It must have only been seconds, but it felt like forever as we stood there staring at each other, unsure of what to do. Everything seemed to be caught in a perpetual slow-motion effect. My hand came to my lips, and I could taste him there. His scent, sandalwood and cloves, tinted all the air around me.

“Are you sure that–”

“Shut up,” I said curtly.

The day started routinely enough. I was the Matron of Honor at my best friend's wedding. No big deal, stand there, look happy for her, enjoy some food and dancing, and go home with my wonderful, handsome husband. Then my sister decided to throw a monkey wrench into the works by inviting the last person I ever wanted to see again. There he was in the back row, Jenzen, my ex from college. We'd had a tumultuous relationship that had ended badly. But there had been so many good memories —memories of being young and completely reckless. Thomas, my husband, had picked me up when Jenzen had broken me. We were married soon after and lived a wonderful, plain, safe, and ordinary life.

Jenzen was the bad boy that I could never fully get out of my mind, and here he was staring at me with those blue-green eyes and making me think bad things. I had to clear my head, get away, but fate can be a beast, and on that day, fate would come knocking.

Reclaiming Esme is a cheating, first-time, hotwife, short story for the mature reader.