Show , Tell Ch. 05

The meeting went well, the banker wondering if he might privately invest also. Promising to get the paperwork to both of them, his client not bothered by a possible conflict of interest, I headed home.
Everyone, including my wife, was happy to see me, so any fear of discovery I'd held... dissipated quickly.
Lexi wanted to go to bed early so I could tell her two stories, to make up for those she'd missed while I was gone.
Friday, I finished my meeting with my attorney early, a promise to get the contracts to Connecticut before day's end, and with time to spare, I drove to a store I'd seen advertised in the local, "Scandal Sheet."
"The Phoenix," was a weekly that delved in national and local politics, entertainment, sports and, "the adult scene." To that purpose, they printed a pull out section devoted to just that..., the adult scene.
"2Hot4U" advertised clothing, lingerie, accessories, adult videos, sex toys, fetish wear, literature and periodicals. The store was on the border between the retail and manufacturing sides of town, on a main thoroughfare. It looked like an old firehouse, but one that had been well maintained.
The inside was well kept also, a youngish woman behind the counter, attractive if you liked your women tattooed, festooned with assorted rings, pink hair and otherwise looking like a pin cushion.
"Hey," my greeting as she looked up from her work. "Hey yourself," she responded, "give me a minute to finish receiving this order and then I'll be all yours."
"Sounds like a proposition too good to refuse," giving her a big smile.
"Cute," she deadpanned, going back to her work.
By the time she was finished, I'd wandered through half the store. Kathy was the store manager and preferred, "Kat," to Kathy. There didn't seem to be a thing that she didn't know about the inventory and was more than willing to explain anything and everything about the merchandise.
I explained what I was looking for..., and after a few, "not so innocent," questions about, "why," I was interested, she'd made the determination of, "why," and asked if it wouldn't be better for both of us to have, "..., what's her name?" come in and pick out some things for herself.
I agreed and asked when she'd be available to help. "Don't come in on a Tuesday. Other than that..., I'll be all hers."
I couldn't resist asking, "You seem awfully generous with yourself. Anyone ever take your offer literally?"
"Not often enough," she answered with a smile, "but thanks for asking."
I bought something anyway.
It was after 4:00 when I got to the school, Elle's car once again the only one in the parking lot.
I found it interesting that, during the day, in order to gain entry into the school, you had to announce your presence by ringing a bell and then telling the person on the other end of the intercom your name and who you were there to see. Then, after getting, "buzzed" in, you had to report to the office, sign in and get a name tag, before you were allowed to go to where you wanted to go. After 4:00... you just walked in through the unlocked door!
I guess the maintenance staff wasn't worth the extra security.
Carrying the bag from, "2Hot," I walked to Elle's classroom, this time just sticking my head in the door without knocking.
She was sitting at her desk correcting papers again, but this time back in "Pilgrim mode," the turtleneck visible from where I stood.
She also looked miserable.
Just like Tuesday night, I immediately thought..., "Someone saw us!" Or, "Her husband smelled something," or..., any one of a million things!
The basic human instinct of, "Fight or Flight," reared its ugly head and I was ready to take a step back away from the door..., when she looked up.
Surprise? Relief? Indifference? While it could have been any or all of those emotions, there was no happiness in her eyes or on her face.
Stepping into the room, I asked, "You okay?"
No reaction for a long moment until, "I would be..., if you would have stopped in to see me over the last two days."
HUH?
"Elle..., I told you I had to go to Connecticut..., and that I'd stop in on Friday if I had the chance."
Now her face brightened, a sudden sign of recognition and remembrance.
Bouncing out of her chair and rushing at me, she jumped from five feet away almost knocking me over. She was kissing me everywhere, her legs wrapped around my waist, "Godgodgodgod, I thought you'd had second thoughts and weren't ever going to come back!" as she continued to rain kisses on me!
It took me a couple of minutes to get her to calm herself.
We sat down on our familiar two adult chairs, her apologizing over and over for her negative thinking. "I was in such a state of euphoria when you left..., I didn't remember you saying anything about today..., until you said, "Connecticut."
That was when I tried to rein her in.
Taking her hands in mine, "Elle, I have to tell gebze escort you..., this is something very dangerous that we're doing. We're both married, with children and, in my case a grandchild, who would all be devastated if anyone found out what we've done. Are you willing to end your marriage, ruin your children's lives and probably your own life..., just for a..., something with me?"
"I'd be willing to do anything if it meant I could spend the rest of my life with you," she answered immediately, "but I know it wouldn't ruin my children's lives."
"How can you say that?"
"Once they see how much in love with you I am..., and what a wonderful man you are, they'll fall in love with you, just like I did."
"Elle, did you just hear what you said?" my exasperation with her statement expressed in every syllable..., "what they'll see is a woman who they thought they knew, thinking she's in love with a man who's old enough to be their grandfather..., and who just ruined their lives and their father's life as well!"
"You're not old enough..."
"Please listen to me. My age is insignificant. What is important is your family and my family. My boys are old enough to be on their own and my life, except for Alexis, is pretty much my own. But you have to know that I love my wife. This infidelity has nothing to do with her and it is completely inexcusable. I don't know anything about you, your family or your life experiences, but I do know that you are very naïve if you think that you can just waltz out of your life with..., Todd..., and into a life with me..., expecting to have your family feel good about it."
Talk about the air coming out of the balloon.
I don't know what I expected her to say? While I hadn't intended to go off on her this way, her, "Pollyanna," approach to this was baffling!

And at this point, if I stood up, thanked her for the opportunity to make me feel closer to Lexi because of the, "Show