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Brandon Baldwin suspects his wife of cheating and a showdown is imminent.
THE BIRTHDAY AFFAIR
The elevator stopped and Brandon Keller waited for what seemed like an eternity for the cold, gray steel doors to open knowing that in a few minutes his world could change forever.
Hours earlier, an unknown female caller had said there was something he needed to see on the eight floor of this lavish hotel. Immediately his suspicions had turned to Toni, his wife of eight years and the mother of their two small sons.
The thought of Toni involved in an extramarital affair caused him to feel a tightening in his chest and a deep hole in the pit of his stomach. Thoughts of Toni giving pleasure and receiving pleasure from some other man left him feeling weak and unsure of the future. He had to find out what was going on.
The doors slowly opened and he cautiously stepped into the hallway, nervously looking from left to right. There was no activity on the floor and the unknown faces of the paintings on the wall seem to mock him, and he wondered if he was making a big mistake.
Toni had been acting strangely for the past couple of weeks. Hushed phone calls that were terminated when he entered the room, mysterious errands to her friend’s house late at night, and the money she could not account for had already peaked his suspicions that something out of the ordinary was going on. Now he would finally get to the bottom of the whole matter.
He felt in his pocket for the key that had been left anonymously on his desk at work while he was out to lunch. This tiny, cold piece of metal held his future in limbo and his heart felt as cold as the key.
After eight years of marriage, he could not believe that Toni could act so irresponsibly and throw everything away. He had given his family everything within his power trying day and night to be a loving, caring husband and a responsible father. Where could he have failed and what could he have done to send Toni to the arms of another man. Was it someone she worked with or someone he knew nothing about? It would be hard fighting an enemy he did not know, but he would not give up Toni and the love they shared without a fight.
His heart was beating wildly and his palms were sweating as each step carried him closer to his dreaded destination. He stopped near a picture of a beautiful lady standing near a lake looking out over the water as the sun was setting. The lady reminded him of Toni with her dark brown hair and fair skin. Her eyes were as expressive as Toni’s and he had to do a double-take. Toni probably passed this picture without a second thought on her way to meet her lover.
Maybe he should “look away” and “walk away” until Toni comes to her senses. He could easily forgive if she would only put this behind them. He would not allow the love they had shared since high school to be dismissed so easily and forgotten. Toni had always been a good wife—loving and attentive, funny and serious all at the same time, and a great lover with morals even the Pope would envy.
No, there was no turning back. His footsteps became heavier as his eyes found Room 839. Behind that dark, intricately carved mahogany door could be pain like he had never known. Could he handle seeing his wife in the arms of another man? Would he continue to love her as much as he did at this moment? He was suddenly hit with a sharp pain so excruciating that he held his breath and waited for the onslaught and nausea to pass.
He stood silently listening for any sounds coming from the room. There was nothing to give any indication of the activity beyond the door. His hand was shaking as he slowly inserted the key in the lock and turned. There was a resounding click which seemed as loud as a cannon.
Slowly the heavy door swung open and he stood there on the threshold holding his breath. It was dark and still. Unable to deal with the darkness, he groped for the light switch. Instantly the room was bathed in light and a sea of familiar faces shouting, “Happy Birthday!”
Relief flooded his entire being as his eyes were immediately drawn to his wife’s beautiful, radiant face. Toni was here—alone, well not alone—but not with the lover he had imagined.
He relaxed and wiped the sweat from his brow, smiling as Toni came up to greet him. Wrapping her arms tightly around his slack body, she gave him a warm and welcoming kiss.
His thirty-fourth birthday was indeed a celebration!
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She was the kind to give a surprise birthday party. But I was never surprised about my birthday because I knew when it was. ;-)
Ron