“How are we doing?” Madge stated, leading the twosome over to the living room to get a better look at the waves pounding against the surf.
Peyton climbed on top of the couch and rested his little arms over the arch overlooking the water beyond. Amber ran her fingers through his soft black hair as she sat next to him. “We are doing fine, great in fact, I’ve never been happier in my entire life Madge, I’m so in love.”
Madge choked back her tears and could instantly feel Amber’s genuine tranquility. She cried like a baby when she heard that Amber tried to commit suicide a couple of years back. Amber was a good friend, and Madge wished to God that Amber trusted her enough to confide in her about her affair. After Madge’s ugly divorce, she moved away from the neighborhood and thought she’d never see or hear from Amber again. Until last week, Madge was so overwhelmed from hearing her voice, years of friendship passed before her very eyes. “So he’s good to you?”
Amber sighed, “Oh yes Madge, he’s wonderful.”
Madge grabbed Amber’s left hand and held it within hers. She didn’t want to look, but curiosity got the best of her. She then overturned her arm and there it was; the three-inch scar that Amber produced. A tear fell out of her eye. “Why didn’t you contact me? I thought we were so close you and I.”
Amber rubbed Madge’s hand within hers. “It was spontaneous,” she managed to affirm. “It wasn’t planned.”
Madge smiled, “It usually isn’t.”
Amber bit down on her lower lip.
Madge then eyed Peyton casually watching the seagulls swooping down to collect fish out of the ocean, “And this little miracle?”
“He’s my blessing,” Amber gushed happily, running her hand across his head of hair again. “He’s gonna be four soon and mommy wanted to give him an early birthday present.”
“Oh yes,” Madge added, “Where are those birthday presents?”
The two women then stood up together, but Madge instantly grabbed Amber again to give her friend a meaningful hug. She whispered into her ear, “I love you Amber, I’m so happy for you that everything worked out.” She then caressed her cheek and looked back at Peyton who was anxiously waiting his early birthday present. “Let’s go outside, shall we?”
Amber picked up her son and set him high on her hip as she walked down the exterior toward a pen and instantly, Amber could feel Peyton’s little body jump for delight upon her waist.
“Mommy—puppies!”
Amber eyed Madge while her friend went to the chain-link fence to let out the ten little bouncy, friendly, chewy, pouncing collections of beige fluff. They all run out toward Peyton instantly as he dove into receive them. He giggled, he twisted, he grabbed—he tried to pet them all—his arms were full of fur and Peyton was in puppy paradise.
“Do you like them Peyton?”
Peyton was sniggering continuously and bent down to give a couple of puppies a kiss. “Oh yes mommy, I like them.”
“Which one do you want?”
Peyton froze. His eyes grew wide as saucers, “Which one? I can have one mommy? We can tak’em home with us?”
Amber sat herself on the grass and straight away three puppies dashed into her lap. A big huge smile surfaced as she leaned over to pet two puppies with both hands. “Just one; whichever one you want baby, he’s your birthday present.”
Peyton ran around the area and the puppies all followed him; he stopped, they stopped, he ran, they ran. He was having piles of fun. “I want that one,” he pointed toward the corner.
Amber jerked her head around and lo and behold, a lone puppy was sitting in the corner watching all the other puppies joyfully wander about. He was quiet and still, hadn’t moved, but started to wag his tail the moment Peyton walked toward him.
Peyton plopped himself on the ground and offered the puppy his open arms. The puppy hesitated, and then gradually strolled toward his new owner. Peyton scooped the puppy up in his confine and walked him over to his mother. “He’s going to be my patient.”
“Patient?” Madge asked bewildered, gazing at Amber’s shocked stare.
“He wants to be a doctor when he grows up,” Amber exclaimed.
“Good to know,” Madge pinpointed.
Later, Amber, the new puppy, Mrs. Lopez and Peyton were all upstairs playing pretend ‘Urgent Care’. Peyton was walking around with a fake chart in his hands while Amber heard Eduardo’s entrance downstairs. She sprung to her feet and halted the fake hospital with her hands. “Wait here, don’t anyone move, I want to break it to him gently.”
Mrs. Lopez shook her head, “Mr. Sanchez said no dogs. I told you he’s not going to like it.”
Amber snorted, “Too bad, the puppy stays.”
Amber then sprinted out the doorway and down the long staircase to find Eduardo wandering about searching for her. When Eduardo sees her, his arms go wide and Amber ran into them. They embrace long and hard when Eduardo buried his nose into her shoulder.
He began to kiss her neck but Amber backed away.
