Book Three: Sailors Without a Compass - The Pink Cadillac

After the Christmas holidays of 1996 were over, one morning Paula Sandler was dropping off her five-year-old son Rick at Ralph Straus Elementary School in her old Mazda MX-5 Miata. She was a single mother who worked in a dry-cleaning establishment. Her economic condition was bleak. Her husband died two years ago from an incurable disease. Because of her unwavering love for her kid, she did not even consider being married again. Along with meeting household expenses, the child must receive a good education, so she worked very hard day and night. She had recently given up on living for herself. Her world appears to have begun and ended with her only son. She was well aware that if Rick received a good education, he would undoubtedly progress in his life. And when she would see him growing up, she would be overjoyed.

Paula was driving the car, her mind on the complications of her life, and Rick, sitting in the back seat, was excited to see the snow on the road outside the window. Paula’s eyes were clouded with worry, while her son’s eyes sparkled with delight. He was returning to school after winter vacation. Reuniting with his classmates was a pleasure. Paula arrived at Rick’s school after a 20-minute drive. She pulled into the parking lot, parked her car, and exited. Then she opened the back seat door and Rick quickly jumped out of the car. Paula took his right hand and proceeded toward his classroom. Rick walked in a relaxed and carefree style.

He enjoyed attending the class. Paula escorted him into his classroom. Ms. Laura, Rick’s teacher, greeted them and asked Paula to come pick up her son at 3:00 p.m. Paula left after giving her approval with a nod. Rick was directed to sit on a bench by the teacher.

Rick noticed a new kid sitting on the bench. Rick had never seen him before in his class. Rick sat alongside him, and neither of them said anything. The teacher was reading a rhyme ‘Down by the Station’ from the English book, and they both became preoccupied with listening to the teacher.

During the lunch break, when Rick asked about him, he revealed that his name was Chad.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” Rick asked.

Chad replied that his father had a new job in this area. Last week, they had just arrived in Manhattan. They had previously resided in Fairview. While they were conversing, Chad opened his lunchbox, and Rick noticed a chocolate muffin inside. Rick’s lunchbox contained a cheese sandwich. Rick hesitantly asked Chad if he could eat his muffin. Chad said, “If you will give me your sandwich then you can eat my muffin.” They both agreed and ate each other’s lunch.

The exchange of lunch on the first day of their meeting became the foundation of their friendship. Every day, they sat on the same bench and ate lunch together. Their strong bond was not kept hidden from their class teacher. The other students in the class would frequently observe them both together, either on the playground or in the classroom. If one of them was absent one day, the other would be sad all day.

Eight weeks later, one night at about ten o’clock, Rick was watching Disney’s Duck Tales cartoons on TV while Paula was preparing his school bag. Suddenly, Paula’s gaze was drawn to a pencil box in Rick’s bag. She took out the box from the bag and asked Rick, “Sweetie, where is your new pencil box that I brought you two days ago?” Rick was busy watching television so he most likely did not hear Paula’s question.

When Paula asked him again, Rick replied, “Mom, I exchanged that with my friend.”

“But why, dear?”

“Chad liked my pencil box, and I liked his.”

Paula stated, “I brought the box of your choice. You should’ve told me you didn’t like it at the time of purchase.”

Rick remained silent. Paula didn’t ask again.

* * *

A far more intriguing event took place in the shadow of Rick’s pencil box, within the walls of a rented apartment on Stone Street, Manhattan’s oldest area. Paul Brown and his family were having dinner. It was 9:30 at night. He sat with his wife Sandra, their 11-year-old daughter Suzie, and their five-year-old son Chad. Paul and his wife sat at the table facing each other. Suzie’s head was filled with a lot of jumbled thoughts. She was irritated with a classmate boy who had an ugly face and kept pinching Suzie. Suzie was unsure whether she should complain to her teacher or her father. If she complained to the teacher, her friends would begin to tease her by mentioning that boy’s name. If she complained to her father, perhaps he would change her school. She didn’t want either of these things to happen. Suzie’s biggest issue was that she was hesitant to share her feelings with anyone. Sometimes she lacked the courage, and other times, the situation was such that she felt it was best to remain silent.

Sandra spent the entire day alone in the house. A few days were spent setting up household items after moving to the new location. She used to be free in the afternoons and would watch a movie on TV.

She had watched a James Spader movie on TV this afternoon and was infatuated after seeing the erotic scenes in that film. She developed a great craving for sex and waited for her husband until dusk. She was aware that she would only be able to spend time with her husband at night. Sandra was only thinking about sex while eating dinner. Suddenly she felt something on her leg. She noticed that her husband was moving his toe up and down on her leg. Sandra had an odd sensation. She knew that Paul never did such things. He was a solemn man. In many species, the male detected sexual arousal in the female. This hadn’t been tested on humans yet. But Paul probably sensed that something dark was messing with Sandra’s head. She was in a very naughty mood.

Only Chad was enjoying himself while eating. Upon first glance, one may conclude that he was ignorant on all sides while remaining calm within him.

Paul began to caress his wife Sandra’s leg with his foot while sitting at the dining table. Sandra realized he was in the mood for sex as well. She didn’t stop him. Paul’s foot eventually reached between Sandra’s thighs, and Sandra motioned for him to be patient. The kids went to their rooms after dinner. When Sandra was washing the dishes in the kitchen, Paul came and grabbed her from behind. “Let the kids go to bed first,” Sandra mumbled in his ear. Paul, though, had no desire to wait. He inserted his tongue into Sandra’s ear. He pressed Sandra’s left boob with his right hand at the same time. Sandra became excited and asked Paul to go to the bedroom and wait. She would finish her work quickly and come to him soon. Paul walked out of the kitchen. Sandra finished all of the kitchen work in about 15 minutes. She then went to the kids’ room.

Chad and Suzie were doing their homework. She instructed Suzie, “Honey, after you two have finished your homework, assist your brother in packing his school bag. And, yes, don’t stay up too late.” It wasn’t the first time Sandra had said this to Suzie. Suzie was given the same instructions almost every night before she went to bed. Suzie nodded and Sandra left their room. She then departed for her room. When she opened the door, she noticed her husband sitting naked on the bed. His penis was totally rigid. Sandra’s excitement reached a peak when she saw him like this. She jumped over him and started kissing his lips. She was so excited that she forgot to lock the door from inside.

After a long French kiss, Sandra slipped off her nightgown. The only thing left on his body was her panties. With Paul’s help, it too vanished in approximately ten seconds. Sandra climbed onto the bed and grabbed Paul’s head from behind, pressing it between her thighs. Sandra’s excitement was unusually quick for Paul. He positioned her on the bed, parted her legs, and then began to move his tongue over her genital area. Sandra was pressing Paul’s head from behind while clutching her left boob with her left hand. Sandra eventually grabbed Paul’s penis and began rubbing it on her vagina. Paul signaled her to stop; Sandra asked the reason.

Paul said that he desires a blowjob from her prior to sex. Sandra, on the other hand, was unable to halt. She requested Paul to have sex first, and she promised to give him a fantastic blowjob later. Paul agreed and put his penis inside Sandra’s vagina. Sandra let out a long yawn. She then wrapped her arms around Paul. Tightened her legs around his waist and whispered in his ear, “Fuck me harder, James.”

Paul came to a halt and inquired, “Who is this James, dear?”

“Please don’t stop,” Sandra said, “James Ballard was a character in a film I saw today.” Paul grinned and began fucking harder. He was well aware that Sandra enjoyed watching movies and that she occasionally interacted with the characters in those movies. The movie characters have a profound impact on her mind. Nevertheless, he himself had no desire to watch movies. He wasn’t even familiar with the actors’ names.

Suzie finished her homework in about 20 minutes. After that, she turned toward her younger brother. Chad had completed his homework as well. Suzie began to stuff her notebooks into her bag. Then her gaze was drawn to Chad’s pencil box. Her expression was exactly the same as Rick’s mother Paula’s when she spotted a different box instead of Rick’s pencil box at roughly the same moment. Suzie picked up the box and examined it carefully.

“Chad baby, when did you receive this box?” Suzie asked in amazement, “This one is more attractive as compared to the previous.”

Chad informs her that he exchanged it with his friend Rick.

Suzie said, “That’s not right, dear. I don’t think you realize this is actually a bad habit.”

Chad didn’t even pay attention to her. Suzie said, “Look, dear, the first thing you’ll do after you go to school tomorrow morning is get your pencil box back from your friend and return this one to him. Will you do it or not?”

Chad shook his head and said, “I like this box, and I’m going to keep it.”

Suzie became enraged and declared, “If you do not listen to me, I will complain to Mom about this action of yours.”

Chad repeated, “I’ll keep this box. I like it very much.”

Suzie slammed the pencil box on the bed angrily, stormed out of the room and raced to her parent’s room. When she banged on the door with both hands, it immediately opened, and she was stunned to discover what was within.

Paul was lying naked on the bed in front of her, his penis was in Sandra’s mouth and she was sucking it. Spotting Suzie inside the room, Paul hastily covered his naked body with a sheet and Sandra covered her breast with a pillow. Suzie was so thoroughly taken aback by this spectacle that she lost track of her original reason for being there.

“You should be ashamed,” she shouted at her mother, “Few years back, you used to yell at me constantly for sucking my thumb, and now look at yourself.” Paul and Sandra were stunned and embarrassed, and they lay motionless like statues. Suzie slammed the door shut and dashed toward her room.

Suzie was put in the same situation where she couldn’t decide whether to tell her parents about Chad’s actions or to tell Chad about her parents’ actions. After some consideration, she decided to remain silent once more.

* * *

The following day, on Sandra’s recommendation, Paul made an appointment with a well-known child psychologist. They were given time after three days. Three days later, at the scheduled time, they were both driving to the psychologist’s office in Paul’s car. They were both so shocked by the incident that night that they were both in a bad mood for two days. The car’s cassette player was not working. To pass the time, Paul decided to strike up a conversation with Sandra.

Paul asked Sandra to change her mood, “Darling, this guy, James, you were mentioning that night, is he really so seductive?”

Sandra responded, “Yes, sweetheart. James Spader is both attractive and talented as an actor.” The response astounded Paul.

“But that day, you were referring to a different James, not James Spader. Sex was dominating my mind at the time, so I can’t recall the name at the moment, but I’m positive you didn’t say James Spader.”

Sandra replied, “How is this possible, my love? James Spader was in the movie I saw that afternoon, watching some great erotic scenes of the same, my arousal flared up. That’s why we started having sex untimely and as a result, we got so embarrassed in front of our daughter.”

Paul remained silent, but his doubts persisted. He kept trying to recall the name his wife whispered that night. His memory, however, did not support him. He was certain the name wasn’t James Spader. He began to doubt Sandra in his mind. Perhaps she was seeing someone named James and was cheating on Paul.

But, in order to investigate this matter, first of all, he needed to recall the full name of that James. He was silent for the rest of the journey. About half an hour later, they reached the office of the child psychologist in the Bryant Park area. Five minutes later, they were sitting in front of Dr. Maksim Hartshorn, a Russian psychologist who was about 50 years old. Paul attempted to discuss their issue with Dr. Maksim, but he felt as if his tongue had become paralyzed. His brow began to perspire and he was unable to talk. He gave his wife a helpless gaze. Sandra realized that she would have to speak up now. In hushed tones, she recounted the events of that night to Maksim. Maksim listened carefully to everything being said.

After she had finished, Sandra said, “Doctor, we are really upset. What impact would the event from that evening have had on my daughter? After that day, I am unable to even look into her eyes.”

Doctor Hartshorn exhaled deeply and said, “Look, madam, this is not unusual. Kids in many families often see their parents having sex. On many occasions, parents are not even aware of this.” He continued, “And you will be surprised to learn that this has no negative impact on their personalities, but rather has a positive impact.”

Sandra responded, “But doctor, my daughter is only 11 years old.”

“You shouldn’t worry at all, madam,” Maksim retorted with a smile. “Everything is understood by 11-year-olds. You must treat her like a pal. Everything will return to normal in a few days, and one more thing, when kids witness their parents cheating on each other, only then there is a negative impact on their personalities.”

Paul cocked an eyebrow at Sandra when he heard this. After a ten-minute casual conversation, they both got up and walked out.

Note for the Readers

That afternoon, Sandra was watching a movie named Crash, starring James Spader. The character played by James Spader in that movie was named James Ballard, and Sandra whispered the name of James Ballard that night, which she later forgot. But this had raised doubts in her husband’s mind that his wife was cheating on him.

* * *

The following evening, Paul was once more seated in front of Dr. Hartshorn. He made an attempt to introduce himself, but the doctor claimed to have already known him. Paul added, “Doctor, we came to talk to you about a situation yesterday. And your response left us both feeling largely satisfied.”

The doctor inquired, “So, what brings you back today?”

Paul said, “You had mentioned that kid’s personalities are negatively impacted if they witness one of their parents cheating with the other.”

The doctor answered with a nod, “That is correct. You carry on speaking.”

Paul mustered the courage to say, “Doctor, I am aware that this is not your specialty. I’ve come to you with hope because I am new to this area and I don’t even know many people.” Paul’s dried throat made it difficult for him to speak. “I have a feeling that my wife is cheating on me.”

The Doctor expressed his inability to help, saying, “Sir, I can’t help you with this. You should hire a good detective who will keep an eye on your wife’s movements and bring you the truth.”

Paul responded hesitantly, “But, Doctor, I only have doubt. I came to you because you are a psychologist. Could you kindly provide me with a method to eliminate my uncertainty over my wife’s loyalty?”

The doctor exhaled deeply and said, “Mr. Brown, we live in a very immoral world where many people do not even understand the value of loyalty. Our environment is extremely unethical. Many people think it’s normal to cheat on their partners. But they are unaware that by doing so, they will never be able to reach the depths of love. They are also unable to experience the peak of an orgasm. These types of people can never live a complete life, no matter how wealthy they are.”

Paul was completely absorbed and paid close attention to the doctor. Even his conscience recognized that the doctor was correct. He stated, “How can this message reach all of the people who are doing a lot wrong by cheating on their partners?”

The doctor said, “As people’s education levels rise, they become arrogant rather than humble. They do not easily listen to anyone. Only the Lord can now explain such profound things to the people.”

“You are right, Doctor,” Paul said, “People will only listen to the Lord, and won’t pay attention to anyone else.”

“Let them handle it themselves.” The doctor continued, “Mr. Brown, now to your problem. There are numerous such things from which we can ascertain the truth. Are you aware that the non-living things around us reveal a great deal? Unfortunately, we lack the ability to hear them.” In awe, Paul continued to listen to the doctor.

“Now, please respond to my question, Mr. Brown. Are you wearing torn socks right now?” This question perplexed Paul.

He responded, “No, doctor. They are completely new.”

