Celeste had never thought of herself as the type of woman who would cheat on her husband. A friend of hers had told her about a month ago of an illicit affair sheād been having with her neighbor and Celeste had been slightly disgusted, but at the same time intrigued. It seemed like such a clichĆ© ā the lonely wife with the inattentive husband, cheating on him right under his nose. Barbara, her friend, had confessed to her one day over coffee, describing her deception with the same elation she usually reserved for designer bargains sheād found shopping or, when her kids had been young, their first steps or the muttering of a new word. But now, she couldnāt wait to divulge her secret, which she seemed completely unashamed to admit to Celeste.
Celeste had listened to her friend intently, like a teenage girl listening to her more experienced friend describe what she had done with the captain of the football team behind the bleachers. Celeste had watched Barbaraās lips moving and realized that her disgust was not due to her friendās immorality, but rather she was jealous. Jealous of her friendās newfound double-life and her happiness.
It wasnāt that she didnāt love Michael anymore. She did. But the sexual desire was long gone from their relationship - at least on her end. Every once in a while heād roll over in bed and try to start something and she let out a sleepy grumble and roll away pretending to be asleep. Or sometimes while she was washing dishes or cooking in the kitchen, heād come up behind her and try to slide his hands up her blouse. Sheād squirm away from him and give him the excuse that Danny, their son, was in the next room. āWhat if he walked in?ā sheād say in a tone that a mother uses to scold her child for doing something wrong. Heād grumble and wander off to the living room to plop himself down on the couch in frustration.
Heād become like a piece of furniture to her. An old piece of furniture that had once been her favorite, but now age and wear had made it an eyesore. But she was afraid to get rid of it, to get rid of him. He was her high school sweetheart, her husband of twenty-one years, the father of her son. She could not imagine her life without him - heād been there so long. Michael had been her first and - except for a one-time fling with a lifeguard sheād met at one summer when she was 19 while they were on a break - her only.
She wasnāt looking for an affair - Evan had been completely unexpected. Sheād met him by accident at a bookstore. On a whim, Celeste had decided to make a stop on her way home from work to pick up something new to read. Sheād been reading one romance novel after another, devouring at least 2 a week. Sheād read the dirtiest ones she could find, developing a bit of an addiction it seemed.
Sheād been carrying a stack of paperbacks towards the register when she lost her grip on them and they tumbled to the floor at Evanās feet. He bent down to help her retrieve her books and Celeste had looked up into his warm eyes. She stared a bit too long at the 20-something-year-old man and he smiled. Realizing what she had done, Celeste blushed a bit and focused on the pile of books at her feet. He began looking at the titles and covers of the books sheād chosen and Celeste watched for his reaction as she distractedly reached for a nearby book. He held in his hand a book with a woman in a flimsy, translucent nightgown draped over the arm of a man with huge, hairless pectorals and long blond hair. He chuckled and looked up at her again.
āIām sorry,ā he said, trying to resume an air of seriousness.
He continued to collect her books and once he was done, stood up. Celeste followed having only managed to pick up two books herself.
āYou know, you shouldnāt read this stuff. Itās not healthy,ā he said, only partially joking with her. Celeste was consumed by his messy, raven-colored hair, his deep-chocolate brown eyes, the distinct curve of his upper lip, his solid jaw, not to mention his thin, well-toned physique. His light grey t-shirt was worn to perfection, as were his fitted denim jeans, which she was certain would present his young, firm ass quite nicely if she could only get a look at him from behind. He mistook her inspection of him for her taking his comment seriously.
āIām joking!ā he said. āBut you know, if this is what you want, you should live it. Reading about it isnāt going to get you anywhere,ā he said with a grin.
āIs he flirting with me?ā Celeste wondered. Impossible. Why would such a good-looking young man who, she was embarrassed to admit, was probably young enough to be her son, be interested in her? Not to say she wasnāt attractive. She was. Very much so. Her auburn hair fell in soft waves around her face, always perfectly tousled. She still had flawless, porcelain skin and the most piercing hazel eyes. And her body was still in good shape even after giving birth to Danny. Her looks certainly belied her 42 years.
She blushed again and smiled back at the young man. He shifted the books he was holding to his left hand and reached out his right.
āEvan,ā was all he said as a warm smile curled on his bow-shaped lips.
Celeste shook his hand and replied, āIām Celeste.ā She was sure she must have the goofiest smile plastered on her face and her cheeks were probably on the verge of stop sign red.
āI was about to go have a cup of coffee and read a magazine so that I wouldnāt look completely pathetic sitting by myself⦠but if youād join, me I wouldnāt have to.ā
His smile was irresistible and she felt the same way she had when Michael had first approached her at a friendās party when she was 16. Her chest was warm and her nerves seemed to be standing on end.
āUmmā¦ā Celeste began to wonder if having coffee with this man was stepping over the line.