Guilt
Lacy is returning home from a business trip.
Lacy stared at the flight attendant. His eyes were a mechanical blue color. Her mind, before being asked if she would like anything to drink, kept going back to the night before. It was no big deal, she kept telling herself. She and Marty had gone out to dinner many times together. She had worked with him for many years and had become good friends.
Those thoughts were interrupted by a crackling noise.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain; there’s a bit of a traffic jam up here for landing, so it’ll take a few extra minutes to get on the ground. Right now, it looks like 15 to 20 minutes.”
Lacy glanced at her watch. She disliked flying in coach. As with this flight, she was always stuck sitting with overweight males too big for their seats.
“Do you live in New York City?” he asked with a southern drawl.
Lacy looked at the clouds before answering.
“No. I live in Nutley, New Jersey,” she said.
Even though it was none of his business, she felt she needed to explain further.
“I couldn’t catch a flight out of Newark.”
“Oh,” he said approvingly and pretended he understood.
“I live in Florida, have done all my life,” he said. “Were you vacationing in Orlando?”
“No. Business trip,” she said curtly and turned away.
On the ground, Lacy followed signs to the baggage claim area and waited for her suitcase to up the conveyor belt. She usually
didn’t check baggage and was impatient.
Lacy avoided calling her husband, blocking the reason why from her mind. The man standing next to her reminded her of Bill. It was no one’s fault. It just happened. Nothing planned. Too much to drink. One thing led to another. It will never happen again. She wasn’t attracted to him.
Her suitcase appeared and Lacy rushed from the terminal to catch the long-term parking shuttle bus.
She plugged in her cell phone and started the engine. Lacy looked at herself in the rear-view mirror for a long time and then headed for the exit.
Driving home from JFK was always a nightmare; no matter what time of day or night, there was always traffic.
She waited until Goethals Bridge before making the call, rehearsing what to say to Doug.
Oh, you know, meetings and the same old boring stuff…. I hate being away from you… I will talk to Carol on Monday about limiting my time on the road…. that kind of thing.
Lacy was an automatic pilot; before she knew it, she had crossed the bridge into Elizabeth. Without hesitation, she reached for the phone. She felt a chill running down her spine.
“Hello, Bill…”
They kept talking until she made the turn onto her street.
She put the phone down and pulled into the driveway. She could see Doug sitting in the living room. She honked the horn. He was smiling as he let her in.
“Hi honey!” she said, wrapping her arms around his body. “It’s great to be home.”
Everything is going to be alright.
More From Harry:
(No offense will be taken if you dislike being tagged for various reasons. Please let me know, and I’ll be sure it doesn’t happen on my posts again. If, on the other hand, you love me, cannot see enough of me, and want to share your love, I’ll be glad to add you. 🤣🌈
Adrienne Beaumont, The Sturg, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Trisha Faye, Karen Schwartz, Nancy Oglesby, Katie Michaelson, Bernie Pullen, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Amy, Julia A. Keirns, Pamela Oglesby, Tina, Pat Romito LaPointe, Brandon Ellrich, Misty Rae, Karen Hoffman, Susie Winfield, Vincent Pisano, Marlene Samuels, Ray Day, Randy Pulley, Michael Rhodes, Lu Skerdoo, Pluto Wolnosci 🟣, Paula Shablo, Bruce Coulter, Ellen Baker, Kelley Murphy, Leigh-Anne Dennison, Patricia Timmermans, Keeley Schroder, James Michael Wilkinson, Whye Waite, John Hansen, Trudy Van Buskirk, | Dixie Dodd | Joanie Adams — Sightseer; Conjurer Of Words | Adda Maria | Dennett | Men.21times@gmail.com | Nancy Santos | Jenny Blue | Jack Herlocker | Love | Barbara J. Martin | Audrey Clifford | Maria Rattray | Jerry Dwyer | Denise Shelton | Trisha Faye | Sal Gallaher | StorySculptress | Katherine Myrestad | Deborah Joyce Goodwin (Red:The-Lady In Blue) | Kelly Corinne Elliott
