Chapter 4:

My heart sunk into my stomach. I couldn't believe I had said that out loud. I could crawl into a hole and slowly die. The silence was killing me more than anything. My stomach was churning and before I knew it I was throwing up all over the dashboard of his car. After I finished emptying all of the contents from my stomach I looked up and he hadn't even batted an eye.

"I am so sorry." I was beyond embarrassed. How could I been so neglect as to throw up on my boss' car? He got out of the car and walked over to my side and opened the passenger door. He effortlessly lifted me into his arms. I held my breath as he lifted me into the air from the car.

"Y-you don't have to do this." I whispered, breathing into his neck. He smelled like cinnamon and whiskey. It was a smell that reminded me of Harrison Ford in the old Indiana Jones movies.

"You're drunk. You can barely hold your liquor. Let alone walk. Let me at least make sure you're in safely." I couldn't protest when he held my entire body in his arms, effortless might I add. I was a good 145 pounds. I had gained so much weight after the two kids so I knew I wasn't as tiny as I used to be but I certainly shouldn't be this easy to pick up.

It gave me flashbacks to when Aang did this very same thing years ago when we moved into our first home, this home as he fumbled with my keys in the door. He carried me over the threshold two days after our wedding. We made love on the cold hardwood floor because we couldn't afford furniture yet. We didn't care because we were happy just to be together and have something to call ours. Back then just being together was enough.

"My husband's home," I uttered as Zuko puts me down. I suddenly feel guilty. I could feel the footsteps from the kitchen. My heart was pounding. I hadn't even done anything but how this looked… my God he was going to lose it. I only want make him jealous, not make him believe I was cheating on him. My legs felt like Jell-O. I braced myself against the wall as Zuko stood stoic and unmoved. Did he not realize what this situation looks like?

Aang hit the lights. The brightness hit my head like headlights to a deer. He could see me now. In all my drunk, half dressed, slutty likeness. He looked disappointed to say the least.

"Katara." I knew that tone of voice. He was pissed but trying to hold it in. His eyes darted between me and Zuko repeatedly. What was I supposed to say to make this look not like I was off on the prowl for a hook up?

"Hi, I'm Zuko. I saw your wife at the bar and some guy was bothering her. I scared him and figured she'd need a ride home. Can't let a woman go home alone. Someone could've taken advantage of her. Well, I'll be on my way now." Everything paused when I saw the eye contact they had. It looked like they were sworn into becoming mortal enemies. "Um, I'll see you tomorrow Katara."

And with that Zuko made his exit. He pulled off in a matter of seconds. Now I was left with my sexless, loveless marriage, my disapproving husband, and my guilt, my drunken guilt.

"'I'll see you tomorrow.' Who was that?" Aang was never one to raise his voice but he did however glare into your soul with the anger of a thousand suns. He made you feel inadequate without ever saying word. His eyes used to be the most beautiful thing about him. They burned with passion whenever he looked at me. Now his eyes scorn me and belittle me and make me feel undesired.

Before I could answer I bolted to the bathroom to vomit. Whether from being ashamed or from being drunk I wasn't sure which one. That didn't stop his witch hunt. He followed me and held my hair back as I put my head into the toilet. I could feel his disapproving gaze on the back of my neck.

When I was finished I went to brush my teeth. He wasted no time getting a bottle of aspirin for me and put it next to me on the counter.

"You didn't come." I yelled after I spit. "You didn't come." I repeated in a lower voice. That was all I could say to him without crying.

"I said I was sorry Kat. If I knew you were going to go out and get drunk dressed like that I would've pulled out of work. I didn't know it was so important to you."

"I just wanted everyone in the room to be jealous because I was yours for a night. I wanted to be your eye candy. I wanted to be sexy for once and I wanted to spend time with you. Now I embarrassed myself in front of my boss and I'm going to have a major hang over. I'm going to sleep. If all you're going to say is sorry then I don't want sorry. I can't do shit with sorry…. Not anymore."

I walked out of the bathroom feeling so much more defeated than I did when I first came in the house. I unzipped my dress and Aang was so gracious to help me. He slid it to the ground and laid a soft kiss on my neck.

