Chapter 7

Two weeks later, Nick was due to arrive by plane. She would be finally seeing Nick, the love of her life. It was 10 p.m. The time Nick said his flight was due to arrive. Erika fell asleep in the terminal waiting for Nick to arrive. She awoke two hours later to find that no plane had arrived and Nick wasn't here.

Erika grabbed her laptop and went to a diner inside the airport to have a bite to eat before heading home. While she waited for the server to bring her triple-decker club sandwich with fries, her favorite soda, rootbeer, and an extra order of fries, Erika logged into her email to find a message from Nick:

“Baby,

Im so sorry. I missed flight cuz my son got hit by car while we were coming n2 airport 1 get flight. He has been taken 2 hospital n critical condition. He might not even make it. Im sorry 2 do these 2 U. I love U & cant bear that I have dun these 2 U. Please 4give me.

Love U always,

Nick

Erika was crushed. Nick wasn't coming. Erika decided to head home. When she got home, she felt sick. She didn't know if it was Nick's news or the the huge meal she had at the diner. She headed into the bathroom and stuck her finger down her throat and threw up in the toilet.

When she came back out, she found that Tommy had managed to let himself in when she failed to answer her door.

“Erika, I hope you didn't mind, but I let myself in.” Tommy apologized.

“No, it's okay.” Erika said, depressed, and feeling guilty about what she had just did.

“So how have you been?”

“Aright.” Erika lied. Erika was glad that Tommy was here. She didn't wish to be alone right now. Erika was depressed because Nick didn't get here.

Tommy sensed Erika's sadness and held her closely, a feeling that Erika didn't resist. The next thing Erika knew, she and Tommy were kissing. Then Tommy was unbuttoning her blouse and feeling her up under her panties. Wanting desperately to be touched, Erika didn't resist Tommy's advances. She let him go all the way with her, as they made love all night long.

The next morning, Erika realized what had happened between her and Tommy and felt guilty. She got up out of bed and went downstairs to fix herself some breakfast. It was a huge breakfast: scrambled eggs, toast with butter and jelly, waffles, bacon, milk, apple juice, and coffee with cream and sugar.

After she had eaten every bit of it, Erika felt sick and went back upstairs to throw up. Tommy heard Erika in the bathroom and came to see what was going on. Erika managed to cover up what she was really doing as she let Tommy kiss her and lead her back to her bed.

They made love again that morning, two hours, until Tommy had to get dressed and go into work.

After Tommy left, Erika logged into her email and found Nick's message:

“Babu,

My son made it thru the nite. He will be okay. Thank God. I miss U baby. I love U so much. So what have U been doing, my love?

Nick

After reading Nick's email, Erika felt guilty, having made love to Tommy. How was she going to tell Nick, the man she loved what she just did? Nick would never forgive her for what she did. She couldn't tell him about her and Tommy. She would just never tell Nick and somehow find a way to gently break it off with Tommy.