When the Ring Came Off

         They were high school sweethearts and had been in love for years. They went to college in different states, but that did not ruin the love they had for each other. On the contrary it made seeing each during the holidays after months of separation, amazing. They got married after college and were certain of the life they wanted to build together.  Mark knew this meant to have children in a home together, but he was not sure this is what he wanted immediately. Early on in their marriage he began to worry about their financial stability.  They were both looking for jobs and were being supported by both their families. Susan finally had gotten a job and she was the one supporting them for most of their first year as a married couple.  This has become a serious insecurity issue for Mark when his wife got a job.  At the end of the year Mark got a great job offer overseas as a Foreign Civil Servant. He justified it as means for saving money so they would be prepared financially to have a child. He really just wanted to get away for some time.  After seeing how distant he was for the whole year, Susan did not believe this was a great idea. She feared this would separate them even more. She also knew that she didn’t want to stop him from pursuing something he loves, so they compromised on one year. She trusted their love and him, but being away for a year right after marriage, it worried her. But they both needed a little break from their complicated “head of household” issues the first year as a couple.
         It was an emotional week when he left. They spent every night together in each other’s arms as she wept wondering if this was a good idea. He understood what her feelings were toward his decision, but he had assured her he would not betray her. It was also very emotional for him of course; he did love her, but their lives were moving so fast he wanted to slow down and do something for himself before he was fully committed to a family life. He was sure in the end that it would be better for the both of them.

***

         The year away in another country had altered him. He had been stationed in Argentina because he spoke the language. The first month away was great for him. He was experiencing everything that Buenos Aires had to offer and was trying to get settled into his job and new life. The fifth month into his service it was brutal. He missed his life back home with his friends and family. He sometimes had a strong surge of depression and sadness upon him as he was walking the streets, alone. Looking at couples embracing, kissing under the starlit Argentinean sky. The rest of the month he would call his wife, and after speaking with her he would cry himself to sleep. He didn’t, know what was happening to him, he had never experienced something like this but he hoped then it would pass soon.
         One Sunday quiet and sunny afternoon he sat at his usual coffee shop near his apartment and began reading the Buenos Aires Times, it was both in English and Spanish. He was in his own thoughts, when someone bumped into him from behind and made him spill his coffee all over himself. Mark began to vigorously wipe, rising to confront the person. As he turned to see who it was, he stopped his movements, awestruck. She was very apologetic, offering to get him another coffee, but he was just stood there silent and stared, his heart beginning to race. She had long dark brown wavy hair that flowed down her slim figure; tight fitting black jeans, which highlighted the muscles in her legs, a loose gray sweater that hung off her shoulder revealing her bra strap. Black.  Mark noticed her tiny hands and fingers and the pink nail polish that made it more petite; her soft neck, a silver heart necklace around it; she smelled like lavender and vanilla bean ice cream. Sweet and soft.  After a moment of staring at her, he snapped out of it and apologized for staring and told her he was fine. She apologized one last time, smiled and walked over to another table nearby. When she had smiled at him her large amber colored eyes had a twinkle in them that made it seem that her whole self, body and soul were smiling into you. His stomach felt like it took a free fall dive.
         Mark realized she was there to work on a paper. He had seen her pull out a laptop.  He decided to stay there the rest of the afternoon and into part of the evening. He too began preoccupying himself on his computer so it wouldn’t seem so strange. He really was just staring at her and watching all her movements, all her actions. He would notice the way she tapped her pen when she was listening to music, her robust and sweet laugh, and the defined muscles that would show as she stretched. Occasionally he would turn away quickly when she would turn back and see him staring. He did not want to miss a thing she did, he wanted to remember everything about her. He realized this was the first time in his life he wanted someone other than his wife, and he wanted her very badly.
         That night, before he slipped into bed, he took off his wedding ring. He then began to pleasure himself to the images of the young lady at the café, and images of him with her. He remembered her laugh, her skin, her smell, her stretching, the amazing piercing eyes and the smile. He wondered what it would be like to have her sprawled on his bed, blind folded and cuffed to the posts. He would start by gently moving his hands from her neck all the way down to her cunt. He would bite and kiss her all over and as he approached her clean hairless smooth cunt he would tease her spot and not stick any of his fingers in, even if she begged and moaned for them. He imagined how her perfect circular breast would fit into his hands as he would cup them and suck on her tits or that just as their climaxing she would ask him to choke her before they both came. It was the best porn he had ever created in his mind.
          He continued having these images for the last six months of his time away. He would also go every Sunday back to the café in hopes of seeing her again. He did not have the intention of acting on his feelings, but just to see her to make his images and thoughts of her fresh. He never got the chance to see her again. He left Argentina happy with his accomplishments at work.  However, he felt lost and confused about his choices in the last few years.  He returned disappointed in not ever seeing that woman again.

