The Village

The mist hung thick across the rolling fields, muting the shades of green they walked through as the horizon blended into the eery mid morning light.

The chilly late February air surrounded Gary and Andrea Chambers as they walked side by side. The weather was a fitting metaphor for their relationship, the weight of unspoken issues as ever hung heavily between them.

"Remember when we used to take this route every week with the boys?" Andrea enquired to break the crippling silence,

Seeking a connection to the man she loved despite recent issues that were all of her own making. Recalling the happier times that had once defined their relationship and their family.

"Before everything fell apart," he replied, his voice strained.

A heavy silence enveloped them again as they navigate the muddied footpath, they knew so well. Gary feeling a tightness in his chest, resentment gnawing at him since Andrea's admission of the affair, the sordid details of which had been so cruelly exposed,

"You say you want to fix things, but I don't know if talking about the past is really helping," he continued, glancing toward the ground, unable to meet her eyeline.

"Talking is the first step," Andrea insisted, desperation edging her voice on hearing how cliched she sounded by relating the words of the Psychiatrist she had sought advice from during fairly informal cognitive therapy.

She stopped in her tracks, as her turned to face her, "Sometimes I don't even want to bring myself to talk to you... after what you've done."

"If we don't address this... how it affects us... how can we ever move on?" Andrea near pleaded.

Before her husband could offer a response, she tensed her hand to her mouth as a large black dog rushed towards them through the misty fog. It was a Labrador breed, she recognised as it surged closer heading straight towards them. Barking, growling, and snarling with bared teeth as it slowed and came to a stand still before them on the footpath. Instinctively Andrea noticed how Gary stepped in front of her, shielding her.

"Back... get back," he stated on a raised tone, stepping forward a pace with confidence.

"Gary," Andrea offered, her heart racing, her voice trembling as she clung to her husband's left arm.

Uncertainty at how to deal with the situation gripped them both as the dog refused to back down, through the mist Andrea saw a figure emerge.

"Come Mollie... Heel," he stated and immediately the dog recalled, padding away to fall in line with his stride.

They collectively exhaled not least on recognising their friend Jake Parkinson as he stepped towards them, his boots and lower ankles caked in mud, he appeared somewhat breathless and slightly panicked himself as he attached a lead to a collar around the black dog's neck.

"Mollie," he sternly commanded, his voice firm yet calm, as the dog growled once more before she sat obediently at Jake's side.

"Sorry about that," Jake offered with an apologetic smile, his eyes glancing at Gary's protective stance. "She... she just got startled by the cattle in the next field... can't have seen them in this fog... she normally behaves impeccably."

"Don't worry buddy... she startled us as well... Who's gonna get the Cows back for what they've caused?" Gary replied, slowly relaxing as he measured the situation, even as the tension within him subsided.

"Well, I'm having Steak tonight... so in a roundabout way...." Jake chuckled.

"Thanks, Jake," Andrea eventually said, her voice soothing as her own panic eased. So much so she crouched to pet Mollie. The dog shifted and stood in response, her demeanour softening to Andrea's gentle touch as she playfully licked the gloved hand that petted her. "She is beautiful... and you have obviously got her well training."

"Training takes discipline," Jake explained, looking down at Andrea as she crouched at his feet. "Just like in life... A little consistency can go a long way."

His attention turned to Gary, "Ever since a Pup... we've built a relationship and an understanding... a well trained dog is kind of like a well kept relationship. You've got to work at it!"

"Sounds easy enough," Gary replied, his sarcasm dripping as he glanced briefly down to his wife.

Jake's laughter fell into an awkward silence as he shifted the conversation. "Anyway...It's been a while... How have you both been?"

"Getting by," Andrea replied, forcing a smile, her eyes darting to Gary, hoping he would engage.

"You guys seen Steven lately?" Jake offered, trying to find common ground.

"No," Andrea replied. "You know Steven though, he's probably up to his eyes in books and keeping abreast of latest research.,. Although I'm not sure why I think he's definitely retired now... even if he won't admit it himself."

"He was at Mo Redmond's funeral.... But we didn't really speak," Gary offers.

At the mention of the event, a cloud crossed Jake's face Andrea noticed. "Her passing was such a pity...," Jake said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "...I liked old Mo."

