Caught Between

The scene unfolds with a young woman, Tess (Penny Pax), in the corridor of her home. She is clad in a stylish, billowy robe that is hastily tied with a sash, revealing glimpses of her elegant lacy lingerie. She is leading a handsome and fashionable man, Xavier (Ryan McLane), into a bedroom adjacent to the hallway. She wears a thoughtful, torn look on her face as she follows him into the room, closing the door behind her. 'Are you sure no one saw you?' she begins to ask as she shuts the door and turns towards him, but her words are cut off by a heated, fervent kiss from Xavier. He holds her face in both hands, his body pressing hers against the door. 'I've been counting the days for this,' Xavier whispers in a low voice before leaning in for another kiss. Tess releases a moan of pleasure. Her face is still troubled and her brow creases with worry. She gently pushes him away, urging him to hold on. Xavier steps back, puzzled, and inquires what's amiss. Tess discloses that she can't continue their secret relationship. Xavier smirks and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He reminds her that she's said the same thing the last three times she summoned him. She pulls away more forcefully this time, demanding him to stop. His smile fades. She insists she's serious this time - it's unjust to Rick. Xavier steps closer, whispering he doesn't care. Stunned, Tess questions how he could simply not care about his best friend, Rick. Xavier retorts, asking why it should only be about Rick's desires. What about his own? Or hers? Their connection is undeniable, so why should they both suffer for someone else's sake? 'Because I still love him,' Tess reveals, adding that she can't keep deceiving him. It's tearing her apart. Xavier points out that she'll have to continue the deception as she can't simply erase the past eight months. The lies will only end when she confesses everything to Rick. Tess vehemently refuses, saying it would shatter Rick's heart and she could never do that to him. Xavier suggests that he could be the one to reveal their affair, allowing them to be together freely. Tess shuts him down, insisting that nobody is revealing anything to Rick and the past should stay where it belongs. Xavier questions why not enjoy one more time together? Tess struggles for an answer, but Xavier's charisma is persuasive. As his hands roam her body, opening her robe to reveal her lingerie, her resistance begins to crumble. She insists that this will be the last time as she gives in, reaching for his pants. Just as she takes his manhood into her mouth, the familiar sound of the front door unlocking echoes through the house. Startled, Tess questions the noise. Xavier claims he heard nothing, attempting to keep the moment alive, but Tess pushes him away, suggesting that it sounded like the front door. From off-screen, her husband Rick's voice calls out 'Tess? Darling?' Tess whispers in a panic 'Damn! It's Rick!' Xavier comments that he thought Rick wasn't due home for hours. Tess instructs Xavier to stay put and keep quiet. She quickly reties her robe and fixes her hair before exiting the room. She warmly greets Rick (Ricky Johnson) as he comes into view, giving him a polite kiss on the cheek. She questions why he's home so early. He reveals that he took a half-day and wanted to surprise her, knowing he's been preoccupied with work lately and wanted to make amends. He also confesses that he couldn't stop thinking about her and thought they could have some... intimate time together. Tess glances nervously back at the master bedroom door, then back at her husband, claiming she's not in the mood. Rick looks disappointed but understanding. He admits he thought surprising her would be fun, but maybe he should have called first instead of springing it on her. He suggests they can still spend the day together and insists she can choose how they spend their time. As he moves towards the bedroom to change, she stops him. No! Tess blurts out abruptly, then catches herself. She proposes they get a bit frisky in the guest bedroom instead. Rick smiles, slightly confused, but agrees. They enter the guest bedroom and begin to kiss. Just as things heat up, Tess comes up with an excuse to go to the master bedroom, claiming she wants to get Rick's favorite lube. Rick is all for it, and Tess makes her exit. Tess enters the master bedroom where Xavier has been waiting impatiently. She rushes over to him, whispering that the coast is clear, but he'll have to be quiet and sneak out the back door. Xavier seems defiant and quietly