Smoldering Desire by Desiree Day

morning the park was filled with groups of fitness boot camp participants, people doing yoga and joggers like her.  Violet breathed deeply enjoying the cool air. 
    Piedmont Park was the perfect place for their daily run, since it was so close to their homes.  Violet owned a house in Virginia-Highlands, an eclectic neighborhood filled with a mix of boutiques, restaurants and historical houses.  Althea owned a condo in Midtown Atlanta.
    Violet suppressed what she had to say until their cool down, when they finally shifted gears and ambled along.  They walked slowly coming down from their runner’s high, and filled with the satisfaction that they pushed their bodies to the limit and won.  “Great run,” she murmured.
    “It was, I wish I had time to get a massage, but I have a meeting in two hours that I can’t miss,” Althea said with a frown.  She rolled her shoulders and wiggled her arms, as though she could shake off her stress. 
    “Schedule it for after work,” Violet suggested.
    Althea grinned at her friend.  “I think I might.”
    They continued their walk.  Even though it was still cool, the temperature had inched up a few degrees since they had started their run.  “I think Clint is cheating on me…again,” Violet said quietly.
    Althea was silent, she had heard accusations against Violet’s husband before and they all turned out to be false.  “Clint’s changed…”  Althea grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop.  Joggers and walkers grumbled as they went around the newly formed obstacle on the trail.  “Let’s go over to the grass and stretch before we get run over.  You can tell me everything over there.”
    They found a spot on the grass and settled down.  It was a little damp but it didn’t matter, they were already sweaty.  Violet and Althea began the second half of their cool down routine.  Violet started talking as though her friend hadn’t interrupted her, “He’s been so distant and he’s never home.”
    “Could it be because he owns one of the most popular bakeries in the city?” she asked, her voice toeing sarcasm.  A couple of years before the cupcake craze started, Clint had opened a bakery, Sugah Cakes; that focused on gourmet cupcakes and cakes.  Since its opening business was brisk, but with the growing popularity of the little bite size treats, his bakery had taken off sending his sales soaring into the stratosphere, and making him one busy man, so much so that he had to double his staff.
    “No!” Violet snapped.  “Because he used to be attentive, but now nothing.”
    “What proof do you have?”
    “Proof?” Violet asked.  “I don’t need proof, I have my woman’s intuition, my gut is telling me that he’s cheating.”
    “Violet…”
    “But—”
    “Clint loves you.  Xavier and I always talk about how sweet he is to you.  He made a mistake and he apologized a million times, it’s time to move on.  And what makes you think he’s cheating, you know that you’ve been wrong before,” Althea said softly.
    “But not this time I’m not,” Violet insisted.  She stared defiantly at her friend almost hating her; she had a perfect man, beautiful children and an envy worthy life.  She doesn’t have a husband who cheated on her five years ago, Violet fumed to herself.  Clint had confessed his indiscretion one night after he had too much to drink.  The admission had blindsided her, knocking her to her knees.  Over time, they had slowly rebuilt their marriage, but now the walls were tumbling down around them.  It was just as painful to reveal now as it was then.  
    Althea turned away from her friend and instead touched her toes.  She was looking at the ground when she asked, “Why are you so sure?”
    “Okay, here’s one.  Last night he got home at midnight, and even before he kissed me hello, he was running up to the bathroom to shower.  And when he was done, he went right to bed.  He could barely tell me goodnight,” she