Flip for Infidelity

Submitted into Contest #180 in response to: Write a story that hinges on the outcome of a coin flip.... view prompt

35 comments

Contemporary Sad Fiction

TW: Sex. “We could hurt a lot of people. People we love,” she said. “How about we leave it up to the coin?” She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a shiny silver coin. His eyes lingered on her body. “What do you think? Heads, this is the end. Tails, we keep going?”

He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he didn’t want to stop either. As much as he loved his wife, there had been nothing between them in bed for a long time. At first he had tried to conjure up the old sparks. Every rejection hurt more than the one before. Eventually he’d stopped trying.

The coin twinkled beneath bright fluorescent light as it spun in the air. She caught it. Her eyes scoured his for protest, to tell her to stop. She wanted him to make the decision either way. She couldn’t. Neither could he.

Her palm opened. Tails.

Both exhaled relief and guilt. The coin fell to the floor as he pulled her into a kiss that he’d been saving up for days. Sweet lust was a balm for rejection. Their hands wandered to familiar holds. Kissing her neck, his eyes drifted over a photo of her and her husband. The lustful addict's mind tried to block out the image of their new love, her and her husband. He had those photos on his walls at home. Reminders of what had been, of what should be.

Her hips pressed to him as they tangled together. He tasted the white wine on her lips. She tasted cider on his. Hands slipped beneath the unwanted layers of clothing. “Come to bed.”

“You’re sure he won’t come back?” he asked, holding her face to be eye to eye. They were prone to lusty distractions. It wasn’t a risk he could take.

“He’s gone for the week. Back on Friday. I told you that,” she said with a flicker of anger. He was cautious, like her, but she wanted to throw that aside. Living in the moment was the only way for the affair to survive.

“Good.” He began unbuttoning her shirt.

“Happy to see me?” she asked, with her hand down his trousers.

“Happy to have you in my arms again. I’ll be even better when we’re in bed,” his smile devilish, was the mirror of hers. Her hand held something that was not his and led him to her bed.

She paused before the sheets. “Just a second.” She let go of him and lifted photos off the wall, turning them around. As if the image of her husband would see their crime through the glass of the frames, she hid them away. He was happy not to see them either, not to be reminded of a good man their trist would destroy. A good man who left her wanting, he reminded himself. It wasn’t fair, but he needed to tell himself that.

“Eyes on me,” she said. She kissed him, his neck and began pulling his shirt over his head. “It’s just us. You and me. Make me scream.” She threw back red dyed hair and focused her blue eyes upon him. An eager hand ripped away his belt and threw it to the ground.

Twelve condoms waited on the bedside table. Seven remained when they collapsed in a pile of sweat and satisfaction.

“First time I’ve had sex in this bed,” she said, smiling with a drunken grin. Sweat stuck her neon red hair to her head. Black showed through at the roots. “You should go soon,” she said, eyeing her clock. Glowing white digits flickered through minutes and hours casually.

“Yeah. But I don’t want to,” he said, running a hand over her thigh.

“One more hour, then I’m kicking you out.” Her smile said it was a hollow threat.

“I’d better make the most of it then,” he said. His eyes feasted upon her curves.

An hour later their throats screamed for water. They drank from plastic bottles. She was water for his parched ego. They were islands of company in a lonely sea.

“Why can’t marriage be like this?” she asked.

“It was at first, wasn’t it?” He ran fingers through her hair. They were flushed from the exercise. “Life together chips away at romance. Everything becomes routine. Everything you did out of love becomes a habit. You forget to thank each other for the little things.”

“And then they have better places to be than with you,” she finished for him. Grief for something dying filled her chest with a sigh that would not come.

“And now the first one I want to tell something when I’m excited is you. I want to see the smile when you laugh. I want to feel the warmth of it.” He groped her. She held the hand there.

“You really need to go now,” she said, nodding to the unrelenting clock.

“I need a shower,” he said, body glistening with sweat.

“Then I’ll have to join you.” She took his hand and led him through her home. Their muscles ached. Neither cared. Hot water soothed damage done by carnal indulgence. Hands denied the constant drag of time.


He was late as he slipped on his shoes at her door. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” He sniffed them to be sure he didn’t smell of her.

