"Charlene? Is everything alright?" Julia walked towards the usually bubbly blondes desk. She was awfully quiet and had a look on her face that raised concern for Julia. This was the complete opposite of Charlene's personality. Normally she would be telling the group of some random story, brought to her attention by a small detail of something one of them had said and Julia would shake her head when she finished. There had been plenty of opportunities for a Charlene moment, but each time the girls would talk Charlene found herself lost in her own thoughts, not paying any attention to them.
"I'm sorry, Julia. What did you say?" Charlene broke from her daze and looked up at her friend. Julia gave her a look and Charlene sighed. "Oh I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind today."
"Charlene, what is going on with you?" Julia folded her arms over her chest and leaned on the edge of the desk.
Charlene stood up and walked over to the couch. "Mason is in town," Charlene admitted and held her hands together in front of her chest as she spoke with a heavy sigh.
"Who's Mason?" Suzanne asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"Mason..Dodd?" Maryjo raised a brow and walked over to the sofa taking a seat in the arm chair. "You remember Suzanne," she turned to the woman filing her nails with a tiara on her head. "Mason was the man you set Charlene up with, what was it, three years ago now?" She turned to Charlene for confirmation. "They were real hot and heavy for each other for awhile there."
Charlene nodded and with a heavy sigh and a whimper she sat on the sofa and looked down. "He showed up at my house last night with a bouquet of white and yellow roses," she admitted.
"You're not serious?" Julia was shocked. "How did Bill take it?"
Charlene tensed up at the question. She knew it was coming but she still didn't want to answer. "He..He doesn't know."
"What do you mean he doesn't know?" Maryjo asked.
"I mean, I.. I didn't tell him," Charlene hesitated and looked to her friends. She hated herself in this moment. "He isn't home. He gets back tonight and I.."
"You're going to tell him aren't you?" Maryjo pressed.
"Will you two stop being so motherly over this?" Suzanne sat up beside Charlene and fixed her tiara. "She doesn't have to explain herself to Bill because nothing happened. Right Charlene?" She looked over to the quiet blonde.
Charlene stayed silent and looked down at her shaking hands again.
"Charlene?" Julia raised a brow. "Did something happen between you and Mason last night?"
A single tear rolled down Charlene's cheek and she sniffed it away. Her lip quivered. "He kissed me," she whispered and wiped away the tear after a few moments of silence. For once her friends were speechless. Julia hadn't lectured her yet and Suzanne hadn't said a thing. She bit her lip and looked to Maryjo helplessly. If she could count on one person Maryjo was it. They had been best friends for the longest time. Charlene relied on her for support.
Maryjo stood up from the arm chair and sat beside Charlene now and held her in a big hug. "Charlene, what did you do?"
"I.. at first I was shocked. I mean I.. I didn't know what to do," she defended herself for a moment but stopped and broke down. "But then I..I kissed him back," she ratted herself out and began to sob as Maryjo just held onto her. "I.. I couldn't help myself."
"Well I'll be damned," Suzanne was at a loss for words. She looked to her big sister who just sat on the edge of the arm chair in shock but she knew Julia felt sorry for Charlene.
"I knew it was wrong, you don't have to tell me that," Charlene shook her head and wiped her tears but that didn't stop them from coming. "I.. I love Bill," she reminded them, or maybe she was reminding herself.
"But?" Suzanne raised a brow.
"But what, Suzanne? I do love him," Charlene frowned.
"Charlene, we both know there is more to it than that," Suzanne pointed out and became softer. "Do you still have feelings for Mason?"
Charlene looked away and immediately became defensive. "Suzanne that's crazy! I..I'm a married woman," she shook her head.
"That doesn't mean your feelings stop working, Charlene. Do you still have feelings for this Mason?"
More tears surfaced and Charlene felt ashamed as she covered her sobs and nodded. She cried into Maryjo and Julia rubbed her back. "I'm a terrible person."
"Charlene, now come on," Maryjo looked to her best friend. "You are not a terrible person."
"Oh yah? Then why didn't I stop Mason last night? And why haven't I told Bill? And why did I.." she stopped as she realized something.
"Why did you what?" Julia looked to her friend.
"He's coming over here soon..We are having lunch," Charlene remembered and put her head in her hands shaking it. "I can't believe the mess I've made for myself."
