The Stranger Next To Me

by Vasser, LaShawn

  Chapter 24

  It had been two weeks since she and Eric had broken up. He had only called once and that was to sort out their personal business. But, by the same token, she hadn’t called him either.

  As much as Tasha hated her job, she was thankful she had it because it kept her so busy she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. She’d failed at this relationship and it was all her fault.

  Tasha sat at her desk trying hard to focus. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, maybe now would be a good time to think about relocating and starting fresh somewhere else. It would be best for everyone.

  This was supposed to be their couples’ retreat weekend. She had tried every way she could think of to back out but Sabrina was so insistent. Short of being in the hospital, she wasn’t going to get out of going. However, Tasha was still contemplating what serious illness she could come down with.

  It would be one thing if they were going to a resort or a cruise but they were going to be stuck in a cold cabin in the woods…in Michigan no less. What scared Tasha the most was something Eric said. He said that he’d seen the way he looks at you and he’d seen the way I looked at him. You might want to think about trying to figure that out before you get involved with someone else. Was it that obvious? If he could see how she felt about Tim, could Sabrina? This weekend had disaster written all over it.

  Tasha was just about to pick up the phone to call Sabrina and tell her that she wasn’t going…period. She reached for her phone and speaking of the devil, Sabrina was calling her.

  “Hey. I was just about to call you. But, you beat me to it. You do realize that this is the third time you’ve called me today. You’re going to get me fired before I can quit.”

  “Who are you kidding you’ll never quit that place so getting fired would be the best thing that ever happened to you. You have so much potential being wasted there. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were packed and ready to go for this weekend.”

  “Sabrina, I’ve decided I’m not going.”

  “No you don’t Tasha Stevens! Don’t give me any crap. You’re going! Otherwise, you’ll be home all weekend still wallowing in your break-up with Eric.”

  Tasha still hadn’t had any time to process the fact that her boyfriend had left her. They may not have had the best relationship but she did care for him. And, they did have a routine. Having to develop a new one was difficult.

  “So what if I do need a good old fashioned cry? I haven’t had one since we broke up. I think I deserve at least that. My goodness we were together for over four years!”

  She could hear Sabrina’s exaggerated sigh through the phone, “You haven’t cried because he wasn’t right for you in the first place and you didn’t love him. Eric was just like your job. You’re settling for a job you hate and you were settling for him. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he was cute but you two were as different as night and day.”

  “Look, I know you didn’t like Eric but he was a really good guy.”

  “I didn’t like Eric because you and I both know he wasn’t good to you or for you.”

  “Alright Sabrina WE don’t know that and I don’t want to continue with this conversation. Aren’t you supposed to comfort me with ice-cream, cookies, or some other kind of comfort food?”

  “Hell no! I’m not messing up my figure over Eric. And you could stand to lose a few pounds now that you’re single again too.”

  “Thanks…you are so good for my self-esteem.”

  There was an awkward silence before Sabrina spoke again, “Well, that’s not what I was really calling you about anyway. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be able to drive down with you guys to the cabin tonight. Something came up at work. And….”

  “No, no, no! I won’t let you do this to me. I’ve already told you…I’m not going!”

  “I just need you to make sure Tim gets to the cabin. I’m trying to save my marriage I can’t cancel this trip!”

  “Really Sabrina? Are you kidding me? Didn’t you tell me a little while ago to stay out of your business? We agreed you weren’t going to use me for your shenanigans. And, I’m sure Tim is going to flip out if you bail on him again! If you really needs this getaway so much then you need to make sure he gets to the cabin. You both need this a lot more than I do. I’m already single.”

  “Why do you always think the worst? This is about work and it can’t be helped. I have a client coming in and he can only meet me tonight for a dinner meeting. If Tim divorces me I’ll definitely need the bonus.”

  “Sabrina, I don’t believe you for one minute and if I don’t believe you…you know Tim won’t!” Tasha lowered her voice as if someone could hear her, “Are you meeting with that guy you’ve been seeing?”

  “I told you I ended that. Why are you making such a big deal out of this? I’ll be down tomorrow night. It’s not like I’m cancelling the whole trip.”

  Tasha rubbed the back of her neck, “Well, maybe you should. Or, why can’t we all just drive down together tomorrow?”

  “I explained to you that Tim has been really on edge. It’s not fair to him to have to cut this weekend short because I have to work. Come on…”

  This didn’t feel right to Tasha. She knew her friend well and still didn’t believe Sabrina for a second that she couldn’t get out of ‘work’. And, how in the world was she going to be around Tim? She couldn’t. That was the answer…she couldn’t.

  “Sabrina, I just can’t do this…I’m sorry but I can’t.”

  “Tasha you’re being ridiculous. I really need you to do this favor for me. Not only that, hopefully you two will have some time to repair whatever has happened between you.”

  Tasha was starting to feel sick to her stomach. Sabrina had noticed a change, “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t know what happened but obviously you too had some type of falling out. I’m not blind, I can tell that you’re not as close as you used to be. You used to hang out all the time and now you don’t. I mean I assumed that it was because of Eric but now that you two aren’t together maybe things can go back to how they used to be. Anyway, all I’m asking is that you drive down with Tim. I’ll be down tomorrow. You guys should be able to survive a night together.”