"You missed the wake though, didn't you?" Gary probed.

"Yeah..., something came up" Jake responded before abruptly changing the subject. "What are you guys up to next weekend.... I've got the Brayburn's coming for something to eat next Friday if you want to join us?"

"I'd love that!" Andrea replied, her enthusiasm sparked at the opportunity to socialise.

Gary's brow furrowed, hesitation creeping into his mind. "Maybe,"

"Maybe?" Andrea echoed at his noncommittal, annoyance creeping into her tone. "You're kidding me, right?... We were only just saying we need to get out more."

"No offence Jake.... But I meant the theatre... meals with friends happen regularly, Andrea," he shot back defensively.

"Maybe it's a start!" Andrea's voice quivered slightly as she struggled to hide emotions. "If we don't try, how do we know what might help?"

Jake, sensing the tension, looked between them. "No need to fall out on my behalf guys... It's just dinner, right? "

"We'll be there," Gary murmured, his reluctance still clear as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Great!" Andrea smiled, though her forced happiness did not fully reach her eyes.

As they parted ways, Gary and Andrea continued their walk while Jake and Mollie headed in the opposite direction, they soon lost sight of one Jake and Mollie to the unrelenting mist swirling around them.

"You need to be more decisive, Gary," Andrea said, breaking the silence. "I get that we're in a tough spot, but..."

"It's just... Well, I feel like we'll barely hold being civil together anymore," he replied, a bitter edge creeping into his voice.

They walked on, the damp chill of the mist shrouding them, each step filled with uncertainty on deep rooted unresolved issues as they slowly navigated the path ahead.

**********

"Are you ready to go?" Andrea called down the stairs.

The soft glow of the bedroom light highlighted her appearance as she stood in front of the long mirror, adjusting the off the shoulder little black dress that hugged her body perfectly. Placing a foot on the bed she carefully rolled a black stocking up over her left and then her right leg, attaching the sheer nylon material to her suspender belt with a practiced ease.

Gary stepped into the bedroom as she straightened and smoothed her right stocking before lowering the hem of the dress over her underwear. She could not help but notice how his expression shift to a scowl.

"A little excessive, isn't it?" he said, his words dripping with a mixture of sarcasm and disdain.

Andrea's felt a pulse in her temple begin to throb, not so much at his judgment but at his failure to even recognise the effort she was making.

"Thought I'd make an effort," she replied coldly, applying a perfecting touch of mascara to her lashes. "Maybe they're for your benefit... not that I expect you to be interested in taking this dress off me when we get home."

Emotion quivered her voice on a barely contained frustration, fuelled by the weight of past grievances and the fact she could not even recall the last intimacy she had felt from her husband. She wanted to push back, to confront him about the distance that had grown between them, but she parked those thoughts in the back of her mind. Not tonight, not before they get to Jake's. She was not going to let their unresolved issues ruin the evening before it had even begun.

As she finished her look, a sudden ringing from Gary's phone broke the silence. He stepped onto the landing, headed back downstairs. Andrea straining to overhear the conversation slipped out onto the landing but was still only catching snippets of Gary's conversation.

"All the servers..." she heard him state, "No... no... no, I can be there within an hour... don't touch anything."

Andrea's stomach dropped. Each overheard word feeling like a well placed punch in her abdomen. They had planned for this dinner all week and now he was putting work before their enjoyment. Minutes later, he returned to the bedroom, his face scowled with concern. Unbuttoning his shirt, he hung it back in the wardrobe and grabbed a formal polo shirt. The shift in demeanour palpable.

"Gary, we can't just abandon Jake," she pleaded, incredulity filling her voice, acutely aware he had not even spoken to her. "You know he'll have gone to so much effort."

He shook his head, frustration etching lines across his forehead. "I have to go....Work is a priority. You know that."

Andrea crossed her arms, the irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. "I'm still going then... better one meal goes to waste than two and..."

"You can't go alone," Gary interrupted sharply, his scowl now permanently etched to his features. The thought of her sitting across the table from Jake, even with another couple, obviously gnawed at him.

"The Brayburn's will there," Andrea responded briskly whilst reapplying a dark red lipstick that highlighted the defiance in her attitude. "Kim and James are going... It's not just a dinner between us and Jake."

