Stuart's Perfectly Aligned Stars

I immediately collapse from lack of strength in my legs. He stands there for a second to recuperate before uncuffing my wrist. I immediately fall flat on the floor. I am too weak to move, let alone try to make a run for it. There's a sharp ache in my stomach and a red slice in my wrist from where the handcuffs bit into me. I hear Briggs open a door and my head shoots up. I see him going into a broom closet, which I hadn't realized was right across the hall. He fills up a bucket a quarter of the way and tosses about a dozen cleaning rags at me and barks at me to clean up the mess I made. I start with Briggs himself, despite how bad my stomach hurt. He stands there and watches me as I clean up the entire section of the hallway. Afterwards, I begin cleaning myself up. When I'm done, I pack everything neatly back into the closet and get redressed.

"Well, It's almost the end of my shift. You'd better get the hell out of here."

I blink a few times at him. "You're letting me go?"

"Didn't I say I would? One thing you should know about me, I never go back on a promise."

I smile at him wide-eyed. "Thank you, Briggs." I lean over and kiss him, and he grabs me and pushes his warm tongue into my mouth. I gladly reciprocate.

"Mm." He pulls away with a grin. "Besides, I gotta go return this." He picks up my side satchel. "Now get lost before I change my mind." I blow him a kiss and begin taking off down the hallway. "Hey, wait a second," He calls after me and I skid to a stop, turning around to face him. "I like to know the names of the people I have sex with." He grins.

"I'll tell you tomorrow when I come back."

"What? Why are you coming back?" Briggs displays his own look of shock.

"One thing you should know about me, Briggs…I don't go back on promises either." At that, I wink and leap from the window. And as I walk back toward my car, I look up at the stars, perfectly aligned after all. And somehow, I don't feel all that empty-handed.