The Affair

Moira was excited to attend the end-of-summer bash at her new company. Everything was new for her, New York was new, advertising was new, and her company was new. New York felt like a fresh start, the beginning of the rest of her life. She was excited by all the limitless possibilities. For that reason, she found herself quite intoxicated at her office party. The party took place at a midtown rooftop with an iconic view of the Empire State Building. Moira was on her 4th gin martini.

"Hey, I'm Jack," said Jack as he approached Moira. Jack was much older than Moira, that was obvious.
"Well hello there, I'm Moira," replied Moira. She didn't recognize Jack from her office. He must be an outside contractor.
"Hello, beautiful."
"Oh my God, stop." She couldn't help but smile. "But go on."
"I have to say you are the most beautiful girl at this party."
"Oh my God, sthaapppp! But don't stop."
"This party seems to be wrapping up, what do you say me and you go get a drink somewhere else?"
"Oh, Mr. Forward are we?"
"So what do you say?"
"Fineeee, but only because you're handsome."

Moira woke up the next day in a state of panic. She vaguely recalled going to the next bar with Jack. Making out with Jack and then agreeing to come home with him. It was a great night. She looked over at Jack, he was still sleeping. She quietly put her clothes on and got ready to leave. She kissed him on the shoulder. He woke up.

"Huh, oh good morning," said a half-asleep Jack.
"Morning, thanks for last night. I'm going to go," said Moira.
"Okay." They kissed.

Moira left Jack's apartment and went home. She had a wicked hangover that she needed to nurse. She didn't give Jack another thought, she figured it was a one-night stand. When Moira showed up for work the following Monday she had a surprise meeting on her schedule. It was with Jack Lyons, CFO of her company. No, it couldn't be! It couldn't be the same Jack, could it? Her heart sank in her chest at the thought of the idea.

She could barely gather the courage to walk to the executive suites and into Jack's office. There he was in a gray suit. She closed the door to his office and sat down.

"Hi, Moira," said Jack.
"Just going to put this out there, if I had known you were an executive at the company I would have never gotten involved," said Moria.
"I know, that's why I didn't tell you."
"Okay, is that why you called me in here?"
"Not exactly, there's more..."
"Oh, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
"I'm married." Moira almost fell out of her chair.
"Man, I was really starting to enjoy this job. Now I have to find another one."
"Listen, I am miserable in my marriage. It's on its last legs, and being with you has shown me that I need to cut it off for good."
"Okay dude, don't involve me in this. This is your shit show. As far as I'm concerned we never happened. I would suggest you do the same."
"I can't do that Moira. You see, I have fallen for you, I want to be with you."
"Ummmm....pass."
"Give me a little time to get my shit together, and then, I promise, I can make you happy."
"You can say whatever you want, I'm good. Anything else?"
"Obviously this goes without saying, but if you could keep what happened on Friday between me and you that would be great. Just for a little while longer."
"Did something happen on Friday?" Moira got up, left Jack's office, and shut the door behind her.

Moria went into the bathroom and locked herself in a stall. She started crying. How could she have been so stupid? She felt used and disrespected. She felt like a sack of garbage. It took her 20 minutes to gather herself to the point where she could perform the rest of that day.

She decided against going to HR. Ultimately it would her word against his and she knew how that would end. She really liked her job, she didn't want to have to go through another move. She put her head down and tried, once again, to put the whole incident behind her.

A few weeks later, her company was flying Moria out to Seattle to assist with a pitch to a client. She was shocked to see Jack sitting in first class as she boarded the plane. Executives flew first class, associates flew coach. She tried to calm her nerves during the flight. It was just a happy coincidence that he was on this flight. She would do her best to avoid any contact with Jack for the duration of her trip.

The second night in Seattle, she found herself at a bar with the rest of her team after a successful pitch. Everyone celebrated the fact that they had landed a major client. One drink turned into many more.

