The Trophy

Claudia found herself lounging by the pool watching the midday California sun dance across the crystal blue of the pool. Her mind chaotic after what she now called all her interactions, the session. Taking a deep breath, she rested her head back against the lounge chair, her breast heaving as she tried to expel the tension in her body. God, how she hated that man she called husband, and not for the first time she wondered how her life had ended up here.

Over the years, she had reshaped her life many times. In her twenties, she had been a flight attendant and though the career had been very stressful, it had allowed her to see world. From Paris to Oklahoma, she had seen it all, but at 28 she decided it was time for a change. She wanted to lay down roots, build a quiet life, and just allow the world to past her by. That was why she had returned to Napa Valley, her hometown, and took a position at a small family run coffee shop. Thinking back on it now, she realized working at the shop had been the best times of her life, and ones that she would always cherish. If only, that man she now called her husband had not found his way into the shop one stormy night.

The coffee shop, that night, had been absolutely dead. She had not served not a single person on account of the thunderstorm that had been ravishing the valley for the better part of the day. So to pass the time, she had sat down at a table in the lobby, so that she could watch the door to make sure she didn’t miss a customer, and still browse her facebook page. At the time, she marveled how she really missed the old social media website MySpace. Facebook just isn’t the same, she thought, as she scrolled through her newsfeed and watched as the rain belted against the windowpanes of the shop. She must have zoned out there for a minute, because suddenly the bell over the door chimed as a man entered. Pushing herself up from the table, she tried to clear the fog that had settled over her, as she went behind the counter. “How can I help you”, she started to say, but when she met the strangers eyes with her own the words just seemed to fade out into the distance. He was easily the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. Little did she know that it would be those same good looks that would turn her into someone she no longer recognized.

Suddenly, Claudia was brought back to the present at the sound of a man’s voice. “Mistress, can I get you anything?” Opening her eyes, she found the pool boy staring at her, decked out in his speedo that showed off his tanned washboard abs. She smiled up at him, admiring the view, after all she could look; but she would never dare touch. “Simon, you know you don’t have to call me mistress when my husband isn’t around”, she told him, for she hated the term that her husband had bestowed on her.

 “It’s best to stay in practice, Mistress. You never know who might be listening.” He simply stated. Taking another deep breath, she again locked on her eyes on him, “I suppose you are right on that account. Very well, Boy, you may get me another Bloody Mary. And this time, don’t chimp out on the pepper. You know I like it spicy.” She stated icily, as she again stepped into her role within the household.