by t. h. snyder
Our sex life has taken a turn for the worst again, but this time I don’t mind the lack of attention from him. In fact, if he were to come on to me, I’d either have to fake it or find a way to get out of it.
I let out a heavy sigh, pull my car into the garage and make my way inside.
Lucky for me, when I walk into the kitchen, I see Keith asleep with the TV tuned to a baseball game.
The emotion of sadness and loss is so overwhelming for me. Not too long ago we would’ve had a house full of friends and family here to watch the game. So much has changed in our lives and I know better than anyone that it will never be the same again. My parents are gone and my relationship with my brother is nonexistent.
It drives me crazy how quickly things have gone bad for our family. I hate to say this, but it all started shortly after Mom and Dad passed away. Things would never have ended up like this if they were still here with us.
Yeah, Keith and I had issues after the news of our infertility, but we were able to work through it. It really wasn’t until after the accident that things took a turn for the worse. It all started after the will reading—when we found out Riley wasn’t given a part of the business. Ever since then, Riley and Keith have been at each other’s throats.
I just don’t get it. They’ve always gotten along, that is until Keith took over RPK. He’s been leading on for the past few weeks that Riley was the cause of so many issues, but…wait a minute, is it Riley that’s really the issue or is it Keith? I walk toward the front window and see Riley’s Durango sitting in front of the house.
I walk out the front door, careful not to make too much noise and wake up Keith.
As I walk down the front lawn, I watch Riley get out of the car.
I raise my hand in the air to gesture him to stop.
“Emma, I need to talk to you.”
“Riley, don’t. There’s enough trouble going on between you and Keith right now. I don’t want it brought into my home now, too.”
“Emma, you need to let me explain what happened. It’s not right that you only know his side of the story. I know that if you let me talk to you it will all make sense.”
I shake my head.
I can’t do this anymore.
“Riley, what you’ve done to us—to me and Keith—is unforgiveable. I need for you to turn around and leave. Please don’t call me, Keith or the business anymore. You’ve changed, Riley, and I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you’re not the brother I once knew and loved.”
I turn my back on him and walk back up to my front door.
Tears begin to stream down my face and it hurts so much to have to say goodbye to my little brother. He’s right, though. I only know Keith’s side to the story, but for now that’s all I need to know. I saw what Riley did and there were others that saw it happen, too.
He needs to get on with his life without me in it. I love him and will always think about him, but for now our family is torn. I need to focus on me right now, not the struggles my little brother is creating.
I open the front door, turn to shut it and watch as Riley drives off down the road. I shut the door, slide down to the floor and break down into a fit of tears.
I hate what’s happened to me—to my family—and there’s nothing I can do about it. I lean my head back against the door and close my eyes.
“Em! Em! Emma!” I hear Keith screaming my name and I open my eyes.
Shit, I fell asleep on the god damn floor in front of the door.
Keith is standing over me and looks down at me like I’m crazy. I guess if I saw him in this position I’d think the same thing.
“What the hell are you doing sleeping in front of the door?” he asks with a scowl on his face.
“Umm, it’s nothing,” I say, moving myself to stand up next to him.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders and a tremor runs through my body. He walks us toward the living room and pulls me down onto the couch next to him.
I want to run away and scream; the last thing I want is to be sitting next to him. I need an excuse to get up, like now.
“Hey, you hungry?” I ask, moving to stand.
He pulls me down into his lap and his lips find mine.
Ugh, this is so wrong. How awful is it that I can’t enjoy intimacy with my husband? I need help, serious help.
I pull away from our kiss before he takes this a step further.
“Come on, Keith, I’m starving. You want me to make you something?” I ask getting up from his lap and walk toward the kitchen.
“Yeah sure, whatever you’re having is fine with me.”
“Okay, give me a couple of minutes and I’ll have something fixed right up.”
I busy myself in the kitchen making a quick dinner. The further away I can get from him right now the better. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but there’s no way in hell I’m in the mood for sex with him.
I finish making the sauce just as the pasta is about done.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Keith walking toward me. I turn my back to face the stove and tense as his arms come around my body. He grazes his lips against my neck and a sudden chill runs through my body. He’s kissing the most sensitive part of my body, yet the feeling I’m getting in return is nothing like it used to be.
I push back against him to move, but he takes this as a moment to advance on me. He turns me in his arms and crashes his mouth to mine. His kiss is urgent and hard against my lips. As much as I want to fight him right now, I don’t know how to get out of it. If I push him away he’ll very well know that I don’t want any part of him.
He deepens the kiss, sliding his tongue into my mouth. I hate this so much I almost want to bite down on his tongue and pour the scalding hot water over the top of him.
The buzzer to the oven begins to beep and a huge sigh of relief takes over me. My entire body begins to relax as I try to move away from him. He pulls away from our kiss for a brief moment to turn off the oven and lifts me onto the counter top.
