. Now I was extremely irritated. Why is he acting so indifferent with me? He didn’t come out again until it was about four o’clock and our shift was nearly over.

  At that moment he stopped at my desk. “Hey, Rachel.”

  “Hey, Tom.” I said sharply.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong.”

  “Then why are you talking like that and looking so serious?”

  “Why would you care? Clearly you can’t talk to me unless you want to or need attention.”

  “Why would you say that? “

  “Are you serious? You walked past me twice at lunch and you couldn’t even bother to say hi. You looked straight at me and didn’t even wave.”

  “I’m sorry, Rachel. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. The first time I was rushing to my apartment because a neighbor called and said there was water flowing from my house. Turns out a pipe had burst. When I came back I may have looked your way but I was so completely focused on the conversation I was having that I wasn’t seeing you.”

  “Fine. Whatever.”

  “Come on, Rachel. Don’t be mad at me, especially after yesterday.”

  “Especially after yesterday you should have at least said hi. You know how hard this is for me. You’re not the one stuck between two worlds.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. But I swear to you, Rachel, I had no intention of hurting you. How can I make it up to you?

  “I don’t know.”

  “How about I take you to dinner after work?”

  “I can’t today. Ethan gets home from work at seven o clock.”

  “Ok. How about tomorrow?”

  “I’m not sure if I can do anything yet. I don’t know what time Ethan works.”

  “Ok. As soon as you know, will you tell me? I want to spend more time with you and the last thing I want you thinking is that I don’t care or that I’m just using you because that’s not the case.”

  “Fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

  “I don’t have your number s
o it’s really hard to communicate with you outside of work. Will you give it to me, please?”

  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. What if Ethan sees messages from you?”

  “That’s easy. Just delete them.”

  “What if he hears the phone ring and it’s a message from you?”

  “Then just put a different name in your contacts than my actual name. Give me your phone.”

  I took my phone off the desk and handed it to him. He started pressing things on my phone then handed it back. “There. Whenever Tamara sends you a text you’ll know it’s me.”

  “Really? Tamara? That is a very uncommon name.”

  “It’s not that uncommon. By the way, you should probably lock your phone. Here, write your number on my phone,” he said as he handed his phone to me.

  I grabbed the phone opened contacts, selected new contact, wrote my number and Me as my contact name. Then I handed the phone back to him. He looked at the screen and smiled. “You could have just written your name.”

  “Yeah, but this is so much more personal. It’s our own little secret.”

  “So does that mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”

  “Don’t push your luck.”

  “But I really am sorry.”

  “Ok. I have to go clock out. We’ve been talking here forever. Reynolds hates it when we don’t clock out and keep talking.”

  I went and clocked out. When I got back Tom wasn’t there anymore. But I received a message at that very moment.

  Tamara: “I had to leave. Plumber called. He finished fixing the pipe that broke. Have to pay him. As they would say in Spanish, Te quiero.”