Sometimes you need to break the rules.
By: Anonymous for YourTango.com
It began as a typical Saturday night out with my closest women friends. But on that particular evening as we sat, laughed and talked in a popular New York restaurant, acquaintances were seated nearby celebrating their friend Alex’s* birthday.
They invited us to join their table for a toast, which turned into several. When the house music came on and everyone headed for the bar, Alex — handsome and playful — took my hand and led me to the dance floor.
In the time it took for his fingers to encircle mine, what had been a quiet attraction became an all-consuming need. I heard the warning voice in my head reminding me that this was dangerous territory: however alone I might feel, I was, in fact, married.
And then, for the first time in 10 years, I silenced it. As Alex placed his hands on my hips, I knew with absolute clarity that I was about to have an affair. I knew it was a decision that could unravel even the strongest of unions. I never could have guessed that it would save mine.
I had felt this kind of passion only once before when I first encountered the man who would be my husband. I was a freshman wandering my college campus, terrified, when a gorgeous man walked confidently up the hill. He saw me, and asked if he could help me find my way. "Well, yes," I wanted to respond. "How about for forever? Does forever work for you?"
James* was indeed confident, as well as wry, brilliant, fearless and inspiring. While I was literally without a sense of direction, still searching for my dorm room, he was planning his future as a doctor.