The smell
After locking the front door, Cassidy walked into her six-bedroom house. With her salary and student loan debt, Cassidy could not afford a house. She received the house as a wedding gift from her husband's parents. So technically, his parents were rich. A burning smell hit her nose as she walked into the kitchen. And if the smoke coming from the stove was not an indication that something was burning up? Grabbing the mittens off the table she coughs as soon as the stove opens.
In the kitchen, smoke filled the air. She drops the burnt pot in the sink and takes off her mittens. She turns the stove off and puts her hands on her slim hips. Gosh, how did Markus forget to turn the stove off? She peeped in the sink. He burned the thirty-dollar steak she brought last night. He would never be on dinner duty again. Because she disliked spending money because he burned shit up.
Especially since grocery prices skyrocketed. Soon, with him burning up food they're eating noodles. Better yet where was Markus? The house was quiet like a mouse and his truck was parked in the garage. The steaks were cooking so his ass better be home. Picking up her suitcase she heads upstairs to their bedroom to find her husband. She was halfway to their bedroom when the house phone rang.
She grabs the phone and answers," this is Mrs. Gates. "Hello, Mrs. Gates, I'm trying to get hold of your husband. An unfamiliar voice asked, "Is Mr. Gates available?" Cassidy looked at the caller ID. Unknown it read. "Could you tell me who's calling? "This is James from Tony's Parlor. Your husband left his wallet here this afternoon." Three things were off about this call. Firstly, the place's name did not ring a bell.
Secondly, Markus never told her he planned to visit Tony's parlor. Thirdly, nobody had yellow pages anymore so how the hell did he get this number? As if reading her mind the man other end says, his business card was in his wallet. She bet fifty dollars that her husband was doing something, and he had no business doing it. Picking up his wallet from Tony's Parlor was on her to-do list to find out what type of place it was. "I will pick up his wallet in about an hour, Mr. James." After thanking the gentleman, she hangs up the phone and rushes into their bedroom. There was Markus stretched across the bed with his pants unzipped and his shirt hanging off. Shaking her head in disbelief that Markus was asleep and thought he had put their dinner on. Cassidy places her suitcase on the dresser and takes off her blazer.
She looks around the room and checks if he is alone before walking to bed. Because there was a feminine scent hovering in the air. Their bedroom room was furnished with a modern design consisting of a black stainless steel frame bed and a leather adjustable headboard. In addition, they had matching leatherette end tables. A fifty-inch television hung from the wall. A grey rug was under the bed, along with a mirror on the side. A framed picture of their wedding hung over the bed. "Get your ass up Markus! It's five thirty, so I assume you've been drinking."
Markus groans and rolls over onto his side and snorts. This man was about to kick her butt on the floor. She knows he was having a rough day at work, so drinking some Hennessy probably helped him blow off some steam. She leans over to smell her husband and he smelled like Hennessy as she predicted.
But her husband was not a drinker. He never drinks to the point of falling asleep during the day. So, something was off in this situation. This James was must-see. Tossing her work clothes in the hamper, she tries not to think about the worst. Cassidy pulls out a pair of black shorts and a plain white shirt from her side of the closet. Going into the bathroom, she grabs matching undies and a bra.
Their master bathroom flooring was ebony marble with gold wallpaper covering the walls. Matching black and gold toilet seats, with an identical freestanding bathtub in the corner. Two medicine cabinets to match. Cassidy adds Epsom salt to the bathtub after running hot water to soothe and relax. She eases into the tub and closes her eyes.
Cassidy heard footsteps approaching the tub, and a warm hand caressed her cheek. When she opened her eyes, there was her husband with his brown eyes and thick eyebrows, kissable lips, and straight nose staring back at her. "Welcome home love," he murmurs before claiming her lips with his. Cassidy heard something fall as she was pulling on her clothes. Her first thought was to look for her, but since Markus was home, he would check and look for her. But that didn't stop her from grabbing her iPhone and clicking on the security app. The cameras were down, so there was no footage. The cameras were offline after she left for work this morning. Which was strange because she checked the cameras before leaving and everything was fine. Cassidy pulls her hair into a ponytail and heads downstairs.