This story is a work of fiction; any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental. If you liked the story, please take a minute and rate it and/or leave a comment. If you didn't, please be gentle-it's my first time.
And many thanks to oldnakeddad for editing.
*****
"Have you ever been with a woman?"
The question hung in the air like frost on a January morning. Where the hell did an inquiry like that come from?
They'd just finished a spectacular love-making session and were settling in to post-coital bliss. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, with his arm tightly around her. She was on her side, head snuggled against his shoulder, and her legs entwined around his right leg.
They were conversing with silence as he slowly brushed strands of her long, blonde hair off of her face and tucked them behind her ear. All was well...until he blindsided her with that question!
It actually took a few seconds for the words to register. She felt her mind racing through the possible pathways her answer could lead to. What should she say? She could think of only one good response to a question like that.
"What?"
He repeated himself, but slower and with distinction, so she couldn't miss what he was asking.
"Have you ever...been with...a woman?"
Her heart began to beat a little faster. What in the world would possess him to ask a question like that? It felt like her marriage was flashing before her eyes.
***
Mark and Steph exchanged vows a little over a year ago. They had a beautiful wedding followed by an outdoor reception in the local botanical gardens. It was like something out of a fairy tale.
They'd met less than a year before the wedding—Steph was stranded outside of Chili's with a dead battery, and Mark gallantly abandoned his work friends to give her a jump start. They ended up talking for an hour in the parking lot before going back into Chili's for some dessert and coffee. They talked until the place closed and the manager had to ask them to leave. They hadn't spent a day apart since.
Steph was an administrative assistant for an executive at a real estate firm. Her boss was demanding, but she was also appreciative of Steph's ability to always deliver what she needed.
Mark was a loan officer at a large bank. He'd risen quickly through the ranks and seemed to be headed for vice-president within several years. He had a knack for sensing which loans to make and which ones to pass on.
Everything had been going swimmingly for the couple. They'd settled into Mark's house after tying the knot and had even broached the topic of having a child. They rarely fought (maybe once a month?) because Steph had insisted they always practice open and honest communication, which brought her back to her current dilemma—the question.
***
How should she answer? What should she tell him? Perhaps she could dodge without actually lying?
"Why would you ask a question like that?"
Mark repeated for the second time.
"I'm just curious. Have you ever been with a woman?"
'
Dammit, he's just not letting this go
!
Time for a counter-attack
.'
Steph retorted.
"Well, have you ever been with a man?"
"Uh, no. Never been with a man. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course."
Steph should've known that wouldn't have gone anywhere. Mark was as hetero as they come. Even the few occasions they watched porn together, Mark had "not-so-subtly" avoided anything with more than one guy in the scene.
It was time to end the topic right there and then. Way too much was at risk, otherwise.
"Yeah, me neither. Nothing wrong with it, but it's not for me."
Whew! That was a close one. Steph closed her eyes and snuggled closer against Mark's chest as if ready to drift off. Unfortunately, the exchange wasn't over yet.
"You're lying."
Steph raised up off of his chest, glared at him, and snapped.
"What!"
Mark returned her gaze, full force.
"You're lying. I can tell when you're lying, and you're lying right now."
As Steph closed her eyes, she felt her face reddening from panic. Her body began to tense. It took many seconds before she could speak.
Steph's voice was noticeably shaky.
"How can you tell I'm lying?"
"Oh...my...god. You 'are' lying! I was just guessing before, but you just confirmed it! Wow! So that means you 'have' been with a woman!"
Steph was infuriated. Mark was playing a mind game with her, and on a topic he had no business even mentioning. She shouldn't have fallen for his trick, but it didn't matter. All of her anger was directed at him—he'd crossed a line he shouldn't have ever approached.
Mark was still oblivious to Steph's reaction as he spoke with anticipation.
"So, tell me about it."
"Fuck you, Mark!"
"What?" Mark exclaimed.
"I said, 'Fuck you, Mark!'"
Steph struggled to disentangle herself from her husband, rolled over, and scooted as far away from him as she could.
For a guy who was usually pretty sensitive, Mark was rather slow to comprehend the situation.
"I'm sorry, Steph. I didn't realize—"
Steph cut him off.
"Just shut up! Don't speak to me! You're such an asshole!"
She scrambled out of bed, grabbed her pillow, snatched the blanket off of the bed, stormed out of the bedroom, and shouted back at him as she stomped down the hall.
"Don't even think of trying to come after me!"
******
When Steph awoke from a long night of tossing and turning on the couch, Mark had already left for work. He maintained radio silence, foregoing the playful texts he usually sent periodically throughout the day, and didn't call her during the drive home either. It was the appropriate tactic, since anything he would've possibly said would've only pissed her off more. Steph needed time to cool off first.
At seven o'clock that evening, Steph returned from work to an empty house, but she began cooking dinner for both of them anyway. Midway through the meal preparation, she heard the doorbell ring. She approached the front door, but before she had a chance to reach for the knob, the door opened slightly, and an arm reached through, holding a bouquet of flowers.
She grabbed the flowers then, as the arm disappeared behind the door, she quickly shoved the door shut and locked it. She almost snickered to herself as she heard faint cursing from the front porch while Mark fumbled for his keys.