Chapter 13: You're My Blue-Eyed Girl

Danielle continues to have her affair with Ocasio, but remains conflicted about it, especially after reading Blake's email to her.

Out of nowhere, a heavy storm appears and touches down on New Orleans. It's one of those rare days where it rains so hard that it even soaks through your raincoat and forces you to change out of your whole outfit once you get home. Like standing in an ice-cold shower with no access to the temperature knob, let alone the tap.

That is exactly the case with Danielle and Ocasio, who have been hanging out and catching up for the longest time now. Their intent was initially to go on with their day despite the rain, but it was only when their raincoats gave out that they decided to call it quits. But all things considered, it's been a productive day so far. They've caught up, eaten lunch out and gone to the park, where a band played "Jump In The Line" by Harry Belafonte and the two danced.

As soon as Danielle's apartment building comes into view, the two friends pick up their pace until they both manage to slip through the revolving door, where they take the time to slow down and catch their breath. Much to her shock, Ocasio's apartment is in the same building, just a few floors directly below hers. It almost seems too good to be true for Danielle. No way is it purely a coincidence that he lives in the very apartment where Blake once resided before he moved in with her.

As of now, the apartment is mostly barren. The furniture is all there and ready to be used, and a few sparse pieces of artwork and novels are on the walls and shelves respectively. However, there are several boxes littered all over, suggesting that he's recently moved in here. A part of Danielle wonders if maybe he moved here specifically because of her, though it's quite unlikely. Upon entering the room, the first thing the two of them do is strip off their raincoats and toss them into the all-in-one washer and dryer.

"Whew, now I feel a lot better," Danielle chuckles, wiping away the raindrops that have settled on her glasses.

"And you look a lot better too." Ocasio smirks, ogling his former flame.

Danielle looks down at herself and her eyes widen. The T-shirt she has on has also been affected by the downpour, cold and damp as it clings to her much more tightly than usual. Her enraged n*****s have made their presence known as well, also letting Ocasio know that she has no bra on. She's rarely felt the need to do so, considering how naturally perky she tends to be.

Ocasio's smirk only widens as he checks her out some more. His own shirt has also become sheer from the rainfall, revealing his rock-hard torso complete with a n****e-erection of his own. Danielle can't help but check him out too, and as soon as their eyes lock again, they chuckle awkwardly at each other before blushing and looking away.

"I, uh... I guess we should wash the rest of our clothes too, then?" Ocasio suggests. "It doesn't look like the rain's gonna let up anytime soon."

"I suppose you're right." Danielle shrugs, undoing the laces on her boots.

Without even bothering to go into separate rooms, the two strip down to their unmentionables and toss their outfits into the washing machine as well, throwing in a cap-full of Oxi Clean. Now Danielle is in nothing but her plain white underwear and matching thigh-high bobby socks, while Ocasio sports nothing but boxer-briefs of the same color. Both of their skin and hair are still damp from the rain, but it somehow makes them both look attractive in each other's eyes. Although she loves her Blake a ton, Danielle can't help but feel that Ocasio has a slightly better looking upper-body; she almost finds herself drooling at the sight of it... as well as that respectable bulge in his briefs.

Ocasio ogles her back as his long-suppressed feelings for her start to show their faces again. He's always thought she looks a lot more attractive the less she has on; her waist appearing to go in even further, and those birthing-hips of hers looking pleasantly flared. There are just some bodily aspects to which clothing does no justice. Part of him thinks she'd make a great vessel for a child of his someday, if only she weren't damn near addicted to contraceptives.

Before either of them know it, they're kissing again for the first time in many years. Ocasio is the first to make a move, and Danielle, blinded by her newfound ecstasy, kisses him back. Their embrace feels cold at first due to the weather they just fled from, but they both quickly grow used to it as they move over to the couch and give their hands free reign over each other's mostly-nude bodies.

"Mmm, ohh... ahem... I-I think there might be a more suitable place for this," Danielle manages to breathe out.

Quickly and wordlessly, Ocasio lifts her up like a baby and carries her into the only bedroom without bothering to close the door behind them. He plops her onto her back on the naked bed and, before she can move a muscle, he starts to kiss his way down her body, starting at her chin and neck and ending below her navel. She quivers with delight as he gently lowers her skivvies, only to find a panty-liner blocking access to what he wants.

"Hmm, now what's this doing here, eh?" he asks seductively.

"I-I can't help it!" Danielle gasps. "Y-You... a-arouse me so much! My pants would be stained otherwise!"

"I'm honestly surprised to hear that," Ocasio smirks. "Heh, I still remember the very first time we did this."

