=== THE TENSION ===
Jim had been incredibly frustrated when he'd returned to his bedroom later that night. After weeks of being teased by Terry's mom, he'd gotten to fondle and kiss her that evening, but she excused herself just as quickly, leaving the young man with a severe case of blue balls.
Part of him hated her now, more so that Jennifer refused to get out of this shitty prison she'd talked herself into. A woman like her did not need to endure a loveless marriage any longer. She did not belong with Robert, that repulsive man. She deserved better, she knew it and was too scared to reach for it. That's what pissed him off. Well that and the blue balls too, yes.
A clear pattern emerged over the next few days. Jennifer was actively trying to avoid Jim. If Robert was in the house, she'd scurry into whatever room he was in. If she chanced upon Jim, she'd mumble a quick greeting, lower her gaze and excuse herself. Jim was even tempted to just grab her by the wrist a few times to hold her in place. The issue could no longer be avoided.
It was a Tuesday morning and though Jim never liked to have breakfast, this time he decided against it. Robert typically had breakfast and as always Jennifer cooked for him. Jim actually woke up earlier on purpose, got ready for work and headed downstairs. He had his tie wrapped around his hand, not an accessory he liked to wear from the moment he woke up. Upon reaching the base of the stairs, he heard the sound of a sizzling breakfast, whilst the shower was running in the master bedroom. Robert was showering as Jennifer was making his food.
Unless she'd let his eggs burn or something, she couldn't escape him this time. Jim stepped into the kitchen letting off a nonchalant "Morning." as he went to the fridge to pull out some cereal he'd bought a while back. "Can I have a bowl please?" he looked to Jennifer. "An explanation as to what the hell went down a few days ago would be nice too, but the bowl will be alright for now."
Meanwhile these past few days had not been easy on Jenifer either. Even as she played with herself that night, guilt had crept into her. It was...it was all so wrong. Enjoying another man like that just because Robert wasn't treating her right, it was wrong. She was committed to him, and her life had been fine. It had all started changing because of Jim. Because of this summer and the way he flirted with her, with the way he tried to insinuate that Robert wasn't good enough for her, that she should have more.
Well... it wasn't just him. But she kept those thoughts to herself. It wasn't right. That was it. And to keep herself from straying and having more and more second thoughts, she avoided Jim. After that look he had given her...she didn't want to speak with him, not until he was out of the house.
Unfortunately, there wasn't any way she could avoid him today. He had undoubtedly planned this move, to trap her. As soon as she heard footsteps approaching, she glanced over, expecting Robert but seeing Jim instead. Her face froze and she was quick to turn back to the stove, hiding the tinge that had grown in her cheeks. The pointed questions did bite, though, and she quickly regained her composure.
"You can make it yourself." She replied curtly. "I'm not obligated to make you anything. Explanations included." If he was going to be rude to her, then she wasn't going to respond back kindly either. She wasn't obligated to him in any way.
She'd been cordial whilst avoiding him throughout these days. Seems that cordiality ran out today. Or maybe she was responding to Jim in kind. "Give." Jim corrected her. "Not obligated to give you anything, explanations included. You give, you don't make explanations." he elaborated whilst walking over to the cupboard and pulling out a bowl for himself.
Jim was well aware of how fiercely independent she was, picking out the dresses herself, appreciating but not overvaluing his opinion and so on. That corrective comment would certainly rub her off the wrong way but he'd bottled up so much frustration these days that he couldn't help himself. Still, this animosity did not sit well with him. He sighed, reaching into the fridge to get the milk as well and taking the bowl, cereal and milk and taking a seat at the head of the kitchen table. "I don't want to fight you Jennifer." he let out.
The tone of his voice had softened. Maybe there was a way to discuss this like adults without insults and the like. "Look Robert is still showering, we have a few minutes. It's not nice to just keep avoiding me. Like it or not I live here and I'm going to be here for a couple more months. I just want to talk. Take a seat, leave the eggs alone for just a second, Robert will be fine."
He pushed out the chair next to him with his leg. "Come on, grab a glass, I'll pour you some milk. We'll have an adult conversation."
Pedantics. That was what he was going to go for? She let out a light huff, continuing to work on the eggs and hash that she was making for her husband. What was she expecting? Him to just forget everything and to go on with life? She'd rebuffed him. Couldn't he take the hint that she didn't want to continue this? He had his revolving door of women, so it seemed, so why be so caught up on her?
Either way, hearing his invitation, she again refused it. "I'll stand here and we can talk. I don't need to be sitting in order to talk." She replied, glancing back towards him, then back to the food on the stove. "Never leave a stove unattended." She mused lightly. She wasn't going to just cave to his terms. No, that was how she had faltered that evening. She was upset and tipsy and caved to Jim on his terms. No. That would not happen here. She was not going to fall into that temptation again.