“I want you so bad, baby. Tell me you want me, too,” he says, looking up into my eyes.
“Keith, I…”
He doesn’t give me another moment to speak and takes my head in his hands pulling me forward to resume our kiss.
I’m so distraught—so emotionally drained—that I give in to him and let myself go. Hell, it’s just sex with a man I’ve had sex with a million times over the past ten years.
I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him in closer to me until I can feel his body against my core.
My mind begins to drift to a better time, when Keith and I were happy. At one point I wanted to be back there with him, but now I don’t know what our future holds.
He lifts me off the counter with one arm and turns toward the stove to shut off the burners. Walking us to the living room, he lays me down on the couch.
Keith’s lips find mine instantly as he undoes the button on my shorts. He moves his hand under my tank top and lifts my bra to free my breasts. His lips travel down my neck to my collar bone, and in one quick movement, Keith has my tank up and over my head.
I close my eyes and take myself back to my happy place. If I’m going to enjoy this moment with him, I have to pretend that we’re back to the way we were before all of this happened.
I lose myself in my own mind, paying no attention to what is happening right here and now. Before I know it, Keith has removed all my clothing and is pumping himself in and out of me while he rubs my sensitive nub.
I buck my hips to meet his every move, and within a matter of seconds we both come as our climax takes over our bodies. I open my eyes and look up at the man I used to love—the one that had my heart above all else—but now the man I see looking back at me is not that man anymore.
Keith and I drive onto the interstate and a giddy feeling courses through my body. Today is finally the day I’ll get to do what I’ve wanted to do for months.
“You sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone? Keith
asks me for the hundredth time this morning.
I look over at my husband as he drives his truck to the airport.
“Keith, I’m a grown woman and it’s not like you’re ever home now anyway.”
“I know, but I’ll be gone all week. I hate thinking you’ll be all by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine, I promise. Call me when you’re not on site and I’ll give you up to date feedback on my wellbeing.”
He lets out a laugh and grabs for my hand. He interlocks our fingers and squeezes my hand.
I don’t know if it’s the sudden business trip or the fact that he realizes how wrong he’s been treating me, but he’s been overly attentive with me since Saturday night.
Since our wham-bam-thank-ya-ma’am sex session the other night, he’s wanted to be near me more often.
Honestly, I’ve given in to him more than once since Saturday night.
The sex between us has always been great, and since when do you have to feel connected to a person to sleep with them? Hell, if he brings me to orgasm every time we have sex, I promise not to complain ever again.
He pulls my hand to his lips and places a gentle kiss to the center of my palm.
“I’ll miss you while I’m gone. Don’t do anything crazy without me,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Oh please, Keith, you’re the one going off on a business trip. I’ll just be stuck here in Greensboro cleaning house and doing laundry.”
“Well. You know you can still come with me if you want to.”
“No, I would just be bored out of my mind while you’re on sites; it’s best for me to just stay home. Plus, you’re only going to be gone four days; you’ll be back before you know it.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
We pull up to the departure gates and Keith gets out of the truck. He comes round to my side and opens the door. Leaning into the cab of the truck, he places a soft kiss to my lips and reaches into the back seat for his suitcase.
“I’ll see you Friday night; don’t forget to pick me up.”
I give him a smirk and giggle.
“I’m serious, Em, I don’t want to be left stranded here.”
“Knock it off, you fool, I won’t leave you stranded. I’ll see you in a few days. Go show them what RPK Contracting is all about and get us some big jobs.”
He smiles at me and leans in for a goodbye kiss.
I watch as he walks up onto the sidewalk. He turns to look at me for a split second and I wave goodbye as he walks toward the building.
I shut the passenger’s door and slide over into the driver’s seat. I buckle my seatbelt and put the car into drive.
It’s time to do some much needed work that I’ve been trying to do for months. With Keith on his way out of town, the time couldn’t be more perfect.
I turn back onto the interstate and head to my dad’s building. RPK is my family’s business and it’s time I stood my ground and found out what’s been going on since my father’s death. I feel kind of bad sneaking around Keith’s back to check in on Dad’s office, but I hate the way he pushes me away when I’m there. I have this nagging feeling that he’s hiding something and it’s about time I figured out exactly what it is.
I did a lot of thinking and soul searching yesterday during my run. It’s been well over five months since my parents’ death and I don’t know that I’ve handled things the way I should have. I tried getting in touch with Riley, but his number has been disconnected. I went over to his apartment, but the neighbors said he moved out a week ago. I hate the way I treated him the last time we spoke. Now he’s gone and I have no clue where he is or how he’s doing. I’m his big sister—the only family he has left—and I pushed him away.
I twist and turn through the roads of town until I come across the industrial park that houses the tall brick building of RPK Contracting. I feel like it’s been years since I’ve been here, but really it’s only been a few weeks.
