did a U-turn and began to follow her down the main street a few seconds later.
If he had turned the corner any later, he would have missed her. It was a Wednesday night, and Mark had been thinking that he was coming home after a shitty hump day to a quiet, relaxing dinner. Alternately, he’d thought, since he was getting home a little early for the first time in a week, maybe they might head out to dinner. But both of those plans hit the sewer just before he reached their subdivision, when he saw Rae’s little silver Mazda sitting at the light across from him. Heading in the opposite direction.
At first he wasn’t sure it was Rae. But then the car in front of him moved up a few feet and he could see the FU at the end of the Mazda’s license plate. Rae’s little in-joke at dirty personalization. The plate read LUV FU . To most it looked like a drunken Love You . Mark knew it stood for Love (to) Fuck You .
He wondered if she was heading up to the store to get something for dinner, and on a lark, he decided to follow her. He figured he would pull up in the parking lot right next to her at the grocery to freak her out. Make her laugh.
When the light changed, Mark crossed the intersection, but a block away did a U-turn. Then he worked his way back through traffic until he was just a couple cars behind the silver Mazda. He didn’t think she’d seen him. He couldn’t wait to see her face when he pulled up right next to her at the Meyers.
But Rae didn’t drive to the supermarket.
She drove right past the Meyers they always went to.
Where was she going then?
At the next light, Mark picked up the cell phone and dialed her number. She was just a car ahead of him now, and before the light changed, he saw her reach away from the steering wheel and then look at something in her hand. But she didn’t put it to her ear. After a couple more rings, Mark heard his wife’s recorded voice ask him to leave a message.
He clicked the END button on his phone and considered. She was going somewhere, and didn’t want to talk to him right now. That did not bode well for a romantic dinner. Something was up.
Rae had been acting weird lately. Taciturn. She insisted that nothing was wrong, but she never wanted to talk. And now she had just refused to take his call?
Mark sighed and squinted against the sun as he tried to keep her car in sight. She headed west, and then after a while turned north on Route 45, heading through Orland and towards Countryside and LaGrange.
He felt a little guilty for doing this, invading her privacy…but not enough to stop. He needed to know.
What the hell was she doing here? Mark asked himself, trying to hold his car far enough back that she wouldn’t see and identify him, but also anxious to pull up and see where she was going.
He followed her until she pulled off the main highway and into a cluster of buildings. Mark didn’t enter the parking lot, but instead pulled to the side of the road, hoping he could keep her in sight.
She wove around the parking lots of two buildings and then pulled into a space. Mark looked in his rearview mirror and then pulled forward a few meters, until he could see her car better. After a moment, he saw her get out of the car. The red silk of her dress shook in the breeze as she walked away from the car. She was definitely not dressed for a quick shopping trip, he noted. Mark picked up the phone and dialed her number again. And again, he watched her pick up her own phone, check the number, and ignore the call. She tossed the cell inside her car and slammed the door to shut it inside. Then she walked to the sidewalk, and stepped up to a doorway.
Mark stared at the sexy red dress and the high red heels and his anger burned. Was she really sneaking around to fuck someone else when they already had an open marriage arrangement? Why? She knew that he would let her…but their agreement had always been full disclosure.
He sank back in the car and turned the radio
If he had turned the corner any later, he would have missed her. It was a Wednesday night, and Mark had been thinking that he was coming home after a shitty hump day to a quiet, relaxing dinner. Alternately, he’d thought, since he was getting home a little early for the first time in a week, maybe they might head out to dinner. But both of those plans hit the sewer just before he reached their subdivision, when he saw Rae’s little silver Mazda sitting at the light across from him. Heading in the opposite direction.
At first he wasn’t sure it was Rae. But then the car in front of him moved up a few feet and he could see the FU at the end of the Mazda’s license plate. Rae’s little in-joke at dirty personalization. The plate read LUV FU . To most it looked like a drunken Love You . Mark knew it stood for Love (to) Fuck You .
He wondered if she was heading up to the store to get something for dinner, and on a lark, he decided to follow her. He figured he would pull up in the parking lot right next to her at the grocery to freak her out. Make her laugh.
When the light changed, Mark crossed the intersection, but a block away did a U-turn. Then he worked his way back through traffic until he was just a couple cars behind the silver Mazda. He didn’t think she’d seen him. He couldn’t wait to see her face when he pulled up right next to her at the Meyers.
But Rae didn’t drive to the supermarket.
She drove right past the Meyers they always went to.
Where was she going then?
At the next light, Mark picked up the cell phone and dialed her number. She was just a car ahead of him now, and before the light changed, he saw her reach away from the steering wheel and then look at something in her hand. But she didn’t put it to her ear. After a couple more rings, Mark heard his wife’s recorded voice ask him to leave a message.
He clicked the END button on his phone and considered. She was going somewhere, and didn’t want to talk to him right now. That did not bode well for a romantic dinner. Something was up.
Rae had been acting weird lately. Taciturn. She insisted that nothing was wrong, but she never wanted to talk. And now she had just refused to take his call?
Mark sighed and squinted against the sun as he tried to keep her car in sight. She headed west, and then after a while turned north on Route 45, heading through Orland and towards Countryside and LaGrange.
He felt a little guilty for doing this, invading her privacy…but not enough to stop. He needed to know.
What the hell was she doing here? Mark asked himself, trying to hold his car far enough back that she wouldn’t see and identify him, but also anxious to pull up and see where she was going.
He followed her until she pulled off the main highway and into a cluster of buildings. Mark didn’t enter the parking lot, but instead pulled to the side of the road, hoping he could keep her in sight.
She wove around the parking lots of two buildings and then pulled into a space. Mark looked in his rearview mirror and then pulled forward a few meters, until he could see her car better. After a moment, he saw her get out of the car. The red silk of her dress shook in the breeze as she walked away from the car. She was definitely not dressed for a quick shopping trip, he noted. Mark picked up the phone and dialed her number again. And again, he watched her pick up her own phone, check the number, and ignore the call. She tossed the cell inside her car and slammed the door to shut it inside. Then she walked to the sidewalk, and stepped up to a doorway.
Mark stared at the sexy red dress and the high red heels and his anger burned. Was she really sneaking around to fuck someone else when they already had an open marriage arrangement? Why? She knew that he would let her…but their agreement had always been full disclosure.
He sank back in the car and turned the radio
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