Infidelity

When Persha Towsend strutted out of the Ladies room at Razzo’s Cajun restaurant in Southwest Houston, she abruptly stopped cold in her tracks. She froze momentarily at the sight of Clarke Hudson. It just absolutely could not be him, she had tried to convince herself.

Unable to move, she blinked a few times to ensure her eyes weren’t completely mistaken. While her eyes may have been somewhat uncertain, her heart knew instantly. It was beating so quickly, she had to place a shaky hand over her chest to try and calm it and herself.

It was definitely Clarke, all sexy and debonair, real and in the flesh. The man she once wanted to marry, bare his children, and do anything that just might keep him happy. Back then, Clarke’s spectacular body was as close to perfection as any man could come, and from where she stood, nothing much had changed about it. Her hands were quite familiar with every nook and cranny of that body. All 215 pounds of well-defined muscles, carefully distributed over his 6’2 frame. He was like sexy desert on a stick.

His hair was gone now, he was sporting a fierce bald style and it fit him so well. His pecan colored skin glistened; it had always been so clear and silk-like. When he walked, his slightly bow legs still had that sexy swagger she remembered.

As he stepped closer, her heart thudded, beating just a bit irregular. For a moment, she wondered if he’d even recognize, let alone remember her. It had after all been at least ten years since they’d seen each other last and just like Clarke’s, Persha’s look had changed too.

Persha had allowed her hair grow out of that bobbed style she wore back then. Now it hung in layers, just past her shoulders in a tight flip that her friends often tried to imitate. And she had finally shed those 40 persistent pounds, brining her down to a comfortable, but curvy 125.

Her caramel colored skin boasted its own glow, after numerous chemical treatments and specialty mud-packed facials. And the trademark glasses were a thing of the past since she traded in her rims for the new lasik surgery that was a complete success.

Whatever doubt Persha had about Clarke’s memory quickly faded when a lovely smile crept across his pretty face.

"Naah ahh," Clarke shook his head.

"Ahh haa," Persha quickly returned his smile. She grinned so hard her cheeks tightened a bit, but she shook it off.

"Giiiirrrl!" He extended his muscular arms, but she didn’t know if she should fall into them or wait to see if he’d pull her close.

She remembered spending what seemed like endless hours in his strong embrace. Back then there was not a day she’d considered a future without him. Oh, theirs was going to last the test of time for certain.

"Now if this ain’t a small world. Persha Townsend! How long have you been here in H-town? And please tell me you’re not just here visiting," he all but sang.

Clarke took her by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes, penetrating straight through to her soul. Persha thought she’d melt right there in her designer stilettos. Quite surely the sudden cream between her thighs was evidence of her definite demise.

"Damn Girl, a brotha couldn’t handle losing you again." He shook his head to emphasize his words. After all this time his even his slight touch still said so much.

"Aaaeey Clarke," she reluctantly escaped his embrace, smiling while hiding her astonishment. Even the scent of his cologne was invigorating.

"Damn shorty! Let me take a good look at you! Turn around," he said, all but tossing her body into a slow spin. That was the nickname he had for her back then. Only Clarke could make the description sound so sexy.

"Yup! It’s all still there! You look real good girl, and after all these years too. So whassup?" Clarke’s eyes smiled as he gazed at her.

He crossed his muscular arms over his well-defined chest and stood back a few feet, still shaking his head in disbelief. "Been taking care of yourself, I see." He chuckled.

"You’re not looking too bad yourself," she smiled.

Leaning against the wall, she felt her shoulders relax as they eased into a comfortable conversation about the past; their past.

"After all these doggone years, I can’t believe it’s you!" The words escaped from his mouth as her eyes softened.

Persha struggled to keep her breathing steady, as lustful memories flashed through her mind. Oh, she remembered those sizzling steamy nights like only minutes instead of hundreds of days and weeks had passed. She had been with other men since Clarke, quite a few, but none had touched her, reached her on the level he had.

"What ever happened with us?" Clarke asked using a tone just above a whisper, like he used to do back in the day.

"Shoot girl! We had something real real good back then."

Persha shook her head agreeing with his skewed version of their history. She reminisced about the days when she foolishly believed they’d never be apart. Still young at heart in those days, she never thought she could love another man. No, not the way she loved and worshiped Clarke Hudson.

Trying to change the subject she quickly asked, "So what do you do here in H-town?"

Persha still couldn’t believe she was standing there talking to the one and only Clarke Hudson. He was still the man who after so many years was able to make her heart turn to putty, and her panties wet.

Clarke reached into the pocket of his designer slacks, which hung perfectly off his body and pulled out a gold plated business card holder. She still liked the way he carried it, his style, and everything about him. Nothing had changed it was all just updated to keep up with the times and trends.

"I’m with the Ad agency here in town," he extended the card to her, "You gotta stay in touch girl." He teased, his voice low and inviting.

Persha felt her panties go from damp to drenched, as she took the card and quickly glanced down at it. Her eyes glazed over his VP title next to his glossy picture on the card. She held it with care and eased it into her own pocket.

"So let me guess, a fine brotha like you can’t still be single right?" She hoped, cocking her head to the side as she gazed at him longingly.

"S’cuse me?" A voice laced with attitude said.

Persha snapped out of her trance quickly.

