Fighting Faith (9 page)

Sarah was the first to speak. “Oh my God!”

Daniel started laughing. “Holy shit! Now that’s entertainment! Who is that?” On screen, Faith arched her back and moaned, reaching back to brace herself on her heels. From the kitchen, Faith called out, “What do you guys think of the opening? Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Van said, too low for her to hear.

Eric’s first reaction was physical, an instant hard on. Then, jealousy of the man clouded his mind, followed by sudden panic as he realized
he
was the man. He’d never seen himself from that angle, but once his hands clutched her hips to lift her and pump, there was no doubt. His friends sat mesmerized as he impaled Faith repeatedly. Beads of sweat formed on his brow.

“Faith!” he yelled, heading for the kitchen, but Faith met him before he could get there.

“What?”

He moved to the side so she could see the TV.

“Oh fuck!” She shoved him away, racing for the remote, her feet barely touching the ground. She had to wrestle it from a dumbfounded Jose. Frantically, she pushed buttons, trying to make it go away. It didn’t. It froze with her at the top of his penis, suspended midair. Between her legs, Eric could almost see his face. Faith pushed more buttons, and the picture reversed at a high speed. Just as the Faith on the screen was about to climb on, in reverse, the horrified Faith in front of the TV found the power button. Like a statue, she stood in front of the black screen, her back to the room, unwilling or unable to turn around.

“Well, that was fun,” Van said, spooning some chili into his mouth.

“Shut up, Van,” Tim shook his head.

“Um, Faith? Who was that with you?” Sarah asked.

Faith’s head dropped. She still wouldn’t turn around and face her guests. Eric kept to the back of the room, where no eyes could witness his horror. He prayed no one recognized him.

What he wanted to do was rant and rave at Faith. What the hell was she doing, filming their trysts? Who did she think she was?

“It’s no one you know,” Faith finally answered. “It’s from a long time ago. An old boyfriend.” She turned around, her face painted crimson.

“That’s not old. I was with you when you bought those sheets two weeks ago,” Sarah said, then suddenly slapped her hand over her mouth.

There was a chorus of, “Ooooh.”

“A secret lover?” asked Jose.

“Yeah, a secret lover. Jose, I told you it was the case on top of the entertainment center.” She turned around and grabbed the correct DVD case. “See?
Utopian
, right there, in big letters!” She slammed the DVD back to its spot. “You know, could you guys just leave? All of you?

Please?” She was close to tears.

“I haven’t finished my chili,” Daniel said.

“Out! Everyone out!” Faith grabbed the bowl from Daniel’s hands.

They all nervously set their bowls down and stood. Faith didn’t move as they began to file out of the room. Eric held back, waiting for her to look at him. When she did, she grabbed a full beer can from the coffee table and hurled it at him. He ducked and it exploded against the wall behind him. “Go! Get the fuck out of here! Now!”

He followed the others outside and up to the street, still dizzy from having his dick publicly exposed, and from nearly having his secret exposed. They were discussing new supper arrangements when he caught up.

“Does Bernie’s still serve food?” Van asked.

“Yeah, they’ve got a pretty decent menu.”

“Well then let’s go! I’m sure I’ll see some familiar faces, though I doubt we’ll see as good a show. Maybe I’ll even get lucky— I need to after that. Ah-chee mama.” He fanned his face with his fingers.

Everyone agreed and headed for their cars. Eric stopped Daniel. “Can Van ride with you?

I forgot my wallet, so I need to swing by my place.”

“Yeah. Sure. We’ll meet you there.”

“That okay with you, Van?”

He shot Eric with his finger. “See you there.”

Eric got in his car and pulled away. He drove to the stop sign and turned left, as though he was heading home, but instead, he went around the block and watched until everyone else left. When it was clear, he pulled his car up to Faith’s house again, got out, and headed for her door.

It became apparent, when he knocked on the door, that she wasn’t ready to stop screaming. “I said get the fuck out of here!”

“Yeah, well I think you need to talk to me,” he yelled back.

“There is no way you are coming in, so just turn around and leave.” He wasn’t leaving without that DVD. “Fine, I’ll stand out here at your door and we can yell back and forth about the sex video you made.”

