Perfect Strangers

by LaCroix, Samantha

  Veronica filled the sink and began washing the dishes, almost mechanically. Her mind wandered as she rubbed the soapy cloth over plates and glasses, rinsing them and putting them on the dish rack to dry. She remembered her life before marriage, before university. When she was a teenager she had so many fantasies about what life would be like when she was older. She remembered that she wanted to have children, something Greg put his foot down on very soon after their honeymoon. She had wanted to travel, and go on adventures out of the country. And at night, she dreamed about sitting by a crackling fire, soft music playing in the background, cradled in the arms of-

  "Ow, fuck!" Veronica yelled as she pulled her hand from the water. She looked at the tip of her ring finger and saw that it was bleeding. She had sliced herself with a knife.

  "Honey?" she heard Greg calling from the TV room. "Is everything all right?"

  "Yes!" she called back. "I just cut myself on a knife and now I'm bleeding!"

  "Well … be more careful next time!" Greg called back. That was it.

  Veronica grabbed a piece of paper towel and held it against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. She looked down at the dishes, half-finished and soaking in hot, soapy water. She considered asking Greg to finish them, but she already knew how that conversation would go:

  "Greg, sweety, I cut my finger on a knife and I can't finish the dishes. Would you mind doing them for me please?"

  "Oh honey, but the game is on. Besides, can't you just wear gloves?"

  "Please Greg, it would mean so much to me."

  "Be quiet honey, I think someone's about to score a goal."

  Veronica knew that she had to finish them herself. She went to the bathroom and grabbed a band-aid, putting it around her finger. With that taken care of she went back into the kitchen, put on a pair of rubber gloves, and finished washing the dishes.

  ~~~

  It was about 7 o'clock when she finally drained the sink, the dirty, soapy water swirling down into the pipes below. Veronica heard the crowds cheering again and walked to the TV room. She sometimes sat with Greg while the hockey game played and he watched. She wasn't very interested in the sport, but it was better than being alone in the house that they shared.

  She walked into the room and sat down next to Greg, tucking her feet underneath her. Greg didn't say anything, only kept watching. Someone scored a goal and he swore softly.

  "Who's winning?" Veronica asked.

  "Calgary," Greg answered, whatever that meant.

  She watched the screen as the men in their uniforms flew past one another, keeping the black puck in front of them with sticks. Veronica felt her eyes start to droop down already and she leaned her head on Greg's shoulder. He lifted an arm automatically and put it around her, letting her settle against him.

  The announcer said something and Veronica began to slip off to sleep. Greg played with her hair, running his fingers through it. It felt nice. She could hear the voices on the television merge into one. Her eyes finally closed and she fell asleep.

  ~~~

  Veronica looked out over the edge of the pirate ship, her soft hands gripping the splintered wooden railing. The waters lapped up against the side of the ship, splashing and foaming, almost reaching her fingertips. The ship heaved on the ocean's surface, the call of the seagulls reminiscent of the land she once called home.

  "Lady Veronica," came a voice from behind her.

  She turned her head and saw Emmanuel standing, looking at her. He was bare-chested, the combination of sea-spray and sweat causing his hard body to glisten in the sunlight. The shorts he wore clung tightly to his body, leaving little to the imagination. Veronica kept her gaze at his eyes, of course. She was, after all, a woman of proper upbringing.

  "My captor," she responded. "How nice of you to refer to me by my proper name, for once."

  "I've noticed you looking out at that horizon for some time now. Tell me, what is it you are searching for?"

  "I was simply searching for my home," she replied, turning back to the waters. "It's been so long since I was taken, I need to remember where it is that I came from."

  "Lady Veronica," Emmanuel said, placing a rough, calloused hand on the small of her back. Her breath caught in her throat. "Your home is here now. With me."

  Veronica turned around only to find him looking directly into her eyes. His were of the lightest blue, almost glowing as his gaze pierced her soul. His auburn hair was held back in a ponytail, bound by a leather strap. And his face, with its many faded scars, had seen so much that she would never know.

  "Lady Veronica," he said, his voice barely a whisper above the crash of the waves below. "It is true that you have been on this ship for many nights. And in that time, I believe that I … I have fallen in love with you."