“Now don’t get mad,” she cautiously voiced.
“What did you do?” He asked playfully.
“Oh please don’t get mad—promise me you won’t get mad?” Amber begged now, her hands flat together in prayer.
Eduardo took off his suit jacket and laid it down on the foyer chair. He was feeling nothing but guiltiness lately, spending too much time at work thinking about that blond; her legs, her allure, the way she walked around confident and smiling during the day. “OK—really, what did you do?”
Amber could tell his voice was stern, but there was also something else in his face she just couldn’t place her finger on. Amber let her intuition roll off her shoulders; she was just too revved up to pursue his mystified expression. “OK...oh hell, just come with me upstairs.” Amber subsequently grabbed his arm and led him up the staircase.
Eduardo headed toward their bedroom, thinking that they were about to make love, but then Amber detoured them into the opposite direction toward their son’s room.
Eduardo walked in surprised to see Mrs. Lopez lying on the floor, while Peyton pretended to operate on her.
Peyton’s eyes lit up within seeing his daddy and ran to him instantly, “Daddy—Daddy! Look at my patients! Look at my patients!”
“I know, I know I see her,” he laughed, scooping his little boy into his arms and hugging his body near. Then, without warning, he noticed the ball of fluff sitting on the right near Peyton’s bed. The puppy started to wag his tail, but remained seated; his little legs bent and twisted sideways, tissue paper wrapped around one paw. Eduardo turned toward his wife and Amber smirked, then beamed, shut her eyes and was about to burst with glee.
“Oh baby, he loves him. They’re kindred spirits those two. You should see how he follows Peyton around, it’s so adorable—it’s as if he’s been here forever.”
Eduardo bent down and placed Peyton back onto the ground. Peyton hurriedly stomped toward his new puppy and gave him a huge hug. Peyton then began to wrap tissue paper around the puppy’s other paw.
Eduardo was in disbelief, but his heart sunk at the sight of his little boy deliriously happy. Amber noted her husband’s acceptance and threw herself into his arms. Eduardo wrapped his hands around her back and hugged her near.
“Guess what his name is?” She whispered into his ear.
“What?” Eduardo quietly mouthed.
“Patience.”
Eduardo laughed, twirled his wife around then picked her up within his arms and headed toward their bedroom.
Mrs. Lopez just rolled her eyes on the ground from their sudden burst of ardor.
Chapter TEN
Amber hated when Eduardo was sent out of town to work on a case. Even though he was gone for only a couple a day’s at a time, it felt like an eternity when he wasn’t warming her bed.
Amber went to their closet and smelled his suits hanging on the far end. Oh Lord, she loved his scent. Musk, cologne, oranges—sex comes to mind. The whiff intoxica
ted her and instantly ignited her sexual urge. She took his grey blazer off the rack and walked into the bedroom to lay the suit on top of other clothes she had already laid out on the mattress for him.
With a fervent smile embraced to her face, Amber began to disrobe and strolled toward the bathroom where Eduardo was taking his shower. He hadn’t noticed her approach, having to rinse out the shampoo out of his hair and Amber quietly closed the door behind her and watched her husband as he casually washed out the soap. He’s still magnificent, Amber thought happily. Turning forty-one that year, Eduardo nevertheless had the body of a twenty-five year-old male. The ideal male physique, broad shoulders, tall frame, muscular tone legs...his awesome package.
Amber brought her eyes up from her husband’s luster to find Eduardo curious with a boyish grin.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Amber smiled and grabbed the soap. “I’m giving you a proper send-off, now turn around, I want to wash your back.”
Eduardo did what he was told, and laid his hands flat on the ceramic tiles behind him. Amber next took the soap and rubbed it all around his shoulders and lower extremities. Eduardo directly became stiff from the smooth, silky contact. Amber heard Eduardo groan and she could no longer restrain herself from wanting that body of his plunging inside her. Amber dropped the soap and bent down and appeared suddenly in between his spread out arms on the other side. Eduardo immediately kissed his wife as she wrapped her arms around his neck and entangled her body into his.
*****
Jackie was sitting opposite Eduardo taking dictation. Suddenly, the door opened and Stacey popped her head through. “Have a moment?”
“I’ll be right back,” Jackie said standing up.
“No Jackie, sit back down, what do you need Stace?”
He called her ‘Stace’ again; Jackie thought suspiciously, a shortened name for Stacey. Gee, so intimate with the new associate in such a short time. What the heck was going on?
“Dr. Watson wanted me to go over these figures with you later, when you have a chance?” Stacey asked quickly.
