“Not that its any of you business but no.”

“Are you sleeping with her?”

“No.”

‘Really?”

“Who cares if we are or aren’t, get out…go stalk someone who gives a shit. I told you its over.”

“No it will never really be over with us Shane. We shared moments…”

“We shared lousy cheap sex…and I’ll tell you a secret….you didn’t do it for me. I was young and respectful and worried that you where the alpha and omega for me…..so get the hell out take your clothes with you. I wont say it again.”

“I know you are fucking her…I know you didn’t leave her house till this afternoon.”

“And I know the high ranking Senator from New York that you are seeing on the side. Maybe you don’t care that I know, but I know she does, and if she does then your husband will definitely care, especially with those young things he loves to visit so much in Thailand…..these chains they do bind don’t they?”

“Well….well…well…well played and here I thought you where some border line runaway from Florida…..well Shane if you didn’t want to see me again you could have just said so.”

“I did like twenty times…..get out!”

She walks over to me. Runs her hand along my face and smacks me. The sting feels good. Like I finally got through to her. She runs her hand along the palm print of her violence and leans in and kisses me. And of course like clockwork this is when Carmen walks in. The door was halfway open.

She stands there a bag of food in her hand. And a venomous lost look in her eye. She looked like she had been crying. Cheri looks at her like she was an insect and leaves closing the door behind her. Carmen walked over to the table and set out the paper plates that came with dinner.

“That was goodbye.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I showed up without an invitation…you owe me nothing.”

“Just stop….look at me. That was goodbye. She came by to give me this stuff I guess she saw the news….its all part of her games…but I one upped her…..its over.”

“She knows…about us?”

“She thinks she knows. She doesn’t know what day it is half the time she is so drugged up.”

“I don’t care if she knows….I am not ashamed about how I feel about you.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Bruce killed himself.”

"Carmen……"

  I walked over to touch her or something. She just moved and stared out the window. I am thinking wow. And I am picturing the word shock in ten foot high letters. And I am worried. And I feel guilty and I know that Carmen felt guilty too.

“When?”

“He flew to New Mexico and shot himself in front of our old high school…..I feel like I am going to be sick.”

I walk her over to the bathroom.

To be continued…….