The Mistress (12 page)

Three employees were nothing compared to a lot of her competition, especially the chain bakeries. But they made it work. The three of them made a better team than six other teams combined. They had never taken on a Saturday this busy before, but they did it. As soon as Rachel made her way into the bakery, it went much smoother.

The line dwindled down in no time. Rachel baked while Marissa and Joseph each took orders. It worked; they always made it work, so she wasn’t surprised. She was just happy to know that she had such a great team and that together they could accomplish anything, even the unexpected. Her bakery had done decently ever since opening it up thirteen years ago – but the last couple of years had been explosive. She wondered often if she might have to hire more people, but so far, they’d made it work.

The day began at noon and ended at 6:00. It was a short day, like every other Saturday, but it felt like longer. She was exhausted, and just ready to get home to her family and Haley. Saturday nights were always her favorite. After a short day and her bakery closed on Sunday, she was able to go home and enjoy her evening without a pending work day looming over her. She was able to relish family time with the four most amazing people in the world: her children, Preston, and Haley.

After Haley’s divorce, Marissa felt that all of them got even closer to her. They loved her before, but after she moved in with them four years ago it was like Marissa had inherited another sister, and what was even more convenient was that said sister cleaned, cooked, and cared for the kids, a luxury she surely didn’t receive from Rachel.

Marissa’s journey home was uneventful. She just wanted to get home. She wanted to see her family. But upon pulling into the garage, she noticed that Preston’s car was gone. She gently slid her gearshift into park, turned off the ignition, and opened the door, assuming that he had run out, eager to rid himself of the kids for a while.

She went inside through the garage, which opened to the mudroom, and noticed all the lights were off. The air was still; everything was calm. This was not the home of a family that had two preteens. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought she crossed the threshold of another family’s home. But she quickly shrugged it off, threw her purse and keys on their respective hooks beside the door, and shouted in no particular direction and at no particular person. But no voices reciprocated her bellowing antics. No one was home. Not even Haley, whose car she was sure was still parked in the cul-de-sac drive.

Confused, she continued wandering through the house. She crossed through the kitchen and into the living room. She stopped quickly and suddenly, as if frozen in place. There was a slight must in the air; it was quite familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
What was it?
It wasn’t pleasant, but familiar...

Moments were spent trying to figure it out, but she soon gave up when she saw a pink note lying on the coffee table with a bottle of wine beside it. She squinted as she walked to it and pulled it up to her face so that she could read it through the dark.

Marissa,

Kids are at their friends.

I had to help Haley find a birthday present for Sophie, but we should be home soon. Here’s a bottle of your favorite red. Relax for a bit and we will be home shortly.

With all my love,

Preston

She was crestfallen. This was her favorite evening, and she was really looking forward to spending it with her family. She had to love Haley’s enthusiasm for the kids, though. She had never missed a holiday for them. It made it difficult for her, though, not only because she knew how much Haley made and really didn’t understand how she afforded the gifts, but also because the kids loved her so much.

She had to admit, a part of her was jealous that she got to spend more time with them than she had gotten to. But she was glad they loved her, because Marissa loved her too. In all honesty, she was their aunt. It didn’t matter if she was blood related or not; she was there, and she loved them.

But it wasn’t just the jealousy. It was also the fact that she knew that one day hearts would be broken. She never meant for Haley to become such a beloved aspect of her family; she never meant for Haley to become family at all. Because they knew that a nanny was a temporary position. The kids would be grown before long, and then what? Of course, Haley would still be Haley and they would still love her. But once she got employment elsewhere, would they really see her?

In fact, Marissa didn’t really know how Haley thought of them. Were they merely her employers and she their employee? Or was it something more? Now, Marissa knew that Haley loved her job and the kids. She could see it. It was etched across her face with every word she so lovingly uttered to them. It was in her eyes, in her hugs; it was in everything that she was. She loved those kids. But no one could blame her.