***

         Ten years has passed and he now has two sons and still loves his wife. He has forgotten the incident and the girl, but he realizes he has changed. He feels his life had lost the excitement it had when everything was new and fresh. In order to cope with these feelings, he would at times return to his hometown of Newton where he would see his childhood friends. Most of his friends were single, so this would remind him of the life he used to have and would make him escape for a little before returning to his reality. He would even go as far as taking off his wedding ring. Not because he wanted to meet women and get some action, but because he wanted to feel single again. During one of his escape weekends, his friends had a large party. He had always just spent some time with one or two of his friends but this time there were ten of his good friends gathered for an evening of drinking and good times. He was definitely the party type and was pumped for this particular evening away.
         Sam, Mark’s best friend, had invited some women. They we’re drinking, talking of sports, politics and women, before the girls came.  Mark kept hearing of a particular girl that was coming. She apparently had become a good friend to Sam and was always bringing girlfriends with her, good looking ones and they were all eager to see how the evening would turn out. They all continued on their discussions and drinking until Sam got a call from her that she had arrived. Some of the other men knew who she was and others, like Mark were anxious to meet her and her friends.
         As she walked up the stairs with three of her close friends, all the heels clunking at once, every guy had their head turned waiting to see them all. She reached the top of the stairs.  A huge smile across her face as she saw ten men staring at her. “Hey boys… Who’s ready to drink?” She lifted her two arms revealing bags of alcohol in her hands. Everyone in the room knew this was going to be a good night.
          Leaving the bags of alcohol to Sam, she began introducing her friends to everyone around the room. She greeted the guys she already knew and asked how everyone was doing.  With every little touch and hug every man in the room would get aroused by her. It wasn’t that she was the most beautiful woman they had seen, she had a certain kind of powerful sexuality that every man could feel.  Her friends looked like cheap sex, but with her, sex was more than just an act; it would be more like a breath taking performance. One that only a select few were invited to enjoy.
         Mark had not lifted his eyes from her since the moment she arrived. His whole body instantly froze up. He realized she looked just like his café girl. His stomach was jumping off the same cliff as it did the he laid eyes on the Argentinean.  What was an empty feeling in him for ten years was beginning to revive again.  The lust and passion he had lost, was slowly entering his system as he watched her through the night.
         She hadn’t noticed him yet, but he hoped that she would make her way over to him. He kept listening for her voice and every time he heard it nearby, would slowly look in the direction it was coming from just to get a glimpse of her. Her voice sounded so strong and sexy, her laugh was robust and real, she had long dark wavy hair, midnight black eyes, and fair skin with an olive tint. Her skin had a smoothness to it that looked like hand cream. Her scent reached all the way to him from across the room and smelled of cucumber and sweet vanilla that was enough to seduce anyone. She wore black leather shorts with long heeled black boots and a white tight fitting top that was loose but showed her shape. She had on a light touch of foundation, dark eye liner that highlighted her eyes, and light pink lip gloss that made her lips shimmer in the dark. Just like the beauty in Argentina she had a heart necklace around her neck although hers had a silver saw hanging behind it as well. He wondered a moment of the meaning behind the saw and made a note to himself to use that as a conversation starter. Everything about her physical appearance reminded him of the girl in Argentina. He wanted her.
         She was distracted all evening in conversation with others; taking shots and talking, trying to make sure her friends were having a good time. Mark had even talked to one of her friends to get her attention, but it had not worked. He gave up, moved to another room across from where the party was. He took a beer and sat on a couch and watched TV. He had begun contemplating whether to go home or not. Before he could make the decision he heard some clanking coming from the other room.
         Calila got tired too and wanted to take a break from entertaining. She was heading over to use the rest room and check herself out when she saw Mark sitting alone. She realized she had never met him before and decided to take a seat next to him and introduce herself.
“Hello there. Who might you be hiding all the way here away from the crowd?” she said, taking a sip from her wine glass and staring at him.  He got all tightened up and nervous, sat up straight and turned to her. He began thinking to himself, what’s so hard about talking to this girl he was older and wiser now and should not have difficult starting conversation with anyone. As he was sorting through his thoughts he realized he had not answered her.
