Chapter 3: Reconciliation

Tara received a notification on her phone, indicating that Mark had read her message. She couldn’t help but smile to herself as anticipation built within her. She took another drag from her cigarette, allowing the smoke to fill her lungs and seep into her bloodstream. Before long, Tara heard Mark open the front door and enter their house. Tara’s heart raced in her chest as she waited for Mark to find her in the bedroom, dressed in latex and seductively smoking.

Mark followed the surprising smell of smoke and saw Tara reclined on the bed, in her latex, smoking a fresh Virginia Slim cigarette. Her eyes shone with fiery passion, and it was clear that she had been drinking. Mark stood before her, eyes wide with curiosity and desire. He was nonplussed, transfixed by the sight of this woman who looked so familiar, but who he had never seen before. He sputtered, “Tara, what is this? You have always been so sweet and pure. You wouldn’t even have sex with the lights on!”

Tara laughed lightly, the sound echoing through the room. “Sweet and pure? Is that what you think I really am?” She arched an eyebrow, challenging him with her gaze. “I’ve been holding back, yes, but not because I’m afraid of the dark.” She stood up from the bed, and stepped up to Mark, their eyes level now because of her high heels. The air between them crackled with tension as she said, with her boozy, smoky, breath, “No, Mark, I’ve held back because I wanted to keep this part of me hidden from you, from Clara, and from me. But now ... now I want you to see every dark corner of my mind. I want you to see who I truly am.”

Mark hesitated, unsure what to do. Should he run back to Karen’s easy smile and open legs, or stay to see what Tara, his wife, wanted to reveal to him? Mindful that Tara was more than tipsy, Mark said to her, “Tara, honey, please don’t do anything you don’t want to do, just for me. I could not live with myself if I messed you up even more than I already have.”

Tara’s eyes locked onto Mark’s, her lips curling into an incredulous smile. “You still want to protect my innocence? Oh, Mark,” she whispered, stepping even closer to him, “You have no idea how corrupt I already am.” Mark saw a fire in Tara’s eyes that he had never seen before. It was like looking into the flaming eyes of a demon. His heart started to beat faster with a mix of fear and exhilaration.

“Tara,” Mark managed to croak out, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart. “Do you really want this? You have no idea about the darkness inside me, and my need to share it with someone just as kinky.”

“Yes, Mark,” Tara said, “I want this. I need this.”

Mark took Tara into a tight embrace, pulling her close. The smell, feel, and sound of her latex outfit was intoxicating. Their lips came together in a tender kiss, filled with equal measures of relief, excitement, and optimism. As they embraced, Tara could feel the heat radiating between them, igniting an inferno that threatened to consume her.