The two sat in traffic for an hour. Their time was running out. If the traffic didn't ease up they'd miss the concert.
"I'm really sorry about this, I thought we'd left early enough," John apologized sympathetically.
"Don't worry about it," Debra shook her head, "I guess I wasn't meant to get away from the house." John looked over at her with a frown. A few minutes later, John had offered her his jacket, and she was fast asleep.
An hour later John pulled the car into a parking lot, stopping as Debra woke up. She squinted her eyes then scrunched them together, trying to wake up.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"Oddly enough, a friend of mine at the Bureau told me about this place. I actually didn't think it was here, but it is," John smiled. Debra smiled back, "it doesn't look too bad."
John led Debra into the small restaurant where they were seated right away.
"Not too busy tonight, huh?" John asked the older waitress.
"Strange really, we're usually very busy 'round here. Here's ya menus."
Later that night
"I must say, the food isn't too bad," Debra smiled setting down her fork.
"Well what we're you expecting?" John smiled back widely. Debra shook her head.
"What?"
Debra kept shaking her head, "Ray was right, I am going on a date with another dad aren't I?"
"No. No your not. Not having dinner with another, besides a spouse, was a tradition made up by men who couldn't face the fact that their wife was out with another man."
"So Ray's insecure?" Debra wondered.
"I don't know what Ray is, but I guess he's not against us having dinner, otherwise he'd be here trying to stop you and me."
Debra nodded, "that's the thing about Ray. He say's he believes in something, but he never fights for it or for me or the kids…"
"You're husband doesn't stand up for you or your kids?" John obviously had a problem with what he was hearing.
"He's not that kind of guy, John. He's not like you. You're not like him… I guess that's why I'm… intrigued," Debra bowed her head down, she was ashamed of what she felt for him.
"Intrigued huh? Forgive me, but I don't think that's fair, to you, that you're intrigued because I would do anything for my wife, and my child."
"Kind of sad huh?... I just… sometimes I wish I could just leave. You know I have dreams too, I have things I've always wanted to do, but haven't."
"Why not?"
"Ray asked me to marry him. We had kids right away. It wasn't the life I intended. It still isn't… that makes me a bad person doesn't it."
John shook his head, "What are you talking about?" John wrapped his hands around hers, "that makes you a human being. If there's things you want to try, you should try them. We only live once. If you don't try what you've always wanted, you'll never be happy."
Debra watched his hands comforting her. She watched as he held on to her, he was reassuring her, supporting her. She looked up into his eyes softly. She was falling for him.
TBC