He carefully set aside his gift, then reached behind the couch and pulled out a big gift bag with a knowing smile on his face. She took it from his hands and gaspedat how heavy it was.
“Oh wow, what did you get me? This is huge!”
“Not the only huge thing you’ll be getting tonight! Go ahead, open it,” Gage prodded. His excitement paled in comparison to hers, but seriously, whose didn’t?
Hailey ignored his comment and reached into the bag, pulling out some tissue paper first, and then let out a gasp.
“Oh my God! You got me the new PlayStation? Gage, this is too much!”
“Not at all. I thought you’d like it,” his smile growing. “I figured if you had this, you wouldn’t miss me as much when I’m out with the guys because you’d have something to play with and keep you busy!”
Hailey froze and stared at him in disbelief, hoping that she heard him wrong.
“So I won’t miss you as much?”
“Yeah, you always complain that I go out with the guys too much and don’t have enough time for you. This will keep you company those nights!”
He now had a giant smile plastered to his face.
“Wow. Um, thanks,” she deflated.
“Yeah and I got you the new Spiderman game to play.”
She struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat, “Great! It’s great. Thanks so much.”
Fuck me.
5
AFTER WATCHING A MOVIE that did not interest Hailey one bit, Gage and her headed up to bed.
It wasn’t that Hailey hated sex with him. It was intense, and far more interesting than anyone else she had been with. But, sometimes it was just a little too much. Her only hope was that it didn’t last too long so that she’d still be able to walk tomorrow. She had a soccer game to play, after all.
In her head, she rehashed her earlier conversation with her therapist:
Have you talked to him about your sex life yet? … Whether he means to or not, he shouldn’t hurt you. You should be able to communicate what you like and he should be able to respect those wishes.
“Babe, do you think we could just make love tonight? Ya know, take our time and go a bit easier?” she offered.
“You kidding? It’s our anniversary so I’m gonna rip those clothes off you and fuck your brains out.”
Hailey froze. This wasn’t really the kind of dirty talk she enjoyed, especially when it contradicted what she worked up the nerve to ask for. She tried another tactic.
“I just don’t want to be sore for my game tomorrow night. We’re playing the best team in the league.”
“Ugh. Fucking soccer. That shit doesn’t matter, you should want to be with me instead.”
Oh good, another argument they’ve had several times.
“Gage, you literally spend all day on Sundays playing pickup football with your friends. Why can you play that and I can’t play soccer?”
“It’s not the same. I don’t play with other women. You’re spending the time with other guys.”
“There’s only no women because you won’t let me play with you. I’m faster than most of your friends.”
“Let’s just drop it. Take your clothes off and get over here.”
And who says romance is dead?
