Billie on a Sunday by Kay Sexton

In a dimly lit room filled with the haunting melodies of Billie Holiday, two lovers are wrapped in a fragile intimacy. The narrator, captivated by Leanne's delicate beauty and the shell-like perfection of her ears, is lost in the fleeting moments they share. Leanne's ecstasy, described as “olive-green globes" rushing behind her eyes, leaves him both intrigued and disconnected. His own experience of desire is different: a profound surge of life, like sap through winter trees, culminating in a disincarnate, annihilating darkness.

As their conversations delve deeper into the nature of their pleasure, the narrator senses a shift. Leanne’s curiosity grows, and with it, a desire for something more--a desire to be the one who shapes, rather than being shaped. In her awakening, he sees the inevitable end of their connection. As Billie Holiday’s voice turns the world to dust and shards, he realizes their time together is slipping away.

Billie on a Sunday is a haunting exploration of love, desire, and the impermanence of human connections. Set against the backdrop of smoky jazz tunes and quiet moments, this story captures the bittersweet realization that no matter how intense the intimacy, sometimes people are destined to drift apa