The Social Affair

by Britney King

  She thinks she’s better than us, I hear them say as I’m escorted down the corridor. I know there will be hell to pay for this later, but I might as well enjoy it now. This is probably the last time I’ll wear plain clothes, the last time I’ll remember what it felt like to look like a woman, the last time anyone will be jealous of me. And even after all this time, even knowing I’m going to die, I still want what I’ve always wanted: envy.

  I’ve been offered good money to give this interview, to tell my side of the story, and I can only assume this comes with being one of only seven women on death row in the entirety of the United States.

  This is my third attempt at this interview and judging by the way the last two went, I bet they're thinking what I'm thinking. Hopefully the third time will be the charm. I’m led to a chair in the center of the room. My hands are cuffed, but they assure me I’ll be filmed from the waist up. The woman interviewing me has already taken her place. I study her as she stares at her phone. She’s pretty, in a plain sort of way. I watch as she crosses and uncrosses her legs, and I wonder what she could possibly have to be nervous about. Already I have forgotten what life on the outside is like. I forget that it’s also a dog-eat-dog world out there, maybe even more so than in here, because at least in this place we are governed by rules. I feel sweat bead up at my temples. It could be nerves or it could be the bright lights overhead. Someone dusts powder across my nose. There’s a flurry of activity around, a buzz about the place I haven’t felt in a long time.

  The woman looks up. “Ready?” she asks offering a reassuring smile.

  I nod slightly. I can see that she thinks I’m going to run again. She leans forward a little, lowers her gaze and then her voice. “Just remember why you’re doing this.”

  “Oh, you mean for the freedom?”

  She laughs nervously. She doesn’t understand my sarcasm. Although, whether she gets me matters not. We both know I’ve exhausted my appeals. That’s why the price tag on the interview went up. Time isn’t on my side. “There’s freedom in telling your story, you know,” she offers sympathetically.

  I want to tell her she’s wrong about that. Telling my story will change nothing. I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing it for her. I’ve thought about what I might want to say to her. And mostly, I want to say I’m sorry. I want to let her know that it’s okay. I own up to my part in all of this. Unlike her, I wasn’t given much of a choice. So, I’m not without blame. Still, it’s high time she owns up to the part she played. I want to hear her say it. Words have power. In here, they’re the only power.

  “People are very curious about you,” the producer tells me as they affix a mic to the underside of my collar. She’s holding a cup off coffee, I watch the steam eke out from the small slit in the lid. It makes me think of Americanos, and it’s funny how things seem to have a way of finding their way around, out, and through. The smell makes my stomach audibly growl. God, it’s been so long. She takes a sip and then swallows like it gives her life. “They all want to hear what you have to say.”

  “They want to know what I’m doing with the money,” I reply with the tilt of my head. That’s what she thinks, too. I can see it in the whites of her eyes. And why wouldn’t she think that? Everything she does is for the money. Otherwise, why would she waste such a lovely day in a maximum security prison?

  She laughs. “Yes, probably.” I don’t tell her that the money has nothing to do with it. After all, what good will money do me in here?

  “Just relax and answer the questions truthfully,” she adds with a smile. “Shouldn’t take too long.” What reason do I have to lie? When you’re on death row, honesty isn’t a virtue people see when they look at you. They want to know if the things they say about me are true. They want to hear it from the horse’s mouth, even if they won’t believe it.

  But what is truth? Whose truth do they want? Mine? Hers? Mostly, they want to hear that you’re remorseful.

  Am I sorry? I’d like to think the answer would be yes—that if I’d known, I would have made different choices. But there isn’t room for maybes. It’s absolutes they seek. They want confirmation that the choice I made was the wrong one. It isn’t a martyr they want. Dying for my sins is not enough for them. They want to be able to rest their heads easily with the notion I know what I did was wrong. Modern society runs on the idea that I’m supposed to feel remorse.

  But that’s the one thing I have left in my control: the way I feel. Everything else has been taken from me, so forgive me, but I think maybe I'll hold on to this one last thing.

