about your asshole ex. Then I’m going to take you home and lick your pussy until you scream my name, then I’ll make love to you until we both forget our names.”
“Promise?”
He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “Always.”
The End
Hot & Damaged
The heat was unbearable. Sand rushed into Ryan's eyes as he moved through the storm. He had to be careful, take it slow. After all, the ground was littered with mines. His job was simple; locate the mines, disable them, collect them. It had become routine over the last two years, but it still made his heart pound within his chest when it had to be done. Explosives had always interested Ryan. He'd been told more than once that it was because they resembled his personality. Mild, dormant, then all at once a loud bang with curling smoke and destructive results.
Ryan tried to keep anything on his mind, but what he was doing. They hadn't expected a dust storm. There had been no talk of one, no reports. They were deep into the field of mines when the wind picked up throwing choking dust into their lungs, blotting out their vision. Ryan should have listened to Desmond, he realized. The man had told him they should turn back, but Ryan was stubborn. He wanted to get the job done.
“Desmond?”
Ryan squinted his eyes, but he couldn't see. He stood still, knowing he was reaching the border of how far they'd gone the day before. Ahead of him, there would be countless mines just waiting for him to step foot on them. He turned in circles, his eyes seeking out some flicker of small movement, his ears trying to pick up some sound over the howl of the wind that rushed against his body.
Standing there, Ryan thought, as he often did, if he'd ever see Stacey again. Her plump, pink smile flashed in his mind. The thought of her round, hazel eyes made him calm down. If he got through this for no one but her, that would be enough. Ryan stood still as the storm raged around him. He wasn't sure how close he was to death. As the time ticked by, his thoughts were savaged with concern for her, for Desmond, for himself. He knew the horror stories, sand storms lasting for days with no reprieve. Panic rose up in his throat, but he made himself stay calm.
As quickly as the storm had come up, it was dying away. The howling dissipated to a whisper. Ryan wiped his goggles, a thin film of sand still on them as he looked around. Shock ran through him as he saw the man a few feet ahead of him, standing in place. Ryan moved to him quickly, but Desmond held out a hand towards him.
“Move back!” Desmond yelled. Ryan could hear the trembling in his voice.
“What’s wrong?” He asked as if he didn’t already know.
“I’m standin’ on one of the sons of bitches,” the man said with a laugh. “If I move this foot, boom! We both go up, buddy.”
Ryan was shaking his head furiously, sweat pouring down his face as he edged closer. “I can disable it.”
“Now, we both know that’s a damn lie,” the man said as he held out a hand. “Gimme a smoke.”
Ryan reached into his pocket, pulled out a hand rolled cigarette. He barely smoked, usually just after a successful mission, but he always kept one on hand. He stuck the tube between his teeth, struck a match and watched the smoke curl into the air. Taking a deep drag, he passed it over to Desmond with a trembling hand.
“Our last smoke together,” Desmond mused as he took in a thick breath, “I always said we’d quit together.”
Ryan nodded. He knew that it was his last smoke, no matter what happened. They smoked in silence, passing the cigarette back and forth until it was nothing. Ryan snubbed it out beneath the toe of his boot.
“Maybe I can go back, get help,” Ryan said slowly.
Desmond laughed. “Ain’t no hope for me and you know it. Do me a favor? Tell my wife what happened and check on her. Keep an eye on her and my daughter. Okay?”
“I
“Promise?”
He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “Always.”
The End
Hot & Damaged
The heat was unbearable. Sand rushed into Ryan's eyes as he moved through the storm. He had to be careful, take it slow. After all, the ground was littered with mines. His job was simple; locate the mines, disable them, collect them. It had become routine over the last two years, but it still made his heart pound within his chest when it had to be done. Explosives had always interested Ryan. He'd been told more than once that it was because they resembled his personality. Mild, dormant, then all at once a loud bang with curling smoke and destructive results.
Ryan tried to keep anything on his mind, but what he was doing. They hadn't expected a dust storm. There had been no talk of one, no reports. They were deep into the field of mines when the wind picked up throwing choking dust into their lungs, blotting out their vision. Ryan should have listened to Desmond, he realized. The man had told him they should turn back, but Ryan was stubborn. He wanted to get the job done.
“Desmond?”
Ryan squinted his eyes, but he couldn't see. He stood still, knowing he was reaching the border of how far they'd gone the day before. Ahead of him, there would be countless mines just waiting for him to step foot on them. He turned in circles, his eyes seeking out some flicker of small movement, his ears trying to pick up some sound over the howl of the wind that rushed against his body.
Standing there, Ryan thought, as he often did, if he'd ever see Stacey again. Her plump, pink smile flashed in his mind. The thought of her round, hazel eyes made him calm down. If he got through this for no one but her, that would be enough. Ryan stood still as the storm raged around him. He wasn't sure how close he was to death. As the time ticked by, his thoughts were savaged with concern for her, for Desmond, for himself. He knew the horror stories, sand storms lasting for days with no reprieve. Panic rose up in his throat, but he made himself stay calm.
As quickly as the storm had come up, it was dying away. The howling dissipated to a whisper. Ryan wiped his goggles, a thin film of sand still on them as he looked around. Shock ran through him as he saw the man a few feet ahead of him, standing in place. Ryan moved to him quickly, but Desmond held out a hand towards him.
“Move back!” Desmond yelled. Ryan could hear the trembling in his voice.
“What’s wrong?” He asked as if he didn’t already know.
“I’m standin’ on one of the sons of bitches,” the man said with a laugh. “If I move this foot, boom! We both go up, buddy.”
Ryan was shaking his head furiously, sweat pouring down his face as he edged closer. “I can disable it.”
“Now, we both know that’s a damn lie,” the man said as he held out a hand. “Gimme a smoke.”
Ryan reached into his pocket, pulled out a hand rolled cigarette. He barely smoked, usually just after a successful mission, but he always kept one on hand. He stuck the tube between his teeth, struck a match and watched the smoke curl into the air. Taking a deep drag, he passed it over to Desmond with a trembling hand.
“Our last smoke together,” Desmond mused as he took in a thick breath, “I always said we’d quit together.”
Ryan nodded. He knew that it was his last smoke, no matter what happened. They smoked in silence, passing the cigarette back and forth until it was nothing. Ryan snubbed it out beneath the toe of his boot.
“Maybe I can go back, get help,” Ryan said slowly.
Desmond laughed. “Ain’t no hope for me and you know it. Do me a favor? Tell my wife what happened and check on her. Keep an eye on her and my daughter. Okay?”
“I
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