EPISODE 2 – DISTRESSRyan must confront the consequences of his grave errors with Desirée while struggling to establish who’s truly in control.
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Ryan must confront the consequences of his grave errors with Desirée while struggling to establish who’s truly in control.
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⚠️ This story describes potentially distressing situations. Use discretion if you proceed.
Redeeming Opportunity
Standing on the precipice of disaster, a strange sense of déjà vu washes over Ryan. Desirée is nearly unconscious when he helps her from the restaurant table…. He checks into a nearby motel, innocently intending to sober her up. While situating her comfortably, her purse falls, spilling out lingerie.
“Who brings something like this to lunch?” he wonders, watching her head bob. “I just wanted her to keep dancing. But maybe she had something else in mind.”
His poor judgment kicks in. “This is the perfect moment to snap the photos I might never get. It’s better than an office fling because she doesn’t have to know.”
Ryan’s heart races, unable to help himself from capturing numerous photos of Desirée—his eager coworker whose flirtation had seemed like a fleeting escape from his crumbling life. He freezes when she lets out a soft moan.
“False alarm. Enough time for more shots.” Her youth and beauty, things he once thought unattainable, brightened his days and distracted him from the darker choices he was making.
When she rouses early, his plans quickly unravel. Her eyes flutter open, confused. Waking up in lingerie she didn’t have on before is impossible to overlook.
“Ryan, what did you do?” she demands, her voice sharp as she rubs her throbbing head. “How did I end up in this second-rate motel? I didn’t wear this lingerie to lunch…. That means you’ve seen me with less than I have on.”
“You got a little tipsy and passed out, so I kind of made you more comfortable,” Ryan tersely explains.
“You’re not telling me everything. What’d you do with the… lotion, Ryan?”
“Let’s not talk about it.”
“I thought we were friends,” Desirée says, her voice tinged with confusion.
“Hopefully, we still are friends,” Ryan replies, his tone strained. “I should take you to your home.”
“Friends? It looks like you took advantage of me—and that has me worried.” Desirée’s words cut through the air like a knife.
Ryan grapples for an acceptable response. His clumsy dating ineptitude, masked by his desire for validation, teeters on the edge of something serious. “I didn’t do anything you’re imagining. The outfit accentuates your beauty in my photographs.”
Desirée’s expression softens slightly, but anger lingers in her eyes. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Were you going to leave me here in this negligee, or redress and prop me on my front porch? We’re both half-dressed.…”
“I was staging the scene—and planned to change everything back. I’m begging for your forgiveness.”
“This goes beyond forgiveness, Ryan. It’s about trust. My first time alone with a man is now a sad memory.”
“You cooperated. After a few drinks, it seemed our dating had progressed….”
“You’re telling me that I consented while intoxicated—as if that justifies your behavior. What kind of photos did you take?”
“They look tasteful to me,” Ryan responds, trying to win back her trust. “But I can delete them if you disapprove. How do I convince you that I’m just a simple guy inexperienced with the dating scene?”
Negotiating Consequences
“I should be able to choose which views to share.”
“Trust me. There are no bad views.”
She smiles at the compliment. “Let me see the pictures. Uh hem. So you like… changing women’s clothes and snapping boudoir photos like this? What else do you keep from your wife?”
“I’ve been faithful to her—and have never done anything like this before.”
She shakes her head while viewing, “I feel like there should be some consequences. Perhaps I should take degrading photos of you to share with some of the work gossipers.”
“You’re right about consequences. But that’s too extreme. I’m a budding photographer, and you’ve only seen what could be the worst photos.”
“Am I supposed to browse through hundreds of shots to find something that justifies your actions?”
“That’s an exaggeration.” He hesitates, clearly struggling with the weight of the situation, before offering a solution that strikes a nerve. “I got the lingerie from your purse. But I can pay you something to forget.”
“Oh my! Are you trying to pay me off? How many laws are you breaking in one night? The Ryan I know would never be so crass.”
“Help me make this right, Desirée—Bambina.”
“Why shouldn’t I be afraid for my life alone with you, Ryan?”
“Calm down. I’m not dangerous. My home life is in shambles. I need you.”
“What do you mean by shambles? Are you separated from your wife?”
“I used to love her. But we’ve grown apart, now just going through the motions of marriage without intimacy.”
“Is she violent? I mean… if she found out we were seeing each other, who might she try to hurt?”
“You have nothing to worry about. She isn’t violent enough to strangle the juice from an orange.”
Is Desirée a victim or a manipulator?
As Desirée adjusts her clothing, her eyes bore into Ryan’s, searching for a favorable response. “You should’ve expressed your feelings during our lunch dates. What happened today wouldn’t have been so creepy.”
“Hopefully, we can turn back the hands of time.” Ryan’s gaze falls with regret. “Risking our lunch dates is the most foolish thing I’ve done.”
Her voice filled with uncertainty, she asks, “What’s going to happen between us now?”
“My heart beats like a youthful single man whenever I’m with you.” Ryan replies with remorse, “But there are younger, better options available for you.”