He turned me to face him and said, "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to hear that but I really am. How can I make it up to you?"

Maybe he was being genuine, but that didn't change the fact that he always did this. He always tried to make things up to me for the moment then he turns around and does the same thing to me again.

"You can't. You can't just go back and fix things now it's too late."

It had been too late for a long time.

At work the next day I couldn't stop thinking about what I wanted to do next. I was unhappy I knew that and I didn't want to raise my kids in an unhappy home. They adored my husband so much. I won't be able to stand the tears that would be in their eyes if I left their father. Maybe I could actually stick it out for them but something had to change soon.

I was working on the questionnaire for our dating program when Zuko walked in. He checked on everyone's progress sporadically throughout the day but he never usually checked on me. When he came in the room suddenly felt ten times smaller. He shut the door behind him. I could smell his cinnamon musk from across the room.

He looked much different than he did last night. He cleaned up well in his suit and tie. He was professional. However, this conversation was about to be anything but professional. I needed to apologize for making a fool of myself.

"Listen about last night. I'm sorry you had to see me like that." I twirled some hair around my fingers in hopes it would distract me from actually looking at his face.

Surprisingly he wasn't condemning me like I thought he would, "its fine. We all have our nights. I can't judge you for being human. I do hope your husband wasn't too upset. He looked like he was seeing red as soon as he saw us together."

"He, he's fine. I know it was inappropriate of me to be out last night that's all. I hope you can forget it happened."

"What exactly was inappropriate?"

"N-nothing."

"No, you tell me what was inappropriate about you having a few drinks?"

"Well… the way I was dressed. I shouldn't be drinking and I shouldn't have been drinking in that outfit."

"You sure you don't think it's the 1850s? It's okay for you to look sexy and it's certainly okay for you to drink. Women like sex and if people want to call you a whore for looking good then they shouldn't have an opinion in the first place. What does your husband never allow you to do those things?"

"It's just I'm always the one taking care of the kids and the house. I know I shouldn't be talking about my personal life with you."

"No, I shouldn't have asked but let me be the first to say you looked absolutely amazing last night. If you can be mad at anything be mad your husband wasn't there to ward off creeps from his beautiful wife."

He called me beautiful… and I believed it. I was probably beaming from ear to ear with a huge smile. Sure, I got compliments from men before but I never took much stock to it, until Zuko said it. Without further notice he sat on the edge of the desk and gazed over at my computer. The way his pants bunched up at his crotch left nothing to my imagination. I licked my lips at the sight.

Zuko cleared his throat and headed towards the door, "We should finish the program by tonight. Looks like another late night."
I was actually excited it would be a late night. I could spend less time being mad at Aang and more time being productive. Late nights meant more time to myself and inevitably time alone with Zuko, who made me more excited than I had ever been before. I was ashamed that I was happier spending more time with a man I just met than my own husband.

Nightfall came and I was in full force working on the dating questionnaire. I was about 85 percent done when my phone vibrated. I looked at the caller ID. It was Aang. Of course it him. He wanted to apologize probably. He was putting in the effort now when he should have been doing it all along.

"Almost done?" Zuko asked holding two cups of coffee in his hands. I nodded. He had taken his jacket off and untucked his shirt. He unbutton it, revealing the white under shirt underneath. He seemed to have made himself comfortable. "I brought you coffee."

He put the cup next to me but I pushed it away, "Thanks but I don't drink coffee."

"You don't drink coffee? How do you even function?"

"When I was pregnant the second time coffee made me feel sick so I don't drink it anymore."

His eyes widened in disbelief, "So you haven't had coffee since?"

"Nope." I answered as I continued to type on the keyboard. I had to admit it did smell really good. The smell didn't induce the gagging sensation in my body that it used to.

"Come on Katara. Try new things." He leaned over me and I could feel his body heat on my back. Pushing the coffee towards me, I could feel his breath on my neck.

I wasn't sure if he was purposely being amorous or it was just natural. But I certainly couldn't ignore his hand close to mine on the desk. I was sure that coffee wasn't the only new thing I wanted to try in that moment.

