The Affair

Sleep + Dessert

Roman watched as Marlena continued to work John into a frenzy with her mouth despite his protests. It was only after he gently pushed her away from him did she stop and even then the disappointment was clearly displayed in her expression. He watched as John carried her to his bed, made love to her until they both fell asleep in exhaustion. Roman leaned in closer to the TV monitor and studied Marlena’s face as she slept in John’s arms. She looked happy, content…a woman in love. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw that look of pure happiness on her face as she slept next to him. How could he have been so stupid?

The sound of the phone ringing on the monitor brought him back to the present. He watched as John answered the phone. Roman sat straight up as he heard Marlena mention his name. What the hell was going on? Why was John getting dressed? Why was Marlena obviously agitated at the thought of him leaving? Where was John going in such a hurry? He sat there trying to make sense of everything…and then it hit him. This had to be the day they were set up. Someone called John and pretended to be him. John thought Roman needed his help. No wonder John was there.

Stefano watched Roman as he began to put all the pieces together. It wouldn’t be long before he realized the extent of Marlena’s betrayal. This would be his last opportunity to turn Roman…if it didn’t happen now it wouldn’t happen and he would have to move on to Plan B.

It took a moment or two before he made the connection…Marlena knew from the beginning it had been a setup and she said nothing. “Son of a b***h,” he said out loud. “She knew from the beginning and she said nothing. We sent the children off and she said nothing. She slept next to me and she said nothing.”

With each sentence his voice got a little louder and his rage grew stronger. “She didn’t say a word.” He was livid.

Stefano moved in for the kill. “So Roman, this is the woman you cherish, the woman you love, the woman who keeps the truth from you.”

“Shut the hell up Stefano. You just want me to do your dirty work.”

“I’m just giving you an opportunity to even the score. If you help me, I promise John will be out of the picture and then you will be free to deal with Marlena how ever you see fit.” Stefano watched Roman closely. Was it his imagination or was Roman warming up to his plan?

He hated to admit it…but it was a tempting offer. He hated them both and wanted them to pay for their betrayal. And as much as he hated John…he hated Marlena more. Her betrayal cut him to the core. As deeply as she hurt him, he finally realized he would never be able to forgive her. Every time he looked at her he would see her making love to John. He would assume every word out of her mouth was a lie. How many secrets was she keeping from him? He didn’t think he could live in the same town with them. Did this mean he would leave Salem? But what about his children, he couldn’t leave them. And he would be damned before he let John and Marlena raise his children. He would divorce her and gain full custody of the children. She was an unfit mother and he could prove it. Her affair was all the proof he needed.

Deep down inside he knew this was a lie. Marlena was a liar and a cheat but she was not an unfit mother. She did everything for her children. Could he really do that to her? The answer was a resounding YES! He could. The problem was he couldn’t do it to his children. He couldn’t drag them through a nasty divorce and custody hearing. Somehow he would have to put his feelings aside and work out what was best for his children. A divorce was inevitable…there was no way he could ever erase those images from his mind but he couldn’t and wouldn’t put their children through any unnecessary heartache. That meant only one thing…he had an answer for Stefano…the answer he knew from the beginning…he wouldn’t help him with John.

“Stefano, I have an answer for you.

**********************************

Marlena arrived at the Pub first and sat in a booth waiting for Laura. Shawn and Caroline were upstairs which was perfect for the moment. She needed a little time by herself before all of the questions began. She had hoped there would be a message from Roman but there was nothing on the answering machine. This wasn’t the first time he had gone off the radar but for some reason this time felt different. Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts Caroline was standing by her side.

“Marlena you look like you’re a million miles away.”

She smiled and said, “No, not a million, I’m just thinking about Roman. I haven’t heard from him since he left.”

“I’m kind of worried myself. I was hoping you were going to say you talked to him or that he at least left you a message.”

Marlena shook her head, “Afraid not.” She could see the worry on Caroline’s face so she quickly added, “But you know this is not the first time he’s done this and he’s always fine.”

“I know you’re right. Whenever he comes back from whatever he’s doing he always tells me that he’s a big boy and he can take care of himself.”

“Sounds like Roman.”

Caroline shook her head in agreement. There was nothing left to say on that particular subject. “So can I get you anything to eat?”

“Actually I’m waiting for Laura but I wanted to call the twins and Carrie from here so you guys could talk to them.”

