Part 2 "Hold still," Madison murmured, her breath ghosting over my cheek. "If you twitch, you’re going to look like a raccoon, and I am not redoing this." I froze, holding my breath while the cold, wet tip of the eyeliner pen traced the corner of my eye. We were squeezed into her tiny, overly bright bathroom, the air thick with the smell of hairspray and that expensive vanilla perfume she practically bathes in. I was sitt...

Cruising had never been high on my priority list, until this spring. What happened changed my thoughts about cruises. It wasn’t the travel or the food or the sightseeing. No, it was the experience, which I am about to relate here. Dining on cruise ships often means sharing tables with strangers, not something I am particularly fond of doing. However, this dinner would be unforgettable. My wife and the couple we were trave...

The glass shattered against the kitchen tile, a sharp counterpoint to the lunch rush clatter. Matt flinched, already scanning for the broom before the sound faded. "Focus, Matt," Janet's voice cut through the steam, not loud, but carrying the weight of a slammed door. Her gaze lingered on the shards near his feet. "That's the third thing since you clocked in. Spilled water on table six, dropped the steak knives, now this?...

She was already seated in the clear plastic chair in front of her desk, not the big throne-like one behind it. I didn’t dare take that chair, so I stood in front of her, nervously presenting myself. Her online profile said that her name was Harlow. She looked exactly like her profile picture. The only difference was that she was wearing all white latex, not the black leather from her photo. A lit cigarette dangled between...

Part 1 The bright morning sun felt different on my skin. Possessive. It was like it was laying a warm hand over every single place Colin had marked. I was practically floating across the hot, sugary sand. The sound of the surf was lazy, just this distant rhythm, but my blood was thrumming. My red lifeguard bikini... it didn't feel like a uniform. It felt more like a victory banner, you know? Stretched tight across my body...

It happened three decades ago, in 1990. I was 37, in my sixth year instructing at an elite suburban public high school. It was a comfortable position. The school excelled academically, with motivated and compliant students, and I was part of the International Baccalaureate program—a selective curriculum that drew the top achievers. My subject was Theory of Knowledge for seniors, an intriguing class. In teaching terms, thi...

Chapter 1: Star Without Spark The flat looked like a studio wearing a bedroom’s skin. Pink LEDs bled down the walls, ring lights hummed. The phone sat in its clip, eye-level with the bed. Aya checked angles with jittery thumbs. Twin ponytails tight, rhinestones sharp, crop top twisted high, thong riding up. “We’re on,” she said, and hit live. Noise poured in—handles stacking, hearts raining. Star fountain back. Daddy Spar...

It was a pleasant summer day, and I decided to take the day off. I needed a break from my stressful job and was also in the mood for some excitement. I bought a full-day pass to a spa — a clothing-optional place with a men’s-only section. It was a haven for bisexual and gay men, though straight guys visited too. If you were lucky, you could find yourself surrounded entirely by a gay or bi crowd. I arrived around 10 a.m.,...