Her

Jacqulene Morris was the most beautiful girl around. She was not only a former beauty pageant queen who had won various competitions for her beauty and grace but she also happened to be the ex-wife of the wealthiest man in the entire state of Wyoming. She had married him when she was young and freshly out of college and he was in his mid-forties and wanted a wife with whom he could finally settle down and have some children. Jacqulene was all to eager to accept his marriage proposal, even though she hid some very important information that he was woefully unaware of: she would struggle to have children. This culminated in her husband leaving her after he broke the news to her that he had impregnated one of her sorority sisters from college. Heartbroken, Jacqulene enrolled in a graduate program at twenty-five years old and decided she would never give up so much of herself again. Which leads us to the current predicament she now faces. Jacqulene is now between a decision between two men and both men want her for different reasons. Martin is a tall former professional basketball player who moved in next door to her last year. Jacqulene noticed the revolving door of woman she would see coming and going from his house and thought Martin must be quite fun. She secretly longed to be one of his conquests in her search for validation. Martin would have been a shiny notch on her belt and someone she would hold in comparison to her ex-husband. She liked her life without a partner but her reservations behind wanting Martin were that she worried she would want something beyond a casual encounter if Martin had even the slightest speck of humanity in him. Martin of course did. He not only was president of a sports marketing firm he had helped founded but he was also gaining lots of momentum for an energy drink he had helped fund. Lightening Energy was going to be the next great energy drink and Martin was poised to become even more successful in the business world than he had ever been in the sports world. Yes, Martin noticed Jacqulene. She was pretty and seemed to always be outside when Martin got home. Martin had always been aware of the effect he had on women. Jacqulene was always going to be there. The other man in Jacqulene’s life was Russell. Russell worked in Jacqulene’s office and reported to her. She was his boss in a way but the company structure made Jacqulene’s boss the boss of everybody. In that way, she and Russell were equals. Russell was average height, average build, and average income. Russell was a little bit younger than she was but was a good employee. Russell’s biggest problem was he had only average ambition. He liked working at work and enjoying free time freely. Jacqulene never really thought anything of Russell at the start until he started demanding more work. His ambition level grew. He started working out more and bought nice clothing. He styled his hair and fixed his crooked teeth. He smelled nice and started dressing as if he wanted to own the company. He talked like he wanted to own a company someday. Jacqulene started feeling her attraction grow towards Russell but part of her still felt like it was wrong. Like she would be taking advantage of her power if she did anything with him. That made her want him more. Secretly, Russell loved Jacqulene. He had fallen for her the moment he had seen her. He felt as if his life hadn’t mattered until the moment she had entered it and she was the representation of everything in life had could ever hope for or dream of. His plan went into action the moment he got out of his first shift with her. He applied to online school. He then ordered nice clothing and drove to the department store and spent hours meticulously picking out a cologne he thought she’d like. He became obsessed with self-improvement all in an effort to win Jacqulene over. His journey as average guy to a hopeless admirer of a former beauty queen had caught the eye of lots of different women. Russell didn’t care however. He was either going to have Jacqulene or he was never going to have another woman again. She had, just by occupying his proximity, made Russell feel the worth that he so desperately craved. She made him want more so he could have her. That is how it all happened.

One night, Jacqulene pulled up her fancy red car into a parking spot outside a fancy bar. She breezed inside. Sitting in one chair on one side of the bar was Martin, sipping away and laughing with the bartender. On the other end of the bar was Russell, barely touching the beer he had ordered an hour ago and furiously typing at homework he was trying to accomplish on his phone. He was only there because he overheard Jacqulene mention she wanted to check that place out and she thought about doing it Friday. That is all Russell needed. If she said she’d maybe be there, he’d be there. Jacqulene sat between both men on either sides of the bar and ordered a drink.

“Hey, neighbor,” Martin burst out. Jacqulene waved.

“Jacqulene,” Russell stuttered out, waving awkwardly at her. She waved to him. Both men grabbed their drinks and sat on either side of her. Jacqulene sat between them, the polished wood of the bar cool beneath her fingertips, the low hum of conversation wrapping around the three of them like a kind of social static. She had positioned herself there almost instinctively. Martin leaned in first.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, flashing that practiced smile, the one that had probably undone more women than she could count. “Or maybe I did. You’ve got that kind of taste.”

Jacqulene smirked lightly. “Is that right?”

“Oh yeah,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “You look like someone who knows where the good time is before anyone else does.”

Russell shifted slightly on her other side, clearing his throat.

“It’s… it’s a nice place,” he added, almost apologetically. “You mentioned it earlier this week, so I figured I’d check it out.” Jacqulene turned her head toward him, eyebrows raised.

“You came because I mentioned it?”

Russell shrugged, trying to play it off.

“I mean… I needed a place to work anyway.”

Martin chuckled under his breath.

“Work? In a place like this?” He shook his head. “Man, you’re doing it wrong.”

Russell forced a small smile but didn’t respond. Jacqulene watched the exchange, already feeling the contrast between them sharpen. The bartender placed a clean, bright cocktail in front of her that caught the light just right. She took a sip, letting the silence stretch just long enough. Martin leaned closer again, lowering his voice slightly.

“So what are you doing after this?”

Jacqulene glanced at him sideways.

“After this?”

“Yeah,” he said casually, as if it were already decided. “You can come over. I’ve got a better setup than this place. My place is more… private.” His tone dipped just enough to make the implication clear.

“I’ll show you a good time,” he said, winking. There was no hesitation in Martin. Just forward motion. Jacqulene took another sip of her drink, slower this time.

