Evil in Paradise. R. B. Conroy

faded into the background as his cart disappeared into the dark spring night.

       9

      “Nice wheels!”

      “Thanks, I like this model. With all of the extras it was over a hundred thousand.” Cathy felt tacky mentioning the price of her car. Eric wasn’t a poor boy, but he certainly didn’t have the kind of money that she had. Over a hundred thousand was a significant amount to a man like him. She hoped the shallow materialism might excite Eric. Cathy glanced in the rearview mirror and fluffed her blond curls-a gesture to show Eric how important it was that she look good for him. Her efforts did not go unnoticed.

      “No need to primp, my pretty. You look gorgeous.” Eric took a sip of his Bud Light and placed it back in the cup holder on the console. It was his seventh Bud since arriving at Cody’s an hour and a half earlier. Cathy had consumed four Vodka tonics in the same period and was feeling woozy. The nice comments from Eric sent a thrill up her spine-her face flushed red. She was drunk, horny and ready for action.

      “We’re here,” she announced.

      The security gate to the Village of Duval opened in front of them. “It’s the first right and then the fourth house on the left.”

      Cathy wanted to explain the exact location of the Smith’s to Eric so he could find it on his own if need be. During the drive, her skirt had scooted up past mid-thigh, her shapely legs were spread wide apart. Becoming more and more excited about what she hoped lay ahead, she fumbled nervously for the garage door opener on the visor. In her eagerness to find it and open the door, the opener slipped from her hand and fell on her lap.

      “Oh my, I’m such a klutz,” she moaned.

      “Allow me.” Eric reached over and plucked the elusive opener from her lap letting his hand rest against her upper thighs for a second before lifting it and handing it to her. “Here you are, my dear.”

      Hands shaking, Cathy took the opener from him and pressed the button. The door rattled up, Cathy drove carefully in the garage and pushed the down button. Then, with her chest heaving and back erect, she fell back against the leather seat waiting for what she knew was coming. Without comment, Eric leaned closer and began carefully unbuttoning her blouse. When the last button was open, Cathy frantically reached around her back, unhooked her bra, slipped it off and tossed it in the backseat. Eric slid his hand up her thigh, moving closer and closer to the promise land. Bare-chested and moaning, Cathy was barely able to speak as the garage door opener light went off, “T…there’s a king bed in the master bedroom, w…why don’t we go inside.”

      A drunken, red-faced Eric, groaned, “Let’s hurry. It just got darker than night in here.”

      Their car doors banged shut as the two excited lovers fumbled toward the back door to enter the house. Once inside, Cathy clicked on the kitchen light. Articles of clothing began flying everywhere. A pair of men’s underwear landed on the kitchen counter, a ladies’ tennis shoe bounced against the leg of the large bed in the master bedroom, and a pair of silk bikini panties sailed through the air glancing off the master bathroom door and then hooking on the handle. The two lovers pounced on the bed, wound themselves into a knot like two sumo wrestlers and made passionate love over and over again, until their well-conditioned, but aging bodies could go no more.

      After several long embraces and wet kisses, Cathy rolled to her back and glanced at her watch and moaned, “This has been wonderful, my dear, but it’s after eleven o’clock.”

      She gave Eric a peck on the cheek, rolled out of bed and hurried around the large master suite picking up her clothes. With her arms full, she ran toward the master bath snatching her panties off of the door handle on the way. Eric followed suit, gathering up his stuff and heading for the guest bathroom just off the family room.

      A few minutes later, like a couple of teenagers, the two fully dressed lovebirds giggled their way to the garage. Cathy pushed the button next to the garage door. The opener’s light blinked on and the door rattled up. They hurried to the car and hopped in before the neighbors saw them and quickly backed out of the garage to begin the drive back to Lake Sumter Landing to pick up Eric’s Jeep.

      “Think he’ll be suspicious? It will be going on twelve before you get home.” Eric’s open-eyed gaze hung on Cathy.

      “I don’t know, I hope he’s asleep.”

      “Are you late often?” Eric pressed her, not wanting any trouble with a man of her husband’s stature.

      “No, I’m usually home by ten-thirty or eleven. I’m surprised he hasn’t called. He should be worried about me, don’t you think?” She grinned mischievously at Eric.

      Eric shook his head, “You’re too much.”

      “Ed’s the trusting type; he believes everything I tell him.”

      “Which will be?” He held his eyes on his confident bedmate.

      “He doesn’t know much about my tennis playing activities. I’ll just tell him that it was a very long match and we were all tired and hungry, so we stopped on the way home for a quick bite to eat. He won’t press me on the details; he never does.” She reached over and patted Eric’s bare leg. “Don’t worry, I’m not so sure he really gives a hoot anyway.”

      Eric took his eyes off Cathy and looked through the windshield at the parking lot ahead. There was a group at the outside bar laughing and making small talk.

      Cathy’s car came to a stop next to the Jeep, “Here we are, darling. Thank you for a wonderful evening.”

      “Likewise, my lovely.” He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.