The Devil Owns the Night Ch. 01

Arriving home, he met no one inside. He saw his typewriter waiting dutifully for him but he was too drunk and tired to think of writing. He went into the kitchen and drank a full glass of water, then recalling that he'd seen Thad's car parked behind his window figured he should go kill some time with him. He'd trooped downstairs and knocked on the door but no one came to answer. He tried the door handle and it gave way in his hand. He entered the house and called out Thad's name but still no answer. Curiosity got the better of him, as he didn't feel like returning to his apartment upstairs in defeat, he went in the direction of the bedroom and heard the sound of fucking going on in there. He stood there with his ear against the door listening to the sound of the woman moaning from within along with the man's heavy breathing. He heard the woman whimper out Thaddeus's name in the midst of the fucking.

Artie felt suddenly sad as he eavesdropped on them. It was getting onto two weeks since last time he fucked Erica. His depression was starting to creep on him he could barely carry an erection anymore, and she too noticed it. The last time they'd tried two days ago it had ended in failure with her cursing him out of bed.

Artie remained where he was, listening to the sound of sex coming from the bedroom until the sound died finally. He went away and went and stood outside for what seemed like a long time before returning inside, this time pushing the bedroom door open and inch and peaking inside. There was Thaddeus lying on the bed with the woman he'd been fucking lying half on top of him. He thought she looked kind of familiar to him and it wasn't until he pushed the door further open and stepped into the room that his mouth fell open with dazed surprise as he recognised his Erica lying naked on their neighbour's bed. Artie stood there at the foot of the bed looking down at their sleeping form. A myriad of reactions swirled in his head, but maybe it was the alcohol that prevented him from doing anything.

Everything about him was just listless. Even when Thad's eyes opened and they said hello to each other.

************

Artie murmured something under his breath but Thad couldn't capture what it was. He turned around, his shoulders stooped downward, and as quietly as he'd appeared, he walked out of the room. Thaddeus lay there for a couple of seconds then got up from the bed, startling Erica from her sleep. He rushed to his doorway and saw Artie in time walk out his apartment door.

Erica yawned, her eyes appeared sleepy. "Hey there, what gives? Don't tell me you need to rush somewhere."

"No, I don't," Thad said to her before picking up their clothes from the floor. He separated hers and threw them at her. "But you need to head on home and right now before something bad happens."

"Come on, what're you talking about? We've got all evening, don't we?"

"Artie was in here less than a minute ago. He just left."

The amazed look on Erica's face was one he would never forget. "Oops," she muttered.

"Yeah," he responded and quickly began putting on his own clothes. "Real Oops. You'd better go talk to him before he returns with a meat cleaver or something."