Excerpt: Pleasure Principle

Prologue

Just two days ago, I was sitting in the coffee shop. In front of me were two drinks, a caramel macchiato and a vanilla frapaccino. I was sitting at the table farthest back in the building, facing the window, the seat in front of me empty. I was waiting on someone.

Beside me were two women, one with short black hair and a thick teal green turtle neck and the other with long brown hair and a black shrug. Once in their place had been two guys who said the word “dude” every other sentence.

“Oh, but think about it, Jane,” the woman with the brown hair had said. “There really is no difference between pain and pleasure.”

A few steps away from my table lay a dime on the ground, along with pieces of straw paper and empty sugar packets. It hadn’t really hit me yet that this was the coffee shop where it had all begun.

“Well, I know you’re talking about physical sensation. But what about emotional pain and emotional pleasure? Do you think there could be a difference there?” the woman with the black hair said.

I knew the answer. It was simple, really. I sat back and listened as they struggled with their own answer. One day it would come to them. One day they would complete their journey and realize that the answer was right there.

Everyone had to take a journey. I had taken mine.