On this hot and steamy Midwest summer evening, Alex was scheduled to meet his lover, Lori on the outskirts of the town in which she lived. There's a motel just over the town line where she thought she could get away from her life for a few hours to make love with him. It bordered on being a seedy little place; right off the interstate and across the road from a porn shop that attracted truckers looking for a little distraction.
They had complicated, dreary lives and worked hard to carve out time together. The meeting at the motel fit perfectly into the seams of their lives.
Driving over to meet her, Alex reflected on the various adventures he'd shared with Lori over the years. He wondered how he always managed to get away from his life, his marriages, and his obligations, to join hearts with her. They had been lovers for over four years. In fact, their affair lasted longer than Alex's last two marriages. Alex was very conflicted about her. At times, she was a blessing; the only woman who would indulge him in his perverse wishes. At times, she was a curse; responsible for the break up of two marriages and costing him thousands of dollars in attorney fees.
Alex ended a horrible two year marriage hoping that Lori would leave her husband so they could start their lives together. He loved her with unbridled passion. Unfortunately, at the time, she made it clear that she was not ready to leave the security of her home life.
Alex had a tremendous terror of being alone. When it became clear to him that she was not going to make a move, he latched on to a co-worker who had been after him for several months, and impulsively married her. It was a disaster of a second marriage. Alex ignored all the writing on the wall and ended up with a suicidal lunatic for a second wife.
Alex and Lori cooled their relationship for about a year until things started to fall apart for him at home. A few email exchanges and a lunch date launched them back into the fray.
When he arrived at the motel, he checked in, and signaled to her to come in through the back door. She had been waiting in the parking lot. She was anxious about being so close to home, afraid of running into someone that might recognize her. She scooted in the back door and entered the room.
They had met many times before. At times, in fairly unusual locations: empty office buildings, parks, beaches, and once in the corn field about a mile from her home. This particular meeting was fairly typical as far as liaisons go. What made it unusual was the blood and tears involved with the evening.
As Lori entered the room, she and Alex immediately launched into passionate embrace. He kissed her deeply, longing for her soft lips and inviting mouth. They lived for the chance to lose themselves in each other's embrace.
Within minutes, they were naked and sitting on the bed, losing their sense of time and space as their mouths hungrily explored each other. First came the tears. Alex was feeling very emotional this evening and wanted to share his deepest secrets with Lori. Although they had been lovers for years, he never had the nerve to tell her about being sexually abused as a child.
