The Debt

"LISTEN. It was consensual." Kim involuntarily jerked back.

"You?...with them?" Kim's mouth struggled to get the words out.

"Everything was planned in advance except for them sharing it. They were supposed to keep it to themselves. I thought they understood that it would hurt them more if the secret got out." Stacey explained.

Kim looked out the window unsure what kind of reaction was supposed to give for this revelation.

"I've always liked these things. None of my boyfriends were, so I buried it for a long time. When I broke up with Steve it was the first time I was truly single since middle school, so I decided to take a chance and see what it was like. I met them through a website, they paid me for my pleasure, that's why I can't and won't sue them."

"You took money?"

"What difference does it make? If there was any legal action that would be their defense. I just cut out the middleman."

"I just don't know why you could get any joy from that." Kim breathed in deeply.

"It's a thrill. Think about why people watch horror movies or go bungie jumping."

"But the pain?"

"Yes it stings, but there's an adrenaline rush that's hard to beat."

"You do this much?"

"No, I've only done it a couple of times since. If I do it too much, it stops being interesting. I'm perfectly fine with regular sex too."

"So what are you going to do?

"I'll take a leave of absence from work and wait until everyone gets distracted by the next scandal." Stacey started the engine and backed out of the parking space.

"You asked me what you can do for me right?" Kim nodded.

"I still want you to be my friend. I won't ask you to participate in my kinks or give you updates. If anyone asks you about this, just make the same vague statements politicians make when they don't plan to do anything but have to show they are doing something."

Kim sighed and nodded. "This might take some time to digest."

"Sure Kim I dropped a load on you."

After dropping her friend off, Stacey drove home. About a block away, she saw the news vans and a crowd of reporters waiting. Her heart began to pound the same way it did a year ago when she rang the doorbell. She pulled her car over to the curb and got out. Someone in the crowd noticed her and the herd stampeded in her direction. Stacey's face flushed red and a tear formed. "Round 2 about to begin." She said.