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The Love Affair: Ch. 2

The Love Affair

Chapter 2

As she arranged the sandwich plate and the chip bowl she thought of her little indulgence. Every year on Super Bowl Sunday she had a date with another lover. She never considered it wrong because for one thing, she and Bryan both got what they wanted. It had to be okay, right? For another thing, Bryan, well aware of her tryst, never said a word about it. In fact, he encouraged it. As long as she didn’t interfere with his game, he didn’t care what she did. His neglect had pushed her to look elsewhere.
She didn’t let that little stab of thought bother her. Instead she focused on her own plans for the evening. Bryan would watch his all-important game, and she would spend the evening with Jose Amante, who cared nothing whatsoever about football, or any other competitive sport. Jose would woo her, hold her, and whisper wonderful words to her. And Bryan, as long as he wasn’t bothered during the climax of his autumn season, wouldn’t care a whit in the world what she did or who she did it with.
She looked at Bryan’s corner of the couch where he would yell at the television as if the coaches could hear him and think he was a genius. Fluffed up cushions, a cooler of beers, plate of sandwiches, bowl of chips, and stacks of cookies. The remote control, complete with new batteries, sat on the arm of the sofa next to the TV Guide, which sparkled with glossy pictures of the opposing coaches in their team colors. He never acknowledged all the care she used building his own private luxury box so precisely just for him.
And so be it.
She ran up the stairs to shower and dress. The day before she had gotten her hair fixed, her fingernails and toenails shaped and painted, and bought a new dress. She didn’t buy new shoes because she loved to sit on the couch with her bare feet curled under her especially when Jose was with her. Her knees had gotten a little stiffer over the years, but as long as she could fold her legs up under her, she was happy.
As she applied her mascara and lipstick she thought about Jose. She had known him practically all her life. Their deep friendship had started the moment she laid eyes on him. Since the time she was a little girl he had known exactly the right words to make her feel beautiful, important, and adventurous. Now as a grown woman, he still made her feel warm with love, or made her cry with deep sorrow. He knew which buttons would make her blush and which ones would make her laugh so hard she cried. He could anger her, scare her, even make love to her—and she was never disappointed.
Jose was her perfect match. His cream-colored skin never changed and his dark eyes always reflected her deep inner self. What she saw in those deep gorgeous mirrors was beautiful. She giggled as she thought about his weight. Sometimes he was pretty hefty, and sometimes he was slim. But he was always the most wonderful thing she saw, especially on Super Bowl Sunday each year.

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