Marissa pitied Haley a little. She smiled. How could she envy as well as pity her? But she knew that despite the incredible love and devotion the kids felt towards Haley; she wasn’t their mother. Marissa was. Marissa was grateful for that, but sad for Haley – at the end of the day, she was their nanny, not their mother.

She wondered if Haley had ever wanted her own children. She also wondered if this job aided in the failure of her marriage and ultimately prevented her from having said children. She would never ask, but she felt so much for that young woman. At only twenty-two she had begun a career that she probably wasn’t ready for; the career of raising someone else’s children, but having no claim on them whatsoever.

She poured herself the wine, sat comfortably on the couch – and the smell hit her stronger than before.
What was that?
Still unable to place the smell, and assuming it was a mess the children had made, she made a mental note to have it cleaned and turned on the TV.

~~~~

"F
uck, Haley, we have to get back," he finally spoke as her mouth moved across his neck to nip at his flesh.

"You knew what would happen if you brought me out," she moaned when his hands finally started to wander. "I need it."

Preston's eyes protruded out of his head, and he groaned at her admission. “You just had it!” he yelled, trying to convince her to leave. She knew they had to leave soon. Marissa would be home by now, and it was a three hour drive home. But she really wanted it. If they were just secret lovers of the night, then she wanted to take full advantage of the time she had.

This evening had been magical. It had given her the opportunity to relive some of their closeness, their friendship. The last couple days had been pure lust, and now here they were, able to express the caring aspect. It was just like before the mistake happened. Only now, she wondered if it was really a mistake. She was being honest by allowing him to have his way with her. She was in love with him. She hadn’t known it until that night, but their passionate entanglement gave way to the boulder blockading the flood of emotions that she desperately hid within herself.

She was able to admit it now, and now that she was – she didn’t want to let it go. She wanted to feel it; she wanted to express it. Maybe it was because she knew they were on borrowed time that she felt desperate for it, or perhaps it was just that she hadn’t felt this way in so long and it was new and shiny. Whatever it was, Haley wasn’t ready to let go of it.

She grabbed his arms from her shoulders and with all her might pushed him backwards. She buried him in the mountain of pillows. In a bout of obvious reassessment, though not a logical one, Haley felt him loop his arms around her and tug her hips down so that they were flush with his own. Her blood soared at the shift in his eyes; they were now gleaming with passion and want. She grinned. “So you need it too, then?” she asked, amused.

"Oh, please tell me you're not teasing." Preston growled.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

He moaned viscerally as he surged his head upwards and latched onto her lips, tugging, teasing, and bruising just on the border of too much. She had to applaud his eagerness, though.

His zealous hands slid down her body, completely foregoing her shirt. He sped towards the zipper on her pants with vigor. He was obviously in a hurry, and truthfully, he should have been. He’d timed it so that they would only be gone for a couple of hours more after Marissa got home – and they were already behind schedule by over an hour. The realization brought her back to reality, and she climbed off of him. He groaned in protest, but when she looked sincerely into his eyes, she knew that he understood. He nodded, and together they stood.

“So, you were teasing,” Preston joked, trying to soothe the blow they were each feeling. Time to go. Time to leave their world behind and enter into the real world. Their alternate universe was only borrowed time, after all, and it was likely – Haley thought with grief – that it always would be.

They hardly spoke on the drive home. They wanted to leave the evening in good standing, rather than talk about the issues that lay before them. They wanted to pretend it didn’t exist, but they knew as soon as they stepped into the threshold of the family’s home, it would become all too real.

And it was. It hit them like a ton of flaming bricks. As soon as they stepped in from the garage and crossed through the kitchen, they saw her. Asleep on the couch, the bottle of wine opened but only a small amount missing from it. Haley assumed that she must have conked out fairly early.

“Honey,” he whispered as he walked to her slumbering form.