  On the other hand, if truth is what they’re seeking, the truth is yes, it was love. No matter the outcome, I loved him. And if one has to die…what greater cause is there than love?

  That’s not to say I didn’t know the odds. I’m not a simpleton. I know there are approximately 6.5 billion people on the planet, and sure, I could have loved any one of them. I could have made different choices. But I didn’t.

  The anchor starts to speak; we’re going live any moment. However, I’m not here. I’m somewhere else. It’s not the interviewer’s voice I hear. It’s someone else’s.

  I’m picturing her face, and I’m wondering if I ever cross her mind. I guess that’s what we’re all seeking. To be remembered. This need alone makes me certain, if not hopeful, that my name has run through her mind, at least momentarily. Surely, you can’t just erase a person that easily, like chalk on a chalkboard, like they were nothing. It wasn’t nothing, what happened. I have to believe that. Otherwise, I’d go crazy. Perhaps that’s the unfairness of it all, was simply that her poker face was better. That’s why I’m in here while she’s out there.

  They’re going to ask me about her. About how much I knew. Other things, too. I haven’t quite worked out what I’ll say. She knows what she’s done. To let everyone in on her trickery is unnecessary. But to say it wouldn’t give me a certain satisfaction to know she’s thinking of me would be a lie. I hope it hurts, too. I hope my name runs through her mind on a path of destruction like nothing she’s seen. I hope the memories strike with a jagged edge. I hope they cut deep. For she deserves nothing less than searing, burning, white-hot pain.

  They’re counting down now. Here goes nothing. This is where they make an example out of me. Look, look at what can happen. Can you imagine?

  It’s pretty amazing if you think about it—and I have plenty of time for that—how they say one bad choice leads to another bad choice and then onto another, until eventually you’re sitting, waiting to die, and wondering whether it’ll come soon. Sometimes, I think about what it will be like when it does. Will she come? Will she say goodbye? Will she apologize? Perhaps that is the worst of it all. The punishment isn’t that they’re going to kill me. But that I have to wait to find out.

  A note from Britney

  Dear Reader,

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  I hope you enjoyed reading The Social Affair. If you have a moment and you’d like to let me know what you thought, feel free to drop me an email. I enjoy hearing from readers.

  * * *

  Writing a book is an interesting adventure, it’s a bit like inviting people into your brain to rummage around. Look where my imagination took me. These are the kinds stories I like…

  * * *

  That feeling is often intense and unforgettable. And mostly, a ton of fun.

  * * *

  With that in mind—thank you again for reading my work. I don’t have the backing or the advertising dollars of big publishing, but hopefully I have something better… readers who like the same kind of stories I do. If you are one of them, please share with your friends and consider helping out by doing one (or all) of these quick things:

  * * *

  1. Visit my Review Page and write a 30 second review (even short ones make a big difference).

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  Many readers don’t realize what a difference reviews make but they make ALL the difference.

  * * *

  2. Drop me an email
and let me know you left a review. This way I can enter you into my monthly drawing for signed paperback copies.

  * * *

  3. Point your psychological thriller loving friends to their free copies of my work. My favorite friends are those who introduce me to books I might like.

  * * *

  4. If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss anything, to receive an email whenever I release a new title, sign up for my New Release Newsletter.

  * * *

  Thanks for helping, and for reading my work. It means a lot.

  * * *

  Britney King

  Austin, Texas

  January 2018

  About The Author

  Britney King lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a peach tree.

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  When she's not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.

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  Without a doubt, she thinks connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here:

  • britneyking.com

  • Email

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • Twitter

  • Goodreads

  • Pinterest

  Acknowledgments

  A gazillion thanks to my family and friends for the endless ways you provide love and inspiration.

  * * *

  A thousand thanks to all of my friends in the book world. From fellow authors, to the amazing bloggers who put so much effort forth simply for the love of sharing books, to my street team and strongest supporters—naming you all would be a novel in and of itself—but I trust that you know who you are. Thank you. Seriously, you make this gig so much fun.

