Passion In James County IX
Indiscretions
By D.C. Roi
Chapter seventeen
Mitch finished his day's work and, with some trepidation, headed for the Singleton house. He hadn't seen Melissa since they wound up in bed a few nights earlier, and was concerned. She was crying when he left that night, and since she'd avoided him since, he wanted to make sure she was all right.
What Mitch didn't know was that Melissa, torn by conflicting feelings of wanting to make love with him more and guilt over the fact that she had allowed herself to do that already, was trying to avoid further temptation by keeping away from him.
He went up on the back porch and knocked on the door. Melissa answered his knock wearing a plain white twill shirt and khaki slacks. The slacks, while not tight, fit her full body well and displayed her fine bottom wonderfully. The shirt hung loose over her full, firm breasts, and was innocently quite provocative.
"Hi, Mitch," Melissa said. She smiled tentatively.
"Ah...I...I...was, ah, wondering, are you, you know, OK?" Mitch said. He thought his voice sounded funny and felt his face getting hot. He wasn't exactly sure how you asked a married woman if she was upset because you took advantage of her in a weak moment and made love to her.
Melissa believed she'd finally sorted out her feelings since that night with Mitch. She knew what they did was wrong, but wasn't sorry it had happened. She had needed what Mitch gave her desperately. But it couldn't ever happen again. What happened was over and done with and couldn't be undone, she'd convinced herself. She had to get on with her life and not let the past affect her.
"You look like you're warm, Mitch," she said. "Would you like a soda, or some iced tea?"
"Ah...sure," Mitch said. He was surprised how cool she was acting. He'd expected her to be upset. He followed Melissa to the kitchen. She got two cans of soda out of the refrigerator and handed him one.
"Here," she said.
Mitch, not exactly sure what to do, took the soda and sipped it.
Melissa leaned against the kitchen counter as she drank her soda, unaware that doing so thrust her large breasts out against her blouse. "That plan you came up for duties around here seems to be working, doesn't it?" Melissa said. As long as she kept their conversation on business, nothing would happen.
"Ah...um...well, you know, I guess it is," Mitch said, trying not to stare at her chest. "I...I did it as much to make things easier for me as for anything, you know?" He was confused. Powerful feelings were stirring inside him, feelings he didn't want to feel for Melissa. He believed he was starting to fall for Kristin and the fact that being with Melissa was arousing him made him feel guilty.
"Well, whatever your reason was, it's been a positive change," Melissa said. She straightened up and walked back to the dining room.
Mitch followed her. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm trying to make a dress," Melissa said. "I haven't done any sewing in years, but I saw this pattern and thought I'd try it." Sewing was also another way she could keep her mind off him.
"My mother used to make a lot of her own clothes," Mitch said. "And some for us kids, too."
"It does save money," Melissa agreed. She liked having him around. It was nice to have someone to talk to who seemed interested in what she was doing, a friend she could talk with. She and Mitch talked as she continued working on the dress.
Mitch tried to get his thoughts straightened out as they talked. "Should I apologize for what I did the other night?" he mused as he watched Melissa work. He was worried that if he didn't get their relationship straightened out, it might affect his job. He liked working on the farm and didn't want to get fired. "How do I do this?" he asked himself. "What can I say that won't upset her?"
Mitch continued trying to figure out a way to extend an apology and grew more and more anxious as he did. His heart was pounding and his chest felt tight. He'd never been in a more distressing predicament.
Melissa sewed the dress together, unaware of the turmoil Mitch was experiencing. She had no idea how upset he was under the cool facade he was presenting to her. She finished the hem, cut the threads, and leaned back in her chair. "There," she said. "It's finished."
"It looks nice," Mitch ventured.
"It will if it came out right," Melissa said. "Shall we see?" She stood up. "Why don't I put it on? You can tell me how you think it looks."
"All right," Mitch replied. He wasn't sure how she could be so cool. Had she gotten over what happened between them already? For some reason, that possibility bothered him, too. He was really a mess. He wanted to apologize, to remain friends with her, but he was upset because it looked like she wasn't affected by what they'd done. What kind of fix had he gotten himself into, anyhow?
Melissa went into the bathroom, took off of her slacks and blouse, and slipped the dress on. She looked at herself in the mirror, and straightened her hair a little. "What we did the other night was so incredible!" she found herself thinking as she looked at her reflection. "I...I wonder if Mitch still...?" The sudden thought startled her. She didn't dare let anything like that happen again. She had to keep herself under control. Shaking the thought off, she walked back out to the dining room, where Mitch sat waiting.
The dress, a coatdress, was a pretty teal green color. It buttoned down the front, had a shirt-like collar, flap pockets on the chest, long sleeves with button cuffs, and was cinched around her waist by a belt made of the same material the dress was made of.
Mitch's eyes widened when Melissa walked into the room. He thought the dress looked fantastic on her! He swallowed hard.
"Does it look all right?" Melissa asked. For the first time she was aware that Mitch looked uncomfortable.
"Ah...yeah...it...ah...it really looks nice!" Mitch replied hoarsely. "You...you...it looks beautiful!"
Melissa felt herself blushing and realized warmth was spreading through her. It had been a long time since she'd had an admiring comment from a male. If only her husband would be as attentive. "What's the matter with me?" she thought. "I can't let myself keep thinking like this! If I do, I'm going to add to the troubles I've already gotten myself into." "Ah...thank you, Mitch, I, uh, I...you'll have to excuse me for a second," Melissa stammered. She suddenly felt very ill at ease. She turned, went back to the bathroom, closed the door, and leaned against it. "What's wrong with me?" she wondered. "I'm sick, really sick. Mitch is being nice to me, and all I can do is have awful thoughts! I have to get myself under control!"
A voice inside her head joined the conversation. "What's the matter with those thoughts? Come to think about it, what's wrong with what you did the other night? Both of you wanted it, didn't you?" Melissa shuddered. "Look, you know he's hot for you!"
"No!" Melissa said out loud. "No. I..."
"You want him again, and you know it!" her inner voice insisted. "Remember what a good lover he was? You could have more of that, all you need to do is go out there and let it happen!" "No!" Melissa said. "I can't!"
Sitting in the dining room, Mitch heard Melissa's voice and couldn't figure out what was going on. It sounded as if she were talking with someone. Concerned, got up and walked to the bathroom door. "Melissa, are you OK?" he asked.
"Ah...yes, Mitch, I'm fine," Melissa replied. She was still leaning against the door, trying to get herself under control. She wasn't quite sure how she'd let her emotions get away from her again. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"Why don't you just tell Mitch you want to go to bed with him again?" her annoying, lecherous inner voice asked.
Melissa forced herself to walk to the sink. She rinsed her face off with cold water, then she opened the door, and walked out into the hallway.
"If you want, I could make you something to eat," Mitch said. "I mean, you've been busy, and I like to cook and..."
"That's all right, Mitch, really," Melissa said, why was she shaking? "I've taken up enough of your time."
"It's...it's OK," Mitch stammered. "I...it's not a bother. Not at all."
Melissa walked by him, to the kitchen, got some cooking utensils out of the cupboard, and began making dinner for herself. When Mitch began peeling potatoes, she didn't protest. After all, bad thoughts or not, it was nice having him around. They stood next to each other at the sink, working on the meal, each painfully aware of the other's nearness.
Melissa turned, planning to go to the refrigerator to get some things to make a salad. She took one step, her foot caught on rug in front of the sink, and she lost her balance and started to fall.
The next thing she knew, Mitch's strong arms were around her, holding her. She looked up into his face.
