I was exhausted.
I had been hopping from meeting to meeting for almost the entire day, trying to organize the students' finals, the graduation ceremony, etc.
The only highlight had been Alison, who had also offered to lend a helping hand, saying that, as a student, she could 'give some valuable insight' and also reduce the amount of work I had to do.
After drinking my usual glass of Cotswolds at my favorite bar, I found myself in my car, driving home.
The roads weren't that busy, so I allowed myself to move some of my focus to a particular thought, one that frequently kept me up at night: Alison.
It had been about two weeks and a half ever since we had put an end to our sexual relationship, yet our... Friendship was becoming deeper and more serious with each passing day. It had gotten to the point where something would happen to me and I would impatiently wait to see her again just to tell her.
I very much looked forward to spending time with her, especially considering how happy she looked to just talk to me. She made me feel special.
But it meant nothing, I still loved my wife.
I unlocked the front door and walked inside, ready to welcome the weekend with a book in hand and maybe a charcuterie board on the side. I could already savor the delicate taste of the Brie on my tastebuds when I faintly heard more than two voices coming from somewhere downstairs.
And that third voice was unmistakable, for it sounded like a siren's song, a melodious hum that lured you in and stripped you of your resistance. It belonged to her, to Alison. "We've already set the table, so you're free to come with the food!" She said enthusiastically, most likely addressing my wife.
I first directed myself towards the washroom to wash my hands, before cautiously stepping into the dining room. I wasn't worried about Ali, after all, I knew that she wouldn't open her mouth and expose us, for she didn't want to risk not seeing me anymore. However, the thought of Olivia and Alison in the same room still managed to fill me with nervousness.
The young beauty was the first one to lock eyes with me. She smiled brightly and then blew me a kiss. Only a blue summery dress covered her body, showcasing a decent amount of cleavage to be considered both sexy yet proper. "Oh, good evening, Mr. Visconti!" She exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention to me.
My wife, who was busy arranging the spaghetti alla carbonara in each plate, looked up and saw me standing in the doorway. "Hi, babe."
"Hey, dad." Voiced Richard.
I greeted them back and took a seat at the head of the table, hearing my stomach grumble at the sight in front of me. The amazing smell of the main course wafted around and into my nose, already bringing me a bit of pleasure.
Olivia leaned in to press a kiss on my lips— as she always did, yet this time I didn't turn my head and I just let it land on my cheek, hoping that she wouldn't make a big deal out of it. She wasn't that type.
It felt wrong to kiss her so romantically when Alison was right in front of us, for I did not want to hurt her. I picked up the fork and dug in, releasing a low moan when the wonderful aroma of the spaghetti hit my tastebuds. "It tastes delicious, h—" I decided to interrupt myself right there, avoiding to call her honey.
She didn't seem to notice, she simply smiled gratefully and placed her hand on top of mine, giving it a light squeeze before moving it away. "Thank you, but it's not entirely my doing. Alison helped a lot, she's such a sweet girl."
Alison's cheeks reddened as a blush spread through them, making her look so much more innocent than she really was. "It was nothing." She then pointedly glanced at me, wanting to see my reaction to those last words.
"Indeed she is." I confirmed with what could've seemed a polite grin, although we knew better. There was an underlying meaning to that, one that only the two of us could grasp.
After we'd finished eating, I waited for my wife and my son to occupy themselves with the dishes, so that I could grab the young beauty and drag her in a more secluded area. "What are you doing here?"
A flashback played in my mind: almost 5 months prior to this moment, we had been in the same position, only I was angry at her and at myself for wanting her. Now, I was calm.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me one of her breathtaking smiles. Her eyes were wide as she looked at me, filled with utter adoration. "Richard invited me. Why? Are you uncomfortable?"
I shook my head. "No. It just feels weird to see my wife and my..." What was she? What did she mean to me?
"Mistress?" She offered quietly, nibbling on her lower lip.
"Ex-mistress being so close to each other." I finished.
It was especially bizarre to hear my wife talking so fondly about Alison, when she was the one I had cheated on her with.
She raised her shoulder in a half-shrug and parted her lips, a light giggle accompanying her words. "I'm trying to figure out her weak spots so that I can take her place."
I didn't scold her, even though I probably should've had. No, I was too busy imagining my life with Olivia out of the picture and Alison as my lifelong companion. Lots of sex, that's for sure.
I had to admit it sounded pretty tempting.
"We should get going before they notice that we're both mysteriously gone." Alison got on her tip-toes and pecked me sweetly on the lips. It was a very chaste kiss, yet it was charged with so much passion and emotion. I could tell that she craved more.
I rested my hands on her hips and lightly pushed her away, so that I wouldn't have her irresistible body pressed against mine. "This is not the right time for you to do this." I whispered in a benevolent tone, not wanting her to feel bad and maybe blow my words out of proportion.
