It all started with an innocent message, one I never expected to receive. My husband’s best friend, Tom, had always been around, a familiar face at gatherings, dinners, and parties. He had always been kind, charming even, but never in a way that made me think twice. Until now.

One evening, as I scrolled through my phone, a message popped up from him. I assumed it was something casual, maybe about a get-together. But as I opened it, I felt a slight flutter of shock.

“I know this might sound crazy, but I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time. Would you ever consider going out with me? Just the two of us… secretly?”

I blinked, re-reading the words to make sure I wasn’t mistaken. My mind raced. A secret date? With him? My heart pounded in my chest, conflicted between loyalty and the undeniable excitement coursing through me.

Tom had always been close to us—closer to my husband, of course—but now he was crossing a line I had never expected him to. Part of me was flattered by his attention. I couldn’t deny that I’d noticed his glances, the way his eyes lingered a little too long, or how he always found reasons to stand near me. But this… this was something else.

I found myself staring at my phone, unsure of what to do. Should I respond? Should I ignore it and pretend nothing happened? It wasn’t as though I’d never been tempted before, but this felt so sudden, so… dangerous.

As I thought about it, memories of my husband filled my mind. Our marriage wasn’t perfect, and we had our share of problems, but was I really willing to risk it all? For what? A secret, thrilling date with a man who wasn’t mine?

I hesitated. Curiosity tugged at me. What would it be like? Would it be exhilarating, something that would bring a spark back into my life? Or would it be the first step down a path I couldn’t return from?

In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to answer him immediately. Instead, I stared at my phone, torn between excitement and guilt, wondering what my next move should be.