“Do you want me to pick up your clothes from the drycleaners?” Felicity is sitting on the sofa but she hasn’t answered me. As I walk towards her, I realise that she is wearing headphones. She smiles at me and takes them off, revealing her delicate ears. “What’s up babe?” “I just asked you a…
We had of course discussed it. Fantasised about it. Masturbated together and separately about it. Debated about it. Was it right for us or not? Now the time was here. Anticipation, nervousness, desire, regret, excitement and everything else all coming to the surface. All to be savoured. Who does not like to push a border,…
There was a startling snap, followed by firework-like explosions at several power stations along Seventh Street. Then the neighborhood went dark. A supply shortage of power had caused a controlled shutdown on this section of the electrical grid. People had been indoors—leaving the streets empty—to avoid 100-degree-plus temperatures and the blaring sun that had heated…
1. It was late morning on a Sunday. I awoke to discover that my fiancee Suzanne was already out of bed. I found her sprawled across our living room sofa, lying on her stomach, with the current issue of Wallpaper magazine in front of her face and a cup of coffee on the end table…
The next morning, Jenna turned off her car in the school parking lot and sat quietly for a moment with her eyes closed. She had a weight on her chest—a decision to make. Tucked deeply in her tote bag was a plain white envelope. She had worked into the wee hours of the morning, drafting…
Shawn tapped a Bic pen in a blasé rhythm on the boardroom table. He already was bored, and the long meeting had not even started. Slouched in his chair, his mind again dreamed of an on-time escape from work to a local bar this evening. His following series of thoughts was reliving the moment when…
I arrive at the pub five minutes early and take a quick scan of the room. One of my friends suggested that I try out a new dating app and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I can see my date sitting at the bar and he’s every bit as attractive as…
I look out the window and sigh. He’s working on the car again and a wave of jealousy washes over me. I’ve never understood why some people become so attached to their rides, giving them pet names and stroking them when they think no-one is watching. Restoring that monstrosity is taking up most of his…
Parker harshly massaged his temples. “We should not be doing this, man. It’s just… just not right. We’re going to get in trouble—big trouble. Police. FBI. Prison.” Lance, however, sat at the spread of his four computer monitors. His face was whitewashed with the bright screens contrasting the room’s dim lighting. Lance’s fingers clacked nonstop…
Mark slammed the faucet handle, cutting the flow. “No hot water!” he yelled and flung the water off his hand for emphasis. “I can’t believe it.” He yanked a towel off the oven handle and wiped his hands. “No hot water upstairs either. Sink or shower, both bathrooms.” Fred leaned his hip against the granite…
On the gray morning after they had chatted at work, Paul passed by Marjorie’s desk oddly cheerful. “Good morning, Marjorie!” he said with a wave. “It’s a great day to have a great day, isn’t it?” His greeting pulled her attention from the spreadsheet of financial disclosures on her computer screen. She was surprised by…
Long after the sun had set, Wade locked the door of the field house. Since the course had closed that day, he and his team had sprayed insecticides and applied growth enhancers to the grass. They had seeded trees and laid sod. Following the numerous bad golfers, they had even repaired divots and ball marks.…
Gerald hop-skipped across Berry Street to the city library. The howling wind whipped his jacket and ruffled his hair. Once on the curb, he checked his wristwatch: 7:52. He had a little time before the library closed for the night. The exterior lights on both sides of the library’s double doors glowed yellow-white in the…
“So you think you got skills?” Vinny crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. Lurita felt his eyes study her, questioning such a bold statement from a small woman. Though petite in frame with a sharp chin, Lurita bolstered herself. She determined to prove her confidence. “No question about it.” She raised…
“Why would a woman do this?” Paul growled as he flung himself onto the center sofa cushion, making its springs eek. “She said the filthiest things! And then she leaves no way to get a hold of her? That’s torture! It’s insane.” “Then maybe you don’t want to find her—if she’s insane, that is,” Ricky…
Beth felt better when she began to smell the lavender in the entryway of the small Wellness Center. Lavender had a calming scent that, she had seen, eased the faces of people who arrived in pain and needed relief. As much as the lavender triggered easiness, the subtle ambient music made listeners smile despite no…
Dawn Davis slid the Buy Now tab across the screen of her smartphone. Her response to Megan’s gifts now was complete. She started a text to give her friend a warning but stopped. It was best to just let the gift arrive. A surprise reaction would be great. Dawn was on a business call a…
