Longing for the Unreachable

After a while, Bernard walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. He took one look at my face and frowned. "Honey, you don't like the cake?"

I hesitated, nodded, then shook my head.

He looked confused and pulled me into his arms.

Just before he leaned in to kiss me, I blurted, "I'm on my period. I'm not feeling great."

He froze, disappointment flashing in his eyes.

I picked up my tablet and pretended to read, counting beats in my head.

…

Ten minutes later, he grabbed his phone and put on a helpless look. "Honey, something came up at the office. I've got to run back."

I smiled like it didn't sting. "Go. Drive safe."

Lately, every time I said I wasn't up for anything, Bernard suddenly had somewhere to be. I'd never questioned it. Now, I felt stupid for not seeing it sooner.

The door clicked shut. The next second, I grabbed my keys and followed.

…

Ten minutes later, his car stopped in front of a villa.

A woman in a maid's costume skipped down the steps to meet him. They didn't even make it inside before they were kissing each other.

My stomach turned. I lifted my phone and took a series of photos.

On the way home, the tears finally came.

We'd met at a friend's party. He went out of his way to win me over.

Everyone said the age gap meant he was just playing. I thought so too at first, but he kept showing up, proving his love to me again and again.

I mentioned I liked fresh chicken soup, and he went to learn it from a chef.

I said my stomach hurt sometimes, and he brewed hot cocoa and stocked a heating pad.

When I worked late, he brought me sliders and fries and waited in the lobby.

I once sighed that Westmere Coast looked beautiful in the travel magazines, and he cleared his calendar and took me there for a long weekend.

When I had a fever, he sat by my bed all night.

To give me peace of mind, he blocked women who flirted with him.

I said I admired men who built a career, and he threw himself into work until everyone called him a rising star.

Later, he spent a fortune flying drones that lit up the skyline and asked me to marry him under a burst of custom fireworks, swearing forever.

I believed him. I let down every guard and said yes.

Time passed, and I never imagined he'd change his mind and find someone new.

Had Bernard changed, or had I never really known him?

Sitting in my car, I suddenly got a call from Bernard. I picked up, but there was only silence on the other end.

I thought he might have called me by accident. I was about to hang up when a familiar voice came through.

"Last night wasn't enough for you? You just can't get enough, can you?" A woman's playful whine followed. "I hate thinking about you going back to that boring old woman. I don't want to share."

Kisses and breathless moans spilled through the line.

Bernard said hoarsely, "Take good care of me now, and I'll stay the night."

They tried a lot of things. I stared at the windshield, stunned.

Thankfully, the moment I heard his voice, I hit the record button. Let the clever little "maid" think she could taunt me with a pocket dial. I already had everything I needed.