“See you tomorrow. You’d better run, naughty boy.” She closed the door behind him. Reality wrapped an arm around his shoulder as he looked at the city beyond her home.

Rush hour on the train had him shoulder to shoulder with people who’d been working while he’d been playing. Tired eyes were glued to phones. Headphones kept them in worlds of their own.

Are you almost home? I bought dinner, said a message from his wife.

Nearly there, running a little late today.

Tough day at work?

A bit, he lied. I won’t be long.

Thanks, sexy. I had a great time. I hope we can do it again before my husband gets back. Should I keep the condoms? asked his mistress.

No. You might forget. Make sure it’s all gone without a trace. You washed the sheets?

They’re washing. Shame to waste so many innocent condoms before they could do anything wrong. ;) I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. I wish you didn’t have to leave. Me too. Sometime I’ll have to stay the night. His smile at the thought almost hurt.

Don’t tease me. When would that be possible?

I don’t know, he texted.

At least the coin toss went the right way.

Yeah. Realising he was thinking about her body surrounded by people, he tried to wind down his excitement. Stop. I’m on a busy train. I can’t think about you right now.

Of course you can. You can think about me in the shower, on the bed. Any position you like.

Stop. I need to go. See you tomorrow.

Kiss.

He slipped through men and women in heavy coats, off the train, onto the windy station platform. Closing the messages from his lover, he shook himself. Five minutes of walking had him at his door.

A loving wife opened the door with a smile on her face. “You’re back. Ouch. You look tired.”

“I am,” he admitted. His nose ate up the smell of his favourite cottage pie. Guilt tied a knot in his stomach. Washing his hands in the sink, he looked at dirty dishes he’d only washed the night before. “How was your day,” he asked, as he always did.

“Usual stuff. Some guy crashed his sports car and needed stitches around his eye. Might take his foot off the accelerator next time.

One woman cut off a finger making soup. I told her to use scissors for cutting meat next time. She thought I was joking.

A guy broke his back falling off a ladder. He’ll be lucky to walk again. That was a half shift,” she said, slumping into her chair heavily.

“Want a drink?” he asked, reaching for beer in the fridge.

“No.” She flipped through TikTok on her phone, smirking at something that was gone a moment later.

Sitting across from her he popped the lid off his beer and held it up. “To you.” His eyes waited for hers to look up from the screen.

“To me,” she sighed. Putting down the phone without looking at him, she tucked into the food on her plate. Her shoulders sagged.

“I’ve got a holiday coming up. So do you.” He looked up from a forkful of steaming mince. “Want to do something?”

She shrugged. Her phone buzzed. The black screen flashed white. She checked and put the plastic block back on the Ikea table.

In the shower they talked about television as always. The main actor from the vampire show they liked was being recast. He kissed her shoulder as they stood side by his side beneath the water. Her body shrank away.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m fine. Just tired.” In bed, he wrapped an arm around her. She took his hand off and pushed it away. “Not tonight,” she said. The glow of her phone lit the dark room.

He turned over, wishing he had never left the other house. A smiling photo of his wife looked down upon him as he cried silent tears.

January 12, 2023 12:07

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35 comments

Susan Catucci
19:07 Jan 19, 2023

So sad. Any time people lose sight of each other and relationships become derailed, it is a sad state of affairs (I chose these words intentionally) for everyone involved. I imagine different people cheat for different reasons but, here, it really is tragic. I appreciate the double-sided nature of circumstances like this. Everyone's to blame; yet no one's to blame. Everyone loses something; there are no winners. I wondered if the wife had her nose in her phone with a lover herself; no great shock if she did. AND I thought it was ve...

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Graham Kinross
21:13 Jan 19, 2023

Thank you.

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Bella Clinard
13:23 Jan 25, 2023

Hey I like what you wrote about.

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Graham Kinross
21:17 Jan 25, 2023

Thank you.

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K Dutta
05:22 Jan 21, 2023

An incredible story. Very well written with a lovely bittersweetness to it. I just posted a new story, you had mentioned on my last one to let you know. I have changed my name since then. I'm trying out a pen name.

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Graham Kinross
09:46 Jan 21, 2023

Thanks. I’ll have a look.

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BRUCE MARTIN
07:28 Jan 17, 2023

The guy used five condoms in one session? This guy should get a job on a stud farm. In any case, very nice story. Good depiction of a furtive relationship.

