Afterglow
by K. Jeffery Petersen

	"Hey, baby, how about another cigarette?" He held out his 
hand, waiting. 

	The sheets rustled as she leaned towards the bedstand. She 
turned back and pressed the cigarette into his hand. He popped it in 
his mouth and pursed his lips, holding it out for her to light. She 
sparked the lighter twice before the golden flame came to life, 
bathing the end of the stick.

	For the few seconds the yellow light lit up the space 
between them. The sweat on her skin sparkled, a few droplets slowly 
running down between her breasts. He watched as the slowly rose and 
fell with each breath. The lighter went out, sending the room into 
darkness again. It took a moment for his vision to catch up and to 
see her silhouette.

	He drew in from the cigarette and let the smoke sit in his 
mouth a moment before exhaling. Sighing slowly, he stretched out his 
legs and rested his head back against the headboard. "That's good, 
baby," he said.

	She flicked the lighter again, this time to light her own 
cigarette. Again, he watched the sweat on her breasts twinkle in the 
wavering light of the flame. He reached out and cupped one of them, 
squeezing it slightly and savoring the supple smoothness of her 
skin.

	He ran his thumb across her nipple, and she gasped and drew 
away. She pushed his arm back towards him. He frowned a peered at 
her in the darkness. He could see her draw back into a ball at the 
corner of the bed. She drew up the sheets around her with one hand, 
pulling them almost to her neck.

	"Something wrong, baby?" he asked, reaching out to caress 
her cheek.

	She flinched away. "When are you going to leave her?"

	"Soon. There's the council election, first. I would leave, 
now, but a divorce would really hurt my chances."

	"It's just about your job then?"

	"No," he said. "It's about you. I want to take care of you. 
I need a job to do that."

	She didn't answer, and he drew in another puff from his 
cigarette.

	"Soon," he said again. "I promise."