Author's Notes:
A little palate cleanser that came to me quickly and begged for attention.
All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.
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Fly With Me
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Roy sat at a bar in Singapore, watching the lights reflect off the amber liquid in his tumbler, but his mind was thousands of miles away and years in the past.
How had he gotten here from then?
When he was eighteen and graduating high school with his girl at his side, he'd worked out a life plan and knew where it would take him. To get his Electronics Technician certification, he joined the army, and quickly found he had an aptitude for the work and excelled as he learned how to be a soldier. That wasn't too difficult for him as his high school football career had helped him with thinking as a component of a team and he was in the best physical shape of his life.
The war was winding down in Afghanistan when his squad was deployed there. Their region was still one of the more active ones, but an unofficial cease-fire was underway.
Then, the personnel carrier he and his squad were in drove into an ambush. Under heavy fire, he managed to call for support, but in the chaos, their vehicle was hit by a rocket fired from the helicopter.
He woke up in a hospital in Los Angeles where doctors were struggling to put him back together.
Roy was relieved to discover he still had all his limbs and digits but soon discovered he couldn't walk because of his injuries. He was assured it would return after some operations, and once he healed... and learned how to walk again. That went for his ability to speak as well.
His body was riddled with bullets and shrapnel from the missile, the armored carrier, and, to his horror, bits of his squad mates. He went under the knife so many times until, finally, they said no more.
It took three years of operations, recuperation, and grueling physio to return him to a state of functioning. Impatient to get his life back, he left the hospital a week before his scheduled release date and flew home to Portland.
Walking in his front door, he heard noises from the master bedroom and investigated.
Watching Amber riding Rick's cock, bouncing up and down on the man as she moaned and cooed, sent a shock through Roy's body, much like the bullets from the AK-47s. He found himself reaching for the sidearm he fortunately no longer wore.
Instead, he pulled out his cell phone and took picture after picture of them enjoying each other until the clicking sound made them look to the doorway. He kept taking pictures as his wife froze in shock, and Rick began to shout.
Roy knew he was much stronger than Rick, but he also knew if he started beating on him the man would die. Amber would have stolen his freedom, too.
Instead, he turned and returned to the front door where he'd left his duffle. He picked it up and left without looking back. He walked to a park, where he made some calls and hired a lawyer to create the paperwork for a quick divorce. The photos he sent the lawyer of his wife caught In flagrante delicto were enough to ensure she had no legal grounds to contest.
If he'd returned home when he was scheduled to, he would have remained in the dark about his wife's unfaithfulness. Who knows how long he would have been married to a cheater. As painful as the discovery was, he had to see this event as serendipity as he now had a chance to be free of her.
Having nowhere else to go, he crossed town to his in-laws' home.
Roy knew they were good people, and seeing the proof that Amber had cheated on him while he'd been hospitalized enraged them as well. Her parents, sister, and brother insisted they were shocked by her cheating and mortified with her behavior.
The divorce settlement was as simple as Roy could make it.
The home was in her name as her dad gave her his mother's house as a wedding present. Roy waived any claim of ownership on it as long as she agreed to waive any financial expectations from him. Their bank accounts were separate, and he owed her nothing.
Amber would have to deal with being divorced and hated by the neighbors for destroying two marriages. She'd have to make ends meet with her hairdresser's salary and struggle to earn back the trust and respect of her family.
Their neighbor, Jillian, was filing for divorce from her husband Rick, who'd been having an affair with Amber after flirting with her over the back fence for years.
Amber was devastated to learn that Rick was just looking for a side piece and had no feelings for her.
Needing to get away, Roy earned the required certifications and travel permits to work on a cargo ship. He used his US Army certifications as an Electronics Technician to work as an Electro Technical Officer.
He signed on with a ship and sailed out of Long Beach port in Los Angeles a month after all the divorce paperwork was finalized.
The trip from LA to Singapore had taken a little over a month and a half and the crew kept him busy diagnosing and repairing a constant stream of faulty and flakey equipment. He'd been so busy he hadn't had any time to think about the abrupt pivot his life had taken.
So here he was, contemplating that new direction. He sipped the whiskey and set it back on the bar to watch the lights play on the surface again.
There had to be something next, but all he saw was an empty void stretching out before him.
-=-
Veda stepped into her hotel room and locked the door. She had a creepy sensation crawling over her skin and wouldn't feel like herself until she'd taken a long, hot shower with a loofa to scrub the feeling away.
