Secret Service

by Tal Bauer

Over the years, I’ve learned to judge the people who hold positions of power by the character they display when the cameras are turned away—by whether they choose to be kind even when they aren’t performing. That will tell you everything you need to know about a person.

Loneliness has no bottom.

He kisses me like the sun kisses the earth when it rises. Slow, an unfolding of warmth, of playful light and hints of heat. And then, all at once, bright and hot and burning away all doubt. We come together like this is fate, like I was always meant to kiss him and he was always meant to kiss me.