Affairs

Before I knew it, morning had come. I woke to find Sammy in the same position she fell asleep in. I pulled my numb arm from beneath her head slowly then made my way to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

I turned the pot on then looked around the room for clues about who Sammy is. Photos of happy days line the window sill above her kitchen sink. Unfamiliar smiling faces and places I’ve never been grace what must be one of her favorite places in the house. Her kitchen is clean and organized, the chrome and glass was streak-free. I looked back to her coffee pot and realized it wasn’t the fastest so I made my way into the living room. The room was bright with the morning sun. I scanned the room. Her fireplace was clean with a large fake plant inside. On the opposite wall was her entertainment center. I was drawn to the massive system but quickly distracted by photos. Every photo displayed here was in a more formal setting as if they were attending a black tie function. Sammy looked stunning in each photo; her various hair styles and attractive friends drew me in. Sammy’s glow draws your attention in her direction.

I reach for a photo of Sammy alone, dressed in a sequined dress that pales in comparison to her own sparkle. Without thought, I take it off the shelf and look closer. Moments later, I feel a presence in the room. I turn around to find Steve at the window. I put the photo back where I found it and quickly made my way to the door. I open it and step outside with Steve. He quickly starts the conversation, “So, you stayed here last night?”

“Yes.”

“Is she awake?” Steve said calmly.

“No. Not yet.”

“Got any coffee?”

“It will be done in a minute.” I responded quickly, hoping to keep him outside as long as possible so we don’t interrupt Sammy sleeping. I look out across the yard to the adjoining field. Livestock graze quietly in the morning fog near the mountain. It must be wonderful to be able to wake up with someone like Sammy every day then walk out to a peaceful view such as this. I envy every day that Steve arrived home to find Sammy waiting on him with dinner and a smile.

I’m then distracted by the gurgle of the coffee maker just on the other side of the window. Without word, Steve and I made our way back inside. We made our cups and quietly took our seats at the table. I hated this uncomfortable silence between me and my long time best friend. I was torn between being mad at myself for allowing this to happen to begin with and the fact that Sammy would have never known the truth about Steve and Janie with out this happening. I also know Steve well enough to know that I should not let my guard down around him. He has a very short fuse and could blow up at any moment. Steve is taller than I and about 60 pounds heavier. I have always said that he is one man I don’t want to fight.

I look in Steve’s direction and find him staring into his coffee. As I turn away, I see Sammy standing in the door to the hallway naked. The sunlight from the window exaggerates her every curve. She places one finger to her lips then returns back down the hall and disappears into the bedroom. I return to my coffee, pretending like I hadn’t seen her. Moments later, Sammy re-enters the hall dressed in an old t-shirt and sweats. She makes a cup of coffee in the kitchen then turns to our direction. Steve and I watched every move she makes. She took a sip then began to walk our way; careful not to spill the hot liquid. She placed her cup on the table then looked at Steve. He gave her a half-hearted smile. She bent to kiss him on the forehead. A twinge of jealousy reared its ugly head in the pit of my stomach. She turned in my direction then kissed me on the cheek. Backing away, she looked me squarely in the eyes. I see so many things in her expressive eyes. I watch as she backs away; seemingly in slow motion. She takes her coffee and exits to the back porch without a word.

Steve and I, still sitting at the table, pass a look that read, “What now?”

***** What now? *****

I grabbed my empty cup, refilled it then joined Sammy outside. She turned to see who was coming out as I opened the door. She was standing barefoot in the grass. The sun made her glow even more apparent to the naked eye. She smiled warmly then returned her gaze out into the fields. The fog was now a shadow along the ridge of the mountain. The smaller animals in the field frolicked and played around the larger grazing animals.

I mustered up every ounce of confidence I had then began to move towards her. I came to stand beside her placing my free hand on the small of her back. She flashed her eyes in my direction then put her arm around my waist; placing her head on my chest. We sipped our coffee in silence but I could feel Steve’s piercing stare from inside. Without looking, I knew he saw us here when he refilled his own cup and I knew he wouldn’t stay inside long. “Sammy, I think I should go soon. You guys should talk.” I said to her in an understanding manner.

She looked up at me and said, “Ok.”

“Can I call you later?”

