Author: Heather
Theme challenge: Falling in love with a best friend
Things to include: “Fiesty, aren’t we?”, Where’s Waldo, ripped jeans
Rating: R
Warnings: Descriptive sexual content and language
Author’s Notes: This is a different take on the theme and hopefully an enjoyable one!

“Honey… my breasts are heading south.”

Taylor Hanson’s concentration had been broken yet again by another unprecedented realization by his wife. He didn’t look up from his computer screen to check the accuracy of her statement. Even the smallest lift of his chin would have sentenced him to a night on the couch. After six years of marriage, Taylor had learned that to look up at her after such a statement only verified, in her mind, that he actually might think that she was right.

“They’re not,” he said, keeping his eyes focused on the online poker game in front of him. She thought that he was working on his book but he hadn’t opened that document in weeks. She didn’t know that he was three hands into a game of no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em with three hundred dollars on the line. Had she known, she wouldn’t be talking to him about the gravity of her tits.

“No. They really are,” Veronica said, sighing dramatically.

“Rona, you’re pregnant,” Taylor said.

“Not by much,” she said. “And besides… they didn’t look like this with Liam.”

“Honey… they’re fine,” he said, finally looking up at her. She was standing in front of the mirror in their master bath, wearing only a pair of black panties, full coverage. He wondered if she even owned lace panties or thongs anymore. It seemed that all she ever wore anymore were the ones that covered everything and left nothing to the imagination. She could have given Taylor that much. She had one hand on each breast and was moving them up and down, inspecting their weight carefully.

“I don’t believe you,” she said, lowering her hands. She ran her palm over her stomach which was swollen from pregnancy. At least she’d still retained her figure. Even after their son had been born, she’d keep her tight butt and flat stomach. Now, with Baby Number Two only five months away, Veronica still looked great. But Taylor just couldn’t get past those panties. He turned back to his game.

“I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. Cassidy doesn’t care what my boobs look like,” she said, sighing dramatically as she reached for her robe and pulled it on over her shoulders.

This caught Taylor’s attention. He looked up again and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

“Cassidy’s back?” he asked. Cassidy was Veronica’s best friend from high school, a pretty girl that Taylor had only met a few times. Veronica had told him Cassidy’s story a million times. She’d moved to London after they’d graduated and while Veronica was working her way towards a bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma State and wrapping her fingers around Taylor’s heart, Cassidy was back packing across Europe with interesting and exotic men. She’d received an inheritance from a dead grandmother who’d opened the bank account to her on the day that she’d graduated high school. Instead of using that money for college, Cassidy turned her dreams into reality. With nearly a quarter million dollars, she was able to do everything that she’d ever wanted to do. Taylor admired her for that and he hadn’t even met her.

The first time that he had met her, it had been on the day of his wedding to Veronica, nearly five years earlier. He’d been enchanted with her ever since. He thought that it was normal to have a crush on another woman. It was harmless, really. Veronica hadn’t even noticed. When she’d paired him with Cassidy on the dance floor, she hadn’t even given a second thought to what she had done. Every brush of Cassidy’s hair against his hand, which was placed precariously at her lower back, sent Taylor’s entire body into shivers. Every time that she laughed or smiled, he did the same. He couldn’t help it. She was beautiful. But then she disappeared again, just as quickly as she’d come.

He thought about her often though, always kept her postcards on the refrigerator, a sentiment that Veronica found endearing and sweet.

“I love it that you’re keeping track of her,” she’d told him. “Because Lord knows, I can’t do it. I love her postcards though. Don’t you?”

Taylor loved everything about them. The grace of Cassidy’s loopy handwriting, the way she always signed her name with a cluster of tiny hearts and stars. He loved that in one month she was in China and in the next, she was in India, living in a hostel in New Dehli and painting mosques at sunset. She was doing everything that Taylor had always wished he could accomplish, living a life that Taylor would never know.

The next time that Taylor saw her, it almost cost him his marriage. She’d come home for Liam’s second birthday party, an event that Veronica had been bothering her about for nearly six months. She’d arrived with a Where’s Waldo book from Japan and a bottle of Parisian wine. Veronica had welcomed her with open arms. Taylor had welcomed her with a hard on that had taken him ten minutes in the bathroom to get rid of. Even in a pair of blue jeans and a Bohemian halter top, she’d taken his breath away. He’d had his eyes on her the entire night but it wasn’t until Veronica left them alone downstairs, convinced that she’d contracted food poisoning and had to go to bed to sleep it off, that Taylor had a chance to spend time with her.

