Author's note:
The goal of this series of cumulative vignettes is to briefly (in 1000 words or less) capture the tension that rises right until the moment of an erotic coupling... which is then purposefully left unresolved. The emphasis is more on the buildup than on the climax, so keep that in mind as you play along!
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Are you available to work with a client this Thursday at 3pm?
That text came from one of the agencies for whom I do independent contracting work as a sign language interpreter. After checking my schedule, I responded:
Yes. What and where is the job? Who's the client?
The response came back a few minutes later:
It's a job interview at a coffee shop for Steven - the young man you've worked with several times in the past.
My stomach instantly turned nauseous. The only way I was going to endure this appointment was to keep reminding myself:
It's just a job.
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I had deliberately been avoiding all communication with Steven for several weeks, ever since I'd met him 'off-hours' at the movies to watch "CODA." My husband and I had argued about whether or not I should be going to a movie with a single young man, but I assured him that it was no big deal because a) he was my client, b) I was old enough to be his mom, c) we'd be part of a larger group, and d) it was "just a movie."
Unfortunately, his friends never arrived, and - in the secrecy of the dark theater - he somehow seduced me into sucking his dick. I wasn't even sure how that happened... and in the aftermath, I felt mortified, humiliated, and guilty. It took me a long time to even be able to look my husband in his eyes, fearing that I might inadvertently betray my terrible secret. Steven tried reaching out to me a couple times, but I had been able to successfully ignore him... until that job came up.
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When I arrived at the coffee shop shortly before 3pm, Steven was already there and sitting at one of the tables. He smiled wide and rose to greet me, but I quickly signed a cold-hearted interruption:
No. I'm just here for for the interview.
Steven clearly looked disappointed, but went to find the manager.