Master of Lust

The memories invaded his mind, leaving him with a sense of disbelief—he slept with his first love. Holy Shit!

He ran his fingers over the space where Olivia might have slept, a smile playing on his lips. The realisation of the shared intimacy lingered in the air, the feeling of her soft skin under his fingertips. He took a deep breath, hoping to capture the lingering fragrance of Olivia\'s presence.

He got up, grabbed his boxers and jeans and left the room, searching for a certain pink-haired woman. As he trudged down the stairs, he detected the scent of a fake flowery cleaning product. The hall was now devoid of all of last night\'s events.

The beer bottles and take-out containers that were littered on the floor when Rick pushed them off the table to make way for Olivia were now all missing. Even the table was now shining after a good wiping and bare. Everything looked normal.

Fresh, Except for the unconscious body that still lay face down on the carpet, polluting the calmness with its dull snores. Rick scanned the room, searching for Olivia, and heard faint noises emanating from the kitchen.

Making his way towards the kitchen, Rick was met with Olivia\'s back. She was clad in a loose, plain grey dress that went past her knees, and her attention was completely on the stove where fresh pancakes were simmering.

Her hair was still kind of damp, and these tiny water droplets were doing this slow dance, making a splash on the grey dress she had worn. It was like a low-key domestic masterpiece, and for some reason, it hit Rick right in the feels. There was this odd calmness bubbling up inside him.

Closing the distance, Rick approached Olivia from behind, his footsteps almost silent on the clean floor. With a swift, gentle motion, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into an embrace. The unexpected contact sent shivers down Olivia\'s body, and she gasped in surprise.

"Good morning," Rick\'s whispered greeting gently caressed Olivia\'s ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Yet, despite the intimacy of the moment, an invisible barrier seemed to hold Olivia in place.

Turning slowly to face Rick, Olivia\'s deliberate movements compelled him to release his embrace. Her head hung low, shielding the turmoil within from Rick\'s probing gaze. The events of the previous night lingered, and Olivia grappled with the internal struggle of assigning blame. However, she resisted the urge to unload it all onto Rick.

Rick, obvious to Olivia\'s inner turmoil, continued, "Last night was…"

Olivia didn\'t want to face him as he finished that sentence, so she turned back to the stove and flipped the pancakes, cringing as she noticed the almost blackened circles on the pan.

Rick chuckled behind her. "Yeah. I don\'t have the words to describe it either."

Olivia forced down the flush that crept up on her face. How the hell did she ever agree to it? And with Greg right there, under the same roof. He was right beside when Rick…

No. No thinking about that for now.

She plated the burnt pancakes, turning off the stove and shoved past Rick, who was too busy running his hands up and down her sides to notice the tension oozing off of her. She flung open a top cupboard, bringing out an almost empty bottle of maple syrup, and pushed both, the plate and the syrup into Rick\'s hands to keep them busy.

"Mrs. Clarke, I must say, waking up to a breakfast like this is quite the unexpected pleasure after our adventurous night," Rick remarked, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. Nonchalantly, he placed his plate on the table, generously coating his slightly burnt pancakes with a cascade of syrup, all while skillfully avoiding any mention of that they were burnt.

Meanwhile, Olivia inhabited a realm distinct from Rick\'s lighthearted banter—one saturated with the hues of guilt and regret that colored each of her contemplations. Her fingers betrayed her inner turmoil, restlessly fiddling while she patiently awaited the gradual drip of coffee from the machine, her back towards him throughout.

"Last night was something else, huh? Totally wild. If you ask me, I think it did you good. Got your mind off a lot of things. Plus, that wasn\'t the only thing that got off. Don\'t you agree?" Rick said around a mouthful.

Olivia gripped the counter, her fingers pressing into the chipped wood, until she felt indents form in her palms. "It\'s just pancakes. Nothing wild about pancakes."

"You and me both know, I\'m not talking about the pancakes. Although, I have to say, these are pretty good."

Olivia swallowed down her scoff. This boy! With shaky hands, she held the coffee cup, bringing her lips to the rim and taking a slow sip. The hot bitterness sliding down her throat did little to alleviate the tension that radiated from her. Tension that Rick did not seem to pick up on.

"What? You\'re just going to stand there and ignore me?" Rick asked. Despite the harsh words, there wasn\'t any malice in his tone, just plain curiosity, "Act like I\'m invisible?"

"Can we not talk about last night?" Olivia pleaded, her voice barely audible. "Please."

Unlike her, Rick did not conceal his scoff. "If you\'re not in the mood for talking about last night, I don\'t mind refreshing your memory with some repeats."

Olivia almost choked on her coffee at his brashness.

Anger bubbled inside her. Pure, unbridled anger. How could he talk about her like that? Like she was some whore he stumbled upon in the dark corners of the city, picked up from the streets. Olivia had watched him grow up for heaven\'s sake. Where had all his damned manners vanished off to?

Yet, the rage simmered down. Deep down, Olivia knew it was a smokescreen for something else. Guilt, the real culprit, hiding beneath the bravado.

How did I let this happen? She thought to herself, setting down her coffee cup, the bitterness no longer soothing.

\'How did I turn so weak? It\'s all his fault. Him and his wandering hands. Asking, no, demanding for what I couldn\'t give.\' Olivia tried to blame Rick.

Her mind raced with thoughts of the previous night, with Rick demanding things she couldn\'t give. But with each attempt to shift the blame onto him, a wave of self-beratement crashed over her. It wasn\'t a one-man show; she was a willing, albeit conflicted, participant in the whole mess. She wished she could convince herself otherwise, but the truth gnawed at her.

She snuck a peek at Rick form over her shoulder. He was leaning against the opposite counter, arms crossed and gaze stuck on her.

Oh God! And what about Greg? He was right there when they… when they… Fuck, she couldn\'t even say it aloud. Olivia knew her marriage was on the rocks. It had been so for a long time. But she was never one to go back on her vows.

Yet, here she was. Laying in bed with a man who was not her husband.

And not just any man. A boy who she watched grow up. Why did she ever agree to this? What would Rick\'s father even think if he got to know? The man was helping her in ways she could never repay him, and to thank his generosities, she slept with his son? Someone who was her daughter\'s age!

Emily!

While Emily was fighting for her life in the ICU, she was here spreading her legs and moaning like a cheap whore. Her poor, baby girl would have been expecting her, Olivia\'s mind drifted to her daughter, left waiting and needing her mom. Olivia\'s hand raised to cover her mouth. I don\'t deserve to be a mother.

Before she could burst into tears, Rick turned her around and tugged her towards him. His strong arms wrapped around her waist and embraced her close to his chest. Olivia hated the way she relished the familiar warmth that he exuded and promised herself that she would put an end to this. She would thank Rick and his father and send them home.

This was her battle, and she would somehow find a way to pay all the bills. She didn\'t want to face Rick and his father and drown in guilt every time, she had enough on her plate as it was.

Lost in her own whirlwind of feelings, Olivia barely noticed when Rick leaned in. Instead of pushing him away, she found herself frozen, her body betrayed her, accepting everything that came for her.

*****