The door to the flower shop was open but there was no trace of Mr. Adams. He was always there, arriving long before dawn and staying until nearly midnight. The aroma of fresh cut flowers filled the little room the way it always did when Kate arrived to pick up the vases for her mother’s diner.

“Mr. Adams? It’s Kate.” She waited at the counter and then she walked down the long hallway to the back room where the flowers were cut. She gasped when she saw the familiar man. “I’m sorry. I’ll come back later…tomorrow…I’m so sorry.”

Naked and lying on a cot with rose petals covering most, but not all of him, Mr. Adams smiled at Kate. “I’m ready now, Miss Katie.”

“But you’re…um.” She began to leave but he pushed a button and the door to the back room slid shut and the lock clicked.

******

The state fair was the same year after year, but this year something extra special had been promised. Signs were up all over town, welcoming the Carnival from Chaos. Mimi had no idea what to expect as she entered the fairgrounds. She parked next to her friend’s car but as always her best friend had not waited for her. She was no doubt trying to score with a sexy carnival worker at this very moment. It wouldn’t be the first time. As she passed the games of chance and wandered through the endless array of rides, Mimi could understand why her friend was attracted to the carneys. The men were hot, young, and mysterious looking. In town for a few short days, Mimi wondered what their lives were like, but most of all she wondered what they would be like in bed. She passed one after another, looking for the right guy.

She noticed a sexy man operating a ride called “The Coal Train,” with riders two in a car appearing to be engulfed in a pile of coal. The man gave her a brief glance and slowly brought the ride to a stop. He winked at her and Mimi started to walk away when she noticed that another man had come to take his place.

“You wanna see how it works?”

Mimi nodded shyly at the handsome man with the dark tan and bright smile. “Okay.”

He took her to the very last car on the track and opened the door.