Jim narrowed his eyes hearing her refuse his offer. If he was willing to start things off on the right foot, she'd just gone and spit on his face. Although as he studied her features, he sensed a certain type of trepidation behind that tough exterior. A small smile crept up to his lips. "You're afraid you'll start moaning if you get close again?" It was a crass joke and Jim quickly shook his head as if to dismiss it. "Your moans are lovely by the way." he mumbled under his breath. In any case he was fine to talk with some distance.
"Look, about that night...I know what happened, you do too. I want to know we're on the same page about why it happened. You said the wine got to you when you got up. You know it wasn't the wine that made you react like that? You know it wasn't the wine why you were sitting alone in the kitchen when I found you?" he looked up at the ceiling as the faint sound of the shower from upstairs was heard, as if to point to the true reason, her husband's neglect. "Can we agree on that? Robert's neglected you and it's only natural to want something else...from someone else..."
Jennifer shivered lightly at his crass joke, but it wasn't exactly wrong. She didn't trust herself and avoiding her problem was better than dealing with it outright, because dealing with it outright could end up with her succumbing to him and acknowledging things weren't as good as she thought they were. As she pretended they were. Deep down, Jennifer knew that things weren't good, that she was tiring of her husband and his lack of... well, anything. It hadn't always been that way, she constantly told herself, and maybe, maybe it hadn't. But was it worth clinging to like this?
His rudeness didn't endear her or make her want to come any closer, either. As Jim offered up his perspective, she refused to acknowledge it. "The wine was getting to me. I don't know what you're talking about." She replied lightly, shrugging her shoulders. "Whether or not Robert is treating me well is, quite frankly, none of your business." She glanced back at him again, then to the stove. The food was almost done, but she wasn't going to go and sit regardless.
"You mentioned it yourself - you're only here for a couple more months. You are just renting a room here." She continued on. "And what happens in my personal life does not involve you at all." Lowering the heat, she let out a breath.
Jim had anticipated this conversation, he after all had planned to 'catch' her like this, so he'd told himself to try and be patient, not to let his hot headedness get the better of him. Well it was nice while it lasted. The moment she shrugged her shoulders, pinning it all on the wine, Jim closed his eyes as he sucked in a breath, a vain attempt to try and refrain.
"Come on Jennifer." he let out, repeating it as she went on with her spiel. "Come the fuck on!" he finally yelled out as she finished that glaring sentence. "It's not about me! Okay? It's not about me at all. It's about you. You who pretend to be so high and mighty and independent and stubborn. In actuality you're just a pushover for your husband and that prick of a son of yours."
He let out a hefty sigh, trying to blow off most of the anger, and regain some sort of calm. "Look, my horniness aside, it just pissess me off to see Robert treating you like his personal fucking maid, cooking and cleaning his shit and at the end of the day you cling on to him. Why? Did he save your life or something?" he shook his head. "I know it's not none of my business, but I had a glimpse at the real Jennifer that night. She came out even if it was for just a few moments. You can tell yourself whatever bullshit you want to forget, but at the very least be honest to me about it. Tell me you're okay being Robert's doormat and I'll drop all of this."
It was surprising to hear Jim lose his calm with her. She had been worried that she was going to let her own temper flare. Even more, as he went on, she was exceptionally surprised she didn't lash right back out at him and instead remained calm and collected. If she lost her calm, then to her, she had lost the fight. Even as his words cut into her, she didn't let it get to her. She stayed quiet even as he calmed down, letting him get his out what he needed to before she would respond.
She remained quiet even for a moment afterwards, composing her thoughts together. "I said before, and I'll say it again. I do not need to justify my personal life to you. I don't need to offer any explanation to you about why I am still with my husband. And I am not going to give you any explanation." She turned to him, her eyes cool. "And if I were you, I'd refrain from talking to me like that. That is, unless you'd prefer to find a new place to rent." Looking back to the stove, she moved to plate the food for Robert whenever he came downstairs. Hopefully he would come down soon. She had no wish to continue talking to Jim any further than they had now.
It wasn't like Jim to lose his cool. Over a girl too, that was almost unheard of. Well, woman in this case, not girl. He'd always been aloof as far as the fairer sex was concerned. The fuckbuddies he enjoyed provided a good balance to his life. Yet after that night he had not felt the urge to call anyone over. Jennifer had been on his mind and yet he knew no one else would ever come close to giving him the same sensations. So why bother? Regardless he did not like that he was so invested in this, in her.
She kept her cool though, keeping to her point, throwing in the threat of eviction in there for good measure. This one took Jim by surprise. More so for the fact that he was the one to try and help and she lashed out at him instead of at her useless husband.
The cool manner of her voice, spurred him to keep his cool in turn. "Well..." he could hear Robert was going to be down shortly. He had no desire to be around him. Jim grabbed the things and got up to put the milk back in the fridge, bowl back in the cupboard. Turning around he leaned against the kitchen counter, looking at Jennifer.