He’d had stayed up all night talking to Cassidy. She told him of her travels, of the people that she’d met and the things that she’d seen. With every story, she spoke with such compassion and conviction. She loved her life and everything about it and with her tales, Taylor felt as if he’d been there too, experiencing everything at her side. They didn’t have a lot in common, aside from the fact that she was living Taylor’s lost dreams and that they were both in Veronica’s top five speed dials on her cell phone. But the consumption of an entire bottle of imported wine erased either of those two things and they’d ended up on the couch in the den, making out like teenagers. He wanted more from her and he wouldn’t have hesitated to go further if she wouldn’t have stopped him, ashamed of what they were doing.

“Veronica is my oldest friend, Taylor,” she’d told him, her lips only a breath away from his, her fingers in his hair, their legs tangled. “And she’s your wife. We can’t do this.”

He kissed her, hoping to change her mind but she’d let out a heavy sigh against his lips and quickly pulled away from him.

“I can’t Taylor. I’m sorry,” she’d told him. She sat up at the end of the couch and Taylor lifted himself up, resting on his elbows. She looked beautiful, even in the dark.

“Cassidy…” he said. “She won’t wake up.”

She looked back at him and sighed softly. She shook her head and then slowly she reached out and brushed his hair from his eyes and then rested her palm against his cheek.

“She loves you, Taylor,” she said. “And you have Liam. I won’t be the one to come between that.”

Taylor watched her sadly as she stood up and walked out of the room. He heard the front door click as she left the house. That was the last time that he’d seen her. She’d stopped sending postcards. Instead, she sent letters to Veronica or birthday cards to Liam. She acted as if Taylor didn’t even exist but the trouble was that Taylor could still feel her on his skin, three and a half years later. He may not exist to her anymore but she was alive in Taylor and he thought about her everyday.

“She came back from New York a few days ago,” Veronica said, bringing Taylor back to the present. “I didn’t tell you? I could have sworn that I told you.”

“No. You didn’t tell me,” he said, sitting up in his chair. He put a pause on his game. “New York? When did she move to New York?”

“A couple of months ago,” Veronica said, as she started the shower. “But I think she’s finally burnt out her money and is done adventuring. She’s back in town… living with her parents for God’s sake. We’re going out tonight, to catch up. You’ll have to watch Liam.”

“Well… yeah,” Taylor said, nodding gently. “He’s asleep so… that’s not really a big deal.” He pushed away from the desk and stood up. He approached the bathroom and stopped at the door, leaning against the frame. Veronica was leaning over the tub, testing the temperature of the water.

“How’s she doing? I mean… we haven’t heard from her in while,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Veronica looked up at him over her shoulder as she stood up.

“Well, what do you expect?” Veronica asked, as she slipped her robe off and handed it to Taylor. “She’s miserable. She’s been living a care free life for the last eight years and now she has to come back home to the real world… to the 9 to 5 life.”

Taylor couldn’t picture Cassidy living that life. It was almost a crime to think of such a beautiful, care free spirit locked inside of a cubicle for eight hours a day. She was an artist and she deserved to life an artist’s life, full of travel and adventure. She wouldn’t be able to experience any of that if she was living in Tulsa.

“Would you mind letting her in when she gets here? I’m running late and she should be here soon,” she said.

“Yeah… yeah, sure,” Taylor said, nodding as she hung her robe on the hook behind the bathroom door. “I’ll do that.”

“Thanks, baby,” Veronica said, stepping up to him. She leaned in and pressed her bare breasts against his chest and kissed him sweetly. He returned the kiss quietly and then smiled back at her as she stepped away. She turned and stepped towards the shower, letting her hair down as she did so.

“Rona…” he said, watching her go. His eyes followed her curves which were accentuated with her blossoming pregnancy. She glanced at him over her shoulder as she opened the shower door.

“Hm?” she asked. He smiled and raised his eyebrows.

“Your breasts aren’t heading south,” he said. “They’re beautiful.”