“Is your underwear or vest ripped?” The doctor inquired further.

Paul stated, “I didn’t pay attention. The vest is quite old, and it may have been worn out and torn somewhere.”

“Had it ever happened that your shirt got worn out but you didn’t notice?”

“No doctor, this never happened.”

“You don’t notice the undergarments because they aren’t visible to those outside. Mr. Brown, am I correct?”

“You are absolutely correct, Doctor.”

“However, you pay close attention to the rest of your clothes that are visible to the public. Your wife is the only one who has access to your undergarments. Only your wife is aware if you are donning a torn vest, no one else is. You also don’t give a damn about your wife. You always treat her casually.”

Paul said, “You are absolutely right.”

“Now listen carefully. If you had a girlfriend, would you still be unconcerned about your vest?”

“Never, Doctor! How could anyone reveal a torn vest to their girlfriend?”

“That’s exactly my point, Mr. Brown,” the doctor said. “Before you succumb to any other delusion, go check your wife’s undergarments. They will tell you whether or not she is cheating on you. If she consistently wears fresh undergarments, then clearly someone else has access to them in addition to you. Furthermore, you should have known whether she trims or shaves her pubic hair on a regular basis.”

Dr. Hartshorn’s every word helped to eliminate Paul’s mental confusion. He shared a lot of wonderful stuff with Paul. In fact, non-living things could reveal so many secrets, if we have the ability to listen to them.

After their discussion ended, Paul left for home.

His heart was profoundly affected by the doctor’s words. He was committed to finding the truth. But how could he examine his wife’s underwear covertly? He went to work every day, but Sandra stayed at home. There was no such occasion when he was at home, but Sandra had gone out.

Every night when she was in the bedroom with him, he was unable to see her undergarments well due to the dim light. But he knew very well that Sandra shaved her pubic hair regularly. He thought that he could have a chance at night when Sandra was cooking dinner in the kitchen. So, that evening while Sandra was in the kitchen, he went to the bedroom and shut the door from inside. Then he slowly opened the wardrobe where Sandra kept her undergarments. He thoroughly examined every pair. Each one appeared to be brand-new. Doubt grew in his mind. He needed to find out who was sleeping with his wife as soon as possible. But first, he had to remember that bastard’s full name.

As Dr. Hartshorn suggested, first check yourself, if the suspicion was confirmed, it was best to hire a private detective. Private detectives charged a hefty fee. Paul decided to wait a few weeks before taking a step in this direction.

He was deeply immersed in these ideas when Sandra’s voice announced that dinner was ready. He finally joined his family at the dining table after approximately ten minutes. While eating, Suzie told her mother, “Mom, from tomorrow onwards, I’ll be arriving from school an hour late.”

Mom inquired, “Why?”

Suzie stated, “James, our basketball coach, has announced a one-hour after-school practice session for the next two weeks. As the game period is only half an hour long, there is not enough time for practice.”

Paul was startled and asked, “What’s the name of the coach you just told?”

“James,” said Suzie.

“No, what is his full name?”

“James Baxtor.”

“Ohhh,” Paul exhaled coldly.

“Papa, what happened?” Suzie inquired.

“Nothing, baby. I’m looking for another James. He’s also an excellent player.”

* * *

There was a coworker named Shobha in the dry-cleaning shop where Paula worked. She was an Indian and was a single mother like Paula. She married an American but divorced after four years. Shobha’s son was of the same age as Rick. Despite the fact that Shobha was gorgeous, she had gained a lot of weight since getting married. Her obesity became a hindrance in her way of getting married again.

Shobha and Paula had a great deal of respect for one another. Paula would frequently ask Shobha to lend her money, and Shobha would never refuse. Paula used to return her money as soon as she received her paycheck. Even today, Paula had to borrow money to pay her electricity bill. She asked Shobha for money without hesitation, and Shobha smiled and gave it to her.

Paula thanked Shobha and said that her expenses were increasing day by day. She was not sure how she was going to run the house on one salary. Shobha suggested cutting back on expenses. Paula said that she wanted her son to have a bright future, so she sent him to an expensive school. Shobha claimed that many affordable schools also offered high-quality education. It was not necessary for only those children who attended expensive schools to succeed in the future. Her son attended St. Aiden School and was making excellent progress. Also, that school charged half the fees as Ralph Straus. She ought to consider this as well.

After listening to her, Paula nodded, but she didn’t truly agree with her.

* * *

Ms. Laura, Rick and Chad’s instructor was examining the student’s assignments. Ms. Sonia, the math instructor was seated nearby. Laura held the notebook belonging to Chad. Chad’s lewd handwriting had caught her eye several times. She decided to speak with Chad today.

She had taken English period before the break and gathered the kid’s notebooks. She had another period in 30 minutes. When it was time for her period, she went to the class, and said to Chad, “Chad Brown, you must improve your handwriting a little. Your handwriting is extremely difficult to read.”

Ms. Laura noticed that Chad wasn’t even glancing in her direction. She repeated her point, but Chad kept his head bowed and his eyes glued to a book. Ms. Laura approached him, “I’m talking to you, Chad,” Ms. Laura shouted as she shook him while holding him tight.

As he raised his head Ms. Laura saw that it was Rick. Then Chad’s voice came into his ear, saying, “Miss, I’m here.” Ms. Laura noticed Chad sitting next to Rick on the chair. She was perplexed as to how she had made this mistake. Then she realized that Rick was wearing the same blue and white striped T-shirt which Chad was wearing when the teacher took his English period earlier in the day. Later in the lunch break, both of them had exchanged their clothes with one another. This was the reason why the teacher had a misunderstanding. She asked why they had switched clothes. Both continued to lower their heads, but neither responded to the teacher’s question.

Chad removed Rick’s shirt when he got home in the evening and hid it in a cupboard because he knew his sister would be furious. Suzie did not come to know about his actions that day. However, Rick’s mother caught him wearing a different T-shirt that didn’t belong to him. When she asked his son, Rick told him the whole truth that this T-shirt belonged to Chad. He liked it so Chad exchanged that T-shirt with his shirt. Paula informed Rick that this was not a good habit at all. She instructed him to remove his shirt right away, adding, “I’ll put it in your school bag. Return it to your pal early morning tomorrow.” Rick removed his T-shirt, as directed by his mother. Paula, as soon as began putting the T-shirt in his school bag, realized that even the school bag was not Rick’s.

Paula was so upset about his son’s behavior that she decided to meet with Chad’s parents and discuss it with them. In order to meet them in person and discuss this issue with them, she called the class teacher and requested Chad’s address. The next Sunday, Paula arrived at Chad’s home on Stone Street. She made an introduction and revealed that her kid and Chad were close friends. She then informed them about their children’s practice of exchanging items. They were unaware of their son’s peculiar habit.

When Paula Sandler informed them about their kid’s terrible habit, Sandra took it seriously, but Paul was unconcerned. The reason for this was that he was preoccupied with something far more serious. And that was his wife betraying him. In comparison to that problem, he thought this one was minor.

Sandra assured Paula that she would speak with her son tonight and try to sort this out. Paula asked about their house’s landline number. Sandra quickly jotted down the address and phone number along with Paul’s office and handed it to Paula. Paula then left from there.

Sandra spoke to Chad that night, but nothing changed. Within a week, every book, notebook, and even water bottle had been replaced with Rick’s.

One afternoon, Rick’s class teacher called Paula to let her know that the school would be holding a parent-teacher meeting this coming weekend. Paula contacted Paul Brown at his office as soon as she got the phone call and informed him about the parent-teacher meeting. A few minutes prior, Paul had also received the same call. He typically didn’t attend meetings of this nature, and her wife Sandra attended these meetings. But because Paul had misgivings about his wife, he preferred to go out and let Sandra remain in the house. He consequently agreed that he would accompany Paula to their class teacher and inform her about their kid’s habits. Perhaps she could provide a solution. At the appointed hour, Paul arrived at the school. They discussed it in depth with the teacher, but she expressed her helplessness in this matter. She suggested they should consult with a child psychologist. Again Dr. Hartshorn’s name came into Paul’s mind. He suggested to Rick’s mother that they should meet with this child psychologist. Paula stated that she was a single mother who could not afford to pay the psychologist’s fee. Paul said that she must accompany him and that he would pay the fees himself. Paula agreed, and a few days later, Paul scheduled an appointment with Dr. Hartshorn.

Paul Brown, Sandra, and Paula Sandler were seated in front of Dr. Hartshorn one evening. Paul requested Paula to tell Dr. Hartshorn about their kid’s peculiar habits. Dr. Hartshorn was astonished after hearing what she had to say. He claimed to never have witnessed such a thing in his entire career. Nothing could be done about this because they were just five years old. As they grew older, they would realize that it was a bad habit and would stop doing it. Paul agreed, but Paula Sandler was concerned. She asserted that he must offer a remedy as she disliked his son’s habit very much. The doctor expressed regret for being unable to offer a remedy to this issue. All he could suggest was that they should change their schools so that they did not meet each other. According to Dr. Hartshorn’s advice, if either of the two children’s schools were changed and they were separated from each other, this strange habit would vanish automatically. Both liked it, but Paul stated that he had only been here a few weeks. He was unable to change his son’s school so soon. He needed to do some research to determine which school was best for his child.

The doctor gave Paula a glance. Paula gave off an air of hesitancy. She was worried by Rick’s peculiar tendency. Her friend Shobha’s words were echoing in her ears at the same time, “Quality education is also available in many economic schools. It is not necessary that only those children who attend expensive schools succeed in the future.”

She began to consider that enrolling Rick in another school would also enable her to save some money. This one action would resolve her two issues. She said that she was ready to switch her son’s school.

* * *

After two weeks, Paula Sandler transferred her son Rick from Ralph Straus to St. Aiden Elementary School. Rick was devastated. He didn’t eat properly for several days. He didn’t even want to study. He was frequently silent. Nobody ever saw him laughing at school. On seeing this, Paula realized she had made a huge mistake by taking her son away from his friend. But afterward, he reasoned that everything would eventually work out on its own. She began to spend more time with her son.

After a while, Shobha’s son Shiva became friends with Rick at school. Rick’s old smile returned after about eight to ten weeks. Perhaps he had forgotten about his friend Chad. Then he became interested in studies as well. Paula was happy to see the changes. On the other hand, because of the low cost of her education, she was now able to save some money.

Paul Brown hired a detective named Philip Walker to monitor his wife Sandra. The detective tracked Sandra for four weeks. But he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Sandra didn’t frequently leave the house. Her friendship was limited to a selected group of women in the neighborhood. After a month, the detective gave his report to Paul Brown, in which he stated that Sandra had not even spoken to a man at that time.

Paul took Philip’s report and kept it in his drawer. Then he took out his checkbook from the same drawer and filled in the amount owed to Philip as a fee. Then he addressed Philip, saying, “Sir, could you please give me your full name so that I could write it on this check? Is that the same Philip Walker?”

Philip: “Sir, please make the check payable to Philip J. Walker, my full name.”

Paul’s brow furrowed, and a strange doubt crept into his mind.

“Mr. Philip, is this ‘J’ from James?” he inquired.

Philip: “No, sir ‘J’ is for Jonathan. My full name is Philip Jonathan Walker.”

Paul heaved a sigh of relief, wrote his full name on the check and handed it to him.

* * *

Winter had arrived in New York in the year 2015. The nights were no longer as scorching as they had been. Rick Sandler, then 24, was locked up at a police station that evening. Late yesterday night, during a brawl in a nightclub, he smashed a liquor bottle on the skull of another boy, severely injuring him. The root of the argument was the boy’s inappropriate behavior with his girlfriend. Rick was picked up from his house by the cops this morning. He spent the entire day in the police station reflecting on the good and bad times in his life.

Rick worked as a client service associate at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). He used to invest his own money in the stock market as well. He no longer lived with his mother. After working for two years, Rick purchased a house in Carnegie Hills. His girlfriend’s name was Fiona Rios. They had been dating since their senior year of high school. Nearly five years had passed since he graduated from high school. Despite being in a relationship for such a long time, they did not live together. There was a rationale for this. They were both aware of how living together caused relationships to end quickly. People frequently didn’t take each other’s habits lightly. People who lived under the same roof grew tired of one another. It was vital to keep some distance between them so that their attraction to each other did not fade. Fiona promptly joined a modelling agency after high school because of her stunning appearance. She rose to the ranks of supermodel in less than two years. During her five-year career, she had amassed considerable wealth.

She had a highly compassionate personality and was passionate about donations. Fiona, who was of Spanish descent, was Rick’s first romantic partner.

As dusk loomed, a middle-aged man entered the police station. He approached Rick and informed him that his girlfriend had hired him as his attorney. Then he explained to him that he was delayed in coming here since he had been working all day to settle with the other side. He continued by saying that he had arranged his station house bail so Rick could get out of there.

The attorney then handed over certain papers to the officer in charge of the police station, who examined them carefully before releasing Rick from custody. The attorney assured Rick that he would notify Fiona as soon as he knew the date of the hearing of this case in court and that in the interim, he would work to resolve the issue with the other side. Rick had nothing to be concerned about in this situation.

When the attorney emerged from the police station with Rick, he noticed Fiona’s Lexus RX parked outside. He had intended to drop Rick off at his place, but when he saw Fiona’s car, he realized she had come to pick him up. He said goodbye to Rick and headed towards his car. Rick was pulled like a magnet to Fiona’s car and sat in it. When he saw his lover in the driver’s seat, he forgot about his problems and felt at ease.

Fiona was dressed in a black top and jeans. Her cheeks were flushed with rage. Rick saw her angry expression and remembered how she kept stopping him from fighting, but he didn’t listen since he was inebriated. Rick clasped her hand in her and apologized. Immediately, the fury on her face vanished, and love began to flow from his eyes. She smiled, pulled Rick into a warm hug, and whispered in his ear, “Your place or mine?”

“Now it’s up to you to choose whether you want to make love on the terrace or in the garden,” Rick chuckled in response. Fiona’s face flushed bright red once more.

She smacked Rick on the shoulder and yelled angrily, “Why can’t you get this disgusting thought of outdoor sex out of your head? I’m not at all comfortable in it.”

Rick laughed and replied, “I know, darling. But I’m quite tense today. Please help me to feel normal again.”

Fiona smiled and drove the car in the direction of her residence. Her house was spacious and had a garden. Rick’s house in Carnegie Hills was substantially smaller than Fiona’s. He liked to have sex on the terrace while he was at his house with Fiona. When they both were in Fiona’s house, he chose the garden. Fiona found it all quite bizarre, but Rick thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fiona was quite unhappy about last night’s incident, and now she had to make love to Rick in the open. After having red wine with dinner, she had become a little relaxed, but she was still irritated at Rick. Due to these circumstances, the sex between them was going to be a mixture of love and quarrel. It was about to be midnight. Both were in the garden located in Fiona’s house. The clothes had vanished from their bodies. Fiona was on her knees on the floor sucking Rick’s penis. Rick suddenly asked her, “What did you see in that rascal Jimmy Seymour that made you accept his invitation to dance with him? You should be aware that he is a disgusting person.”

