bunk-ups online. A whole society. It wasn’t about relationships for any of them. For Louise it wasn’t about this Pete man at all – it was purely about being able to have good sex, fantasy sex, sex full stop, without cruising some dreadful bar on a Friday night and bullshitting her way through a loud evening of overpriced drinks and inane chatting-up in the hope that she might pull at the end. She’d never do that – what, with her husband at home? What kind of a Friday night would that be for him? She wouldn’t do that. Ever. But she could tell him she was off shopping on a Saturday afternoon, have someone clean, sober and like-minded fuck her brains out and restore her to the good wife she still really wanted to be.
Oliver Bourne. Forty-six. Lost his beautiful wife not quite three years ago in a tragic road accident. She was forty-three. No age. They’d been together since they were both twenty-one. And he’d loved her and she’d loved him. He’d been faithful to her and it had been easy. And now she was gone and he was mortal and every now and then his physical needs were overwhelming. And websites like the one which had brought him into contact with Louise today were the way forward for him to survive as a man on earth who had a wife once, but no more, and never wanted a relationship again. Louise and an alarming number of others just like her, able to replace something missing in their lives. For Oliver though, something was missing which he believed could never be replaced. Because it hadn’t been lost, it had gone. DeeDee had gone and life would go on; it just wouldn’t be the same and it could never, ever, be as good as it had been.
Suzie Vs Candy
‘How’s Vita, then?’ Suzie asked, trying to be casual by using a vague but light tone of voice while flipping through a magazine.
‘Vita?’
‘Yeah – you know. Just wondered, that’s all. You know – how things are . With – the shop? And stuff.’
‘Stuff?’
Suzie didn’t like it when Tim was like this. Unhelpful. Sharp. All she really needed – and surely he could fathom this – was an answer along the lines of, Oh, Vita’s fine, I think – haven’t had to speak to her much at all recently, thank God. But Tim wasn’t saying that. He wasn’t saying much and his tone was flat, guarded. Suzie couldn’t leave it at that, now. She needed more information but also to bring back his focus to the brilliant fun beauty that she spent so much effort hoping he’d see. She walked over to him, slipping her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and giving a squeeze. She took the plates from him and took over loading the dishwasher. He went and sat down at his kitchen table; she glanced over her shoulder hoping to catch his eye. He was reading the paper. Yesterday’s.
Breezy. Be breezy. ‘Because you were saying that it’s been – what did you say – stressy .’
Tim shrugged. ‘Only in terms of the business – it’s not making what we’d forecasted. It’s now practically July.’
‘Only in terms of the business.’ She needed that phrase to be repeated out loud, as if she was quoting his statement of intent. ‘So you’re getting on well outside of that?’
‘I hardly see or speak to her!’ Tim paused, irritated, and looked over to her. ‘You know all this – why do you ask? Nothing’s changed.’
‘I’m just interested.’ Smile. Sweet sweet smile. ‘I care. What I mean is, I care about you and I hope she’s not giving you a hard time or stressing you out. With texts and stuff.’
You’re paranoid, Tim thought to himself. You sound like Vita started to. Just then, to him, it seemed an annoying coincidence that the women he chose seemed to exhibit similar traits.
‘So you don’t speak to her socially then? Much? At all?’
Tim looked at Suzie as if he didn’t quite understand the question. She came and sat at the table, flipped through a magazine. Lingered a while and then started up again, as if momentarily
Oliver Bourne. Forty-six. Lost his beautiful wife not quite three years ago in a tragic road accident. She was forty-three. No age. They’d been together since they were both twenty-one. And he’d loved her and she’d loved him. He’d been faithful to her and it had been easy. And now she was gone and he was mortal and every now and then his physical needs were overwhelming. And websites like the one which had brought him into contact with Louise today were the way forward for him to survive as a man on earth who had a wife once, but no more, and never wanted a relationship again. Louise and an alarming number of others just like her, able to replace something missing in their lives. For Oliver though, something was missing which he believed could never be replaced. Because it hadn’t been lost, it had gone. DeeDee had gone and life would go on; it just wouldn’t be the same and it could never, ever, be as good as it had been.
Suzie Vs Candy
‘How’s Vita, then?’ Suzie asked, trying to be casual by using a vague but light tone of voice while flipping through a magazine.
‘Vita?’
‘Yeah – you know. Just wondered, that’s all. You know – how things are . With – the shop? And stuff.’
‘Stuff?’
Suzie didn’t like it when Tim was like this. Unhelpful. Sharp. All she really needed – and surely he could fathom this – was an answer along the lines of, Oh, Vita’s fine, I think – haven’t had to speak to her much at all recently, thank God. But Tim wasn’t saying that. He wasn’t saying much and his tone was flat, guarded. Suzie couldn’t leave it at that, now. She needed more information but also to bring back his focus to the brilliant fun beauty that she spent so much effort hoping he’d see. She walked over to him, slipping her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and giving a squeeze. She took the plates from him and took over loading the dishwasher. He went and sat down at his kitchen table; she glanced over her shoulder hoping to catch his eye. He was reading the paper. Yesterday’s.
Breezy. Be breezy. ‘Because you were saying that it’s been – what did you say – stressy .’
Tim shrugged. ‘Only in terms of the business – it’s not making what we’d forecasted. It’s now practically July.’
‘Only in terms of the business.’ She needed that phrase to be repeated out loud, as if she was quoting his statement of intent. ‘So you’re getting on well outside of that?’
‘I hardly see or speak to her!’ Tim paused, irritated, and looked over to her. ‘You know all this – why do you ask? Nothing’s changed.’
‘I’m just interested.’ Smile. Sweet sweet smile. ‘I care. What I mean is, I care about you and I hope she’s not giving you a hard time or stressing you out. With texts and stuff.’
You’re paranoid, Tim thought to himself. You sound like Vita started to. Just then, to him, it seemed an annoying coincidence that the women he chose seemed to exhibit similar traits.
‘So you don’t speak to her socially then? Much? At all?’
Tim looked at Suzie as if he didn’t quite understand the question. She came and sat at the table, flipped through a magazine. Lingered a while and then started up again, as if momentarily
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