She laughed gently and shook her head. “You’re just saying that because you love me. I know better though,” she said, before she blew him a kiss and then stepped into the shower. Taylor sighed softly and left the bathroom, leaving Veronica to shower alone. She was right though. Her breasts were falling but Taylor knew that it wasn’t because she was aging. She hadn’t even had her 30th birthday. She was pregnant and she didn’t want to be. She’d just opened a second gallery and she’d finally hired a nanny and Liam had finally become less dependent on her. She was upset that she had to start all over again and give it up for another baby. Everything about her pregnancy was negative. That was just how Veronica was. She’d always been that way with things that she didn’t agree with or want. Like Cassidy. She didn’t agree with the way that Cassidy lived her life and so instead of supporting her, Veronica complained. She complained about the men that Cassidy fell in love with, the jobs that Cassidy took in French boutiques, the things that she spent her money on. But still, Cassidy remained Veronica’s best friend and whenever they saw each other, Veronica put on a smile and acted as if she hadn’t spent all of their time apart in disapproval.

On his way downstairs, Taylor checked on his son. Liam was stretched out on his bed, his feet twisted in the blankets and his shirt hiked up on his back. Taylor reached out and extricated Liam from the blankets and adjusted his shirt. He made sure that he was comfortable again and then kissed his forehead gently.

“I love you, buddy,” he whispered. “No matter what happens around here… I love you.”

Standing up slowly, Taylor left his son alone and shut his bedroom as he stepped into the hallway. Taking a deep breath, he ran his hands through his hair and rested his weight against Liam’s door. Down the hallway, he could hear Veronica in the shower, singing loudly to her own version of Frank Sinatra’s “Under My Skin.”

What exactly did Taylor think was going to happen? Why was he assuring his son of his love, as if tonight were different than any other? Cassidy was on her way over. What did Taylor want to happen? Did he expect everything to change with her entrance into his home? With his wife and his son residing under the same roof, could Taylor really tell Cassidy that he’d been thinking about her for the last three years, that he wanted nothing more than to be with her again? How could he do that to his wife? To his family? Sighing heavily, Taylor ran his hands over his face and tried to flush those thoughts from his mind. Cassidy was just a pretty girl, nothing more. Veronica was his wife. Taylor couldn’t give that up for a fledgling fantasy.

Taylor’s resolute determination to be true to his family was broken by the sound of the doorbell, signaling Cassidy’s presence on his door step. There was no way around it; Taylor had to face her by himself, without the accountability of his wife’s presence. Even when he made it to the first floor, he could still hear Veronica in the shower butchering everything that was sacred about the legendary Frank Sinatra. Stepping up to the front door, Taylor took a deep breath and turned the knob, pulling the door open to reveal Cassidy, standing awkwardly on the front porch.

Even in the dim glow of Taylor’s failing porch light, Cassidy was still as beautiful as he remembered. Her dark hair was shorter, brushing just past her shoulders. The layers framed her face perfectly and she had short, side swept bangs that fell quietly across her forehead. She was wearing a red t-shirt with Chinese symbols printed across the front and a pair of ripped jeans, not the kind that costs seventy dollars on the second floor of Bloomingdale’s but the kind that had wear and tear written all over them, the kind that had once been whole. But even in old, ratty jeans, she still looked sexy. Taylor couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

“Can I come in or are you going to make me stand out here and wait for her?” she asked him, raising an eyebrow. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he smiled.

“Depends on what you’ve got in that bag,” he said, nodding to the oversized purse that was dangling from her right hand. He hoped she would extricate a bottle of imported wine. She smiled and reached inside. She pulled out a DVD instead and extended it to him.

“Pretty in Pink,” she said. “Take it or leave it.” Taylor smiled and reached for it.

“Oooh. Collector’s edition,” he said. “You know… the scene where John Cryer dances in the record store… that is legend. I will always admire Duckie for being so damn awesome.”

“So, you’re familiar with the film then?” she asked. Taylor nodded and handed the DVD back to her.

“Familiar with the film? Veronica makes me watch that damn movie at least once a month,” he said. Cocking an eyebrow, he smiled when Cassidy sent him a skeptical glance. “Truthfully… I always thought that Andie should have ended up with Duckie.”

“Me too,” she said. “He was so much more interesting than Blane.”

“Okay,” Taylor said, raising his eyebrows. “Now you can come in.” Cassidy laughed and came inside as Taylor stepped aside. He shut the door behind her and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“So… how are you?” he asked.

“I’m okay,” she said. “A little stir crazy. I miss the city. I miss traveling. But… I guess it’s better that I’m back now. I can’t live in my dreams forever.”

“No… but I envied you all the same,” he said. “I’d rather be out there traveling the world with you than stuck in his God awful town.” She smiled gently as a quiet seconds passed between them. Finally, she reached up and pushed her hair from her eyes.

