"You shouldn't take everything he says so seriously," Brian groused, lounging on her bed and watching as she brushed her hair. "It's not like he means it."
Mandy focused on ignoring Brian's words. He was naked on the coverlet, and he reflected in the mirror before her. He was still so beautiful, her husband, but she wasn't in love with him anymore. They weren't partners now, they were rivals.
"He doesn't like girls," Brian went on, and Mandy's hand tightened around her brush before she could help it. Brian was goading her, trying to make her react. She was through reacting.
Abruptly, Brian rose and stalked over to her, wrenching the brush out of her hand and spinning her to face him. "Are you listening to me?"
"If he doesn't like girls, why are you so jealous, darling?" For a moment, she thought he was going to hit her, but in the end all he did was kiss her roughly, angrily, and drag her off to bed. The sex was fantastic, if a bit violent, and Mandy watched him afterwards. He didn't look angry when he slept, and she slid out of bed and into a robe. Picking up Curt's cigarettes and her lighter, she moved outside, onto the walkway.
Curt was there, shivering in a tee-shirt, and she offered the cigarettes back to him. He took the pack and lit up two, handing one to her. They smoked together in silence, and she listened to the night noises, feeling strangely peaceful.
He crushed out his fag, staring up at the stars, and Mandy studied his profile. She took a final drag off her cig and turned to go back inside, only to be stopped by Curt's hand on her arm. "I meant it," he said, and drew her close, kissed her softly, then released her, and walked away. "Keep the cigs," he said over his shoulder, and Mandy picked the pack back up and tucked it into her pocket before going back in to her room.
Mandy focused on ignoring Brian's words. He was naked on the coverlet, and he reflected in the mirror before her. He was still so beautiful, her husband, but she wasn't in love with him anymore. They weren't partners now, they were rivals.
"He doesn't like girls," Brian went on, and Mandy's hand tightened around her brush before she could help it. Brian was goading her, trying to make her react. She was through reacting.
Abruptly, Brian rose and stalked over to her, wrenching the brush out of her hand and spinning her to face him. "Are you listening to me?"
"If he doesn't like girls, why are you so jealous, darling?" For a moment, she thought he was going to hit her, but in the end all he did was kiss her roughly, angrily, and drag her off to bed. The sex was fantastic, if a bit violent, and Mandy watched him afterwards. He didn't look angry when he slept, and she slid out of bed and into a robe. Picking up Curt's cigarettes and her lighter, she moved outside, onto the walkway.
Curt was there, shivering in a tee-shirt, and she offered the cigarettes back to him. He took the pack and lit up two, handing one to her. They smoked together in silence, and she listened to the night noises, feeling strangely peaceful.
He crushed out his fag, staring up at the stars, and Mandy studied his profile. She took a final drag off her cig and turned to go back inside, only to be stopped by Curt's hand on her arm. "I meant it," he said, and drew her close, kissed her softly, then released her, and walked away. "Keep the cigs," he said over his shoulder, and Mandy picked the pack back up and tucked it into her pocket before going back in to her room.