  This was worse than any of Tasha’s nightmares. What was she supposed to do? Trying to keep her panic down she did the only thing that would make sense to Sabrina. “Fine. I’ll go.”

  “Thank you Tasha! I’ll owe you big time and I’ll make it up to you somehow. I promise. That’s my other line so I’ve got to go but you two have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Tasha knew this could potentially be a disaster but maybe she was worried for nothing. It had been a little over a year since everything happened between them. He hadn’t shown the least bit of interest in her.

  She was the only fool who couldn’t seem to move on.

  *****

  Tasha had just finished packing her overnight bag when Tim called. Her stomach filled up with butterflies and her palms started to sweat. She contemplated not answering it. How could she not? They were supposed to be on the road in a couple of hours. She air punched the emptiness in front of her a couple of times before answering her phone.

  Tasha tried to sound…normal. “Hey Tim.”

  “Hey. I was just calling to find out if I needed to pick you up at your place or if you were going to meet me at the house?”

  He sounded calm. As if nothing had ever happened between them. Wasn’t that what she wanted?

  “Umm…you can pick me up at my apartment. I’m all packed so just call when you get here and I’ll come down.”

  Tim’s voice was too calm. Tasha started to wonder if Sabrina had even told him she wasn’t coming tonight. Did she leave her dirty work up to her? If she did? Tasha was going to choke her! This was just too much.

  “Have you talked to Sabrina?”

  He hesitated, “Yeah, she told me she was going to drive down tomorrow.”


  Tasha held her breath, “And you’re okay with this? Us driving down…together?”

  Tim closed his eyes and rubbed his temples attempting to sound normal. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

  “Look Tasha, the past is the past. Things happened but we’ve both moved on. I mean…you have right?”

  Those were the words Tasha needed to hear but deep down inside those weren’t the words she wanted to hear. “Of course. And, you know Sabrina’s been working on this account for a while. Otherwise, she would be coming tonight.”

  “It’s fine. You don’t have to make excuses for her. I get it. Sabrina’s work is important to her. I was just calling to know if I needed to pick you up or if you were driving over. Now that I know…I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  He sounded cold…distant even and that actually affected her more than her break-up with Eric. Everything in Tasha was telling her not to go on this trip. But, there was a small part of her that wondered if he remembered. That was the part that would have to stay hidden deep within the confines of her heart. “Alright, I guess I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  “See you then.”

  Tim disconnected the call and so did she.

  Chapter 25

  There was nothing better than the kind of sex that put you right to sleep after it was over. Well, maybe the heightened excitement of possibly getting caught. That was always a turn-on for Sabrina. But, she didn’t have to worry about that tonight. She smiled inwardly as she thought about all the strings she had to pull to make this night possible.

  Tasha almost ruined everything by trying to back out of their weekend getaway. There was no way Sabrina was going to let that happen.

  Sabrina lived for these stolen moments and he never failed her. They’d been meeting every Tuesday and Thursday for the past three years. However, over the past couple of months Tim had been so distant. She needed to slow things down until everything got back to normal with them and he stopped with the crazy talk of divorce.

  Of course, that didn’t go over well with him. But, no matter how angry he was for putting him off, Sabrina always figured out a way to get him forget.

  As soon as they entered the hotel room, they couldn’t wait to tear each other’s clothes off. Her two thousand dollar blouse was worthless after all the buttons were ripped off. She probably wouldn’t ever be able to wear any of the clothes she’d worn again.

  Sabrina stretched out across the bed like a Cheshire cat thinking about how delicious the rest of the night was going to be.

  It had been awhile since they’d been able to take their time. However, they would tonight. There was no reason to rush, or constantly check the clock or feel as if they would get caught. She laughed and spoke softly to herself, “Well…that part is alright with me.”

  At some point while she’d been sleeping, he’d gotten out of bed and decided to take a shower without her. If she wasn’t feeling so boneless, she would go and get in the shower with him. But, no. They could enjoy each other in a shower or a bath later. This would actually be a good time to call and make sure Tasha and Tim made it to the cabin.

  Sabrina dialed Tim’s cell. It rang a couple of times before his voice-mail picked up, you’ve reached Tim, leave a message and I’ll call you back. Beep.

  “Hey honey. I was just calling to check in and make sure you guys made it safely. I’ll be leaving for my dinner meeting in a bit, so if you call, I may not be able to answer. I hope you are unwinding. I’ll be there tomorrow to make sure. Love you.”

  The timing was perfect because Sabrina hung up just as he walked out of the bathroom. His towel was wrapped loosely around his waist with little droplets of water clinging to his skin. It had only been a little while ago that Sabrina’s lips had kissed every part of his body. The mere thought of them being together caused that all familiar tingle between her thighs.

  “You should have woken me up. Your shower would have been a lot more exciting with me in it.”

