No Perfect Affair

by Charmaine Galloway

  “I’m married, and I hope you can respect that we can never do this again,” I said bluntly, looking into his sexy, light brown eyes. I had never cheated on my husband in the past, and I hoped David wasn’t the stalker type. I hope he was mature enough to respect my wishes.

  “I respect that, but if you ever want to have another spontaneous night like we just had, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.” He winked at me and put his business card in my purse. I got out of the car and strutted into my home, the home I shared with my husband.

  I walked into the bathroom that was adjacent to the master bedroom and pulled all my clothes off. I turned on the shower and got in. As the hot water pellets hit my body, I exhaled, and then breathed out slowly. My body was still on fire. What a night. What had I just done? Was I crazy? I just had crazy sex on the top of a car of a man that I didn’t even know. A man that didn’t even know my name. I was a character that I developed in my short story, and I loved bringing her to life, even if it was only for one night. Then I let out a giggle and said, “Damn, being her felt so good.” I grinned like a teenage girl crushing on a guy. I didn’t feel dirty; I didn’t feel like a slut. I was just a woman that had a little fun getting her back blown out.

  I wished my husband would allow me to be open and free like that with him. I wished my husband would go hard like David did instead of making love to me so delicately like I was going to break if he was a little rough with me. I frowned at the thought of how badly he wanted a baby. I sighed at the thought of him finding out that I wasn’t going to have any kids, that I didn’t want any kids. I didn’t want to be in this marriage if things didn’t get any better, if he didn’t stop begging me for a baby. If he only knew that I wasn’t going to get pregnant because I was faithfully taking birth control pills, he probably would no longer want to be in this marriage. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this from him. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep faking that I enjoyed making love to my husband.

  8

  Melody

  Rodney and I were back in love again. We had been going out to dinner and making passionate love every other night. He told me that he was not with anyone but me, and I knew he was ready to commit and be in a long lasting relationship real soon. He knew that I wasn’t going to stick around if he wasn’t a one-woman’s man. I loved the time we spend together, and I couldn’t keep him off my mind when we weren’t together. And when we were together, we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other. Sex with him drove me crazy.

  Every time we spoke on the phone, he would tell me he loved me, and at first, I blew him off. I didn’t want him to think that I was giving into him so easily. But then, every morning he texted me good morning, and every night he would text me good night. He would also check on me in the middle of the day, telling me he was thinking of me and that he loved me. At first, I blew him off, but then, he had once again stolen my heart, and I started telling him I loved him back.

  My phone rang, and I searched my purse for it. My heart beat at a fast pace when I saw it was Rodney.

  “Hey, babe, what you doing?” he said in his deep and sexy voice.

  “Hey, you. It’s funny that you called. I just rode by your house. I was going to stop by, but I saw a car in your driveway. I figured you were kicking it with the fellows,” I said.

  “Oh, I’m not at home.”

  “So whose car is in your driveway?” I wanted to know.

  “Just friends.” was his response.

  “Friends?” I was becoming irritated because it seemed that this conversation was about to be all bad.

  “Yes, she lets me drive her car when I need it. But, Melody, you don’t have to worry about her, trust me,” he said calmly.

  I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter because my knees got weak. My daughter was in her room, so I tried to talk quietly. “She?” My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean I don’t have anything to worry about? You got a female’s car parked in your driveway, and you are not at home?” I spat. Now I paced the ceramic tile floor.

  “Yes, babe, calm down. She’s staying with me for a little while, but I’m hardly there. We’ve been cool for a while, and she’s going through hard times. She sleeps on the couch. We are not together, I promise. You don’t have nothing to worry about,” he pleaded.

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” I said and hung up the phone because I didn’t want him to hear the tears in my voice. I couldn’t believe that I had fallen for him again. I had been driving past his house, and I had seen the car parked in his driveway several times, but I thought one of his boys was letting him drive their car while his car was in the shop. I had no idea it was a chick’s car. I was pissed.

