Mistaken Identity

by Christopher Maddox

  I thought that she might begin crying again from the catch in her voice, but she managed to hold on and busied herself with finding a vase for the flowers. “Oh, my, the fish is still on the counter. What kind did you get?” she asked while she placed it in the refrigerator.

  “It’s Red Snapper; it looked pretty good before this mess started.”

  I finished making our drinks and sat hers on the table where she was sitting. I scooted a chair next to hers and sat beside her, so I could put my arm around her and hold her close to me. We tapped our glasses together and took a little sip.

  “Hmmmm, this tastes good, baby. Thanks for making them,” she said, shuffling through the pictures still lying on the table. “Whoever did this knows their way around a photo lab,” she offered as she stared at the one with the date on it.

  We sat in silence for a few moments, each of us in our own thoughts while we tried to sort this out. She took a sip of her drink and bit into one of her olives. “This is kind of scary. Do you have any idea who might be behind this?”

  I shook my head and shrugged. “I have no idea. I have been sitting here, racking my brain, trying to think of someone that might be trying to take me down or embarrass me, but I can’t come up with anything. I don’t have any enemies that I know of. I mean, how many enemies can you get making dog food?”

  “Alex, whoever did this did a good job of hurting me. It could have torn the two of us apart. Maybe there is someone out there that is intent on hurting me or breaking us apart.”

  “I just don’t know. There are only so many possibilities.”

  “Okay, let’s make a list of what they are because we need to figure this out,” she offered.

  I took a sip. “There are only three people involved. Someone has to be trying to harm one of the three of us or two of us. I think that it has to be Nancy or me that they are after.”

  “Why not me?”

  “Because all of the pictures were taken before we knew each other. That pretty much excludes you as a target.”

  “Yes, I agree, but what if someone originally took them for one reason, and then later, they decided to use them for another reason?”

  “Oh, geez, that’s not likely, but it is possible. However, the two most likely targets are Nancy and me. The times that they were taken are spread out all over the place. Some of them go back as far as eighteen months.”

  “Tell me about Nancy. What is she like and what does she do?”

  I thought about her question for a moment wondering what all I should tell her. I decided to tell her everything I knew. “Okay, you already know that she is forty-one and that she worked with me. She doesn’t actually work for me; she works for an advertising company that does all of our corporate marketing. She has been the person that has handled our account since we started using her firm.”

  “You told me that it wasn’t a serious relationship. I think that you said that you were friends with benefits. Was that the truth?”

  “Yes, it was on my part. I thought that we were just getting together for sex. I mean, I liked her, but I was never in love with her. I think that she cared for me more than I did her because when I went back to Albany, she told me that she hadn’t dated anyone else for about a year.”

  “So she was probably in love with you. She wouldn’t have stopped seeing other people if she weren’t in love with you. How did the affair begin?”

  “Are you sure that you want to know all of the gory details?”

  She cocked her head and gave me a look as she took another sip of her drink. “It no longer matters, does it? Besides, I have no interest in knowing what positions she liked the best. I just want to know who she is and try to figure out how she thinks.”

  “She worked with our marketing department, and she was usually at our offices once or twice a month. On one occasion, after one of our meetings, everyone left for lunch except us. We were left alone for the first time. She asked me if I would like to have lunch with her. I told her no, at first, but when she told me that she would have to eat alone, I took pity on her and said that I would.”

  “I just bet you did. From what I can see in the photographs, she is a very attractive woman. What is she like? What does she like to do?”

  I thought about her question for a moment, and I realized that I really didn’t know as much about Nancy as I should have for someone who has had sex with her for two years. I took a deep breath.

  “She is nice, and she is very friendly. Everyone likes her. I think that she likes to go out to the movies. And uh, that’s pretty much it. Oh, yes, wait. She likes petit filets cooked medium and white wine.”

  “And she likes sex, right?”

  “Yes, that pretty well sums it up.”

  “You had sex with her for two years, and that’s all you know about her? She’s nice. She’s friendly. Everyone likes her, and you think she likes the movies?” She chuckled. “That’s pathetic. Okay, I believe you now when you say that she was just a friend with benefits. I would be surprised if you could identify her in a lineup,” she teased.

  I snickered, knowing I had it coming. “Don’t forget the petit filet and the white wine,” I added.

  She gave me a look. “How did she break the ice and get you in her bed?”

  “We had lunch at the club because, at that time, we didn’t have anything to hide. She knew that my wife had been gone for nearly three years, and she asked me if I had started dating anyone yet. I told her that I had been dating a little here and there for about a year, but that I hadn’t found anyone that I wanted to see more than just a few times.”

  “And she asked why not, right?”

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “Really?” she laughed. “Call it intuition. Go ahead; what was your answer? For some reason, I am finding this interesting.”

  “Well, my answer was that everyone I went out with wanted to have a permanent relationship. After a few dates, they wanted to move in with me, and I just wasn’t ready for that. I told her that I had no interest in anything permanent.”

