Free Infidelity by Pat Tucker

later when the waiter returned, Clarke was first to place his order, "I’d like the Seafood Alfredo," Clarke said, closing his menu and looking at Persha.
    "Emmm, I think I’ll take the Chicken Linguine, with an Italian Margarita," Persha added.
    "Okay, I’ll be right back with your salad and drinks," the waiter said as he scooped up the menus and left.
    As they waited for the drinks they had ordered, Persha gazed out of the window. "Can you believe it?" she asked, pausing.
    Clarke didn’t answer right away. The last thing he needed was her ass complaining about staying with him and Kelsa. Here he was trying to make a way for her, the only way he knew how, and she was complaining? Sometimes he didn’t know what to do about women. Just can’t keep ‘em happy, he thought.
    By the time Persha turned to him, she looked as if she was expecting an answer.
    "Clarke, what’s on your mind? I asked if you knew it wasn’t even spring yet and it’s so damn hot and humid outside. You didn’t say anything."
    "Awww, Shorty, I’m sorry. A brotha just thinking about that food and when it’s gonna get here. I’m starving!" He rubbed his stomach for good measure.
    "You sure that’s all you’re thinking about?"
    "Yeah girl. I haven’t eaten since I had a Krispy Kreme donut this morning. And I only had one, so you know how a brotha is feeling right about now."
    "’Nuff said." Persha looked around the buzzing restaurant until she spotted what she was looking for. "Good, here comes our waiter, and he’s got breadsticks and our salad."
    "That’ll work!" Clarke said.
    After dinner, the two sat at the table long after it had been cleared.
    "You feel better now?" Persha asked.
    Clarke leaned back and rubbed his stomach. "That hit the spot, seriously." He eased forward. "So what’s up, Shorty. You ready to go or what? A brotha could work off all this food if you know what I’m saying." He winked before displaying a devilish smile.
    Her lips pursed and her eyebrows inched up.
    "Well, I guess I gotta pay for your hospitality sooner or later, right?" She grinned.
    "Now you talking. So I guess you ready to step then, right?"
    "Yeah, just let me run to the little girl’s room real quick." She got up from the chair.
    "Cool, I’ll meet you at the door. Let me take care of the bill, then it’s straight to the house."
    Persha made her way to the bathroom and Clarke took care of the bill. After that, they headed back to Clarke’s house.
    Clarke instructed Persha to park her car down the street. He told her to walk ahead of him to the house. A few minutes later, he walked up and let her in.
    "We don’t know any of our neighbors or anything like that," Clarke said, as they entered the house," "but a brotha still didn’t want to take any chances. You know how that is."
    She shook her head and stepped into the house. It was hard to tell just how large the house was from the outside. But once inside, it was one large flat open room, spanning more than twenty-five hundred square feet. The kitchen was off to the left and a den was off to the right. The cascading staircase was near the back towards the den.
    The furniture was contemporary, leather and cherry wood. And lots of plants gave the house an outdoorsy kind of feel.
    "You like?" Clarke asked as they stood near the door.
    "Wow! This is really nice. Your wife must have a helluva green thumb! Are all these plants real?" Persha asked with excitement.
    "Yup! Sure are," he boasted proudly.
    "Damn. I can’t get anything to live in my house, well unless you count the damn mold!" She walked over toward the den, where several large plants were mounted near the entrance to the elegant dinning room.
    The house was immaculately done in Navy with lots of greenery cascading all over, especially near the big screen TV. Clarke stood and watched as she moved from one area of the house to the next.
    "This is so nice," she gasped.
    Clarke led her upstairs. A crystal vase with fresh flowers sat on a small