  She was staying in his house when he supposedly wasn’t there. The tears came down my face. Then I thought for a second. No wonder he took me to the hotel instead of going to his house. But he told me his bathroom was messed up. “Why me, Lord? Why do I have to keep getting hurt? What have I done to deserve this?” I wiped the tears and went to check on Rayn. She was in her room watching TV. I didn’t want her to walk in on me with me crying . . . crying over a sorry man. I wished I didn’t fall for him so hard. I was too old for this. Too old to keep letting a man use me for sex. Too old to not be in a committed relationship. I needed to talk to someone because I was so hurt. Rodney kept calling me back, but I didn’t answer the phone. I called Sasha.

  She picked up the phone, and I cried in her ear. “Melody, is that you? What’s wrong?” she asked very concerned.

  I wanted to speak, but I couldn’t get my words out because I was sobbing uncontrollably. My heart ached. I tried to catch my breath.

  “Melody, please tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Rodney . . . played me again,” I stuttered. I could hear Sasha exhale. “Girl, I thought you was dying or something. What he do now?” She was nonchalant.

  “All this time we have been kicking it, he got some trick living with him.” Telling her brought back memories. So every time I made love to him, he went home to her.

  “Girl, you need to kick him to the curb and stop going back to him. He ain’t ready to settle down.” She hissed like it was her in the predicament.

  “I am so done with him. I thought if I gave him another chance, he would see that I am the woman that he needs.” I cried some more.

  “Mel, you need to dry your tears and get over him. He has hurt you too many times. He’s crazy to be kicking it with you, taking you out, and he got a chick in his bed.”

  “Well, he said they ain’t sleeping together.”

  “And you believe that?” She sucked her teeth.

  I didn’t know what to believe. I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired.

  “Girl, if you can’t keep the relationship y’all got without getting your emotions involved, then you need to move on. But I know you’re looking for love, so it’s hard for you not to get your feelings involved.”

  “He kept telling me he loved me. Why would he do that? He needs to just leave me the hell alone,” I said as I sat down at the table. I rubbed my throbbing temple.

  “He probably do love you, but he’s just not ready to settle down yet.”

  I needed to get myself together. Here I was acting like a teenager crying over a stupid guy. In the past, if I found out I was being cheated on, I would walk away from the relationship with no turning back. But with Rodney, I didn’t know how to just let him go and not give him another chance. He has broken my heart in the past, and he continues to break my heart. Why do I allow him to have such a tight hold on me?

  “Mel, are you still there?” Sasha said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “Yes, I’m still here,” I moped.

  “Don’t let him keep pulling you down. He’s fine and all, but he ain’t worth it.”

  “Why you hook me up with him?” I hissed playfully.

  “Girl, don’t put that blame on me. I warned you, but you let him get yo’ c
ookies; now, you all in love with the D.” She laughed.

  “It’s so hard for me. I’m tired of meeting new men, and they end up being losers. I figured why not just deal with the men in my past,” I explained.

  “Because the men in your past got issues too. That’s the reason they are in the past and not in your present,” she smirked.

  “Ugh, I’m just going to be single for the rest of my life.”

  “Girl, stop moping around. Your time will come when it comes,” she pacified me.

  “I’m glad I called. I needed to talk to someone. Girl, he’s still texting me saying that he loves me.”

  “If that was me, I would keep spending his money, and I would call him when I wanted him to sex me down. Girl, you know you was all cranky when you weren’t getting you none, but now that he’s been tappin’ that, you’ve been in a good mood.”

  “Girl, shut up,” I laughed; then I continued. “Hold up. You talking about me getting some. What happened to you last night? Why did you leave the club with that stranger?” I wanted to know.

  “Girl, it wasn’t nothing. I had a headache, so he took me to get something to eat, and afterward, he took me home.” She was clear with her words.

  “Girl, you better stop getting in the car with strangers. I don’t want to see a picture of you on Nancy Grace.”

  “Whatever,” she replied, and we both laughed.

