Chapter 8: Straight Outta the Past

In her sexual frustration, Danielle stumbles across the very thing she needs: an old flame who just so happens to have recently moved into New Orleans.

Someway, somehow, Danielle manages to truck through the rest of winter, with no Blake to keep her company at work or during the walks home, or to keep her warm almost every night. She hates to admit it, but her love of sex just might border on addiction. Back in the day, when she was younger, she used to be rather promiscuous, spending about half of her income on birth control and avoiding commitment like the plague. She would attend many a party throughout Baton Rouge, and have sex with any number of guys, sometimes more than once in a single night. Occasionally, one would ask for a followup, such as a date or relationship, and some particularly drunk individuals would ask for her hand in marriage right after the deed was done. But Danielle turned them all down every time, preferring to stick to her fast-paced, debauchery-filled lifestyle.

This way of life did her no favors as far as her relationship with her parents was concerned. Her mother especially disapproved of it, and both she and her husband tried to minimize contact with their daughter as a result. Nevertheless, Danielle refused to change, not caring what her loved ones thought about the way she carried her existence. The way she sees it, the only opinion that matters is hers alone, at least in most cases.

It was only after she met Blake when she underwent a change of heart. She'd received an offer for a job that was similar to her current one, but paid twice as much. This brought her over to New Orleans, where she was assigned a cubicle right by his. There, Danielle was intrigued by his well-groomed appearance and quiet, reserved temperament, the exact opposite of her own. But as they say, opposites attract, and that saying proved doubly true for their relationship. In time, the two became an official couple as Danielle eventually brought Blake out of his introverted shell and grew to love him, willingly putting her sex-fueled life behind her and settling down. She would then vow to make him as happy as she could for the rest of his life, even managing to win her parents back over in the process.

And ever since then, Danielle has kept that promise, not even once daring to cheat on her husband and making him the only target of her flirtations... not counting the times she harmlessly flirts with storekeepers in order to get better bargains, though Blake does not mind this at all. And yet, now that Blake is gone, Danielle can't help but feel a bit more like her old self. Sure, she loves her husband a ton and hopes he survives overseas, though a desire for sexual activity is insidiously eating away at her. And her small collection of d****s is just not going to cut it.

It's an ordinary spring day as Danielle makes her way into town for the Sunday farmer's market. She's relieved that she no longer has to don a heavy coat to go outside; all she has to wear now is an open cardigan, a hint of midriff peeking out of her blouse underneath, in addition to a keyhole opening just below the neckline. That being said, you can't tell by looking at her. Her dark brown hair is slightly frizzy, azure eyes weighed down with bags just barely concealed by her glasses. A few fellow customers can't help but stare at her as she walks by, but she pays them no mind, just wanting to get what she wants/needs and head back home to brood.

Still keeping her head down a bit, she eyes the various products on sale. Deep red and pink cuts of meat that one can tell weren't butchered by a professional. Fresh apples, oranges, and berries, as well as homemade juices and jellies extracted from them. Eggs, cheese and milk straight from the chickens, cows and goats from just outside of town. Brazen spices, vegetables, and herbs with a bright rainbow of hues complimented by the morning sun. Danielle is just not sure what to buy as everything looks utterly delicious in her eyes. The local supermarket has nothing on this, that's for sure.

After a good thirty minutes of browsing, she decides to invest in a sack of freshly dug potatoes to use in her next batch of veal samosas. It's a favorite household dish she shares with Blake, who willingly abandoned his vegan diet just so he could indulge in them whenever he pleased. Danielle also decides to pick up an array of spices to use in her various curry recipes, before heading to the meat section and inspecting the chicken they have on sale. However, on her way over there, she can't help but stop in her tracks.

She looks to her right and sees a skinny, amber-skinned man roughly the same age as herself, with short dreads that point every which way. Sporting one of those Cuban button-down shirts with four front pockets, with a backwards Gatsby cap and his pants worn halfway down his rear, revealing plaid boxers. He faces away from her as he inspects a glass bottle of goat's milk, though she hardly has any trouble recognizing him.

"Ocasio?" Danielle inquires, prompting him to turn around.

As soon as he does that, she's able to get a look at his distinctive mug. His angular nose and dark brown eyes, as well as the baby-face he's been cursed with, preventing him from growing any facial hair. There's no denying this one. After all these years, she's once again face to face with one of several men she encountered in the past, and one of only two guys she's slept with more than once, the other being Blake.

"Danielle?" Ocasio asks cautiously, speaking in a light Costa Rican accent.

"Heh, the one and only." Danielle's eyes light up as she chuckles, pulling him into a hug. "It's always nice to see a familiar face. God knows I haven't seen one in quite some time, especially with the war going on and all that."

"Don't I know," Ocasio chuckles as well.

"Say, is there any particular reason why you're not serving as well?" Danielle raises an eyebrow.

"Didn't have the stamina to pass my training, so they kicked me out." Ocasio shrugs.

Danielle's core tingles at the mention of "stamina", as she remembers the nights she used to spend with the man before her, and how his performance in the sack is rivaled only by Blake's.

"Say, uh, I'm free for most of the afternoon. So, wanna hang out? Maybe catch up a little?" Ocasio suggests, somewhat awkwardly.

Oh, I think I might wanna do more than just that, Danielle subconsciously giggles, her eyes locked on him.

"Oh, uh, sure thing. I'll just pay for my groceries and we can get going," she says aloud, bringing an expression of delight to her former flame's face.

"Great. I'll do the same." Ocasio smiles back.