“Why didn’t you just have your secretary give them to me?”
“I don’t have one yet,” Stacey said quickly.
“Oh, I’ll mention it to Martin. You can borrow mine until they hire one for you.”
Jackie threw a scowl at Eduardo. Eduardo ignored Jackie’s hardened look.
“That sounds good, I’ll be back later,” Stacey uttered, turning around and heading toward the door.
Jackie was still fuming and watched Eduardo as he probed Stacey’s derriere as she exited out of his office.
Eduardo turned immediately toward Jackie. Jackie’s rage subsided as her posture softened.
“What?”
“What?” She asked back.
“Let’s get back to work,” he said, taking control of an out of control situation.
Jackie decided right then and there that maybe tomorrow was a good time to go and visit Amber.
They hug and wipe tears away from seeing each other again. Amber had always been jealous of Jackie Medina, she had been Eduardo’s assistant for the past ten years; but seeing her today, brought forth agonizing memories of a past that she wanted to forget.
“I knew he was in love with you,” Jackie voiced, sort of matter-of-factly.
“How?” Amber wondered.
“One day, while we were in the conference room, we were watching a Power Point and the curtains were drawn. You know those silly curtains that you can see out from the inside, but are not able to see from the outside in?
“Oh yah, I remember those, then what?”
“Well, it was dark, and I sat directly behind Eduardo, sort of on the side of him on his left and we were both concentrating on the Power Point when I saw in the corner of my eye his head turning. I gazed at him while his head completely turned and I noticed that he was looking at someone beyond the curtain. He was looking at you! You had walked past the curtain, probably didn’t know we were on the inside and sat down at the empty desk directly across from him. You started to type at the computer and then all of a sudden, you turned toward him and buried your face within your hands. I noted Eduardo’s reaction because he seemed to straighten up in his chair. He looked up once more at the Power Point and then turned back instantly to look at you again. You had your face inside your hands still and then covered your forehead with just one hand. You looked lost and sad, I wondered what you were thinking and Eduardo couldn’t take his eyes off of you! I couldn’t believe it, his shoulders began to slump...it was as if he knew what you were thinking.”
“Oh my God,” Amber uttered, “I remember that day, I was thinking about him! He was driving me crazy, I couldn’t concentrate on my work, I wanted to be with him, and I didn’t know how.”
“Oh Amber, that’s so romantic. However it began, I truly believe that you two were meant to be together, I truly do.”
Amber hugged her former co-worker near, “Now you didn’t come all the way over here to tell me that did you?”
“No—I, gosh, I’ve missed you Amber, would you ever go back to the office?”
“No, Eduardo doesn’t want me to work—ever. Says I don’t need to. Now, you’re changing the subject.”
“That’s really too bad, we miss you there.”
“Why?”
Jackie found a seat on a nearby couch, even though she considered Amber a friend; they never had a chance to become really close. “Amber, you know I’ve always been up front with you. I understand why you felt you needed to keep your affair with Eduardo quiet. The gossip at Aldridge & Watson runs rampant sometimes. Some people just can’t keep their mouths shut.”
Alarm bells went off in Amber’s head. “Why? What have you heard?”
Jackie admired Amber’s natural beauty, “I consider you a friend and I need to let you know something.”
“What?” Amber asked on pins and needles.
“There’s a new attorney in the office.”
Then Amber’s heart suddenly dropped, “What’s her name?”
“Stacey Somers. She’s this petite, voluptuous little blond who has a chip on her shoulder. She’s authoritative and bossy and seems to have some kind of past connection with Eduardo.”
At that very moment, all of Amber’s security flew right out the window. Eduardo loved her—loved her enough to take care of her and Peyton; he loved her, he loved her and he loves her...why was he suddenly attracted to this Stacey Somers? Amber felt nervous all of sudden and her stomach began to ache. Good Lord, she knew this couldn’t be true. Why would her husband lie? Eduardo said he would never abandon her—ever.
“Amber, you OK? I’m sorry; maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it to you.”
“No Jackie, you did the right thing. I love you, thank you for letting me know.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Two weeks later, Amber decided to see for herself who this Stacey Somers was. Amber was Eduardo’s wife, and she had every right on Earth to make sure her husband wasn’t foolin’ around. She made several calls to Jackie during the week to form a bridge of communication between wife and assistant. The assistant would give the heads up to the wife and notify her if anything was awry. Jackie called Amber around ten o’clock that morning to let her know that Eduardo and Stacey were planning to go out to lunch that afternoon. Lunch?
Broken Obsession - Part Two Page 7