Fiona yanked his penis from her mouth and said, “Now don’t start all that again. How am I supposed to know what kind of man he is? I have never met him before.” Saying this, she put back Rick’s penis into her mouth.

Rick added, “But you should have understood when he was touching you here and there while dancing with you.”

Fiona yanked his penis from her mouth once more and muttered, somewhat angrily, “Sometimes all this happens under the influence of alcohol. This shouldn’t be taken too seriously.”

As she was about to put Rick’s penis in her mouth once more, Rick grasped her hand and pulled her upward. She got to her feet and stood. Rick gestured to her that he wanted to have doggy-style sex with her. She quickly adopted the posture Rick had requested by bending her knees and supporting herself with her elbows.

Rick knelt down behind her and gently pushed his penis into her vagina. Then he began softly sliding it in and out. He went on, “And this is what I’m trying to make you understand, fights happen under the influence of alcohol as well.”

“But you knocked the booze bottle on his head,” Fiona remarked. “That was excessive. Did you know how many stitches he got?”

“So you care more about that jerk than me? What does he possess that I do not? Yes, he has far more money than I do.” Rick accelerated the action of thrusting his penis in and out while saying this. His thighs began to collide with Fiona’s thighs.

Fiona’s cheeks became red with rage. “If you had said these words two minutes earlier, I would have severed your penis with my teeth,” she added. “You’re aware of my rage, perhaps that’s why you didn’t put your penis in my mouth again. Rick, you’re such a jerk. I arranged for your bail, and you’re blaming me in this manner.” Fiona began thrusting her buttocks backward and striking Rick’s thighs as though she intended to injure him.

Rick accelerated his movements and stated, “Fiona, I was burning with rage when I saw you dancing with him. I wanted to tear both of you apart. But first, I had to teach that jerk a lesson.” Saying this, Rick smacked hard on her bum. Fiona grew enraged and seized Rick’s balls, pressing them firmly. Rick screamed and yanked his penis from Fiona’s vagina. Then he yelled, holding his balls in his hands, “What have you done?”

Fiona said, “Do you think you’ll slap my ass and get away with it?”

“Darling, there was a mosquito sitting on your bum,” Rick whispered helplessly. “I killed it before he could bite you.” Fiona remained silent for a moment and then burst out laughing.

She apologized, saying, “I am sorry.” Then she embraced Rick, and their naked bodies entwined on the grass until their lust was quenched.

Both of them went into a deep slumber on the grass owing to exhaustion from the day and the intoxication of alcohol. When Fiona awoke at about 7:00 a.m., she felt a burning feeling beneath her left breast. She sat up and noticed that a mosquito had bitten her there, leaving a large red welt. She began to caress that spot with her finger. Rick awoke and sat up at the same moment. As soon as his gaze rested on Fiona’s face, he started laughing. When Fiona questioned him about it, he said it was because her nose had also become red from a mosquito bite. As soon as Fiona touched her nose with her finger, she experienced a scorching sensation there as well. She looked at Rick with a furious look on her face and stated, “This only happens to me because of your perverted demands.”

Rick told her, “Seeing you like this, you remind me of that red-nosed writer friend of yours.”

“You must accompany me to the launch event of her new book this weekend,” Fiona said to him. “She wants me to launch her latest book, which features a love triangle with a dark ending.” Then, in a frightened tone, she questioned, “Will my nose return to normal by then?”

“If it doesn’t return to normal, people will then believe you two to be biological sisters,” said Rick.

* * *

Three days later, on Saturday evening, Fiona and Rick showed up for her friend Amelia Martinez’s book launch party at a Loft Gallery in the Lower Manhattan area. Amelia, who was of Fiona’s age, had Rosacea, and the red patch on her nose was highly obvious owing to her pale complexion. However, because it was her evening, she attempted to conceal the red area with thick makeup, and she was successful in doing that. On the other hand, the red mosquito bite welt on Fiona’s nose had also disappeared.

Amelia’s third book was being launched today, and her model friend Fiona Rios was there to launch it. There were around 50 people in the hall. As they both moved slowly and reached inside, Rick’s eyes caught sight of a young man wearing a black linen shirt sitting on a chair holding a drink. It sparked a very odd desire in Rick. They both walked by him and sat down in their chairs.

A tiny stage was set up in front of which Amelia stood to deliver her speech. She waved at Fiona as soon as she spotted her, and Fiona waved back. Then Amelia began to address the guests, but Rick’s gaze was fixed on the young man in the black shirt. He didn’t stop staring at him. That young man was immersed in his phone while drinking. He appeared to be uninterested in the event, just like Rick.

After approximately ten minutes had elapsed, the young man with the black shirt got up from his seat and headed toward the toilet. No one knew what occurred to Rick, but he swiftly rose from his seat, whispered in Fiona’s ear, “I will be back soon,” and followed the young man to the toilet.

Rick entered the toilet and noticed that there were only two of them inside. As soon as their eyes connected Rick questioned him without waiting even a second, “Excuse me, brother, can you tell me where you got this shirt, it looks quite appealing to me.” The young man continued to stare at Rick’s face without responding. Rick asked the same question again but he continued to stare at him, puzzled, without responding as though attempting to identify him. Then, it appeared as though an old recollection had flashed into his consciousness.

He pointed his finger toward Rick’s chest and asked him, “Are you Rick, who used to study at Ralph Straus in childhood?”

Rick was astounded that the young man recognized his name and school. He said, “Bro, have we met before?”

The young man inquired, “First, let me know if I identified you correctly. Is your name Rick?”

Rick informed him that his assumption was accurate. The young man’s face lit up with delight. He asked, “Don’t you remember your childhood friend?”

Rick had been staring at his black shirt up until now. He attentively examined the young man’s face after listening to him. Suddenly childhood memories were refreshed in his mind. It was undoubtedly his pal Chad, without whom he could not have spent a single day of his childhood. Today, after so many years, they had reconnected. Rick took a step forward and hugged Chad. His eyes welled up with tears. He said, “We have met again today after so many years solely because of your shirt.”

Chad said, “When we were kids, we were both drawn to each other’s things. I’m not sure what type of connection we had.”

Rick remarked with a dejected tone, “You know, my friend, because of this habit of ours, we both had to part.”

Chad put his hand on Rick’s shoulder and murmured, “Now we’re both adults. So no one can force their will upon us anymore. We may now be friends again, just like we were in childhood. We can reestablish our friendship. Today is a really memorable day since it reunited us. You loved my shirt, didn’t you? You are free to keep it, my buddy. From today onwards, it is yours.” Saying this, Chad began unbuttoning his shirt. Rick also took off his beige-colored shirt and both of them handed their shirts to each other. After that, they opened the toilet door and stepped outside while wearing each other’s shirts.

Chad questioned Rick, “Who did you come here with, bro?”

Rick indicated where Fiona was standing on the stage, carrying her friend’s book in her hands. He informed Chad, “That girl launching the book is my girlfriend. I came here with her.”

“If I’m not wrong, this girl is a model,” Chad added. “I’ve seen her images in several magazines.” Then he stroked Rick with his elbow and said, “You proved to be an experienced player. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Only a lucky person can have such a lovely girlfriend.”

Rick grinned and asked Chad, “Did you too come here with your girlfriend?”

Chad pointed to a photographer taking pictures of the individuals on stage and added, “That’s my friend Andrew. He is the one who dragged me here. However, I have no interest in such events.”

The event was now moving toward its conclusion. They parted ways by exchanging cell phone numbers and agreeing to meet again soon. Then they returned to their respective seats. Fiona’s steps abruptly came to a halt as she approached her seat from the stage. With an odd smile on her face, she cautiously came closer to Rick and murmured, “So, it is you. I had the impression that someone else had taken your seat. Rick, how did you get your shirt changed? You were wearing another shirt.”

Rick opened his mouth to answer her question, but then kept mute, fearing that if he told her about his childhood habit, she would think him insane. Then he just said, “It’s a long story, Fiona. I’ll explain later.”

On the other hand, because men are careless, Andrew didn’t even realize that his friend who came with him was now wearing a shirt of a different color.

* * *

Fiona spent the next two weeks following that event reading Amelia’s book. Although she was not fond of reading, every now and then she would pick up a book. Amelia’s novel had a love triangle in which an American girl and an African girl both fell in love with the same man. That man was likewise African, and he was more attracted toward the American girl. When the African girl learned of this, she used witchcraft to control the guy and caused immense suffering to her rival American girl, both physically and emotionally. Amelia had emphasized in her book the fact that certain African girls were specialists in witchcraft who had the power to hurt their opponents even when they were not in their direct line of sight.

Fiona’s thoughts became extremely troubled after reading this book. This was not without cause. She was an extremely sensitive young lady. She became upset by books or movies that did not have a happy ending. Her thoughts began to draw parallels between the story’s events and those in her own life. This time, too, her mind formed links between two events from her past life and those described in the book.

In her third year of high school, she had a weird incident for which she was unable to comprehend the cause at the time. However, after reading this book, she began to realize the true cause of such situations. The third year’s events began to play back in her head like a reel.

In the last week of June, the Miss High School America Pageant was scheduled to be held. The winning girl would receive over $75,000 in scholarships, excursions, outfits, travel, services, and other awards. Girls were crazy about this contest. The name of the strongest contestant was Grace. Everyone was sure that the same girl would be the winner of this contest. The second chance was Fiona’s. Apart from these two, there was a third strong contestant named Zuri who was African. All three of them labored day and night practicing as the competition date drew near.

Then, though, something odd and unexpected occurred. Grace unexpectedly became ill two days before the competition and had to be admitted to the hospital. She was disqualified from the competition, and the third contestant Zuri was declared the winner. Fiona stood second.

After reading the book, she began to suspect that the cause of the occurrence a few years ago was likewise witchcraft. Zuri must have done something to make Grace sick, causing her to lose the title. Fiona, on the other hand, was unconcerned. She had previously been in the second position and had remained there. But she felt awful for Grace.

A significant modelling project had mysteriously slipped out of her grasp a year ago. The agency signed a black model and erased her name without even providing a justification. Despite the fact that she had a lot of other work and that his manager Adam was busy all day due to work, being removed from a project was not going to make a difference to her, so she found it quite weird that she was abruptly replaced. People frequently used the term ‘Black Girl’s Magic,’ she began to think that what had transpired in her life was not any black girl’s magic but simply black magic.

Fiona’s mind was extremely fragile and sensitive, and anything might swiftly have an impact on it. She had moments when she thought she was going to die. When she went to see a psychiatrist, he examined her and told her she had nothing to be concerned about. She was simply very sensitive, and with some group treatment, she would be fine. Fiona then included yoga into her daily routine and began attending group psychotherapy sessions twice a month.

Fiona was depressed after completing Amelia’s book, and on the other side, Chad Brown was also depressed for a different reason.

Chad experienced some internal shifts after meeting Rick. Particularly, his sexual life had lost some of its heat. He continued to schedule frequent dates with his girlfriend but his interest in her had waned significantly. His girlfriend had also realized this but she did not talk to Chad about it. She suspected Chad might have some problem, as his conduct had altered and he was no longer as amorous and passionate as before. She didn’t feel the need to inquire since she believed that if Chad intended to tell her something, he would have done so without her asking. She believed that when some time had passed, he would return to being the same.

Chad, on the other hand, took many days to figure out his problem. He eventually discovered what had caused him to lose interest in his partner. And then, one night, while having sex with her, he made a bizarre decision in his head. He stopped his girlfriend from putting her clothes on after sex and then shot some naked images of her on his phone with her permission. That girl didn’t object to this in the least. She adored Chad with all her heart and saw no reason to reject his demand. She assumed he did this to recall the wonderful times he had with her while he was not with her.

* * *

The following day, after Chad got home from work, he contacted Rick and requested a time to meet. Rick informed him that owing to his tight schedule, he would be unable to meet with him before Friday. They met on Friday night at the designated time and location. When Rick was about to order beers Chad stopped him and said, “Wait a moment, bro. I want to discuss something really important with you.”

Rick stared at him, surprised, and requested the waiter to return later. When the waiter went away, Rick turned to Chad and said, “Tell me, bro, what you want to discuss?”

Chad retrieved his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and placed it on the table in front of Rick. Rick saw the picture of a fair-skinned female completely nude on the phone’s screen. That girl was seated on the bed, cross-legged. Rick started feeling uneasy.

Why is his friend showing him this image? In a perplexed tone, he asked, “Whose picture is this, bro? And why are you showing it to me?”

“I’ll tell you everything right now,” Chad said. “Do you mind telling me whether or not you felt something within after seeing this picture?”

Rick was even more surprised. He took the smartphone off the table and examined the snapshot carefully. The girl was really stunning and there was no denying the girl’s beauty. He said, “This girl is attractive, but so are many others. I didn’t find anything noteworthy about it.” Rick put the phone back on the table after saying this.

After a little pause, Chad added, “Bro, this girl’s name is Liza Petrov, she is Russian and she is my girlfriend.”

Rick smiled and replied, “That’s great dear. You are quite fortunate. However, no matter how close someone is to you, you should never share a photo of your girlfriend with them.” Rick finished his words with a trembling voice. Chad sat calmly, observing his expressions. Rick’s expression began to shift quickly.

He once more picked up the phone that was on the table. The display was still active. Lust began to appear in his eyes after viewing Liza’s picture. He swiped his finger across each of the succeeding images to examine them all as well. No one knows which evil spirit had whispered in his ear that there would be more comparable photographs following this one. Chad had never revealed this to him, though. He continued attentively examining each image one at a time, and Chad kept seeing how his facial expressions were altering.

After a while, he passed the phone to Chad and said, hesitantly, “Man, she’s really hot. I hadn’t realized it before.”

Chad stared him in the eyes and inquired, “Are you desperate to get her?”

Rick responded, “Certainly, my friend. I’ll do anything to get her.”

Chad’s face lit up with a smile. He took Rick’s hand in his and said, “You know, buddy, you got interested in this girl when I told you she’s my girlfriend. We both are well aware of this instinct of each other. I’m not sure which power has imprisoned both of us in this bizarre circumstance. But it is certain that this scenario affects both of us. And I have no idea how or when it will all end. But for the time being, however, I currently feel like a puppet being controlled by an unknown force.”

