Play Me (Like A Symphony)
It had happened so casually, during Leighton's 11th birthday party, passionate and quick before a clamouring could be heard outside and they'd jumped apart. Stephanie was red, heat rushed to her cheeks at the realisation that she'd kissed her ex-husband. Hunter, for his part, looked just as ruffled as she did, the surprise clearly evident in his face. Their eldest daughter could be heard, calling for her dramatically and it took only a moment for Stephanie to give him a look before turning on her heel to sort their child out.
The next time it happened, they were relatively alone. It had been a work thing, one of the few times they now had to see each other at work and somehow, the room had cleared and it was only them. She had ended up pressed against the table, skirt hitched up her thighs and his hands holding her body tightly, enough to redden her skin.
By the third time, they made it past just making out. A quickie, in her office of all places, had left her confused and red faced.
But, that had been months ago now. Almost five if her calculations were accurate and Stephanie knew they were. Now she was having an affair with her ex-husband, their trysts becoming an almost weekly thing instead of the once every few weeks they'd started out as. That wasn't her biggest problem though, no. Her biggest problem was that she had a boyfriend; a very real, very permanent boyfriend that she'd have had for a year coming up next week.
Ryan Campbell was a businessman. He worked as the CBO for a major Fortune 500 company in New York and was very intelligent and caring. Stephanie had been surprised by the way that they'd connected, was even more surprised when he took an interest in the wrestling business; instead of dismissing her families world he'd embraced it and gracefully at that. He was divorced too, one child a son, Alex, a year younger then her middle child Paisley. The boy fit in well with her mostly rough and tumbles girls and she was surprised by how easily they fit into each other's lives.
Of course, at first, she had been hesitant. The man worked with her best friend Amanda's husband and that's how they'd met. Not through a set up date, Stephanie had refused to entertain those after the disaster with Jason Whittaker. But naturally, at a dinner party, forming their own connection without the help and input of friends. It took them a little while of course, before they got to the place of going on a date. Her heartbreak and failed marriage was still new, fresh but Ryan had respected that and they'd become close friends first.
Now though, they were definitely much more then friends. Stephanie loved him, in a way. He wasn't Hunter, he'd never be the great love of her life but she was happy with him, content. He brought peacefulness to her life that she rather enjoyed and most of all; he could be her escape from the wrestling world and her family. As much as she loved the business and her parents, they were still so entwined with her ex-husband and sometimes it made it difficult for her. She knew they didn't mean it, it was just the way of the business but it didn't mean it didn't become too much at times.
But, these last few months, she'd been feeling terrible and guilty. Cheating on Ryan wasn't something she'd ever want to do. He was a good man, one she was extremely fond of and he definitely, definitely did not deserve the treatment she was giving him. Which was why she knew she had to end whatever it was that was happening between her and Hunter.
She had been surprised to learn that Hunter was single, had been since they ended things. A part of her had been sure he'd end up with someone eventually; probably some young bimbo but he hadn't. She'd been secretly satisfied with that; the thought of him pining away after her was one she relished - even in a relationship.
That didn't matter anymore though, all that mattered was the fact that what they were doing was stupid and dangerous and she hated to admit it, but toxic. It'd been two and a half years since they'd broken up and she didn't know how she'd ended up in this situation with her ex-husband - considering she'd made it quite clear that she didn't want a relationship with him anymore.
Picking up her phone, she braced herself, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her wildly beating heart. She dialled his familiar number but it rang out and she sighed, hanging up before the voicemail service kicked in. Instead she opened her messages, typing out a quick message to him that she hoped he'd see and reply to soon. Otherwise, she may just lose her nerve.
AN: So, I updated/completed When the Curtains Drawn and I said I had an idea for other stuff in that universe - this is one of them. It's an intriguing universe to me and one I want to explore but not one that I felt fit in one big story. So, this is another little fic, probably 2 or 3 chapters long about another little few moments in time for divorced Stephanie and Hunter.
Also, I have a poll going on, on my profile about which of my main fics I should update next. Please go check it out and vote!
I hope you enjoyed. Please review. :) LT.
