Chapter 1
Fatima was sitting at the circular table, drinking from her wine glass. In front of her are two plates of steak, asparagus, and wine bottles serving as candle holders. Fatima was working on her sixth glass of wine, growing angry with each sip. "Where is he?" She thought. She checked her phone and scrolled through their texts.
Him: "Are we still having steak tonight?"
Her: "Yup! Please be at home at ten please! Or else the steak will be cold. Again."
Him: "I will, I will. I swear I'll be home by ten. Love you!"
Her: "Love you too!"
She checked the time. It was midnight and he still hasn't called her. Hasn't even bothered to text her back. "That bastard." She muttered and went to refill her glass but instead drank straight from the bottle. She got up, wine bottle in hand, and went to take a bath. She looks back at the table and had the urge to smash it, smash it into millions of pieces. Just as he did with her heart.
Alonzo laid bare in the other woman's bed, satisfied. The woman also laid next to him, cuddling him as she dozed off with a small smile on her face. Alonzo thought about Fatima and how he was going to explain why he had to "work late" again. Alonzo was thinking about the first time he cheated on Fatima with the woman.
They had met at Fatima's office, where he was waiting to surprise her with a bouquet of flowers and chocolates. He was actually working late and forgot about their anniversary dinner. She was furious and wouldn't speak with him for the rest of the week. And the day he showed up at her work place and tried to give her the flowers (and chocolates), she took them and then put them in the trash and went back to her office. That's when the other woman, the woman who he was laying next to now, went to comfort him as she lead him to the door and gave him her number. When Fatima told him that maybe they needed a break from their marriage, Alonzo was angry. Hurt. He grabbed his things and headed to a hotel.
After a week of doing nothing but drinking alcohol and watching cable TV (he called in sick at his workplace), he called the other woman. They arranged a date and he had a good time. Every other day they went out together, from dinner dates to trips to museums to trips to the fair. Places Fatima never wanted to go to with him. And then it happened. At first Alonzo felt guilty but he reminded himself that it was okay. After all, she wanted the break not him. They continued to have sex continuously, even though Fatima took Alonzo back, agreeing that she "might of" overreacted. Alonzo moved back in and everything was back to normal. Which became the problem.
After Alonzo moved in, Fatima and him had sex. And it was boring compared to the sex Alonzo had with the other woman. It was so simple, so boring. Fatima didn't like hardcore sex. She didn't like being "roughed up". But the other woman did. She liked being tousled. Fatima didn't like touching his dick during sex. She figured that her vagina was enough to satisfy him. But the other woman, oh she did things that he never could fathom Fatima doing. Hand jobs underneath the dinner table at the restaurants they went to, blowjobs before and after sex, and a different sex position each time. And she wanted him to fuck her hard. And it was amazing. It was great. But now he was going to have to end it all because he was Fatima again. He tried to do it. For a few days he ignored her calls and her texts. And after having sex with Fatima without an orgasm, he decided to call the woman and they arranged a date. There he explained the situation. How he couldn't be in a relationship with her because he was with his wife again but he couldn't handle the boring sex. And the woman agreed. That sex was all that defined their relationship.
And so Alonzo continued to have sex with her. He lied to Fatima about his promotion, and how he would have to work later than normal. He lied to Fatima about why he didn't want to have sex with her on the days he was home. He blamed it being that he was tired. Fatima bought it and Alonzo continued his affair. Everyone satisfied. He rolled over in the bed that belonged to the other woman's bed and went to sleep.
Fatima was soaking in her bath, drinking sips out of her wine bottle. She sat the tub drinking and thinking. "Maybe he was really working late." saying it out loud, hoping it'll make it believable. It didn't work. If he was working late, he would've sent a text to her like he normally would. "Okay so he forgot. He's a forgetful man." He is forgetful. Like he forgot our anniversary last year. But why was he making the same amount of money as he did before his promotion? She had checked their joint bank account. Each check was the same as before. "Maybe its just a title promotion. They do that there." But even out loud she didn't believe it. Then a small voice in her head said, "Maybe he's with an another woman." Her blood went cold. It explained so much. The late nights. Him not wanting to have sex with her. "God, how could I have not seen it?" She whispered. He was sleeping around with another woman. She kept thinking that same thought over and over and over again. Instead of being angry, she felt like a huge part of herself was scooped out of her. She felt empty. She began to cry. She sobbed at the utter betrayal she was sure he committed. She wailed his name, hoping he'll be home and heard her. Hoping he'll walk through that door with that stupid smile and comfort her. But the door stayed closed and she continued to cry.