“Well… how have you been, Taylor?” she asked. “Have you finished your book yet?”

Taylor sighed softly. “No,” he said. “Not even close.”

“It’s a personal memoir, right?” Cassidy asked.

“Yeah,” Taylor said. Cassidy laughed.

“Then how can it be so hard to finish? You already know the story,” she said.

“Yeah but it’s a story that I don’t really feel like revisiting. My brothers and I were in a world famous boy band and then I decided to let go of it and go to college and my entire family fell apart because of it. Whoever decided that it would be an interesting memoir to write was out of their mind,” he said.

“Then why are you writing it?” Cassidy asked. Taylor glanced to her and realized for the first time that he didn’t have an answer to her question. He’d been trying to write his book for the last four years and he didn’t have any idea why. He didn’t feel like it was a particularly interesting story. The world didn’t really care anymore.

“You know… I don’t know,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I really don’t know.”

“Then maybe you should write something else,” she said. Taylor looked at her and smiled.

“You know… you’re the first person to tell me that and you’re absolutely right,” he said. “I don’t even like to write. And don’t tell Rona this but… I haven’t touched that Word document in over eight months. Whenever I tell her that I’m writing, I’m actually playing poker… online.” Cassidy laughed.

“I won’t tell her,” she said, smiling. Taylor laughed.

“TAYLOR?” Veronica shouted from upstairs. Taylor diverted his eyes from Cassidy and glanced to the stairs. “Is Cassidy here?” Taylor glanced to Cassidy and raised his eyebrows. She laughed.

“I’m here!” she called.

“Oh damn it!” Veronica cursed. “Well… do you mind waiting a little longer? I’m fresh out of the shower!”

“I don’t mind,” Cassidy replied.

“Is Taylor entertaining you?” Veronica asked. Cassidy looked to Taylor and smiled.

“More or less,” she shouted. “I’m fine, Rona. Don’t worry! Take your time.”

“Okay!” Veronica shouted for the last time before they heard the bedroom door close. Cassidy laughed and glanced back to Taylor. The expression on his face surprised her. He’d been watching her with interest, turned on by the dimples formed in her cheeks when she smiled and by the color of her eyes in the dim light of his foyer.

“I’ve been thinking about you since the day that you left,” he said, stepping forward, closing the distance between them. “Why did you leave me that night? You should have stayed…” He reached and brushed his fingers against her upper arm gently and his fingertips felt her response as goose bumps rose over her skin.

“Taylor…” Cassidy whispered, turning her eyes to the floor. “You know why I left and that reason still stands. Especially right now.” Taylor brought his hand to her face and lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“Tell me that you don’t think of me, Cassidy… and I’ll leave you alone,” he said, his lips only inches from her. Cassidy’s eyes flickered over his face and she sighed softly. The moments passed between them slowly and Cassidy didn’t say a word. Taylor could feel her breath against his lips and he brushed his fingers over her arm, feeling her skin beneath his finger tips.

“I don’t,” she said, quietly. “I’m sorry, Taylor… but I don’t.”

“Okay! Okay! I’m done! I’m ready!” Veronica cried, appearing at the top of the stairs. Taylor broke away from Cassidy and stumbled backwards, reeling from the loss of her touch and the pain of her confession. He kept his eyes on Cassidy but she wouldn’t look at him. She stayed near the bottom of the stairs, near the door, and she turned her eyes to Veronica as she clambered down the stairs.

“I’m ready!” she said, grinning at Cassidy. “Hi!” She reached out and pulled her friend into a hug. With Veronica’s back turned, Cassidy turned her eyes to Taylor sadly and he swallowed his heart ache.

“Hey Rona,” Cassidy said, managing a smile for her friend as the two girls drew apart. “Are you ready? Let’s go. I made reservations.”

“Dressed like that?” Veronica scoffed. Taylor knew that Veronica’s question wasn’t meant to offend but Cassidy’s eyes told a different story. Veronica only laughed and waved her hand through the air. “Oh, who cares? We’re going out and that’s more than I’ve had in months.”

“Yeah,” Cassidy said, turning away from Taylor and stepping towards the door. She was noticeably upset. Veronica had never been one to embrace Cassidy’s lifestyle and choices. Veronica came from a well-to-do family in North Carolina where pleated skirts and knee high socks were normal attire for the average adolescent girl. Even though Cassidy and Veronica had gone to the same private, all girls high school, it wasn’t until their graduation that Veronica became aware of Cassidy’s flare for eclecticism. And although they remained best friends, there seemed to be a widening gap between who Veronica expected Cassidy to be and who Cassidy actually was. And by the look on her face, Cassidy wasn’t about to leap across that chasm.

