Sabrina sighed deeply, “Hey guys, sorry I’m late. I’m on deadline and it couldn’t be helped. I need a drink and I want something harder than that wine you drink Tasha.” Sabrina walked directly into the kitchen.
Tasha looked between Eric and Tim but unable to meet Tim’s eyes, “Well, since it’s such a nice night why don’t we have dinner on the patio?” She held her breath not knowing what was going through Eric’s mind.
He walked over by the television, “Since I can’t have some time alone with my girl after a hard day at work…I think I’d rather finish the Bulls game in here.”
Tasha couldn’t understand why Eric was so rude to Tim and Sabrina…even before tonight. “Well, dinner is ready so I guess we’ll eat out here. I’ll just bring everything out.”
Tim had no idea what Tasha saw in Eric. He was never there for her when she needed him. “You need some help bringing the food out.”
He just wanted her to look at him. He wanted to know she was okay. She wouldn’t.
“No, I’m good. If I need help…I’ll ask Sabrina.”
*****
Tasha went into the kitchen to find Sabrina searching her cabinets looking for something to drink. “When will you ever get some good liquor in here? I shouldn’t have to stop by the store every time I come over for dinner.”
“Look in the cabinet by the refrigerator. There’s a new bottle of your favorite in there.”
Sabrina found it. “Thank god. This has been the day from hell. Nothing has gone right yet.”
Tasha was going to be sick as she thought to herself, and…I almost slept with your husband.
Sabrina’s cell phone kept buzzing. She didn’t look at it but only so she could pour herself a drink. Then, picked it up to read it.
“Are you going to do that all night?”
Absentmindedly she answered, “Do what?”
“Stay glued to your phone? You are an invited guest in my home for dinner.”
Sabrina snorted as she laughed, “Invited guest? You’re really funny. Anyway, I don’t have a 9-5 like you. If I want to continue to be successful, I’ve got to handle things as they come. Tonight, I need to put out fires.”
Tasha pulled out the plates and glasses, “Can you grab the silverware from that drawer?”
Sabrina continued to be pre-occupied with her phone. “Yeah, give me a minute.”
“Sabrina, why is it that Tim can run multiple companies worth billions of dollars and still give you his undivided attention, yet you can’t put down the damn phone for even an hour?”
Sabrina looked up at Tasha really for the first time since she’d walked through the door, “Who peed in your cereal this morning?” She waved a perfectly manicured hand in the air, “Never mind…I know it was Eric. I can’t believe you’re still with him. You can do so much better.”
Frustrated, Tasha ran her fingers through her hair, “It’s not Eric. Eric and I are fine. I just think you’re being rude. I spent all this time making dinner for everyone and you come in here over an hour late, you’re glued to your phone and you can’t even get the damn silverware out of the drawer like I asked.”
Sabrina threw her hands up in surrender, “Okay…okay…jeez! I’ll put my phone away. Just let me send this last text.”
*****
Tasha and Tim were quiet during dinner. Luckily, nobody wanted to have dinner around the dining table so no one really noticed. They ate in the living room. Tasha sat next to Eric on the couch and Sabrina sat opposite them on the other couch with Tim sitting on the floor next to her. Between the Bulls game and Sabrina going on and on about work, they didn’t really need to add much to the conversation.
She could feel his piercing gaze. She couldn’t stand it another minute so she got up pretending to need another glass of wine. “I’m going into the kitchen does anyone need anything?” Nobody responded. And, Sabrina had resumed texting on her phone. “Going once, twice…okay then. I’ll be right back.”
Tasha went over to the sink and splashed some cool water on her face. A moment later Tim came into the kitchen, “I just wanted a bottled water.”
She wouldn’t look at him, “You could have asked me and I would have gotten it for you.”
“You won’t even look at me?”
Tasha pinched the bridge of her nose, “You shouldn’t be in here. We shouldn’t be alone.”
Tim was just as frustrated as she was. “Can we meet somewhere and talk?”
She shook her head and whispered, “No. That’s not a good idea. This…tonight…it shouldn’t have happened. We shouldn’t have almost…” Tasha’s voice trailed off.
“What? Shouldn’t have almost made love? Well, we didn’t almost make love. I think you and I both know just because we didn’t finish doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
Tasha looked up at him with tears in her eyes, “Is that supposed to make me feel better knowing what we did tonight? That we’ve just hurt the two people we care about most in this world because we couldn’t control ourselves?” She closed her eyes, “Somehow, we need to forget this night ever happened.”
“How am I supposed to forget? How am I supposed to forget how you felt? How you smelled? How you tasted? I can’t forget that. Tasha, I think I’m in lo……”
She quickly put her hands to his mouth before he could utter the words. “No. You…are…not! You have to forget. I have to forget. If you care anything about
