My fair Chloe

“I love you.”

“I know” she replied as she laid in his arms, satisfied once more with his lovemaking; gentle, considerate, overwhelmingly passionate; totally, utterly fulfilling. She wanted to curl up beside him, feel his presence, and relax into sleep.

“No, not like that, I really love you.” Jim continued.

Chloe sighed. She knew that he wanted talk; not like other men who would lapse into unconsciousness as soon as he was satisfied. What was more she knew what he wanted to talk about. For months now they had been going out. That is a misnomer she thought it is more like staying in to devour each other.

She had noticed his indecision with their relationship. It was almost as though he was replaying the role of Professor Higgins in “My Fair Lady”. He had discovered someone to change, to educate, to transform from an ugly duckling into a swan. He was wrong of course and he knew it as she had already snared him in her trap by being the helpless, hopeless female for him to rescue.

“I am not Eliza Doolittle”, she murmured, “or Julie Andrews or Audrey Hepburn. You have got to realise that I am not a toy for you to play with, to decide my fate.”

“Where did all that come from?” Jim said propping himself up on his elbow.

“We have been all through this before, we make a lovely couple, you adore me, but never have I ever been introduced to your family, never! Not only that you are happy for me live here in this pokey little flat but never suggest we live together in your place. Then there is the other thing we still socialise with our mates but never with the people from your work. Are you ashamed of me?”

“My parents are in Taree, for heaven’s sake! The people from work are dull colourless and boring. I have told you I love you.”

“Jim please don’t get me wrong, I adore you but all your protestations of love are nothing compared with a little commitment. I love you utterly. If you said give up your job, live with me and let’s have lots of babies I would say yes, yes, yes! But you don’t. We talk about superficial things, you know; books, paintings, plays or movies we have gone to see. But we don’t talk about our future. You gloss over that issue with “I really love you.” You are happy to go on just as we are.

Jim knew Chloe was right. In his tired, befuddled state he weighed up his options. “Let’s talk about it in the morning.”

“What a cop out” Chloe screamed. “You haven’t got a wife hidden away, I’ve checked. It doesn’t matter if your Dad’s in prison or if your brother bats for the other side or your sister is on the game. What is so bad that you cannot let me into your world?”

“I’ve had a vasectomy” Jim confessed.

“Well you wasted a lot of money on condoms, keeping me fooled” Chloe moaned.