Chapter One – The Cancelled Getaway

Cassia Vale was holding a lacy bra against her chest when the front door slammed.

“Cassia?” Her husband called out from downstairs.

Cassia jumped because she hadn't expected her husband, Dorian to be home that early. The bra dangled from her hand and her breasts hung freely.

“Perfect,” she muttered, shoving the bra into the suitcase on the bed. She smoothed her dark curls out of her face and waited for him. Maybe this was an opportunity to get him to touch her.

They had not had sex in roughly a year and a half. She hated how much effort it took to look like she wasn't begging at this point.

Dorian entered the room, but he was on the phone. He had not even looked at her. “No, if the partners can’t manage the deposit by Monday, then I’ll take the meeting myself. I said what I said.”

Cassia pressed her lips together as she waited for him to notice she was standing braless. Her husband looked the same as always, impeccably dressed in a navy suit with his tie loosened and his blond hair slicked back.

“Hi,” she said, too brightly when she got tired of waiting for him to notice her.

He held up a finger, walking past her. “Hold on.” He went straight to the night stand, tapping at his home laptop with one hand while still on the call.

Cassia crossed her arms over her chest, but as she did she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her round cheeks and the curve of her hips dips and her voluptuous backside. After her daughter, Elara’s birth a year and a half ago, she had gone up two dress sizes. 

She was chubby and plus sized and although she loved her new body, she thought it made her less attractive to her husband. Now she wondered if Dorian thought the same.

“Dorian,” she tried again.

“Yeah, I’ll call you back,” he said into the phone, finally hanging up. “What is it?” he finally turned to her, and when he did, he arched an eyebrow, staring at her breasts.

He made no move to hold her.

She gestured toward the suitcase, pushing the disappointment down. “I finished packing. Did you book the car service?”

His brow creased. “Car service?”

“For tomorrow. We have a flight and a trip.” She tried to keep her voice calm but her palms were sweating. How could he forget?

He blinked at her like she was speaking another language. “Cassia, I told you. I can’t go.”

Cassia took a step forward. “What do you mean you can’t go? And when did you tell me?”

Dorian pinched the tip of his nose and sighed. “I have work to do.” He turned back to his laptop. “There’s too much going on. If I leave now, I’ll come back to a mess.”

“But…but you promised me. This trip is for our anniversary. How can work be more important?” 

He shrugged. “I didn’t promise. I said I’d try.”

Cassia stepped in front of him, and she noticed that he looked away from her body. “A month ago, after you wouldn't touch me, you made a promise to me that things would be different if we had some time away because you've been so busy with work.”

“I don’t recall the exact words, Cassia.” His tone professional, the same one he used with associates he wanted to shut down. “But either way, I can’t.”

Cassia felt her heart squeeze painfully. “So what? I…I have planned everything, I arranged childcare with Mom and booked the resort Dorian. I even bought a lingerie.”

Dorian arched an eyebrow and wrinkled his nose. “W…why?”

Cassia stared back at him in shock. “Why don't you care anymore?” there were tears in her eyes.

“Of course I care,” he said, but his eyes slid back to the screen. No you don't.

She hated the way he refused to look at her more than anything else. It was like she wasn’t even there. It was like she physically repulsed him.

“Then I’ll go without you.”

That got his attention. “Fine. Do whatever you want.”

“Fine?” she sniffed, the tears were falling down her face now. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Cassia.” He sighed like she was a burden. “I don’t have time for dramatics. If you want to go, go.”

Her throat burned, but she forced herself to keep her chin up. “You know what? I will.”

He didn’t even answer. He simply nodded and went back to tapping the screen of his phone.

Ava arrived less than an hour later with her suitcase rolling behind her and her long braids swinging from left to right.

Ava had been Cassia's best friend since college. She was loud and extroverted where Cassia sad quiet, she was reckless where Cassia was careful.

“Girl, you should’ve called me sooner,” Ava said, flopping onto the bed. “You know I live for a free trip.” She snapped her long nails.