“If you’d like.” she said sweetly. “Any time. I’ll be here.” She then finished her cup of coffee as Steve opened the backdoor. Sammy and I turned to greet him. “Good morning.” says Sammy to Steve. His only response is a nod.

I finished my second cup then let myself back inside to gather my things. When I returned to the porch, I found the two standing at the far end of their yard. I put my things in the truck, yelled my farewells to them and drove away. My head filled with questions, emotions and thoughts. I called some local friends and made plans to play golf later that afternoon. Even that didn’t seem to help. I sliced and hacked at the ball so much that it aggravated everyone on the course. After the 9th hole, I called it a day by buying a round of drinks from the beer wenches for my friends and left the course. I went home, showered and ate some lunch in slow motion as the day seemed to drag on.

I got comfortable on my couch when the phone rang. I decided quickly to let the machine answer it for me when I heard Sammy’s voice. I grabbed the cordless, pushed the appropriate button and said, “Hey!”

“Hey. Are you free for dinner?”

“Tonight? What time?” I respond.

“Around 6:30.” she said.

“Sure. How is everything?” I said with concern. I had felt bad about leaving her there without knowing Steve’s mood.

“Everything is okay. That’s why I’d like to see you tonight; to discuss the situation.”

“I’ll be there.” I said without hesitation. I listened to her quick good-bye then pushed the off button on my own phone then tossing it at my feet. I readjusted on the couch and fell asleep. When I woke up, it was 6:15 and I was running late. I called Sammy to buy myself another twenty minutes then quickly dressed. I slid my feet into some boots, grabbed the keys from the counter and ran out the door. I was cruising down the highway when I saw a squad car coming in the opposite lane. I looked down to see I was driving fourteen miles over the legal limit. He quickly whipped around and flipped on his lights. I pulled over immediately and gathered my paperwork from the sun-visor pocket. Reaching for my wallet, I’m surprised to find it wasn’t there. I checked the other pocket; nothing.

After a twenty minute delay on the side of the highway, I drove away with two tickets. As I got closer to Sammy, I tried to block out all the negatives and consider what I might expect. I drove in and parked with a clearer mind. Stepping out of my truck, I’m welcomed by the scent of warm bread and hickory smoke. I tapped on the window of the back door then let myself in. Sammy was standing on the other side of the bar. My vision of her wasn’t clear due to the steaming pots between us. She steps to the side, passing me a quick smile before returning to chopping lettuce. “Smells great.” I said as I made my way around to her. “Sorry I’m late.”

“That’s no problem. As you can see, I’m running behind too. Janie came by today.”

I considered this for a moment then said, “Oh, really?” in a concerned tone.

“She wanted to make it clear that she didn’t want Steve for more than sex. She basically said that Steve was miserable and that it would be a bad idea for us to break-up.”

I tried to remain unbiased. These were decisions that only she could make. “It didn’t get ugly, did it?”

“No.” she said with a laugh. “I loath fighting. I just told her this was none of her concern. She was only here a few minutes. I don’t appreciate drop-ins. This is not a beauty salon; its my home.”

I laughed at her analogy. I can relate to how she feels about people who come by unannounced as I too appreciate my privacy. I looked around the kitchen. Without another word, I began to help by setting the table and making drinks. Soon, we were enjoying a feast exchanging few words. We were almost finished eating when the doorbell rang.

***** Who is it? *****

Sammy rose to her feet quickly, making her way to the door. “Who is it?” she called to the other side.

“It’s me.” says a male voice.

Sammy shot me a concerned look then opened the door. Steve walked in with one arm full of flowers, the other arm was escorting Janie inside. “These are for you.” he says while handing her the arrangement. Steve took Sammy’s seat at the table and began picking at her food. “I didn’t expect to see you here tonight, John.”

“And I didn’t expect you and your ‘friend’ tonight. What do you want?” says Sammy angrily.

“Janie said she came by here today.” returns Steve.

“And?” says Sammy as if she’s already had enough.

“And, we came over so she could apologize. She had no business showing up here unannounced.” he said to Sammy then glared at Janie as if he expected her to start speaking.

Sammy quickly jumped in, saying “Will I get an apology for this unannounced visit? As you can clearly see, I have company and I only made enough for two. So if you would kindly leave….”