  * * *

  To my beta readers and my advance reader team… there aren’t enough words to describe the gratitude I feel for you—for being my first readers and biggest cheerleaders. To Jenny Hanson and Samantha Wiley, thank you.

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  Last, but certainly not least, thanks to the readers. For every kind word, for simply reading… you guys are everything. Readers are always good people. Thank you for being that.

  Also by Britney King

  The Social Affair

  * * *

  The Social Affair is an intense standalone about a timeless couple who find themselves with a secret admirer they hadn’t bargained for. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, the novel explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience. It is reminiscent of films such as One Hour Photo and Play Misty For Me. Classics. :)

  * * *

  Water Under The Bridge | Book One

  Dead In The Water | Book Two

  Come Hell or High Water | Book Three

  The Water Series Box Set

  * * *

  The Water Trilogy follows the shady love story of unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

  * * *

  Bedrock | Book One

  Breaking Bedrock | Book Two

  Beyond Bedrock | Book Three

  The Bedrock Series Box Set

  * * *

  The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

  * * *

  Around The Bend

  * * *

  Around The Bend, is a heart-pounding standalone which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

  * * *

  Somewhere With You | Book One

  Anywhere With You | Book Two

  The With You Series Box Set

  * * *

  The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

  GET EXCLUSIVE MATERIAL

  Building a relationship with my readers is one of the best things about writing. Occasionally, I send newsletters with details on new releases, special offers and other bits of news related to what I’m working on. And if you sign up to the mailing list I’ll send you this free content:

  A free copy of BEDROCK, a best-selling psychological thriller novel.

  A free copy of THE THINGS WE SAY IN SILENCE. A collection of short stories: Exclusive to my mailing list.

  Copyright

  THE SOCIAL AFFAIR is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, images, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author's intellectual property. No part of this publication may be used, shared or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact https://britneyking.com/contact/

  Thank you for your support of the author's rights

  * * *

  Hot Banana Press

  Cover Design by Britney King LLC

  Cover Image by Mario Azzi

  Copy Editing by Librum Artis Editorial Services

  Proofread by Proofreading by the Page

  * * *

  Copyright © 2018 by Britney King LLC. All Rights Reserved.

  * * *

  First Edition: 2018

  ISBN: 978-1979057455

  britneyking.com

  To those who’ve walked into our lives without first asking permission...

  Sneak Peek: Bedrock

  Book One

  Series Praise

  * * *

  "Clever, intense and addictive."

  * * *

  "A surprising debut. Epic storytelling full of edge- of- your- seat suspense."

  * * *

  "Unputdownable."

  * * *

  "Hypnotic and breathtakingly romantic."

  * * *

  "Bold and in your face from the get-go."

  * * *

  "A twisty and edgy page-turner. The perfect psychological thriller."

  * * *

  "I read this novel in one sitting, captivated by the words on the page. The suspense was startling and well-done."

  * * *

  "Dark and complex."

  * * *

  "Exhilarating and suspenseful."

  * * *

  "A fascinating tale of marriage, secrets, and deception."

  * * *

  "Fast-paced and thrilling."

  * * *

  "A cunning tale that won't let go..."

  * * *

  “Totally on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it, couldn't put it down!” – Book Addict Mum

  * * *

  “As a sequel this book works extremely well, as a stand alone thriller it is also very good but clearly readers would be left a little lost about the back story (in which case read 'Bedrock' first).” —Paul Little, Little Ebook Reviews

  * * *

  “I haven't felt this many emotions in a book in a very long time.” – Saints and Sinners Books

  * * *

  “The writing… goodness… I would have never thought this was the author’s first foray into Adult Romance. The writi
ng… Again…Wonderful!! — Gretchen Anderson, Battery Operated Book Blog

  In this dark and compulsive series somewhere along the lines of Fatal Attraction meets Unfaithful comes a thrilling, addictively suspenseful, and haunting story that grabs the reader, and holds them captive until the very end. For fans of psychological thrillers, suspense, and the forbidden, The Bedrock Series hands us a deceptively beautiful tale.