Temptation

by Lori Cossens

The first thing I noticed was his ass. The second, his girlfriend. Her long fingers pressed with fury into the worn cotton Levi’s. Her red nails a little too much like weapons for my taste.

“Mine,” she mouthed from across the room. I got the picture.

I got the picture, but I couldn’t resist him. His aforementioned ass notwithstanding, Sam was a package. Strong hands that I first felt on my back, the second time he was in the bar. The bar being the Breeze Inn that my boyfriend Jack owned, but infrequently visited. They paid me the door, and two pairs of eyes caught mine.

Then Sam leaned forward a bit, and put his arms around me — a friendly hug, like the kind you get when you’re sad about having no prom date. The girlfriend, Susan, stood back, sizing me up but saying nothing. Her long fingers, I noticed, never left his tight ass.

Then his chest was touching mine, and warm breath was on my neck and in my ear.

“A sweet thing like you should never have to get so lonely,” he whispered. I felt suddenly afraid. Surely my boyfriend wouldn’t know, might not care if he did. But what of Susan, the hard-as-steel woman constantly looking after Sam. Fights between women, even in this podunk town, were not frequent. But something about that woman made me think she had my number but good.

But it wasn’t until many nights later — maybe a month, maybe more — after Sam had whispered many suggestive little tidbits, that I finally could take it no more.

“Susan,” I said, mustering all my courage. “Can I talk to you outside?”

She let go of her man, gave him a stern look, and then followed me out into the hot, muggy night.

“You want Sam,” she said, once we were outside. “I know.”

All about me, and yet I was sure she must know every detail of every move he made.

“Well, it’s just that I don’t know how to respond. I know you two are together,” I said, “but well, why does he say those things to me?”

“Because it’s true, you know?” she said, and raised her hand to my face — red nails lightly stroking my cheek, thumb pressed against my bottom lip. “You are the sweetest thing I’ve seen in a while.”

Susan leaned into me then, and her lips were the softest that had ever touched my skin. Then I felt hot breath on my neck, just like all the nights before, only without the fear and guilt.

“Go get Sam,” she said. “He likes this kind of thing.”

Then she smiled a wicked little smile, and I did as I was told.

And this sweet thing has not been lonely since.

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