Clarke turned and stepped aside. He smiled, "Oh, Persha this is Menesha." The smile quickly faded from Persha’s face and she straightened her body where she stood. She didn’t want to hear what she was sure was coming next.

"Is this what’s keeping you from our little party? Your food? It’s gettin’ cold you know." Menesha’s icy gaze ran over Persha from head to toe, then back up again.

"Oh, sorry girl, I just ran into an old college friend and we started shooting the breeze." Clarke said. Menesha looked at Persha again and offered what seemed like a forced smile. Persha contemplated the nature of Clarke and Menesha’s relationship, she couldn’t tell for sure if this was the kind of jealousy she suspected.

"Emph, Hi," her thin lips curled.

"I’m sorry, it’s my fault, we just started going on and on and soon we were talking about old times, old friends and that kind of stuff." Persha smiled, but regretted it when the gesture went unnoticed and wasn’t returned.

"Well, you’d better get back before Kelsa comes back." She touched Clarke’s shoulder and squeezed by them both, but not before looking at Persha one last time.

"It was good seeing you girl. You take care of yourself." Clarke turned, "that’s my wife’s friend, we’re catching a bite before our movie starts over at Lowe’s. I’d better get back."

Just as easily as he had walked back into her life, he was gone again. But this time she vowed to not allow ten years, much less a week even to slip between them.

Back at her table Persha pulled a chair out and slouched into her seat.

"Damn girl, we thought you fell in or something." Her friend Cricket said. Cricket was a slender masculine woman with a pretty face that was framed by a short curly afro, she had slim features and a caramel complexion.

"I told Kori to go look after you, but our food got here, and well, you understand." Cricket looked at Kori and they started chuckling. Kori was short with skin the color of cornbread, and Sandy brown hair she wore in a ponytail. She was small and petite, but her mouth made her seem so much bigger. The three had been friends since meeting back in college. They’d even migrated South together shortly after graduation.

Persha pulled her chair up to the table.

"Glad I didn’t really fall in. I’d drown waiting on you two heifers to rescue me!"

Kori popped another shrimp into her mouth. "What took so long anyway?" she asked.

"You’ll never guess who I just bumped into!" Persha squealed with reserved excitement.

"Who?" Cricket asked.

"She said guess silly!" Kori quickly looked around the restaurant, then back at Persha when no one familiar caught her eye.

"Clarke Hudson!" Persha tried to gauge her friends’ reaction.

Persha could tell from the look on Cricket’s face that she was not the least bit amused. She often wore her no nonsense face like armor, hard, cold and uninviting. At the mere sound of Clarke’s name, Cricket’s eyes widened in alarm, and she twisted up her mouth.

"Not that low-down sewer lurking hoodrat who left you behind in Vegas!" She snickered. "Ooouch!" Cricket screamed, nearly in the same breath. "Why you kick me Kori?"

"Can you stop talking about folks for just a hot minute? You got your nerves talking about somebody else’s man. You can’t even hang on to one."

"Look you two, it’s not that serious, I just ran into the man. I didn’t say we were hooking up or anything like that. I just bumped into him dang, y’all need to chill out!"

"Yeah, but I know how much he meant to you. And what’s he doing here anyway?" Cricket asked, angling her head to the side.

"Girl he lives here! He’s Vice President at an advertising agency!" Persha could hardly contain her enthusiasm.

"A what?" Cricket frowned. "Girl please, ain’t no body in their right mind letting him be in charge of anything, and you know I’m right," she said. "Hmmm, Vice President my foot."

"I know, I know how you feel about him Cricket, but look at his card. He always was real smart." Persha said digging the card out of her pocket, and directing her attention back to Cricket.

"Hmm this don’t mean a thing, he could’ve made these on his home computer," Cricket inspected the card closely. "Besides how’d a street thug like him get a real J-O-B anyway? Muchless a Vice President title? I ain’t buying it, we all know he was only in school ‘cause he could run and dribble a ball at the same time."

Persha and Kori looked at her, rolled their eyes then continued talking.

"So you bump into the old love of your life, the one that got away, you guys chat it up for a few minutes then walk away just like that? No lunch, dinner, happy hour, or even breakfast plans?" Kori winked.

"I was about to drop a hint, but just before I could get the words out, his wife’s girlfriend walked up!"

Kori dropped her fork, and Cricket stopped before taking another bite. With her mouth hung open her carefully arched brows shot up.

"Yup! Good ‘ole Clarke Hudson is married. I still can’t believe it myself." Persha admitted in a hushed whisper. She started picking at her own food, while her friends silently watched her every move.

It was Kori who spoke first. "Gurl phuleeze, Clarke Hudson married? The Clarke Hudson we all know? Hmmm," she sucked her teeth. "Well, we all know that wife, whoever she is, is only a substitute for the real thing. I ain’t even trying to believe he has a wife!"

"Well, where is he? Where are they sitting? Were they leaving when you saw him? " Cricket asked, immediately searching the busy restaurant with her eyes.

"Don’t look now, but I think they’re out on the patio." As soon as Persha said it, both heads quickly turned toward the patio.

"I said don’t look," Persha screamed.

"Girl, I have got to see what this wife of his looks like. Was her friend nice? What did she say to you?" Kori asked still eyeing the patio. "Shoot what did she look like?"

"Not only was she not nice, but girlfriend wasn’t too happy to find me holding up dinner by talking to her friend’s hubby."