Jim finished packing his overnight bag before leaving for work in the morning. He told Alice a government client wanted to have a quick meeting in Albany later that night, but he would be back home right after work tomorrow. Alice asked if it wouldn’t be just as easy to drive home after the meeting since it was less than a three-hour drive. Jim insisted after a session, dinner, and drinking with the client, it would be much safer for him to stay overnight than drive back to the city.
“Are you and Harry going together again, Jim? I feel better when you are partners.”
“No, Alice. This is a quick solo trip to clear up some specs. Not big enough to involve two people. Besides, it’s all about AI programming and what we can do for them. Client-specific programming issues aren’t what Harry does. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
Jim gave Alice a small, unreturned peck on the cheek. The tips of his ears were red. “Bastard,” she whispered as he walked out the door.
The dreariness of the well-worn subway car and dark tunnels on the ride to work went unnoticed. Thoughts of spending the night with Gabriella filled Jim’s mind and fueled his imagination.
“Good morning, Jim. I see you have an overnight bag. Going someplace interesting?” asked Francine as Jim arrived in the lab.
“Just a short overnight business trip. I’ll be back sometime tomorrow morning.”
Francine stared at him for a few moments. “An overnight trip, huh? I see nothing on the schedule. Who needs to see you on such short notice?”
“It’s nothing, Francine. Only a quick out-and-back trip to Albany to review some financial questions in person. I’ll be leaving early to get there for my 4:00 meeting.”
“Indeed. Who is she, Jim? Anyone I know?”
“Oh, for the love of God, Francine. It’s a short trip. Please don’t get on me for this. We have work to do today. Let’s focus on it, okay?”
“You’re a total ass, Jim Arnold!” Francine threw her arms out to the side and turned to walk away from him. “You’ll never understand a thing! Try not to talk to me for the rest of the day, okay?”
Lab personnel felt the tension between the two and decided it would be wiser to quietly do their work until the brewing storm passed over. The usual sounds of good-natured joking and laughing evaporated like alcohol on a hotplate. They conducted their conversations in quiet whispers for the rest of the day.
Jim picked up his bag and left the lab at 2:00. He had a key to Gabriella’s apartment. Gabriella left work at 2:45.
Jim gave Gabriella a long hug and a kiss when she arrived. “I couldn’t wait for you to get here, Gabriella.” She gave him a full-body hug. The tide of their kiss surged from warm to passionate. Hands flew to undo buttons and zippers. They spent the next hour and a half under the pinnacle of her hand-carved cherry headboard.
Two people lay on the blanket, smiling contentedly at the ceiling. “Want some dinner?” Jim eventually asked.
“I’d love some. Shall we shower first?” Gabriella turned to Jim and smiled.
They repositioned both shower heads to spray hot water onto the bench. The two spent the next forty-five minutes creating their own steam in the humid atmosphere.
“Do we need to take another shower to clean up?” Gabriella asked.
“Please,” said Jim, “I can barely move.” He smiled and held her close. “Let’s get dressed and grab some chow.”
“Sounds good, Jim. How’s Chinese?”
Jim ordered Fried Crab Rangoon and Szechuan Spicy Shrimp for the two of them. The Chambers wine boutique delivered a bottle of Jia Bei Lan Grand Reserve cabernet wine to cool down the shrimp.
They spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch and watched old movies.
“Jim, why is the dialogue so corny sounding in these black and white movies?”
“Well, directors made them in a different era. Movies had less realistic acting standards. People were happy to see pictures that moved and had sound. But honey, I don’t care about the dialogue. As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter what else is going on,” Jim said, stroking Gabriella’s knee.
“Me too to you too,” she responded and kissed him full on the lips again. “Me too.”
They went to bed after the movies. Gabriella snuggled provocatively next to Jim under the sheets.
“Ah, honey, I’m not up to it again. Can we hold each other and sleep for a while? Sad to say, I can’t keep up with you, lady. Is it okay?” Jim said with an apologetic voice.
“No problem. Get some shut-eye.” She wrapped her arms around him.
Some of Harry’s words from their previous conversation drifted unwelcomed across Jim’s mind as sleep crept over him.
Gabriella lay in bed with her eyes open for a while. Why am I thinking about Paul, she wondered? Is it wrong to be attracted to two men at the same time? Wives love their husbands and their children, so it must be okay to love several people at once. It seems natural.
But why is this feeling it’s not okay so persistent?