The Barn By The River

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" he asked as they paddled down the river. He watched as she skillfully turned her kayak away from the rocks. Her black hair blew behind her in the breeze. He imagined her focused on the river, her tongue sticking out slightly as she paddled.

"Yes, Derek! We're almost there!" she called back. "Honestly, it's like you don't have confidence in my surprise!"

She wasn't wrong. When she interrupted his business meeting on Thursday, he got nervous. But when she mentioned kayaking this weekend, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"There it is!" she called. She turned around to look at him, her green eyes flashing in the sun. She turned her lime green kayak towards the shore and got out. Then she pulled the kayak on the shore. Derek followed her lead, and she helped him bring his boat to shore.

"Thanks," he said, kissing her.

"Anytime," she whispered. "Now, follow me."

She took Derek's hand and lead him down the dirt trail. The leaves were turning colors, making their journey more colorful. It seemed early for the leaves changing, but maybe that's how it was for the North. They stayed silent as they walked for the first ten minutes.

"All right, Cora," Derek said, "where are you taking me? We've been walking for a while."

"Some place special," Cora replied, smiling. "It's one of my favorite places in the world. And you're special to me too, so you should see it!"

Finaly, the trees cleared, and they stood at the edge of a field. Cora tapped Derek's shoulder and pointed at an old barn in the distance. It looked like it'd been abandoned for at least twenty years. The red and white paint looked faded and chipped. He studied Cora, eyebrow raised. She smiled, showing perfectly white teeth.

"Come on, Derek!" she said, "We're here!" She ran ahead without waiting for Derek to join her. He heard barking ahead and tensed.

"Cora, wait!" he called.

"Don't be so nervous!" Cora called out, "It's just Bowie!" Shrugging, Derek half-jogged after her, admiring the view of her perfect butt as he jogged. Maybe there was a place in the barn his imagination can come to life. Maybe they'll make the dog growl. He smirked at the thought.

When he finally caught up to her, she was petting a chocolate lab. It's tail wagged happily as she pet it. Its brown eyes looked to Derek and started growling. Derek took a step backwards.

"It's just cause you're new to him," Cora said thoughtfully. "You're the only other person he's seen in a while."

Derek wasn't convinced. Dogs never liked him, and he had no idea why. He could hear more dogs in the distance. What was this place, and why did she want him here? He watched Cora give Bowie a treat, and Bowie followed the two of them inside.

More dogs approached the couple, and Cora gave them loving pets and treats. They eyed Derek warily. Derek tried to keep his blue eyes from showing fear. It didn't work. At least one other dog growled when they saw him. They didn't approach him, and Derek didn't dare go near them either.

Derek looked up and saw an orange cat walking along the top of the barn. The wood looked so old, Derek was surprised it held the cat's weight easily. The cat looked big.

"What is this place?" Derek asked.

"It's my mini-sanctuary," Cora explained. "My house isn't too far from this place, so I often come here to write my stories. One day, this woman pulled up by the barn, dropped off Bowie, and drove off. I never saw her again. Bowie cried all night. I cried for him. People can be so fucking cruel."

Derek noticed her voice cracking as she told the story. He wanted to hold her, but something told him to stay back.

"So, I got the idea to turn this barn into an animal sanctuary," Cora said. "People keep dropping off their animals, and I keep bringing them here. It's hard getting enough food for them on a writer's salary, though."

"I can imagine," Derek agreed, watching her. Even when about to cry, she was still beautiful. He watched her large hands pet a gray pit bull. She crouched to its level, and the dog looked at her with so much love. He wanted to be that pit bull at that moment.

"Do you sleep here too?" he asked.

"Sometimes," she answered. "Here, I'll show you!" She took his hand and lead him to an old stable. It looked big enough to fit many horses. He noticed a bed sitting in the corner, and his eyes lit up. He gently pulled her to him and kissed her long neck.

"I've never done it in a barn before," he whispered seductively.

"Neither have I," she playfully nibbled his ear, leading him to the bed. "I have just the thing to make it more exciting!" As she kissed his neck, she tugged at his shirt, her hands running across his skin. He ripped off the shirt, and she unbuckled his pants. She reached under the bed and pulled out cuffs.

"Kinky," he smiled. Naked, he lay on the bed, and she bound him to the bed, giving his body little kisses. Derek groaned softly, feeling her mouth on every inch of him.

Suddenly, she stopped, and he heard the sound of moaning. He opened his eyes and saw a video of them making love.

"Do you remember this?" Cora asked. "It's the first time we ever made love. I never told you, but I recorded the whole thing. I love watching it when I can't sleep."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked. She smiled and another image came on the wall. It's another video of the couple making love.

"You are a little freak, aren't you?" Derek moaned. Cora giggled, giving him a little lick. Another image showed up on the wall, and he gasped.

It wasn't another video of them making love. Instead, he saw a picture of a black woman smiling sweetly at the camera. She held a toddler who looked about three.

"You know her, don't you?" Cora asked.

"I..." Derek started.

"Yeah, it's your wife," Cora said. "You really think I wouldn't figure out your Facebook was a fake?" Another image appeared on the wall. Derek didn't recognize the person, but his heart raced when he noticed the package in his hand.

"What is that?" he asked, scared.

"The videos of us love-making," Cora answered casually, "I might give them to your wife."

"I'll be real with you," Cora said, " I want to devote my time to all these animals. But there's one problem. It turns out your company owns the property the barn is on. I'm going to need you to hand that property over to me. If you do, your wife will never find out. If you don't, well, you're going to have a fun conversation with your wife later." They didn't say anything for what felt like hours.

"Okay," Derek said. "I'll do it."

"Good!" Cora said, kissing him. "Now go home. I'm sure your wife is waiting for you." She undid his binds and helped him dress. He half-ran out of the barn.