The Affair

Emma is a marketing manager at my office. She is blonde, six feet tall with long limbs which makes her incredibly elegant and very graceful. Always dressed in fine fashionable clothes, she literally glides across the floor when she walks.

A real life Disney Princess.

It's also her kind nature, her warm and friendly personality that makes Emma so damn lovely. She is prim and proper, real marriage material. In fact, despite being a most beautiful woman, she was the first person to take interest in me when I joined the company. I couldn't believe it when she took the time to get to know me. I'm not ugly or lame in any sense but I'm a 7.5 at best and she is a 9+. No one is the perfect 10, (Emma has a pointless tattoo on her wrist which looks like obscure barcode.) But Emma is as close as you can get to the perfect 10.

Anyway, Emma made me feel really special. Whenever we talked I just wanted to drown in her ocean blue eyes.

Everyday at work I looked forward to my lunch so I could go down to the canteen and lose myself for forty five minutes with Emma.

Despite only being friends I felt a little guilty as I had been married for the best part of a decade to a truly marvelous woman. A woman I knew I was lucky to be with. And a woman who gave me everything I ever needed or even dreamed of. And in many ways Emma and Ria were similar in the way they dressed and conducted themselves. Both career driven, both incredible women.

Emma too was unavailable, as she had just returned from her honeymoon with a man she believes to be perfect.

So Emma and I basked in a cosy friendship. We never touched and never ever suggested anything untoward. We were friends but there was an undeniable attraction there.

Particularly on my part.

I was always on the late lunch but Emma took an even later one, only coming in for the final twenty minutes then staying later once everyone else had left. When I asked her why she liked to eat alone she told me it was because she liked to eat in peace. I asked, "Peace? Isn’t that another word for lonely?"

"No."

"Oh, OK?"

"It’s the sellers. So loud and brash. They all think they're god's gift to women. They never leave me alone.” Emma got on a bit of a rant. “In fact they’re like flies around a dog turd. Every guy here must have asked me out at least once."

"Ah… and I'm a married man."

"Exactly, plus you seem really honest and a good husband."

I smugly admitted. "I am.'

Of course I wasn't surprised the sellers tried their luck with Emma. I'm also not surprised when Emma told me she had modelled professionally. It was while she was studying marketing that she was first picked up by a modelling agency. What was supposed to be a bit of fun during her student days soon became a career that took her around the world and made her quite wealthy for a young woman. She drives brand new Porsche, for fuck dake!

Emma left the fashion industry last year to marry and settle down then start a family. A large wholesome smile would always cross her perfect face when she told me she was trying for kids.

Despite being an odd couple we were both professionals of a similar age and background, and both married without children. So we naturally had lots of things to talk about and experiences to share. We even arranged a double date with our partners but we're yet to set a date in concrete for one reason or another. (Our partners not so keen)

Then one day, Emma disappeared.

I just thought she had gone on a holiday she hadn't told me about. Which was strange as we talked about everything and anything but no last minute holidays were ever mentioned.

A week turned into two.

Then after almost a month Emma returned. She was only wearing a dark hoodie with jeans, no makeup and her blonde hair tied back. Unusually for her she looked rough. As she greeted me with a weak smile I could see her eyes were heavy with emotion.

I put down my sandwich box and bottle of water on the table, then took a seat opposite Emma. "Hi, Em."

"Hi Dan." Her wry smile did little to hide her inner torment.

"Everything OK? You don't look yourself."

Emma sighed… she looked exhausted and forlorn. "Well…"

She didn't tell me there and then. But I later found out that, after investing in a large house on a leafy street, Emma found out her husband of three months had fucked her best mate the night before their wedding.

Emma kicked him out and was now a broken woman with a shit load of problems.

But I also felt she kicked me out, because we barely talked after that. Emma went home for lunch or ate at her desk. If she did go to the canteen it was only after I left.

I felt I had lost my special friend.

I don't know why she distanced herself from me. It hurt. But no doubt it was nothing compared to what Emma was experiencing.

Over the coming weeks I found out poor Emma was going through a messy divorce and enduring bouts of depression. She didn't tell me this but I walked in on a number of phone conversations which Emma was having with banks, lawyers and therapists while she was alone in the canteen.

A stressed Emma would only offer a wry smile, and I'd just quickly make my coffee before leaving her alone on her call.

Emma's whole life was falling to bits and none of it was her fault. The situation had robbed Emma of her peace of mind.

Broken dreams and a shattered life.

~

Then, about six months after her darkest day, I walked into the canteen and Emma pulled out a chair in the canteen. "Dan, come sit. I’ve got no phone calls today."

"Oh.” Emma caught me by surprise “I'm meant to be working. Just topping up my coffee."

"If Kaz asks where you’ve been just tell your boss that marketing needed you for five minutes to test some campaign slides on. I'll cover you if needed."

“Oh, OK.” I smiled a bit more than I should as I took my seat. "So. How are you?"

"Better, thanks. I've managed to straighten a few things in my head. Come to terms with my situation. And You?"

"I can't complain. Life is good. I'm still married." Straight away I thought… did I honestly just say that… What a fucking plonker.

Emma smiled awkwardly then checked her mobile."Nice." But she then beamed at me. It was wide, almost cheeky. "The Summer Conference is next week. I take it you're going?"

"I don't have the choice. Everyone has to go."

"I know. Just wanted ask.” Emma chuckled nervously. “To be honest, I know you're going. Because I've been doing the tables, and I've sat you next to me."

"Oh… not with my team?"

Emma explained. "We're not sitting in teams this year. Not for the office staff. Just telesales and field are."

"Great. It will be good to talk to you. And catch up."

"I hope you don't mind dancing."

"Dancing?"

"Yes. I want to have a good time." Emma let out a sigh."It's been a hard time for me recently."

"I don't mind dancing." I laughed. "But other people might. Because I'm terrible."

"I won't mind. Not at all. I'm looking forward to spending time with you outside the office "

I was buzzing for the rest of the week. Yet, I did my best not to get too carried away. Not that I could do anything about it, being a married man n'all.

In truth. By feeling the way I did, was I already cheating?