Chapter 16

Today, it is raining. No, that is an understatement. I’ll rectify it by saying I nearly drowned today when I went to K-Mart to get some oil for my worthless, oil-leaking car. The truth (about the rain) is somewhere in between.

I am sure some critic (assuming this novel is worthy of the time of critics) in the future will look at meteorological data to learn if it really was raining on October 13, 2011 in Richardson, TX at 2:00 P.M. -- as if that would give him some sort of insight into the novel. It won’t. It is a simple statement of fact. It is raining, I came home soaked, and Donna saw me and laughed. I pretended to pout. Now that’s something that might be more interesting for critics to think about. Either way, I think I’ll write about rain today.

It was raining and lighting flashed every few seconds, so Michel had his computer off and unplugged (I am only writing now because there is no lightning). He had been on the phone with Sarah, but the lightning scared her, so she hung up. She was afraid the lightning would hit a phone line and kill one of them. She said she had heard of it happening to someone. Michel had not, but decided not to argue.

He sat, looking out the window, watching the rain cut the gray sky into lines, watching the world burst yellow with every lightning flash. Thunder crackled, boomed, rolled. Jackie came up behind him.

“What are you doing?”

“Watching the rain.”

“I love it when there’s lightning, cutting through the air, fusing oxygen into ozone. It smells so good, so sweet.”

“You’re weird.”

“Maybe, but I’m also horny. Wanna fuck?”

“Why? Ran out of things to do?”

“Don’t piss me off, or you won’t be getting any pussy.”

“I get all the pussy I want off Sarah.”

“Apparently not. You’re still fucking me.”

“Your rule, remember?”

“Yep. My rule. So, you gonna come in here and fuck me, or what? What else you have to do?”

“That’s always an incentive. ‘I’m bored. Wanna fuck?’”

“Works for me. I’m bored. Wanna fuck?”

“Gee, since you put it so nicely...”

“Just get your clothes off and get in here.”

Michel stood. Jackie turned and walked into her bedroom. Michel followed. She thought she was in a power position because he had a girlfriend and was still fucking her. But she was the one always asking him to have sex with her, so who really had the power? Michel was not completely aware of the new position he held between them, but he was beginning to. That’s why he smiled. That’s why he followed her into the bedroom every time she asked.