Cassia laughed weakly, as she admired her friend's nails that complimented her dark skin. “It wasn’t supposed to be free. It was supposed to be our anniversary trip.”

“Please.” Ava kicked off her sneakers. “That man hasn’t looked at you since Elara was born. I’ve been telling you—”

“Don’t,” Cassia warned, cutting her off. She pressed a hand to her forehead. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Fine, but you’re not wasting this. We’re going. And you’re not moping all weekend, either.”

Cassia sat beside her. “I just wanted him to see me.”

Ava nudged her shoulder. “Then let someone else see you. At least for a night.”

Cassia frowned. “What does that even mean? I'm married, silly.”

“You’ll see.” Ava promised with a wink. Suddenly, Cassia was scared.

****

The resort at Miami was everything Cassia had dreamed it would be. She'd made embtal notes after visiting the resorts website and I*******m all month.

She smiled at the white balconies and palm trees, turquoise water stretching out forever and the brightly coloured atmosphere made her feel like she'd walked into a paradise.

She had imagined herself here with Dorian, having sex all day long. Instead, she now sat across from Ava on their private balcony, clutching a champagne flute tightly to her chest.

“Alright, what's the wildest thing you would do if no one could ever know?” They'd been talking nonsense for an hour and laughing too loud when Ava leaned in, wiggling her laminated eyebrows.

Cassia nearly spit out her champagne. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Imagine you could get with anyone tonight, would you go for it? I can smell your horniness from a mile away.”

Cassia shook her head, “I don’t know. I’m married, Ava.” she rolled her eyes.

Ava snorted. “Yeah right. You're married but invisible to your husband. You see this is why I stay single. I hate being sex starved, I'd go crazy. Besides it's high time you stopped calling that a marriage and start calling it paperwork.”

Cassia's cheeks flamed. “That's not fair. We've been married for three years and for the last two and a half, we had an exciting sex life, until…”

“Until you became plus sized, right?” Ava asked.

Cassia thought about arguing but her friend was right. What was wrong with her size anyway? She had a flat stomach and she was still sexy, so why was her husband so repulsed?

“I just wish things would go back to how it was before Elara came along.” Cassia sighed.

Ava frowned. “I told you no pity party on this trip. Stop that!” Ava leaned closer. “So back to my earlier question, what would you do?”

Cassia stared at the sea, “I’d want to feel… wanted. Like someone couldn’t get enough of me.”

Ava nodded proudly. “That's good. Luckily for you, I know exactly the place. You see I've been doing research on the plane and I—”

“What place?” Cassia cut in, the corners of her mouth bent into a frown.

“It's an exclusive and hidden place. And it's not even on G****e. You won't believe the lengths I had to go to to find this place.” Ava tapped her class against Cassia's and winked. “It's a Virtual reality club.”

Cassia blinked. “VR? Like… video games?”

“Not those kinds of games,” Ava said, smiling widely now. “This is… different. It's a sex VR. They scan you in, and they guarantee real body sensations and total anonymity.”

“That sound insane, even for you, Ava.” Cassia quipped.

Ava tapped her lap. “Exactly! Which is why it's perfect. You'll wear a mask and you pick your fantasy and no one would ever know it was you. And it won't be cheating on your husband.”

Cassia laughed nervously, shaking her head. “No. Absolutely not.”

“It sounds perfect,” Ava corrected. “Especially for you. Come on. You said it yourself that you want to feel wanted. This is your chance. No names, no strings.”

Cassia’s thought about it for a while. The idea was insane, but the way Ava said it…

She held her glass tighter, staring out at the ocean, imagining hands on her skin, eyes that actually saw her and she pressed her legs together feeling the familiar ache in between her legs.

 “So? Are you in?” Ava asked again.

Cassia’s mouth was dry so she sipped her champagne. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.”

The waves from the sea crashed into the beach below, and the champagne slid down her throat. She felt the urge to burp. What the hell had she gotten herself into?