The door unlatched. Faith grabbed his arm and yanked him inside. “It’s not bad enough I’m humiliated in front of my friends? Now, you want to humiliate me in front of my neighbors?” Tears stained her face.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” He hated to make things worse by yelling at her, but by this time, he’d worked himself into a frenzy. “Who does that? Who makes a record of something like that without even asking the person they’re recording? Where was the camera?” She shook her head as fresh tears filled her eyes. “Haven’t you heard? The world is full of perverts.” She sat down at the kitchen table and dropped her head into her hands.

“Give me the DVD,” he said, standing over her now.

“No!”

“Why did you even make it?”

“Because—, I wanted to watch it. Why do you think?” She looked up at him, her face puffy from crying.

He shook his head. If he had the DVD, he’d watch it too. But would he have made it to begin with? He wasn’t sure, and now that he knew of its existence, he had to have it.

“Faith, you have to give it to me.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I have every right to demand it! Do you know how this could affect my future, having this kind of thing out there? What if it ended up in the wrong hands?”

“And that’s exactly why you can’t have it,” she stood to face him. “I can just see you sitting around, showing your friends and having a good laugh at my expense.”

“You really think I’d do that? You don’t trust me with it?” She threw up her arms. “You don’t trust
me
with it. I’ll make you a copy. Then we can both have it.”

“That’s just what we need— two of them running around. Look, we have to destroy it. If you don’t trust me, and I don’t trust you, there’s no other solution.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I…I can’t lose it.”

“You can’t keep it,” he said, his tone more gentle now. “It’s not right. You know that.” She didn’t say anything, didn’t look away, she just stared at him. Finally, her shoulders slumped. “Fine. We’ll destroy it.”

He waited while she went to the living room to retrieve the illicit DVD. This time, she averted her eyes from his as she handed him the silver disc.

“You don’t have it labeled?”

“What should it say? Faith and Eric’s Fuck-Fest?”

“What’s the best way to destroy these things?”

“Just snap it into pieces,” she shrugged her shoulders.

He held it with both hands, ready to break it, but couldn’t make his hands work. This was not the result he wanted. The plan was to get the recording and watch it later before doing anything rash, but Faith made it clear she wouldn’t let the DVD leave her house. She waited, impatient it seemed, for him to get it over with. Finally, she pulled it from his hands and snapped it in three different places. She dropped the pieces into his hands.

“There.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Thank you,” Eric said, enunciating the words carefully. He nodded and left.

Faith locked both entrance doors to her house and pocketed the spare key. Next, she went through every room in the house, closing shades and drapes. When the house was dark, and she was satisfied that no one could see or get in, she stripped to her underwear, took a wine glass from the cupboard and a bottle from the refrigerator. In the living room, she poured a tall glass and picked up the remote for the television. She eased back into the pillows of the couch, sipped her wine, and aimed the controller. The TV came to life.

The single DVD had hours of footage. After the first night Eric snuck into her house, she recorded every subsequent visit. She hadn’t yet found a way to record her visits to his house, and now it was doubtful she’d ever have the chance. What she already had recorded would have to be enough.

When she first set it up, she tried to position the camera to get the best angle, and whenever she had Eric in her bed, she attempted to make sure their location suited the camera.

The first round was always the best. After that, she forgot to care about positioning, luckily.

Otherwise, her audience from the day before would have easily discovered the identity of her partner.

Even though she’d watched the footage numerous time, she still couldn’t pinpoint what is was that made their sex so explosive. Others talked about their own sexual encounters, but none seemed to have the kind of experience she shared with Eric. What was it that ignited them both so intensely? Carefully, she studied the way his lips teased her nipples, her own fingers tracing her areolas through her bra as she watched. Her hand slid into her panties when on screen, Eric ran his tongue down her abdomen. Her sex flooded as she watched him spread her legs and open her lips with his tongue, running along her cleft, teasing her clit, and then moving back down. On the television, Faith opened her legs wider and looked at the camera. On the couch, she ran her finger along her slit, teasing her clit when Eric did, piercing herself with her fingers when he did.

