“She’ll Be Mine Again”

Dwayne splashed cold water on his face and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. Damn, he looked 10 years older with those bags and dark circles under his eyes like that, he thought to himself, then quickly dried his face with a hand-towel and tossed it onto the counter and went out into the hallway. He’d managed to get maybe an hour of sleep the night before, which he thought was pretty good considering he couldn’t stop thinking about what his wife and that stupid mechanic boyfriend of hers might be up to.

He also had plenty of time to think about how he was going to win Abby back while he laid there all night on that lumpy couch. She wouldn’t be able to resist him, just like when they first met down in Mexico on Spring Break. He was young, good-looking, and rich... why wouldn’t she want to be with him instead of that dumb grease-monkey she was with. Dwayne clenched his fists, thinking about what he’d do to that bastard, Colin, when he got him alone. Yes, he’d teach him to steal another man’s wife, teach him real good, too. Then, he’d have to teach that wife of his not to go running off ever again. That part wouldn’t be as pleasant, but she had to learn from her mistake, didn’t she? Otherwise, she’d just end up doing it again and he’d have to find her and bring her back... again.

He’d tried more than once to sneak out to find which room she was in, but that flat-foot he’d hired to find her was keeping him from it. Well, who the hell did that fucker think he was, anyway? Dwayne was the one with the money, he was the one calling the shots, not some stupid hired-hand.

He managed to give him the slip when Alex had gone downstairs to have a smoke, thinking Dwayne was still asleep. Now, all he had to do was hang around in the hallway, waitin’ for Abby or that clod she was with to show their faces.

Dwayne leaned casually against the wall, watching as the inn’s residents one by one emerged from their rooms and headed down the stairway. Each cast him a doubtful look as they passed, wondering what he was up to loitering in the hall like that. He smiled and said, “’Morning” as they passed, then realized he’d best get a move on before one of them complained about him hanging about.

He headed down the opposite side of the hallway, stopping and listening at each door as he passed, finally stopping in front of the last door. Her’s. He knew it. He could hear her giggling inside. He saw red as the anger and rage he’d managed to control before came bubbling to the surface. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his prescription bottle, swallowed down one of his pills. Then, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he banged loudly on the door and called out to her. “Abby! Let me in, darlin’!...”

TBC...