The Chance Meeting

"Nothing."

"Something's wrong." He placed his hand on her waist and brought her inside his embrace. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She peered over his shoulder and swallowed. They swayed gently as he kissed her and leaned against the wall. His hands cupped her bottom and squeezed. She sighed heavily into his chest and felt his fingers probe beneath her panties. He got hard against her stomach as he fingered her pussy.

"Does that feel better?" he asked.

"It's fine," she said, trying to forget who he was.

He turned her around so that she faced the wall. Understanding what he was after, Adrienne put her hands to the cold surface and arched her back with her legs apart for him. Sean grazed the blue rose tattooed on her lower back before pushing himself inside of her. She let out a low grunt as he fucked her like this for a solid minute and came inside her.

Adrienne stayed in the bathroom as Sean went back to bed.

"I'll be there in a minute," she told him.

It took another fifteen minutes before most of his cum dripped from her body and into the toilet where it belonged. He was asleep by the time she got back to bed.

***

"Sleep ok?" she asked, as he joined her at the table for coffee.

He wore the green t-shirt he had on the night before, and his boxers.

"Like a baby. You?"

"Not so great."

She wore checked flannel pants and a white tank top.

"How come?"

"Bad dream, I guess."

"Maybe you had too much to drink."

"Maybe."

She lit up a cigarette.

"I've got class this afternoon," he said. "I should probably..."

"Get going."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Sean sipped his coffee. Adrienne tapped her cigarette.

"So," he started, "are we...ok?"

Adrienne lifted her gaze.

"Ok?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know."

He scowled.

"What's wrong then?"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do."

She sighed and took a drag.

"How does that phrase go? Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me."

"Something like that. Why? You think I'm fooling you?"

"You could be."

"True. But I'm not."

"How do I trust you when you say that?"

"Faith."

She laughed.

"The atheist teaches me about faith. That's rich."

"Do you have faith in anything?"

"Yes. It's just humanity I'm not so sure about."

"Well, I guess if you wanted this to work, it could work."

"And that's all there is to it?"

"That's half the battle."

"What's the other half?"

"Me wanting it to work."

"Oh."

He studied her movements.

"You know why I'm here, Adrienne. But if you're going to sit there and blow smoke like you've got better things to do, then I guess I won't be coming back."

Adrienne took this particularly hard. His sour words hurt her. This could be the last time she laid eyes on him. Could be the last time she'd feel his skin on hers. The last time they'd admit that they love each other.

He took her silence as an answer and stood up. Sean moved to the bed, around which his clothes were scattered. Adrienne spotted his sneakers on the floor beside the couch and remembered how good she felt, sitting on the couch next to him, the night before. As he gathered his belongings and put on the rest of his clothes, Adrienne put out her cigarette and stood up.

Sean looked over at her, hardly expecting an explanation.

"Can you promise me something?" she asked.

"Anything."

He stared at her, coat in hand. She made her way over to him, cautiously.

"Can you promise this is it?"

"I promise."

Adrienne stepped up to him and looked him in the eyes, observing the scar as he gave her his word.

"I don't want to be running around out there, looking for you, trying to hide from you if I see you. I don't want to be thinking about you all the time, wondering where you are or if you still think about me. I don't want to be betrayed by you. Ever again."

"I don't want that either."

"You say you're working on some things in your life, and that interests me. Getting hurt again does not interest me. And I swear to God, Sean, if you go back on your word..."

He smiled.

"I know, I know," he said. "You've got a Hungarian hunting knife in your nightstand with my name on it."

"Actually, it's just a bunch of curlicues. But it cuts pretty clean."

Adrienne took hold of his hands and studied his fingers. He peered down at her, meeting her gaze. They kissed unceremoniously, and she walked him to the door.

"See you tonight?" he said.

"I'll leave the light on."