Wake up

I opened my eyes to find the room empty. Tyrone was gone.

Confusion washed over me as I glanced around the empty room. Had it all been a dream? But no, the scent of our lovemaking still hung in the air, and my body ached in places it hadn’t ached in years.

I stumbled to the bathroom, my mind reeling as I tried to make sense of what had happened. One minute Tyrone was in bed with me, and the next he was gone. How was that possible?

As I stepped into the shower, trying to wash away the remnants of our encounter, I heard my phone buzz. I wrapped a towel around myself and hurried to check it, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Tyrone’s name on the screen.

Relief washed over me, followed quickly by a wave of guilt. I had to respond, had to make things right.

*Maybe we can do it again sometime?*

I stared at my phone, Tyrone’s message staring back at me. Part of me knew I should say no, that I should end whatever this was before it went any further. But another part of me, a part that I couldn’t ignore, wanted to say yes.

*Maybe,* I typed back, my thumb hovering over the send button. I hesitated, knowing that once I hit send, there would be no going back. But my desire for Tyrone, for the excitement and passion he brought into my life, won out in the end.

I hit send, then set my phone down and tried to focus on work. But my mind kept drifting back to Tyrone, to the feel of his hands on my body, his lips on mine.

As the hours ticked by, I found myself growing more and more anxious. I knew I had to make a decision, but I was torn. Part of me wanted to throw caution to the wind and see where things with Tyrone went. Another part of me was screaming to be responsible, to think about my kids and what they would think if they found out.

By the time I was getting ready for bed, I still hadn’t made a decision. I knew I couldn’t keep Tyrone waiting forever, but I also knew that I couldn’t rush into anything. This was too important, too life-changing.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, my phone buzzed with another message from Tyrone.