“I’m feeling a disconnection.” Desirée’s perplexity is evident in her trembling voice. “You aren’t saying anything to make this right.”
“I don’t know what more I can offer you. You’re everything I desire in a woman, but my marriage will fall apart if things get serious. Your parents wouldn’t be pleased, and I could face work sanctions.”
“Too many excuses, Ryan. Your marriage was falling apart before we met. My parents don’t care about me, even though I still live with them. We can report our office romance to the HR department. Are you in love with me or trying to toss me aside like a fling?”
“Desirée… I don’t know what you see in me—but I love you… and want you.”
Her reasoning entices and disturbs.
She now delivers an ultimatum. “Then the best remedy is to leave your wife for me. If I’m everything you desire, give me your wedding ring as a promise.”
“Leave my wife? That’s a big commitment. She’d get half of everything. Could we discuss this after a few more meet-ups?”
Realizing Gravity
The notion of being a casual fling angers Desirée. She veils her enticement with a threat. “I love you, Ryan. Don’t you think I’m worth it? If your crime goes public, the best you could hope for are conjugal visits.”
“You couldn’t be heartless enough to turn me in and still love me.” Ryan’s voice trembles as he searches her eyes for mercy. “It was just… a clumsy expression of admiration.”
The custom music player enhances the thrill with ambient music.
He mutters, more to himself than her, “Everything’s coming to light either way.”
Bartering Exchange
With his pulse racing and logic fading, Ryan surrenders—emotionally, morally, completely. He slides his wedding ring off his finger and clasps it onto the dainty gold chain around her neck. It rests just above her heart, where the light dances like a trophy freshly won.
“Thank you,” she says while erasing his regret with her irresistible dimples. “This is the prize I’ve wanted.”
“Each time you agreed to go out with me, I didn’t feel worthy. Now, if I’m not being presumptuous, you’re officially my Bambina.”
“Yes, and your Bambina will become the mother of your children. Ironic. Thanks for my modeling portfolio.”
What if she was awake the entire time?
“I’m embarrassed to ask… after a rocky start… but you’re irresistible. Tell me I can have you tonight—and this isn’t a dream?”
“You can’t lose your ring in a dream.” Dragging her thumb up her hip, she continues. “Ooh, that look. Devouring all this is too much to keep secret. Is it worth a public relationship?”
Ryan’s sigh conveys acceptance of exposure.
“I thought I’d leave with just keepsake photos. But what you’re offering tonight—plus marriage? That’s worth anything.”
Her expression brightens, basking in his devotion. “All that tea I drank is about to summon nature.”
Ryan chuckles, anticipating what’s been lacking for years. “You go freshen up. I’ll order another sweet tea to celebrate when you get back.”
The slow pacing builds anticipation.
She flashes an impish smile. “Go ahead and place the order…. Make sure you get my cherry.”
“Oh, I plan to.”
“Great. The coworkers will know you chose me when they see my portfolio—and your ring on my necklace.”
“You can leave out a few details.”
“Something boastworthy includes juicy details. Don’t bother yourself about what I say. Just focus on all you’ll get tonight….
His imagination is running wild. “No boundaries. Right?”
“We both know you did a touch more than just snap photos. It’s okay. It means you want me badly. Use those strong feelings creatively. Build a menu of tonight’s activities.”
“Thanks for understanding. I‘m sure my menu will impress you.”
“Will the woman who still thinks she has you learn about me from folks at the office?”
Ryan now views his wife as someone expendable—to achieve his goals.
“She won’t see me tonight. So she’ll have questions. I’ll tell her.”
“Ooh. I’ll become a celebrity. What will you say?”
All she needs to know is I’ve found someone who satisfies me—someone I love. She’ll kick me out. Then we can meet here more often.”
“Desiree turns, unsteady, hand on her forehead. “Satisfy you…. Often. Sounds good…. I’m a little woozy. Give me a minute.”
…A sheer garment sliding off her shoulder teases the admirer during her exit. She bumps a lamp with a grimace before disappearing into the restroom—a detail Ryan downplays.
Strong drinks didn’t obscure his camera clicks. Believing I’m pregnant will get me anything I desire.”
“Woah. Careful. Hurry back… to forget that pain.”
He raises the motel phone to his ear to order the Long Island Iced Tea, smiling in anticipation of the perfect night.
Shirtless Ryan reclines on the bed, exhaling a sigh of relief, the weight of his decision settling in. He swipes through the photos of his new reality.
The ring that symbolizes enduring vows now rests close to Desirée’s heart. The woman of his dreams is within his grasp—until a crash from the bathroom shatters his peace.
His heart jolts, the image of his nightmare flashing through his mind: the scenario he had imagined, the one he desperately hoped wouldn’t come to pass. A cold dread replaces the warmth of his earlier thoughts.
He knows, at that moment, that the consequences of ignoring the ring left on his wife’s finger have encircled him like the chain on Desirée’s neck.
Before he can move, there’s a knock at the door. “Room service!”
There’s no way out. Ryan dials for help with trembling hands. He says nothing. Just braces himself for the fallout.
Continue…
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