Years pass by, and another man is edging his way into my life…
"Eric?" I ask quietly as he sits me down beside him on the sofa, "Why have you brought me here?"
Away from the commotion of the party, Eric has fallen unusually silent and his dark eyes are fixated on the carpeted floor. Perched on the end of a cushion, I rigidly glance around the darkened room and pick at my nails uncomfortably; I don't even really know the owners of this house, yet here I am sat in this cosy room with George's best friend! Eric's rough hand clumsily reaches across to mine, and the warm pressure causes me to hurriedly pull away from his unwelcome clutch. I do wish he'd stop doing this! His morose eyes momentarily tear away from the floor, up to my upset face, and my blood runs cold. His pupils flash with a deep hunger…a crazed passion tearing him apart…tearing my marriage apart. I wish George was here. Why couldn't he have just taken a tiny break from recording? Just for one night? I don't know how long I can bear this…awkwardness.
"I wrote a song." Eric finally answers ambiguously, pulling out a packet of cigarettes and offering me one.
"A song?" I ask, politely taking one between my slender fingers.
"For you." I take a nervous drag on the cigarette, dreading what will come next as he reveals a 7" vinyl labelled "Layla", and silently proceeds to place it on the old record player beside the sofa. My heart is hammering in my head. A part of me is panicking that I'll upset him by denying his desperate advances…another part of me (deep down) is petrified that this will be it: that this will be the pivotal moment where I completely and hopelessly fall for him. I wish I could assure myself that I had no real feelings (beyond friendship) for Eric…but I'd be lying.
As the mind-blowing opening chords roar out into the dark room, my confused heart practically melts and I find myself instinctively clutching onto Eric with raw lust. He wraps his arms around me amorously, dragging me into his chest until I can feel his own tremendous heartbeat pulsate with me own. I listen to the song, I listen to the lyrics that spell out my life so perfectly, that reach out to me and offer me love. But I can't allow myself to be bewitched! Admittedly things have been difficult with George lately: he seems to have gone into himself so to speak and is obsessed with Hinduism. Plus he's a hot-blooded man, and I know he's given himself to other women behind my back…
But as the song draws to an end, so does the magic and I'm prying myself free from Eric's clasp with unvoiced disgust. What am I doing here?! This is a trick…he's trapped me here in this dingy room on false pretences to force me into making a heart wrenching decision I just don't wish to face! He eyes me with bewilderment as I stare him straight in the face and my blood steadily begins to boil.
"Eric," my voice wavers between annoyance and affection, "what is this all for? Why are you doing this to me?"
"I'm in love with you." He answers plain and simple.
"Don't be foolish!" I reply cuttingly, abruptly standing up from the sofa and turning my back on him, "You know we can't do this…you know I'm with George."
"You're the foolish one," he retaliates fiercely and he spins me round to face him, "you're the one hanging onto a dead end marriage. Can't you see this? You've caged yourself, Pattie…only you have the key to your freedom."
"My relationship with George is thriving, thank you very much." I answer defensively through gritted teeth, "I'm in love with him: isn't that what marriage is all about?"
"Pattie," his voice is steady, and I can see his eyes are flooded with concern (but I find this so condescending!) "please, I can tell times have been hard. I know you've cried the last year away…you need someone. You need someone who will be by your side when you need them most…and sadly, that someone is not George."
"How can you even say that?!" I visibly shake with rage, "Do you really have the nerve to condemn your best friend's marriage?!"
"I'm not condemning a marriage," his voice raises slightly and he's gripping onto me like I'm a wild creature, "I'm saving a woman destined for a loveless life!"
"Eric! You're hurting me!" I cry out feebly as his constricting grip on my arm begins to burn, "Please, Eric! I'd like to go home now…"
"I refuse to lose you this time." He answers determinedly, and I'm forcefully pulled into a violent kiss.
I try to viciously push away from his mighty embrace, or scream for help from a fellow party goer…but his lips are simply intoxicating. His hands feverishly run themselves through my long hair, driving my lips to remain in contact with his own, and he presses his tongue into my mouth. No! This isn't right! I'm Mrs Harrison…not Eric's mistress! My frantic gasps and pants of terror gradually become intermingled with sighs of euphoria. I feel resolve slipping, and I hate myself for it…but how can I stop what my heart insists is acceptable?!
"Oh, Pattie!" he moans frantically into my mouth as our forbidden kiss grows unexpectedly fierce, "You have no idea how crazy you're driving me!"
"Eric…I…" but the words are smothered by his urgent lips.
"No, don't speak." he commands seductively, and my knees tremble with unleashed yearning, "Just stop teasing me and lie down."
I'm aware of his hands upon my waist, guiding me down onto the sofa and he positions himself above me. His overpowering kisses are passionate upon my neck as he ravenously uncovered every last section of my body and holds me tight.
And with that, we made love. I knew it was wrong at the time…I knew I was being unfaithful to my husband, being sinful, being adulterous…but at that moment, I honestly loved Eric more than anything in the world.
Walking hand-in-hand with my secret lover through the gardens of the house, I feel elated and there is enchantment in the misty evening air. I feel like a vulnerable, flowering maiden in a fairy tale and Eric is my saviour from a sinking depression. Yet moments like these are not intended to last, and reality is staring me in the face. George stands alone in the garden, tensely watching his so called wife and best friend romantically stroll amongst the flowerbeds. My heart stops dead in my chest.
"What is this?!" George's stunned voice is mingled with a dreadful combination of shock, anger and hurt. Panicking, I tear my hand free from Eric's and rush to my husband's side, wondering how on earth I'm going to explain myself.
"George, darling," I smile breathlessly (I can feel myself flinching beneath his icy gaze), "it's…it's not what you think…Eric and I..."
"George," Eric's voice is calm and collected, and for a moment I kid myself into thinking he's going to cleverly cover up what has just happened between us, "I have to tell you, man…I'm in love with your wife."
My heart feels like it's been shattered into a million pieces, and my stomach flips with an icy dread that I'm about to lose my husband. George doesn't really know how to take the astonishing news and glares at us from beneath a creased brow for what seems an eternity. I just want to curl up and die. This is unbearable! Eric is subtly shuffling closer to me and I feel his hot fingers brush mine provocatively, as though tempting me to run away with him now; but this merely infuriates me more and I shoot him a stony glare. I can't believe I let this happen! I've been such an ignorant fool to let him seduce me like this…
"Well," George looks at me, all tight-lipped and gloomy eyed, "Are you going with him or coming home with me?"
"George!" I cry out in sickly disbelief and clutch onto the fabric of his jacket as though he's about to vanish into thin air, "George, of course I'm coming home!"
"Get in the car then." He mutters unfeelingly, and I feel his hand press against my back, as though steering me away from the man attempting to rupture our relationship.
"Goodbye, Pattie!" I hear Eric hopelessly call after me, and George quickens his furious pace (his jawline tightens and I'm scared he'll lose it at any moment). I grit my teeth, and only just manage to hold back the tears, as I wordlessly climb into George's mini; my husband shoots a disheartened glance in my direction, before igniting the engine and reluctantly driving me home. I feel utterly dirty and unclean as we draw nearer and nearer to home, and I want to just break down at George's feet to beg for his forgiveness. But as much as I feel overcome with remorse, I can't help but replay the beautiful lyrics of "Layla" in my head…or shamelessly relive the impure love-making session. But surely, surely that doesn't mean I'm in love.
Little did I know, Eric was to be my future husband and I was to break off my romantic relationship with George…for good.
