She looked around, her eyes darting from the workers loading deliveries to the drivers milling about. Their conversations punctuated by the occasional laugh or curse. Nina sensed she was out of place. She was now someone between worlds.

Michael approached her vehicle, his friendly smile and eager demeanor a stark contrast to the turmoil that was raging inside her. “Hey, Nina! Are you okay? You haven’t checked in for a delivery,” he said, his brow furrowed with concern.

Nina forced a smile, her lips quivering. “Oh, hey, Michael. Yeah, I’m just... I’m just having a bit of a rough day, you know?” She didn’t want to burden Michael with her problems. But she needed to talk to someone, anyone. After Rosa’s betrayal.

Michael’s eyes softened, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. Whatever it is, you can talk to me. I promise I won’t judge.” He gave her a warm smile. While a tear slipped down Nina’s cheek.

“I... I don’t know where to start,” she admitted, her voice thick with emotion.

“Can I bum a smoke?” Nina asked. She realized she shouldn’t, realized it was a terrible idea, but she needed something to steady her nerves, something to ground her.

Michael’s eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded and pulled out his vape pen from his pocket. “Of course, here you go,” he said, handing it to her.

Nina took a long drag, the familiar taste of the vapor filling her lungs and giving her a momentary sense of calm. She handed the pen back to Michael and leaned against the side of her vehicle, her body trembling.

For several minutes, they just stood there, leaning against her Dodge, enjoying the sunset. The hectic noise of the delivery area soon gave way to the quiet of the lull.

Only Michael and Nina remained. Their banter of silence. Their words puffs of mist in the chilled evening air.

“You are the first person I’ve ever bummed a smoke from. I quit years ago, too expensive,” Nina said, a sad smile playing on her lips as she looked away. “No. That’s not entirely true. In our youth, Gerald and I would share cigars together. We’d sit in his red mustang, which he no longer has, blow rings and talk about our future. Then, in the back seat, we created that future. We created my daughter, Maria.”

Michael’s gaze remained steady on Nina. “I’m here for you, Nina. Whatever you need, just say the word.”

A shaky laugh escaped Nina. She wiped away another tear. “What I need is a time machine. To go back, before I lost my confidant, my husband, my sanity.” Nina said, her voice thick with emotion. “Before I desired more from life.”

Michael took the vape pen from her, taking a long drag before handing it back to Nina. “You can’t change the past, Nina. All you can do is move forward. One step at a time.” He said, his voice soft, comforting.

Nina took another drag. Her eyes fixed on the sunset. “Yeah, but it’s hard. I never thought I’d be in this kind of situation. Look at me. I’m...”

“You are what? Beautiful, loyal, resourceful?” Michael asked. He shifted from the uncomfortable bulge returning to his jeans.

She chuckled at his naivety. His words were bitter in her mouth. “Yeah, well, there are thin lines between beauty and objectification. Between Loyalty and betrayal. Resourceful and desperate. And I’m spread just as thin over those lines.”

Michael inhaled a long drag from the vape. His eyes locked onto hers, begging for her to continue.

“And moving on, moving forward? If I do that, I just become the whore Liam and Rachel want me to be, what Gerald and perhaps Rosa believe I’ve become.” Nina paused, taking another long drag from the vape pen. She looked at Michael, his eyes reflecting the sunset, a mix of compassion and understanding. His comforting and calming presence gave her a strange sense of security as she stood beside him. She knew she shouldn’t be confiding in him, shouldn’t be unburdening herself to a relative stranger. But his authenticity inspired her trust.

Michael cleared his throat, the talk of whores embarrassing him by the clear flush of his cheeks. “Nah, it’s only prostitution if you take money from them.” He joked, trying to ease the tension.

Nina rolled her eyes, but a giggle escaped her lips. “Oh, you’re an expert on prostitution now, are you?” She said, giving him a teasing punch him on the arm.

Michael rubbed his arm. “Hey, I watch a lot of pornography. Besides, I’ve seen some things here at the store...” He paused, realizing what she implied. “Wait, how much money?” He asked, his interest clear.

“Fifty-thousand,” Nina said, shocked at her own admission to a near stranger.

“Damn,” Michael exhaled, his eyes wide with surprise. “That’s a lot of money. Enough to change your life.”

Nina nodded. “Enough to fix everything. Pay off the debts. Perhaps a fresh start elsewhere after this.”

Michael turned to her, his eyes searching hers. “So, why not take it? I would.”

She cocked her head to the side, her blue eyes searching his in return. “Do you think I’ve earned it?”