Rick paid close attention to him. Chad said, “That evening when we met and you pointed to Fiona and said she was your girlfriend, believe me, I haven’t been able to sleep properly since then. Her face keeps flashing before my eyes all the time. I completely lost interest in Liza. That evening was not the first time I had ever seen your girlfriend, in any way. I’ve previously told you that I’ve seen her images on several magazine covers and centerfolds. But I never had such thoughts about her after viewing her photos. I grew concerned about what was going on with me. Then I realized that the reason for this desire was because she was your girlfriend. My heart yearns to own all that is yours. And the same thing occurs to you.”

Rick nodded yes while remaining silent. Chad further said, “If I had gotten right to the point after meeting you, you might have thought wrong about me. That’s why I had to deliver such a lousy presentation so you could comprehend my situation.”

Rick burst out laughing. He asked Chad, “Now tell me what do you intend to do next?”

Chad took a big breath and stated, “As we have done in the past, we both have to swap girlfriends.”

Rick said, “This is not possible, brother. The girls are not non-living items that we can just trade with one another.”

“I know this won’t be easy,” Chad replied as he held his hand. “But we’ll try our best. We will create a sound plan in order to make this job viable. If not, we shall have to live a restless life.”

Following that, they ordered drinks, had dinner, and then said their goodbyes and parted ways.

They both met again after two weeks of this meeting. This time, instead of going to a public spot, they went to Rick’s residence. They sat for hours discussing the secrets of their love lives and telling each other about their girlfriends’ strengths and shortcomings. After three hours of diligent labor, they both came up with a workable strategy.

* * *

Let’s go back in time when Chad and Liza first met. It had been roughly two years. Chad Brown was employed at North East Community Bank. The colleagues at his office were all men. There was no female coworker. He was 22 years old. He’d had three or four casual affairs until now, but no such female had entered his life who he felt he needed. He also didn’t have a very active social life. He only had two high school buddies with whom he kept in touch. One was a cop, while the other was a photographer.

On weekends, Chad would see his photographer friend Andrew, who had his own studio. Andrew was usually involved in some sort of photo session due to his extensive workload. Chad took pleasure in seeing his studio work. Andrew’s new assistant was a young Russian girl, Liza Petrov. She stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and had a curvy body type. The haircut was a high bob cut, and the facial shape was round. Chad was drawn to Liza the moment he saw her. But he’d kept his emotions to himself.

When he visited Andrew’s studio one Saturday afternoon, he noticed that some furniture was being fixed in Andrew’s office. As he approached, Andrew urged him to have a seat in another room where he would be doing a photo shoot. As soon as Chad stepped into the other room, he noticed Liza wiping the camera lenses clean. When Chad said hello, she smiled and said hello back. Chad sat quietly in the corner on a stool. At the same moment, a model emerged from the makeup area, shrouded in a white sheet. For a brief second, her eyes met Chad’s, yet there was no unusual expression on her face that should have arisen when she saw a stranger there. Andrew took his position behind the camera at about the same time, and Liza stood a bit further away from him.

Chad realized that a nude photo shoot was about to take place here. He thought he had no business being here. However, there was nowhere to sit because repairs were being made in the office outside. He then reasoned that Andrew himself had permitted him to sit here. He should remain seated here if those folks have no objections to his presence.

After a short interval, Liza approached the model and took the white sheet off of her shoulders. Chad was stunned when he saw the model’s bare physique. His mouth watered after spotting the model’s bell-shaped boobs. He continued to sit silently at his spot while attempting to suppress his feelings. Andrew began taking pictures of the model. She continued following Andrew’s instructions, while Andrew kept photographing her from every angle to capture her beauty. Chad continued to savor the sight of her physique as he also began to get a tingle between his legs. He had a hard erection that was obvious through his jeans. Before he could do anything about it, he heard the sound of a really pleasant chuckle. He observed Liza was laughing while examining his pants. He became embarrassed and placed both hands on his pants. Both Andrew and his model paid no attention to him because they were both focused on the photo shoot. Liza immediately noticed the thing because she was standing in a completely unrestrained posture. She continued to smile mischievously at Chad even after this. Her smile told Chad that she liked him.

Andrew finished the photo shoot in twenty minutes, and after the model departed, the three of them stayed in the studio and continued chatting. When Andrew went to the restroom after a while, Chad immediately asked Liza for her phone number. Liza gave her phone number without hesitation. Chad’s assessment of her was spot on since she liked him as well. The next evening, they both had a lengthy phone conversation that started happening practically every day. They both started meeting on weekends. Chad and Andrew met less frequently, as was to be anticipated, but their friendship persisted. Chad was now spending all of his free time with Liza. Liza was a kind and open-minded young lady. She was three years younger than Chad. She, like other Russian females, enjoyed Vodka. Golubtsy and Schi were her favorite dishes. Chad once asked her at lunch, “You’re so attractive, why you don’t try modelling? Or are you content with your current job?”

“It has always been my dream to become a model,” she replied with a smile. “However, I haven’t had a chance yet. I had applied to several agencies even before working with Andrew, but nothing worked out.”

“But Liza, working with Andrew can also be advantageous to you,” Chad remarked. “He keeps doing photo shoots of so many models. He is well known in the fashion industry. He has a lot of model friends. You ought to get in touch with them.”

Liza had a sad expression on her face. “Chad,” she said. “I tried several times. Many models have also suggested that I should consider modelling. However, no one steps forward to provide assistance. Perhaps they fear that if I venture into modelling and become successful, I may become a threat to their career.”

Chad remained silent after listening to her. They had intended to spend the entire day together. They strolled around the lake’s shore till late at night. Today was almost two months since they had become friends. Chad noticed that Liza was constantly holding Chad’s hand all the time today. Chad gently pulled his hand away from hers while walking, placed his arm over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Liza, if you don’t mind, stay at my house tonight.”

Liza’s eyes twinkled with mischief, and she punched Chad lightly in the stomach, saying, “Okay, but you won’t keep me awake for long, right? I’m an early riser.”

Chad chuckled and promised, “I won’t keep you awake for long.”

That night was one of the best nights of Chad’s life. They drank and swayed in each other’s arms to slow, romantic music until ten o’clock. After some time, Chad placed the order for dinner from his phone. Once dinner was finished, they both entered the bedroom. They were going to make love today for the first time in their two months old friendship.

While they were kissing each other’s lips, their hands began to move over different parts of each other’s bodies. Within a few seconds, none of them had any clothes on. They were entirely engrossed in each other as soon as they took off their clothes. It was an incredible experience for both of them. Liza had an extremely flexible body. She provided Chad with such a pleasant sexual encounter that he developed an obsession with her. After approximately 40 minutes of jumping in the bed, they both became tired and fell asleep.

It was 5:30 in the morning. Chad was dozing off soundly. His mind suddenly experienced a very powerful and joyful sensation. It was so powerful that it jolted him awake. As soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed Liza sucking his penis. For the first time, he went through anything so amazing. The experience of having sex at night seemed little in comparison to this one. This fantastic technique for awakening someone from a deep slumber must have been discovered by some great individual. He glanced at her with amazement and Liza smiled. Chad embraced her and began kissing her lips. He was starting to think that he would be in a long-term relationship with Liza.

They both began having sex at regular intervals after that day. Liza would sleep with him two or three times a week. And every time she awoke early in the morning and used the same technique to rouse Chad from his sleep. Chad appreciated her style so much that he preferred Liza’s distinctive method of waking him up in the morning over sex in the night. Their love became stronger over time. Their intense love lasted almost two years and then one day Chad met his childhood buddy Rick Sandler.

* * *

In those days, the Denim-Fashion Frontier Exhibition was going on in a fashion museum located on 27th Street in Manhattan, which explored the diverse history of denim and its relationship with high fashion from the nineteenth century to the present. Liza had come to see that exhibition. The reason behind this was her immense love for denim being a Russian. She came here by herself today; her boyfriend Chad did not accompany her. When she requested Chad to go with her, he made a strange excuse. It wasn’t like she’d told Chad about her plans today. She told her four days ago that she needed to visit this exhibition. He may have made some sort of arrangement to accompany her if he wanted. Liza, on the other hand, did not push him to join her. For some time, Liza had noticed certain changes in Chad’s conduct. She began to suspect that Chad was growing tired of her.

She moved slowly and came to a gradual halt in front of a mannequin dressed in Gianfranco Ferré’s blue denim jacket. She really loved that jacket. She continued to look spellbound at the garment for two minutes. Then she heard someone say, “This jacket will look great on you.”

She glanced in the direction of the voice, startled. A charming young man was smiling at her. He repeated it again, “You should buy this jacket. You’ll feel even better wearing this than you do when walking down the ramp.”

Liza stared at him, surprised, and replied, “I’ve never walked on the ramp before.”

He said, “Is that true? Aren’t you a fashion model?”

“No.” Liza said, “I am a photographer.”

“So, no one has ever told you that you can become a successful model?”

Liza exhaled deeply and said, “Many people have told me. But, thus far, fortune has not been on my side.”

The young man approached her and said, “There is nothing like luck, and so on. You just need one opportunity. You will never look back after that.”

Liza’s face began to show signs of disappointment. She said, “Opportunity also comes with fortune.”

“No. You should be aware that good networking is necessary to seize opportunities. Do you know anyone who works in the fashion industry?”

“No.”

“However, I have a large network of contacts. Many people in my social circle work in the industry. We can try if you wish.”

Liza smiled for the first time. She began to believe that other female models had complemented her features but all of them were unwilling to help her. This is the first time a man has said something like this to her. Men are not as envious as women. Perhaps this guy truly wants to help her. She smiled and said, “If this is possible, I will be really thankful.”

“Give me your phone number,” he said. “I’ll contact you in a few days.”

Liza gave him her phone number, which he saved on his phone.

“Your good name?” he inquired.

“Liza Petrov.”

“Nice to meet you, Liza,” the young man remarked as he shook Liza’s hand. “My name is Rick Sandler.”

* * *

Late-night phone conversation between Chad and Rick:

Chad: “Bro, did everything go as planned?”

Rick: “Yes, of course. I think I’ve done a very good job of impressing her. And she gave me her phone number.”

Chad: “She instantly gave her phone number to anyone who asked for it. There is nothing to be happy about. What are your plans for your next meeting?”

Rick: “We’ll need to put in a bit more effort before our next meeting. I bragged to her about the several fashion industry contacts I had who might help her. But this is not true. We now need to identify a person who can assist us with this task. We can’t take any kind of help from Fiona. I’d like to keep her fully out of this situation.”

Chad: “No way, don’t involve her in all this. Otherwise, things will get extremely messy. I’ll check with Andrew.”

Rick: “Who is he?”

Chad: “The same guy with whom Liza works. You’ve seen him before. He was present at that book launch ceremony with me. He has a lot of connections. However, even while speaking with him, we must use extreme caution. We can’t even tell him everything, since Liza could find out.”

Rick: “Try approaching him in your own manner. If he can acquire an appointment from someone, this task will be made easy. That appointment will serve as the foundation for my second meeting with Liza.”

Chad: “However, Liza’s odds of receiving a chance following her meeting with someone from the industry are extremely slim…”

Rick: “Bro, all we have to do is pretend to help her. My main goal is to impress her, not to make her career. It is not on our agenda whether she finds a job in the industry or not.”

Chad laughs. “You’re a big bastard, man. Now I must hang up.”

Rick: “Is she going to be with you tonight?”

Chad: “No, I called her, but she refused. Don’t worry; I’ll speak with Andrew tomorrow. I also need to create a reason to end my relationship with Liza. Good night.”

Rick: “Good night, bro.”

* * *

Rick and Fiona went on a long drive in Rick’s car on a Sunday afternoon. While returning, they were still 20 miles from New York City when night struck. Rick turned on the car’s headlights and changed the song playing on the stereo. The song ‘Fire Meets Gasoline’ by Sia began to play on the player. Rick’s face revealed a diabolical grin. He didn’t say anything and continued driving quietly. After a few seconds, he heard Fiona’s voice, which he had been anticipating.

“Do you remember Rick, the last time we passed by this location, the same song was playing?”

Rick responded, “I don’t remember clearly, dear,” without glancing at Fiona. “Perhaps this is what took place.”

“Although you might not recall the song, you will remember its effects for sure.” Fiona said, “Our lives were only barely saved that day.”

Rick claimed to recall and said, “Yes, I remember. But we had also made a fantastic memory.”

“However, if any of us had been shot, we, too, could have become a memory.”

“That was not the case, Fiona. He merely wanted to frighten us, and he succeeded.”

Fiona became silent and got immersed in the recollection of that three-month-old incident. They were both traveling via this location that day around midday. Sia’s song ‘Fire meets Gasoline’ was quite popular at that time. Fiona recalled that song’s sizzling music video while she was listening to it. In the video, the girl walks into a field with her partner, where they both lie down on the ground and make love. Fiona became thrilled after hearing the music and placed her hand on Rick’s thigh. Rick immediately acknowledged her invitation and stopped the car on the roadside. Then they both emerged from the car and entered the neighboring field holding each other’s hands. There was no one nearby. They both got in the middle of the field and started making love there, just like in the music video. They were both passionately kissing each other, completely ignorant of their surroundings. The clothes on both of their bodies gradually began to disappear. But before any of them could strip nude, the sound of gunfire echoed in their ears.

Both of them became terrified and turned to gaze toward the direction of the sound when they saw an elderly, overweight bald man approaching them with a shotgun in his hand. At the same time, he was abusing and yelling at both of them, saying, “Get off my property right now or I’ll shoot you.”

They both became quite terrified and fled toward their car at a great pace. Some of their clothes were left behind in this haste. They heard the sound of gunfire once again as they fled. Like the first time, aerial shooting was done this time. Despite stumbling and rushing, they both managed to get in the car and then drove away from there.

That was the first time Fiona agreed to have sex outside. Otherwise, she would constantly object to this act. Perhaps it was the song’s effect. Rick had played the same song again today.

Then, no one knew what came to his mind. Suddenly he parked his car on the side of the road and turned off the engine. Fiona stared at him, surprised, and inquired, “What happened, Rick? Aren’t you eager to get home? We’re already running late.”

“Fiona, I want to finish the work that was left unfinished at this place that day,” Rick remarked with a smile while looking at her.

Fiona’s face became enraged. “No way. I’m never going to step into that field again.”

“It was high noon. It was a horrible idea, I admit. But no one will notice us at this moment.”

Rick flung out of the car. Fiona also emerged, shouting with rage, and stepped in front of Rick.

“Look, Rick,” she said, “get back in the car right now and leave from here. I never want to step into that scumbag’s property again.”

Rick did not appear to listen to her and instead embraced her. Before she could say anything Rick planted his lips on her lips. Fiona’s rage seemed to subside abruptly. Even now, that song had an effect on her.

Rick whispered in her ear, “Darling, screw that old man, let’s make love here.”

“It’s hazardous here, Rick,” Fiona warned. “The road is open to anyone.”

Rick said, “Fiona, I don’t think there’s anyone around here. Night’s fallen. We will leave immediately if we notice any headlights.”