  Veronica felt her knees go weak as Emmanuel slowly lowered his head to hers. Her heartbeat quickened in her chest, her eyelids fluttering shut as she felt his warm breath on her lips. Just as they were to embrace as lovers, a loud, harsh voice called her by name.

  ~~~

  "Veronica!" the voice said, and Veronica was wrenched from the arms of Emmanuel to the cushions of the couch. She sat up quickly, her heart pounding as she blinked around the room. The sounds from the television were gone.

  "What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

  "The game's over," he told her. "Let's go to bed."

  "Oh," Veronica said, the adrenaline quickly seeping out of her. "Okay."

  She got up from the couch and stretched, hearing her back crack. Greg walked in front of her.

  "Were you having a nightmare?" Greg asked. "You were moaning a lot."

  "Oh," Veronica said, trying to recall the dream as the details melted away. "I ... don't remember."

  "Well it must not have been good," he said.

  Veronica thought hard. She could recall the sounds of water and the smell of salt in the air. And there was something else ... somebody was with her, holding her close, and her eyes were closing ...

  "The game was good," Greg said, interrupting her thoughts. "Nick's gonna have a field day at the office tomorrow."

  "Mmm," Veronica replied as her dream dissolved from her mind.

  They reached the bedroom. Veronica changed into pajamas while Greg stripped down to his t-shirt and underwear. They brushed their teeth and climbed into bed, turning out the lights on their bedside tables.

  Veronica turned on her side away from Greg, her arm tucked under the pillow. She closed her eyes as she heard Greg settle on his side of the bed, their bodies not touching beneath the sheets. After a few minutes, however, she felt the mattress shift as Greg moved closer to her, his hand snaking over onto her stomach.

  Veronica didn't respond. She tried to pretend like she was asleep, deepening her breathing and ignoring her husband's advances. But it didn't make a difference. Greg's hand ran up and down her stomach regardless, reaching up to cup one of her breasts beneath her pajama top.

  Veronica felt her husband's body shuffle towards her, his stiffness pressing against her lower back. He began to grind himself into her, squeezing her breast as he did. She felt his fingers pinch her nipple and she winced. Rolling over onto her back, she felt his hand quickly leave her shirt as he yanked down her pajama bottoms, leaving them at the foot of the bed.

  Greg climbed on top of her, his cock already out of his underwear. She felt the cold smear of his precum along her inner thigh as she kept her eyes closed. He pushed his hips forward and tried desperately to enter her, like a blind dog trying to go through a doggy door. He reached down and felt around with his fingers, crudely holding her open while he shoved himself inside.

  Veronica winced as she felt him force himself into of her. He immediately began moving back and forth, his breathing haggard as his weight kept her pinned to the bed. She tried to think of sexy things, to make the act more enjoyable. One of his hands found her breast and he squeezed it hard, like he were trying to pop it.

  Veronica was suddenly struck by a memory, almo
st a lifetime ago, of her and Greg when they were first going out. This was at a time when they were young and couldn't keep their hands off each other. They would make love all night long, taking their time and slowly bringing each other to the point of no return. Veronica recalled how vibrant she had been, how happy she was just to be alive and with the man she loved.

  She felt Greg shudder on top of her and her insides flooded with warmth. He collapsed, breathing heavily, as though he'd just been out running. They hadn't kissed once.

  Greg pulled himself out of her and rolled over onto his side of the bed. Veronica felt the cold wetness leaking out of her, creating a spot on the sheets. She got up and went to the bathroom, cleaning herself up. When she got back to bed Greg was already asleep, snoring loudly.

  Veronica reached under the covers for the pajama bottoms and slipped them back on, climbing in beside her husband. She turned onto her side again, away from Greg, and listened as his snores filled the room. Curling her legs up she tried to think of what she had to do the next day. Shopping. Cleaning. Run errands. Sighing to herself, Veronica closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. It was a long time before she did.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning Veronica made Greg's breakfast for him as usual. She watched him eat it and leave for work (without a word to her all morning, a personal record), before putting something together for herself. She had a walking club meeting at noon and Veronica wanted to get some cleaning done before she left.

  Truthfully, she didn't really want to go to this meeting. She was feeling tired of seeing the same faces, having the same conversations with the same people. But when she looked around the house, realizing that the alternative was just to stay at home, she decided to go.

  She finished what she could of her breakfast and put in some laundry, then cleaned all the outside windows of the house. By the time she had gone through them all it was eleven o'clock and she decided to have a shower before leaving. She stripped down, washed and dried herself, and put on some comfortable clothes before heading out the door.

  Veronica got into the car and backed out of the driveway. As she left for the park the song "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac played on the radio, one of Veronica's favourites. She listened to the lyrics, to Stevie Nicks' weather-worn voice coming through the car's speakers. Outside the car the trees were just starting to turn magnificent shades of red, yellow, and brown.

  Veronica took in a deep breath and exhaled. She watched the scenery zip by, turned a corner and continued along between the rows of houses coupled with trees. There was no other traffic on the road, just people out for walks, taking their dogs out or pushing baby strollers. When she stopped at an intersection a teenage couple crossed the street, holding hands. The boy leaned over and whispered something in the girl's ear, making her smile. Veronica watched them until they reached the other side of the street before continuing on her way.

  ~~~

  When she pulled into the parking lot a few minutes before noon she had the hint of a smile on her face. She saw the walking group standing at the entrance to the conservation area. She recognized the faces, the postures, the small cliques gossiping away together. When she got out of the car the air smelled fresher, cleaner than she remembered. She walked to them, lifting her hand to wave as they all waved back.

  "Hey again!" Nancy said when Veronica was close enough. "You're looking good! I've got some leftover birthday cake here with your name on it."

  She held up a Tupperware container full of squares of cake.

  "It looks delicious," Veronica said, and Nancy beamed as she open the container for her to take a piece.

  "All right gang, it looks like we're all here," Doug, the organizer of the group, called out. Everybody quieted down as he looked around.

  "So before we start I just wanted to introduce a new member to our group. He just moved into town a few weeks ago, so let's all give him a big welcome, okay? Everybody, say hi to Jason!"

