Emily was fifty when the divorce finally went through. Eighteen months later, she still caught herself wondering, “What the hell do I even have left?” Her ex kept the house in West Lake Hills, the Labrador named Ozzy, and—naturally—the twenty-nine-year-old Pilates instructor who loved showing off her brand-new tits on Instagram. Plenty of people told her she had nothing to complain about; after all, she’d walked away with...

Ryan thought some time back home was exactly what he needed. It wasn’t that things in San Diego were going badly, he just felt a little… off. So when his high school coach called and asked if he’d be willing to sign some autographs on a Sunday afternoon, he jumped at the chance. He lowered the window as Luke tapped his thumb against the steering wheel to some country song Ryan hadn’t heard before, but one his friend clear...

Smita came a little after lunch on a Sunday. She was dressed in a simple sari. It was the beginning of summer and the afternoon sun was strong, I had drawn all the curtains to keep the heat out. The room was quite dark except for the flickering glow from the TV screen. Although she had said she would come, I was not sure she actually would. So I had started watching a porn video on the VCR. I paused the video and opened t...

The kettle clicked off, steam curling against the window. She poured the tea into mismatched mugs and slid one across the counter. Her best friend accepted it with a grin, their shoulders brushing as she leaned on the counter like she belonged there - which, after twenty years of friendship, she did. Her phone buzzed against the counter. Unknown number. I’ll be around later to check the guttering. She frowned, blinking at...

With the school year now behind me, I sat at my desk and organized the contents of each drawer. My transistor radio played at low volume in order to fill the classroom's silence. I was humming along to a song by The Carpenters when a soft knock sounded on the half-open door. Looking up, I smiled to see Bradley lingering just outside. "Bradley, what are you still doing here?" A glance at the wall clock let me know it was a...

Many years ago, when I was at university studying for my medical degree, I would frequent a Chinese restaurant near the small apartment I was renting. It was a family-run affair and a staple of the area. It was a small, cosy place that could seat no more than fifty customers but was very popular. The menu wasn’t extensive, but every dish was superb. If you did not have a reservation for an evening sitting, you had no chan...

Where to start? I should go way back. I was twenty-nine when I remarried and was out of the swinger lifestyle for almost a full year. My second husband was aware of my past with Justin, Jermaine, and my first husband, who were all swingers. After I remarried, we bought a house in a rural area near a small city about twenty miles from the city where I was born and raised, and lived with Patrick. I always wanted to live in...

Margaret was putting on her lipstick when the doorbell rang. Giving a final pucker, she slipped the tube into her purse and went to open the door. “Hey, Mrs. C., looking good. Anthony asked me to pick you up for the rehearsal dinner.” “Yes, he texted me to let me know you’d be my ride tonight. Come on in, Ben. I need to grab my purse and make sure I locked the back door,” she said warmly. Ben was looking good, too, she th...

Samuel slipped through the trees and headed toward me, just as I knew he would. Since these woods provided a shortcut between his tracts of land, he took this path every day except the Sabbath. It was a routine he'd maintain until the harvest was finished in autumn. These woods also happened to be located behind the house where I lived with my husband. I stood in the cool shade, as if I had a right to be waiting on Samuel...

It was late, well after nine, when I finally rose from my desk. Carrying my bag, I stepped into the corridor and found Lucas waiting for me. All the other offices around us were quiet, their doorways dark. "You should have gone home hours ago," I told my assistant. At some point, he'd removed his tie and rolled up his shirtsleeves. While I was bleary-eyed from exhaustion, Lucas looked as alert as he'd been first thing tha...

I step into the house, your scent still clinging to my skin. Though I'm right on time, my father impatiently waits in the dining room. Taking my seat at the table across from him, I ask, "Where's Mom?" "She's gone up to bed," he replies. "Another migraine." His eyes narrow as he regards me. "You've been with that woman again, haven't you?" Instead of answering, I look down at my hands clasped in my lap. "Son, she's no goo...

I'd long gotten used to the quiet of the country. For almost thirty years, I'd lived well outside the town limits. My small house was on a gravel, dead-end road, and only a few other dwellings were within sight of mine. I took privacy for granted, never bothering to close my curtains. Sometimes I forgot to lock my doors. The house on my left had always been a little too close for comfort; from my bedroom window, I had a c...

Truth be told, Enid could have offered to reduce the amount I owed her by just a nickel, and I'd have jumped at the chance. My cock gave an enthusiastic twitch when she suggested I could settle my debt by fucking her. The brief time I spent considering her words was more for show than anything else. I'd already made up my mind. Still, I let out a heavy sigh before I nodded and said, "Well, I guess that's fair, Enid." "Goo...