  “What did she say to that?”

  “She asked me why I didn’t find someone that wanted what I wanted. I looked at her for a moment and asked her what she thought I wanted in a woman. She looked at me and answered with one word. Sex.”

  Shannen smiled. “Oh, this is really getting interesting. What did you come up with then?”

  “Actually, she was the first one to say something. She told me that I shouldn’t look so shocked because everyone needs it. Then she said something to the effect that wasn’t sex what I was really looking for in a woman, no-strings-attached sex.

  “I have to admit that I was intrigued by her boldness, so I asked her how she thought I would go about finding that kind of a relationship without paying for it. She smiled at me and told me that it would be easy for me to find someone like that. She said that all I needed to do was find a woman that wanted the same thing that I wanted, and that was plain, good, old-fashioned sex.

  “It appeared to me that she was being a little coy with me and that she had made a couple of small innuendos, so I took a chance and asked her something very personal. I asked her if she knew anyone that might be looking for someone. She smiled and said that she did. I asked her if I knew that person. She smiled and nodded her head.

  “I remember being afraid to ask her the next question, so I sat there and just stared at her for the longest time. I can remember the conversation as clearly as if it were yesterday.

  “Finally, she told me to go ahead and ask her what I was dying to ask her. I asked her if she was sure that I knew the person that she was thinking of. She told me that I knew her very well and that this person would be very receptive to me.”

  “Geez, Alex. Listening to you describe the way the two of you first got together is turning me on. How weird is that? Okay, go on. What happened next?”

  “I couldn’t be sure she was talking about herself, so I asked her to describe this person. She told
me that she was tall with blond hair, blue eyes, nice sized breasts, and a good bottom. I remember looking at her for quite a while. She finally asked me if I was going to ask her or if she was going to have to ask me.”

  Shannen became impatient. “Okay, Alex, who propositioned whom?” she teased.

  “I finally got up enough nerve to ask her if she had just described herself, and she assured me that she had. I asked her if she actually wanted to have a physical relationship with me. I remember her laughing briefly just before she asked me if I wanted to know if she wanted to have sex with me. She said that, if that was what I wanted to know, the answer was yes. Then she looked me directly in the eyes and said, ‘Alex, I have wanted to fuck you for over a year now.’ Well, I was shocked at how straightforward she was, but after I had gotten to know her better, I realized that was just the way she was.”

  “So that is how it all started. How long was it before the two of you actually, you know, did it?”

  “Well, we had to discuss some ground rules first. I mean, we didn’t just jump right into the sack, you know.”

  “What kind of ground rules did you talk about?”

  “There were just two rules that she wanted to cover. The most important thing that she insisted on was that our relationship had to be kept a secret. No one could ever know.”

  She looked at me curiously. “Why, didn’t you want anyone to know that you were going out with her? Who would care?”

  I chuckled. “It wasn’t me that wanted to keep it a secret. It was her.”

  Shannen giggled. “Why? Was she embarrassed to be seen with you in public?” she teased.

  I gave her a dirty look. “Oh, that’s precious. No, she couldn’t afford to let anyone know about us because she had a clause in her employment contract that forbids her to fraternize with clients or fellow employees. If she were to be found out, she would be terminated immediately and forfeit her bonuses and all of her other benefits.”

  “That sounds fairly draconian. Many companies have policies like that, and they almost never work. When two people are attracted to one another, they are going to find a way to have sex, if that’s what they want to do. No amount of rules or policies is going to keep them apart. After hearing her speak to you on the phone today, I feel better about her. She seems like a nice person. She appeared to be genuinely concerned about you.”

  “She is a nice person. She never gave me any grief in the two years that we … well, that we did whatever it was we were doing,” I grinned, a little embarrassed.

  “What was the other rule?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I laughed. “She wasn’t into pain, any kind of pain. She said that if I felt as though I just had to slap her bottom, she would slap mine, so I never slapped her bottom.”

  Shannen thought about this for a moment and smiled. “I think that I’m beginning to like this woman more all the time. So, how long was it?”

  “How long was what?”

  She smirked and shook her head. “How long was it before you finally got together? That was the original question, remember?”

  “Geez, no wonder you are a good attorney. You’re relentless. Without getting into all of the intimate details and dialogue that took place between us, let’s just say that it took however long it takes to drive from the club to my house.”

  “It was about five minutes then, from the time the two of you decided to consummate the deal, until the time you were in bed. Why didn’t you just come forth with that when I asked you how long it was in the first place? We could have saved some time here,” she smiled.

  “Well, hell, I know. But when you say it like that, it seems as though we were a little too impetuous.”

  She laughed. “I think that the word should be eager, not impetuous. It just proves my point about the draconian policies that some companies have about sex because if two people want to have sex, they will figure it out.

  “Didn’t you tell me that your relationship wasn’t exclusive and that she had other lovers, at least, at first?”