  We said our good-byes, and I told Rayn to get ready so we could take a ride. I thought it would be a good idea to go to the mall. I needed to shop and buy a nice outfit to wear, so the next time I went to the club, Rodney would be mad that he messed up a good thing.

  9

  Asia

  “Babe, you are looking good tonight,” Lance said as he looked me up and down.

  “Thanks, you ain’t looking too bad yourself,” I smiled and kissed him on the lips. The waiter had just walked us over to our decorated table. We were at a nice Japanese restaurant downtown. Lance complimented me again on how I was looking. I had picked him up from his house, and when I walked in, he told me that I looked too good for him to not get a taste. I didn’t think that he was gonna yank me in his house and take me straight to ecstasy while I tried to balance myself against his living-room wall. But he did, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Now, thirty minutes later, we were sitting across from each other about to have a nice dinner.

  “Do you know what you want?” I asked. Yes, I was paying the tab. I didn’t mind doing that, especially after he just took real good care of me.

  “Um, yeah,” he replied as he scanned the menu.

  When the waiter came, we ordered wine, and then our meal. I had been spending more time than usual with Lance because Steve was going to be getting out of jail tomorrow. I had not told either one of them about the other. I was torn, and I didn’t know what I wanted. I mean, I loved spending time with Lance. He was sexy and all that, but I hated when he had to work. He was a truck driver. Sometimes he would be gone for days at a time. During the time he worked, I would get bored and miss him a lot. But I didn’t complain because he had to make that money.

  Lance and I had met at the grocery store. We were both in line to buy some fresh fish, and he was standing in line behind me.

  “What’s up, pretty lady?” he said softly, but his voice was still deep.

  Was that every man’s pickup line? “Hello,” I said. He then asked me what type of meat I was buying. I thought that was very rude to be all in my business, but I told him anyway because he was gorgeous, and he smelled so darn good. I had to turn around and look him in his dark eyes. Then my eyes traveled down to his lips. I just stared at him as he talked. I watched his plump lips form the words that he said. And I couldn’t help but to notice his bulging biceps through his shirt. After our conversation about the foods we enjoyed, he gave me his number, and we talked on the phone a few times; then he invited me out on a dinner date. And the rest is history.

  “Ya know, Asia, lately, I have really been enjoying our time we spend together,” he said, breaking me from my thoughts. He lifted his fork to his mouth.

  “You know what, Lance? I have been enjoying myself with you also. You are so naughty, and I love it.” I gave him a seductive smile.

  “Girl, you just want me for this wood I carry,” he smirked.

  Hell, yeah, is what I wanted to say. “Babe, you know you do me right under the sheets, but you know I like the way you make me feel, no matter what we are doing.” I ain’t gonna lie. I did have some weight issues. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but Lance never made me feel uncomfortable with the extra weight I was carrying. On the other hand, Steve had complained about my weight in the past. He would make little jokes, telling me that I wouldn’t get no smaller eating and sitting on my behind all day. But since he had been locked up, he has been really pleasant with me and telling me that when he gets out, he is gonna be the man he needed to be for me and the kids. Melody said that was just jail talk. But I really wanted to be with him because we had a child together. I knew that having three kids by three different men wasn’t the wisest thing I’ve done in my life. That’s the reason why I wanted Steve and me to work out. But I would have to hold on to Lance for a while, just to see where Steve’s head was really at once he was home.

  Lance and I have been dating for six months. He had never met my kids. I didn’t play that. I may have had a lot of relationships in the past, but I rarely brought men around my kids. I’ve heard so many horror stories about men molesting their girlfriend’s children. I would have to kill a mofo if they even thought about touching my kids. Whenever I’m in a relationship, the first thing I tell a dude is that I have three kids and that my house is off-limits. If he wanted to court me, then we would have to find other places to kick it. Then I would add in a little joke, “If you ever want to meet my kids, rent the movie BeBe’s Kids. Yes, they are all up-and-coming actors. They got their own movie.” The men would laugh, but they didn’t know I was dead serious.

