A GREAT BIG thank-you to Sharon (Josiecat) for helping me break through my writer's block for this one, as well as for being a wonderful proofreader!  This one is the lead in for a whole new chapter in Frank and Eva's lives that she and I are co-authoring.  Enjoy and please R/R.  Thanks!

John Trafford had been living a rather shallow existence his whole life.  He always put himself before others and he thought that he had gotten far in life.  He was successful and wealthy, but his outlook on his personal life changed drastically a few months ago when he saw Eva for the first time since "that night."  He had seen how happy she was and just how much her relationship with him no longer mattered to her.  She spoke of her husband in the most loving of ways and that made John very curious about what that man must be like.  How was she surviving without John?  She was his for five years and was able to leave him after one night? 

John was still "with" Sarah, Eva's sister, but was never around any of her family due to the circumstances surrounding his "relationship" with her; meeting Frank was out of the question.  Sarah hadn't really gone into much detail about what Frank was like.  She only mentioned that he was working for the Denton Pharmaceutical Company and that he was rather gifted in the sciences.  Hearing that made John think of Frank as some fragile "geek" of a man.  He pictured him as a typical nerd with thick-rimmed glasses, a pocket protector, a starched white shirt with a skinny black tie, and a Drew Carey haircut. 

John thought of himself as quite a catch.  He was always dressed as if he hopped out of a J. Crew catalog and always made sure he had the latest "gadgets" to impress people with.  To be blunt, he was as superficial as one can get.  He and Eva matched in appearances quite well; everyone always commented on what a lovely couple they made.  Now she was with someone who was John's exact opposite?  And how on earth could someone like that possibly satisfy her?  John was, in his mind at least, a stud in the bedroom (though Eva's opinion was drastically different).

On a cool Monday morning, John was parking his car across the street from the Denton Pharmaceutical Company; he was to speak with the employees at a meeting there that morning.  As he took the keys out of the ignition of his red Porsche Boxter, he watched a blue Mustang pull into the parking lot next to the building he was to enter.  He immediately recognized it as Eva's car.  What's she doing here?

Eva needed to go into town that morning to see her publisher, so she and Frank rode in together.  John watched as Eva got out of the passenger's side of the car.  He had seen her from a distance once or twice since they last spoke and each time he saw her she appeared more beautiful; this time was no exception.  He then watched as the driver of the car walked around to Eva and slid his arm around her waist.  He was laying his eyes on Frank for the first time.  John really couldn't see him well enough to know whether or not his mind's conception of Frank was accurate or not.

When they reached the front of the building, Frank gave Eva a lengthy, passionate kiss.  The couple had already made love that morning, but kissing Frank made Eva long to be with him in their sacred way again.  She forced herself to pull away; Frank smiled at her.

            "Still feeling a bit frisky, love?" he purred in her ear.

            "You could say that," she replied running her finger down her husband's chest.

            "Well, we'll just have to take care of that after Faye goes to bed tonight, won't we?"

            "We just might," Eva giggled.  She pitied those who always told her that sex dwindles after marriage; she and Frank shared a sex life that only grew more passionate by the day.  She gave him another kiss, though she kept it short.  "Have a good day at work, Frankie."

            "Good luck with your new chapters, baby.  I'll see you tonight.  Your mother will be picking you up down here, right?"

            Eva nodded.  "We're going to take Faye to lunch with us after my meeting."  She playfully tapped the end of Frank's nose and flashed a smile that gave him what he always used to think was a fabled "warm and fuzzy" feeling.  "See you tonight."  Frank smiled as he watched his wife start down the sidewalk.

            Even though he couldn't hear what they were saying, John could see how happy Eva was, as well as how happy her husband was.  He felt the slightest pang of jealousy in his bowels realizing that he could have been the one smiling as he watched Eva walk away.  He knew he would never have a relationship like that with Sarah or anyone else.

            As soon as Frank entered the building, John got out of his car and made his way across the street.  He walked into the lobby of the building and without realizing it said, "I'm such an idiot," just loud enough to be noticed.

            "Pardon me, sir?"  He looked up to see a young, attractive woman seated in a reception area.

            He snapped himself out of the funk he was in and began to exude his sickeningly fake charm.  "Oh, nothing, miss, just forgot to fill up my tank on the way here this morning."  He flashed her a wide smile.  "My name is John Trafford, I'm with Collins Ahern, and well, Trafford."  (John made partner at the firm, even without a trophy wife.)

            "Oh, Mr. Trafford," the secretary said, slightly batting her eyes at him, "I was expecting Mr. Ahern this morning."

            John cleared his throat.  "Yes, he was supposed to be here, but had a family issue to tend to.  Um, I feel a bit incompetent asking, but where is it exactly that I'm going?"

            "Let's see here."  She hit some keys on her keyboard and looked intently at her monitor.  "You're up on the seventh floor.  The conference room is the last door on the left."

            "Thank you very much, miss."

            She smiled at him.  "You're quite welcome, Mr. Trafford."