Haley began to shake with nervous electricity. Seeing Marissa sleeping so soundly while they were off parading around together, lying and deceiving her while she worked all day, made her guilt rise again. She had to question her own morality. She consistently felt guilt ridden and then immediately forgot it all and continued committing the same wrongdoings that caused her guilt in the first place. She was a glutton for punishment, constantly repeating the same mistakes – it was a never-ending cycle.

“Hm?” she hummed, lingering between asleep and awake.

“Sorry we’re late. We lost track of time,” he explained, as he leaned over her and kissed her forehead.

Haley heard Marissa sigh in contentment, and she knew they were safe from suspicion. At least, as far as Marissa was concerned.
Another day gone uncaught
, but when would it end? Haley no longer had faith in herself around him; she knew that the cycle would continue on and on until something larger than both of them intervened. The question was, what was it going to be?

Haley didn’t bother to stay and listen to the conversation that followed. Instead, she gave them a wave and bid them goodnight, hoping that the sadness in her voice wasn’t obvious. She grabbed her purse with keys from the foyer and exited the front door; as soon as it shut, she felt the world drop and allowed the tears to flow.

He would never be hers.

T
here he was, his toned body glittering beneath the streaming water. Through the glass of the shower door, Marissa could see his perfect body with ease; oh, how she loved that anti-fog film on that they installed on the glass. It gave way to the perfect opportunity; she stood there, mouth agape, staring at her husband as he rinsed suds off of his back and hair.

It wasn’t long ago that this very imagery had caused her to flow like a river’s rapids. She remembered thinking of this very routine of showering after a workout when she felt the absolute overbearing necessity to touch herself.

Just then, he turned the water off, and the glass door swung open.

"Don't bother getting dressed," she murmured, walking over to him courageously and seductively. She leaned against him, reached between his legs, and squeezed his cock with determination. He hissed into her hair and, feeling more fueled, she licked the residue of water droplets off his shoulder.

“Damn, why didn’t you just get in with me?” he breathed.

She laughed. She missed this. She missed
him.
Truth was, she wasn’t able to admit it before, but they had been having issues with sex lately. She had distanced herself, and she didn’t quite know why – but now here she was, for the third time this week ready to pounce on him.

“Let’s take a nap,” he said lovingly, slightly pulling away from her and wrapping a towel around his waist.

She felt crestfallen and rejected for a moment, until he looked at her a devilish smile creeping to his face – that fucking smirk. “Don’t worry, I’m definitely not finished with you today. I just want the opportunity to actually fall asleep together. We never do that.” he finished before grabbing her hand and leading her to their elaborate cotton and silk bed.

As they sank into the comfort of the pillow top, she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

"You with me, baby?" she thought she heard Preston ask huskily. She felt movement between her legs, and suddenly her eyes fluttered open.
This was actually happening
. His fingers slid easily inside her; there was no telling how long he had been playing with her. She was soaked. She arched her back and moaned. She pressed her sex against his willing hands, allowing him to continue finger fucking her.

"I'm so hard for you, Marissa. I want to fuck you, over and over again."

Marissa let out another moan, huskier and longer than the one before. Immediately, he rolled over her, and spread her legs wide. He moved to position and slid his length in her with ease. It was like hot knife through butter; he melted into her silkiness without resistance. It was pure perfection.

"Goddamn, Marissa," he panted, as he planted his knees on the mattress and grabbed her rounded, feminine hips. He thrust slowly, grunting in pleasure at the way she clasped around him. “How the fuck is it possible that you’re so fuckin’ tight? God, I love it,” he breathed.

She fisted the sheets and arched her hips again. His nostrils flared as his excitement spiked with indecency. He pulled out quickly, just to embed himself to the hilt once again. Her hips bucked wildly in his hands, and acknowledging her aggression, he met it with his own fury. It was too dark in their bedroom to see her expression, but she knew that all Preston had to do was use his intuition and listen to her sounds. The harder he fucked her, the louder she moaned. His love-making was intoxicating.