  “Babe, thanks for dinner. The food was delicious,” Lance said, snapping me from my thoughts.

  “Yes, the food was great here. This was my first time here,” I said as I swallowed the last bit of my shrimp stir-fry.

  “Don’t you want to come and spend the night with me tonight so I can have my dessert?” Lance asked as he grabbed my hands from across the table.

  That didn’t sound like a bad idea, but I had to pick up Steve early in the morning, and I knew if I stayed with Lance, I wouldn’t have the energy to get up on time. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take a rain check.” I poked my lip out and continued. “Remember I told you I have family coming in from out of town? I have to pick them up from the airport in the morning,” I lied. It took me weeks to think about what I was going to tell Lance about why I wasn’t going to be spending much time with him. I had no clue what I was going to tell him.

  * * *

  The kids were all geeked up when I told them I was picking up Steve, especially Angel. She really missed her dad, and I prayed that he would come out and be the father that he promised her he would be. I didn’t want him to break her heart. I had faith in him because he was a good father, but he would always run the streets. However, he told me that he would look for a job and make his money the legal way this time.

  * * *

  “Asia,” I heard a voice yell my name as I was sitting in my parked car in front of the Madison Correctional Institution. It was a two-hour drive, and I had driven a hundred miles an hour to get here on time. I turned my head to see Steve walking toward me with a bag containing all his belongings. I smiled and walked toward him.

  He dropped his bag, lifted me up, and hugged me as my hair blew in the wind. “Girl, you are looking good.” He smiled; then he kissed me hungrily.

  “If you don’t put me down . . .” I said after we unlocked lips. It felt as if he was going to drop me.

  “I’m so happy to see you.” He hugged me tighter.

  “I’m happy to see you to
o.” I smiled at his excitement.

  “Where are the kids? You didn’t bring Angel with you?” He looked through the car windows.

  “Nope. They’re at home waiting on you,” I said as I walked over to the driver’s side door to get in the car.

  “I like this new ride you got. So, this is what the new Invader Lexus SUV looks like. This is sweet.” He grinned like a boy with a new video game as he drooled over my car.

  As we drove, he looked out the window, amazed at the changes of the scenery, like he’d been locked down for ten years. I wanted to ask him why he was so excited. Ain’t much changed in two years. But I left him alone because I knew he was just happy to be from behind those walls.

  “I picked you up a few things from the store yesterday,” I said, breaking the silence.

  “Aw, thanks, babe. I know in the past you would spend a lot of money on me, and I want you to know I appreciate that. But this time around, I’m going to take care of you. I’m going to keep me a job. I might not make as much you make, since you got a degree, and all I got is a high school diploma, but I’m going to get what I can get so I can help with everything.” He was serious with his words as he looked in my direction. I just kept my eyes on the road. He continued, “I’m going to be the man I should have been before I went to prison. I’ve learned a lot from people in the pen. The things that I learned most was to be there for the people that had been there for me when I needed them. To never take life for granted. I met dudes that had life without parole. They would never have that quality time with their kids again. And to be the best father that I can be. I want to be a good man so my daughter will know what type of man she should deal with when she gets older.”

  My heart fluttered. I was touched by his words. It really seemed like he was going to be a changed man. I just sat back, drove, and listened to him talk my ear off the whole way home about how he was a changed man.

  10

  Sasha

  Today had been a long day. I had to work overtime, and my feet were killing me. I couldn’t wait to get home, take my shoes off, lie back, and read a good book. When I walked through the doors of our ranch-style home, I heard the sound of Marvin Gaye singing “Let’s Get It On” in the background. Oh my Gawd, I hope my husband wasn’t lying on the couch butt naked waiting to have sex with me. That has happened many times before. I told him he needed to give me a warning or something. The last time he did that, I walked through the door with Melody. She hasn’t been over my house ever since. Don’t get me wrong. Jonathan has a nice body, but who wants to see someone else’s husband butt naked standing at the front entrance screaming out “Surprise!” with his cowboy boots on with Maroon 5 singing “Animals”?