The Affair

Breakfast Guest

Neither one said anything on the elevator ride down.

Once in the car, the conversation picked up again.

“Doc, there’s an all night diner a couple of blocks down the street where we can catch breakfast.”

“Are you sure? I don’t remember one being on this street.”

“It’s relatively new. I had lunch there. The food’s not bad.”

Jokingly Marlena asked, “What, were you on a lunch date?” She expected to hear John’s vehement denial but instead was met with complete silence.

Finally he replied, “Not exactly.”

Marlena knew she had no right to be jealous but that didn’t stop her feeling that way. Up until last night, she kept pushing him away. “Was it with Rebecca?”

“Doc, let me explain.” He turned on a side street, pulled over to the curb and turned the engine off. This was a conversation they needed to have in private and not in a noisy diner where anyone could walk in or overhear them. John unbuckled his seat belt and turned his body side ways to look at her.

She knew John owed her no explanations. “John you don’t have to explain anything to me. Until last night you were free to be with anyone you wanted.”

As much as it hurt her to say those words, she knew them too be true. She looked straight ahead and didn’t turn to face John. She didn’t want him to see her upset. It would hurt him and the last thing she wanted was for John to feel guilty.

He understood the pain she was feeling. He had felt the same pain ever since she had gone home to Roman after the Titan Ball. “Marlena, listen to me. It’s not what you think.”

Gently he turned her head so he could see her face. The minute he saw her eyes, he drew in a sharp breath. He could see the pain in her eyes and that he was the cause of her pain.

“Doc, I am not now, nor have I been with anyone else since we made love on the plane. You are the only woman for me. Yes, I was there with Rebecca; but it wasn’t a real date.”

“John you don’t owe me any explanations.”

John was trying his best to keep the frustration out of his voice. “Listen to me. A few weeks ago I stopped in at the diner for lunch. The place was packed. I was by myself and sitting in a booth alone. She was in a hurry and asked if she could sit with me. Technically we were not together. That was the first time we’d met. Naturally we began talking. It was a friendly conversation. By the time the meal was over we had exchanged business cards. I’d forgotten all about her until she called me. I met her for coffee a couple of times and a few friendly lunches. Believe it or not, last night was the first time we were having dinner together. And to answer your question from last night, NO I haven’t slept with her. She’s a nice woman, but she’s not you. We’re just friends.”

“John, I believe you. But listen to me when I say this, Rebecca wants you.”

Smiling he said, “Doc, I think you overestimate my charm.”

She answered him right away, “No, you underestimate your s*x appeal. Sooner or later she will make her intentions known.”

Leaning in, he kissed her gently on her lips. “Doc, you’re the only one for me. Now let’s go get that breakfast I promised you.” He started the car and drove to the diner.

John and Marlena entered the diner and sat across from one another in a booth. Because it was still early, the diner was almost empty. As soon as they sat down the waitress was handing them menus. Before she could begin John ordered coffee and the breakfast special for both of them.

Meanwhile, Laura Horton, Marlena’s best friend was turning into the diner parking lot. Last night she had made a late night house call. The call itself didn’t last long but just as she was about to leave the power went out. Not wanting to leave until she was sure her patient would be fine, she was stranded there until just a few minutes ago. Extremely tired but more hungry than tired, she decided to stop on her way home for breakfast. Not expecting to see anyone she knew, she walked in and was just about to sit at the counter when out of the corner of her eye she thought she recognized a couple sitting at a booth. The woman reminded her of Marlena and the man resembled John. That couldn’t be them. What would they be doing here? Thinking she was more tired than she realized, she shook her head and was about to sit back down when she decided to take a closer look. She was right. It was John and Marlena. Slowly she made her way over to their booth.

John was the first to notice someone approaching them. “Doc, Laura is here and she’s coming over.”

A look of apprehension appeared on Marlena’s face. Laura was her best friend from college and always knew when something was going on with her.

“Relax, Doc. We were stranded by the power outage.” He gave her a reassuring look. “If you start to feel nervous, just look at me.”

“John she knows me better than anyone else. She will know something is up.”

“It will be ok. I promise.”

Their conversation was cut short by Laura’s approach. John stood up and kissed her on the cheek. “Hello Laura. Why don’t you join us for breakfast?”

Marlena slid over on the seat to make room for Laura. “Hi Laura.”

Laura slid in next to Marlena. “Well you are the last two people I expected to see here.”

Trying to give Marlena time to calm down, John answered for both of them, “This isn’t exactly where I thought I would at this time of the morning and I’m sure Marlena didn’t think she’d be here either.”

Laura could tell something was going on with Marlena. She could always read her friend and right now, Marlena was giving off strange vibes. And even if it wasn’t the vibes she was picking up from Marlena, their clothes were rumpled, as if they slept in them. “So, what brings the two of you here?”

John and Marlena looked at one another and both spoke at the same time, “It’s a long story.”

Before anyone else could say anything the waitress returned to the table and proceeded to take Laura’s order.

