Maing His Dreams Come True

"Wow, honey. You look nice. What's the occasion?" my husband tossed over his shoulder as he came in the house that evening. He stopped short. "Did I forget something?" he asked nervously.

"Thank you. No, I had a coffee date with Ashley this afternoon, I changed when I left work." I lied, feeling the heat in my face again as I remembered my afternoon with Henry. "How was work?"

"Ugh, they have me doing John's route again, and I was..." he ranted as he walked into his bedroom, and I only caught half of it as he changed. "...And I told him I wasn't going to cover for his ass anymore. What's for dinner?"

I shook my head to clear my mind as I dipped my tea bag into the cup. "I don't know, I was pretty busy today, I didn't have time to make anything. Oh, and practice was cancelled tonight."

"I didn't know there was practice. So, leftovers?" he groaned. "There's nothing good in the fridge." he opened it to emphasize his point.

I glanced into it, even though I already knew it's contents. "Babe. There is half a homemade chicken pot pie, a rack of ribs, and a half a casserole of baked ziti in there. I've cooked something big every night for the past two weeks, I'm kind of burnt out." I said, gritting my teeth to keep from snapping that he should make dinner for once in his life, and that "nothing good" was everything I had made.

"Ugh." he complained. "I'll run into town and grab a pizza. Kids! You want pizza?" he called.

Before I could respond there was a resounding, "PIZZAAA!" from the living room. I sighed heavily.

"The leftovers need to be eaten, Jake." I said, sipping my scalding tea and burning my mouth a little.

"That's why we have chickens and dogs." he said, pulling his keys back out of his pocket. "I'll be back in an hour." he pecked me on the cheek, the stale smell of old food and sweat in his beard almost making me gag before he headed back out the door.

I leaned on the counter and placed my head in my hands. He constantly undermines me, and tries to get the kids as unhealthy as he was. It wasn't worth the fight anymore. I just cooked constantly to keep our meals as healthy and homemade as I could.

*DING*

"Sorry to bother you, I just can't stop thinking about you. Today was wonderful."

I answered back quickly, my mood instantly improved when I saw his name on the screen.

"It was, thank you for everything. I miss you terribly."

I put the phone down and picked up my tea. I did miss him. I wanted to spend the whole day with him.

"I'm grilling pork chops out here, if you can join me."

My heart thudded and my face split into a grin. The kettle was still hot, so I poured a second cup of tea and went to the back door.

"Harvey, are you guys okay?" I called my son, who was 10 and pretty responsible as far as ten year olds go. He usually looked after his sister Loreley, who at 5 was still prone to getting into things she shouldn't when my back was turned.

"Yeah, mom. We're playing Mario Kart." he answered from the next room.

"I'm winning!!" Loreley yelled after him in a squeal.

"No you're not, you're in fourth place." he said grumpily.

"Well, I WAS winning, you just didn't see it." she said. I could almost hear her sticking her tongue out at him.

"I'm going to be in the back yard, come out and get me if you need anything, okay?" I called over the two of them squabbling.

"Okay, mom!" they both answered, and I heard the volume go up on their game.

I smiled, then left through the back door. I could see Henry on his patio, smoke rising from his grill. The evening was beautiful and it had begun to cool off, so it was the perfect time for a tea date. I admired him as I walked through the gate, he really was just so handsome. The muscles in his biceps bulged as he scraped the grill grate, his brow furrowed in concentration. God, he was gorgeous.

"Hey, you. I brought you some Ole Faithful." I said cheerily, setting the cup down on the side of the grill.

He looked up at him in surprise, then at the tea. "I was just wanting some Earl Grey. You startled me, I didn't hear your door." he picked up the cup and blew on it, staring straight into my eyes, and that connection snapped into place again. My cheeks grew hot. "I saw Jake was home, so I didn't know if..."

"He didn't want leftovers, so he just ran out for pizza." I answered, my tone a little clipped. He nodded in understanding.

"I'm the only one that will eat leftovers here, too. I don't like good food to go to waste." He took the tray next to the grill, and had four pork chops on it, heavily seasoned, and drizzled with a sauce I'd guess was his Thai specialty.

