Paul Or Carlos?

His car pulled up outside my house. He leaned over for a kiss, but I declined.
“What’s the matter?” He asked. “You never want to kiss when we’re outside your house.”
I looked at him. “Sorry, Carlos. It’s just that I’m always afraid Paul will look out the window just as I kiss you.”
He shrugged. “Tell him that’s how you kiss everyone.”
I gave him a long stare. “What, with my tongue down their gob?”
He smiled. “See your point.” He shifted his position in his seat. “Why don’t you ever invite me in for a coffee?”
“What would I tell Paul? ‘Good evening, Darling. Oh, by the way, this is Carlos, the sexy Spanish fellow I’m cheating on you with’?”
Carlos giggled. “That’s why I like you, Paige, you always make me laugh.”
I laughed.
“Actually Paige, there’s something I want to tell you. I’m going back over to Spain in the New Year, to see my parents.”
“That’ll be a lovely holiday,” I said.
“No. To live.”
“Oh. So I’m guessing you want to end it?”
He grinned his sexy grin at me. “No Paige, I want you to come and live with me.”
My heart skipped a beat. Live in Spain with Carlos? Sure, the past few weeks had been exciting. My husband, Paul, had been fired from his job, and instead of finding a new one, he would sit and watch TV all day, then go down the pub with his mates in the evenings. I was always at home in the evenings on my own. I started to get bored and I joined an evening pottery class. That’s where I met Carlos. I fell for him straight away, and he liked me back. The spark had gone out of my marriage to Paul, and I wanted some excitement. So yes, the past few weeks had been exciting, but did I want to go live in Spain with Carlos? A man I’d only known for a short while, when I’d been married to Paul for twenty years.
Carlos was still waiting for an answer.
“I’ll think it over, and I’ll let you know my decision next week.”
Carlos smiled. “Of course. I didn’t expect an answer straight away.”
I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’d better go in. Paul’s probably wondering where I am.”
“Okay. See you next week?”
“Yes. Thank you for the lift home.”
I got out of the car, and Carlos sped away, as I made my way up the pathway to my front door.
I made my way into the living-room. The TV was on, tuned into football. Paul was sat on the settee, fast asleep, beer gut hanging out, a few beer cans spilled all over the floor. He’d obviously come home from the pub, and decided he hadn’t had enough to drink.
I went upstairs to have a shower. And to think. Did I want to stay with my getting fat, alcoholic husband and my boring life. Or did I want a more exotic life with the sexy Spanish in Spain?
“Paige?” Paul came into the bathroom as I got into the shower. “James has invited me over to his place to watch the second half.”
“You can’t go,” I said. “You’ve been drinking.”
“Oh, it’s all right. James’s wife is coming to pick me up.”
“Oh, okay then. Have a nice time.”
“I will.” He left.
No hello. No goodbye. Just tell me he was going out. Carlos would never treat me like that.

Paul stayed out all night. At least, I thought he did. The next morning, I got up and came downstairs for my morning cup of tea. The living-room door was shut, which was unusual. I could hear voices inside: “Oh, shit. It’s Paige!!!” And then a woman giggling. “Sshh, Jodie!!!”
Jodie? That was James’s wife. I opened the door. Inside, Paul and Jodie were both scrambling to stand, from where they’d been lying underneath a quilt on the floor together. My heart skipped a beat. So Paul didn’t go to James’s house last night to watch the football. He’d gone for a quick fumble with James’s wife. I wondered how long it had been going on for. I was willing to bet ever since he’d lost his job. Whenever ‘he went down the pub’, he was actually off somewhere with Jodie.
“Paige!!! It’s not what it looks like!!!”
“Save it!!!” I snarled. I went upstairs to our bedroom, and packed my clothes, and a few make-up items into a suitcase. I picked up my mobile, and rang Carlos’s number.
“Carlos? About living in Spain with you. I’ve made my decision. I’m coming with you.”
There was a pause.
“Carlos? You there?”
“Yeah. See, thing is, Paige. You can’t come to Spain with me now. I’ve met someone else. She’s pretty, she’s brunette and slim. And she’s only twenty-one. She’s called Jasmine, and I think I love her. I’m taking her to Spain with me. Sorry, Paige.” Click!!!
I let my phone drop to the floor. I sat on the bed, feeling my heart begin to break in two…