Casual Affair

Six o’clock in the afternoon, I’ve let my body rest on the bed before there was that usual knock on the door and for five hours non-stop “rest” would only be another word that would get stuck inside the dictionary. For ten minutes straight I stayed inert, but as soon as my eyes captured the image of the bathtub through the crack of the bathroom door I got up to fill it.
By the end of the bath the clock said it was seven o’clock and finally the common knock that I was awaiting since I got home made itself echo around the, now, almost empty house. I stood up quickly and wrapped myself in the towel, ran down stairs and positioned my hand on the doorknob, the anticipation of feeling that great perfume and that warm skin against mine getting to me and making me shiver. I took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob. A smirk was slowly taking form on his lips and those little blue eyes were mysteriously staring at me, as always. With no words said, Norman approached and gave me a delicate kiss. I opened space so he could come inside.
“Is anybody home?” he asked.
“No. I was just finishing my bath.” I explained myself.
“You would not mind if I join you, right?” The smirk was getting more intense every second, and so was his look that changed from mysterious to suggestive.
No answer from me, I just made my way upstairs to the bathroom, I felt the steps behind me following me. In front of the tub I unwrapped the towel and let it slip through my body and hit the ground. The water of the bathtub was warm now, not hot as it was before. I watched as he got himself undressed and a shiver went down my spine when his body relaxed in front of me in the tub.
“So… How was your day?” Norman asked while caressing my knee.
“The usual. Work and home.” I smiled “How about yours?”
“The usual. Work and home.” There was a grin on his face as big as the Empire State and he pulled my legs.
I stayed underwater for more seconds than I wanted, thinking. It’s been awhile since I was confused about breaking or not breaking up with Norman, even though he is the man I love. We had two major problems: age, I was 22 and Norman 46 – huge age gap -, and the worst of all, my husband of three years. Cheater? Yes. I met my husband during my senior year and I fell in love, but after two years of marriage I realized he was not the guy for me and I was not happy anymore. I met Norman a year and 3 months ago at a friends cocktail after her new movie premiere and that day I saw what I haven’t seen with my husband in a long time, happiness and affection. I knew Norman would not marry me for many reasons and I was afraid of changing from a bad situation to another.
“What are you thinking of?”
“I don’t know, Norm. I’m thinking about filing for divorce. I hate lying even though he is a big asshole, but nobody deserves to be stabbed in the back like that. He is starting to notice.”
“You know I support you about the divorce.” He pulled me and held me “But you will be here all by yourself more than you already are and I don’t like this idea.”
“Me neither, Norm. But I can’t keep on lying like that.” I turn my face to look into his eyes “I can’t stay away from the man I love and close to the man I used to love.”
“I know, babe.” He kissed the back of my neck “I love you and I was waiting to ask this by the end of the night, before bed time.” Norman said softly in my ear.
“What?”
“Come with me.”
Norman got up and got dressed and made his way to the bag on top of my bed, he reached inside for something. He took a big black book out of his bag and handed to me. I took it and sat on the bed to look inside. The first page read: “A year ago, I met this beautiful woman who was drinking a beer instead of a martini and that got my attention. It took me a lot of courage to approach her, but I did because I knew I would not regret. And I don’t. That’s the reason why…” I turned the page and turned again and every time I found myself smiling like a fool staring at our pictures. The first date, the second, the third, he had a picture taken for every date from the first to last night. When I turned the last page his handwriting was different: “I want you to be mine. All mine, because I’m already yours.”
I closed the book and looked at him, the fear of rejection in his eyes was brutal and made me more sure about the answer. I smiled and he came to my side.
“I will meet my lawyer tomorrow and I will divorce him.” I said and kissed his lips.
“And you will come to Atlanta with me next month, when we come back you will move in with me. Okay? I don’t want you alone here anymore.”
“Okay. I love you, Norm.”
“I love you too, babe.” He leaned and kissed my forehead.