"Obsession"

"Obsession"

Helena has always had trouble when it has come to love. She's a successful 30-something: got a thriving job which earns her a six figure salary, lives in a splendidly furnished three bed, two bath condo by the ocean and has a trusted group of loving family and friends.

However, three years ago she was hit with the news that she had breast cancer.

It's now 12 a.m., and she's been going through a few old scrapbooks of photos. She pulls one out and carefully traces her fingers over her face, imagining she's 16 again, when everything in her world was so simple and so uncomplicated.

"Oh, I was so beautiful then," she said to herself wistfully. Just then, there's a knock at the door. "God, not this, not now," she mutters, uttering an exasperated breath. She heads to the door, head hung dejectedly. "Oh, it's you. Hi, umm, please come in and sorry all the clutter. I've been a complete wreck lately, Janine."

Janine Roth, a longtime friend, has known Helena ever since she was 10 years old. "You haven't called in a few weeks and I've been worried," she told her friend with a nervous laugh. "You know how cancer is," Helen countered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, yeah, I've almost forgotten how bad the chemo and radiation was," Janine said with a frown.

Helena went over to the tiny kitchenette and began to pour some wine. Janine wrinkled her nose in protest. "Thought you quit drinking?," she queried quietly. Helen raised a defiant eyebrow. "Wine for now, to be polite. If the pain drags on like my periods used to, I've got Smirnoff or Jack Daniels to take the edge off," Helena said as she walked over to the table. "Come over and stay a while," Helena said warmly, gesturing to the vacant chair. Janine nodded and sat down opposite her at the table.

Janine took out a pack of Marlboro's and coolly lit up. "Do you remember when you caught me kissing your cousin?," she asked quietly. Helen's eyes sparkled as she took a sip of wine. "How could I forget, J?," she said, almost wistfully. "I was so pissed that I didn't speak to you for almost a month," Helena said with a sly grin.

Janine sat back and took a long drag of her cigarette and sighed. "Things with B have not been so good," she said ruefully. "Why, what's the matter? Did he finally grow a set?," Helena replied and as she leaned forward intently. "Well, yeah, I guess," Janine said waveringly, "but he still sucks at sex," she said disgustedly.

"What man really does know how to please a woman?," Helena said sharply. "You'd have better time if you ever found a hooker with a penis," she said with a laugh as she got up.

"Where are you going?," Janine asked. Helena stopped in her tracks and turned around. "It's Saturday night dear, I'm going out to get drunk and find me a good time. Maybe I'll even get lucky tonight if I play my cards right," Helen said as she disappeared from view.

Janine felt her pulse race as she quickly followed her into the bedroom. She stopped and stood in the doorway, watching. Helena slipped on a short black dress and pulled her hair back. "You still got it, you know," Janine said with a mixture of jealousy and lust. "Now, now, dear. You know the rules, if you want to get me where you want me, you need to buy me dinner and some drinks first," Helena said with a gleam of satisfaction.

Janine let out a sigh and felt butterflies in her stomach. "Can I come with you?," she asked desperately. Helena grabbed her purse and led her friend by the hand, "That is so Glenn Close, J," she said as the two women walked out into the sweltering night.

Copyright: 2009, by Raymund Diaz Delizo