dresses similar on purpose.
I let out a sigh as I step towards Ava. Why couldn't she have worn a potato sack to dinner with a hairdo that was butchered by a terrible stylist just before coming here? Why couldn't she be hideous, instead of looking like every man’s fantasy? I’ve noticed more than one husband sneaking glances in her direction, hoping his wife doesn't see. Ava is stunning, but none of the men who are passing her know her like I do, so I’m the only one who approaches her with bright red caution signs flashing in my mind.
“Hey,” I say in greeting with a half smile.
Ava leans in for a kiss, and I turn my face so that her lips land on my cheek.
“Hey,” she says, keeping her face close to mine. Before Ava can reach up and touch me, I pull away, and Ava smiles like she’s amused by my struggling. “I already got us a table. Come on.”
Ava leads the way as the two of us go inside. There's a bit of a waiting list, but we walk past them on our way to a booth Ava works her way into. I sit in the booth on the opposite side and make sure to keep my hands tucked under the table so she doesn't reach over and grab them. We’re not a couple, and I make sure to repeat those words in my head over and over again.
The waiter comes over and takes our orders, both of us going for the chicken fried steak with a glass of white wine, and before I know it, we’re alone, and the air around us feels twice as thick as normal.
“It’s nice to see you again, Malcolm” Ava says, speaking first because she seems to be the more comfortable of the two of us.
I take a moment to gather myself before speaking. I’ve dealt with Ava in the most intimate of ways, so being here with her now shouldn't be a big deal to me. The problem is that I’m concerned with the possibility of her being a stalker, so now I’m more nervous than normal. Nonetheless, I exhale and reply with confidence.
“It’s nice to see you, too,” I say. “It’s been a little while. How have you been?”
“I've been good. Thinking about you a lot,” Ava replies, teasing me.
I have to shake the thought of her touching herself out of my head before going on. “So, as I said in our texts, there's something we need to discuss, Ava, and it’s important that we get to the truth of the situation. If we don't, I’m not sure we can keep seeing each other.”
Ava adjusts in her seat and pushes her hair behind her shoulder. The entire movement looks much sexier than it should, and I realize now that my attraction to this woman is stronger than I have acknowledged. Seeing her here now reminds me a lot of when we first met. Admittedly, I’ve never been able to control myself when it comes to Ava.
“Umm, so you know I’ve been curious about a situation that happened a few days ago,” I go on. “There was a car parked outside of my house with its headlights on. You'd been texting me that night, asking if you could come over, and I wasn't in the mood for company after a long day at work and a particularly difficult session, so I told you not to come. When I started heading for the stairs, I saw a car that looked a lot like yours parked by my mailbox. The vehicle was definitely a Nissan just like yours. The only thing I’m unsure about is the color of car. I’ve asked if it was you before, and you told me it wasn't. But, I need you tell me where you were that night, because I’m having a hard time believing it wasn't you, Ava.”
Ava squirms in her seat a bit, but the look on her face never wavers. She stays focused with a look of seduction in her eyes. I think to break eye contact with her because I can feel myself being drawn in, but that’s not who I am.
“I already told you, Malcolm,” Ava says. “I was at home, and you know exactly what I was doing.”
“I know what you told me you were doing, but I don't know if I believe that.”
“You don't believe that I was at home, lying on my bed with my Magic Wand vibrating between my