Free Go Kill Crazy! by Bryan Smith Page A

that like it’s a given.”
    Dez had another sip of beer and shrugged. “It is. In my entire life, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t Dezsexual.”
    “Dezsexual?”
    “Yes. I don’t care who you are or what your usual preferences are, when you meet me, you become hopelessly Dezsexual.”
    Echo belatedly realized she hadn’t touched either of her drinks. She picked up the shot of tequila, knocked it back in a single quick gulp and thumped the empty glass on the table. “I hate to admit it, but I may be just a little bit Dezsexual.”
    “It’s like I said. Everyone is.”
    Echo shook her head. “I hate how totally fucking confident you are.”
    “And by that you mean you totally fucking love it.”
    “Maybe.”
    “Tell me about your man trouble, Echo.”
    Echo hesitated only a moment before launching into a detailed description of everything that had happened that afternoon. Any lingering reluctance to share so intimate a tale with a stranger evaporated within seconds as she quickly realized how desperately she needed to vent. Dez was an attentive listener. She interrupted only a handful of times and then only to seek clarification of certain points. For the most part, she allowed Echo to spew nonstop until the whole sordid tale was out. They had downed another round of drinks and started another by the time it was finished.
    Dez shook her head, her expression darker and more serious now. There was no trace of her earlier playfulness. Echo might have found it unsettling if not for the cathartic effects of having told her tale. “I’ll tell you something, Echo. Men are worthless.”
    Echo snorted. “Not exactly front page news.”
    “I’m serious.”
    Echo stared at her a moment before replying, abruptly realizing how genuinely angry the woman seemed. It was a little strange. “It’s not that big a deal. I mean, it happens. Guys are assholes. I’ll get over it and move on.”
    “You should kill him.”
    Echo flinched, unable to believe what she had just heard. “Um…that…well, I admit I considered it for, like, a second, but it’s a little extreme.” She forced a laugh. “Come on, I don’t want to go to jail.”
    Dez leaned farther over the table and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Who said anything about going to jail? You can get away with anything if you’re careful.”
    Echo gaped at her in disbelief for a long moment. Then she shook her head. “No. Seriously. You’re kind of creeping me out now. I don’t really want to kill Casey. Not anymore.”
    Dez stared levelly at her. “You might change your mind after you hear my story.”
    “Your story?” Despite the uneasiness the other woman’s abrupt and very dark mood change had stirred within her, Echo couldn’t help smiling. “Would this involve any of that so-called privileged information?”
    Dez nodded. “I think I know you well enough now, Echo Vaughn. We’re two of a kind, I can feel it. I’ll tell you anything and everything, starting now.”
    And so she did.
    Dez’s story began on a note so hilarious it had Echo holding on to the table to keep from falling out of her chair. But hilarity took an abrupt turn into deep darkness mere moments later. Echo listened in mounting horror for nearly thirty minutes, polishing off two more beers and two more shots of tequila in the time it took Dez to finish her story.
    She felt dizzy from the drinks and vaguely nauseated when Dez at last fell silent. “Holy shit,” she said, her voice subdued as she shook her head in disbelief. “That’s the most fucked-up shit I’ve ever heard. Did all that really happen?”
    “Yes.”
    “Holy shit.”
    Dez pushed her chair away from the table. “I’m gonna go pee. Pay for our drinks and meet me outside. I’ve got something to show you.”
    She walked away before Echo could reply, disappearing inside the women’s room seconds later. Echo stared at the closed door for a moment, still too stunned by everything she’d heard to