"Yeah, when you insisted on using a condom even though I was already on birth control. And you even pulled out too," Danielle replies. "Though I gotta say, it was pretty cool to watch the front of your condom fill up like that."

Ocasio's smirk only widens as he takes off the pad too and prepares to dive between her legs. Following this, the two former lovers make heated, passionate love for the rest of the afternoon.

---

The storm has passed by the time they're done, recollecting their bearings as they lay sprawled out on top of the bed, probably unable to move for another few minutes or so. Feeling content overall, Danielle just sighs with a smile as memories of previous sexual encounters start to come back to her. Of course she loves Blake a lot, and their marriage has gone on swimmingly from Day One. Yet despite how they never argued and had sex regularly, she feels like something's missing from her life.

What she's just done is near identical to how they used to do it back in the day, and just as enjoyable. She loves how well-endowed and skilled Ocasio is, and his seemingly endless stamina topped only by Blake's. She loves the irregular way he breathes after sex, and how he all but falls asleep once the deed is done. Not to mention how he never insists on cuddling her right afterwards, unlike Blake, allowing her plenty of time to cool off and reorient herself.

"Alright, I've gotta piss and check on the laundry. Then I can walk you home later," Ocasio says after what feels like forever. "Unless you wanna grab dinner first."

"Hate to say it, but I think I'll pass tonight. I've got leftovers at home that'll probably spoil if I don't eat them within the next few days," Danielle replies. "It was really nice to see you again, though. And I hope we can keep meeting up like this... at least until the war ends."

"Okay then." Ocasio nods, bristling a little at that last comment.

Once he leaves the room, Danielle reaches for her phone and sits up, checking for any notifications she might have missed while she was preoccupied. Only now does she discover the email she received from Blake from a while back. She mentally curses herself for not getting around to reading it sooner.

Dear Danielle,

Just wanted to let you know that I'm doing fine out here. A little lonely, seeing how you're not here, but okay nonetheless, all things considered. You have no idea how much crap I've had to go through out on the battlefield. I've seen numerous comrades get captured and brutally tortured, or even gunned down right before my eyes, having to wrap them up and tell their families they didn't survive. I've even had to dig my own bullets out of enemy corpses a handful of times, and I've hated every second of it.

But if there's anything positive I can say about this war, it's that I feel more alive than ever. I've had a lot less difficulty speaking to people and advocating for myself, and I've even been less hesitant about killing the opposition. It's almost as though this was meant to be my main objective in life, and meeting you was like the first step of that journey.

That's really all I have to say for now. Take good care and don't miss me too much. I love you from the very bottom of my heart, and I hope to see you back home soon.

Sincerely,

Blake.

As soon as she finishes reading the letter, the upbeat romantic playlist on Ocasio's clock-radio takes a mild detour as "Hopelessly Devoted To You" from Grease starts to play. Danielle can't help but lie back down and clench her phone to her bare chest. At first, when the war was just starting, she was worried that Blake would struggle serving in the army, especially without her by his side, given his soft-spoken, introverted nature. Yes, that trait was mostly drained from him as their relationship progressed; he had to sacrifice something to be with her as she herself had done, after all. But even so, he still mostly keeps to himself, in spite of his increased confidence and talkativeness. She's relieved that his personality hasn't become his downfall, and that he's showing as much resolve and initiative as possible while overseas. She can't help but feel proud of him for that, and how much he's grown as a person since they first met all those decades ago.

But it's also now that Danielle finds herself at a crossroads. Blake hasn't the faintest idea what she's doing behind his back. Just imagine how he'd react if he found out she was taking advantage of his absence and sleeping with an old friend; something she's never even attempted to do during the other times he's left. But on the other hand, because she can't write back, she may never have to confess to her husband about what she's up to. It can just be their little secret, she and Ocasio's. Then again, she despises keeping secrets from Blake, and he has always been willing to tell her everything about whatever goes on with himself, so it wouldn't be fair for her to not do the same.

The more Danielle dwells on this matter, the more confused she becomes. She wants to keep seeing Ocasio and catching up with him after being apart for so long, but she also wants to remain faithful to Blake. Doing the former would please Ocasio, but it would surely break Blake's heart sooner or later. Meanwhile, doing the latter would please Blake, but it would take a toll on Danielle as she becomes sluggish and sex-starved.

Taking a deep breath, she decides to stop thinking about this for the rest of the day and give it more time. After all, there's no telling when the war will end, so she doesn't need to worry about making a final decision right away. Sitting up, Danielle steps out of the bedroom to reclaim her clothes and head home, subconsciously debating whether or not to have Ocasio escort her there.