“I’m sorry, I got lost in my thoughts.” Mark said as he turned to face the girl. She was even more breathtaking close up than from afar.
“That’s alright,” She said giggling a little and slightly moving her flowing hair out of eyes, “So how do you know Sam?”
“Well, I’m good friends with his brother who lives in Texas. We practically grew up together. How about you?” He tried to calm himself internally.
“I’m dating one of his friends. But now I hang out more with Sam than my so-called boyfriend. Fucked up huh?”  She put her head down. She realized she had just let out a personal thought to a complete stranger.
“I can’t really comment on that. It’s your relationship.” Mark said, being a little surprised by his answer and realized she was caught off guard by it as well.
She lifted her head and looked him in the eye, curiously for a moment. “I guess. Asshole isn’t even here…” She looked around a bit nervously. “Anyway, no use complaining about it. I’m having fun without him here.”
Mark looked at her for a moment and realized she might want to a vent a bit so he decided to push her to say more, see if he could help her:  “If you think you’re doing something wrong by being here, why are you here?” Mark was now very confident and wanted the conversation to keep going.
“Because, a few reasons I guess.” She took a sip of her wine before answering, “Sam’s cool shit. I can really be myself around him. I want to piss off my asshole boyfriend and show him his friends like me more and, maybe the most simple is…doing something wrong feels so good.” She said in a low whisper and with a smile.
“Well, that’s quite interesting. Why not just date Sam?”
“Cause, I already fucked his friend.” She took another sip from her wine glass and did a short laugh under her breath.
“Forward much?” Mark looked away,  taking a swig from his beer.
She smile and asked, “What’s your story? I see you’re not wearing a wedding ring.” As she pointed with her finger.
“Oh? Is that what you notice first when meeting strange men?”
“I take note of the important things, no ring, handsome and alone.”
“What does that mean to you all?” He was wondering what kind of impression that gives women in general.
“A handsome man at your age…is sitting alone. He’s divorced and needs company, or just alone and needs company. Not sure what kind but, but definitely needs the company.” She looked at him sincerely, her eyes doing the asking.
“A man of my age? What do you think my age is little girl?” He asked jokingly
“Little girl?.” Her brow raised and she held her head up high. “You did not just call me that.” They both laughed and then looked at each other for a moment. 
Mark decided to break the silence. “How about we start over? Mark... Pleasure to meet you misses…” He put his hand out to shake hers.
“No misses, just Calila. Nice to meet you Mark.” She extended her hand to shake his.
         They talked for the rest of the evening about their lives. Mark never mentioned his marriage, and Calila didn’t mention her boyfriend.  As they talked, they were becoming more comfortable with each other. At times there were accidental brushes of  their legs, or playful nudges and touches, but that became a natural reaction after a while.  It was getting late, and towards the end of the evening she got a call from her boyfriend. He wanted to see her. “Mark, it was a pleasure to meet you.” Calila said as she got up to leave.
“Pleasure is all mine.”
Calila collected her friends and say good bye to the others.
         Mark also had said his good-byes and began driving back home to his wife, reflecting on his evening on the ride home. That night just like the many nights in Argentina, he began thinking of Calila. If only there was no one in that room when they were talking. He would have taken her into his arms and begin kissing her with all his strength. He would have proceeded to lay her on that couch and undress her. Then he would have fucked the shit out of her. He got home and preceded fuck his wife like he had never done before. Imagining Calila.
         Mark was not alone in his fantasizing. As Calila had left the party, she was thinking of her night spent talking to Mark. She reached her boyfriend’s apartment after dropping off her friends, and was not so interested in being there at all and wished she could still be at the party talking to Mark. Her boyfriend Mateo was not happy to see her come in so late.
“What the hell were you doing tonight? You do know its 2a.m?” Mateo asked her in a low but stern tone, worried she would snap back at him.
“What’s it to you? You were not there anyway. I had asked you to come but you never even responded to my text until now.” She just sat on his couch and waited for his response.
“Well, I told you I was busy tonight finishing up some work and I didn’t want you distracting me like you are right now.” He sat next to her on the couch.
“Oh, yeah...?” she began moving her hands down his thigh to his groin area and got close to whisper in his ear, “Is this distracting you now?”
         She figured the night was not all lost. She fucked her boyfriend but imagined it was Mark. Although she got what she needed for the evening, she didn’t get what she wanted.

