‘Wait, what do you mean by ‘with reason’?’ Damien asked warily. ‘You are so easy, man.’ Brian laughed, enjoying how funny he’s partner ...looked at that moment, a picture of jealously. ‘I am not interested in the girl. Don’t worry. You can quit the murderous thoughts you are having about me right now. She’s gorgeous but I think she only has eyes for you.’ Brian reassured Damien who was gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stared at Brian. ‘I don’t know, Brian. She barely looked at me, this. Fear was part of the excitement. Yes, I enjoyed the sex, the subconscious interactions of animus and anima but it was more complicated. It was power, novelty, self-esteem but as Sister Joseph revealed, mostly pride which drove me like an addict, again and again betraying loved ones for pride’s rush.Yes, it was the rush I sought, the rush of the first night I crossed the threshold of Edward's apartment, the rush of pride which I never fully found again. Each affair a diminished high which failed. ——-Pat then explained that the events of the past few days were as a result of she and Jan meeting after a gym session. Really it had been almost serendipitous. The cafe had been full and Jan had asked to use, what had been almost the only vacant spot left in the seating area. As you do, they’d got chatting and realised that they had quite a lot in common. That had been several months ago and they’d turned into good friends who then met regularly. And inevitably, I guess, the chatting got. He was playing poker at the high-stakes table. Almost everyone knew Julesburg was the ‘wickedest city in America’ so he should have been paying more attention to the dealer. I guessed the half-empty bottle of the local rotgut sorta dulled his senses. I’d bought a small herd in to the railroad for Cap Jones, the old man that ran the ranch I’d worked at since I was fourteen. He was selling out to some Eastern investment company and although they had offered to make me the foreman if I would stay.