“Freya has too much on her plate, in other words,” James muses in a thoughtful voice.
“Yes, I guess,” I grunt tersely. “I suppose so.”
“No, it’s definitely so,” says James, raising his arms above his head in a long stretch. He’s a good-looking motherfucker, and that move gets him a couple looks from ladies all over the room, who giggle and coo at the James Bond-doppelganger. But my friend ignores them. “So what are you going to do?”
I frown miserably.
“I don’t know. What can I do? I want her, but she doesn’t want me. It seems like a dead-end situation, if you ask me.”
“You could always stop seeing her,” James offers helpfully. “You know, stanch the bleeding and wean yourself off little by little. Or at least, give the relationship some distance so that you can get your wits about you once more.”
I shrug.
“Yeah, I know but like I said, Freya needs the anal because it’s the only thing preventing her from getting really sick from pregnancy nausea.”
James stares at me.
“Yeah, but that’s her problem, not yours. Just leave her to it.”
I blow out a breath, annoyed at his cavalier manner.
“No. I’m not going to ditch my woman in her time of need. It’s a medical necessity, and I’m definitely not going to let Freya go on the prowl hunting for some other guy to stick his cock up her backside. Absolutely no fucking way.”
James holds up his hands, appeasing me.
“Okay, got it. Good point. Yeah, the possessiveness is running strong in your veins, but that happens when you’ve got a worthy woman in your sights.”
“So what do I do?” I ask, desperation tingeing my voice. “I’m in a pretty fucking awful position.”
My friend pauses for a moment, his blue eyes thoughtful.
“Well, have you tried broaching the issue with her?” he asks.
I nod.
“Yeah, like I mentioned, we had a talk when our relationship started, and she made it more than clear that she wasn’t looking for anything romantic. This is straight-up sex, and nothing else.”
James nods.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that the terms of the arrangement can’t change. How long has it been?”
I try to remember.
“One month? Maybe a little longer.”
James nods.
“So bring it up again. I mean, there’s no time limit for these sorts of things. If you’re feeling shitty because of what she’s offering, then I think you owe it to yourself to bring it up with her. Tell her how you feel. Maybe you’ll be shut down, but it’s better than going over to bang her in the ass twice a day, and then going home to sulk and stew afterwards. I mean, look at you, my man! You’ve been in a fucking awful mood lately, and everyone at the station has noticed. You’re moody, depressed, and bark at anyone who comes within ten feet of where you’re sitting. It’s time to talk to Freya, as unpalatable as it sounds.”
I snort.
“It’s definitely not something I look forward to doing. And what if she shoots me down?”
James shrugs.
“Then she shoots you down. We don’t get everything we want from life, but at least you’ll know where you stand. But who knows? Maybe she’ll be open to the idea of a relationship.”
I snort dispiritedly again.