Chloe stared at the amber liquid in the glass in front of her. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to want the burn of the alcohol, but she didn’t. She hardly drank. Instead, all she wanted was to forget, and for that, the alcohol was her friend.
Her husband of ten years was an asshole. That much was clear.
Maybe their relationship wasn’t perfect, but it was love. At least Chloe thought it was love.
She took care of him and he took care of her. Isn’t that what love is?
Karen the busty bank teller was doing a lot more than depositing John’s checks. It sucked that Wisconsin Bank & Trust was the only bank in town, now Chloe was going to have to drive 15 miles to get to Waterford every time she wanted to go to the bank. Shit.
She had gotten home early because she wasn’t feeling well at the dental office. Chloe had never taken any time off or left work early, but today she just didn’t feel well. She never thought going home would make her feel worse. But it’s not every day your bank teller is making a personal delivery, riding your husband. On your bed.
Vile slipped up her throat. She battled it back down. That’s what sucked about a small town. Everyone would know her husband cheated on her with Karen from the bank. They’d see John moving out of their house on main street and see John and Karen together at all the places. Everyone would give her pity eyes. Shit.
She chased down the vile with another shot.
Those pity eyes were the worst. They haunted her in her sleep. The same pity eyes everyone in town gave her when her mom passed away at sixteen and she had to scrape by on her own. With a father that ran out when she was six, Chloe had only had herself. She didn’t waste time wallowing in what could have been or the life she wished she’d had.
She’d put herself through a two-year degree to be a dental hygienist. She loved her job, but those other dental hygenist girls would gossip about her failed marriage and she’d have to listen. Hear the whispers about her broken-down love life. “Poor little Chloe”.
That’s why she was in Chicago. Despite her small Wisconsin hometown, it was only an hour to Chicago. A city of almost three million it held the anonymity she craved.
The bar was a dive and she didn’t care. It was dark and it was cheap. Maybe she’d drink away the disappointment and loneliness and crash around the corner at the Holiday Inn.
Eventually, those small-town whispers would subside and John and bank teller Karen would get the brunt of it. Darien was protective of their own, and they didn’t accept cheaters with open arms.
Chloe was so oblivious to Karen and John she didn’t even know anyone else was in the house until she walked into the bedroom. Karen on top, both buck naked groaning like monkeys. Chloe’s mouth fell open as she screamed. They jumped apart, her husband’s dick flopping around.
Chloe backed out of the room unsure of what to do. All she could think was to run. It was so unexpected. John chased down after her.
“Chloe! Wait! Baby I’m sorry! I didn’t want you to find out like this.” John yelled, still buck naked.
He hadn’t wanted her to find out like this? That ignited an anger in Chloe. “How long has this been going on?”
He hung his head, “Six months.”
“In our bed! Are you serious. No wonder you haven’t been taking on as many jobs these last few months, you had to make time to stick your dick in other people’s shit!”
Chloe stood in front of their front door her hands in fists, angry. Angry at herself for not noticing, for SIX MONTHS. Angry that he was looking to other women.
The idiot spoke again, “It hasn’t been there for us for awhile, Chlo. We don’t have that passion…”
Chloe cut him off, “That you and Karen CLEARLY SHARE. IN OUR BED.”
She shook her whole body in response, “I’ll be back tomorrow to get my stuff out. I don’t want you here.”
Chloe grabbed her purse ran outside and hopped in the car.
Thoughts speared her mind on the drive. Six months was all it took for John to fall into love with bank teller Karen. Six months of sleeping with another woman in their bed while she was at work. And ten years of marriage and relationship was goodbye. And she probably would have never known had she not gotten sick and walked in on the assholes mid-romp. There was that vile in her throat again.
Her husband John was a general contractor who had a hefty flow of business in different cities. He’d come into the dental office on her second day of work. She was still new and was fumbling with the newer equipment, much different from what she used in the class. He’d put out a hand and let her know it was alright. He put her at ease. No one had ever done that for her before, she liked it.
John had always been her rock. He was a solid two hundred pounds and six foot two to her slim five foot three frame. John was perpetually tan and rugged from all his hard labor and outdoor work. He might not have been handsome but he had been good to Chloe. He was safe and stable, something Chloe had always craved.
Chloe was starting to realize a relationship needed a lot more than stability and safety to be successful.
She swirled her glass of whiskey, threw it back and signaled the bartender for another. The bar was dim with stereotypical red lights, black stools, and green neon beer signs all along the wall. It wasn’t busy, but it was also Wednesday. There was only one other guy at the bar and he happened to be facing away so Chloe couldn’t get a good look at his face.
His backside was pretty nice though, not that she was looking. He was tall and built, wearing a black tee and dark jeans. He had his dark hair cropped close to his head, almost in a military cut.
Chloe caught the bottom end of a tattoo sliding down his arm ending at his elbow, it looked like a ship at sea that turned into a tree. It was so detailed, even in the dim light Chloe couldn’t help but stare.
She was staring so intently; she didn’t notice him turn around to look away before he caught her gaze.
His eyes burned into hers. Wow. Chloe bit back a gasp. This guy had a face like a movie star, a deep angled jaw with dark brows that gave him a seriously scary demeanor. After staring at him for what seemed like an eternity, Chloe forced her eyes back to her drink.