"You know you are the entire reason I flew out here, right?" said Jack as Moira was at the bar ordering another drink.
"I don't want to talk to you, get away from me," replied Moira.
"I ended it with my wife."
"Well, that's good for you."
"I did it for you."
"Don't put that shit on me. I'm smart enough to know that you do nothing for anyone else."
"But I did."
"Whatever. Great for you. I am sure you are thrilled."
"I'm miserable. I only want you."
"You are a real piece of work, you know that."
"I know, but I'm your piece of work." He moved closer.

On the plane ride back the next day, Moria could not believe she slept with Jack again. Why did she do it? Fucking alcohol! Fucity fuck fuck fuck. Whatever, she wasn't seriously considering him as a suitor. That would be the last time they ever got together, at least he was single that time. At least she could bank on that.

A week later Moira was in line at the coffee shop near her office when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, can we chat for a minute?" asked the woman who had tapped her.
"Ummm, who are you?" asked Moira.
"The wife of the guy you've been fucking."
"Oh...in that case I might have a few minutes to spare."

Moira got her coffee and sat down across from the slightly older blonde woman. The woman looked like she hadn't slept in a week.

"I have to say, this is not a conversation I ever thought I would have," said Moira. "I'm Moira by the way."
"Charlotte. You are just as pretty as he described. All I want to know is....why? Why did you sleep with him again?" asked Charlotte.
"Wait...he told you? The balls on this guy. Anyways, what business is it of yours?"
"You slept with my husband, you don't think it's my business?"
"Ex-husband."
"What?"
"He's your ex-husband, right? You guys ended things, right?"
"No....we're still married."
"Oh, well that's new." Moira put her hands over her eyes. "He fooled me again! I'm sorry, I would have never done it had I known you guys were still together. He told me you guys had divorced."
"Oh. That son of a bitch."
"I know. He's like a psychopath."
"At least you just slept with him, imagine if you had married him."
"I'd go all Gone Girl on his ass."
"For whatever reason...I still love him. I don't know why, but I do. I can't stop."
"What are you going to do?"
"Divorce him, take as much from him as I can."
"Take fucking all of it. Make him rot in his own filth."
"I'll try. It still hurts, you know. Like why wasn't I ever good enough?"
"I know. But it's not you, it's him."
"I know. You know he loves you, right?"
"Ha! He only loves himself."
"He told me all about it. How he noticed you when you joined the company. How he took off his wedding ring before he approached you. All of it. He targeted you."
"What!"
"Yeah, it was all planned. He knew he had the upper hand. He knew what he was doing."
"I always thought I'd be a little more flattered being targeted. You want to hear the best part? I can't do a thing about it. He's an executive! I can't go to HR, I can't complain, I can't do anything. No one will believe me."
"I know."
"So where do we go from here?"
"I don't know. We keep living. I'll file for divorce and you just....keep living."

That is exactly what Moira did. She continued to work, to live her life, and to avoid all contact with Jack. She didn't even so much as give him a look. She knew she couldn't say anything, all she could do was continue living. Knowing that time will slowly put it all behind her.

A few weeks later she was invited to a corporate happy hour. Moria agreed to go. Turned out Jack was the one throwing the happy hour. Moira wanted to leave the second she got there but decided against it. Why give him that power? Hasn't he taken enough? She was sitting at a table when she was approached by a woman.

"Yo, you're madd pretty, why are you sitting by yourself?" asked the woman.
"I'm silently protesting," said Moria. The woman laughed.
"Protesting what?"
"Jack motherfucking Lyons."
"Oh...yeah I get that."
"You do?"
"Yeah, he's a total scumbag. What did he do, cheat on his wife with you?"
"Yeah....do I have that written on my forehead?"
"Ha! You're not the first honey."
"Well, that is just fantastic news."
"Don't beat yourself up, sleeping with a married power-hungry sociopath is a rite of passage. Happens to the best of us."
"Did you sleep with him too?"
"God no. But I know plenty of women who have."
"Ah. Fantastic."
"You know what, I'm going to join your silent protest. Mind if I take a seat?"
"No, of course not." The woman sat down.
"Don't worry girly, Lauren's here now."
"Moira."
"Such a nice name. Now, tell me all about it."
"Well, it all started when the flowers started blossoming......"