“We would love that.”

Marlena pulled out a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to Caroline. “I wasn’t sure if Roman had given you the number to my parent’s house so I wrote it down just in case. I also wrote down Anna’s number so you could talk to Carrie.”

“I really appreciate this. I miss my grandchildren so I know how hard this is for you…to be away from them, for Roman to be out of town. All of this happening right after you and Roman renewed your vows to one another.”

At the mention of the renewing of their vows, Marlena inwardly flinched. That simple ceremony had caused both her and John to question their feelings for one another. However as stubborn as they both were, Laura had them both beat. She took it into her own hands to help them find their way back to one another. And now that she knew she was pregnant with John’s child, she couldn’t wait for the day until they could tell everyone the truth. She could only pray that in time Roman would forgive her. “You’re so right, so much has happened in such a short span of time.”

Somehow, Caroline got the feeling Marlena was talking about something completely different but instead she said, “Are you sure I can’t get you anything to drink while you’re waiting?”

“You know, I think a glass of ice tea would hit the spot right about now.”

“I’ll be right back.”

As soon as Caroline walked away the door opened and in walked Laura. She slid in the booth across from Marlena. “So have you been waiting long?”

“No I just got here myself.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, why are we here? I mean I know you like the food, but this is after all Roman’s family.”

“I know but I will always consider them my family. Besides I wanted to call the twins from here so they could talk to them.”

“You do realize that they might not feel the same way about you once the truth comes out.”

“I can’t worry about that right now. They’re still my family.”

“Okay, enough about that. So how is John?”

“I meant to ask you that earlier, Marlena. How is John?” It was Caroline. Neither one saw her approach the table with Marlena’s ice tea.

Marlena was momentarily caught off guard. How much had Caroline overheard? As she looked into Caroline’s eyes all she saw was concern…concern for a man she once called her son. “He’s doing great. In fact he should be released from the hospital tomorrow.”

“So soon?” asked Caroline.

“You know John. He’s been ready to leave since he first opened his eyes.”

“But where is he going to go?” asked Caroline. “I know he’s not ready to be on his own yet.”

“Victor has offered him full use of his mansion and staff while he and Boaty are overseas.”

“I knew Victor was keeping Boaty until John was back on his feet but I didn’t realize he was taking him overseas.”

“Actually it was Victor’s idea and John agreed. It’s the same reason the twins are with my parents. It’s for his own protection.”

“That sounds like something Victor would do,” said Caroline.

Both Marlena and Laura heard the level of affection in Caroline’s voice when she said Victor’s name. Marlena remembered their conversation the night of the renewal ceremony. It was obvious then just as it was obvious now, that a part of Caroline still loved Victor…and would always love him.

It was then Marlena spoke up to steer the conversation away from Victor and on to the twins. “Since Laura’s here, how about I go upstairs and call the twins. As soon as I’m done I’ll give the phone to Shawn and come down for you.” She slid out of the booth and headed towards the stairs. Just before climbing them she turned and said, “I forgot to tell what I want to eat. In all this time I forgot to look at a menu.”

Caroline laughed and said, “How about I surprise you? After all these years I think I know what you like.”

“Works for me.”

A few minutes later Marlena was back at her booth with a large salad placed before her. “Caroline was right, this is just what I wanted.”

“So,” Laura began, “how are you holding up?”

“I’m fine…really.”

“So from what you were telling Caroline I take it John is going to stay at the mansion. With Victor’s staff, John should recuperate even faster and of course it’ll be easier for you to visit him without so many eyes on your every move.”

Marlena was afraid to ask the obvious question but she had to know. “Has the hospital grapevine been saying anything about us?

“Not yet but the longer John stays in the hospital the harder it will be for you to visit him as often as you would like without eyes being raised. You know what that place is like. People love to talk.”

Marlena nodded her head in agreement. “I remember the way people were when Roman came back and we found out John wasn’t Roman. Conversations always seemed to end abruptly every time I was around. It was a long time before people forgot about us.”

“Well you have to admit…it was a unique situation. Nothing like that had ever happened in Salem before. You were gone, John was with Isabella, she was pregnant, you come back, then you, John and Isabella go off to find where you were held captive and lo and behold you come back with Roman. And it wasn’t like people didn’t know who you guys were. Everybody knew you.”

“That’s true. God I wonder how long they’ll talk when all of this is out in the open.”

