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isn’t easy.”
    “ You didn’t look like you were cutting back when I saw you in the Lexus showroom with your Sasha.”
    “ Yeah, well, I made a promise I needed to keep. Thank goodness for the healthy bonus this year. It might be the last one for a while.”
    Jay cleared his throat. His neck and cheeks turned red. “Last week there was quite a bit of buzz when Sasha flounced out of your office.”
    “ Did the head office have a shit fit?”
    “ They heard about it.” He lowered his voice, which meant he was sharing company secrets. “Thompson claims he heard the two of you, and went running upstairs. You can expect something will be said.” He avoided looking at me, pretending something on the fairway was more interesting.
    Jay’s comment felt like someone had taken a drill to my lower spine. I tried to remain cool, hoping Jay didn’t see the perspiration popping up on my forehead. “Well, today I plan to break it off with Sasha. Between showing up unannounced, asking me to take out the trash and snake the bathroom drain, I think the romance is over. If I wanted to do stuff like that, I could stay home, right?” I tugged on my golf glove.
    “ Man, you like taking chances, don’t you? I couldn’t keep all the names straight.” Jay pushed a tee in the ground, took several practice swings then drove his ball down the center of the fairway.
    “ I bore easy. But this time, I’m going to try harder to be faithful.” I stepped into the tee box, repeated Jay’s actions, and drove the ball twenty yards further than him. “With the lay-offs, do you think my little episode will hurt me?”
    He shrugged his shoulder. Not a good sign. I didn’t want to press him for more details. I already had a craw full of regret. We climbed in the golf cart and headed down the fairway.
    For the balance of the course I stayed away from the topic of business. Sport scores and handicaps better suited the pressure on my chest. On Monday morning I’d find a way to smooth things over with Thompson.
    After the game, I jumped in the car and backed out of the parking space. All I could think about was getting to Sasha. The sooner I ended things, the sooner I could put my life back together. Even though I planned to break it off with her, a few hours of lusty sex would ease the pain.
    ***
     
    Sasha opened the door as soon as I pulled in the driveway. I could see her happy smile from across the yard. She was so different from any of the other women in my past, and from Tracy. Sasha was petite and curvaceous. She wore her hair long, full and curly. Tracy preferred her hair short and cut to precision. Even their eyes were different. Sasha’s almond-shaped dark eyes looked like raw coal, Tracy’s big expressive eyes contained flecks of hazel. Sasha was only a few years older than my daughter. Tracy was only a few years younger than me.
    I followed Sasha across the lawn. Her short dress blew in the breeze and hugged her body. She ran into my arms, making me feel welcomed and wanted and wonderful. Her full breasts peeked through the low cut neckline.
    “ Hey.” She planted a kiss on my lips, darting her tongue in my mouth. “I love the car. It’s like mine.”
    “ I told you, after I paid for yours, I was getting one too.” I ran my finger along a vein in her neck.
    “ Now we have a matching pair.” She squealed. Her eyes sparkled. “It’s even the same color. I don’t believe you did that.” She giggled.
    “ Yep. Told you.”
    “ You did. You’re a man of your word.” She kissed me on the cheek and whispered. “I missed you.” The way she pressed against me wiped away the worry of lay-offs, Tracy and the limited time we had left.
    My guilt vanished as my body heated up.
    “ I still don’t believe you bought a car.” She shook her head in disbelief.
    “ I wanted to surprise you.”
    She peeked inside the driver-side window. “How was the graduation?” She sounded nonchalant.
    “ Nice until we had to go out to