Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 3.5 | Chapter 4-1 | Chapter 4-2 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Kisses on the foreheads of the lovers
Wrapped in your arms
You've been hiding them in hollowed out pianos
Left in the dark

Apocalypse, Cigarettes After Sex

It was a ten minute walk from the bar to the Bayport fishing wharf. Jake Riley spent the whole time replaying Ben Wilson’s cavalier words over and over again in his head. That’s Sarah Silk…one of the most famous porn stars in the world…you had sex with…I know how she likes it. Before he knew it, Jake was staring out over the glittering surface of the water, having absentmindedly threaded his way through the amateur fishermen and tourists crowding the pier. One of the town’s trademark salubrious breezes blew in off the river, offsetting the sweltering summer humidity, and stirring leaves on the many majestic live oaks that skirted the shoreline.

Jake felt the light touch of a delicate hand upon his shoulder. He let out a dispirited sigh.

“It hasn’t been an hour.”

Kate Bennett leaned next to him on the railing. The breeze ruffled her waist wrap and Jake got a glimpse of the long, shapely legs underneath.

“I know,” she acknowledged, “but I saw you leave the bar in a hurry. I take it that ogling numbskull told you?”

Jake nodded apathetically. “How long has this been going on?”

“A few years.”

“So…you were involved in porn” -the word stuck in Jake’s throat and he had to choke it out- “last summer…when we dated?”

It was Kate’s turn to nod stoically. Jake shook his head in disbelief, overwhelmed as lurid images flooded his mind and made his skull ache.

“Is that what you were down here for? To seduce unsuspecting locals? Were you secretly filming me when we…screwed around?”

Kate threw her arms around Jake’s shoulders in a tender embrace. “It wasn’t like that at all! I came here because I was on the verge of having a breakdown. I needed to get away from my life. You have no idea how much our time together meant to me…how much you meant to me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“At first, I thought you knew, because…you know…you’re a guy, and you were doing it for bragging rights. When it became clear you had no idea who I was…what I was…I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth. You genuinely liked me…the real Kate…not the fake Sarah.”

“And your controlling boyfriend that you were trying to get away from? Is he real, or just a sob story you made up to get my sympathy?”

“He’s real...and he’s here in town with me,” Kate whispered in a tremulous voice that was barely audible. Jake felt as if she’d kicked him squarely in the balls, and a wave of nausea engulfed him.

“Your boyfriend’s here?!” he hissed. “What if he sees us together?!”

“Doesn’t matter, he knows about you.”

Jake Riley cursed furiously. “This just keeps getting better and better! Last summer, you were desperate to get away from him! Now, this summer, not only are you back together, but you’ve brought him with you! He knows you ran around with another guy while you were here before, and he knows that other guy is me?!”

“He doesn’t care about that,” Kate laughed bitterly. “He watches me have sex with other men all the time. That doesn’t faze him, I promise you. What he does care about is that I obviously have strong feelings for you. If…when…you meet him, you can’t let him get to you. You-”

“There you are!” An annoyed voice interjected. “I’ve been all over this hillbilly backwater looking for you.”

Kate abruptly withdrew her arms from around Jake as they both turned towards the interloper. The man was almost a full head taller than Jake, with wavy auburn hair ruffled by the apparently unceasing salubrious breeze. A goofy, easygoing smile was splayed across his face, but there was also a noticeable tension in the off-putting gaze. Without skipping a beat, he extended a hand towards Jake.

“I’m Ethan Bailey. You must be the hospitable bartender I’ve heard so much about.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s me.” Jake reluctantly accepted the gesture. Ethan crushed his hand with passive aggressive animosity and gave him a hard stare. Jake stared back, calm and unflinching. Releasing his grip, the newcomer slithered his hand around Kate’s waist and forced her close to him.

“Well, I can’t thank you enough for taking such good care of my little lady. You must’ve made her feel right at home in such a strange place, with the way she just could not stop singing your praises!” Ethan laughed unctuously. Kate squirmed uncomfortably in his possessive grasp.

“It was my pleasure.” Jake cringed internally at the words that had come tumbling out. He had no idea what he was supposed to say in such an unorthodox situation. Ethan barked out a caustic chuckle.

“I’m sure it was. You must know as well as anyone that she likes to be shown a good time.” Kate continued to fidget in her boyfriend’s tightening grip. “Anyhow, I’m afraid I’m going to need her back for the time being. She did promise to show me the sights, after all.”

Ethan offered a terse nod, then led Kate away as she reluctantly acquiesced to his dominance. Before they disappeared into the crowd, the overbearing escort looked back over his shoulder and winked at Jake, a venomous smirk on his face.

Afterword: To enhance the impact of this story, listen to the song below after you read.

If you enjoyed reading my Thoughts, consider showing your appreciation by helping to make my dream of quitting my day job a reality.

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