“Who knows? But you can’t worry about that. All you can do is be happy with John. I’m not saying they won’t be talking, because believe me they will, you guys will just have to grin and bear it.”

“Do you think they’ll think I’m a horrible person?”

“Do you think you’re a horrible person?”

Marlena didn’t answer.

“You can’t honestly think people are going to think you’re a horrible person? Marlena when I said people are going to talk…well they are but you have to remember all of these people know you and know what you’ve been through. It’s not like John is some random man you met and decided to have an affair with. You were married to him. People around here will remember that. They will remember how much you two were in love. Hell, they talked about you guys when you were married to each other.”

Marlena looked up at Laura in surprise. “People talked about us back then?”

“Of course they did.”

“I never knew that.”

“There was nothing to know. It was obvious to anyone who saw you two together that you were meant to be. You two had back then and have now what most people only dream about. Sure they will talk but once they see you together the talk will die down. And if it doesn’t…who cares? You’ll be with the man you love.”

“You’re right. I will be with the man of my dreams.”

“Good, now that that’s settled there is something I wanted to ask you about but I didn’t want to do it in front of Caroline. I didn’t want her to worry.”

“What is it?”

“Have you heard from Roman? Do you have any idea where he is?”

“As a matter of fact the subject of Roman came up before you got here. And to answer your question…no I haven’t heard from him and I don’t know where he is. I’m getting worried. For some reason I have a feeling this assignment is dangerous.”

“Why do you think that?”

“It’s just a feeling I get. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s because of the timing…you know with everything that’s going on. I would just feel better if I heard from him soon. If I don’t hear from him by tomorrow night I think I’m going to have Shane look into it.”

“You know if he’s on an assignment for the ISA Shane won’t be able to tell you anything.”

“I realize that…but there are ways of confirming something without really say anything.”

“If you say so.”

The rest of their conversation was spent talking about the daily grind of the hospital and their children. Shortly afterwards, Marlena kissed both Shawn and Caroline goodnight and promised to call them the minute she heard from Roman. She and Laura said their goodbyes outside in the parking lot and went their separate ways.

A few minutes later Marlena walked into her empty house. Without the children the house seemed larger than it really was. As she lay in bed, sleep eluded her. She missed the twins and Carrie. Even though every night was a headache trying to get them to go to sleep she missed those times. She missed Eric trying to stay up past his bedtime. She missed the inevitable argument Sami and Carrie would get into each night. Time seemed to pass so quickly. It seemed like just yesterday the twins were toddlers and Carrie was a little girl. She remembered the many nights she and John spent trying to put everyone to bed. Every time Sami went to sleep, Eric would wake up or vice versa. It seemed like there was never enough time for sleep. Looking back on it…she wouldn’t have traded those sleepless nights for all the gold in the world. They were so happy back then. She missed those times. She missed John. She missed being with him…especially now. That was always the one regret he had. He never really remembered her pregnancy with the twins. And now they all knew why…it was because he wasn’t there. But this time…he was here and he would remember. She wanted them to share every moment of it together. Marlena sat up in bed and realized she would never get any sleep in this house tonight. Too much of the past was creeping into her thoughts. She put on her London fog coat and packed an overnight bag.

Twenty minutes later she pulled into the hospital garage. Because she knew the routine of hospital staff Marlena was positive she could slip into John’s room without anyone seeing her. She took the back elevator, got off on the floor below his floor and walked up a flight of stairs. She opened the door to the stairwell and waited until no one was around before she headed to John’s room. Marlena was a little surprised to see someone other than Rico standing at the door but before she could say anything he opened the door for her and quickly closed it. Apparently Rico had filled him in on her and given him her description.

John opened his eyes as soon as he heard his door open. He had been thinking about Marlena ever since she left him earlier and here she was standing next to his bed.

When she slipped off her coat he saw that she was wearing her nightgown. Before she slipped into bed she opened her overnight bag and pulled out a clock.

“You’re timing me.” There was a twinkle in his eyes.

“No you big goof. But I have to leave you and get to my office before the shift change and the hospital becomes full of people.” She set the alarm and climbed into bed next to him. Almost immediately she felt at peace. This had been the right decision. She needed to be in his arms.

“Doc it’s going to awful hard for me to sleep with you here next to me.”

“Who says you’re going get any sleep?”

“I like the way that sounds.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“Yes ma’am.”