***

         The following week, Calila’s regular routine was becoming boring for her. Three times a week she worked as a bartender at a very prominent nightclub, the one place she enjoyed being. She was always dancing around in the bar and mingling with the club goers but it was just not in her to do so anymore. She also had another job she would do in the evenings and no one knew about this. Only her one best girlfriend knew about it because she would pick her up and drop her off at times. Calila was a stripper at a high end gentlemen’s club in the city of Boston. She had met the manager one night at the bar she was working in.  That night she was out with friends dancing and he had noticed how sensual and seductive her movements were. He had one of his agents bring her over, and from that point on she decided she could use the money and probably enjoy the dancing part of it. She never even had a run in with someone she knew. But she did not go in during the week, deciding to take some time to herself.
         She was becoming very distant and withdrawn from her boyfriend as well. He had tried to wine and dine her more than regular because he feared she was possibly breaking up with her, but that did not help. Calila knew she was missing something in her life.

***

“Sam, I’m not so sure if this is what I want to do.” Mark just kept following Sam with his hands in his pocket and his head down. He was thinking that yeah maybe this will help him loosen up but a strip club was not the best idea. He was a married man and they do not go to strip clubs.
“Shut the fuck up. You’ve been acting like a pussy since the party. Always upset or moody and not drinking with me. I’m sick of this shit. You’re doing this with me and enjoying it.” He just kept walking towards the club.
“But man, I just don’t think it’s such a good idea as a marr..”
“Tonight you’re not anything. You are Mark out with his friend enjoying a drink and some laughs. Plus this is a classy one. It’s the best one around here.”
“Alright, but this is the only time we come here. Got it?”
“Yeah no problem. I just want you out of this funk. 
         Sam put his arm around Mark and smiled appreciatively at him for his willingness to come, and Mark smiled back to show he was still interested. They came up to the door and could hear a loud beat being played in the club. It sounded unfamiliar to them at the moment since they were still outside. The bouncer checked their ID and let them in. When they got inside, they were patted down by another bouncer and once they were done, they walked up to big leather bounded double door that led inside the club. As they opened the doors the music hit them as if they were trapped inside a beating drum.
         He looked around, enthralled with every beat that exploded from the speakers. The inside was shaped in a circle with ramp-like walk way on both sides. The ramps they were on were slightly elevated and the edges had railings on them.  The floor was filled with tiny couch-like chairs and tables with tops that were made to only put drinks on. In the middle of the floor was the stage. It was pearl white and shaped like an S and had blue florescent lights lining the edges and a gold pole in the middle.
         Sam put one arm around Marks shoulder, and this snapped Mark back into reality and why he was there originally. Sam turned to him, “This is paradise my friend.” Mark would have agreed with him if he had been left alone to take in the music and scene. He realized as he looked at his friend, that he was a married man out to try to enjoy the bodies of women who were stripping to make a quick buck. He shrugged it off and looked at Sam and just smiled.
They started making their way toward one of the bars. As they waited for their drinks Sam began talking with the bartender. This was both of their first times to this strip club.
“Pretty busy night,  huh?” Sam said, with a grin attempting to flirt with the bartender.
“Yeah, Fridays are usually our best nights. We have the best dancers on this night. You boy’s first timers? She smiled back as she placed two black napkins and their drinks down.
“Yeah, it’s my buddy’s birthday and I thought we do something a bit more adventurous. “
“Oh yeah? Happy Birthday buddy.  You both are going to love it. Got here just in time too. One of our best dancers will be on in a little. Grab some seats quick to get a better view.” She took the twenty that Sam gave her, and brought back the change. Winked at the boys and went over to help other customers. They took their drinks and walked down to the stage and were not lucky enough to get seats right by the stage but close enough to see everything.
“Isn’t this awesome?” Sam said trying to get Mark amped up.
“Sure, totally awesome.” He started losing interest in paying attention to his friend or anything at all going on for the rest of the evening. He just took swigs from his drink and fiddled with his fingers.
Sam, getting frustrated tried not to pay attention to Marks attitude. “It’s ok; you’ll like it after a couple more drinks.” Sam called over the cocktail waitress and got them two more Martinis “If you don’t enjoy yourself after one more drink we’ll leave, deal?”
“Done. Where’s my next drink?”  Mark was hoping he was telling the truth.