July

“I’m married.” He said.

“I know.” She said,

She flicked off the lights with one hand and she plunged a knife deep into his back with the other hand and left the room. She thought that was the end of it but it was not. It was only a terrifying beginning for everyone. 

Six months ago Ari would have never thought that she would be stabbing anyone but as they say “stuff happens.” and the stuff that happened was all bad. She will never forget the day that their paths crossed in that quaint, small, almost hole in the wall coffee shop on Bellevue Street two blocks from her office. It was an unusually warm day in March 

Maidstone Ridge Coffee Shop was located on a busy corner of a small quiet neighborhood where mostly office workers and generation X and Millennial's would meet and hang out before work or school getting their dose of caffeine and jumbo blueberry muffins to start their day.  As Ari pushed open the heavy door a gust of warm wind enveloped her, carrying the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon muffins filled the air. The place was alive with the hum of conversations and the clicking of coffee mugs on tables in between people staring at their screens. 

Ari stepped inside the shop and gazed across the room until she saw an empty table near the window. She walked to the counter, her heels tapping lightly across the wooden floor, and she politely gave the girl standing behind it with the long blue hair and dangling hoop earrings her order. In a few minutes the girl handed her a to-go cup of hot coffee and a blueberry scone. As Ari walked to her seat she couldn’t help but notice a handsome man seated at a nearby table. He was different. He was not staring at any screens like the majority of the people sitting at various tables. He was actually reading a book, a hardcover, physical, hold in your hands book. Their eyes met briefly and Ari’s heart fluttered and a red blush appeared across her face as she tried to focus on getting to her seat without dropping her cup or tripping over her own two feet.  

Ari took out her own phone and pretended to scroll through her endless text messages, mostly from her friend, Sally wanting to know if she was going to her 30th birthday party in two weeks. Sally was so annoying, Ari thought. She was busy replying to her when she looked up and standing at her table was him, the handsome book reader. He smiled and Ari smiled back, thinking that is all she needed an incredibly handsome book lover standing at her table and there she was probably with crumbs on her face from the scone. 

“May I join you?” The man asked.

Ari blinked probably a little too much and she smiled again. She was thinking that he was probably some handsome serial killer that wanted to kidnap her and drive her to a remote location and take her phone so she couldn’t call anyone to tell them where she was, not even her annoying but sweet friend, Sally. Then she thought she should not be watching all those true crime stories before she went to bed. 

“Sure. I don’t mind.” Ari managed to say as she tried to focus on the man in front of her.

“I hope that you don’t mind me coming over. I promise I am a nice man.” He said as if he was reading her mind.

“Oh, I am sure that you are a perfect gentleman.” Ari said, blushing.

“My name is Carter.” He said, extending his hand to her.

Ari shook his hand. His hand was very soft but his handshake was very firm. 

“Hi, my name is Ari, nice to meet you.” She said, 

“Do you come here often?” Carter asked her as he sat down in the chair across from Ari.

“I come here about two or three times per week. I work around the corner.” Ari said.

“Oh, what a coincidence so do I. I work over on Misompter Street in the Zella Building on the corner. I’m  a CPA over there.” Carter said.

“I work in the Lakeshore building. I am a program manager.” Ari said as she took a sip of her now lukewarm coffee. 

“I don’t want you to think that I am moving too fast or something and you can say no if you want to but I was thinking that I really would like to get to know you better and I was thinking maybe we could meet here again tomorrow at the same time?” Carter asked.

Ari could not resist his smile and she immediately agreed. For the next month they met at the same time and at the same table. The conversation seemed endless and effortless. They talked about their families, careers, pets, food and how they both like the video game Pac Man. Then one day it happened. Ari and Carter had their first night time date, as they called it at the Opera. 

Carter, dressed in a black tuxedo with gold cuff links that his grandfather gave him, admired himself in the full-length mirror hanging on his bedroom closet’s door. His crisp white shirt contrasted the black tuxedo which was impeccably tailored to his slender body. The black bow tie completed the look. 

Ari was radiant and graceful in her floor length deep green gown which complimented her long red hair which she neatly tied up in a bun.  The dress was perfect and gently hugged her curves. Her dress shimmered under the soft glow of the chandeliers at the opera house along with the small diamond heart necklace that her mom gave her for her 18th birthday. 

As they entered the theater they were greeted with the tones of the orchestra tuning their instruments. The air was filled with a sense of antispactation and excitement as people mingled and exchanged greetings among themselves. The theater was a sight with its gold leaf decorations which adorned the walls and the ceiling.  The seats were plush red velvet. Carter placed his hand in the small of Ari’s back and guided her to their seats. As the lights dimmed and the curtains rose Ari and Carter’s eyes sparkled as they exchanged glances. As the opera ended so would Carter’s life. 

The other people who had come to the opera left and Ari and Carter were alone sitting in their seats. Carter knew the owner of the theater so he had the “special privilege” of having the theater to himself after everyone had gone.

Carter could not keep his secret any longer. Ari deserved to know. He looked into Ari’s eyes and asked her if she wanted something to drink. He wanted to prolong the confession he had to make to her for as long as he could. Ari declined. 

“Ari, I have something to tell you.” Carter stammered his words.

“What would that be?” Ari asked.

Carter ran his fingers through his blonde hair and beads of sweat appeared on his face as he spoke. He needed to choose his words carefully.

“You know that I like you a great deal. I could even fall in love with you because you are that special. But, there is something that I need to tell you.” Carter said.

Ari didn’t say a word and didn’t let him finish because she already knew what his confession was. She already knew that he was married and she already knew his wife. Carter didn’t know that Ari and his wife had a plan for him and the plan was not good. 

The knife Ari used she had gotten from Carter’s wife, Nisha. Ari found out about Nisha when she called her one day out of the blue and told her that she was Carter’s wife. She told her she was not the first woman that he had cheated on her with and that they had been married for ten years but didn’t have any children. Carter didn’t want any. He barely wanted her to have a dog. He told her kids were too much of a responsibility for him and he was never a father type of person so Nisha put her dreams of having a family out of her head. Ari listened intently to Nisha’s story and the women met for tea the next day at the same coffee shop where Ari met Carter that day in March. It was now July. 

“Why are you doing this to me?” Carter said as the knife in his back sent unbearable pain throughout his body. 

“One reason.” Ari said. 

Carter managed to look up for a brief moment before he passed out and there he saw the reason. Nisha was standing beside Ari and she was smiling as she reached for Ari and they held hands. 

Carter recovered from his wounds unexpectedly and never told a soul who had stabbed him in the back. He felt that he deserved it since he had been stabbing his wife in the back for many years with all the affairs he had. He heard that Ari and Nisha moved to a Greek Island together and adopted four kids. His wife finally got the family and life she always wanted in July.