As their kiss deepened Marlena adjusted her body until she straddled him. When she finally pulled away from their kiss, her hands automatically went to the buttons on his pajama top. Slowly she unbuttoned each button on his top, stopping along the way to kiss each area of exposed skin on his muscular chest.

With each touch of her lips to his chest, John moaned softly. His hands became entangled in her hair. “God Doc, I love you so much.”

“Show me,” she whispered as she sat straight up…her mission accomplished. His shirt was fully unbuttoned and wide open. She began to run her fingers up and down his body while slowly grinding her body into the bulge that was forming beneath her.

“Oh Doc, you feel so good.” His hands made their way up her body until he was gently massaging her n*****s thru her nightgown.

The feel of the silk fabric rubbing against her n*****s only increased her hunger for him. She could feel her wetness beginning to soak thru her panties. This in turned caused her to grind harder. Her breaths were now coming in quick spurts. She began to bite her bottom lip in an attempt to stop her orgasm from overtaking her.

Marlena was close and he knew it. He moved his hands down to her waist guiding her mound…moving her back and forth over his already hard erection.

“John,” she panted, “if you don’t stop now, I won’t be able to control myself.”

“Come for me Doc.”

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably as her heart began to pound in her chest.

John held on to Marlena tightly as he watched her body begin its spiral into total ecstasy. He loved to watch her as she surrendered every bit of control over her body to him and to the pleasure he gave her.

Her eyes were snapped shut until she heard his voice coming to her as if it were traveling thru a tunnel.

“Look at me. I want you to look at me.”

She opened her eyes and looked down at him. The love she saw in his eyes only heightened her pleasure…if that was possible. Slowly she began to feel her orgasm subside…but she knew it wouldn’t be long before she would be in the throes of passion once more.

John pulled her into his arms and held her until she was able to breathe normally. He wanted to make love to her but he would wait until she was ready.

“John,” she began, “I’m so sorry.”

He was puzzled by her apology. “Sorry…for what?”

“I couldn’t stop it…I wanted to wait for you but I couldn’t.”

“Doc, it’s what I wanted. Listen to me. Nothing makes me happier than to see you surrender yourself to the passion you feel for me.”

In the sexiest voice she could muster, she said, “Nothing?” She could feel his erection twitching against her body.

“Well, there is one other thing that makes me happier.”

“Is that right? Is it something I can help you with?”

“Most definitely.”

“In that case…I have an idea,” she said as she removed herself from his arms. Instead of straddling him once more, she hovered inches over his erection allowing him the space he needed to situate his bed and his body until he was sitting up. Her hands then went to the opening on his pajama bottom where she found him eagerly awaiting her touch. As soon as her hands enclosed around his stiff member John let out a moan.

While she stroked him, his hands went underneath her gown until they reached her panties. He ripped them in two causing her body to begin to shake in anticipation of his touch. She was once more ready for him. As they stared into each others eyes, he slowly inserted his fingers into her velvet warmth. They stayed that way…looking into each others eyes, pleasuring one another with their hands until neither one could take it anymore.

Without saying a word they both knew it was time. As Marlena lowered her body onto his stiff member, John reached out and slipped her nightgown over her head. Marlena in turn, removed his pajama top. She let out a sigh as she felt him slowly entering her body. Once he was fully inside of her, they remained still for just a few seconds…just enjoying the way they felt when they were joined together.

Soon the pressure was too great for them to bear. Marlena began to slowly rock her hips as John’s hands made their way to her breasts. As his fingers began to massage her n*****s, Marlena leaned in and began to kiss his neck, moaning with each movement of her body and John’s hands. The need for release began to overtake them…causing Marlena and John to pull each other close as their tempo increased. Their foreheads were pressed together as they stared into each other’s eyes…both realizing it wouldn’t be much longer. They held on to one another as of their lives depended on it. Time, space and air meant nothing to them as the waves of pleasure overtook their bodies. They were the only two people in their universe. Nothing and no one else mattered at this particular moment. The connection they felt while making love transcended all planes of existence.

Finally they collapsed into total exhaustion. Minutes passed and they still lay in the same position…unwilling to leave the warmth their bodies created when joined together. It was with a great deal of reluctance they finally pulled apart. Unable to stay awake any longer John and Marlena drifted off to sleep…exactly where they wanted to be…in each other’s arms.