Charlie and the tramp
Vanessa felt wonderful after her workout. She was getting strong - stronger than ever before. Her abs were more defined every day. She and Angelica managed to get through the training without making it too obvious that they were lovers. They spent many afternoons together, making love and talking about music, art, and whatever else they wanted. Vanessa enjoyed the feeling of being with someone who knew nothing of her sordid background. It was liberating, and it helped Vanessa imagine that her future would be better than her past.
She parked at the restaurant where she'd ordered a salad for take-out. A salad. Not long ago, she would have ordered a burger. Her diet had improved a lot since she'd started working with Angelica. She knew Jon would approve. As she walked toward the door, she saw a familiar face.
It was Charlie, the husband of her friend Pam. He was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette, and he recognized Vanessa immediately. "Hello there, gorgeous," he said.
The smoke from Charlie's cigarette smelled wonderful. "Oh God, let me inhale some of that," she said.
"What, are you trying to quit?" he said.
"Trying. Still using nicotine patches and gum," she said.
"I can give you one," he said, holding out his pack of cigarettes.
"No thanks. Not today," Vanessa said. "How's Pam?"
As they talked Vanessa remembered all the sad things Pam had told her about Charlie. He'd cheated on her so many times that she could never trust him again. The only reason they were still together was that they had a child. Pam said she would never get pregnant with Charlie again, and it made her sad because she would have liked to have another kid. But Charlie would always be a cheater. He'd had a particularly hurtful affair with one of Pam's cousins, making it awkward for her to visit her family.
It was easy to see the problem. Charlie was handsome in a sleazy, bad-boy way. He was a smooth talker. His tattoos would appeal to some women. She could see why he appealed to slutty girls who didn't care if they slept with a married man.
He was flirting openly with Vanessa, not caring that she was friends with his wife. Vanessa started flirting back. Charlie was like forbidden fruit. Tempting, but completely out of the question. Still, there seemed to be no harm in flirting.
She got close enough to inhale his second hand smoke, and he put one hand on her waist. Suddenly, Vanessa realized that she was playing a dangerous game. Charlie was the kind of guy who'd be happy to take her behind the restaurant's dumpster, bend her over, and have sex right there. He was getting excited. She'd flirted too much, and she needed to put a stop to it. Still, it felt good in a sleazy way. It was exciting to see the effect she had on this bad, bad boy. It made her feel powerful.
"I need to pick up my food," she said. "It was nice seeing you, Charlie. Say hi to Pam for me."
"It's nice seeing you," he said, giving her a look that said more than his words. Vanessa pulled away from his grip and went into the restaurant, feeling embarrassed that Charlie had excited her so much.
She was walking past the lady's room when she felt him grab her by the elbow. "I need to talk to you about something," he said, pushing her inside.
Vanessa didn't cooperate, exactly, but she didn't do anything to stop him from steering her into the restroom. "Charlie, I need to pick up my food and go," she said.
"This will just take a minute," he said.