"Um, uh, I'll be right back." I had to get out of there. I could feel myself getting excited. I ran to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I felt moisture form on the inside of my panties. God, I was pathetic. He hadn't even touched me and I was hot and bothered. My face was rose red. If there was ever a moment where I needed strength it was now when I was alone in a room with an incredibly attractive man.

I adjusted my skirt and pulled it down to my knees, fluffed my curls, and walked back into his office. Now he had completely changed positions. He was seat in the chair that was next mine. That was far too close for my comfort.

"Everything okay?" He asked sipping his coffee. No everything wasn't okay. I wanted to jump his bones right now and he wasn't making it any easier to control myself.

"Um, yea. I just had to wash my hands." I lied. I was a terrible liar and I knew it. I couldn't admit that he was the problem. I leaned against the door frame and watched him for a bit. The way his dark brown hair draped over his gold eyes contributed to the air of mystery around him. What was his past? Why did he take over the company anyway?

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Um no."

"Okay. Come sit over here." It was like being asked by your master to obey and I gratefully obliged. I sat next to him, begging that he wouldn't move so there was no point of physical contact. "We should do a quick look over of the questionnaire before it goes up on the site."

We both began looking at the screen to check for spelling errors and general factors like how easy it was to use or understand the questions. As time went on I felt his knee inch closer to mine with every question passing by. I fidgeted with the bottom of my skirt to try to ignore it. Just that little bit of contact drove me crazy.

"So why did you decide to take over a dating website company? I'm sure there's lots of other jobs you could've had." Small talk had to save me from the heat rising in my loins.

"You're probably the only person here who hasn't Googled me. My father is Ozai Agni."

"Ozai Agni, the rich guy who stole $3 million dollars from his client's trust?"

"Yea him. Times are hard since he went to jail. Had to get a job somewhere, plus I gets lonely. I don't want other people being lonely too. I'm sure you don't understand."

So he became CEO of a dating company to find a girlfriend or a wife? Typical reason. Though he couldn't have joined the site like a normal person.

"No, no I definitely understand." I understood more than he knew. You could be in a room full of people and still feel alone.

"Really? You go home to your husband every night. I don't see how you could be alone when you literally have already found someone."

"Just because I'm married doesn't mean everything is perfect."

"Do you believe in soulmates Katara?"

Judging by the state of my marriage I had to answer with a stern no. If the man I had kids with wasn't my soulmate then I was doomed to be alone forever.

He continued talking, "I believe we were all made to be with one person in this world. We're all out here searching for our other half. Call me selfish but I think your dating algorithm can help me find the woman of my dreams."

"I wish you the best of luck with that."

"I don't mean to pry but are you happy in your marriage? I haven't had the best examples about healthy marriages."

What was I supposed to do? Have him get his hopes up and then figure out that the idea of marriage was a lie?

"No, I'm not happy as of now. We have a lot of problems but nothing we can't work through."

"I always thought if you loved the person enough you could make it through anything. I know you have kids with him right?"

"We have two kids. Yea, I love him we just aren't working right now."

"The way he looked at me when I helped you get into your home proved he was pissed." He was pissed because I wasn't playing the role of his perfect housewife.

"He's just not used to me being dressed like that around other men that's all. It was nothing against you."

"If you were my wife and you dressed like that I don't think I'd yell at you. You're beautiful. I'm sure he was just jealous or something. I hope I haven't crossed any boundaries. I just like to talk to people and I like complimenting beautiful women."

There was that word again that made it even harder to have restraint. I wanted his hand under my skirt so bad. I wanted him to feel how wet he made me but alas I was married and he was searching for Mrs. Wright.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. No, you haven't been inappropriate Zuko."

"Good because the next thing I say you have to tell me if it's too much."

I was curious. "What is it?"

"I wanted to rip that dress right off of you last night and have you screaming."

My mouth went dry and my pulse sky rocketed. There was nothing sexier than a man that knew what he wanted and wouldn't hesitate to take it.

Author's Note: To be continued… Sorry for the delay. School has me busy. I originally planned to update every week but I'll shoot for every two weeks now. What do you think will happen next?