Chapter 9
As time went on and their forbidden interactions continued, Reba became less afraid and less cautious about her secret being out. It wasn't like she wanted Brock to find out, but Brock didn't seem to suspect that she was hiding something from him, or so she thought. Reba had developed a routine. She would get her children off to school, see Brock off to work and then would call Tim. They'd meet at his house and she'd spend her entire afternoon with him. She loved that he didn't just want sex, even though they couldn't seem to keep their hands off of one another. Tim was a deep soul. He was also an artist. He would paint pictures of Reba and would show her all of his different pieces. They would dance, laugh and watch movies. They were like two teenage kids without a care in the world. As selfish as it may sound, when Reba was with him, she would forget about her other life. Sometimes they would just sit on the couch, with no words spoken between them while they listened to classical music. Reba would go home to Brock and the kids and pretend as if she hadn't been gone the entire day.
Brock was happy that she was no longer depressed and cold towards him, but he knew something wasn't right. The way she carried herself was different. She would move about the house as if she were floating on cloud 9. He began to notice how attentive she became when it came to her appearance. Reba was always a beautiful woman, even when she wasn't trying, but the way she took care of herself changed. Brock noticed how careful she became when putting on her makeup and how long it took her to pick out an outfit, even though she'd be at home all day. He also took notice that every time he came home, it looked like she'd taken a shower even though she'd already taken one in the morning. He never called her out on her odd behavior because he figured if this helped her to get back to the woman he used to know then he wouldn't bother. However, even he had to admit that he was becoming increasingly suspicious.
One day stood out in his mind in particular and he couldn't help questioning her. They were getting ready for bed. Brock was sitting on the bed, watching TV. Reba moved about in their closet, looking for an outfit for the next day. He thought it was weird how much trouble she was going through to find an outfit but figured it was something that made her feel better. He was about to take his attention away from her when he noticed her going through one of her dresser drawers. She pulled out a pair of black lacy panties with a matching lacy bra. He noticed how focused her face was on the lingerie. It was as if she was imaging how she'd look in it. He couldn't help himself and spoke up.
"Wow, honey! Are you planning a special occasion for me? I've never seen you wear that before." He asked.
Reba was brought out of her thoughts, temporarily forgetting that he was in the room. She realized that it probably looked odd to him that she had pulled out this combination. She had bought it a few days earlier and had planned to wear it for Tim. Brock had never seen her in this before. She had to think fast because she didn't want him to find out the truth.
"I…um… I saw this at the store today and realized I haven't felt sexy in a while. So I bought it and hoped to wear for you." She lied with nervousness in her voice. She tried to put on a seductive smile to hide what she was really thinking.
Brock didn't know what to believe. When he looked in those eyes, he could've sworn he saw a lie. But this was Reba, his Reba, she had never lied to him before. He pushed his suspicions in the back of his mind and climbed out of bed, walking over towards her. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her softly. Reba felt uncomfortable because when her husband kissed her, she felt nothing.
"Baby, I would love to see you in this." Brock said while looking at her lustfully. As Reba studied his face, she knew what he wanted. She shuddered at the thought. They hadn't made love in several months. She was no longer attracted to him in this way anymore. Tim was her lover. Reba knew she had to say something, but Brock spoke before she could.
"How about you go into the bathroom and put this on and I'll be waiting for you."
Reba just nodded her head and began walking towards the bathroom. She closed the door behind her. She just stood for a moment. She didn't want Brock in that way anymore. But she knew that if she refused, he may suspect something. So she slowly put the black, lacy combination on. Brock sat on the bed, excited to finally touch his wife again. Reba emerged from the bathroom. Brock took one look at her and his mouth dropped. He couldn't get over how great she looked. It had been so long since he'd seen her in this way, that he'd forgotten how sexy she was. Reba tried everything to keep a straight face. She walked over and climbed on the bed. Brock wasted no time in loving on his wife. As he touched and loved on her, Reba couldn't help feeling like this was wrong. She was reviled by his touch; she didn't like him being on top of her. She hated having to over exaggerate her moans and screams. She couldn't wait for it to be over.
When it was over, Reba laid in his arms. Wanting to get over it, she hurriedly went to sleep. Brock wouldn't say it but he knew something was different. He had made love to this woman hundreds of times but this time felt different. He knew she was faking and when he looked in her eyes, she looked as if she wanted him to stop. Brock felt like he had just violated his own wife. As she slept, he looked at her. His thoughts getting the best of him. His blood boiled as he thought about the possibility of her maybe cheating on him.
"What if there's someone else?" He quickly shook that thought because he knew that if it were true he wouldn't be as understanding as Reba had when he fooled around with BJ.
"Reba wouldn't do that to me." He repeated to himself over and over until he fell asleep.