"Paige" (inspired by the FX tv series "The Americans")

[HumanBean]

Nick, with Paige in his kitchen and Kitty in his shower:

"I think she was asking me, not you!" Paige said.

She was referring to when the other woman in the apartment had offered to share a shower with one or both of them. Connor had enjoyed the wonders of each of these beautiful women's bodies separately. His mind couldn't help but picture the two of them together. It couldn't help but imagine all three of them together. He knew it wasn't what he should be fantasizing at this moment. But c'mon, what man's brain wouldn't go there?

"Don't worry about it, Nick," Paige told him. Her tone was softer and far calmer than her first reaction to finding a barely dressed beauty standing in his bedroom doorway. "You and I ... we aren't, you know ... anything."

Nick didn't like the sound of that! He'd really thought that he and Paige had something special. Of course, if that had been true, he wouldn't have ended up in the backseat of his car getting his cock sucked by Kitty. He wouldn't have brought her home for even more sexual adventures. He wouldn't have kept her here for breakfast, a movie, and even more sex.

Why had he done that? The answer to that was pretty obvious: Kitty was beautiful and willing, and Nick was a man who thought with his little head. Fuck, why'd you do that? Nick was being hard on himself for one obvious reason: Kitty was just a roll in the sack, while Paige was a potential long-term lover and girlfriend. Or had been, anyway.

"I mean ... We aren't exclusive," Paige told him. "You can do what you want." She paused, then with some of her original angry tone clarified, "You can do who you want."

Nick couldn't help but see the blush that suddenly filled Paige's face. He couldn't understand the reason behind the reaction. He couldn't know that she was feeling guilt. Paige had another lover. She was feeling guilt for her hypocrisy.

Nick, however, thought it was only a manifestation of her anger of him cheating on her. She'd been right when she said that they weren't exclusive. Still, Nick felt as though he'd betrayed her. They had been getting closer with each encounter. They'd enjoyed a wonderful night of satisfying sex. And then he'd put his cock inside a club girl.

"Thank you for this," Paige said. of what she was saying. She waggled the passport before her. She headed for the door. "You've saved my life, really!"

"Wait!" Nick said with a slight tone of desperation. He hurried to catch up with her. He stopped between her and the door. Looking into her face, Nick was lost. He hadn't realized how much he'd like her until now. Until he was about to lose her. He drew a breath, began to speak, couldn't, and glanced away. Looking back, Nick said the only thing he could. "I'm sorry."

He hoped the conversation would continue. He hoped there was something to say that would fix all of this. But his mind couldn't come up with the words. If Paige had more to say, Nick was ready to talk. If she didn't, well, he would step aside.

 

[HumanBean]

Denise Taylor, with Renee Beeman out on the town:

Denise was excited to see Renee enter the lounge. She stood from her bar stool, waving past the thick crowd. "Over here!"

When the Bureau trainee arrived, Denise wrapped her arms around her, squeezing. It wasn't the greeting one might expect from a work acquaintance. It was more of an old friend or long lost relative greeting. But Denise didn't get out that much. And it was exciting for her to do so with someone like Renee.

They took their seats, and Denise glanced about them. She leaned in to say, "It's crowded. Can you believe this? I almost didn't find two stools together. A weeknight, really?"

She gestured for the bartender's attention. Gesturing to her own glass, she said, "Another one for me, and the same for my girl here."

She didn't bother to ask Renee if she was a whiskey drinker. Denise looked around herself again. She was all smiles. Her attention set on a man three stools down. Leaning in again, she asked Renee, "Whaddaya think of that guy. Couldn't you just eat him up?"

She laughed loudly. It was probably pretty obvious that she'd beat Renee to the bar by at least two or three shots. Their drinks arrived. Denise held hers out for a toast. When Renee lifted her own glass, the trainer clinked them together. She said, "To good times, to good women--"

Glancing to the man three stools down again, Denise laughed again. She finished, "--to good men."

She drained her shot glass with obvious practice. Another laugh followed. The bartender returned, telling Denise, "Your table is ready."

She became even more excited. Hopping up, Denise exclaimed, "Perfect! C'mon."

She took Renee by the hand and led her the direction the bartender was heading. They arrived at a small table along the wall. The bartender already had two fresh drinks waiting there for them. Denise told the man, "Calamari. A double order." To Renee she said, "They have the best in town, believe it or not. I could eat them here all day long."

Denise once again scanned the lounge. She looked like a woman on the hunt. She toasted with Renee and drained yet another shot glass. Leaning in close, she asked bluntly, "Do you run around on your husband?"

She again looked away, this time to a pair of men sitting a couple of tables away. To Renee, she said, "I ask, because if you want to get some strange tonight, this is the place." She laughed again. Denise wasn't feeling any pain.