All characters are at least 18 years old.
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Shame. What a word to wake up to.
I sat up in bed, the vibrator lying next to my legs. I dropped my face into my hands and took a deep breath before eyeing the bullet warily. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I trudged into my bathroom to get the day started. It was still early in the morning, owing to having crashed out soon after dinner last night. I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to see if there were any visual cues after waking up from the best sleep... maybe ever.
I had climaxed to thoughts of my son.
No. No, no, no. That's not how it happened. I had used a sex toy for the first time, and after almost two decades of no stimulation, I had been overwhelmed. Well, that was a truth. Not the entire truth, but it would have to do. I sighed. My head was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, and only denial was going to give me enough time to sort through it all.
From my bedroom, my phone began ringing with the tone I reserved for my parents. I had completely forgotten to call them last night to let them know Drew and I wouldn't be visiting them for the weekend like we normally did. Without enough time to rehearse the fibs I would need, I answered.
"Coco?" My mother's warm voice came through the line, making me feel even more guilty. She would've known what to do. In the span of a few days, I'd made a royal mess of things. My self-esteem as a mother was at an all-time low. "Did you forget to give us a call?" She sounded teasing.
"Yeah, sorry mom," I sighed. "Things have been... out of sorts lately."
"Well it's that time of year," she laughed. "The holidays always do shake things up."
"No, mom. It's Drew."
There was a pause before she quietly asked, "What's happened?"
"He's been spending time away from home at some girl's house. Like, spending the night and everything."
"Oh my God, great-grandbabies!" she squealed in delight.
"Mom!"
"Hehe, sorry, sorry. But isn't this a good thing?" When I didn't answer, she sighed sympathetically. "Oh, Coco. I know it'll take some getting used to, but Drew's growing up. Yes, he's your darling boy, but if it's time for him to leave the nest, you have to let him go."
"Yeah, you're right," I said levelly. "I should probably go. I'm sorry for forgetting to call."
"That's alright, honey. Just tell little Drew not to have too much fun, alright?" she chuckled.
"Of course. Love you, mom."
I hung up and dashed to my bathroom, planted my hands firmly on the edge of my sink, and retched hard. Involuntary tears came to my eyes as my stomach heaved, and I tried to gasp in steady breaths when my body again failed to vomit. I moaned pitifully, head spinning, then spat and rinsed my mouth out.
*A mutual friend. Lexi Rochester.*
By this point, I think the name was burned into my mind. I couldn't make sense of my thoughts, and with hours left before I met up with Sasha I needed something to distract me. I had plain toast for breakfast, as dry as possible in case I lost it in the toilet later on. I spent the morning cleaning the house, forcing myself to think about nothing in particular.
Lunchtime rolled around and I decided to risk some oatmeal. I needed somebody to talk to or I was going to lose my mind. And as insane as it was, there was only one person I could discuss my current state with. I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.
"*Privet*," she said, voice a bit groggy.
"Sasha? Hi, it's Coco from yesterday. Sorry if I woke you up. I was wondering if we could meet earlier than planned today, if you're not busy."
"No, no busy." She sounded amenable, immediately livening up, which was a relief. "I meet you at cafe next hour."
"Sounds good. See you then."
Safety in telling stranger secret, she had said yesterday. Out of everybody I had to confide in, who'd have thought?
--
Sasha was already there when I arrived, smiling brightly at me. Her wavy blonde hair was down, flowing easily off her shoulders. She didn't have that exotic look of most Slavic girls, but she was still undeniably beautiful. It still struck me as odd why she would want to hang out with me. Most girls her age wouldn't be caught dead spending time with an older woman, sometimes even if it was their mother. It made me all the more grateful for her help.
"*Zdravstvuyte*, Coco," she said in greeting, setting her phone on the table. I paused as I sat down, cocking my head a bit.
"Didn't you say something different when you answered the phone earlier? I thought that was how Russians said hello."
"*Privet*?" she offered, and I nodded. "That is for friends." She frowned, as if searching for the right word. "Peers. *Zdravstvuyte* is... formal. Use for elders."
"Great, you managed to make me feel old in another language," I laughed.
"Would you prefer *privet*?"
"Maybe, yeah." I smiled sheepishly, and she returned it.
"Then *privet*, Coco."
"Privet, Sasha."
We ordered our drinks, and she kindly added my sugar for me.
"So, you want to talk early today," she prompted. "Toy is good?"