“Fine.” says Steve harshly before taking a huge bite off her dinner roll then throwing it onto her plate. He took Janie by the hand and left, slamming the door behind them.

I felt very uncomfortable about the whole situation. Sammy returned quietly to her meal. I finished mine and thought about Steve and Janie. Unlike Sammy, who is short and petite, Janie was a lanky 5’9-ish with huge breasts. Sammy dressed very comfortable and casual while Janie dress was extremely provocative. They appeared to be polar opposites but it was obvious that they had more in common than the surface revealed. Janie seemed more like Steve’s type; busy bodied and overly focused on their strengths. I found the silence with Sammy comforting and noticed that she enjoyed solitude as much as I.

Sammy wiped her lips with a napkin then began to clear the table. She made a trip across the kitchen insisting that I just sit and relax adding, “It will only take a minute.” On her second trip back, she stopped at the pantry and took some items off the top shelf.

She returned to the table carrying a bottle of tequila, the good stuff, and two shot glasses. She didn’t offer or ask; she just began pouring drinks. We toasted with the first drink, ‘To better times ahead.” She quickly slammed a second shot then began pouring my second (her third). We swallowed them together. The fourth shot she toasted to ‘Pissin’ in the wind.’ I tried to slam mine but midway through, I realized what she said, busted out laughing and spit my drink across the table. This sent her into a giggling fit. She tried to regain her composure and wiped the tears away. She picked up the bottle and her glass then headed towards the den. I quickly followed, noting her slightly inebriated walk. She sat the bottle and shot glass on the coffee table then slouched down on the couch. She kicked her feet up onto the table and grabbed the remote.

I sat nearby but not next to her. I watched her flip through the many commercials and goofy shows until she found the music channels; stopping when she heard a tune she knew. She mouthed the words while pouring each of us another shot. “I’m drunk.” she announced afterwards. I could only smile. She then wiggled around on the couch until her head was in my lap. She faced the television on her side. Before I knew it, she was sleeping. Quietly and slowly, I lifted her from the couch then carried her limp body to her bed. I placed her on her side between the sheets and covered her with a blanket. I put her flowers in a vase, cleared the kitchen table and loaded the dishwasher. I put a note on the bar and left, locking the door behind me.

Arriving back at my place unusually early, I showered and went to bed. I fell into a deep sleep rather fast. I felt like I had only been laying there for a few minutes when I felt a presence at the foot of my bed. Gently, this presence eased onto the bed with their weight on each side of my feet. I soon realized that this person was crawling up me slowly. I opened my eyes only to see the clock radio on the opposite wall. It read 3:44am. I blinked trying to focus to no avail. The person continued towards my face while I lay perfectly still. Inhaling, I sense a hint of a familiar smell. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the way it made me feel. Soon, I heard a female voice whisper, “John?”

I reached my hand upward to feel who this might be in hopes that it was Sammy. But how would she have gotten in my house? It was locked. My hand finds long, curly hair and I quickly realize its not Sammy. I leap from the bed and turn on the lamp to find Janie kneeling in the center of my bed wearing high heels and a sheer red teddy. “What are you doing here? How did you get in?”

“I’m a bad girl, John.” she said playfully. “I’m here because you want me to be.”

“I what? Are you delusional?” I respond. I can tell that it won’t take long before I become irritated with her.

“I saw the way you looked at me. You….”

“You misread that! I was shocked to see Steve with a slut.”

Her face flashes an insulted look in my direction. “Little Miss Innocent can’t do for you the things I can. I know everything about her.”

“Obviously, you don’t. You need to leave.” I said sternly.

“Okay.” she said as she scooted to the edge of the bed and rose to her feet. “But when you get bored with her like Steve did, you know where to find me.” She slowly slipped into her trench coat while trying to entice me with her stance.

“I do know where to find you, Janie.” I said as I took her by the arm and escorted her back to the door. “Know this, that is one place you won’t see me. If you come around here again, I will have you arrested for trespassing. Understood?”