"I have to cook these tonight, or they'll go bad." he tossed the first one one, the smell of the spices and meat making my stomach growl. He glanced back up to me. "Would you... Since he went out for pizza, would you and the kids want to join me? If that's not too much... It's a beautiful evening, and-"

"That would be lovely. I don't like them eating the junk that he does. Hang on." I pulled out my phone and texted my husband.

"Just get a pizza for yourself, Henry invited us over for pork chops." I hit send, and immediately got a "K" back. Jake doesn't like pork chops on a good day, so I wasn't surprised.

"We're all set, I'd love to bring them over here for dinner. Thank you." I said softly, and placed a hand gently on his forearm. He reached over and stroked the back of it, his eyes softening as he looked at me.

"I'd happily cook for you anytime." he said, leaning towards me, and brushing a stray curl from my face. I leaned into his touch, craving it. Then I remembered the kids in the sitting room, and pulled back slightly.

"Thank you." I said again, but I could see the slight hurt in his eyes. "It's just.. The kids. I don't want to confuse them..." I said quickly, and he nodded.

"Of course, I understand." he straightened, and a smile came back onto his face. "You took my breath away again, coming over here looking like that. You're stunning." he said, smoothing over the awkward silence.

"Thank you, you're very sweet. I couldn't stop staring at you when I came over here." I grinned at him, and added, "Are you just making pork chops? I'll run back over and put some sides together real quick." I turned to leave, but he grasped my elbow and pulled me back, his eyes were on my house before they dipped to me.

"I'd rather have you spread on that table." He nodded his head towards the ceramic tiled patio table behind him. My stomach dipped again, my pussy clenching at the visual. "But I'm so happy we're having dinner together." he glanced back up towards my house, then leaned forward to brush a quick kiss against my lips.

My heart raced, and I wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss him until he took me on that table. Instead I smiled, and walked back to my house, adding an extra hip sway for Henry's benefit as I did. I peeked over my shoulder at him as I entered the house, and caught him staring openly at me. He flushed bright red, and waved, just a short cute little movement. I giggled, and waved back. I swear, that man made me feel like a teenager again.

I threw together a quick spinach salad, and chopped up some asparagus and bacon to fry up. I cleaned up my mess, took a bowl in each arm, and went into the living room to find the kids exactly where I left them.

"Hey you guys, Mr. Conway invited us over for dinner so we're going over there to eat." I said.

"Is he having pizza?" Harvey asked without looking at me. I fought the internal urge to groan.

"No, we're not having pizza. The cheese makes you sick anyways." I said with my authoritative mom voice. "C'mon, turn the game off."

"Ughhh. Fiiine." he paused it, and both kids finally got to their feet and followed me out to Henry's patio.

He already had the table set, with plates, silverware, cups and drink options, a pork chop on each plate. Two plates had the chops already diced into bite sized pieces for the kids. I smiled, and flushed with approval at how prepared he was. I wasn't use to a man being able to actually act like an adult, hosting a dinner. Jake would rather eat cereal out of the box.

He took the bowls out of my hands and smiled at me appreciatively. "Have a seat, kids and pick out your drinks. I'm so glad you guys could come and keep an old man company."

"You ARE old." Loreley said as she reached for the tea pitcher. I leaned over and got it for her, pouring her drink to save us all a big mess.

"That's not nice, Lor. He's not much older than Mommy." I said, correcting her.

She made a face. "You're old too, Mommy." I made a face of mock hurt at her, and she laughed. "Sorry, Mommy. You're not that old."

I turned to sit down and found Henry was standing there, pulling out a chair for me. I stopped and stared for a moment, then smiled hugely and carefully sat down. That was the first time a man had ever pulled out a chair for me, and it melted my heart. I reached over to start filling their plates, when Henry stopped me with a slight tap to my shoulder.

"I've got it, I'm up." he said, and began doing it for me. I sat back, completely stunned. "How are you liking school, Lor? I bet it's a lot different from pre-school." he said to her.

"Oh yeah it is." she said, digging into her food. "We do words, I'm almost reading now." she said this with pride, and Henry grinned.

"You're going to be reading novels with your Mom before you know it." he said.

"I read comic books, and chapter books for school." Harvey punched into their conversation, clearly feeling left out.