I pull Keith’s truck into Dad’s parking spot and head into the building. I’m immediately greeted by Christine, the receptionist on the first floor. Her cheerful personality is contagious and I find myself smiling from ear to ear throughout our entire conversation.
I make my way up to the second floor and my nerves are a bit on edge.
When I get off the elevator I see Joanne, Dad’s secretary, sitting behind her desk on the phone. She sees me walking toward her and lifts her finger indicating that I should wait a moment.
I take a look around the room and notice that nothing much has changed since I was last here. The photos on the walls make me smile as I see the various jobs and completed projects that my father took part in over the years. This place may have started small in my parents’ kitchen, but over the years it’s grown into one of the most reputable contracting companies on the east coast.
“Emma, sweetie, what are you doing here today? Keith should be on a plane right now, he’s not here,” she says, coming around her desk toward me.
She pulls me into an embrace and squeezes me.
“It’s so good to see you, too, Joanne. I actually just dropped Keith off at the airport. I know it’s been a while since I’ve been up here, but I wanted to go through some of Dad’s stuff. I haven’t had a chance to clean out his office and I figured now was as good a time as any.”
“Of course you can go in there. If you need anything or if I can help in anyway just come out and let me know.”
“Thanks, Joanne, I will.”
I walk away from the reception area and move toward Dad’s office. My heart starts to race and a queasy feeling overcomes me. I have no clue what it is that I should be looking for, but at the same time, I’m determined to go through the entire office until I find something that Keith could be hiding from me.
I turn the knob to the office and enter the room that was a second home to my father.
The room, for the most part, looks the same as it did when Dad was here. The black wooden desk is still off to the side facing the giant windows. There are bookcases filled with family pictures and a few chairs scattered amongst the room. I notice that it looks much cleaner in here than it did when Dad worked in this room. Figures that Keith, the neat freak, would have order even at work.
I sit down at the desk and toss my purse onto the floor. Sorting through all the drawers, I don’t seem to come across anything out of the ordinary. I rummage through the file cabinets, but all I see are documents and plans for past and upcoming job sites.
Fuck!
I look over toward the bookcase and see a picture of Mom, Dad, Riley and me from last summer. A tear slowly trickles down my cheek as I think back to the day this photo was taken. As I lift up the frame, I notice a black box sitting against the back of the case.
I set down the photo and pull out the box.
The top of the black box is engraved with my dad’s initials. It almost looks like a cigar box. I open the lid and inside is a golden key with a tag on it that reads #143.
I pull the key out of the box and examine it between my fingers. It looks too small to be a house or car key. I don’t know if it would fit into any locks here in the building. If it was for the business, though, why would it be in a box?
Whoever put it here sure as hell didn’t want anyone finding it.
I’ll need to do some more investigating to see if anyone here knows what the key is for.
I put the box and picture frame back onto the shelf and take one last glance around the room.
I tidy up some of the things I’ve moved around and leave the office.
When I walk back out to the reception area I see that Joanne is off the phone and working on some paperwork.
“Hey Joanne, did Dad ever mention a key to you like this?” I ask, pulling the key out of my pocket and handing it over to her.
She looks at it for a few moments and then the tag.
“No, I’ve never seen this before. It doesn’t look like something that we’d use here. At least I don’t think
so.”
“Yeah, I found it in the office and I’m not too sure what it would belong to.”
“Hey, hang on a second, there’s something stamped on the back of the key. Look here,” she says, pointing to a stamp of some kind.
The marking is so small that I can barely make it out.
“If you can find a magnifying glass you may be able to read what’s imprinted on it.”
I take the key back from Joanne.
“Thanks for the help, Joanne. It was so good to see you again.”
“You too, sweetie, don’t be such a stranger and stay away so long. We don’t have many women around here and it’s nice of you to stop in every now and then.”
I give her a warm smile and make my way back toward the elevator. I place the key back in my pocket and head back down to the first floor.
A few faces I don’t recognize come onto the elevator as I’m getting off. It’s kind of crazy to see people here that don’t know who I am. My father wanted this to be a family run business where everyone knew one another. I can see that’s one thing that Keith has changed.
I walk toward the front desk and see Christine talking with a man that looks to be wearing a security guard uniform. I roll my eyes at the thought that Keith still has security here for fear that Riley may come back and kick his ass again.
I walk up to the desk and wait for them to finish their conversation. Christine looks over to me and smiles.
“Hi, sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if either of you recognize this key. I found it in Dad’s office, but Joanne and I have no clue what it could be used for.”
Christine takes the key in her hand and looks it over.
“Sorry, Emma, I don’t think it’s for anything in this building. The majority of the locks are now all electronic; we don’t really use keys for much of anything.”
“Do you mind if I take a look at it?” the guard asks.
“Yeah sure, go ahead.”
“It looks to be a key for some sort of lock. Did your father have a storage unit of some kind or a garage?”