"Charlene you can't go through with this lunch," Suzanne shook her head. "This man has obviously still got some sort of attachment to you, and you don't seem to be fighting your feelings towards him either. Going to lunch is only going to make him want you more. Trust me," she stated.
Julia looked to her sister befuddled. "You know.. I think Suzanne is actually right," she spoke up. Typically Suzanne was all for a scandal, she took part in affairs all the time and she never was level headed on morals. It was refreshing and pleasingly shocking to Julia to hear her sister stand against this.
"Of course I'm right," Suzanne was sure of herself. "Charlene isn't the type of person to have an affair, it doesn't suit her."
Maryjo looked at her best friend and could see the world of hurt she was in. "Charlene..What do you want to do?" She asked just as there was a knock at the door.
"Oh god, it's him," Charlene wiped her eyes and stood up. She looked to her group of friends and took a deep breath to calm down. "Could you give us a minute?" She asked softly. Julia and Suzanne nodded and went to the storage room. Maryjo hesitated a moment and looked to Charlene. "I..I think I'll tell him over lunch.. he deserves an explanation.." she looked to her hands now.
"If that's what you want," Maryjo nodded and joined the others in the store room.
It took a moment for Charlene to work up the nerve to answer the door. When there was a second knock she finally opened it. There he was. Mason Dodd, the only other man she truly loved. He had lost the weight, but everything about him was still the same. "Mason," she greeted with a light smile and let him in. She shut the door behind him and was shocked as he spun her around and his lips came crashing down on hers just like the night before. Her eyes widened and she didn't know what to do but just like before she felt herself relax and give into him again. Her hands rested on his shoulders and she felt herself kiss him back without realising what she was actually doing. Suddenly she pulled away breathless and angry at herself.
"God I've missed those lips," he smiled a big goofy smile. It was more than he imagined, having his Charlene back again. She was just as breathtaking as she was three years ago. "Are you ready for lunch?" He took her hand and kissed her softly this time.
"Mason," Charlene pulled away this time. She couldn't control herself. This wasn't right. "Mason I can't do that," she shook her head as she pulled from the kiss.
Mason stopped and looked to her. "I'm sorry.. after all it has been three years. I shouldn't have tried to jump right back into a relationship with you. Why don't we just go to lunch?" He apologized and held her hand.
Charlene looked into his eyes and nodded, her heartbeat racing as he stroked her hand. Why was she feeling this way? Bill was the only man for her. She knew that. So why was Mason having this affect on her?
"I had a good time this evening," Charlene admitted as Mason walked her to her front door. It had left her thoughts that Bill would be home soon. Mason and her had been reminiscing and catching up. The only thing that seemed to slip her mind was to tell him that she was in fact married.
"I did too," Mason smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back, pulling her close to him. "Charlene, would it be awfully terrible to want to do this again? Catch up?" He asked gazing into her eyes. She was as beautiful as the day he left. There was something different though, he just couldn't place it.
"Mason, there's something I've been trying to tell you all day," Charlene looked at him.
That didn't stop his lips from pressing against hers once again. A soft moan escaped her lips and he pressed harder than he had been. His hand ran over the small of her back and his other caressed her cheek, cupping it gently as he went for more from the kiss. He held her tight to him. She did things to him nobody ever had and he kicked himself constantly for letting her get away.
"Charlene," he whispered against her lips. "I still love you."
"Mason I.." she slowly pulled away but not all the way, "I'm married," just as she said that she heard someone clear their throat and she whirled around. Standing right before her was Bill. Home from his two weeks of work and catching them right in the act. "Bill," she was breathless and embarrassed and ashamed. She knew she was in for it now. The look on Bill's face was enough to kill her a million times over. Tears filled her eyes.
Mason was still processing what Charlene had told him when he saw another man standing there. Suitcase in hand, wearing a soldiers uniform, his hat in hand, and a look of betrayal in his eyes. "You're married?" He was hurt but it was his own fault for not letting her talk. He just couldn't help himself around her. He let her go and backed away. "I should go," he excused himself and looked at Bill. "I'm sorry," he quickly left and drove off.
Bill stood there staring at his wife. He hadn't moved once and the pain he felt was worse than he imagined.
"Bill," tears fell down Charlene's cheeks as she looked into her husband's eyes. What had she done?