"I loved comic books when I was your age. Who's your favorite super hero, Harv?" he asked as he sat down to his own plate.

"Batman." Harvey said seriously. "He can figure out anything."

"I like Batman." said Henry, "But I was always a Superman guy."

The dinner went on like that for some time, Henry asking them questions, them talking over each other to answer him, enjoying his attention. And in between, he would glance over the table at me, our eyes locking and that electricity singing in that look.

It felt so natural, sitting there together, my children absolutely loving getting attention from Henry. They couldn't tear their father away from his phone during a meal, and they were basking in this. The sun began to sink a little, and Loreley let out a big yawn.

"This has been wonderful." I said, with a sweet smile at Henry, "Really wonderful. But I'd better get these kids washed and off to bed. Thank you for having us over, Henry."

"Yeah, thank you Mr. Conway. The food was really good." Harvey said, pushing his chair away from the table.

I stacked our plates and grabbed the two bowls, pushing in my daughter's chair as I went.

"Thank you for coming over and keeping me company. You two are a hoot and a half." Henry said to their backs as they ran towards our house, chasing each other. " Come back anytime!" he called.

"Aaaandd they're gone." I said, shaking my head and handing him the plates. "Thank you, really. That was incredible. And so nice."

He took the plates, but reached out to put a hand on my waist, his eyes burning into mine. "It really was. It felt so natural. I loved their stories, and seeing you across the table."

I blushed red then, and glanced back to see the kids slamming the back door behind them. Probably going back to their game. I glanced to the side of the house, Jake hadn't come back yet even though it had been a few hours.

I looked back to Henry, and stood up on tiptoes to touch our noses together gently breathing his scent in.

"It was perfect. Thank you." I said softly, and brushed my lips against his. He kissed me back, but only for a moment before letting me go.

"You're welcome. You can come for dinner any time you don't feel like cooking. I love making things for you." he said, leaning forward to kiss the top of my head. "You have a wonderful evening, sweet girl. I'll be here if you can't sleep."

My face felt hot, and my heart was melted. He really was the perfect man. I turned and headed back to the house, a huge smile plastered on my face from the perfect evening, and thoughts of that gorgeous man next door.

Even after showers, bed time books, and getting the kids into bed, my husband wasn't home. Sometimes he worked late, but he just ran to town for pizza, he should've been back by now. I didn't call him, he'd call me if he was in trouble. And we mostly minded our own business most of the time anyways.

I worked out, showered, and was cleaning up the house when I heard the garage door open. I was wiping up the counters when he unsuccessfully sneaked in, stumbling a little.

"Well, hello there." I said drily. "Fun night?"

He stared at me like a deer in headlights. "You're still up?"

I nodded and leaned against the stove. I took him in, obviously slightly drunk, but it was the lipstick on his cheek that caught my attention. It was bright pink and smeared.

"Yup. We had a lovely dinner with Henry next door, the kids were great. Did you enjoy your... pizza?" I didn't feel hate or judgement. Who was I to lecture him about cheating now?

He looked guilty as hell. I hope I was a better liar than he was. "Um, yeah. I stopped at Jimbo's for a drink, and some of the guys were there..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"Uh huh." I said, nodding. At least we were both violating our marriages vows now. "Well, I'm glad you had fun, good night."

"That's it? No talking to? No, "Why were you gone so long?" he asked.

I shrugged, mirroring him. "I stopped caring a long time ago, Jake."

I turned away from him and went to my room without looking back.

The following week passed quickly, and between work and practices, I only saw Henry occasionally in the evenings, but we texted constantly now, We sent each other funny videos, asked a million questions, and missed each other dearly. We even sexted a few times, which was insanely hot, but not nearly enough.

I craved that man like a drug. In just a few short days, I was absolutely obsessed. And he felt the same. As I fell more and more for the man next door, I felt myself pulling away from my husband. Our goodbye kisses just became goodbyes, and as he worked later and later each evening, the kids and I spent most dinners over at Henry's. He was a fantastic cook, and I would often bring sides or desserts over to go with our meal.

On Sunday afternoon, Jake said he was going to go fishing with his friends, and I texted Henry.

