CHAPTER 11

When he went into the bathroom, hot, perspiring profusely, Don knew he had reached a crossroad in his life. Was it possible to love two women? Leanne was his wife, the mother of his children, his partner in life, his friend of twenty-five years.

But what about this passion he was feeling for Alisha? Whenever he was near her he felt alive, alert, capable; and he had a strong sense of well-being in her presence.

How could he, should he? Indeed, should he throw away twenty-five years of marriage?

He took off his wilted shirt and removed his trousers. Then he washed his face with cold water, toweling himself dry. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a Patriots football jersey labeled Tom Brady, number twelve. While brushing his teeth and then swishing some mouthwash around in his mouth, he was actually aware that he was facing a pivotal moment in his life.

He clicked off the bathroom lights and found the bedroom in the darkness.

“Alisha? Where are you?”

“Right here,” she answered, her voice soft, inviting.

“Right where?”

His eyes began adjusting to the darkness. Then he saw her; she was in the bed.

“What…what are you doing in my bed?”

“Waiting.”

“Waiting for what?”

“For you. Who else?”

“Girl, Alisha, you must be crazy!”

“I am. Crazy about you. Now come to bed, I’ve been waiting too long as it is for this night. I love you, Don. You must know that.”

She wanted him, he thought, and any remnant of reason vanished. His body was reacting to a sexual invitation that rendered any restrictions or doubts from his mind.

He remembered something from one of his medical school classes in Human Sexuality: something about hormones, testosterone levels, chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and the like. But tonight he was not thinking or feeling like a physician. Tonight he was a man.

Before getting into the bed, Alisha had opened the drapes and soft moonlight filtered into the room.

“Alisha! I’m married, I can’t do this!”

“Yes you can, and you know you want to.”

As if he had no will at all, he found himself drawn to the side of the bed. Alisha was sitting up, her head against the headboard. He was stunned by the lovely satin luster of her bare arms and shoulders.

Staring at her, feeling the tense agony of an uncomfortable erection. He needed, wanted release from the painful sensation he was experiencing.

Reacting to her seductive smile, he tore off his clothes and slid into the bed. She was naked. Her boldness thrilled him, and her lovely warm body excited him.

She wagged a forefinger in front of his nose.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

With a blank look, he said, “Forgetting?”

“Under your pillow, my dear.”

She watched with amusement as he retrieved the silver packet, and prepared himself. As he stretched out beside her, feeling the seductive heat that rose from her body, he relaxed. All was well.

Alisha snuggled close to him.

“I knew it,” she whispered.

“Knew what?”

“That we’d be a perfect fit. Make love to me, Don.”

Her touches were gentle, her caresses light and feathery, but they sent flames of desire all through his body. He kissed her softly, tenderly. Then the demands of passion overcame him, and he sought the sweetness inside. Her responsive moans told him now that frissons of passion were engulfing her body.

He cupped his left hand around her delicate breast, its firm nub responding like a hard marble under his thumb.

Alisha gasped from the exquisite sensation she was feeling. She had been aching for this all these months. It was what she needed from this wonderful man she loved. Her mother had always said, “When the right man comes along, you’ll know.” But it was not her fault that Don had married the wrong woman. At last everything was right…as it should be.

Don began to kiss her closed eyes, her nose, planting delicate kisses along her neck, her ears. She trembled in his arms, and when his mouth covered the firm nub of her other breast, she thought she was going to die. She began to pant, her breath coming in hushed gasps. Waves of passionate excitement flooded her body. She never had a moment like this before. Her need for immediate fulfillment was so great, a tumultuous feeling rose from the core of her body.

Instinctively, she widened her legs and gasped frantically as Don entered her body. Losing all control, she made every effort to satisfy the demanding needs of her body. Swinging her legs over her lover’s back, she gripped him tightly, much as a drowning victim clings to a rescuer.

They lay together entwined until their breathing slowed and their heart rates returned to a normal rate.

Alisha spoke first, her voice husky with emotion. “Thank you, Don. I love you, love you…”

“Shh-h-h, I know, I know.”

She curled her body up against his, making him all the more aware that she, unlike Leanne, had not fled their lovemaking nest. He lay there for almost an hour, thinking, I’ve been unfaithful to my wife after all these years. How did I let this happen? What’s wrong with me?

Alisha slept soundly, so Don eased out of the bed. He went into the bathroom. He needed to shower. He couldn’t let this happen again. Just couldn’t!

He washed his hair, finished his shower, dried himself with one of the hotel’s thick towels, then shaved and brushed his teeth. He put on the hotel’s white Turkish bathrobe, then combed his hair. He lectured himself, You must not get back into that bed!

When he moved quietly back into the room, he immediately noted a change.

The bedside table lamp was lit, but the bed was empty. He rushed to the picture window just in time to see Alisha getting into her father’s car. As if on cue, she turned and waved up at the window. She got into the car and drove off. He glanced at the clock radio on the bedside stand. It was three-thirty. You are such a dumb bunny. The girl planned this all along and you got sucked right in! What a fool! She set a trap and you stepped into it.

Since he was already up, he decided he might as well get a head start. Throwing the bedspread over the now offensive bed, he began to pack. He removed shirts, ties, socks and underwear from the bureau drawers and packed them into his carry-on bag. Then he cleared the bathroom of his toiletries.

He had placed a pair of gray slacks, a sport shirt, and a navy blue blazer on a hanger, planning to be dressed casually for the morning’s half-session and for the flight home.

After he had done that, he decided to watch the morning news.

By seven-thirty he was dressed and on his way to breakfast, and then on to checkout. After settling his bill, he returned to his room, sat down, thinking over the events of the past week.

How could he have been so befuddled? He, a board-certified physician, a man with the largest roster of patients in his group practice, a doctor who cared for and managed the medical problems of hundreds of patients. How could he have been so stupid, so captivated by Alisha that he became unfaithful to his wife, the mother of two wonderful children? Leanne had been his anchor, his friend, the woman he loved.

Sitting alone in the room, he found it difficult to remember the previous night’s events. It was as if he did not want to remember.

He leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.

Alisha had used him for her own selfish gratification. He could see that now. But what of his own selfishness? After all, there had been no gun at his head. What made him do it? What base urges had prompted him to falter, to deny his marital vows?

You did it because you wanted to, he thought to himself. You were lustful, flattered that you could meet the sexual needs of a young woman and enjoy the experience. Made you feel like a young stud. Now what? No more, no more. That’s it.

He went into the bathroom to wash his sweaty face. As if seeking to put himself back into his normal life, he decided to telephone Leanne.

“Yes, Lee, it’s me. Be home this afternoon, like we planned. Right, Greene Airport, at three.”

Her excited, cheerful voice only increased his feelings of guilt.

“Oh, Don, I’ll be there. Don’t worry!”

Thinking about his wife made him feel ill. He felt trapped, caught, almost unable to think straight. He was not accustomed to feeling this way. He did not like it. Not at all.