The house was as silent as a graveyard when Mark walked in that night, he was engrossed in painting, and he didn't remember that it was already late. Thank God for his alarm which alerted him when it was seven p.m.
A car horn made him turn his head, and he saw his beloved wife alighting, she was speaking to the driver who nodded and she later gave him a few dollar bills which made him smile widely.
Who wouldn't? He too wouldn't mind being tipped if that would solve his problem.
He opened the door for her and she looked up, halting slightly in her steps immediately she sighted him.
" Hey, welcome love." Mark greeted her and she resumed her journey, completely ignoring him as she walked in.
" How was your day..."
" Spare me the pleasantries, please. I had a long ass day at work and I don't want unnecessary things to compound the problem, do you understand that?" She retorted.
" Okay, so would you like me to run a hot bath for you." Mark suggested.
Lacey shut her eyes for a second and inhaled, what would this man lose if he left her alone? " I spoke plain English. No, I don't want to talk to you, how hard is that to understand?" She threw her hands in the air in frustration.
"Okay, you're angry, I understand that. But a hot bath would be nice to help relax your nerves."
Lacey sighed and shook her head, there was no winning with this man, " Suit yourself but please don't speak to you. Emphasis on the please. It's not too much to ask for!"
She stomped away in anger, this had been her mantra the past few days. No one cared to understand the way she was feeling.
She went into the room and sat on the edge of the bathtub, while adjusting the temperature. She dipped her hand slowly into the water and saw that it was warm enough so she slowly removed her robe and suddenly she stiffened.
" What are you doing?" She accuses him as she notices a strange presence. This man was testing her patience.
" I came to check up on you, I didn't hear a sound."
Lacey leveled him with a withering stare but that didn't deter him, "You are supposed to give me privacy."
" I know, I wanted to check up on you."
"Now that you've seen that I am fine, kindly move on." She replied curtly.
Mark stared at her white skin, which gleamed under the light, it was so mesmerizing. "okay."
She wore her robe back, " I can sue you for being a pervert."
Mark scoffed at her threats, " Lacey you are my wife there's nothing bad in me seeing you naked. You are not a stranger."
" Oh, really? We are about to get divorced and do yo know that I can accuse you of rape?" She said.
" I'll love to see you try." He replied and her eyes widened, then he sighed, " We don't need to do this, we agreed to try and make this work. You are not helping matters." He said, intentionally goading her. This was the most conversation that they had had in the past week.
" I don't want to fight with you, Mark. But clearly you have decided to make this all about you and what not. Let me make you understand something. I will not fall for this trap. I begged you to leave me alone. You asked for cohabitation and I agreed, what more do you want from me? My blood?" She demanded harshly, her voice rising with every word she spoke.
Mark swallowed, " No, that's not what I want."
" Then tell me what you want."
" I want you to be mine."
"Sorry, I'll pass."
Mark refused to leave, " I know that things didn't go as we planned but I can assure you that we can work it out. We don't need a divorce nor a therapist to make it work"
Lacey ran a hand over her forehead in annoyance, Mark was trying to be a pest and she wouldn't mind swatting him away if he refused to leave her alone. A racket would be better.
" Mark I can't do this tonight, you are stressing me out."
" No, you are just deliberately trying to ignore me and I won't allow it." Mark countered.
Lacey ignored him, if that was the way he wanted to play the game, then she was down with it. She shed her robe and got into the now cold water, poured some shower gel on her body and washed herself leaving Mark staring at her wantonly.
Her eyes flickered to his trousers which bulged, and she shut her eyes in delight as she slathered soap all over her body and did a show for him. At least he would sleep with blue balls tonight.
When Mark saw that the urge to bed her was very strong, he decided to walk away, she always had a way of making her head spin and she knew it.
He didn't miss the flash of the triumph in her eyes.
He walked to his closet and brought out his pajamas. He was also going to shower.
His phone began to ring and he picked it up immediately. It was a call from Elsa.
"Hey, what's going on?" He asked her.
"Nothing much, I know this is a bad time, but I think I have a solution to this problem."
" Okay? What problem?"
"Your problem with my friend. Why don't we come up with a device to make her jealous?" She asked.
" Okay?"
"So, I was thinking of..."
"I've not turned my head for a minute and you are already talking to another woman, so rich for you wanting me to be faithful to your sorry ass." Lacey said as she exited the bathroom and shot a scandalous look.
Mark swiveled and shot her a disarming smile, " Yeah, I'll be with you in the morning." He played along while grinning inwardly.