The Closet(on hold)

Chapter 7---What now?

Jessica's mind reeled every time she would bump into Kelly.

It seemed he was always around now.

Josh looked and acted happier than he had in ages, and Jessica took notice.

He said that it was because of his new promotion, that he was able to work less, and he seemed to always be underfoot as well.

Jessica took to staying away from both of them, and it didn't phase them.

They would wish her well and laughingly take off to the golf course for some banter and golf with one of the clients Josh needed to schmooze now.

When they left, Jessica would feel her chest relax and realize that she was holding her breath most of the time they were around each other.

As she lay on her bed, her face stuffed into her just washed and dried pillow, sniffing the aroma of the lavender scented dryer sheet, she couldn't help but to focus and what was going on around her.

Kelly had come into her life at the gym, and they began a friendship that rapidly escalated into something much more, albeit not physically, but it certainly was there emotionally.

She had already given him a commitment to practically take it to the next level, then her husband changed the whole damn thing.

Ever since their anniversary, Josh had been acting nicer, more loving to her, all in the midst and presence of Kelly, standing on the sidelines, the observer of their affection.

It kind of creeped her out.

Sometimes she would notice his stare, his eyes glazed over with a foreboding shadow, but when she looked again, it was gone and in its stead was a smile.

Kelly was Josh's personal assistant, and when it came down toit, he was good at his job.

He even sometimes did errands for Jessica, which made her feel uncomfortable, but it was always at the assistance of Josh.

She would come out of the laundry room, having just folded clothes, about to grab her keys and head off to pick up the kids when they and Kelly would walk through the door.

She scoffed, and told Josh she could do it, but he insisted, saying it would make her life easier.

And it did, a little. It gave her more of a break, more time to herself, and she found herself reacting more and more towards Josh's affectionate advances.

She even kissed him now in the mornings, but there was still that nagging little bad voice at the back of her mind, now subdued into submission.

As Jessica thought about all the events that had happened, she felt rather than heard Kelly's presence.

It was a shift in the air, or an electricity from another body or some sort of 6th sense thing all humans have, but whatever it was Jessica knew he was in the house.

She groaned inwardly, thinking, Great, another errand I won't have to run.

Many women might have revelled in the joyous fact that they would have less to do, but Jessica liked to clean, and cook, sometimes, and most of the time, she hated being in the house.

Anything that took her out of her hermit status was a welcome addition to her day.

When Josh had insisted that she utilize Kelly's help, she fought against him, and he was upset at the time, thinking that she was mad at him for some reason.

She heard Kelly's almost silent footfalls and her body tensed when she realized he was walking down the hall.

She heard him move through the doorway, and she pressed her face deeper into the pillow, feigning sleep.

His breathing was slow and normal, but she made hers deep and low, trying to make him go away.

Her whole body tingled in anticipation, but her good side was more prevalent and was making her think good thoughts, when her body began to ache a little for the man who was inches away from her.

He came closer to her, and began to breath on her neck.

She thought with alarm, He's drunk! I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

He moved her a strand of her hair away from her face, but her eyes were tightly closed, and she didn't dare move.

She waited for him to go away, not trusting herself to move or to make known that she was having desirous feelings.

However, it seemed that he knew, could also sense that she was in a certain state.

He began to rub her back, giving her a kind of massage, and she bit her lip to keep from saying anything, from yelling at him, or embracing him.

His hand went lower down her back, making her spine shiver involuntarily, but her good side won out, pushing thoughts into her head.

She was in her home, in the home where her kids and Josh resided, and in the bed that they shared.

The feelings she was having were not ones she should be proud of.

Yet they were there, he was there, in some respects it was all they needed to know.

Suddenly, before she could get up, embrace him, do anything, they heard the front door open and close, the kids voices drawl into the room, and Josh's voice calling to her.