Following that, Fiona kept quiet. Neither concurred nor disagreed. Rick pushed her right boob while inserting his hand into her top. She became horny.

She sat down and unzipped Rick’s pants, revealing his penis. Then she began wiggling her tongue on its tip. She took the penis in her mouth when it became absolutely rigid. Rick closed his eyes in contentment. After a while of ecstasy, he took Fiona’s hand in his and laid her on the bonnet of the car. Then he removed her jeans, followed by her panties. He then slid his head between her thighs while her legs were stretched apart. He continued to lick her moist vagina. He recognized after a while from Fiona’s look that she was now eager to feel his penis inside her. He rose up straight and dragged Fiona, who was resting on the bonnet, closer to him, stroking his penis on her vagina. He was ready to slide his penis inside Fiona when a dreadful issue arose. They heard the sound of a siren and noticed a police vehicle approaching them quickly. They both became quite frightened and hurriedly grabbed up their clothes and jumped into the car. Rick started the car right away and drove away. The closer the police car got to them while they were having sex, there was absolutely no chance that their activity would have gone unnoticed by the cops. Just before the cops could exit the vehicle and arrest both of them, they hurriedly left the place.

Fiona was short of breath as a result of her anxiety. She began babbling rubbish to Rick and started blaming him, “We’re going to be in a lot of trouble because of your actions.” Rick sat quietly listening. He didn’t say anything. The police car was still following them. Rick pressed the accelerator harder, increasing the space between both vehicles. The police vehicle was left far behind as they entered the city. The threat was almost over.

Rick stopped his car in front of Fiona’s house. It was nine o’clock at night. Fiona jumped out of the car and stormed into her house, roaring. He didn’t see the point in inviting Rick inside. If Rick didn’t want to escalate the fight, he might have left quietly. But something different was going through his head today. Perhaps, how awful things had gotten, he didn’t want to reconcile with Fiona. He also followed Fiona into her house.

Fiona gave him a startled glance before turning her head away. She turned on her laptop to avoid Rick. It was evident that her mental condition was rather unstable at the moment. When a woman’s body is filled with a tremendous desire for sex and she is forced to flee at that same time, her mental condition frequently develops like this.

Rick had a thorough understanding of everything going on. “It is simple to place the entire blame on me, Fiona,” he remarked to her. “You are equally responsible.”

Fiona was irate as she said, “How am I responsible? Did I ask you to stop there? I’d been rejecting since the beginning.”

Rick said fiercely, “But nothing will ever get better if you vent all of your rage on me. I did not rape you. You too had a say in what transpired.”

Fiona yelled, “You didn’t rape, but you know very well that when you get close to me, I can’t stop myself. You ought to have avoided approaching me. This situation would not have happened if you had even the slightest sense. I’m not sure what you get from doing all this in the open.”

“However, I am the one who got you out of that mess,” Rick remarked. “You can at least say ‘thank you’.”

Fiona pointed toward her laptop screen and said, “Look at this. I’ve just received an email from the attorney. He has claimed that an out-of-court settlement had been reached with Jimmy Seymour. You are no longer required to attend the hearing. I got your bail and resolved your case, but I didn’t expect to hear a ‘thank you’ from you.”

Rick remained silent.

Fiona continued, “And if we were caught by the cops today, we’d be in far more trouble. We may have received a hefty fine. There would have been widespread mockery if this had been reported in the press. Let me tell you the truth, I’m sick of you, Rick. I’m sick and tired of your foolish acts. I’m not sure when you’ll reach adulthood. When are you going to act like normal people?”

Rick made his final move after listening to her. “You vented your heart’s rage on me, Fiona. But I never did anything like this to you. I adored you. I never made a complaint to you…”

Rick had hardly finished his remark when Fiona lifted her right hand and stated, “This is my only request to you, Rick, please do not try to contact me for a few weeks. Until I get over this shock. Lest I decide to leave you.”

These final words she spoke melted like honey in Rick’s ears. This was exactly what he wanted to hear from her at this moment. He swiftly turned and went out of Fiona’s house.

She would show up to say goodbye to Rick at the door every time he left Fiona’s home. However, she didn’t get up and go to the door today; instead, she continued to stay in front of her laptop. Rick stormed out of her house, seeming to be enraged. As soon as he stepped outside, his facial expression transformed and a smile spread across his face.

* * *

Late-night phone conversation between Chad and Rick:

Chad: “Bro, did everything go as planned?”

Rick: “Yes dear, it was great. She was terrified to death by you folks.”

Chad: “Do you think she will soon break up with you?”

Rick (laughing): “I did my best. She’s not going to see my face after today. Please tell me how much you paid to the cop. We will split the cost 50-50.”

Chad: “Hey, never bring up money in friendship.”

Rick: “But, bro, we each have our own interests in this task.”

Chad: “I wanted to mention that I had a close friendship with that cop. He has voluntarily helped us. For this service, he made no demands for payment. Tell me whether our timing was impeccable. We followed your car for a long time with the headlights turned off. When you stopped the car, we did the same. Then we spent some time watching your roadside romance. We entered the situation when I believed it had gone too far. We weren’t late at all, were we? Did you succeed in fucking her?”

Rick burst up laughing. “You arrived at the right time, friend. If you were even a little late, I would have succeeded. Even I was infuriated to see your timely entry. Whatever occurred, it was to our advantage. Sometimes it’s necessary to make minor sacrifices for a bigger goal. I got into a heated argument with Fiona following that event. She has asked me to stay away from him for a few days. I’m sending you an SMS right now with her two-week schedule. You have just two weeks left to make arrangements. After that, I won’t be able to learn about her schedule. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Chad: “Yes, I do.”

Rick: “How far has our other strategy progressed?”

Chad: “It has, indeed. I’m just sending you a phone number and an address. Talk to him and arrange Liza’s meeting with him. They’re searching for a new model.”

Rick: “Many thanks, dude. Good night.”

Chad: “Good night.”

* * *

The next day, Rick took a day off from work and drove Liza to the address Chad had provided. It wasn’t a well-known modelling agency. They had a meeting with the talent manager. Liza had brought some of her photos with her. The manager was somewhat impressed by Liza as well. He assured them that he would definitely promote Liza. He kept Liza’s phone number and photographs, and they both left from there.

After a while, they were both sitting in a coffee shop. Liza was flipping through the pages of a fashion magazine. She appeared to be in a good mood.

She thanked Rick for his efforts and remarked that only a true friend could be so helpful.

“If you’ve considered me a good friend, can I ask you a personal question now?”

“You can, indeed.”

“Do you have a boyfriend or are you single?”

“Definitely, I have a boyfriend. But what are your intentions?”

Rick simply smiled at her without saying anything.

“Answer my question with complete honesty,” Liza commanded, “as I might expect from a true friend.”

“I think you’re incredibly gorgeous. I fell in love with you the moment we met. I wish you had met me earlier.”

She sat silently for a while, thinking about something. She then revealed, “I’ve been having an affair with that boy for two years. Everything was going well until recently when I began to notice that the passion in our relationship had faded.”

“Do you intend to break up with him now?”

“No, I won’t make a decision that quickly. I definitely need some time to consider it. But I can hang around with you for a while. Nowadays, cheating is considered as normal. However, you may be aware that girls prefer boys who say romantic things. Say anything that will make my heart melt.”

Rick saw this as his opportunity to woo this girl and win her heart. He used his hazardous mind and said to Liza, “It is said that a person looks very beautiful when he is in deep sleep. You are so gorgeous while you are awake. I really want to know how gorgeous you appear while sleeping. Because there is no other way to know this, I just want to be in the same bed with you to witness it.”

Liza burst out laughing after hearing him. Rick grew tense and asked Liza, “Did I pass or fail?”

Liza gently smacked the fashion magazine over his head and said, “Pass.”

* * *

They had a great time at Liza’s house that night. Liza’s living room was the starting point for the sex game. After a lengthy foreplay on the couch, Liza grabbed Rick’s penis and started climbing the stairs. Rick quietly followed her. He assumed Liza’s bedroom was on the first floor. However, after climbing the stairs, they both arrived at the terrace. Rick’s enthusiasm doubled as soon as he stepped outside. He learned that Liza had no issues engaging in outdoor sex. As they reached the terrace, Liza drew him to her by putting her hands on his ears and started kissing Rick’s lips. She then sat down and enjoyed sucking Rick’s penis. Liza elevated Rick’s pleasure by utilizing her supple body in various settings. While engaged in the sexual activity on the terrace, Liza appeared careless as if she didn’t mind if anybody from the neighborhood would see her. Rick was simply carefree. No one knew here who he was. Anyhow, after their first night together, Rick had come to the conclusion that Liza was the ideal girl for him.

Both of them were resting on the terrace gazing at the stars after having an amazing sex session. It was 10:30 at night. Liza’s eyes were filled with sleep. Perhaps she had a tendency to go to bed early. Rick took Liza’s hand in his and asked, “How much time do you need to make your decision?”

“Not sure. No doubt I had a great time with you. But I’m unable to tell him the truth. There must be a justification.”

“If you want to come with me, you can call him and right now and explain everything. Just a little courage is needed.”

“He’ll feel terrible.” Liza’s words made it clear to Rick that she was really worried about Chad.

He put her hand on his heart and added, “God is the one who looks after us all. Soon he’ll find another girl and forget about you. I can’t share you with him in this manner.”

Liza’s eyes were welling up with tears. “I understand,” she said. “I’ll try to talk to him about it tomorrow.”

* * *

Chad calls Rick the next afternoon to inform him that Liza has broken up with him. Half of their plan had worked.

Chad carefully examined Fiona’s schedule, which Rick had texted to him. An event piqued his interest, and he began creating plans in his head. Exactly ten days later, there was an open session on mental health awareness where Fiona was supposed to participate. Rick had informed him that Fiona was very sensitive and that she was frequently gripped by an unexplained fear. She was concerned about her illness and had attended numerous such seminars. Many people who had recovered from mental health challenges also used to attend such seminars, and they came just to help others.

The session was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that day. It was a form of group conversation in which ten people who had never met before talked about their issues. The seminar’s organizer was also sitting among them. All of them sat in a circle with their chairs facing each other. When one of the participants described his issue, the other participants would recount their own experiences one by one in an attempt to solve his problem. Fiona had been sitting quietly till now.

After some time, a 30-year-old woman began to tell that she frequently experienced nightmares. She could never sleep soundly as a result of it. She finished speaking and then turned to gaze at other people’s faces. Perhaps she thought someone would step up and assist her in solving this issue. There was nearly two minutes of silence.

Then someone said, “Ma’am, it is not true that you experience nightmares and are unable to sleep properly as a result. The issue is with your sleeping. You experience nightmares because you can’t sleep well.”

Fiona looked toward the direction of the voice and noticed a young man wearing jeans and T-shirt with light blue and white stripes. The young man continued, “My girlfriend also experienced this issue, but she’s now been cured of this illness. Sound sleep is the only method to put an end to nightmares. It is the answer to many of our mental health issues. And nice and healthy sex leads to sound sleep. As a result, I can confidently predict that there will be a problem in your sex life. When a person has sex half-heartedly or is terrified of being caught while having sex, that sex ruins his mental serenity. Make sure you enjoy sex wholeheartedly.”

Fiona believed the young man had spoken something more profound than his age. This could not have been based on his personal experience. He must have read about it somewhere. But none of that mattered. What was important was that the young man had provided a solution to Fiona’s problem. Today was a particularly fortunate day for her. She received the remedy without disclosing her issue. This was exactly what was happening to her. While having sex, she constantly worried that someone would see her. Her lover, on the other hand, was not ready to accept. So she kept getting these nagging feelings that she was going to die, and the consequence of this was that she was unable to enjoy sex and was also unable to sleep deeply. Fiona examined the guy closely for the second time. He was also extremely appealing to look at. Fiona decided that she would see him in person after this session was over.

After the session was over, all of the participants were provided with hot coffee. Fiona took the cup and walked around the corner to where the young man was standing alone, sipping coffee. Fiona approached him and said, “Hello, my name is Fiona.”

The boy smiled slightly before saying, “My name is Chad Brown. Have we met before?”

“No,” Fiona responded, “we have never met.”

“So why does your face seem so familiar to me?”

“I’m a fashion model, Mr. Brown,” Fiona replied as she took a sip of her coffee. “You may have seen my face on a magazine cover or a billboard.”

Chad placed his left palm on his head and, as if recalling something, replied, “Oh yes. I have seen a large billboard with your picture near my house. I consider myself really fortunate to be speaking to a celebrity today.”

Fiona smiled. Despite his best efforts, Chad’s happiness was not being masked. Fiona went on, saying, “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something very important. What you just said to that woman piqued my interest. I’m also dealing with a similar issue.”

“So why didn’t you bring your situation to the attention of everyone? As far as I recall, you were always listening to others. I didn’t hear about your difficulty. You didn’t mention your problem.”

“I arrived here for that reason. However, as I listened to you, I felt you had already answered my question. So, speaking didn’t seem necessary. But the reason I’m speaking to you is because I was impressed by you. I want to learn a little bit more about this from you.”

“Please tell me what you want to know.”

“I don’t experience nightmares, yet I am constantly terrified. It’s the fear of dying. My departure from this world seems imminent. Perhaps this is due to my hypersensitivity.”

Chad was quiet for a few moments. Then he told Fiona, “Look, oversensitivity isn’t a problem, it’s your strength. It simply indicates you are more human than others. You should be proud of yourself. And while you sleep soundly, whatever fear that is plaguing you will dissipate. Is your sex life normal?”

Fiona was a little hesitant to speak about it herself. So when Chad asked her about her sex life, she breathed a sigh of relief. She informed Chad about her boyfriend’s peculiar tendencies. Chad, acting a little worried, said to her, “Madam, you should talk to him about this as soon as possible. This tendency of your boyfriend is disturbing your mental calm. This could have serious ramifications in the future.”

Fiona informed him that her partner had lately committed a grave mistake, for which she was furious and refused to see him for a few weeks.

Chad listened to her with amazement, like he was unaware of what she was saying. Then he said, “Look, Madam, just give him one more chance and see. However, if he continues to engage in such behavior, it is best for you to avoid him. Sex should only be performed in a private setting because it is such a delicate matter. Lighting should also be avoided if possible.”

Fiona listened intently as he spoke. Every word Chad spoke appeared to be finding a place in her heart. And this is just what ought to have occurred. Chad had put in a lot of effort to prepare for this meeting.

Fiona then questioned him, “Has your girlfriend completely recovered? Have both of your love life returned to normal?”

Chad smiled and continued, “Madam, the first thing she did when she recovered was break up with me.”

Fiona was surprised and asked, “But why?”

Chad said, “It is difficult to understand girls these days. Now that I’m single, I’m looking for someone who thinks exactly like me.”