Her response was simply an evil grin. “We’ll see about that.” she said as she disappeared into the night. I waited on the porch for her to leave. It took her several minutes to walk down my long driveway to her parked car by the street. She started the car and sped off, throwing rocks and dirt into the air. I saw her turn the headlights on as she topped the hill. Soon, her taillights disappeared down the other side leaving me standing in the cool night air.

I went back inside to get a drink of water from the kitchen. An uneasy feeling swept over me. “Sammy.” I said. I looked around the room to try to figure out what it was I was sensing but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I slid on some shoes and ran out the door to my pickup then flew to Sammy’s house. Janie’s car was parked in the street. Steve’s car was parked halfway down the drive and Sammy’s car was parked in its usual spot out back. The back porch lights were on, too. I parked about half a block away then walked to the house. As I came closer, I could her shouting and angry voices. What could be going on here at this time of night?

I walked down the sidewalk and tried to peek into the windows through the curtains but I couldn’t make anything out. I lightly knocked on the door then tried the handle. It opened with ease. “Look! I’ve had enough of this! Why can’t you two just leave me alone?” Sammy shouted.

I walked into the room. All their eyes turned quickly in my direction. “What are you doing here?” says Steve.

“I could ask you the same thing.” I responded.

“You have no right…” he began

I interrupted, “I have every right when Janie comes to my place, breaks in then crawls into my bed. This is my business.”

Steve turned to Janie and said, “You did what?”

Janie said nothing. She shot me an angry look then turned to Steve innocently. “Steve, she’s wearing a red teddy and nothing else under that coat.”

Steve’s eyes became wild with anger again. He took a few large steps then tore open Janie’s coat to find that I was correct. “You bitch.” he said to her.

“What are you so angry about?” says Sammy. “I thought there was nothing between you two but sex. Is there something more I should know?”

Steve became flustered. He grabbed Janie much like I had earlier then threw her out the door. “This is not over.” she screamed at him. Steve slammed the door and turned the porch lights out as if no one was there. Janie stood there for several minutes yelling obscenities.

Steve’s tone changed from anger to sincerity when he said to Sammy, “I am sorry. I think I should go.” With that he turned to leave. As he passed by me, he gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder and said, “Take good care of her. She’s a good girl.” Steve then left.

“What went on here?” I said to her.

“Dude, you don’t want to know! Would you like some coffee?”

“That would hit the spot.” I said.

We went into the kitchen and started the pot. We then sat at the kitchen table and waited for it to brew. I told Sammy about what had happened at my place. She didn’t seem surprised at all. Sammy then filled me on the events that occurred here. She had already devised a plan to help avoid this situation in the future. Number one on her list was changing the locks on the house. She appeared to be unshaken by the events but my head was still spinning from Janie’s visit to my house. I had no idea she knew where I lived or even who I was.

“Since he’ll be on the road for the next year, I don’t see why I should be in a rush to find a place and move.” she said. “Someone has to take care of this place.”

“I understand. You’re right.” I said.

She drew in a deep breath then sighed. “Can I bum a smoke?” she said.

I have never known her to smoke but I wasn’t going to lecture her about starting either. I went to my truck and pulled it into the drive. I retuned to the kitchen with a lit cigarette for each of us. As she drew in her first puff, I’m reminded of the graceful women in the old movies; the sexy and alluring way they drew in and blew smoke from their extended cigarettes. Her movements as graceful and gentle as theirs. It was clear that this wasn’t her first smoke. The satisfied look she had from enjoying it made me think that it might not be her last.

“So, what are your plans for the weekend.” she says.

“I have none. You?” I said before making my way to the coffee maker. “Cream and sugar in yours?”

“I like a little coffee with my morning sugar, thank you.” she said with a smiling tone in her voice.

We sat in the kitchen until dawn. We exchanged stories of love and hardships. I became to understand her better and realize that she was very sensitive to the things around her. She admitted to feeling drawn to me when we met years ago but never acted upon it. After all, she was engaged to my best friend at the time. We discussed her days as a dancer. She recalled every detail as if it happened hours ago and openly shared humorous stories of her ‘friends from back then’. I find myself inspired by her ability to find the good in bad. Her encouraging spirit makes me want to enjoy life the way she does. I envy the way she is comfortable with herself and her mistakes in the past. I ask a million questions, almost to the point of prying, but I wanted to know everything about her.