The Fiery Boys (A Sample)

Burn the life bright with new breath."

I recited the final line of the third chorus, the line that got repeated a few times before the song ended.

"You owe yourself a fiery life."

I swallowed to push back a tear. "If it hadn't been for that song, I wouldn't have survived. 'Fiery Life' saved me."

Chuck beamed. "So if my song saved you, why don't you want to have sex with me?"

I gave him a doleful smile. He was right, of course: I would have let him seduce me because of that song. But I wasn't so sure anymore.

Before I could say anything, River reached across the table and punched him. Chuck glowered. "Hey! What was that for?"

"That's for being a pig." He punched Chuck again, harder. "And that's for calling me ugly."

Oops. River must have been listening for a while if he'd heard Chuck call him ugly. And that meant he'd heard me when I'd admitted that he was my favorite Fiery Boy. Would he find that awkward?

Apparently not. River stood up and offered his hand to me. "I'm making breakfast. What would you like?"

Most excellent! I wanted one smoking Fiery Boy, hold the clothes. But I didn't want to come across like Chuck, drooling with every word. So I jumped to my feet and took River's hand. "I'll have whatever you're having." I managed to restrain myself from adding, "For the rest of my life."