S E X L E S S

MIND VACANCY

The day continued in the same annoying manner; everyone and everything irritated Margot. She hoped for rest once home, where she found Nathan cooking. Margot rolled eyes at the sight of the man in his jean apron. The woman saw clear behind his ploy, which meant it was of those nights where Nathan imagined taking some of Margot's daily chores off her shoulders would make the woman more disposed to climb on his saddle and ride his poney Ginuwine style.

"How was your day? You are back early?"

"The worst, I latterly sprinted home," Margot replied as she hung her coat.

"Maman," Diva yelled as she jumped in her mother's outstretched arms.

Margot kissed her on the forehead, "how was school?"

Diva looked up at her with a smile, "good; we did collage in art. The teacher said mine was the best."

"Really."

Diva nodded.

"Have you finished your homework?"

"I'm doing them now."

Yep, Nathan programmed everything. It would be dinner at 7 PM sharp. Diva would have an hour to play before bedtime at 8 PM. From then, it would be a verbal rumble in a jungle that would finish with Nathan's withdrawal in the living room.

Margot did not need a crystal ball as she assisted in the making of the scene. At nine, Margot and Nathan sat in bed, "do you want to watch a movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime?"

"Not really," said the man who already began to snuggle up to Margot. She sat up to tuck in a braid in her nightcap, "earlier, you asked how my day was."

"I did?"

"You did," Margot said, eyeing Nathan, who understood she awaited the listening ear, "so how wasㅡ.

"You know what? Some crazy doctor said I should see a psychologist."

"What?"

Margot's eye grew big as she fed Nathan her day's scoop, "yeah, he thinks I'm' living some burnout, that's why I'm less into sex. I mean, where does sex step into this?"

For once, the conversation piqued Nathan's interest. The man sat up; finally, someone told Margot she had a problem. If he could, Nathan would personally thank the person," do you think it's that?"

"No, no, Nate," Margot said, throwing back the duvet to put on her slippers, "I'm pissed. I need Ice-cream."

Nathan grabbed Margot's arm, "hold up; he's a doctor doing his job. I don't think it's such a dumb idea."

"What, Nate, please, we've talked about this before. There is nothing wrong with not having sex. I don't know who told you people sex was a quintessential part of a relationship."

The woman was at that point, where she found the act repelling. Margot wanted something more profound out of their relationship, and she knew sex was not the answer.

"Margot, don't you want to discover why? You say you love me, but you can't sleep with me. Do you really want to carry on with this sexless relationship?"

"What's wrong with our relationship Nate? And it's not something I want, it's just the way it is, and I don't see why it's an issue."

The man couldn't say it. Margot's issue wasn't just mental but physical. Even when the man was gentle, she complained about the intercourse being painful. Also, she was dry. Her hallway wasn't slippery but full of brakes. Nathan spent hours on the internet trying to find the cause but concluded that Margot needed to see an expert.

The man was no longer in a mood for negotiation as he yelled, "what's wrong is you can't say we're in a relationship, I mean I can't spend the restㅡ."

Margot's eyes widened. She, too, showed she had lungs as she screamed, "Nate, the door is just there; we're not married. There are plenty of single parents out there. We will not be the odd ones out. If dipping your dick is the only thing which makes us a couple, then asta uego, bro."

Nathan hit the G spot, as Goliath Margot began to mumble as tomorrow would never dawn.

The man stepped down and opted for another strategy, which included flat flattery. "It's not what I meant. I want to know, Margot; I want to know where has my naughty vixen has gone."

Margot got up and pulled the duvet leaving Nathan without any cover, "the vixen is hibernating, and I'm going to watch a movie on Netflix."

The scene was rare but also part of their routine. Margot vegged-out on the couch and watched Korean dramas until her eyes cried for mercy.

Nathan did the same with porn until he got a cramp in his arm. Never even during his teens had the man had to procure himself pleasure. There was always a girl who put either her hand or mouth at his disposal. He did not understand why he should DIY the act when he had a girlfriend alive and kicking.

Margot called him precious. Nathan did not see why asking his woman to help made him inherit such a name. Jerking off was for the losers, geeks, and freaks. Nathan did not consider himself part of the infamous lot until Margot parked him in the spot.

On the other side of the Paris river bank, Doctor Sok opened the door to his apartment to find a trail of feminine garments that he picked up as he advanced into his home. The smell of freshly cooked rice and Kung Pao chicken-filled his nostrils. He crossed the kitchen and carried on down the hall, where his ears picked up the sound of running water.

"Fay, is that you?"

"Who else did you expect? Don't tell me you got a mistress."

The man opened the door to the bathroom just when Fay stepped out of the tub, one leg at a time. The gesture was followed by the doctor's gleaming eyes, which remained on Fay's delicate feet.

"I didn't know you were coming back today."

"I wanted to surprise you. Besides, you gave me your keys. Doesn't it mean I'm welcome here anytime?" Fay said while she placed a towel around herself and came to wrap her arms around the doctor's neck, "so how was your day, Charya?"

"Long and exhausting."

It was a euphemism, his encounter with Margot left a lot of interrogations, but also it made the man even more self-aware. The doctor spent the whole day wondering what his appointments and entourage thought about his wardrobe. Margot managed to open a superficial outlet in the mind of the intellect to Charya's despair.

Now he reflected on why it bothered him when he had spent a good part of his life not minding other people's opinions.

Margot's face popped up all day like a whac-a-mole game at a fair.

Why was she haunting him?

"Charya, are you okay?"