The American Lover Read Free

“So I found my own way of celebrating.”
    “Oh, I see. So you fucking some jock you picked up is down to me?” I asked incredulously.
    “Yes, actually it is, Caleb. You’re never here, you’re always working. You never pay me any attention, or listen to anything I say.”
    “That’s not true!” I protested. “I remembered our anniversary. See, I’ve even gotten you some flowers.” I shoved the bouquet at her to prove my point.
    “Then why have you brought me lilies, when I only told you last week how much I hated them?” Cassie retorted, as she stood up and glared at me with her hands on her hips. Not the slightest hint of remorse or any kind of apology from her. Unbelievable.
    “You didn’t say that… did you?” I hesitated.
    I’d been working on a report for an important presentation the following day, and hadn't been paying much attention.  Cassie had been mindlessly chattering away in the background in her usual irritating manner, while I’d been trying to concentrate on the figures.
    “I told you that lilies always remind me of funerals, that I found the scent overpowering, and that the pollen stained.  But of course you weren’t listening, because as usual, you had your head buried in your boring figures and reports for work.”
    “Look, I think you’re just bringing up this thing about lilies to avoid the real issue here. For Christ’s sake Cassie, I just found you in bed with another man!”
    “So? Why should that bother you, seeing as you’re always more interested in your job than coming to bed with me? Can you even remember the last time we made love?”
    “It wasn't that long ago. And you know this is a busy time of year, the end of quarter figures…”
    “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before, save it for someone who cares. I’m bored with all your excuses. I’m sick to death of taking second place to your boring job, because you know what, Caleb? It’s made you boring. Trying so hard to be the perfect executive with your boring suits, boring glasses, boring haircut, and boring car. Boring with a capital B, that’s what you’ve become.”
    “I’m just trying to build my career to provide us with a decent life style, Cassie. I work hard for our future. What’s so wrong with that?” I replied defensively.
    “You’re so busy worrying about tomorrow, about the future, that you’ve forgotten how to live in the here and now. You’ve forgotten how to have fun Caleb, because you’re too busy being so sensible all the time.”
    “So it’s a crime to be sensible now is it?” I retorted scornfully.
    “It is when you’ve forgotten how to enjoy yourself. You don’t seem to realize there’s more to life than work. You’ve become a typical boring banker, because all you think about is your job, to the exclusion of everything else, including me.”
    “I don’t see you complaining about my job providing you with a nice house and a comfortable life style,” I pointed out. “Or is all this complaining just a front, when in reality you're perfectly happy to have me out of the way working long hours, leaving you free to bring your toy boy lovers here? It’s just a shame you got caught today, and that’s the real reason you’re so pissed off. Find that one doing work experience at the gym did you? I didn’t know you got off on seducing teenagers.”
    Cassie went to slap my face, but I was too quick and grabbed her hand before it made contact, and held it tightly as I stared into her face.
    “How long has this been going on? How many others have there been? No wonder you turned your back on me when I came to bed, pretending to be asleep. You’ve been getting it elsewhere, haven’t you?”
    Cassie struggled to get away from me, but I kept a tight grip on her hand, because she wasn’t going anywhere until I’d gotten some answers.
    “Caleb, you're hurting me. Let me go,” Cassie demanded.
    “Just tell me the truth, and then I’ll be more than happy to let you go,