“Thanks for entertaining Cass for me, baby,” Veronica said, as she pressed herself close to Taylor. She kissed him quickly and then brushed her palm across his cheek. “Love you.”

“It wasn’t a problem,” he said, returning the kiss. “And I love you too. When do you think you’ll be home?”

“Oh… I don’t know,” Veronica said, casting a glance to Cassidy. Cassidy looked over her shoulder at the couple. She simply shrugged and then turned forward and continued towards her car.

“Later,” Veronica said, answering his question. “And don’t wait up. You need your rest. I feel like tomorrow is a good day for writing. Don’t you?”

Taylor faked a smile. “Yeah,” he said. “You have fun, okay? And hurry up before Cassidy leaves you here.”

“She wouldn’t,” Veronica laughed. Taylor was pretty sure that she would but he just smiled at Veronica and nudged her out the front door.

“Bye baby,” he said. She waved and bounced off the front porch. Once she was safe inside of Cassidy’s car, Taylor shut the front door and let out a heavy sigh. Cassidy had left him dry but Taylor knew that it was for the better. It wasn’t what he wanted; Veronica wasn’t who he wanted anymore. He wanted Cassidy… more than he’d ever wanted anything or anyone before. When he’d met Veronica, he’d been attracted to her not because she was beautiful but because she was successful and she knew what she wanted. And back then, when they’d first met, she was still in college, still mysterious and young. But now… after nearly seven years of marriage and after 5 years of motherhood, Veronica had lost that appeal. She was predictable and uninspiring. Taylor loved her – that would never change – but he had fallen in love with Cassidy. But she didn’t want him… and as much as Taylor didn’t believe her, he had to settle with the life that he had with his wife… despite how much he wished for something different, something new.

Taylor put himself to bed less than an hour after the girls left. He didn’t have much reason to stay awake. He’d spent the day with Liam and that had worn him out. After he’d returned to his computer, he’d lost $237 dollars in a bad hand of poker which he blamed on the fact that his mind was everywhere else but on Texas Hold ‘Em. Veronica would kick his ass later once she saw the withdraw from their bank account but he didn’t care. She would find something to bitch about so at least this time it would be about something that made sense.

He woke up some time later to a pleasant surprise. Veronica had crawled into bed and pulled the blankets away from him. She was tugging at his boxers, pulling them over his hips and down his legs.

“Feisty, aren’t we?” Taylor laughed, his voice still weighted with sleep. But Veronica was quickly waking him up. And more than just his brain was coming out of sleep. She shushed him quietly and he shifted uncomfortably as she pulled away from him to unbutton her jeans. Something about the situation was strange. Veronica was one of those wives who liked to schedule sex into her planner and Taylor usually expected it once a week on Friday nights. Sometimes he’d get a morning surprise on a week day but usually, he had to wait for the weekend. But he didn’t care that she had gone off of her schedule. Saturday night was only one night away and besides, she’d rejected him the night before so perhaps, she was making up for lost time. Either way, she was horny and he was about to get laid. He wasn’t going to complain.

She came back to him, naked from the waist down and immediately, her hand found it’s way to his penis which was already hard. He grinned as she slid her fingers over him gently and crawled over him, straddling his waist. She directed him inside of her and lowered herself onto him generously. It must have been a long time since they’d last had sex because it felt amazing to be inside of her. He lifted his hips to her and moaned as he brought his hands to her waist, pulling her towards him. Pulled out of his euphoria by the absence of her pregnant stomach, Taylor opened his eyes wide and forced them to adjust to the darkness. It was Cassidy who was hovering precariously above him, her hips grinding against his, her head turned towards the ceiling, her hair falling heavily against her back. As surprised as he was to know that it wasn’t his wife straddling him, it didn’t turn him off at all. In fact, it intensified his desire and he pushed his hips forward to meet hers. She moaned in approval of his action and lowered her head to face him.