  He walked over to the side of her bed and dropped his towel. His eyes bore into hers as his manhood stood fully erect just inches away from her lips. “Who was on the phone?”

  Sabrina slowly licked her lips before she spoke, “I needed to check-in.” Just alluding to Tim was enough to ignite a barely contained rage.

  “Screw him!”

  She smiled coyly, “I can’t screw him because I’m screwing you.”

  Her comment didn’t elicit laughter as intended. As a matter of fact, it caused him to walk way and sit down on the edge of the bed.

  “Sabrina, I’ve been more than patient. I’m not going to wait for you forever. We’ve been doing this dance for over three years.”

  “Eric, I told you getting a divorce from Tim was going to take some time and that I wasn’t leaving this relationship broke. Nothing has changed since I first told you that at the party.”

  “It’s been a year since that night. Do you know how hard it was being around you and Tim? It was driving me crazy.”

  “Don’t act like you didn’t have Tasha keeping you warm.”

  “I never loved Tasha, you know that.”

  “That’s not the point. How do you think I felt?”

  “Once you let me know you were interested in me, there was never any competition between you and Tasha. You know that.”

  “No, I don’t know that. I’ve been in competition with her to some degree most of my life. In my father’s eyes Tasha is the standard and I will never measure up to her.”

  “So, what am I to you then? Some twisted way of getting back at her?”

  Eric had no idea how right he actually was. “That’s silly. I’m with you because we have a real connection.”

  He reached out to touch her cheek, “I’m telling you now. There was never any competition. Even before we started hooking up, I could never really commit to her partly because she has these impossible standards that no one will ever be able to live up to, partly because she didn’t have room in her heart for me, but mostly because you are an incredible woman.”

  Sabrina didn’t feel the least bit guilty that she’d been having an affair with her best friend’s boyfriend for years and letting her think all this time she’d been having the affair with Daniel.

  Of course, she and Daniel had had an occasional hook-up but that ended soon after she married Tim. He of all people had the nerve to tell her he didn’t want to be sleeping with someone so close to his wife’s family. The bastard had the nerve to try to have some standards.

  Eric pulled her close and placed his lips on hers for a hungry kiss. He wanted to convey all the hope and love he felt for her in that kiss.

  “I love you Sabrina.”

  As Sabrina passionately returned his kisses she knew that she was going to have to end this affair soon. Eric was never supposed to fall in love. And, she was never going to leave Tim and turn her back on the life she felt she deserved and had become accustomed.

  This affair was supposed to be a way for two people to release some pent up frustrations. Too bad.

  Chapter 26

  Tasha and Tim had been on the road for about an hour. Their little foursome was now going to be a threesome. However, right now it was just a twosome. Tasha was still having second thoughts about cancelling this weekend. She almost asked him to turn around for at least the first twenty miles of the trip. But then, Tasha tried to remember that they were actually friends before everything changed. And, she kept hearing Eric’s words playing in her head over and over again.

  She needed to act as normal as possible. If going on this getaway would further her cause then…she’d get through it.

  Sabrina claimed they really needed this getaway because it was a last ditch effort to try and save the marriage.

  Tasha wasn’t vain enough to think that he still had feelings for her. But she still felt guilty about the demise of their relationship anyway. It was so obvious that he was over it…them.
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  Why couldn’t Sabrina get it right? More than likely, she couldn’t come down with them because she was about to get into something and wanted Tim far enough away so that she didn’t run the risk of getting caught. With her marriage hanging on by a thread Tasha didn’t understand her taking the risk. This road trip was nothing more than just a way to keep Tim occupied.

  Guilt kept her falling for her schemes. Sabrina had her flaws, just like everybody else, but she’d also been a good friend; actually more like a sister. That’s what made everything so hard. Tasha would rather cut off her right arm than hurt her. She on the other hand had been a horrible friend. However, she’d been doing her best to make it up to her.

  Tasha didn’t have many cheerleaders outside of her dad. Unfortunately, he had worked round the clock trying to pay the bills. Tasha’s mother died when she was only eight. So, for a long time, it had just been Tasha and her dad until she met Sabrina and the Horne’s.

  The Horne’s, especially Sabrina, were full of confidence and would always encourage her to be her best and to follow her dreams.

  When other people would complain that Sabrina was self-centered and spoiled, Tasha would have none of it. Yes, Sabrina could be selfish but she also possessed a heart of gold.

  She would never forget when her dad was dying with cancer. She was there to support her through all of it. There were days and nights when Sabrina just sat with her. Not speaking a word but just….sat there. It was like that with them. They’d been there for each other through the loss of Tasha’s dad, Sabrina’s parent’s divorce, Sabrina’s unwanted pregnancies, college, Sabrina’s divorces and her wedding to Tim. They’d gone through a lot. But, it was Sabrina’s grit, her fight when she’d been knocked down or made mistakes that inspired Tasha the most.

  Where Sabrina was outgoing, Tasha wasn’t. Sabrina’s beauty probably gave her an extra boost of courage but she was also wickedly smart. If she didn’t follow her passion into the fast paced world as a Marketing Executive she literally could have been a model.