Chapter 8

Michel eventually puts down his story and lies down on the couch. The couch was also his bed, and he had not put it up, so he figured Jackie must have had company over earlier. He wonders who it was, but finds his thoughts turning instead to wondering if he could get Jackie to have sex with him. It had been two weeks since he had had sex with anybody, and that was the day before he and Jackie broke up. He decides he needs to either get together with Sarah soon, or else he and Jackie were going to have to discuss whether they could become fuck-buddies. She didn't have a boyfriend yet. He may be able to talk her into it. He decides to go discuss it with her.

Michel knocks on Jackie's door. The T.V. is on. "What?"

"You busy?"

"I was fixing to watch Babylon Five."

"They’re just DVDs."

"I haven't gotten to see them all."

"Look, I'm horny."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"When was the last time you fucked anybody?"

"I got toys."

"And I've got my hand, but it's not nearly as much fun or enjoyable."

"We broke up, remember?"

"What does that have to do with fucking?"

"So, what? You just want to fuck or something? No relationship?"

"No relationship. Just sex."

"What about your girlfriend, Sarah?"

"She's not my girlfriend. We’re a writers’ group."

"What if that changes?"

"Then we'll stop fucking."

"No."

"No?"

"That's not fair. Why should I stop getting dick just because you started getting pussy? You're the one who approached me, remember?"

"Won't you want to stop fucking me if you get a boyfriend?"

"Not if I can help it. But if worse came to worse, then yes I would. But I didn't approach you with this proposition. You approached me."

"So if I start fucking you, I have to keep fucking you?"

"So long as we're roommates."

Michel thinks for a few seconds. "So when can we fuck?"

"Right after dinner and Babylon Five."

"I'll be in the living room when you're ready."

I can understand Michel's position. If you are used to having sex and are suddenly cut off, you miss it. It's Saturday and I haven't fucked my girlfriend since Monday. Before that, it was the Saturday before, over a week. Most men probably wouldn't complain (well, they probably would, but wouldn’t actually mean it), except that I have an extremely high libido. Most men say they want to have sex every day. I really do. Twice a day, or more, if Donna would let me. I sometimes want to more than I’m able to in any given day. But recently the amount of sex with Donna has gotten less and less, despite her claims before we moved in together that she was a nymphomaniac. If she is, she's the worst excuse for a nympho I've ever seen. Before now, I could not understand how men could cheat on their girlfriends or wives. But after only having sex once in a two-week period, I'm beginning to understand. Before we moved in together, all she wanted to do when we were together was have sex. Now, nothing.

Another thing that has been bothering me is her constantly talking about what her next boyfriend is going to be like. She quickly qualifies it by saying, "If we don't work out," but I'm not that naive. I'm beginning to wonder when she's going to decide she doesn't love me anymore. She won't let me touch her, she won't let me fuck her, she's always talking about other men and what her next boyfriend is going to be like. I'm afraid she's trying to figure out a way to leave me. I wonder if she weren't so far from home if she wouldn't have left me by now. She's been talking about moving in with that girl Maddy she's friends with -- could that be her plan, to move in with her and move out? Then why has she been talking about the three of us moving in together? Donna's always said she was bi, but I never saw any actual evidence of it. Maybe Maddy as a transition out? Is she cheating on me with Maddy even now? I never thought of that until now.

In any case, Jackie solved that problem by breaking up with Michel, but not leaving him. She had started doing the same things to Michel before she finally told him she wanted to break up. It did not surprise Michel that she immediately started dating someone (something I don't fear from Donna), though she broke up with that boyfriend after only a week. Michel and Jackie had agreed to continue being roommates to save on rent, and because both their names were on the lease, and it was not going to be up for another eight months. Neither wanted to lose their deposit. It was not a perfect arrangement, but they mostly stayed out of each others' way. Until they agreed to start having sex again. Avoiding each other seemed ridiculous after that.