"Carmen"

          Laying on her back, Carmen breathed and sweated.  Wide, salty rivers ran down both sides of her face, pooling at the base of her throat, forming a tepid pond.  From there, the sweat fell into the deep valley that separated her breasts and then over-flowed; cascading down the sides of her tight belly.  The room was hot!  Hot from the humid summer day.  Hot from the sheer curtains that let so much of the afternoon's sun-lit heat into the small bedroom.  Hot from heaving chests and uncensored screams and urgent coupling.
          She rolled over onto her side.  Reaching up, she pulled her long bright red-orange dyed hair to one side and grabbed a hand-full of the top sheet, wiping away the sting of the salty sweat that had rolled into her eyes.  Her eyes rested on the damp indentation on the pillow next to her.  He was gone.
          As always, he hadn't said good-bye.  He would make passionate love to her; would take his time fulfilling her needs - and his - crying out her name over and over again. But, he would always hurry away while she lay asleep; exhausted by their love making, satisfied by their time together.  Then contentment would turn to insecurity.  Insecurity to dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction to questioning, and, as always, the questioning would lead to self-hatred.  "I am...a whore."  Carmen rolled the word around in her mouth, tasting the foulness of it, spitting out the sweet and sour taste of it.  

          For the hundredth time, Carmen asked herself - why? Not - why him. Not - why she slept with him.  Not - who she betrayed in these secret trysts with him.  But - why she needed to do this at all?  Carmen restlessly tossed the top sheet off her sweaty body and got up from the bed.  She went over to the closet and put on her favorite red silk robe, the one that clashed horribly with her bright red-orange hair.  She let the robe hang open, examining her long body in the full-length mirror that hung on the closet door.  She was beautiful...and she knew it!  Her long hair hung in thick stands around her full, yet still perky breasts.  The flat, well defined muscles of her slim waist accentuated her round, lush hips.  She turned to check out her behind, an ass that made men stop in their tracks to celebrate with low whistles, with lust-filled grunts and with obscene shouts.  Carmen smiled to herself, and turned to face the mirror, putting her hands on her hips.  Her eyes continued down to her naked pubis - always shaved and always ready!  That thought chased away her smile and frowning, Carmen yanked the garish robe closed.  "Whore!" she shouted at her reflection and then turned from the mirror.
         She stepped into the bathroom and ran a bath, pouring her favorite bath gel into the steamy, hot water.  She sat on the side of the tub and worried a hang nail while she mused about her life.  Carmen could never remember a time when she didn't have a man.  Not even in her youth.  Little boys got on her nerves, and her first lover had been twenty-three years her senior when she lost her virginity of only fourteen years!  She had never gone out on a date...just fucked!  She had never had a boyfriend.  No steady relationship.  No fiance.  No husband.  Just men...men!
          It wasn't as if she needed them to pay the bills.  She didn't want or need their money!  She had always been able to take care of herself; had always gotten good jobs with good salaries.  She didn't need them to escort her to movies or events.  She was quite content to go out alone....and she always met someone if she wanted entertainment for the night.  She had great friends, so didn't need a man for company.  Carmen just liked sleeping with them.  Not more than one at the same time; nor more than one at a time.  Just one...until they got on her nerves!  They usually didn't last for more than three months before she got bored with them and stopped answering their calls or e-mails.  "Please baby, please baby, please....", Carmen whispered, and laughed.  And, it didn't mater whether they were single or married.  They were all fair game!
          Carmen slapped herself on one of her well shaped thighs.  "Whore!" she called into the fog that surrounded her.  She turned off the hot water and adjusted the temperature with cold water.  When it was cool enough to get into, Carmen slipped out of her robe and let it slip down her body onto the blood-red bath mat.  She groaned with pleasure as she lowered her body into the foaming tub.  "Almost as good as sex", she whispered, and let the hot water relax her as her thoughts tried to worry in her head.  "I should feel guilty", Carmen thought, and searched her mind and heart for this emotion.  Not finding it, she thought back on her afternoon in bed with Pedro, her best friend Erica's husband.  "But this is different", she said to herself, and for a moment she applauded her intention.  Carmen smiled, feeling clever that she had gotten Erica involved in the Book Woman Club, giving herself, first, time to seduce Pedro, and then, time for these afternoon encounters.  Erica complained to Carmen about Pedro all - the - time!  It was obvious that she didn't know how to handle him!  The only nice thing that Erica had to say about her husband was that he was hung like a horse, and that he was a man who knew what to do with his gifted member!  Carmen's smile widened as she thought to herself,  "But, I can handle you, Mr. Pedro!  Oh, yes I can!  I know exactly what to do with you...and what I'm going to do to you, Mr. Man!"

          Carmen ran a hand down the length of her wet and languid body, her hand coming to rest between her now trembling thighs, and she thought about Pedro and their afternoon fucking........