  “Yes, I think she had two other men that she saw occasionally when we started our uh … relationship.”

  “But then, when you got back from Albany the first time, you said something about her not dating anyone else for about a year before you stopped seeing her, right?”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  “Then, it could be one of her ex-boyfriends, trying to get her back or trying to hurt her in some way. What do you know about them?”

  “I know virtually nothing about them except she did say that they were younger, quite a bit younger, and somewhat inexperienced.”

  “Alex, if they were really younger, like in their twenties, this could be a revenge sort of thing to get even with her for jilting them.”

  “People don’t do that sort of thing just to get back at someone for breaking up with them.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “You could be right. But if this were a young man’s first love affair with someone that gave him great sex, and she was a mother figure, it could have been devastating to an inexperienced younger man. Especially, if he knew that he was being cast aside for an older, more experienced gentleman of means, a man of vision, integrity, and wisdom. A virtuous leader in his community …”

  “Okay, okay, you don’t have to rub it in. I get your point,” I said as we both laughed.

  She reached over and held my hand. “Okay, Don Juan, I’m just saying that it’s a possibility.”

  The evening had been incredibly stressful for us. After our martini, she began to feel better, and her tummy had settled down. We ended up eating late, around nine o’clock, because we just didn’t get our appetites back until then.

  By the time we had finished dinner, it was close to ten o’clock. We were both exhausted from the stress of the evening, so we went right to bed.

  I was already in bed when she came from the bathroom and joined me. Just before she climbed in bed with me, she dropped her nightgown on the floor, a clear indication that she wanted sex. She scooted up close and laid her head on my shoulder.

  “I thought that you would be too tired and too stressed to make love tonight.”

  “I am exhausted, but after all of the stress we had this evening, I need to be close. Those pictures broke my heart because I really thought you had lied to me, and I had real doubts about us for the first time.”

  “Thank God, Nancy was available and answered her telephone. I wanted you to hear it directly from her.”

  She chuckled quietly as she climbed on top of me and nuzzled her sex into mine. I wasn’t hard yet, so there wasn’t much for her to nuzzle into. She placed her lips softly to mine and kissed me very tenderly and lovingly. It was a combination of long, slow, wet kisses and small, soft pecks. “You told me tonight that you love me. Did you mean to say that? You were angry?”

  I took a deep breath and kissed her sweet lips in return. “Yes, I knew what I was saying, and I meant it. I do love you, Shannen.”

  “You told me that you loved me, and then, you told me to shut up, all in the same sentence. Don’t you think it’s a little strange for your boyfriend to tell you he loves you for the first time ever and then tell you to shut up?”

  I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, looking up at her, with her breasts resting gently against my chest. “Possibly, but I do love you. I love you terribly. Now shut up and kiss me.”

  She giggled, and she kissed me, a lot. Her kisses were soft and genuine, her lips warm and sweet. She moaned as she poured her heart into me through her loving mouth. “I do love you, Alexander Thompson. I love you with all my heart; just don’t ever break it,” she whispered as she continued to kiss me with warm, loving lips.

  When she said that she loved me, I became instantly hard, and my cock was burrowing between her aroused labia. “I came to bed knowing that we needed to make love tonight of all nights. You can have sex and fuck me anytime you want, but tonight, I need you to make love to me. I need long, slow, passionate love,”
she groaned and positioned me at her entrance as I pushed slowly into her soft, warm body.

  ******

  The following morning we were sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the photographs and taking the first few delicious sips of our morning coffee. I had already taken Charlie out for his morning potty break and had rewarded his excellent performance with his first treat of the day.

  She picked up the one that had the date on it. “It’s strange, yesterday these photographs were tearing my world apart, and this morning, they are just a curiosity.”

  I looked at the one she was holding. “Yeah, it’s some curiosity alright. I know that it doesn’t bother you nearly as much today, but it does me. Even though it’s not going to have an effect on our relationship, thank God, it sure as hell could have if I hadn’t called Nancy. Someone is trying to hurt us, one of the three of us, or perhaps, all of us. We need to figure out who it is and why they are going after us, so we can put a stop to it.

  “Listen, honey,” I contended, “whoever sent you those photographs probably expects us to break up. I think that means that they want to hurt me or, possibly Nancy. They would expect me to accuse her of sending them and take whatever revenge I could.”

  “Okay, so what if you did try to go after her and extract some type of revenge, what could you possibly do to her that would cause her harm?”

  I thought about it for a few moments. “I could stop using her firm for our advertising and marketing.”

  “What does she lose if that happens, a bonus? Surely, you aren’t her only account.”

  I shook my head. “No, I know she has other accounts because she talked about them occasionally, but I don’t remember who they are.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” she teased. “But seriously, I don’t think that losing an account is a good enough, or big enough, reason to go to all of the trouble of following you around in an effort to get some photographs of the two of you together. I’m surprised that there weren’t any photographs of the two of you doing it, if they followed you around that much.”