Marcus kicked off his boots, left them laying right in the doorway like usual, and tossed his keys into the bowl on the counter. He grabbed a beer from the fridge, which he opened and sipped as he moved from the kitchen across what Tiff called the magic line that made it the living room. With the flooring uniform across the apartment and only two rugs in the space it was difficult to tell visually, but he could feel it. "I'm living now," he muttered to himself, toasting Tiff, wherever she was. It was Friday, her day off, and she wasn't often out when he got home from work. He wasn't worried, he just missed her.
Beginning to worry a little as six o'clock approached, he decided to cook partly because he was hungry, but mostly for the thing to do. He decided on pasta and was just finishing up a bowl when Tiff opened the door, came in with an unusual urgency, tripped on his boots, and stumbled forward letting the door fall shut behind her.
"Hey Babe," Marcus said. "Want some pasta?"
"Not right now," Tiff said, seeming slightly out of breath.
"Is everything okay? Where were you?"
"Uh..." Tiff came to him, standing close and a little taller than he was sitting at the counter but not much. "I have to tell you something."
"Okay, what?"
"Uh..." She took a deep breath, but bit her lip, shaking her head as she exhaled through her nose. She sat on the next stool. "You know that thing we always talk about?"
"We talk about lots of things. Getting a dog?" He turned to her grinning. "Did you get a dog?"
"No, Marcus, I did not get a dog. This place is too small, and there's no yard. If you want to move into a house..."
"Tiff, the market's fucked, we're lucky we got into this place when we did."
"I know, so why the fuck would I get a dog?"
Marcus sighed. "Okay, so what thing?"
"The thing we always talk about." Tiff looked at him for a moment, expectant, but he could only shrug. "In bed."
Marcus narrowed his eyes and his lips as he considered her. Her big brown eyes made it clear that he should know exactly what she was talking about, but not what that was. "In bed? We talk about a lot of stuff there, too. Do you mean...?"
Tiff gestured impatiently when he trailed off, her curls bouncing. "Maybe, just say it."
"Why don't you just say it?" Marcus said. "You're the one who knows what you're talking about."
Tiff sighed. "You know that thing we always talk about, like how it would be super fun to fuck somebody and collect a load of cum or whatever. Just, I mean, it was only dirty talk, right? If I actually did something like that..." She looked at him again, her full lips trembling and her chin tight. "You sounded like you really wanted it, and when this... opportunity presented itself..."
Marcus swallowed slowly, unsure what to think. He gave her a moment, scooping another bowl of pasta and passing it to her. "Go on."
Tiff took a few bites, appearing to be struggling with her composure, but she did it all the time as a joke. "It was just that, in the... heat of the moment, I told myself that you'd be okay with it. Because of all those times you said you'd be okay with it. But... It was stupid, that was just talk, and I..."
"Are you being serious?" Marcus asked. "Are you trying to suggest you fucked someone else?"
Tiff nodded, her lips trembling. "That's exactly what I'm doing."
"Who?"
"You don't know him. I barely know him. Are you okay with it?"
"I don't know."
"Because you really loved hearing about me going to find a guy, and I remember you specifically saying that you would be happy if I came home with a load..."
"I know," he said, his voice going a little sharp and it made Tiff widen her eyes and pull her lips in. Marcus took a deep breath as he reached for Tiff's hand. "I don't really know how I feel about it yet. Maybe you should tell me what happened."
"This is really good sauce," she said, taking a moment to stuff her face.
"It was in the freezer. Are you...? Tell me the truth, Tiff. Is this one of your little stories?"
Tiff swallowed a mouthful with some effort, shaking her head. "What kind of stupid, reality-shattering question is that?" she scoffed. "We talk about it all the time, and now you're saying you don't want me to tell you? I only did it because you said you wouldn't be mad if I just told you about it after. You said you would like it."
"Okay," Marcus said. "I'm not mad. Just tell me what happened."
"Okay. Can we go to the living room?"
"Sure," Marcus said. He took their bowls to the sink and dropped the lid on the pot, then joined Tiff at the magic line. She took his hand without looking over as they stepped into the other room. Marcus tried not to predict where this was going. He loved Tiff's weirdness, but sometimes it felt like they were on different wavelengths. It was more fun to sit back and enjoy the ride than overthink it. Whatever had happened, she looked very anxious as she sat next to him on the sofa. "So?"
"So," she agreed.
"So how was your day? Eventful?"
Tiff nodded.
"What did you do?"
Tiff took a deep breath. "I met someone."
"Okay," Marcus said after a moment. Another passed. "Go on."