“You’re pretty direct.”

“I don’t waste time,” Martin replied. “Life’s short.”

Russell shifted again, then finally spoke up. “You don’t have to decide anything right now,” he said, his voice steadier than before. “I mean… You just got here.”

Martin rolled his eyes slightly. “Relax, man. I’m just making an offer.”

Russell looked at Jacqulene instead. “How’s your account going? You mentioned you were struggling on Thursday. I overheard you talking to Karen.”

The question hung in the air, softer, almost out of place compared to Martin’s energy. Jacqulene turned toward him, surprised.

Martin exhaled through his nose, glancing at his drink.

“We’re talking about work now?”

Jacqulene ignored him. “

You’ve been doing more lately too,” she said to Russell. “I’ve noticed.”

Russell nodded, a little self-conscious. “Yeah. Just trying to improve things.”

“For yourself?” she asked.

He met her eyes. “For a lot of reasons.”

Martin leaned back in his chair, clearly losing patience. “Look,” he said, cutting in, “we can sit here and talk about spreadsheets or whatever all night, or we can actually do something fun.”

Jacqulene turned her head slowly back toward him.

“I’m just saying,” Martin continued, “you didn’t come out here to talk about work. You came out to enjoy yourself. So let’s not overcomplicate it.”

There was a slight edge in his voice now. Russell spoke again, quieter but firmer.

“Enjoying yourself doesn’t have to mean leaving with someone you just started talking to.”

Martin laughed. “You always this serious?”

Russell didn’t answer. Jacqulene picked up her drink again, studying the way the liquid moved in the glass. Then, without saying anything, she reached across Russell and grabbed his beer. She took a sip from his drink, then set it back down in front of him. Then she turned and took another sip of her own cocktail. Martin raised an eyebrow.

“What was that?”

She shrugged lightly.

“Trying everything out.”

Martin smirked.

“Well, if you’re sampling options, I think I know which one you’ll pick.”

Russell looked down at his beer, then back at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite himself.

“You don’t have to pick anything tonight.”

Martin scoffed.

“Man, you’re killing me.”

Jacqulene set her glass down and exhaled slowly.

“I think,” she said, “I’ve had enough for one night.”

Martin leaned forward.

“Already? The night just started.”

“Maybe for you,” she said.

Russell sat up a little straighter.

“Do you want me to walk you out?”

She shook her head gently.

“No. I’m okay.”

Martin frowned slightly.

“So what, you’re just leaving?”

Jacqulene stood, smoothing out her dress.

“Yeah. I am.”

There was a pause.

Martin looked irritated more than anything else.

“You’re missing out.”

She gave him a small, unreadable smile.

“Maybe.”

Then she turned to Russell.

“Don’t talk about work here. Try to have some fun,” she said.

He stood up quickly. “Wait—uh—before you go…”

She paused.

“Would you maybe want to grab lunch sometime tomorrow?” he asked, the words coming out in a rush. “I know it’s Saturday but I thought it could be fun.”

Jacqulene held his gaze for a moment. Then she shook her head.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said gently.

Russell’s expression tightened, but he nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I understand.”

“Take care of yourself,” she added.

Then she turned and walked out of the bar, the door closing softly behind her. For a moment, neither man spoke. Martin leaned back in his chair, exhaling.

“Wow.”

Russell sat down slowly, staring at the spot where she had been.

“You really thought that was going to work?” Martin asked.

Russell didn’t respond. Martin took another drink.

“ I’m sitting here actually talking to her like a normal person and you try to talk to her about work. That’s why she doesn’t like you man.”

Russell finally looked at him.

“Is that what you call that?”

Martin smirked.

“Yeah. It’s called confidence.”

“It sounded like pressure,” Russell said.

Martin waved a hand dismissively.

“Women like that. They don’t want to sit around talking about their feelings all night.”

Russell leaned back, running a hand through his hair.

“You don’t know her.”

Martin laughed.

“I know her type.”

Russell shook his head.

“No. You don’t.”

There was a pause. Russell looked down at his hands, then back up.

“I love her.”

Martin stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing.

“You’re serious?” he said.

Russell’s face now falls into his hands.

Martin shook his head.

“Man, sounds like you’re in deep.”

Russell swallowed. “I don’t care. I do.”

Martin leaned forward, his tone shifting slightly. Less amused now, more blunt.

“Listen to me. She’s not worth it.”

Russell’s jaw tightened in anger as his words muffle from his mouth still being in his hands.

“You don’t get to say that.”

“I do,” Martin said.

“Because I’ve seen women like her a hundred times. She’s got all kinds of men, man. You think you’re the only guy she’s got options with? Please.”

Russell’s expression hardened.

“She’s been around,” Martin continued. “And you? You sound like the kind of guy who’s going to get destroyed by that.”

Russell stood up slightly, then sat back down, restraining himself.

“I don’t care about that,” he said quietly.

“You should,” Martin replied. “Because you’re too sensitive for someone like her. You’re going to take everything personally. You’re going to want something real. And she’s not that.”

Russell looked toward the door again.

“You don’t know what she is,” he said, choking back tears.

Martin shrugged.

“I know enough.”

Russell exhaled slowly.

“Maybe you do. Maybe you don’t.”

Martin picked up his drink again.

“I’m telling you, man. Save yourself the trouble.”

Russell didn’t answer. He just sat there, staring at the empty space where Jacqulene had been, as if something had passed through the room and left a vacuum behind.

Martin shook his head, finishing his drink.

“You’ll learn. Hey, are you going to finish your beer? Can I have it?”

But Russell wasn’t listening anymore.