Fiona averted her gaze shyly. Chad did not squander the opportunity and said to her, “If your boyfriend is unwilling to change his habits, and you decide to break up with him, please notify me. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

Fiona looked up and inquired, “Mr. Brown, don’t you think that went too fast?”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow, ma’am. What counts is whether you are heading in the right direction or wrong. If you are confident that you are on the right track, then moving fast is always the better option.”

Fiona’s cheeks flushed with shyness. Chad realized that his efforts were bearing fruit. He quickly invited Fiona out to dinner. Fiona agreed but also put a condition that he would not make any additional demands.

* * *

Chad Brown visited a local park an hour after this meeting. A 30-year-old lady who had discussed her problem in the session that Chad had responded to was seated there on a bench. Chad sat alongside her on the bench and handed her an envelope. Opening the packet, the woman took the money out and began counting. She counted every dollar and had a surprised expression on her face. “This sum exceeds the amount that was requested,” he told Chad. Chad agreed with a smile.

“Are you so pleased with my performance?” She questioned Chad.

“I am quite pleased with the outcome,” Chad retorted.

* * *

Chad and Fiona met again for dinner that evening. They talked about a lot of stuff. No one could tell by looking at them that they had only met today. Their facial gestures gave the impression that they were longtime friends. Fiona found Chad Brown to be quite alluring. The only purpose of the condition she had set was to determine whether Chad is truly as gentlemanly as he appears to be.

Chad was able to infer the truth that Fiona was going to put him to the test. He spoke carefully while eating dinner. He didn’t demand anything to which Fiona may object. They shared mobile numbers with each other. After bidding their goodnights to one another after dinner, they parted ways. On his first day, Chad made more progress than he could have imagined.

The first ‘good morning’ text on Chad’s phone the following morning came from Fiona. Chad also responded although he made no mention of wanting to meet Fiona. He really did not want Fiona to suspect that everything was happening according to a carefully thought-out plan. Although he was desperate to meet her and spend time with her, he wanted Fiona to show her interest in doing so. Three days later, his wish came true. When Fiona contacted him, she requested a meeting. Chad concurred. They shared another meal after which he brought Fiona to his house with her consent.

They both spent the night together. Fiona had expected to have carefree sex for the first time in her life today, followed by a good night’s sleep. But, while having sex with Chad, she was worried about what her boyfriend Rick would think if he found out she had cheated on him. She wasn’t sure if she should continue her affair with Rick or end it. She expected to make a decision after giving it some thought.

It was more enjoyable to have sex with Chad than with Rick. She also made an effort to love Chad as best she could. They both dozed off after midnight. She made love to Chad once again after waking up in the morning. Since it was the weekend, they both remained at his house till the afternoon. They also took a shower together. The string of meetings between them thereafter continued. In the meantime, Chad kept updating his friend Rick through phone calls about the situation.

Fiona and Rick neither broke up nor saw each other again for a long time. Fiona had been so impressed with Chad Brown’s personality that she had totally forgotten about Rick. She appeared to have forgotten that she also had another innocent lover with whom she had an argument and had refused to meet for a few weeks.

Rick, on the other hand, got busy with Liza. Liza began to receive some minor contracts in the industry as a result of his efforts. She was grateful to Rick for this and did her best to keep him happy. Rick would occasionally remember Fiona and pray that she would never remember him. He was ecstatic about Liza. This joy was greatly influenced by the fact that Liza had once been Chad’s girlfriend. Time flew by. Both of them were content in their relationships. They always discussed their experiences with one another whenever they met. Their entire plan was successful. Both of them engaged in such a risky activity due to a childhood habit. They both began to feel as though they had arrived at their destination. However, they were unaware of their true destination and what game would take place next.

* * *

One evening, on her way home from a photo session, Fiona made a surprise visit to Chad by stopping in front of his house and ringing the doorbell. After a little delay, the door opened, revealing an unidentified young lady standing in front of Fiona. “Is Chad Brown at home?” Fiona asked her.

The lady replied, “No, he is not at home. He has gone out.”

Fiona experienced an odd sensation. She continued by asking the lady, “Who are you? I haven’t seen you here before. As far as I know, Chad lives alone in this house.”

“My name is Suzie,” the lady said with a smile. “Chad is my younger brother. I’ve come to meet with him today. Please tell me about yourself. Who are you?”

Fiona told her, “I’m Chad’s girlfriend.”

“I can’t believe this,” Suzie muttered with a little surprise. “I’ve already met that girl. She is a photographer.”

Fiona informed her, “I only met Chad a few weeks ago. He told me that his girlfriend had dumped him.”

Suzie’s face dropped. “What? He didn’t inform me of this? Please come inside.”

Fiona entered the house. Suzie made her a drink. They both then sat down on the couch and began conversing. Suzie claimed, “I only met Chad’s ex-girlfriend once—at the same house. She was a very intriguing young lady. I had a great time chatting with her. I’m shocked to know that she left such a nice boy.”

“Even Chad was surprised that she left him,” Fiona added. “These things happen all the time nowadays. Anyway, tell me a little about yourself.”

Suzie informed Fiona that she taught psychology. And she resided in Cove Haven, Green Pond, about an hour from New York. She remained busy in her research. She had never married or had an affair.

Fiona tried to hide her curiosity after learning about Suzie, but then she questioned, “Your brother works in finance, and you teach psychology. This is the first time I’ve noticed such a distinction between brothers and sisters.”

Suzie laughed when she heard this. She told Fiona, “I experienced a tumultuous, perplexed childhood. My thoughts were jumbled. Also, I was hesitant to share my feelings with anyone. I never even mentioned it to anyone. When I grew up I began investigating my own mental issues, and I developed my interest in psychology. I received my master’s degree in this field without any difficulty.”

Fiona was surprised that Suzie had not said the exact words she expected from every stranger: “I’ve seen you somewhere before.” And then she would proudly tell them that it was because she was a fashion model. Knowing Suzie, Fiona reasoned that she was probably too engrossed with her work and studies to notice what was going on in the outer world.

When Suzie asked about her profession Fiona said that she is a fashion model. Suzie smiled and remarked, “My brother has really good fortune.”

Fiona talked to Chad Brown’s sister Suzie for roughly 40 minutes at his house. Both were profoundly inspired by the other. Fiona then left from there. When Chad returned home late that evening, Suzie informed him that his new girlfriend had arrived to meet him. She didn’t, however, ask about the break-up that she had learned from Fiona.

* * *

Likewise, three more months went by. The lives of the two friends appeared to be entirely normal from the outside. However, something was going on deep inside that would have a significant impact on their lives in the future. In the middle of 2016, a lot of people lost money in the stock market due to the recession induced by the sharp drop in oil prices and the inadequate handling of currency. Rick had also made significant financial investments. He had also endured a great deal of loss. His financial situation had deteriorated. His salary was reduced, making it difficult for him to pay the EMI on his house and car. Despite numerous efforts, no funds were forthcoming. His challenges were becoming more severe by the day. Then one day he felt obligated to seek help from his wealthy ex-girlfriend.

On the other hand, Chad Brown was happy with Fiona but missed the experience Liza gave him early in the morning. Fiona woke up late in the morning and Chad woke up earlier than her. There was almost no chance that Fiona would wake up Chad the same way Liza did. That was the one pleasant recollection Chad had of the lovely times he had with Liza. He loved that early morning sensation, which he could no longer get. The lack of that sensational experience made his sexual life with Fiona less exciting. On the other hand, he couldn’t abandon Fiona and return to Liza. Liza was a kind and caring girlfriend. He felt in his heart that if he expressed his desire to meet Liza, she would not turn him down. And if he asked her for a favor at the moment of meeting her, such as spending the night with her, it was unknown if she would comply or not, but she would not be furious.

One Saturday afternoon, Fiona and her boyfriend Chad Brown were eating lunch at Fiona’s favorite restaurant. After having lunch, Chad expressed his desire to have coffee and Fiona also agreed. They were both making plans for the evening while eating. After watching the nighttime show of a movie, both of them intended to spend the night at Fiona’s place. While Chad was placing the coffee order with the waiter, Fiona’s phone rang in her handbag. She was shocked to see the screen as she took out her phone. Rick, her ex-boyfriend, was calling her. She started to wonder why Rick was calling her after such a long time. Fiona did not disconnect his call. She slid her phone back into her handbag and rose from her chair.

She informed Chad that she needed to use the restroom for five minutes. Chad was talking to the waiter at the moment and was unaware of the phone call. Fiona hastily retrieved her handbag and headed to the restroom. The phone started ringing again as soon as he got inside. She hurriedly received the call, held the phone to her ear with her heart pounding, and whispered, “Hello.”

“Hello, Fiona,” Rick said from the other side. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, Rick,” Fiona said. “How about you? How come you remembered me after all these months?” Her heart appeared to be pounding with excitement.

Rick’s voice said, “Fiona, I’m in trouble. And I need your help. Not everything can be discussed over the phone. Could we meet up?”

“When do you want to meet, Rick?” Fiona asked as she placed her hand over her pounding heart.

The voice from the other side said, “As soon as possible. It would be amazing if we could meet tonight.”

After giving it some thought, Fiona said, “I’ll try. Where would you like to meet?”

“Groove Nightclub,” said Rick. “10:00 p.m. sharp.”

After hanging up the phone, Fiona sat on the toilet seat, with her palm on her rapidly racing heart, waiting for her excitement to fade. She didn’t want her boyfriend Chad to notice anything unusual about her by looking at her face.

Chad Brown while sitting at the restaurant table was waiting for coffee and his girlfriend. There was a delay in the arrival of both. He was restlessly scanning the area. The restaurant’s walls were covered with photos of numerous foods. One ad featured a girl munching on a banana. When Chad saw the poster, his thoughts began to spiral out of control. His heart got even more restless than before. He’d really lost control of himself. He hurriedly took his phone from his pocket and dialed Liza’s number. The voice from the other side caused Chad’s throat to get dry. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “Hello, Liza. Do you remember me?”

Chad heard the sound of laughter from the other side. He asked once more, “Liza, did you recognize who is speaking?”

Liza said, “I haven’t yet become so renowned that I’d forget about my old buddies. Please tell me why you called.”

“Liza, I don’t think I can talk much longer here,” Chad said after taking a deep breath. “I’d like to meet you once. Can you give me some time next week?”

Liza responded, “I’m afraid I can’t confirm anything about next week, Chad. But I have the entire evening free today. Please let me know if you wish to meet.”

Chad began to consider how to cancel tonight’s movie plan. It was also critical to meet Liza. Who knew if she would make time to meet after today? “Okay, Liza,” he said. “Let’s meet for dinner tonight. I’ll text you the location’s name.”

Liza: “All right, Chad.”

As soon as Chad disconnected the phone and put it in his pocket, he spotted Fiona leaving the restroom and coming toward him. She approached and took the seat in front of him. The waiter delivered coffee after two minutes. Chad took a sip of coffee from the mug. He was unaware of Fiona’s expression of intense perplexity. Engrossed in himself, he said to her, “Darling, I was thinking of cancelling tonight’s movie plan. I don’t feel well. I desire to go home and get some sleep. In order to prevent any interruptions, I will also turn off my phone. Let’s get together again tomorrow evening. What do you think?”

As soon as Fiona heard him, the perplexity on her face vanished. She was considering what reason she might come up with to cancel tonight’s program. Chad made her job easier.

“As you like, dear,” she said with a smile. “You sleep without any worries today. Nobody will disturb you.”

Around nine o’clock that same evening, Chad Brown and Liza Petrov met again on the rooftop of a continental restaurant. Liza had arrived wearing an extremely seductive outfit, and Chad’s heartbeats were racing out of control. Liza asked Chad while they were eating, “Tell me, Chad, what important thing you wanted to talk to me about?”

Without establishing eye contact with her, Chad began, “Liza, there is no doubt that we both had a wonderful time together. You still have my undying love. I didn’t object when you broke up with me because of how much I loved you. But as soon as you left, my life lost all of its joy.”

Liza started to feel a little emotional. “What are you saying, Chad? Don’t you have any girl in your life right now?” she asked, taking hold of his hand.

“It’s not like that,” Chad said. “Although I have a girlfriend, I really miss you.”

Tears welled up in Liza’s eyes. “I also didn’t want to leave you, Chad,” she said. “However, I came across someone who was giving me a lot of support as I made my way into the fashion industry. It is because of that guy that I have a couple of projects today. Chad, I was under his influence. I couldn’t say no when he demanded my love. Please forgive me. I hurt you.”

“Whatever happened is no one’s fault, Liza.” Chad asked, “Tell me, do you live with that boy?”

“No, Chad. He resides in Carnegie Hills. He sometimes visits me, and sometimes I visit him. We don’t see each other all that much these days since he’s a little worried about something.”

“Would you mind if I make a request, Liza?”

“I won’t mind, Chad. You are free to speak anything that comes to your mind.”

“Liza, I’d like to spend more time with you. After meeting you, my mind has become completely fresh. Can you come to my house tonight if you don’t mind?”

Liza sat still for a time. Then she murmured quietly, “Okay, Chad. But make sure that no one should know about it. And please don’t make it a routine after today. Okay?”

Chad’s face lit up with a smile. He said, “No one will know about it, Liza. You can switch off your mobile.” Then he asked, “Liza, do you still get up early in the morning?”

Liza replied, “Yes, I always get up early.”

Chad asked, “And do you still wake up your partner in the same manner?”

Liza remained silent. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

* * *

After this encounter, two more ex-lovers met in Groove nightclub. Fiona was dressed in a rust-colored sleeveless shift dress, which was popular in the 1960s, with her hair left untied. She appeared to be extremely content but Rick’s face was very sad. He had a mug of beer in front of him. Fiona was also sipping Nebbiolo wine. She noticed Rick’s condition and worried. “What’s the problem, Rick?” She asked, “You didn’t contact me for so long? Did you find what I said to be so offensive? Or perhaps you fell in love with someone else and forgot about me?”

Fiona’s final question was exactly about what had actually occurred. But Rick lied to her because he desperately needed Fiona’s help. He said, “Until now, no other girl has entered my life except you, Fiona. My love is solely for you.”

Fiona then asked, “But it appears that the smile has faded from your face. What type of mess have you gotten yourself into?”

The club was playing really loud music. Rick brought his lips close to Fiona’s ear and softly informed her of his financial situation. Then he explained that he had called her to meet so that she might help him.

Fiona asked him to be calm and continued, “Rick, tell me whatever amount you want. I’ll transfer the amount into your account tomorrow morning. You may return it whenever your condition improves. It doesn’t matter if even you couldn’t return it. You have nothing to be concerned about. It’s our duty to help each other in the times of need.”

