Bluffing - Chapter 4

4.

The next week was just a giant mess of flirty text messages, amazing sex, and learning every detail of Mark Cunningham. It is shameful, but I would be lying if I said that I thought about Stephen much. Most of my thoughts were centered around Mark, and even the three year olds at work could tell my mood had changed. A couple of my co-workers had asked why I was so giddy, but I wouldn’t tell. Mark was my little secret, I think that was half of the thrill.

Even though we had spent every night of the week together, I was still eager for

Friday. We spent most of our time together at my apartment, but this weekend, Mark decided

to repay me for my “hospitality,” he called it, and invited me to spend a “romantic

getaway weekend with him in his five-star suite.” I laughed in his face when he actually

said those words to me, but inside I was melting like a twelve year old girl at a Jonas

Brothers concert.

When I left work on Friday afternoon, I scurried home as fast as I could. I already had my

bag packed, complete with four different lingerie outfits, so I headed straight for the

shower. I wanted to look extra nice for Mark this time, he’s really only seen me in casual

clothing, or naked. I curled my hair into big, flowing, romantic curls, a trick learned

from my younger sister, Molly. I didn’t want to look completely overdone, so I skipped on

the smoky eye shadow, but I did apply some lipstick. My outfit had already been picked out

and laid on my bed; a short-sleeved, white, collared shirt, I would make sure to leave a

few buttons undone, a black, high-waisted pencil skirt, and the only pair of heels I

owned, black pumps with a metallic heel. This wasn’t my usual style and I had bought the

outfit for a night out with the girls before I left home. We all dressed to the nines just

to get completely shit-faced, kind of pointless, but we had a great time. Thinking about

the last time I wore this outfit made me a little homesick and I realized I hadn’t been

talking to any of my friends in a week, the reason I knew well enough. I logged onto

Facebook and left a little message on all of their walls. I promised myself I would call

each of them on Monday.

It was 6:47pm and Mark said he would pick me up at 7:00. I looked in the mirror and

thought that I needed a necklace, so I put on my favorite one, my Grandma’s pearls. She

gave them to me when I told her I was engaged, Granddad had given them to her. They were

my favorite thing I’ve ever owned. Remembering that I was engaged and what I was about to

do gave me a fresh wave of guilt and I almost called Mark to cancel, but I wouldn’t. I

wanted him more than I wanted a clear conscious. “It’s just sex.” I repeated to myself as

I removed my engagement ring and set it on my dresser. I grabbed my black trench coat,

popped the collar and headed for the door. My packed bag was on the couch and I double

checked to make sure I had everything. Suddenly I felt so giddy, I rushed out the door and

down the stairs.

Outside Mark was standing on the sidewalk waiting for me. He held a piece of plain paper

with “Ms. Sarah Green” written in big, black letters. I giggled and nodded my head. He

offered his arm and I looped mine in around.

“You look amazing,” he whispered in my ear,

“Thank you.”

I was smiling so wide it hurt and as people passed by us I thought we must look like the

happiest couple in the world. But we were not a couple, I had to remember that, we were

fuck buddies. We only kept contact for sexual favors and our entire relationship was based

on lust.

His apartment was pretty close to mine, seven blocks with some turns. I liked knowing how

close he was. We headed inside and I remembered on that first day how he had said “you

should see mine” after I apologized for having a messy place. I hoped he had cleaned.Of

course he did, but not only that. There were candles lit, rose petals leading to the bed,

a table set with wine and I the smell of whatever he had cooked was amazing.

His apartment was a bachelor. Two walls were a dark grey and two were a crisp white. His

comforter matched perfectly and a black leather couch looked brand new. There were no

childish posters, but instead a few pictures of what looked like his family on his shelf

and end table, and the famous “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photograph was hung in a thick,

black frame. The apartment was very Mark, and I loved it.

I began to undo my coat, and Mark actually took it off for me and hung it up. My stomach

filled with butterflies, yet again. This level of romanticism was something I wasn’t used

to.

“Have a seat.”

I looked at him and said “I don’t want a waiter this weekend, I want Mark Cunningham”

“That can certainly be arranged,” he laughed.

I sat down in one of the chairs at the table similar to my own. Mark headed into the

kitchen area and I watched him prepare my plate. He had definitely dressed up a little

himself and was wearing darkwash jeans, a white collared shirt and a pin-striped blazer. I

realized I had only ever seem him in hoodies, or naked, and he pulled off a blazer very

well.

“You look really good.” I complimented.

“Why thank you.”

He set the plate in front of me and I almost felt embarrassed by my cooking compared to

his. The herb-roasted chicken and grilled summer vegetables looked to come straight out of

a menu.

“Did you actually make this?”

“Sarah! I am offended, seriously, how could you even think such a thing?”

He was not good at making sarcastic remarks, he smiled too much. I laughed and apologized.

“Actually, I found the recipes online, and I gave it my best shot.”

“Well you did an excellent job. I am very impressed.”

“That was my goal.”

