ACT 15: Therapy
I found myself back at the bar, sitting in my seat, mind wandering in and out of this crazy dream like state. Selena was drying some glasses, the white towel swirling inside the thin cups. She twirled around as she reached down, lining them up under the counter, her wrinkled dress fluttering about around her knees. She knew I was here, but kept busy with her work, shooting me quick glances and smiles.
The crowd had thinned out, leaving only the loud chattering of the remaining drunk patrons. Crashing behind me, the high tide had come in, further than usual, almost reaching the stone stairs that descended down from the bar.
Kat had explained how I felt earlier, with almost perfect accuracy, while also revealing a little about herself. This game we played was nearing an end, I could feel it deep in my soul. Maybe tomorrow would be the day that I removed the catalyst that wrapped around her sexy hips, and we began our vacation anew.
The burgundy button, still resting on the cottage counter, bound me, holding me hostage. Could I escape its clutches, somehow get out from under the weight that bore down on me. I would see in the morning.
A fleeting thought struck me, like a thunderbolt. Would Kat want me to end it? Had she become as entranced by its spell as I had? The warm fluid poured down into my stomach dismissed the idea. Kat was too smart to succumb to its power, she would not let that happen to her. I could feel the soft spray of the ocean on the back of my neck, causing the little hairs to stand up, and making me shiver.
"Deep in thought?" Selena's voice awoke me.
"Yea, just considering the repercussions of my actions." I said, looking into my drink.
"Your actions?" She pressed.
"It's nothing really." I forced a smile and winked at her.
"Do you want to talk?" She poured more whisky in my glass. "I can take a break."
"That's ok." I lied. "I'm good."
Selena turned and rattled off something in Spanish to the bartender across the bar, who was arguing with a couple of drunk tourist. He scowled at her, waving his arm in the air. Selena returned the bottle to the low shelf then raised the bar counter and strutted over to me.
"Come on." Her soft hands tugged at my bicep. "Let's go talk."
I followed her down the stairs onto the saturated beach, our toes sinking into the wet sand. A thin layer of clouds blanketed the night sky, diminishing the sparkling glitter of white dots, making it darker than usual. She pulled me down the edge of the bar, keeping us out of the water.
"I really am nineteen years old, you know?" She giggled, as though she was taking away one of the worries that might have been clouding my mind.
"Yes, I know." I returned, watching her footsteps and placing my feet in the tracks she left. The indentations would fill with murky brown salt water.
She led me around the large pilings, to the dark side of the structure, then leaned against one of the cold concrete piles. The voices of drunks hung above us. Running a finger down my chest and wedging it underneath the band of my shorts, she pulled me close.
"Having doubts about what you and your wife are doing?" She looked me in the eyes. Her hair was frazzled a little, but still combed tight to her round face, her raised lips reassuring me.
"Not doubts." I tried. "Well maybe concerns."
"I told you, I have seen this many times before. Sometimes the couples leave together and sometimes apart." Her face now showing concern.
"I'm not really worried about that." I placed my palm on the pile above her head, to keep me from falling into her.
"Then what?" She tilted her head to the side, eyes blinking.
"I'm afraid that I like it too much. I'm afraid that I won't want to go back to the way things used to be, before this.." I let the sentence hang.
"And how does she feel?" She led me on.
"I'm not sure." I said honestly. "Maybe I'm afraid that she likes it too much also." I looked up into the darkness.
"I see." She whispered. "Live for the moment, and just expect to move on, without any consequences."