A Secret Kiss by the Laundry Closet

A Secret Kiss by the Laundry Closet

I was at a crowded house party that felt like a mix of my college apartment and my current kitchen. My partner was outside on the back porch talking to a group of friends, and I went into the hallway to grab my coat. My old coworker Mark was standing there by the laundry closet. He smiled and said something quiet, and then suddenly he kissed me. I didn't stop him at all; in fact, I kissed him back for what felt like several minutes. Right in the middle of it, I heard the back door slide open and my partner calling my name from the kitchen to ask where the bottle opener was. A wave of sickening panic hit me because I knew they were just around the corner. I tried to push Mark away and wipe my face, but my hands felt impossibly slow and heavy, like moving through cold honey. I woke up with my heart pounding, feeling this awful knot of guilt before I even opened my eyes.