Apparently, it worked, because she very casually shrugged again, an angelic expression plastered onto her beautiful face. "It is never not the right time for me to show you how much I cherish you, you mean man." And she pecked me a couple more times, before running off.
Only a smile was left on my lips as I watched her, along with the remnants of her lipgloss, which I collected with a swipe of my tongue.
I put my pajama shorts back on and watched Olivia walk out of the en-suite bathroom, throwing on a silk camisole and a pair of matching shorts.
She got in bed and snuggled closer to me, wanting me to hold her and cuddle with her after our love-making session. "Alison is adorable, isn't she?" She started, completely unexpectedly.
"Yes." I muttered, not knowing where this was going and not liking it one bit. My heart was already beating crazily in my chest and I thanked the heavens for making her lay on my right side.
She sighed heavily and fell silent for a few minutes. It seemed that she had fallen asleep, when I suddenly heard her speak up again. "I wonder if Vanessa would've been like her..."
Now that made my heart stop and drop in the pit of my stomach.
Vanessa would have been our second child, our little babygirl, but Olivia had suffered a miscarriage, which stole her from us. We both had been devastated— my wife more than me, and she had decided against trying for other children, because she had started deeming herself as inferior, incapable of carrying a child, even though Richard was the living proof that confuted her argument.
I obviously had tried to help her regain her confidence, and it had thankfully worked, however, she had completely abandoned the idea of having more children, and that had been fine with me.
"Don't make this comparison, or you're going to start getting attached to her."
I had to admit it: I also found myself automatically thinking of her as a sort of daughter at times, especially due to her behavior and the significant age-gap between us. Alison frequently acted in a rather spoiled way and some of her mannerisms reminded me, a father, of those of a child. Even just the whole 'sitting on my lap while we talked' thing could very well be seen as a father-daughter activity. Because of these considerations, I had become very protective of her.
Of course, this thought did not overlap with our sexual relationship, I didn't have any twisted fantasies.
"I know," She conceded softly, tracing patterns on my chest with her fingertip. "but it got me thinking." Another long pause, I could tell that she was somehow agitated. "You know, I felt so lonely while you were on that trip, and I began to mature this idea inside my head and... I want a baby."
A severe coughing fit ensued after I'd choked on my own saliva, making me sit up and blindly search for something, possibly a glass of water, that would soothe my respiratory tract.
Olivia reacted quickly, outstretching her arm to grab the water bottle that she kept on her nightstand and handing it to me.
I took it and downed a third of its content in about a second. "Sorry?" I asked incredulously once I stopped coughing.
"Let's have a baby!" She blurted out excitedly, a wide grin spreading from one ear to the other.
And while she looked so convinced, I had a myriad of question marks swirling around in my head. Yet my answer, that I was sure of. "No." I replied firmly and rather coldly.
Her face fell in the span of a few milliseconds, her happy expression replaced by a deep frown. Clearly, she had expected me to have the same reaction she'd had, and when she saw that I was far from being delighted, her whole form slumped against the headboard. "What?" Her voice held a note of confusion in it.
"We're not having a baby now, Liv. What's gotten into you?"
She scoffed and narrowed her eyes at me. "What's gotten into me? What's gotten into you? What's the issue with having a baby?" Olivia was getting riled up.
Normally, whenever she would start to get mad, I would take a step back and solve the issue in a diplomatic way, in order to avoid a big fight. However, I wasn't in the mood to do that this time. "I just don't want one, I don't have the time for that."
"You don't have the time? What the hell do you have time for, then?" She spoke with an increasingly louder voice, managing to irritate me further.
I got up on my feet, for I had so much adrenaline running in my veins that I found it unbearable to stay still. "I'm in my forties and in a couple of years you'll be, too. Do you honestly think that having a baby this late is going to be easy? After we've gotten used to this stress-free life? I, for one, don't want it, especially when the only reason you do is that you felt lonely one week."
"Oh, spare me these shitty excuses! We've perfectly raised a baby once, we can do it again. Besides, I am the housewife here, I am gonna do most of the work, so I don't see what the hell is your problem!" She countered, also getting up.
I scoffed and chuckled dryly, earning myself a glare from her. "I'm not going to fucking donate you my sperm just so that you can have someone to keep you company while I'm at work. Just get a damn dog."
Olivia raised her hand and slapped me across the cheek, something she had never done. Her face was red and her nostrils were flaring. "You're an idiot, Lorenzo, comparing our child to an animal! Get out of here!"
My jaw clenched on its own accord and I looked straight into her eyes with what I knew was an enraged stare. "Don't you raise your hand at me ever again." I muttered in a low tone through gritted teeth, barely able to contain my anger. I turned around and got out of our bedroom, making sure to slam the door shut after me.