It was the end of March when we got the word that we were flying to Prague. Unrest in the region prompted the State Department to evacuate nonessential personnel from the embassy. Our flight was the last one to land. The pilots set the big 747 down smoothly. As the doors opened, a stair pushed against the airframe. ​ “A damn 747 for 50 people.” I shook my head. I really didn’t care; the bonus was pretty good. As they came...

I’d been seeing Dante for a couple of months after he and his wife had picked me up at a bar. He had called me and said I needed to be home on a school day. I said that Tuesday would be the best day if he were going to swing by. He called and said he was on his way and to get ready. I decided to put on a wicked weasel bikini, one of the skimpiest I own. He knocked, and I answered the door. I was surprised that he was not...

Sunday Emily woke groggily to the tap on the door. She got up, wrapping a robe around her body as she answered the door. Elena was awake, but opted for the ‘Don’t bother me, pull the sheet over her head’ move, partly because of modesty. I don’t remember ordering breakfast last night. Em thought, but I’m glad I did. Em thought to herself. The door closed behind the server as he left, and Emily poured coffee. Elena sat up a...

It’s February, and it’s 77 degrees in Florida. Sunshine warms my body like my lover’s tongue when he’s hungry. It's winter, the humidity is low, and as long as the wind doesn't pick up, I'm warm. I called Dante. I call him my bull because, well, he's hung like one. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s married, and I’m his white side-piece. He let himself in, came through the house, and opened the sliding back door. He smiled when...

Mira, along with the point man Mira had nicknamed Sunglasses, and Mira’s companions Rick, Xavier, and Xavier’s wife Reina, went into the lobby, disdain on the staff’s faces. Sunglasses drew the concierge to the registration desk, where they whispered. Sunglasses muttered to the concierge. He handed the man a credit card; Mira’s eyes narrowed as she saw the L and DNA emblem. She fished her cell phone out and started Googli...

Anne and Mandi had made love several times after that first time, almost two weeks ago. Mandi cornered her sister in her bedroom. “I need your help.” The redhead arched her eyebrow. “With?” Mandi took a deep breath. “Cocksucking. I tried the vibrator, but I keep gagging.” Anne smiled and shook her head. “Until you’re used to it and your reflexes desensitize, it’s all about the angle.” Anne reached into her nightstand and...

Friday, August 15, 1986, Miami, Florida. Emily Calder, AKA K.C. Harrow, best-selling author of the novel After Massaqua Falls, collected her leather suitcase from the carousel. As Emily stepped into Miami International, she left K.C. Harrow behind on a forty-city tour. Twenty weeks that had worn K.C. to the core. Now Emily was tired. She was ready to recharge, needing space from the pressures of being K.C. Harrow. On her...

Business was slow at Howie’s Music. A couple of sixteen-year-old girls, out way too late, were popping bubblegum and looking at the top forty offers. Claire was already sick to death of Duran Duran’s new single A View to a Kill. Having heard enough, Claire dropped the needle on her current favorite track. The distinctive sound of a Yamaha synth cranked up the opening of Just Another Day. The girls left at the change of mu...

Nikki wiped her hands on her shorts, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had stared at the restaurant for 10 minutes. Amanda was in there. Could she really go in? Would they get along as well as they did online? Would reality destroy everything? Inside, Amanda sat, moving her beer in a lazy circle. She glanced up just as Nikki entered. Her breath caught. Nikki’s hair was back to red, short, curled along the jaw o...

Mira was looking at a spreadsheet when the mail clerk dropped a thick envelope on her desk. It took a moment for her to reach a place where she could stop. She saw her name and company address on the label, then ripped the envelope open. Inside: flight, hotel, itinerary. What’s all this? she wondered. The note was curt. Your Presence is Requested. You will not need luggage; all is provided. You will be met at the airport....

Mandi felt haunted and alone. Almost six weeks had passed since her mom had gone to Singapore for work with the State Department. Her father had thrown himself into his work on the Navy base. Anne had abandoned her; that was the true, deep pain. She knew everything was coming apart. She had tried to keep things together, but she felt herself cracking inside. Boys at school sensed her vulnerability, tried to take her on da...

It was a rare sweltering night, one where your clothes stuck to your body like a second skin in October. Tara applied the final touches to her makeup. Stacy sat on the bed, vibrating with energy. She has to be battery-powered; she never gets tired. Tara mused as she looked at her best friend in the mirror. “I can’t believe it’s October already, Tara. What’s next? We wake up tomorrow in 1987?” And next week 1988. Please. T...

“Jesus Christ,” Mandi muttered, wrapping the pillow around her ears. The bedframe banged rhythmically on the other side, accompanied by muffled moans and laughter. She rolled onto her back and stared at the phosphorescent stars peeling off her ceiling. This was the third time this week. The bedrooms shared the same thin wall that barely muffled anything. She knew the routine: the groans would increase, followed by a sharp...