Once she left, John smiled at Marlena and said, “Doc, why don’t you tell Laura why we’re here and why our clothes look as if we slept in them.”

Marlena started telling Laura how they met in the restaurant and how both Roman and Rebecca were called back to work leaving them alone together. Before she could get to the part about the rain and the penthouse the waitress returned with their food. Taking a few quick bites of her breakfast she continued with her story. Just as she was about to tell her about the power outage, Laura interrupted her story.

“Let me take a wild guess. The power went out and you guys were stuck in the penthouse overnight.”

Marlena breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s exactly what happened.”

“The same thing happened to me, only I was at a patient’s house.” Even though Laura was paying close attention to Marlena’s story, she was also watching the interaction between John and Marlena. The way his eyes never left her and every once and a while she would look directly at him as if he gave her the strength to continue telling their story. Anyone else wouldn’t have noticed any of this, but she knew Marlena better than anyone else. There were only two other people who would have noticed anything was wrong with Marlena. One was her twin Samantha and Samantha died years ago and the other was sitting in the booth across from her and Marlena; John. Not even Roman could read Marlena the way John could.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence.

“If you ladies will excuse me, I’ll be right back.” John stood up and walked to the restroom.

“Now that John’s gone, is there anything else you want to tell me?”

For the merest second, a look of panic crossed Marlena’s face. She quickly recovered but not before Laura recognized the look for what it was – panic. “I told you everything. There’s nothing left to tell.”

Laura knew Marlena was holding something back, but she wouldn’t push her. When the time was right, Marlena would tell her everything. That’s what best friends did for one another. They knew when to push and when to pull back. This was the time to pull back.

“I was just checking. I’ll be right back.” Laura excused herself and went to the ladies restroom.

Marlena was alone in the booth. She was troubled by Laura’s question. She wondered if Laura somehow sensed something was going on between her and John. Except for John, Laura knew her better than anyone else.

As John walked back to their booth he could see Marlena was distracted. “Doc, is everything alright? Where’s Laura?”

“Uh, I think so. Laura went to the restroom.”

He could see she was mulling something over. “What’s on your mind?”

“After you left, Laura asked me if there was anything more I wanted to tell her. I think she knew I wasn’t telling her everything.”

“Doc, Laura is your best friend. If you told her everything is fine she will take your word for it. Just remember I love you.” He placed his hand in the middle of the table.

“I love you too.” She wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and take his hand into hers but she knew Laura could walk back at any moment.

“I know.” Slowly he withdrew his hand from the table. He knew she wouldn’t risk Laura or anyone else witnessing an act of tenderness between them. He motioned for the waitress.

Both Laura and the waitress arrived at the same time.

John looked at his watch. “Does anyone want anything else before I get the check?”

Laura spoke first, “Why don’t you two go on ahead? I think I’ll take another cup of coffee. I’m exhausted. I didn’t get much sleep and today is going to be a long day.”

Without thinking Marlena agreed, “I know what you mean. We didn’t get much sleep either.”

Trying to cover Marlena’s mistake, John spoke, “You know, strange place, strange bed, noises in the night, who could sleep?”

Once Marlena realized her mistake she also tried to fix the situation. “I didn’t mean it the way it came out.” She silently prayed Laura would not question them any further.

“Don’t worry Marlena, I know what you meant.” Even though she was saying the words, Laura wasn’t quite sure if she believed them her self. Something was definitely up.

John paid the check and both he and Marlena got ready to leave.

Marlena looked at her friend one last time. “I’ll see you later at the hospital.” She kissed her cheek and both she and John left the diner together.

Laura sat in silence enjoying her cup of coffee. She was also reflecting on her friendship with Marlena throughout the years. She had never seen her friend love a man the way Marlena loved John. While they were together, they were completely devoted to one another. Any one spending any amount of time with them could see how much they loved one another. But things changed. The real Roman was found alive and both John and Marlena moved on with their lives; Marlena with Roman and John with Isabella. She often wondered if they would ever truly stop loving one another. The kind of love they shared was not easy to leave behind. Over the last few months, she and Marlena had many discussions about Roman and John. Marlena told her over and over she loved Roman and that her life was with him. After seeing them today she wondered if it was really over between them. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something was different. When she first walked in the diner they looked like any other couple having breakfast. AND THAT WAS IT! They looked like a couple, not two friends or former spouses, but a couple.

Maybe she was over analyzing Marlena’s demeanor. Maybe Marlena was just tired from a sleepless night in a strange place. Somehow, she didn’t think that was it. Time would tell. Until she knew for sure, or Marlena confided in her, she would keep her suspicions to herself. Laura drained the rest of her coffee and left the diner.

While Laura was drinking her coffee, John and Marlena made their way to the parking lot and into the car. He could see she was still worried about Laura. They needed to talk but sitting in the parking lot was not an option; especially since Laura could leave at any moment. Before she could say anything he drove out of the lot and onto a side street. Both were consumed with their own thoughts. John was worried. If seeing Laura rattled her that much, how could she face Roman? Marlena on the other hand, was worried Laura would guess they were together.