"I can't fucking stand James Brayburn," Gary snapped back, the exasperation thick in the air.

"Probably why you're not fussed on attending," she shot back, her own irritation rising again as tension escalated.

"You do you Andrea... It's what you're best at." His voice dripped with resentment as he grabbed his jacket, headed straight downstairs and slammed the front door behind him.

The sound of the door echoed in the quiet of their home, causing Andrea to jump. The escalation of tension a reminder of how their relationship has become. Turning she looked at her appearance and drew a deep breath into her lungs.

"Fuck it" she stated, snatching her car keys from the surface of the dressing table, stepping away from the mirror and the shadows of their marriage, if only for a night.

Two minutes later she reversed off the driveway and headed out in an attempt to enjoy herself.

**********

As Andrea stepped out of the little silver MG the cool night air stung her cheeks as a brisk wind swept her hair across her features.

The drive to Jake's had felt nerve wracking. She was composed now, ready to explain Gary's absence with the truth. As she took another moment to compose herself, breathing in the crisp frosty air she headed up flag stone steps and confidently knocked on the door of the large Farmhouse.

The large wooden font door creaked open, Jake Parkinson stood before her casually dressed in jeans and a plaid untucked shirt. His eyes widened in surprise as they took in Andrea standing before him in the black formal dress under her long black leather jacket, the glow of the porch light casting down on her from above.

"Andrea..." he stammered, even if his gaze lingering just a moment too long on her svelte figure, "What are you doing here?"

She forced a smile, masking the unease swirling within her. "Dinner... tonight... Me, you, Gary, and the Brayburn's,"

Even as she prompted him, she noticed the horror that crept over his face.

"Oh my god..." Jake exclaimed, dragging a hand through his un-styled slightly greying hair. "...I left a voicemail for you earlier in the week... Kim and James cancelled, so I said we should take a rain check."

He looked past her, presumably for Gary. Mortified, Andrea's heart sank. "You've got to be kidding me... We never check our landline."

"Gary not with you?" he offered, seemingly unconcerned by the faux pas.

"He...uh..." Andrea stammered from the crippling embarrassment and the sinking feeling of returning home to be alone, "...something came up at his work."

"Come in,... come on in from the cold," Jake urged, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter. "I... well I just made a chicken casserole for myself... there's sure to be more than enough... I mean if you want that is."

As she stepped into the hallway from the kitchen invaded her sense. The warm, rustic atmosphere felt inviting, especially against the prospect of nothing more enticing than a frozen ready meal, even if she now did feel hideously overdressed.

"That... that sounds perfect," she replied, forcing herself to relax as he passed her and she followed him into the kitchen. Jake pulled out a seat for her at rectangular well worn wooden table.

"I guess it's just us, then." he smiled.

On brief small talk she watched Jake busy himself in the Kitchen as he served up two plates of the casserole and set it down before her, in truth the green vegetables did not really stretch between the two of them, which neither of them acknowledged. In no time the warmth of their friendly conversation and the food contrasted sharply with the emotions of earlier in the evening. Fast consumed glasses of Red Wine also helped to numb her feelings towards her husband.

"You look nice, by the way," Jake said, his sincerity evident as he caught her eye. "That dress is stunning... but a little wasted on my kitchen."

"Thanks," Andrea said, a shy smile creeping onto her lips. It was a compliment she had not expected to hear, much less relish, especially in the context of Gary's lack of a compliment. As they continued eating, she found herself relaxing and appreciating the impromptu night that unfolded.

"How are Kim and James doing anyway?" Andrea asked, keeping conversation going and quelling her own troubles, her mind still racing with thoughts of ire directed at Gary.

Jake hesitated, then leaned back in his chair, a pensive expression crossing his face. "Well, I think they're having some marital issues. James has been acting... very distant...I don't know Kim well enough but..."

"Must be something in the water," Andrea replied lightly, her tone shifted as a heavy realisation settled over her, evidently her and Gary were not the only couple struggling. She felt a pang of vulnerability, her instincts pushed her to share the burdens she carried.

"Gary and I..." she started to admit, but Jake cut her off.

"I know," Jake said gently, his voice lowered the concern clear in his eyes. "Gary talked to me about it."