Rick’s mood improved significantly after speaking with her and watching Fiona’s reaction. He was no longer concerned about anything. Fiona had previously helped him financially, but Rick had returned her money after two months. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to return her money this time.

Fiona and Rick talked for quite a long time. He then conveyed his desire to dance with Fiona, and she promptly said yes. They both began dancing on the floor. Fiona had a lot of alcohol, and her steps were shaky. Her hands began to crawl over Rick’s body. She had possibly grown a little excited as a result of wine’s effect. Then something happened that fueled the fire. The DJ began playing the same song sung by Sia, ‘Fire Meets Gasoline’ that Rick had purposefully played in his car.

But today, it wasn’t Rick who was responsible for playing that song, but some unknown entity who wanted to see this meeting end on a high note. As soon as the song began to play, Fiona grabbed Rick in her arms and sobbed, “Oh Rick, this song drives me crazy. I can’t stop myself when you’re around me. I’m losing control of myself. Rick, please tell them to stop otherwise I don’t know what I will do.” Saying this, Fiona placed her lips on Rick’s lips.

Now Rick was no longer in a position to speak so that he could ask the DJ to change the song. He only needed to signal the DJ to do that. But after tasting the moisture on Fiona’s lips, which was like dewdrops on rose petals he realized that this endeavor would have required a lot of courage, which he most certainly lacked at the time. Fiona passionately hugged him after the long French kiss. Rick was feeling her hot breath on his neck. She found it difficult to wait much longer at this point. “Please don’t start here,” Rick mumbled in her ear. “It’s not the right place, let’s go somewhere else.”

Fiona grabbed his hand and rushed toward the toilets. They were both aware that the only safe location to have sex in such places was in the toilets. They both went through all of the toilet doors. They were all occupied. Fiona’s respiration became more rapid. She exited the club with Rick. Her car was parked on the opposite side of the street. She got into her car with Rick and began kissing him profusely.

Rick removed her dress. Fiona was only wearing panties underneath her outfit. Then she swiftly removed Rick’s clothes. Then, for some unknown reason, she turned on the car’s ignition. Rick looked at her with surprise. Fiona pressed a button, which opened the car’s sunroof. Then she said to Rick, “You must be missing outdoor sex with me. I can’t help you any further today. This is all I can do for you right now.”

Rick’s eyes welled up with tears. He wrapped his arms around Fiona’s naked body and the two of them had fantastic sex in the car.

That night was bizarre. All of the former lovers had been reunited. The amusing thing was that everyone had turned off their mobile phones so that their new lover could not contact them, the same new lover who was occupied with his old lover somewhere else.

Everything returned to normal the next morning. On Sunday evening, Chad and Fiona watched a movie and spent the night together. Rick’s anxiety was significantly reduced when he received the desired amount of money in his account from her ex, and he called Liza and extended an invitation to visit his house.

Liza had said good morning to her ex-lover in her own unique style this morning. Chad felt really content after spending the night with her. He had persuaded Liza to meet with him at least once a month, if not more frequently. Rick, on the other hand, knew after meeting Fiona that Fiona had not yet been able to remove him from her heart. She still harbored the same feelings for him. They made a pact that night to meet again as soon they got a chance.

More time elapsed. The four of them continued playing this nefarious game in this manner. The fact that the two friends were still in contact with their ex-girlfriends was a secret they both kept from one another. But there are those people who cannot be kept in the dark. Suzie, Chad’s older sister was one of them.

* * *

One night Chad and his ex-girlfriend Liza spent time together at Chad’s house while cheating on their lovers, Liza habitually took Chad’s penis in her mouth as soon as she woke up in the morning. Chad awoke and began running his fingers in Liza’s hair. His phone rang at that very moment, so he scooped it up off the edge of the bed with half-open eyes and answered the call. It was a video call from his sister Suzie. Chad suddenly realized that he had made a mistake by accepting the video call because both of them were in a compromising position. He attempted to press the call-disconnect button, but unfortunately, the camera switch button was accidentally pressed, turning on the phone’s back camera. Suzie caught a glimpse of Liza’s face as she sucked on her brother’s penis.

She screamed. “Oh God, Why do I have to see this scene in my family?” She then hastily disconnected the phone call. As soon as she regained her composure, she realized that Liza had broken up with her brother. She texted her brother. ‘As soon as you’re done, call me right away. I have an urgent need to speak with you.’

Liza left to take a shower after a while, and Chad called back his sister.

Suzie asked, “What is this girl doing with you now, Chad? I learned she had broken up with you.”

Chad wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered softly, “That’s right, Suzie. She left me some time ago.”

Suzie asked, “If she had left you, has she come to apologize to you now? And I thought her manner of apologizing was odd, Chad?”

“Suzie, let it go. It is quite complicated.” Chad tried to dodge the subject, but Suzie insisted on knowing the truth. “You’ve been telling me everything since childhood,” she said, “Chad, I am not only your sister but also your friend. Please tell me if you are cheating on these two girls. If this is true, Chad, you are doing something terribly wrong. The results can be disastrous.”

Chad had to give in to her obstinacy. “Do you remember my boyhood friend Rick, Suzie?” He questioned.

After a ten-second pause, Suzie remarked, “Is this the same Rick whose stuff was often found in your bag and yours in his bag?”

“Exactly Suzie, he’s in touch with me again. And we’d both swapped our girlfriends. Fiona was Rick’s prior girlfriend. And Liza abandoned me for Rick. My affair is solely with Fiona. Liza occasionally pays a visit.”

Suzie smacked her forehead and replied, “I’ve studied psychology, Chad, and I also teach the same topic. But after learning about your situation, I’m also perplexed. This is shocking to know that this world is filled with weird people. I cannot fathom what is happening to you people. My suggestion to you, Chad, as your older sister, is to halt everything as soon as you can. Select one girl, and stick with her solely. You can end up in trouble if you carry on in this manner.”

Chad remained silent. He didn’t want to make any false promises to his sister. His silence gave Suzie the impression that nothing would change. She quietly hung up the phone.

* * *

Liza Petrov began to participate in modest fashion events. Since Fiona was a supermodel, she used to take part in a lot of fashion shows. Rick frequently accompanied Liza in these fashion events. But anytime he found out through Chad that Fiona had to attend the same occasion, he would fabricate an excuse for Liza and refuse to accompany her. Chad Brown did the same thing. Liza was supposed to participate in a similar fashion week in Houston in the spring of 2017 but Fiona was not coming.

Rick also applied for leave from his work and traveled to Houston with Liza for six days. They had a great time the entire week. It was Saturday, and it was the final day of fashion week. The next day, Sunday, both of them had a ticket back to New York. Liza had to perform in a 45-minute show that evening. They were both free throughout the day. They woke up late, hurriedly got dressed, skipped breakfast, and hopped into a taxi.

They were almost starving in the afternoon. Rick requested the taxi driver to drop them at a reputable restaurant. The taxi driver stopped the car at one point and asked them to move in a particular direction. He informed them that the Lake Club restaurant is only a two-minute walk away. It was a nice place to eat. Both of them could go there. They stepped out of the taxi and began strolling in that direction. Soon they saw the restaurant.

Liza’s phone rang at that precise moment. She immediately began to cross the street while talking on the phone. A pink Cadillac then unexpectedly and quickly passed extremely close to her. Rick seized her by the arm and immediately hauled her away from the road. If Rick had been even one second late, Liza would have been run over by that speeding car. In a fit of rage, Liza spat insults at the black girl driving the Cadillac.

Rick attempted to soothe Liza. They were both still out of breath. Liza was going to need some time to recover from the shock. They stood still on the roadside for a few moments before proceeding to the restaurant. As soon as they stepped inside, they noticed that the entire hall was occupied. They were both shocked, wondering why the driver had sent them to such a packed location. Then a waiter approached them and said, “You will have to wait for some time, sir. After a while, some tables will become unoccupied.” Despite the fact that they were both starving, Rick agreed and told the waiter that they would wait. This was because they were both unfamiliar with the area and didn’t know if there was another restaurant nearby where they could eat.

The waiter left, and Rick and Liza stood there looking around the hall. His gaze was drawn to a man sitting in a corner, dressed in a blue shirt and glasses, who was presumably staring at him intently. His expression had a peculiar familiarity to it. It seemed as though an artist was looking at his creation. A stunning woman wearing a yellow corset dress sat in front of him. They were both eating.

Rick tried to remember if he had ever met that man before. But he was certain he had never seen him before. Then what could be the reason for that man to look at him? It may be possible that Rick’s face resembles someone he knows. Rick, confused, shifted his gaze away from the man and started looking in another direction. Both of them stood there for about five minutes. Liza shook Rick’s hand, then gestured toward a recently vacated table. Without hesitation, they both made their way over and sat down.

Rick looked at the man in the blue shirt again as soon as he sat down, but this time he was engaged in conversation with his friend while eating.

After a while, a waiter brought the menu card to their table. They both decided on what to eat and ordered lunch and wine. The food was served after 15 minutes. They both sat quietly and began eating. Liza’s face revealed that she had not yet recovered from the shock of what had occurred on the road some time ago. Rick was considering what topic he should bring up to make Liza feel more normal. However, he was unaware of the impending catastrophe that would befall him.

Rick’s phone, which was placed on the table, began to ring while he held a glass of Pinot Blanc in his right hand. Liza also looked at his phone. The message on the phone’s display read, ‘Bestie calling…’

Rick held the glass of wine in his left hand, picked up the phone in his right, and answered the phone. On the other side was Chad. Rick had purposefully not saved his phone number in his name so that if he was with Liza and got a call from Chad, their secret would not be disclosed. Chad’s frightened voice sounded from there as soon as Rick said hello. He asked, “Where are you, Rick? There’s some bad news.”

“I am in Houston.” Rick became nervous as well and stated, “What happened, bro?”

When Rick heard what Chad had said on the other end, his wine glass slipped from his grasp.

Chad said, “Bro, Fiona just died on the set in an accident.”

“W…W…What exactly are you saying, bro? Why are you uttering such nonsense? Are you conscious? This is not possible.” Rick’s voice appeared to be trapped in his throat. His entire body was saturated with perspiration.

Liza assumed that something really horrible had happened when she saw Rick’s condition. She inquired about what had occurred, but Rick motioned with his hand and told her to wait. The sharp crash of breaking glass grabbed the attention of the individuals seated at the neighboring tables, and they all began to turn their heads in their direction. Just then, a waiter appeared with a tray, picking up the fragments of glass that were shattered on the ground and placing them on the tray. Then he questioned Rick, “Are you all right, sir?” Rick indicated that he was all right. Chad, on the other hand, described Rick the entire scenario in detail, stating that Fiona was shooting on a set when a giant light from the ceiling crashed on her, killing her instantly.

Rick was still in disbelief. He continued asking Chad over the phone if he was kidding with him over and over again. Chad struggled mightily to persuade him that what he was saying was absolutely true. Following that, Chad questioned Rick about their return date. Rick informed him that they would arrive in New York the next day, on Sunday afternoon.

As Chad hung up the phone, Rick covered his face in his hands. His heart wanted to cry loudly, but he couldn’t because he was sitting in a public place. Liza grabbed his shoulders and asked, “Whose phone was it, Rick? Tell me what happened that has disturbed you so much.”

“Liza, I’ve suffered a great loss,” Rick said after a few moments of silence. “I had made a large investment in a stock, and its value had abruptly dropped. A significant amount of money is lost.”

Liza trusted him. “Rick, profits and losses keep on going,” she consoled him. “Don’t be concerned. The money you have lost will come back to you some day.”

Rick was unable to swallow the morsel after this. He left the food behind. Liza completed her meal and paid the bill. Then they got up, came out, sat in the taxi, and proceeded to their hotel room.

The news of Fiona’s death circulated quickly. All TV channels were broadcasting the same news. Everyone who knew her or loved her was heartbroken.

Rick declined to accompany Liza to the event that evening. Since Liza was aware of Rick’s distress, she agreed to leave him in the hotel and attend the event by herself. Everyone was talking about the unexpected death of a supermodel even throughout that event.

Rick sat alone and depressed in his hotel room. Tears continued to pour from his eyes. Today had to be the worst day of his life. What was the awful circumstance that attempted to snatch both of his girlfriends? He was able to save Liza because he was with her. He pulled Liza from the road in time otherwise the black girl was about to hit her with her car. Fiona, on the other hand, was far away from him and was now in the grip of death. Both of these incidents occurred at the same time and caused a storm in Rick’s life.

Note for the Readers

The thoughts racing through Rick’s mind at that time had nothing to do with reality. What transpired was as follows: That day was Liza’s last day on earth. But there was some mysterious force present at the moment that intended to influence the events of that day so that the story could take a different turn. Rick was not fast enough on his own to rescue Liza’s life. Liza’s life had been saved by the same mysterious force. When Liza was dragged out safely from that moment, the awful Death suddenly turned toward Fiona and seized her. This was due to two factors. The first was that both girls (Liza and Fiona) were having sexual intercourse with Rick. The second reason was that Fiona’s heart and intellect were filled with fear of death, which drew that evil toward her.

* * *

Rick flew back to New York with Liza the next day, his heart aching. Liza was overjoyed about the event, but Rick’s grief dampened her spirits. Neither of them spoke much during the journey. After dropping Liza at her residence, he went to his house. He went to see Chad late at night. He sobbed as he hugged Chad. Chad’s tears were similarly not stopping. Both of them were missing that stunningly attractive girl named Fiona terribly. Perhaps no one could fill the vacuum created by Fiona’s departure.

Fiona Rios’ funeral was held at St. John’s Cemetery on Monday late morning. Along with individuals from the fashion industry, some Hollywood stars also came there to pay their tribute. Fiona’s parents looked very sad. Apart from them, the two other people who were very sad were Rick and Chad. They were both madly in love with Fiona. Chad couldn’t stop crying. Rick comforted his friend by giving him another embrace and rubbing his back. Chad wiped his eyes with a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket. When he opened his eyes again, suddenly he received an abrupt and powerful shock. He noticed Fiona perched on a tree branch from a distance. She wore nothing on her body. She appeared for a split second before disappearing. Chad trembled all over. “What happened, brother?” Rick asked. “Why are you shaking so badly?”

“Dude, I just saw Fiona on that tree branch over there,” Chad said, pointing his finger in that way. “She was completely naked while she sat there.”

Rick hugged him once more and murmured, “She’s gone, my friend. She won’t be coming back at this time. You had immense love for her, that is why your mind keeps bringing up images of her. You close your eyes for a few moments. This will make you feel more normal.”

Chad saw some truth in what he had said. Suzie, his sister, had told him that when a person is in a state of shock, he often experiences hallucinations.

Both of them went back to their homes after the funeral was over.