Her other hand pulled her breast from its nest in her bra and pushed it up as high as she could. While her fingers worked her pussy, her tongue stretched, just able to lick her own nipple.

On screen and off, Faith moaned as fingers massaged her g-spot and her clit swelled. Her orgasm on the couch met her porn-star double’s, both of them writhing, one under Eric’s tongue and the other under her own power.

For the next act, she’d need her vibrator, but when she rose to get it, the doorbell rang.

Shit!
She muted the TV, not quite believing there was someone at her door.

“Faith?” Sarah called. “Faith, are you in there?”

She was at once thrilled and disappointed it wasn’t Eric. “Yeah. Give me a minute,” she yelled, turning off the television. It was best to face Sarah, she decided, here at home and in private, than at a later date with everyone else around. She quickly washed her hands and donned her clothes. When she was confident that no trace of her recent masturbation remained, she opened the door for Sarah.

Right away, Sarah embraced her. “I’m sorry,” she said over Faith’s shoulder.

“What are
you
sorry for?”

“I’m sorry for yesterday. As your friend, I should have defended and protected you instead of trying to ‘out’ you.” She pulled away, looking intently into Faith’s eyes. “I was just so caught off guard, and I reacted badly. I promise I won’t push you to tell me who it was with you on the video. You don’t ever have to tell me.”

“And you don’t have to be sorry, Sarah. I’m sure it was a shock for everyone.”

“It was,” Sarah nodded. She sniffed the air, her eyes squinting. “Have you been drinking?”

“Just a little wine.”

“It’s only one o’clock! Here, clean yourself up and come out to lunch with me and Van.

You shouldn’t be sitting around in the dark, alone, drinking in the middle of the day.” Faith opened the curtains on the sliding door. “I’m not sure I’m ready to face everyone just yet.”

“It’s just the two of us. The guys are down in the studio today.”

“I thought they were done.”

“So did they, but Eric has become this crazy perfectionist. He said they need to tighten up a few of the songs before they ship it out.”

“Okay, but honestly, I’m not sure I can even face Van yet.”

“Oh come on, you’ll be fine. Van’s pretty easy going— I don’t think he’ll hold it against you. Although, he may tease you about it.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“You can’t hide forever. Come out with us. At least then you won’t be drinking alone.”

“Alright, alright,” she said. “Give me a few minutes to get cleaned up. Okay?” Sarah nodded in approval and sat at the table to wait.

***

Faith fumbled with her keys in the door, tipsy from hours spent cruising the town’s hot spots with Van, Sarah, and the guys. All the guys except Eric. Daniel reported that Eric wanted to make it an early night after a long week in the studio. Faith didn’t mind. Facing everyone else proved a big enough hurdle for one day. Only Van kept bringing it up. The rest took pity, and only acknowledged the incident by telling Van to shut up.

On the cab ride home, she made the decision to give Eric the DVD. Sure, the easy thing to do would be to destroy it now and never let him know, but the guilt of her deceit weighed heavy. Before doing anything drastic, she had to watch it again. By four thirty the next morning, eyes burning from fatigue and too much TV and her buzz long gone, the resolution to hand over the video wavered several times.

She grabbed her cell phone from the coffee table and typed, ‘I have to talk to you.’

Several minutes passed before she hit
send
. Nausea struck when the message showed as delivered. By the time she reached his doorstep, almost an hour later, her forehead glistened and the world around her was off kilter. A light in the kitchen told her he was waiting. She didn’t knock, but hesitated with her hand on the doorknob. The door opened from inside and the smell of coffee rushed to greet her.

Dressed in tattered jeans, he backed away and waited for her to enter. As she passed him, Faith handed him the cased DVD. His eyebrows rose, and he bit his lip. “Is this what I think it is?”

She dropped into his recliner and gave him a solemn nod. Chills coursed through her body as she waited for his reaction. To her surprise, he took the disc out of the case and inserted it into the player. Without taking his eyes from the screen, he backed up to his bed, crab crawling until he stretched out, leaning back on his elbows.