Andrea blinked, her heart sinking a little more. "He did?" Anger flared in her chest, not directed at Jake, but at Gary for confiding in their friend rather than even beginning to address the issues with her directly.

"It's been tough for both of you with the boys flying the nest...," he continued cautiously. "He's worried about you... About the affair, and... listen don't worry... Gary would be a fool to let someone like you slip through his fingers."

"Can we talk about something else?" she offered, hearing what he said but immediately regretting the moment of weakness at even mentioned the subject she has not even talked to her closest female friends about. She did not want to dissect her marital problems over dinner, not least with one of Gary's oldest friends.

"Sure," Jake replied, his demeaner shifting to maintain a lighter mood as he uncorked another bottle of red wine. "How about we concentrate on dessert... I've got a slab of chocolate cake we can share... It's a bit improvised but trust me it's good."

"When does Chocolate cake not sound good," Andrea said, willing to embrace the indulgence and not just as a distraction.

"Giving in to temptation is never a bad thing," Jake offered refilling the two glasses sat between them which she accepted it gratefully, taking a long sip that warmed her from the inside out.

Conversation and laughter between them began to flow like the wine, easing the tension. They fell into easy distraction on common interests, old friends, and anecdotes of their past. Andrea, for the first time in a long time relaxed. as each glass of wine disappeared, allowing temporary escape from her problems instead of confronting them.

**********

They had decided to eat the makeshift desert in the comfort of the living room. A fireplace crackled in the room as Andrea set down two plates on a side table next to a chestnut brown leather chesterfield style sofa.

"She looks content" Andrea offers as Mollie lays outstretched on her side before the roaring fireplace.

"She is," Jake offered setting a fresh bottle of red next to the cake before he passed her the glass of wine, she had yet to finish consuming. Andrea had known she was a slightly inebriated as soon as she had risen from the kitchen table, her high heels unstable under her feet. As she had used the downstairs toilet, she had minded herself to ease off on consumption of wine and make sure to arrange for a taxi to come and pick her up from the remote Farmhouse, given there was no way she could now drive home as she had originally intended.

"You said you'd trained her from a puppy..." Andrea continued referencing their conversation of a week earlier, "...does she know any tricks?"

"Not really... that's not the kind of discipline I seek from her," Jake responded. "I just seek obedience."

There was an altered tone to his voice, as he turned his head across his shoulder to look from Mollie to Andrea.

"How so?" Andrea enquired, as Mollie rose from her slumber and padded across the dim room and through the door through which they had long entered.

"Perhaps a demonstration is required." Jake stated.

Andrea sensed the shift in focus the conversation suddenly taking on a double meaning as he placed his hands on her exposed shoulders as he turned her to face him. "From Mollie."

"No... from you..." a grin crept across his features, the tone in his voice was commanding yet steady. As he backed away from her slowly, "Stand still... face me."

Andrea felt a wave of apprehension wash over just at the way he spoke to her, but she complied, raising her head to face him. Feeling a little uncomfortable she began to fidget with the hem of her dress.

"A little weird," she nervously offers as Jake holds his gaze upon her as she shifts her weight from one heeled foot to the other.

"Stay still," his voice deepened.

The authority in his words sent shivers down her spine. She complied immediately forcing herself to remain planted in place, despite how suddenly vulnerable she suddenly felt.

Then came Jake's unexpected command. "Kneel."

"What?" Andrea stated on a shocked tone.

"Silence," Jake growled.

The authority in his tone made her pulse quicken. She weighed her options, the tension between them palpable. She held his intense gaze, and as he deliberately slowly pointed his finger toward the floor at her feet.

Taking a deep breath, she knelt, she had no idea why as she felt the cool hard wooden floor press against her knees. Something about the simple act felt monumental, what had started as light-hearted playful behaviour was suddenly now being laced with dark undertones.

"Now crawl towards me," he instructed, his eyes fixed on her.

She hesitated, her heart racing as she considered what her husbands' friend was asking of her. Her silence held as on a deep breath she inexplicably embraced his request, bending at the waist, shifting her weight and body forward until she knelt on all fours. Acutely conscious of the view she afforded him down the front of her dress as he sat down on the leather sofa behind him.