The Mistress

Chapter 1

My alarm is going off, and I groan as I turn over to turn it off. It's 6 a.m. I hate my 7 a.m. Shifts. I try to avoid getting them when I can, but it isn't really in my control. I pull myself out of bed before I get the chance to fall asleep again which I know I will do, and it has caused me some trouble before. I make my way over to my dresser, and pull out my black work pants and one of the t shirts that I don't mind getting dirty, and then I put my weirdly fitting smock on. It makes me feel like a box, but I am a dog groomer so it isn't like I'm dressing to impress anyone. My job isn't the most glamorous in the world, actually it is far from that, but I do love the people I work with, which is good because I'm stuck in a room with them for 40 hours a week, I should get along with them. And honestly my job isn't all that bad, only when I have to work this early. I slide on my ugly waterproof shoes, and head out the door. My dad didn't come home again last night. He doesn't have to, but I feel like he has moved in with his girlfriend which I don't mind because I'm twenty, and I don't need my dad around all the time, and honestly I prefer it because him and I tend to not get along.

              I get into my car before I completely freeze, this is Arizona it isn't supposed to be this cold, but it is the beginning of December and this tends to be pretty chilly. I turn my car on and turn up the heat a little bit. I know I won't keep it on for long, but I don't want my hands to completely freeze. I begin my drive, and it is pretty boring. It takes me about 30 minutes to get to work in the morning traffic that gives me anxiety ever since I got rear ended while trying to exit the freeway. I know I'm not the best driver, but some people really should not be allowed to get a license, but that is a completely different story.

              I arrive at work, and park in the deserted dark parking lot. I lock my car as I go up to the entrance of my work. I pull the doors that are supposed to be automatic, but since the store isn't open yet they need to be pulled open, and I'm just glad they aren't locked because waiting out in the cold for someone to open the doors is the worst thing in the world. I get inside and close the doors behind me. I clock in before going back to the salon. My coworker, the only guy that works back here with the rest of us is already here.

              "Sup Mario?" I say as I walk in and set my stuff down and set up my station.

              "Fucking tired, man," He replies, and I agree. Wednesday's suck. No one brings their dogs this early so we usually just sit around for about 2 hours until the store opens, and people actually start showing up.

              "I hear ya, I could not sleep last night and I don't know why," I shrug as I set all my supplies out, and stuff my purse into the bottom drawer of my three drawer station.

              "Going to sleep is never the problem for me it's the waking up," He says.

              I go to sit on one of the two stools in front of a computer when I feel my phone vibrate in my smock pocket. I pull it out and see a text from someone I am not used to hearing from. Why is he texting me? It's my ex, Jake.

              "Hey" Is all it says. I stare at my screen for a second, and Mario notices.

              "What's up?" He asks because I probably have a pretty surprised look on my face.

              "My ex just texted me," I say calmly.

              "Ew, why?" He asks and I chuckle. I love my coworkers, they don't know who he is, but they are always on my side for everything. Like the fact that technically I have a boyfriend, but I haven't heard from him in about a week so I don't actually know where we stand because I try talking to him and he ignores me so I'm returning the favor. Not that he tries to talk to me, ever. So, it is safe to say that I don't know where we stand in our relationship.

              "I'm not sure," I reply to Mario as I still stare at my phone.

              Jake and I got into contact a couple of months ago. I was bored and decided to snap-chat him which I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not because we did not really end on good terms, but I did it against my better judgement, and that was when I learned that he is married to some girl he knew for 2 months before they got married which is pretty common in the military. I also learned he is in the Army and lives in Colorado with her. Our conversations were always harmless, mostly giving each other shit, very lighthearted and he's just easy to talk to. I haven't heard from him in awhile though, and I don't really mind it so it was a surprise to get such a random text from him.

              I reply with a simple, "Hey" back. I'm studying to be a marriage and family therapist and he usually comes to me when he has questions which is slightly annoying to deal with, but it isn't too in depth stuff, and it could be considered good practice for me for later even if it is pretty screwed up.

              He replies back pretty quickly, "What are you doing up so early?" He asked.

              "I'm working, what about you?"

              "Same"

              "So, why did you text me?" I feel bitchy asking, but I'm genuinely curious.

              "Boredom mostly"

              "Oh I see I'm only here for you when you're bored"

              "So serious," Mario says and I chuckle. I tend to have a resting bitch face.

              "Hah, no, he doesn't want anything he's just bored," I reply, shrugging my shoulders and placing my phone on the counter in front of me.

              The day goes by without any sort of excitement. I do my job, and there aren't any crazy dogs or anything so we usually call that a success. Jake texts me randomly throughout the day, but nothing much of substance. Once I get home he asks if he can FaceTime me. I accept because he's probably bored, and so am I, and I have nothing better to do.

              "Hey," He says as I answer and I see his face. He looks almost the same as the last time I saw him.

              "What's up?" I ask as I set my phone up somewhere so I can make myself dinner.

              "Amy is at work so I'm just bored at home with the dog," He says, and moves the camera to show his adorable black dog that seems to be the sweetest thing ever.

              "I want to steal her so bad," I say, and it is mostly true.

              "I kinda like her though, you could live here and have her and I can just play video games all day," He suggests, and I'm kind of taken aback by what he said.

              "Oh I could come live there? Where would Amy be?" I question.

              "She...wouldn't live here anymore, if you just let me play video games all the time you can replace her," I'm really shocked by him saying this to me.

              "Marriage that bad?" I ask, and he looks away from the camera clearly not wanting to talk about it.

              Somehow our conversation turns to a big game of "what if". What if we got back together. What if I moved there to be with him. What if he came here to visit. What if he saw me here. The conversation turned from innocent to not to innocent quickly, and I'm not even sure how. The secrets slowly came out from him about how they only got married for the money the Army gives married couples. How things aren't really that great, they argue all the time, and rushed into things without really thinking them through. I don't know how this conversation got so dark so fast, but one thing about Jake and me is even when we were together it was super easy with us to be open with each other, and we are very good with communication which in studying marriage therapy I know is key, and it is a key that him and his wife are missing greatly. A few hours later we say our goodbyes, and I still am shocked that conversation happened, but I know nothing will come of it, he's married and I'm not the mistress type, but talking about the idea can be fun.