  "Hi Jason!" everyone bellowed in unison. Veronica looked around. She didn't remember seeing a new group member when she arrived. Esther, one of the older women, moved to the side and cleared the line of sight between Veronica and the new guy.

  At first glance, Veronica thought that Jason was not the type of person she would want to meet in a dark alley. He looked younger than her, in his late-20s or so, and was wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and black leather boots. He had short black hair and his face was covered in stubble. He more resembled a greaser from the 50's than someone who would want to go on walks with the elderly.

  Veronica stared at him as he stood with his hands in his jacket pockets. He glanced around at everyone as they greeted him, not speaking. He looked calm, only slightly interested in meeting so many new people.

  "Great!" Doug said after the introduction. "So, I just wanted to make a few more announcements before we get going on our walk. First off, Constance here had her third grandchild, so let's give her a big round of applause ..."

  As Doug spoke to the crowd, Veronica continued watching this stranger to the group. For some reason she found herself drawn by his looks. The way he dressed, his general demeanour, it was all so new to her. New and different. As she studied his face she swore she could see the faint traces of scars on his skin ...

  Jason turned his head in Veronica's direction and his eyes caught hers. Veronica started and turned her head quickly, pretending to look at something else. She didn't want to get on this guy's bad side, especially when they hardly knew each other and he looked like that. Her gaze wandered a bit and when she tentatively looked back over to Jason she saw that he was looking away again.

  "All right, I think that's everything!" Doug called out. "Let's get this show on the road!"

  The group all began walking together, falling into groups of two or three and following the path that ran between the trees. Veronica walked beside Nancy but kept her attention trained on Jason as he walked ahead of them.

  "Hey, Nancy," Veronica whispered beside her. "Have you seen that new guy around anywhere before?"

  Nancy looked over to where Veronica was looking, the two of them watching Jason's back as he walked.

  "No, I haven't," she said. "He looks dangerous, though."

  "Didn't Doug say he moved here recently?" Veronica mused out loud. "I wonder where he's from. He doesn't look like he belongs here. In this group, I mean."

  "He does look a bit out of place," Nancy agreed. "I hope he's not living anywhere near us. I'd hate to think that my children would be outside with someone like that walking the streets. Hey, do you want another piece of cake?" she suddenly asked, changing the subject.

  "Oh, sure thanks," Veronica said, reaching into the container and pulling out a square. She ate it absently, her attention still focused on the newest member of the group.

  Jason, twenty or so feet in front of the two women, was walking alone, a buffer of space around him. There didn't seem to be anyone intent on approaching him for conversation, but if it bothered him he gave no impression of it. He kept up with the group at a reasonable pace, his head forward and his hands still planted in his jacket pockets. Every now and again Veronica would catch him turning his head to the side, watching something as they passed by, but other than that he hardly wavered.

  When the group stopped for a break Nancy said she was going to give away pieces of cake before her hips exploded. She walked around to visit the other group members, leaving Veronica by herself. Veronica stood and watched Jason surreptitiously as he pulled out a book out from inside his jacket and began reading. The warm autumn wind blew all around them, picking up fallen leaves and causing the trees to wave.

  Veronica wasn't sure why she was so fascinated by this man. She didn't think he'd spoken a single word since he had arrived, to her or anyone else. She kept focusing on his face, the way his eyes scanned the words line by line, the look of concentration on his mouth as he read.

  "What would Greg say?" Nancy suddenly appeared beside Vero
nica, snapping her out of her trance.

  "Huh, what?" Veronica replied. She spun around to face her friend. Nancy was looking at her with eyebrows partially raised, the open Tupperware container held out in front of her.

  "You've been watching that new guy all morning," Nancy said. "I just think you should be careful. Some people might start getting ideas."

  "What?" Veronica responded, blinking. "I don't ... come on, Nancy, don't joke about things like that."

  Nancy's eyes narrowed for a second. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry," she said. "Do you want some more cake? There are just a few pieces left."

  "Sure, thanks," Veronica said, and she took a piece but didn't start eating it. Veronica's cheeks became hot as she watched Nancy turn back around, walking to other members and offering them cake. Veronica noticed that she specifically avoided Jason, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

  "Okay gang, break's over!" Doug called out. "Let's keep truckin'!"

  Veronica shoved the piece of cake in her mouth, brushing the crumbs off her front and quickly glancing over at Jason. He was tucking the book back into his jacket, his expression one of calm solitude. She looked away, not wanting to be caught staring again. Nancy came over to join Veronica, a smile on her face as she held up the empty container.

  "All gone!" she said and Veronica forced a smile as she swallowed her own mouthful.

  The group began to move again and this time Veronica purposefully looked at everything but Jason. Nancy started chatting, talking about her family and what they were doing this upcoming weekend. Veronica only half-listened, muttering a reply every now and again.

  Chapter 4

  An hour later the group finished their walk, having circled around the conservation area and reached the entrance again. The members all said goodbye to one another as they departed for their cars. Veronica walked to her own car, taking her keys out of her purse as she did. As she was unlocking the driver's side door she glanced up and saw Jason get into his own car a few parking spaces away.