The concert hall was sold out for our annual Choral Society performance, the culmination of a long season of concerts. The excitement of the evening was palpable. This was an annual event that many people had waited for and bought tickets for months in advance. The palpability was intense for us too, especially after months…
“You’re sure you don’t want to?” my husband asked, a little disappointment lingering in his voice. Shuffling down the aisle of the cabin of the airplane and not letting our bags hit people who were seated, I answered over my shoulder. “The bathrooms are gross. Think of all the people who have been in them.”…
It was a warm Friday night, the second night of the annual Jackson County Fair. The place was packed with people for this annual weekend event. The fairgrounds smelled of fresh popcorn, corndogs, and apples dipped in caramel. The lines at the food trucks were long for cinnamon elephant ears and tacos and fried cheese…
We like to think that, as a society, we have made progress over the years in the areas of tolerance and acceptance of different sexualities. For example: homosexuality. Until 1967, this was illegal in the UK. If convicted, a man would be sent to jail and incarcerated with hundreds of sex starved men (which I…
Dawn Davis stopped her red Audi coupe along the curb on Ewing Street. The neighborhood was one of the oldest in the city, and the gentrification reflected early Greek Revival-style homes and a few, rare Gothic Revival residences. The neighborhood was ideal for a stroll on a warm late-summer evening with fireflies while the sun…
Brandon yanked open the front door of his house on Sherwood Drive before Steve even had a chance to knock. “Yo, dude. Can’t hang out here tonight. Mom’s kicking us out,” Brandon said. “Why? D’you ruin the place?” “No,” he said flatly. He stepped out of the house with his basketball under his arm. Knowing…
Shawn’s computer dinged that morning. A new email appeared in his inbox at 8:17. It was a message to All_Employees. Good morning! I wanted to share some great news. Evelin Webber has been named the new Director of the Administration Division. I am thrilled to see her recognized in our organization. Evelin is one of…
Her black slacks tapered to her ankles, showing off her brown skin down to the top of her feet. Her rainbow-colored heels continued to accentuate her toenails painted red. These simplicities still made his heart tick faster and his breaths shorten. She was amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing. That word continued to pass through his mind.…
In the warm afternoon of mid-June, Julia’s face was bright and glowing in all her loveliness and uncontainable joy. Already, her face was sore because it would not stop grinning. She was the centerpiece of the day, the bride. She had never felt so beautiful and glorious, since in her childhood fantasies. Her new dress…
The baseball games that summer were a struggle to watch. They were ruined by the thudding music in the apartment below. As I had done all that summer, I had stomped my foot and banged my wooden Louisville Slugger on the floor. The pounding didn’t work, because the person below would not turn off that…
When I look down at my feet, I don’t see beauty. I see a wide foot with short, fat, pink toes. Finding the right pair of sandals to wear in summer is always a nightmare. My feet sweat a lot and I can’t do heels. I’ve learned that comfort, beauty and fashion don’t always go…
“It goes like this,” Cindy said. “Do the operation successfully, make money. Simple, right?” She then tapped the tweezers against an edge of the board game, and Cavity Sam’s nose turned red and the game buzzed. A rogue smile stretched Cindy’s red lips. “Screw up the operation, and be prepared to pay big insurance claims.”…
One Sigh. She couldn’t rationalize it. She definitely couldn’t resist it. Sex and attraction is irrational—at least it was for her. She reminded herself of this whenever the urge became overpowering. Oh, she wanted to forget him more than anything. But the harder she fought it, the more it would swallow her. These are familiar…
He treated it as though it were a typical Saturday – woke up, served her breakfast in bed, then left for the gym and to run a few errands. He had no reason to approach it any differently. After all, she had talked all week about how excited she was to lie around and relax…
“Don’t move,” the photographer tells me. How could I even entertain the idea given the fact that I am lying face down in a X shape, tied to a bed? I’m completely naked except for a latex mask and the fact that he is fully clothed only makes me feel even more exposed and naked. …
My drone touched down delicately in front of me with the red-light warning about low battery life. The drone had lifted off with a full charge an hour ago, and, after taking pictures and videos of the acreage, it returned exhausted. The drone had flown across the massive estate. The property was green with pastures…
