So, our times weren’t few, but they were interrupted, and we took advantage when we were together.

Mostly, it was that he was hot, he was great in bed as well as anytime we got busy out of it, he made me feel beautiful and desirable, he made it clear that I did it for him, he was the love of my life and I was his.

This was something else we were both avoiding on a variety of levels.

This snag in our sex life.

Preacher actually set an alarm, even when he didn’t have to, in order to get up, take his pills, and go somewhere to work out.

He’d always maintained his body.

But not at the expense of sleep he could have.

And especially morning sex he could have.

And the nights were worse, both of us falling in bed, exhausted, drunk and/or high.

Or more recently, Preacher doing that and me lying in bed in the dark with my man at my side but also a million miles away.

But this…

Leaving me without a kiss.

This never happened.

Hell, when he went onstage for a show, the last thing he did was touch his mouth to mine, give me a smile and a wink.

I sensed this, him leaving without kissing me, was another level of bad.

One that we wouldn’t need to recover from.

We’d need resuscitation and a prayer.

I started moving quickly toward him and called urgently, “Preacher.”

He pivoted and exploded, “For fuck’s sake, Lyla, shut the fuck up!”

I stopped dead.

“When I say I don’t wanna talk now, I don’t fuckin’ wanna talk now,” he snarled.

“All right,” I whispered.

“And don’t look like a whipped puppy. That’s bullshit and we both know it,” he continued. “You bought this. Not long ago you reminded me you weren’t my bitch to drag around and kick when I feel like it. Well, babe, I ain’t your bitch to lead around by my dick.”

I said nothing.

Preacher didn’t either.

He turned away from me and walked out the door.

And although I would never have thought it would cross my mind.

Not in a lifetime.

Not in a dozen lifetimes.

I was glad he didn’t kiss me after those words came out of his mouth.

Jesse:

Seattle, yeah.

[Clears throat and shifts uncomfortably in his chair]

I remember Seattle.

We did some radio program, and when they announced we were gonna be there, someone had gotten in touch with them, they got in touch with Tom, and Tom was all over an opportunity like that and not because of what you’d think.

Yes, it was good PR.

But it was also good karma.

This being our biggest fan in Seattle who happened to be dying of Hodgkin’s.

With the DJ’s help, this fan is gonna interview us live.