*****
When I returned to the apartment I shared with Richard, it was covered in a layer of dust, and the air was thick with the musty smell of vacancy. Michael politely stopped at the door and returned to his own apartment next door. The faint aroma of red wine lingered in the air. I touched the smooth gland on the back of my neck, suddenly disgusted by the scent I used to find so intoxicating. But I was the one who had made the mistake.
When Richard came home that night, the smile on his face was strained and strange. He frowned as he approached me. "David, did you change your perfume? The mint scent is strong."
"Yeah," I responded casually, desperate to escape the smell of red wine clinging to him. It was strange, but I actually missed Michael a little.
On my first day back at work,
