Stomach twisted tight. Couldn’t swallow breakfast. First day teaching math. Heart pounding. Dressed sharp, light makeup. Drove to high school, radio blasting. No calm. Parked. Teachers’ lounge. Gulped three coffees. Jittery. Paul Hauchont, French prof, chats me up. ‘They won’t…
Hot sand bites my soles. Dunes loom like guardians. La Lede beach. Naturist haven near La Palmyre. No kids today. Damien and I drive early. Hearts race. Pulse quickens. We’ve tanned nude at home. My body’s killer curves. His eyes…
Mojacar hotel elevator. Cramped. Fifth floor stalled. August 2005 heat sticks my tank top to my skin. No bra. Nipples poke hard. Javier, the blond bellboy with freakish blue eyes, grips his phone, barking Spanish. Painter guy’s foot slides over…
Stéphane’s luxury car idles in the shadowed street. Engine growls low. City pulses around us. Neon flickers. I slide in. Silk dress clings to my triathlete curves. Martin’s face haunts the rearview. Shocked. Broken. Perfect. I drop the mask. No…
City lights pulse outside the window. Nine PM. House quiet. Daughter asleep. Alexandra’s late. I’m on the couch, legs crossed, naked under silk robe. Patrick stands there, awkward. Tells me she won’t be back till midnight. I lock eyes. No…
Eight PM. Bustling city streets throb under neon lights. I slam my apartment door. Still armored for battle: black skirt hugging hips, tight black T-shirt plunging low, ballerinas silent on feet. Drinks buzz in veins. Euphoria surges. Nailed that exam.…
Rain hammers Bath’s empty streets. 2 AM. Party fizzles. Students scatter. Erik escorts me home, my ‘prize’ from Jana’s game. Umbrella fails. He’s drenched, I barely wet. Half-hour trek across town. Adrenaline buzzes in my veins. My flat. Housemates in…
Grand garden buzzes. Lights flicker. Flowers choke the air. Tables groan under feasts. Wine flows red. I’m Amélie de la Baysière de la Founette. Widow at 25. Mask on: elegant lady. Inside? Starving beast. Émeline’s wedding. My friend glows in…
Three days in this new subdivision. August heat clings like sweat. Terrace glows under twilight. Champagne fizzes. I’m in panties only. Didier too. Skin bared. Free. I light cigarettes. Hand him one. His fingers trace my thigh. Neighbors’ light flips…
Monday afternoon. Empty roads stretch through the countryside. I’m Anne, driving school boss. Curvy, auburn hair, green eyes. Usually smiling. Today? Fuming. Husband cheated. Vengeance burns hot. First student of the day pulls up. Young guy, nervous behind the wheel.…