We ate and I tried to convince him to tell me what else he had up his sleeve for this

weekend. But Mark was an excellent secret keeper, he wouldn’t even give me a hint. I

finished off my plate rather quickly, it was so delicious I definitely could have went for

seconds. But Mark did one better, and before I even had my plate pushed to the side he was

setting another one in front of me, this time with a gigantic slice of chocolate

cheesecake. I must have looked like a kid on Christmas, grinning from ear to ear. I looked

at him, “I didn’t think you could top the chicken.”

“Well, I can’t. This I didn’t make. There is a little bakery around the corner, they make

the best cheesecakes. I was going to take you there for a slice, but then I decided to

take it to you.”

“Well then, I am glad you did. This looks amazing.”

He handed me a dessert fork and I dug into the cake. He was right, it was definitely the

best.

Once our meal was finished and the dishes were done, which he still wouldn’t let me do,

even though this time he cooked, I took a seat on his couch and waited for what was next.

Mark walked over to his bed and pulled back the comforter, revealing silk sheets. He

folded the comforter and laid it on the couch then took my hand and guided me over.

“Straight to the sex?” I wondered out loud.

“Not a chance, I’m a gentleman, but you are going to have to get naked. I’m going to go to

the bathroom for a second, when I come back you better be lying on your stomach wearing

nothing but the top sheet.”

“Are you about to give me a message?”

“You caught me.”

He did as he said and went into the bathroom, I removed my clothes as fast as I could, how

could he have known a massage was the equivalent of an orgasm in my eyes? This man was

amazing.

I lid down on the bed and pulled the sheet up just below my lower back. I rested my head

on the tops of my hands and waited. Mark arrived in a few seconds with a basket full of

lotions. “This could get interesting.” I thought.

“Prepare yourself for the best massage you have ever had.”

“You are that confident, huh?”

“More or less.”

A dollop of lotion hit my back, at first it was cold but as Mark rubbed it in it’s warmth

grew. My eyes closed, I relaxed my entire body and let Mark take over. He really did know

how to use his hands, my muscles became Jell-o in no time.

Beep beep beep, beep beep beep...

Mark stopped rubbing and shook me a little, I was beginning to fall asleep.

“What is that?”

I rolled over and sat up, holding the sheet over my naked body.

“It’s my cell phone. It’s in my purse on the coat rack, could you get it for me? I

wouldn’t take it, but no one ever calls so it has to be important.”

“No problem,” he headed towards the sound, “but that has to be the most annoying ringer

ever.”

“I know,” I laughed.

He threw me the phone and I answered, “Hello?”

“Hi, babe!”

“Stephen?!”

“The one and only.”

“Oh my god! Hey, how is everything! I miss you, you know. Where are you calling from, I

thought your cell phone didn’t work over there?”

The missing part was kind of a lie recently, bit I felt obliged to say it.

“It doesn’t, but I’m not over there.”

“What? Where are you then?”

“A little place I like to call Toronto airport.”

“You’re kidding me!”

“I am not. I’m going to get a taxi to your apartment as soon as I get my luggage.”

“Stephen, oh my god! I can’t believe this!”

“I know, I thought I would surprise you for our four year anniversary.”

“Which is tomorrow.”

I had completely forgotten, I hadn’t even sent him a letter, or card.

“Exactly, so we can spend the whole day together. I’m flying back out on Monday, so we

only have a couple days but I’m sure we can make the best of it. Anyways, we can talk

about all this when I get there. See you soon! I love you, Sarah.”

“I love you too.”

I hung up the phone.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“He’s here isn’t he?”

“Yes! Oh my god, Mark, I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

“It’s okay, go have an awesome weekend with your soon to be husband.”

I looked at Mark and realized that even though my “soon to be husband” was on his way to

see me for the first time in almost two months, I really wanted to stay with him.

“Well, is he on his way?”

“Yeah.”

“Shouldn’t you be rushing around?”

“Yeah.”

“Well…?”

“Fuck!”

I jumped up and got dressed as fast as possible, grabbed my bag, my purse, threw on my

coat and kissed Mark before I left. The last part I realized was completely unnecessary,

and I should not have done it, but I did. I ran the seven blocks to my apartment, making

me realize how out of shape I was. When I got there I figured I had a couple of minutes

before Stephen walked in, so I changed into a pair of faded blue skinny jeans, a navy blue

tank top, and a grey open cardigan, the same one, I realized, I was wearing when I met

Mark. I decided to leave on the pearls, Stephen knew how much I loved them, but I wished I

hadn’t had my hair curled, he would question that. I wiped off the lipstick and brushed my

teeth, trying to get the taste of Mark out of my mouth from the past week. I ran back into

my bedroom and unpacked that overnight bag with the furry of a mommy tyrannosaurus-rex who

has lost it’s baby. I tossed the empty bag into my closet and poured myself a glass of

water, turned the tv to a make-over show, and sat on the couch, trying to look relaxed.

The buzzer went off, I got up to press the button that would let him up. I waited by the

door. The excitement hit me pretty fast and within seconds I had almost forgotten all

about Mark and was itching to wrap my arms around Stephen again.