LIAR

Jeremy sat up on the edge of the bed, reaching over to the nightstand for his shirt. He slipped it on, smiling his usual postcoital smile, and began to button it as he felt Paige gently slide her hands around his waist.
"Don't go," she breathed, nestling against the back of his neck. "You can stay for at least a little while, can't you? Neil doesn't get off work for another hour."
He pivoted around, kissing her. "Sorry, hon. I've got class at eight tomorrow, and I've still got to get started on my paper." He stood up, pulling his pants on, watching her expression, seeing how badly she wanted him to stay. "Don't worry. I'll be back the same time tomorrow. Promise not to miss me too much until then?"
She stood up with him, throwing her arms around his neck and grinning wider than he'd ever seen. "I can't. You're all I ever think about."
He kissed her again, running his hands up and down her spine, then laid her back on the bed.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he breathed, his smile still there. Then, picking up his coat from the desk, he left.
Hopping down the last few steps of Paige's apartment building, Jeremy pulled his coat tight around him as the wind blew a few dead leaves past. He liked spending his evenings with Paige and hoped it would last. The sex was phenomenal, she was gorgeous, she was completely in love with him, and she lived only a few blocks away from Duke's Watering Hole. He crossed Nineteenth Street, rounded the corner, and entered the bar.
Chad and Wes were seated at the usual table, in the back by the jukebox. Jeremy decided to meet Wes with the standard insult before his friend could start in on him.
"Hey, look who's here," he began, sitting down. "Did Laura finally let you have your dick back, or what?"
"You're one to talk, motherfucker," Wes laughed. "Emily had you as a one-woman-man for like two years. You wanna talk about who was whipped?"
"Ancient history." Jeremy motioned to the waitress. "I know better now."
"You don't know shit," Wes said, flicking a bottlecap at him. "Otherwise you wouldn't still be fucking that Lorena Bobbitt bitch."
Chad chimed in. "Yeah, dude, Jennie's totally gonna cut it off when she finds out about you and that pothead's girlfriend." The waitress brought over three more beers.
Jeremy shook his head. "How is she ever going to find out? Jennie talks like one of those in-command chicks, but she's all tits and no brains. She doesn't even know what my major is; I doubt she'll be solving any mysteries as to what I do with my free time. Besides, have you seen Paige? She's worth the risk."
Wes picked up his new drink, smiling. "No arguments there."
"Wasn't it some shit like this that made Emily dump you?" asked Chad.
Jeremy took a long drink before answering. "Yeah, she caught me with her sister, and that was it. No argument or anything. It was just over, like that." He took another drink. "Trust me, man. Me and Emily breaking up was the single best thing that ever happened to me. No man should have to be stuck with one girl."
Wes stood up, chuckling. "All right, I'm sick of this melodrama bullshit. I'll see the two of you later." He dropped a few bills on the table and turned toward the exit.
Jeremy turned to Chad. "Yeah, I'm thinking about heading home, too. Can you cover me?"
Chad groaned, pulling out his wallet. "You know, I'm keeping track of these."
Jeremy smiled, stood up, emptied the beer, and headed for the door. Outside, he pulled up his coat against a hard gust of wind and headed up the street toward home, careful not to look at his reflection in the window.