Her business in Singapore was complete, and she was leaving with a signed contract from the supplier of the electronic components her company needed to expand into the telecommunications business in India. She'd fly home on her jet tomorrow, but she still had tonight.
First things first, she undressed, wrapped her hair in a towel, and stepped into the shower to get clean.
The disgusting CEO she'd met with today hadn't done more than hold her hand, but his eyes had explored every inch of her visible skin. He made no effort to disguise his lust and suggested they dine together so they could get to know each other much better as they would be working so closely together.
She did the delicate dance with his fragile ego as she wanted the contract signed before she left. Extracting herself from his presence with what she'd come to Singapore to obtain, she called it yet another victory.
Once she felt clean, she dried herself with a soft towel and rubbed moisturizing cream over her light brown, blemish-free skin. She was pleased to feel its softness over her firm muscles. She knew her fitness routine in the morning would maintain this but make her ache like a woman twice her age.
She removed the towel from her hair and let it flow down her back in luxurious waves. She examined herself critically in the mirror and smiled as the woman looking back still had the beauty she'd paid the doctors and trainers for years ago.
She knew she had her vanity, but she'd grown up in the shadow of her beautiful family members, being an ugly duckling in comparison. The adjustments she'd paid for weren't very significant, but they made all the difference to her, and her confidence rose.
Her large, dark, dramatic eyes and lush, plump lips were gifts from her genes, but her new nose was now slimmer with a reshaped chin.
The physical trainers worked her mercilessly until she lost all her excess weight. Her skin was tightened, and the best plastic surgeons smoothed away the scars. She'd also been genetically blessed with a full bosom, so she hadn't needed to replace them with implants like some of her sisters had.
Her outer self matched her inner self, which gave her great confidence!
This helped in her business dealings, and combined with her keen intellect, she quickly rose in the ranks of the family business until she became their CEO at the tender age of twenty-eight just two years ago.
Walking back into the bedroom, she looked at the bed, but she wasn't tired. She still had too much adrenaline from her battle of wills with the repugnant CEO.
She decided to get a drink at the bar.
Veda selected a flowy top that accentuated her cleavage to present her full breasts enticingly without being too blatant. Tights to show off her sleek legs and low heels to give her just a little more height. She was already tall, so there was no need to emphasize this.
Smiling at her reflection in the mirror, she tucked her room key into the hidden pocket of her tights.
Stepping into the hallway, the door across from hers opened, and a dark-skinned, fierce-looking man watched her curiously.
She frowned. "I am going to the bar upstairs for a drink. I don't need an escort tonight!"
He paused with a frown, then closed the door reluctantly.
She tried to put that out of her mind as she walked to the elevator and took it up one level.
The bar entrance was just ahead, so she took a deep breath and put a mildly disinterested expression on her face as she stepped inside.
The bar and seating area were attractively arranged and lit. It looked very welcoming.
As her eyes swept across the tables, she saw several men seated alone. Their eyes attempted to catch hers, but she allowed hers to pass by as if she were looking for someone in particular.
When she'd scanned the room, she felt a little disappointed. The offerings tonight were slim. The men displayed evident signs of wealth and style, but she felt no tug of interest for any of them. They were just more of the same.
She decided to head to the bar as she could always strike up a conversation with Philip, the bartender. She'd been a guest in this hotel enough times to call the man by his first name.
As she walked toward the bar stools, she realized she'd missed seeing one of the customers.
His attire was out of place as it didn't speak of wealth. He wore a simple white cotton shirt with rolled-up sleeves, tan cotton slacks, and comfortable walking shoes. The shirt was stretched across his broad back, and his biceps and forearms strained the sleeves. His powerful legs challenged the material of his pants as well.
With his wrists and hands resting on the bar, her eyes were trapped by the sight. Laced with fine white scars across his tanned skin, his hands seemed oversized.
She'd intended to sit on the last stool nearest the windows, but she found herself moving to the seat just two away from his. As she sat, she saw him take notice of her. She saw his lovely green eyes flare just a little as he admired her beauty. Just as quickly, he gave her a polite smile and returned to contemplating his drink, which he noted was empty.
She watched him lift one of his big hands to call the bartender over.
Veda saw he was drinking scotch and tried to gauge his age. He looked young with his tousled light brown hair, which seemed to need a trim, and darker stubble on his face, but his bearing seemed more mature.
"Good evening, Philip! Just a rum and coke, on my room, six-nine-oh-two," Veda said when the bartender stopped before her. She wasn't a big drinker and limited her intake of sweets.
