HUM by Dan Hawley (book club reads .TXT) 📗

furnished apartment instead of hauling everything across the country. Offloading most of their stuff would also allow them to easily move back home if they discovered they weren’t settling in. Selling most of their things didn’t take long, and when they packed up before they left, the couple agreed that it was odd to be able to fit their whole lives into the SUV.

After a quick stretch, the couple entered the building and found the office, where they met Chester.

“Good to see you folks.” Chester smiled warmly and rose from his desk.

He was a large man but had an energy about him that made people feel at ease, like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter night. He was older, with greying hair and a thick beard. He had the sort of belly that comes with age and a love of food. But beneath the layer of fat, Jason could tell that Chester had thick muscles and was once in phenomenal shape. He extended a hand that was bigger than Jason’s entire face.

“How was the drive?”

“It was good,” Jason replied, making sure to clasp Chester’s huge hand as best he could and offer a strong, manly shake. “It was a bit boring until we hit the mountains. Man, they are something else, huh?”

Still smiling, Chester nodded.

“They sure are. Ok, I’ve got your keys here, and I’ll take you up after I show you your parking spot down below.”

Chester grabbed the keys in his large paws and started towards the door. Samantha and Jason looked at each other with excitement and followed.

It didn’t take long to bring everything in from the parking garage to the apartment on the 21st floor. The front door opened into a short hallway with a mirrored closet on the right for shoes and jackets. The white tiles then transitioned into hardwood flooring as one moved further into the apartment. On the left was the kitchen, which opened to the living room. Dividing the two spaces was a granite-topped island meant for eating, with two stools tucked alongside.

The kitchen was stocked with all the essentials: dinnerware, pots and pans, and cooking utensils. The stainless-steel appliances and white cupboards gave the space a modern look against the dark stone backsplash.

The living room was large and bright, with a fantastic view of the harbor from the leather couch. A recliner and giant flat-screen television rounded out the area.

The first room off the living area was going to be their office. It was big enough for a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf.

Next was the bathroom; light and bright with a deep bathtub and lots of storage for Samantha’s products under the sink. A small laundry nook was hidden behind another small door.

Finally, the master bedroom was in the north-western corner of the apartment. A small wood nightstand sat on either side of a carved wood queen-sized bed. Even though Samantha said the walk-in closet was the best thing about the bedroom, Jason thought it was the view. To the west, the small, white-crested peaks of salty waves danced and fell away on the ocean’s dark surface. To the north, beyond the city, stood stalwart mountains capped with snow.

“This view is insane.”

“Yes, it is.” Samantha agreed.

But she wasn’t looking out the window. She was staring at Jason, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring west at the horizon. It was getting late. The earth had recently spun the last piece of the sun below its horizon, and the sky was on fire with long brushstrokes of intense color. Violent reds and crisp oranges mingled in the air, fighting an endless battle with the impending black of night approaching from the east.

Jason’s silhouette popped against that background, and Samantha could see the definition in his arm and chest muscles through his tight white t-shirt. She stood captivated by the magnificence of it all. Jason looked up to see his lover eyeing him seductively.

“Oh, you meant me, huh?” He blushed a bit.

She had that look in her eyes, and he knew what that meant. His blue eyes watched as Samantha reached down, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and removed it from her body, revealing her ample breasts. She stood a moment so she could enjoy Jason’s gaze on her body.

Anticipation filled the room, like fully inflated lungs holding, pausing, before their exhale.

Jason’s eyes eventually made it back to hers, and she moved to stand in front of him, their eyes locked. Sam leaned over, her pouty red lips stopping less than an inch from his. They consumed each other’s breath while she removed his shirt from his chiseled body. Jason reached down and caressed Sam’s legs under her long, flowing skirt. Slowly, he traced up each leg before sliding her panties down. Not able to take it anymore, Samantha attacked her prey.

* * *

“I suppose we should keep putting our stuff away,” Sam said as they lay locked in each other’s arms.

“Or, we could just keep lying here,” Jason replied. Their bodies glistened with sweat in the moonlight.

“True.” Samantha snuggled into Jason’s side.

“Except…” Jason said as he sat up in bed, “is that the fridge?”

“Is what the fridge?” Samantha asked.

“I don’t know. That sound? Can you hear it? It’s like a buzz. Is it coming from the fridge or what?”

Jason rolled over, threw his feet over the side of the bed, stood up, and slid on his boxers. Scratching his head, he headed for the kitchen.

“I don’t hear anything,” Samantha sighed as she rolled over to pick up her phone from the nightstand. Everyone she knew had been asleep for hours, so there wasn’t much to see on social media. She started playing a song from her “Moving across the country” playlist and got out of bed. The moonlight caressed her naked body with its cold, pale light as she posed in front of the full-length mirror beside the closet.

“I definitely put on a few pounds on that road trip,” she muttered.

“What’s