When The Morning Comes

He grabs his gray cotton boxers on the nightstand, crawls out of the bed using his hands to support him, and slowly slides his feet from the sheets.  Puts his undies on, walks quietly to the foot of the bed to pick up his trousers, shirt, tie and socks, strewn in different parts of the room.  He shakes his head slightly and grins, looks at the bed and watches her.
She stirs a bit and he thinks, "my baby, sleeps like a little, sweet angel but hotter than a tamale in bed", she makes a small wheezing sound and turns to her side, he freezes; afraid that if he thinks some more or makes another move, she might waken.

Alicia lies in bed, her naked body completely exposed, her body is spread on white satin sheets that makes her copper skin reflect a "glow in the dark" gleam.  Her chi chi's move and bounce as she breathes, the small scrub covering her fanny glistens with moisture, her long thighs end at her cute and pinkish well pedicured toenails (in flashy red).  Martin stares at the beauty before him and feels himself growing a semi, shakes his head and thinks, "If I don't get out of here, I will have to take her again like tomorrow is my last day on earth."   He walks quietly into the bathroom and gets dressed.  He carefully checks his shirt for stain marks, scents, and then decides, it's all good and puts it on.

He moves carefully back inside the room, grabs his car keys, mobile phone, eyeglasses and wrist watch from the dresser.  He snatches his leather shoes, steals another glance at the naked woman in bed, and leaves.

A sound of a car ignition and an engine starting rouses her sleep and Alicia tries to open her eyes.  She looks around and finds that's she's alone.  "He's left,  he didn't even say goodbye."  She crawls out of bed and runs to her window that views the street directly below.   She caught a glimpse of taillights turning at a street corner and disappearing.  She stands looking out of her window a couple of seconds more, the air conditioning's cool air directly at her back.  She crosses her arms and realizes she is still totally naked. She curses softly to herself and walks into the room, opens the dresser, gets her Marlboro's and lights one.

Her reflection on the mirror caught her eye.  The woman looking back at her is an extremely attractive lady with breasts that can make Pamela Sue Anderson whimper, a body that men worship and adore, stands at 5'8" barefoot, soulful brown eyes, straight dark brown hair with a layered hairstyle that needs very low maintenance;  a real eye candy.  Alicia smirks back at her reflection while she puffs on her cigarette.  Not much has changed in her body since she was Captain of the Cheer Squad, not even when she was Prom Queen.

An MBA degree, an accelerated career track in a global Advertising Agency where she heads the Creative Department, managing a team of young upstart copywriters and a whole boisterous, and loud team of graphic artists; (all bets are up she will likely make Vice President in the current year); a nice flat she owns; a beamer; a housekeeper; all of these at a young age of 27 years old.  The voices of ghosts past in her head are right, she could always get what she wanted.   Except for the emptiness she feels, things are where they should be.

A red blotch just on top of her left nipple catches her eye; she touches it gingerly, some tenderness and swelling.  "Love bite?" she bemuses.  "That son of a bitch gave me a love bite?" She looks at her face, except for some slight darkening under her eyes from lack of sleep, it's perfect.  She starts crying.

Alicia is a "dream girl", everyone says that.  She is the envy of most women, that's why she only holds a small group of girlfriends tight; men drop on their knees to worship the ground she walks on.  Only Colleen, her best friend (as far back as Alicia can remember since her first tooth fell out);  nobody knows that she is crazy, head over heels in love with a man, who is married, has three kids, is 50 years old, and looks like your average, amiable bookkeeper, Martin.

Her being single has been the gist of talks behind her back.  Alicia is known to play the field, but is such an elusive catch, it makes people wonder if she has other "preferences".  She is totally woman, however, and has had her fair share of one nights, flings, bar make-outs, and the lot.  She had enjoyed the company of different men in the same bed that she and Martin just shared.  But everything goes back to Martin.  The one man that Alicia feels that she has connected to both at an intellectual, emotional and sexual level.  He just knows how to stimulate her.

Alicia drags on her cigarette, realizing its almost a stub, looks around for an ashtray.  Having found none nearby, grabs the nearest half-empty whiskey glass and hurls the stub inside.  She curses again as she thinks back on how the entire night unfolded.  She had called him to meet and to tell him that she has gotten really tired of the hide and seek, the clandestine dinner meetings, the off-town trysts, and wants to put her personal life back in track.  Its almost ridiculous that they have had this conversation some 3 months ago, and about each time, they ended up having torrid, passionate love in bed.  For all her intelligence, Alicia can not fully grasp how she can totally lose it with Martin.

She yanks a tissue paper from the holder and dries her eyes.  She had always loathed her father for fooling around with women, and here she was, the girl most likely to succeed in life, ends up as just your regular mistress.  Perhaps because she has never known how it is to give up on something.  Maybe because she can always get what she desired, except that this time, someone beat her to it.

Thoughts clutter in Alicia's head.  Thoughts and questions.  "Is it because he is charmingly-boyish for his age?  Is it because he can engage me in conversations from the downright menial to debates on philosophy and spiritualism?  Is it in the occasional gawky-ness and holding not a single speck of self-consciousness?  Is it because he is the only man who has treated her just as she is, a part-time lover, mistress, friend, buddy?  Is it because when we have sex he makes me feel everything that a woman should feel when she is being made love to?  Is it just the sex? I throw away 2 years of my life to "just the sex"  So that's what I am, a FU-BU, a fuck buddy!  Who does he think he is?  Antonio Banderas?  Did I make him feel that?  That bastard!"

"But how can Martin feel like my favorite gloves?  Its a little bit spent, nonetheless, fits perfectly according to the contours of my hands and fingers.  He feels so shaped according to what I need to fill in my gaps.  And yet, he is so wrong.  Could have been the right guy at a different lifetime."  Alicia's tears fall again as her thoughts argue with each other.

"He didn't even say goodbye.  It's a Friday night, and weekends to him are sacred.  I used to think there are sacred things for me too, but Martin changed all of that.  Just because he knows I am an incredible fuck.  Who's the bigger fool here?  I know only too well he will never leave his wife."

Alicia looks once more at the mirror and stares at the reflection.  Her soulful brown eyes still wet with tears and then a slow creasing at the edges turning into a naughty, rather nasty glint.  She lights another cigarette.  Takes her mobile phone out of her bag and looks up a number.  She presses the number on her mobile, a smile coming onto her face, a click; a woman's voice.

"Catherine?  Alicia here.  I was just wondering how your breakfast schedule looks like for tomorrow? (pause) Oh really?  Just great.  Of course, our favorite Coffee Shop then.  It's been a long while, we have a lot of catching up to do (laughs) you may have to keep your lunch hour open too.  (pauses)  Lots of things darling, yes, after you decided to become a full time mother to your kids. (long pause).  We miss you at the office parties.  Sure, it's entirely your call Cat, it's going to be an all-girl tete-a-tete.  (longer pause) Yes, I have met Martin, indeed I have. (chuckles)  I will see you tomorrow love".

Alicia dials another number.  "Colleen?  I need you ...."

Alicia walks to the bathroom, humming a tune to herself.