I have the hotel room number and my instructions. Usually I enter His room, lock the door behind me and get undressed immediately, but this time is different. First, His voice on the phone was clipped. He said in a staccato voice, “Room 1214, lock the door behind you, turn around and face the wall. LEAVE . . . YOUR . . . CLOTHES . . . ON.” I’m confused beca...
It was a warm midday in the spring in a southwestern desert city. I had been relaxing with a tall glass of iced tea when the phone rang. It was Jean, a married friend of mine. She wanted to know if I would meet her somewhere for a drink. She said she wanted to asked me something very personal. Having nothing pressing at the time, I agreed to meet with he...
I have to admit, the Halloween Party was a lot better than I expected. When my wife, Annie, first mentioned it to me, telling me it was at the Mather's house I was a bit apprehensive. June and Ed Mather were both okay as neighbors, but they weren't what I would call close friends. Sure we had been friendly and had even gone out with them on several occasions...
I love my husband, I really do, and I'd bet money that he loves me, but that won't stop the divorce I see coming. When it comes time to apportion blame it will be a fifty-fifty split even though I could have stopped it at any time. But just as love is love, dumb is dumb and I was dumb enough to believe that Chuck knew what he wanted and that he could handle...
They had met at a swanky wedding for Anne's friend Sandy, who had married some big shot CEO of some company or another. Somehow, Sandy had gotten a popular band with a lead singer who had been on a nationally televised singer's contest to play at her wedding; at the time, Anne had no idea who they were and didn't care for the show Sandy had gushed about, so...
I received a phone call from Steph, the leader of a local garage band. He said that their bass guitar player had been injured in a car accident and would be out of commission for at least 8 weeks. A mutual friend told him that I played bass, which was true, but the last time I had picked it up was over 20 years ago. My Fender had been stored in its case ever...
Ch. III: The Dame in Red Velvet The two walked down the foggy streets toward the hazy light of the Hotel. As Madeline battled with the idea that her life was in danger, Hugo Kirby did calculations in his head. How far to Las Vegas? How would he get there? How would he protect Madeline? Was it even his problem? Why was she going to Vegas anyway? Hugo kept a...
Sunny lay out in the warm summer sun. Dragging her toes in the sand as the hammock swung lazily in the breeze. Her eyes were closed, she was lost in her own little world. The warm summer wind blew her light flouncy skirt up over her thighs and she reached to push it back down when she felt his light touch on her wrist. 'Don't' was all he said, and she opened...
Selina looked up at the dull gray skies and smelled the damp, heavy air, and knew that there would be no escape this year. She wanted to cry. It just didn't feel fair. They'd almost made it this time. She thought that the ship had signaled its approach well in advance of the spring rains, but Lilac's eccentric orbit had defeated her best attempts to predict...
Sir rang the doorbell and stepped back beside her on the stoop. She nervously leaned forwards, up onto her toes, then rocked back. With a knowing sideways smirk, he signalled her to be still as she waited. Under her windbreaker and twinset cardigan, her skin rose in goosebumps against the chill of the early evening - or was it the task that waited for her in...