“I do think of you,” she whispered, as she rested her hands against his chest and thrust her hips towards his. “Every second of the day but I used to deny it to myself. I refused the feelings that I had for you because of Veronica, because I cared for her and I wanted to respect her marriage and her family…”

Taylor listened to her, letting her talk. Nothing that she said was making sense with the current situation but he didn’t care. He kept his ears open to what she had to say but he concentrated on the movement of his hips, of the feel of her inside of him as he pushed deeper inside of her with every thrust. He concentrated on the feeling of her hands as they pressed against his chest. He was sure that she could feel the accelerated beat of his heart, as his pulse was out of control at the thought of fucking Cassidy in the bed that he shared with his wife.

“Where is Veronica?” he asked, breathlessly.

“She’s passed out on the couch. We came back to watch Pretty in Pink and she didn’t even make it twenty minutes,” Cassidy said. “We don’t have much time…”

That won’t be a problem, Taylor thought, lifting his hips higher and with more vigor as he came closer to his climax. Cassidy continued with her previous thoughts but Taylor didn’t mind because her apparent dislike for Veronica fueled her performance.

“But I don’t care about Veronica anymore, Taylor,” Cassidy said, feverishly as she took fistfuls of his t-shirt in her hand and thrust his hips harder against his, causing him to moan in response. “I don’t care because Veronica makes me feel bad about myself, as if what I did with my life was a waste of time. She thinks that just because I’m home again she can tell me that she told me so… well… I have news for her.” She thrust harder against him.

“I’m the one that you want.”

With every word, she kept thrusting and Taylor felt as if he were going into sensory overload. He could feel his orgasm coming and he lifted his hips to her every thrust, waiting to feel her tighten around him.

“I’m the one that she’ll never be.”

Taylor’s orgasm ripped through every nerve in his body, causing him to cry out in pleasure. Cassidy placed her hand over his mouth forcefully as she continued riding him, despite the fact that he’d already come.

“I’m the one that is fucking you in her bed while she deposits saliva all over her fucking Pier One Import pillows.”

With her last sentence, she thrust against him hard, her muscles contracting around him as she came. Taylor’s moan was muffled by her hand but Cassidy didn’t hold anything back as she moaned her way through the longest female orgasm that Taylor had ever experienced during sex. She rode out her orgasm until she lost all energy and she collapsed on top of him.

Not another word was spoken as the sound of Veronica’s stumbling came from downstairs. Pulling in a sharp breath, Cassidy pulled away from Taylor and left him alone in the bed, gripping the sheets beside him. She scrambled into her panties and her jeans and then she tossed Taylor his boxers. He lifted himself up onto his elbows, having little to no strength left to do so.

“I want to see you again,” he said, as he put his boxers back on and slipped them over his hips. Cassidy shook her head as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him long and hard, letting her tongue play alongside his. She drew away quickly.

“You can’t,” she said. “Besides… you got what you wanted.”

“But I want more,” he said. Cassidy shook her head.

“It’s not worth it, Taylor. I’m not worth ruining your family,” she whispered. “Trust me. And if you don’t let me leave now… that will happen.”

“Cassidy…” he said, throwing his legs over the side of the bed as she stepped towards the door. She looked at him and shook her head.

“Goodbye Taylor,” she said. Taylor sighed heavily as she disappeared out of his bedroom. He sat back heavily against the mattress and listened as Cassidy ran into Veronica on the stairs.

“What were you doing up there?” Veronica asked sleepily.

“I had to use the bathroom. The one down here was acting up,” Cassidy explained. “Are you going to bed?”

“Oh…” Veronica said, sounding slightly confused… or extremely exhausted. “Yeah… yeah, I am. Thanks for coming over. We’ll get to hang out like this more often… now that you’re home again.”

“Yeah,” Cassidy said but Taylor could hear it in her voice that she wasn’t sincere. She was going to leave again and to where, Taylor did not know. But she was going away.

“All right. Well, good night,” Veronica said.

“Good night,” Cassidy said, continuing her journey as if nothing at all had happened. Taylor sighed and laid back in bed as he listened to Veronica ascend the stairs. Cassidy had just used him to get back at Veronica for being an inconsiderate and unworthy friend. Taylor wanted to be hurt… and somewhere inside he was but honestly… he didn’t mind all so much. As Veronica came into the bedroom and settled into bed beside him, he realized that she would never know about what had happened between he and Cassidy unless one of them told her. But Taylor wouldn’t and he knew that Cassidy wouldn’t because she wanted to have one up on Veronica. She won and Taylor smiled victoriously because, in a way, so did he. Now, whenever he had sex with Veronica, his less than mediocre wife, he had Cassidy, his wife’s mysterious and sexy best friend, in his head, and an experience with her that he wasn’t likely to forget.