Michael’s gaze softened, one hand touching her shoulder. “Well, I think... You deserve better than this.” He gestured to the quiet delivery area with his other hand.

His touch sent shivers down her spine. An unexpected warmth spread through her. She looked into his eyes and witnessed another person giving her the attention she denied herself for decades. Nina wondered if he would utter the phrase everyone had professed so far.

She took his hand and lead Michael to the tailgate of her Dodge. Nina pushed the button on her remote. The hatch opened, and she gestured for him to sit on the bumper. He followed her lead, curious. She saw the question in his eyes, but didn’t reply.

Nina sat next to him, taking a moment to look at the setting sun. The colors were beautiful. She could hear the soft hum of the city in the distance. She took another drag from Michael’s vape pen now at his hip, holding the smoke in her lungs before exhaling. He gasped at the innuendo.

“I want you to understand. I’m not a bad person,” she said. “My actions were what I perceived to be expected. Being a dutiful wife and mother. But sometimes, life... happens.”

Nina undid Michael’s leather belt, his large buckle clinking against the silver tailgate. She heard his sharp intake of breath, his eyes widening in surprise. She hooked her thumbs into his waistband, pulling his jeans and boxers down in one swift motion. His erection sprang free, already hard and ready. Nina knew she needed to hurry. Anyone could arrive at any moment, but it also made it more exciting. She also knew she needed this. Needed him to prove something she suspected.

In a slow, deliberate motion, she lowered her sports bra clad bosom over his length. She felt him shudder at the contact, his shaft twitching against her warm flesh. The stretchy material of the sheer sport bra allowed a firm hold on his length. It offered just enough give to create a tantalizing friction. Nina reveled in the sensation, her nipples hardening against the cool evening air.

Michael’s eyes were heavy-lidded as he watched Nina work him. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and saw her hunger and desire reflected in his eyes. It was intoxicating, empowering.

She moved, her body rising and falling as she created a rhythm, stroking him with her chest.

The friction was exhilarating. The heat built between them. She watched as Michael bit his lip, his hands clutching the edge of the tailgate, his knuckles white with the effort of holding back.

“You like that, don’t you?” Nina whispered, her voice husky with desire. Michael nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. She could see the battle he was fighting, the struggle to maintain control. It was a struggle she understood all too well.

Nina tilted her head down, her lips brushing against the tip of his member. Her breath flowed hot and damp against his sensitive skin. “Why do you think I should take the money, Michael?” Nina asked, her voice a low purr as she looked up at him, her lips still grazing his shaft. She wanted to hear him say it. Wanted him to confirm what she had expected all along.

Michael’s breath hitched, his hips bucking as Nina’s words sent a jolt of pleasure through him. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a raw, primal desire. “Because you deserve it, Nina. Because you’re worth it.” He said, his voice thick with lust.

Nina felt a surge of power, of control. She had him right where she wanted him, on the edge, ready to snap. “And?”

Nina’s lips curled into a cunning smile as she stared up at him, her eyes locked onto his. She continued stroking him with her bosom, her sports bra creating a delicious friction against his hard length.

Michael’s chest rose and fell. He was barely holding on. His body tensed and his hands clenched onto the tailgate. “And... and because... I love you.” He shuddered.

His tip released a gentle eruption of his inseminate on her chest. He gasped in relief, his eyes closed tight in ecstasy.

Nina, not surprised by his words, sighed. Michael had caught his breath and opened his eyes. Noticing Nina’s disappointed expression, he extended his hand to clean the semen off her chest. “I’m sorry, Nina. I didn’t intend, I just got carried away.”

Nina pushed his hand away. “No, it’s okay. I think I understand now. Thank you, Michael. You’ve helped me more than you’ll ever know.”

Michael nodded, pulling up his pants and fastening his belt. “No problem, Nina. I’m always here if you need someone to talk to.”

Nina took a final drag from the vape pen before handing it back to Michael with a silent nod and a smile.

Michael took the vape pen, pocketing it before heading back. “I should get back to work, Nina. If you require anything, let me know.”

Nina watched him walk away, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions. How easily Michael said those words. Gerald’s words came with that same ease decades ago in the back seat of his Mustang. Time rendered those words hollow. They were always there, spoken by husband, friend and lover. Yet, they never filled the void or quenched the desire for pleasure, rawness, and passion.

She pulled out her phone and tapped on the finance app. There it was, the fifty-grand from Rachel, ready to be deposited. She need only accept it.

Nina released the drag from the vape in one long exhale through her nose. She then pressed accept. In an instant, she made a tough decision. Michael’s admission clarified everything. 

Love was just a word.