“Doc, I’m not sure this is going to work.”

“What do you mean?”

“If seeing Laura can upset you that much, how do think you can convince Roman nothing happened?”

“I wasn’t expecting to see anyone we knew. Laura caught me by surprise.”

”I understand that Doc, but I’m not sure you can pull this off. Being deceitful does not come to you naturally. You are by nature, an honest and loving woman. You could never lie to me and I doubt if you can lie to Roman.”

“John, I appreciate what you’re saying, but I have already lied to Roman. I have lied to him since the day …..”

Before she could finish her sentence, John interrupted, “Since the day we made love on the plane.”

“That’s not what I was going to say. When Roman came back and we separated, I told myself and him that the reason I married you was because I thought you were Roman. I told him that my feelings for you were based on the love I had for him. I think I said that because (1) I felt so guilty about loving you the entire time Stefano held him prisoner and (2) Isabella was carrying your baby. John I have loved you since the moment I saw you. I love you for who you are and not who I thought you were. I have never stopped loving you. I have lied to Roman every day since he has been back. I know that now.”

“Doc, you didn’t lie to him out of malice. How could you be honest with Roman if you weren’t ready to be honest with yourself? You did what you thought was best for everyone.”

“And now that I’ve finally faced my feelings for you, I’m forced live a lie a little longer.”

“Marlena, are you going to be able to do this?”

”You and I know I don’t have a choice.”

“I know.” John turned the key in the ignition. Before he put his car in gear, he took her in his arms. “I love you. We’ll get through this together.” He kissed her.

As much as she was enjoying the kiss, she was also aware of their surroundings. The last thing they needed was to be seen. Reluctantly she broke the kiss. “John as much as I …”

Before she could finish her sentence he said, “I know we have to be careful.” He put the car in gear and drove off. Neither one said anything for a few minutes.

Finally, Marlena broke the silence between them. Her concerns about Laura had resurfaced. “Do you think Laura suspects anything is going on between us?”

“Doc, I think it went ok.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because Laura has always been able to tell when I’m nervous or I’m holding something back. It’s been like that since college.”

“OK, say you’re right. Say she suspects something. Do you honestly think she would say or do anything about it?”

Marlena immediately came to her friend’s defense. “She would never do anything to hurt me or my family.”

“That’s my point. Even if she suspects something is going on she would never betray you.”

“I guess I’m just a little uneasy about all of this. I hate being deceptive. First I’m lying to my husband and now I’m lying to my best friend. I just want this to be over.”

“Doc we’re almost there. Do you need me pull over to give you time to compose yourself?”

“No. All the time in the world is not going to make this any easier. I’d rather just get it over with.” She took a deep breath and continued, “I should probably do this alone. You don’t need to be there.”

”Doc, I am not leaving you to face Roman alone. If for some reason there’s trouble I need to be there.”

“It would probably be easier if you weren’t there.”

“I am going in with you. End of discussion.”

John stared straight ahead. Marlena could see there was no point in arguing with him. Once he made up his mind, nothing would change it. She sat beside him quietly. She prayed everything would be ok. She clasped her hands tightly.

As they turned onto her street, her heart began to beat a little faster. John took one hand off of the steering wheel and reached over and squeezed her hands. It was his way of trying to calm her down. Just that simple gesture helped her to relax a little. Her heart wasn’t racing as fast.

When he pulled in front of her house he didn’t see Marlena’s car in the drive way. “Doc, I don’t see your car here.”

She had been so preoccupied with the thought of seeing Roman; she hadn’t noticed her car was missing. “That’s strange. He should be here.” She turned to face John panic stricken, “You don’t suppose he went looking for us?”

“Marlena, before you jump to conclusions, how about we go inside and see what’s going on?”

John parked the car and got out. Both he and Marlena walked to the front door. He half expected the front door to open and to see Roman charging at him. Nothing happened. Marlena opened her purse and took out her keys. Slowly she put the key in the door and turned the knob. The house was quiet. They walked in together. She called out, “Roman. It’s me Marlena.”

No answer.

“Doc, it doesn’t look like he’s here.”

“Maybe he’s in the shower. Wait here while I check.”

“I really don’t think he’s here. Why don’t you look upstairs, and I’ll look around down here.”

Marlena went up the stairs. The first place she checked was the bedroom. No sign of Roman. She didn’t know whether to feel relief that she didn’t have to face him or if she should be worried because he wasn’t here. She checked the all of the rooms upstairs. He wasn’t in the house.

As she was making her way downstairs she heard John call her.

“Doc, I found something.”

By the time she made her way downstairs he was standing by the mantle. He was holding an envelope with her name on it. The handwriting was Romans’. “It was on the mantle.”

She took the envelope from him and sat down on the couch. She was afraid to open it.

“Doc, you have to open it.”

“I’m afraid.”

”Do you want me to do open it?”

“No I’ll do it.” She opened the envelope and took out a single sheet of paper. After she read it, she handed it to John. There were only a few handwritten lines on it.