I had worked the drive-thru at the fast-food restaurant for a month and had already seen some awkward sights from customers. Old women with yapping dogs on their laps. Parents who had several kids barking through the window to get their burgers. Businessmen who swore when they spilled coffee on their designer shirts. Teenagers making…
Steve knocked on the front door of Brandon’s house on Sherwood Drive. Instead of his friend answering, it was Brandon’s mom. “Steve, how are you?” she said brightly. “Hi, Ms. Davis. I’m here to get Brandon.” “He’s not back yet. He was held up at track practice. It shouldn’t be too long though. You can…
Your mouth puckers and shoulders shiver from the sour flavor. The Gimlet is more lime than liquor. In fact, the shot of Grey Goose is questionable. And that’s how your night has gone. You are mentally absent and not participating in Isabel’s and Carla’s chit-chatting. This smoky rock club is awkward for you. It’s packed…
Charlotte toweled off in her steam-fogged bathroom. To her dislike, rubbing the thick cloth against herself made her lower body jiggle. She flung the white towel over a hanger and wiped off the moisture from the mirror with her hand. When she saw her reflection, the comments of a former lover came to mind. She…
“Here’s your pay!” Dennis shoved a fist full of dollars into my chest. “And now our business partnership is officially terminated. Don’t ever contact us again.” The fire in his eyes revealed the anger of Hell. Or it may have been his embarrassment after one hell of a night. Honestly it mattered to me. Dennis…
The cruel winds had blown through Williston Falls the night before. The storm uprooted sturdy trees in the town’s small park and lifted farm houses only to reset them cockeyed on their foundations. But there was worse. The morning after, three ladies huddled together in the Louise Hollis Community Center, trying to calm a weeping…
I’d been stood up and it sucked. On a whim I’d swiped right on Tinder for a guy with a winning smile. We’d texted a couple of times and agreed to meet here. Now forty-nine minutes past our meeting time he was a no show. Steam swirled from my latté, the aroma mingling with the…
Sitting in the observation car on the Winnipeg-Churchill train, Derrick watched the stunted coniferous trees and muskeg quickly pass by as the train headed north through Canada. He relaxed, lounging in his seat, arms behind his head. A vent below his seat blew warm air against his feet and a steaming cup of almond-flavored coffee…
The Friday night drinks party at work was over. I’d been standing around for hours and my new three-inch heels were killing me. I just wanted to go home, treat myself to a nightcap and something to eat, before pulling on one of the old T-shirts my ex had left behind when he had taken…
It was time to show him the side of me I’ve hidden for years, I told myself as I lifted a hand to knock on the door of my husband’s office. I’ve denied myself long enough. “Come in,” his voice came from behind the closed door and as I entered his office, I found him…
It was Michael’s 37th birthday and his wife, Tricia had bought him a 60-minute deep tissue massage from a local masseuse. As Michael drove to his appointment after work, he wondered why Tricia would buy him this. He had never mentioned wanting or needing a massage. Michael and Tricia had been married for 9 years…
Sunlight peaks in around the window ledge, streaming through the shear curtains and warming my hand. I slowly waken, struggling to open my eyes. Something feels different. These are not my sheets, these are not my pillow. As the room comes into focus, details from the previous night come rushing back. I yawn as I…
It was a sweltering day in late May. The humidity in the air was thick and heavy. Sarah had just finished at the gym and was riding her bike home. She passed down Main Street which was congested and busy. All of the coffee shops and bistros were brimming with activity, with many kids now…
Before I put another notch in my lipstick case You better make sure you put me in my place Pat Benatar, Hit Me with Your Best Shot Shawn sat at the faux oak boardroom table in the cool room, waiting for the meeting to start. Evelin sat down across from him. He looked up in…
Sabrina’s right hand hovered tentatively over her mouse, the cursor poised to click Broadcast. While she’d always found the idea of showing off for others a huge turn-on, she’d never dared to actually act on this fantasy. She’d come close a few times – and had even registered on an amateur cam site – but…
The pressure of quarantine pushed people from their apartments. Aysa sat on her fire escape on the fifteenth floor of the old apartment building, soaking in the respite. But respite wasn’t the only reason she was there. Several stories below, on the top of the neighboring apartment building, was a secret garden. The garden was…
The television hums— “…The number of confirmed cases has surpassed 985,000…” My eyes glaze over as the reporter drones on. I’ve heard it all before, and it just gets worse each day. This shit’s inescapable. As frightening as it is, who knew the end of the world would be so… fucking dull? Stay the fuck inside. That’s…