Rick invited his girlfriend Liza to his place on Monday night. Liza also brought dinner when she arrived. Rick was unable to conceal his melancholy from Liza. They talked together till late at night. Liza was also made aware of the unfortunate death of Fiona Rios, a Spanish model, through the news, but she did not bring it up in her conversation with Rick. Despite having sleep in her eyes and a habit of going to bed early, she chose to stay up with Rick a bit longer. She was thinking that Rick had suffered a significant financial loss. But the truth was that he was no longer in financial trouble. Rick was no longer required to repay the large sum of money he had borrowed from Fiona. But Rick’s anguish over her departure was so intense that he was unable to restrain himself. Rick couldn’t have proper sex with Liza that night because he was depressed. Liza, too, made no demands of him and went to sleep.

Liza woke Rick up around 7:00 a.m. and told him, “Rick, I should leave now.”

Rick took her hand in his and murmured, “Stay with me for a little longer, darling.” However, Liza turned down his plea and apologized profusely. “Rick, this is a very hectic day for me. I have a lot of people to meet. I am pursuing a career in the industry as a result of your efforts.” She kissed Rick’s lips and murmured, “You look after yourself, Rick. I’ll see you again in a couple of days.”

Rick got out of bed and walked with her to the front entrance of the house. When Liza emerged, she immediately gave Rick another embrace and whispered in his ear, “I love you, baby. Please take care of yourself.”

Rick kissed her lips while he was still in her hug. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and saw something really weird. At a short distance from his house, a girl who looked like Fiona and was completely naked appeared for a short moment and then quickly slipped behind a tree. Rick drew Liza away from him and began to rub his eyes with his hands. Then he peered in the same direction again, but there was no one there. He remembered that Chad had previously told him that he had seen Fiona sitting naked on a tree branch, which Rick interpreted as a hallucination. Was he also experiencing hallucinations, or was Fiona’s soul wandering? After saying goodbye to Liza, he entered his house entangled in this mess.

That same evening at 7:30 p.m., Chad received a call from Liza, who asked, “How are you, honey? Are you free tonight? Can I have dinner with you at your place?” Chad, like Rick, was saddened by Fiona’s passing. He did, however, accept Liza’s offer and invited her to his home. Chad was the one who always called Liza after they broke up. But today it was Liza who was thrilled to meet Chad after spending the night with Rick and not having any sexual satisfaction.

Chad’s doorbell rang one hour after receiving Liza’s call. Liza was standing in front of the door when he opened it. Chad ordered dinner after receiving Liza’s call, and it arrived shortly before Liza arrived. While they were eating, Liza told Chad that she needed to have her car checked by a mechanic.

Chad asked, “What’s the problem with the car?”

Liza explained, “The car has not been running smoothly since this morning. Throughout the day, I’ve seen decreased handling and performance, with stopping, starting, and turning all negatively impacted. I was the only one in the car, yet it felt like other people were also sitting in it.”

Chad said, “A good mechanic is just a short distance away from here. I’ll text you his phone number and address. Get the car checked by him while leaving in the morning.”

At night, Liza experienced another disappointment. Even the sexual encounters she had with Chad Brown fell short of her expectations. She was baffled as to why this was happening. She was aware of Rick’s distress and his inability to love her properly, but Chad had not experienced any negative events.

Chad had no desire to have intercourse with her either. Chad had already informed Liza that he had found a new girlfriend after she had left him. But he missed Liza terribly. Liza had agreed to meet him again just because of this reason. But it appeared that he had lost interest in Liza and was now entirely focused on his new girlfriend. If such was the case, why did he allow her to visit his home? He could have turned her down over the phone. Liza fell asleep naked, embracing Chad, thinking about all of this. And the next morning, she showed no interest in even greeting Chad a good morning in her unique style.

After this episode, Liza bounced between her two partners like a tennis ball for the next two months, but she was unable to find happiness. Neither of them called her on the phone now. She called them herself whenever she wanted. Both her lovers had failed in bed. She never went out with Chad because their relationship was strictly limited to the bedroom. Meeting in the open carried a great deal of risk. Their secret might have been discovered. But Rick used to act completely normal whenever he was out somewhere with her. He was never frugal when it came to spending money and never demonstrated any financial restraint. If he was in serious financial trouble, as he claimed to Liza, he would have changed his way of living. This situation was beyond her comprehension. However, Liza’s boyfriend’s spending habits were not her concern. She only desired physical fulfilment, which she could not find from any of them. If one of them had lost interest in her, she would have completely embraced the other, but this was an unusual situation. She eventually stopped calling both of them out of frustration and started dating a Chinese man.

* * *

Suzie, Chad’s sister, learned about Fiona’s untimely death after watching the news, and she called Chad and spent a considerable amount of time comforting him. After two months, he called his brother again and inquired about his well-being. She noticed a change in Chad’s behavior after speaking with him. She asked whether Chad was still seeing his ex-girlfriend after Fiona’s death. Chad admitted to her that he was seeing Liza, but that he was no longer interested in her. Furthermore, he had no desire to love any girl. Suzie was alarmed when she heard what her brother had said. She recognized his problem. Suzie continued by probing Chad with further queries, such as whether he still saw his childhood friend Rick. Chad stated that he frequently spoke with Rick over the phone and that he, too, was going through a similar mental crisis.

Suzie was silent for a while after hearing his remarks before she resumed thinking. Then she said to Chad, “Listen, brother, I believe both of you friends have succumbed to depression. Depression can have an impact on all aspects of your life, including your sexual life. Low self-esteem, hopelessness, and physical exhaustion can all reduce libido. Anorgasmia can also be caused by depression. Furthermore, prompt treatment is crucial. Do you agree with me?”

Chad agreed and inquired as to how it might be treated.

Suzie informed him, “I’m leaving for Japan this weekend for two weeks. At that time, you and your friend are welcome to stay at my lake house. Staying away from the hustle and bustle of the city and close to nature will help both of you regain your mental stability. Can you both do this?”

Suzie has made a good point, but Chad wasn’t sure whether Rick would agree to go. He promised to tell Suzie tomorrow after speaking to his friend about it.

Suzie continued, saying, “If both of you come to stay at my house, keep a few things in mind. You must spend the most of your time fishing and swimming. You must maintain a worry-free state at all times. Additionally, always keep in mind that you both prepare your own meals. This is my tried-and-true way of bringing anyone’s mental stability back to normal. All of these actions help a person recover from depression. Playfulness can aid in the treatment of depression.”

Chad assured Suzie that if they planned to visit her, they would take care of these details. Chad then disconnected the phone. At night, he discussed it with Rick. Rick was initially hesitant, but when Chad persisted, he agreed. The next day, both of them applied for leave in their respective offices. Later that evening, Chad called Suzie to confirm that both of them would be staying at her house.

On Saturday, both of them packed their belongings and drove to Green Pond in Chad’s car. They arrived at their destination in under an hour. The residences in that neighborhood were all 40–50 meters apart from one another. In the center, there were dense bushes. It was 10:30 in the morning. Suzie was waiting for them at her opulent lakefront house. Suzie’s house was pretty spacious.

In the backyard of the house, there was also a basketball court. Suzie had loved basketball since she was a child. Her flight to Japan was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Rick and Suzie had just met for the first time. Suzie informed them that the groceries in the kitchen were sufficient for two weeks. Other than fresh milk and fruits, they don’t need to buy anything.

Suzie was about to leave for the airport around noon. As she was departing, she added some more instructions to both of them. She said, “Both of you keep your phones turned off throughout the day. Simply switch them on for an hour at night. Forget about anything throughout the day and simply live without stress. No interaction with the outside world is permitted. Your playfulness is your therapy.”

She then got into a cab and left for the airport.

On Saturday, they both stayed inside the house the entire day and only went for a walk in the evening. They continued to listen to music throughout the day, and they both cooked their own lunch and dinner. The following week, they spent as it was instructed to them. They’d both lie out in the sun on the wooden dock in front of the house. They went fishing and swimming while leaving their phones at home for the entire day.

They turned on their mobile phones an hour before preparing dinner in the evening and read and responded to urgent texts and emails. Once or twice, they both attempted to play basketball, but they soon recognized that this sport was not for them. In this way, a whole week went by. The following Saturday night, they were both watching a movie on TV. As soon as a romantic scene appeared in that movie, Rick grabbed the remote and switched the channel. Chad did not object to his action either. Both of them were obviously uncomfortable with the situation. They had entirely altered their lifestyle and had been removed from the outer world for a week, yet they were still not showing any signs of recovery. The ice that was causing both of their brains to become frozen was not dissolving. It was a pitch-black night with no chance in hell of the sun of hope rising. Both of them went to bed dejectedly at midnight as usual.

On Sunday noon, they were both relaxing on wooden sun loungers on the dock near the lake while sipping canned fruit juice. They had only swimming trunks on their bodies. Even though the sun was almost directly overhead, it wasn’t that hot yet. Despite the fact that excessive heat had begun throughout most of America, the region’s profusion of trees kept the weather comfortable. Chad was holding a men’s magazine and had goggles covering his eyes. They were conversing with one another.

Rick asked, “Do you feel like going back?”

“I’m not sure. Neither that world nor this world contains anything valuable.” Chad responded with disappointment. Rick rose from his sun lounger and walked to the lake’s edge. He shifted his gaze here and there. There was silence far and wide. The sound of a pelican was heard from somewhere in the distance. Suddenly, Rick said to Chad, “There is no other house nearby. What if I swim in the lake entirely naked, with no one around to see? I believe I require a skinny dip.”

“Do whatever comes to your mind, bro,” Chad murmured as he set the open magazine down on his chest and turned to face him. “Suzie has given us similar instructions.”

Rick removed his swim trunks and plunged into the water, leaning forward.

Chad’s mind flashed with lightning as soon as he saw his friend’s nude bum. He stood up swiftly and started glancing at him speechless. It appeared as though a tiny fragment of the block of ice, which had been frozen in his mind for months, shattered and dropped, chilling his heart. He set the magazine down and began watching Rick swim. Rick returned to his seat after 15 minutes. He wrapped a towel around his lower half. Then he reached for the nearby juice can, popped it open, and took a slow sip. Chad had a gentle smile on his face. Rick asked, “What happened, bro? You appear to be quite cheerful. Tell me the secret of your happiness.”

Chad remarked, “You know, it’s pointless to explain when I have to prove something. A demonstration is the best course of action.”

Rick said, “I don’t understand anything. What do you want to say?”

Chad got up from his place and said to Rick, “I’m going to do the same thing you just did. You just have to focus.”

Rick gave her a perplexed expression. Chad reached the lake’s edge and turned his back to Rick and removed his shorts. He then leaned forward and leapt into the water in the same manner. Rick’s mouth opened wide. His mind started longing for something. With startled eyes, he watched Chad dive into the lake.

Chad didn’t swim for 15 minutes as Rick did. He emerged from the lake within five minutes and came to sit next to Rick. He placed the magazine he had been reading some time ago on his thighs. His priority at the time was not swimming because he had just solved a deep mystery, and he was anxious to talk to his friend about it.

He reached for his juice can and opened it. He then asked Rick, “Rick, what did you feel when you saw me jump into the water?” while smiling at him.

With some hesitation, Rick said, “I felt like a sailor who had been stranded in uncharted waters for quite a long time and then all of a sudden discovered his lost compass. My mind is right now filled with immense happiness, but I’m also extremely uncertain of my chances of getting it.”

Chad exclaimed, “You idiot,” while laughing aloud. “There was no point in showing it to you if I had to refuse to give it to you. But what I want to hear from you right now, my friend, is whether or not you felt relaxed when you saw the item you were keen to have. Did you, like me, have a brief feeling that your despair had lifted?”

Rick nodded confidently and said, “I felt it exactly. My mind suddenly became as fresh as it had been a few months before. In addition, I experienced an erection. If you don’t believe me, you can examine by lifting up my towel.”

Chad responded, “No need for that, friend. I have complete faith in you. The same thing happened to me today. So, should I accept that our friendship has reached a new dimension?”

Rick grasped his left hand and gently pressed it. Then he gazed tenderly into his eyes and said, “Now we are not only friends but lovers. We’ll be living together after today. We don’t require anyone else.”

Chad extended his right hand and ran his fingers over Rick’s hair, saying, “I am surprised to realize, dear, that until now I have been delighted by having so many things of yours, but the true gem was kept hidden by you until now. I would not have realized my true goal if the concept of skinny dip hadn’t crossed your mind.”

Rick said, “Now that nature has made us realize our real destination after so much time, I am sure all the bad instincts within us will vanish. And now that we’ve become so close, I feel compelled to confess something to you.”

Chad asked, “What do you want to confess, Rick? You can tell me without any hesitation.”

“Even after I started dating Liza,” Rick said, “I kept seeing Fiona. All of our previous actions kept going uninterrupted. I apologize for it.”

Chad received a mild shock. Then, after giving it some thought, he uttered, “If you forgive me, then I will also forgive you, Rick.”

Rick gave him a tender shoulder bump and asked, “So, have you been fucking Liza as well? This is exactly what I expected from you.”

Both burst out laughing. Rick added, “If I look at the lives of both of us, I find that whatever has been happening to us up to this point, we had no intention in it. We continued to dance as nature had been forcing us to do up until this point. But today I think the wandering is finally over. The days ahead will be peaceful. I’m going to ask you again, Chad, do you feel like going back?”

Chad said, “No, bro. Now I want to settle down here. There is nothing worth living for in that place.”

“But staying here would also not be appropriate,” remarked Rick. “There is still one week until Suzie comes back. And when she returns, she will instantly realize that we have overcome our depression. Then she’ll expect some girls to enter our lives, which is not feasible. We can’t trick her in this place. We’ll have to return to New York for that. We can have all the fun we want in the one week we have left.”

“Rick, you’re correct,” Chad admitted. “The sun has grown hotter. Let’s go inside the house.”

They stood up, gathered their possessions and began to make their way toward the house while still being completely naked. “We boys have a lot of sex with girls, but they require a lot of training,” Rick said as he walked with Chad. “They frequently treat the penis roughly. It’s a highly delicate thing, and only a man would know how to handle it better.”

Hearing his words, a thought arose in Chad’s mind. He told Rick, “I want to tell you why I kept seeing Liza even after we broke up. She used to wake me up in her own unique way in the morning, and I really missed that experience when I was with Fiona. That’s why I used to call Liza over sometimes.”

Following that, Chad described Liza’s ‘unique style’ to Rick, who was already familiar with it. Then he questioned Rick, looking at him with interest, “Can I expect the same experience from you, Rick?”

“Chad, I’ll do my best to make you happy at all times,” Rick added with a smile.

It appeared as though Chad’s mind was free of yet another weight. Then he began to giggle and said to Rick, “But in return for this demand of mine, you should not begin demanding outdoor sex from me. I can tell you right now that it is not my cup of tea.”

They both chuckled and entered the house holding each other’s hands.

* * *