"Jake will be gone this evening, dinner at 7?"

I was already smiling, thinking about seeing him again, when he answered.

"I'm making turkey burgers, come on over whenever, baby girl."

I grinned hugely, and sighed deeply. It was strange at first, but I loved it when he called me that. I made a quick salad and grabbed the tray of cookies I'd baked earlier.

"Guys, c'mon! Mr. Conway is making burgers!" I hollered to the next room where they were building lego towers.

"Okay!!" I heard some scrambling, something that sounded like blocks falling, and then two sets of footsteps pounding to the back door. They loved these dinners, almost as much as I did.

As usual, the table was already set, and Henry was pulling the burgers off the grill. He smiled hugely at me, and as his eyes met mine, I froze, my breath caught in my chest. I don't know what that was, but when we made eye contact it felt like the world stopped and it was just the two of us. Harvey asked him a question, and Henry shook his head as if to clear it before turning his attention on my children. while still keeping an eye on me as I set things on the table.

After an hour of a delicious meal, and the children talking nonstop, and Henry and I making that delicious eye contact with each other, a car pulled up to the house. Sasha's car. Henry's eyes went wide as he took in the vehicle parking in front of the house, before his gaze met mine.

"What do you want to do?" I mouthed at him, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew Sasha, but not well enough to know how she'd react to seeing Henry having dinner with us.

"Stay." he said calmly, "Finish our meal, we're just having a nice dinner."

"This is nice!" Harvey said, leaning back in his chair, and yawning. "Henry, do you play any instruments? We're supposed to pick one to learn in music class."

The back screen door opened, and there stood Sasha in her typical khaki pants and button down shirt. She was still a handsome woman, her hair perfectly platinum blonde and pinned up. She was meticulous about getting her nails and hair done every month, and always looked so neat and tidy. She stood on the back step, her arms crossed against her chest, and she finally smiled as she took in the scene of us having a nice family dinner with her husband.

"Hello, there! I wasn't expecting to find you three over here." She said cheerfully, coming up to us. As she got closer, I saw that she as usual was wearing too much make up, the foundation caked on her face to cover her spots and wrinkles, and dark red lipstick to give more color to her drawn and pale face.

"I invited them over for burgers, the kids have been keeping me company." Henry said coolly to her, but not unkindly. He was going to take full responsibility for our being there. My heart swelled as he glanced to me. "Have you had a nice day?"

"I'm sure they're fantastic company. I did, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to go get a shower, but it was so nice to see you all." She patted Harvey's shoulder, before going back into the house.

I let out a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding, and opened my mouth to thank him, for stepping up like that, but before I could say a word I could hear the thrum of Jake's truck coming up the road.

"Dad!" Harvey shouted, before getting up from the table and running towards our house. Loreley stayed where she was, playing with a flower she'd picked up on the way over here. Henry caught my eye, the look there was full of adoration and sadness.

"I didn't think he'd be back before dark." I said, a tinge of sadness in my own tone. "But this was wonderful, Henry. Thank you." I nodded my head towards his house. "For everything."

He nodded and stood. "I always love having you over. You're welcome any time." he said evenly, but his gaze never left mine. Electricity sizzled there, as if our very souls wanted to be closer, touching. My heart ached as I picked my girl up out of her chair, and turned to leave.

I looked back at the gate, and he was staring after us, pure longing on his face. My chest felt tight as I went back into my home. Jake was taking his boots off when I came into the kitchen, Harvey talking a mile a minute at him the whole time.

"And then Josh said he got a dirt bike for his birthday, can I have a dirt bike for my birthday, this year? I promise not to wreck it, I'm almost big enough for a motorcycle anyways..."

"Ssshhhh." Jake said, ruffling our son's hair. "Easy bud, I just walked in the door. "

"I didn't expect you back so soon." I said evenly, as I set my daughter on the ground, and handed her a blue sippy cup of water.

"Yeah, well... The fish weren't biting, so...." He moved towards the door. "I'm going to go shower."

I nodded, but my gaze snagged on a burst of color, right below his ear. I expected it at this point, but it wasn't the fact that he had been with another woman that made my heart pound and my eyes widen.

It was another lipstick mark. And it was dark red.