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Graham Kinross
09:16 Jan 17, 2023

I imagine them both being quite young. Young, dumb and fresh out of ___.

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Tommy Goround
06:50 Jan 17, 2023

Clapping. Congratulations on recom

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Graham Kinross
21:37 Mar 14, 2023

Thanks, Tommy.

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V. S. Rose
00:50 Jan 17, 2023

When I was reading through this, I was expecting a droid or a space shuttle to pop up somewhere. I was sitting there and thinking... any time time now. I haven't read anything of yours that wasn't science fiction but I really enjoyed this one! The dialogue flowed smooth, it was easy to follow, and I thought you did a great job getting the reader to empathize with the emotions of the characters. One description I really liked "The lustful addict's mind." It's simple, but vivid. Great job Graham!

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Graham Kinross
01:30 Jan 17, 2023

Thanks, it’s rare for me to do anything that isn’t science fiction or fantasy but I felt like a change and the prompt fits.

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Zack Powell
06:27 Jan 15, 2023

I primarily know you for doing Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Graham, so this foray into the world of realism was a welcome surprise. You rendered these characters beautifully - we know why they behave the way they do, what makes them tick. It's a tough topic to write about, infidelity, but I think you handled it in a clean, honest way. Think my favorite thing about this story is the lack of names for any of the characters. How you just referred to people by their titles (the husband, the mistress, the wife). I like it a lot. Gave this story a nice sen...

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Graham Kinross
06:37 Jan 15, 2023

Thanks, Zack. I might have to do a sequel to make it clear that his wife isn’t having an affair because I meant it more to be that she doesn’t have the energy to be with him the way he wants her to.

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Helen A Smith
22:30 Jan 14, 2023

I liked this story of passion gone in a marriage and finding the spark with the lover. The husband clearly loves his wife, but is at a dead end: it seems she could be having an affair too. Or, maybe she is exhausted by her work and it’s sapped her energy for anything else. Or, it’s just life being crappy. Amongst others, I liked the line “she was water for his parched ego.” Made for a good read.

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Graham Kinross
23:32 Jan 14, 2023

The way I was thinking was that she just didn’t have the energy, emotionally as much as physically. She’s been witnessing trauma all day so all she can think to do is unwind with trivial stuff when she gets home and she probably doesn’t even realise she’s been pushing her husband away.

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Rebecca Miles
21:13 Jan 14, 2023

What I like about this is the pace, how you strip it all back ( sorry couldn't resist) so we'll hurtling just like this steamy pair into their marathon ( 5 condoms required !?!) illicit liaison. Of course it's all very sad, and maybe it's my being a woman but I did feel for his overworked wife: making nice meals, still showering with him, but unable to light a spark sexually. It made me think what her backstory might be: why she seemed to care but couldn't engage sexually.

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Graham Kinross
23:30 Jan 14, 2023

Thank you. I wanted his wife to seem overworked and emotionally drained to show why she wasn’t in the mood. Even though it’s from his point of view I didn’t want to justify what he’s doing.

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Wendy Kaminski
17:51 Jan 13, 2023

Hey, Graham! Poignant story about dead bedrooms. :( You definitely did it justice, and your writing is superb. Your ability to discuss a sex scene without being too tacky is truly admirable, with lines such as "Her hand held something that was not his and led him to her bed." The wife's compulsive phone use + lack of interest in bed would seem to indicate to me the high probability that she was having an affair of her own. Her energy otherwise doesn't seem particularly sapped, so it isn't depression. I'm not sure if you intended that subtl...

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Graham Kinross
19:48 Jan 13, 2023

Thank you.

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Annalisa D.
20:40 Jan 12, 2023

This is really well written. I liked some of the ways you phrased and described things. I think you do a good job of showing some of the complexity of the situation and different emotions involved. It seems like potentially a sad story for all people involved.

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Graham Kinross
21:09 Jan 12, 2023

Yeah, there are no winners in this. Thanks for reading it, Annalisa. I’ll have a look at chapter two of your book today.

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Annalisa D.
15:15 Jan 14, 2023

Thank you!

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15:08 Jan 12, 2023

A powerful scene, reads like a raymond carver story. The last chapter give us a new perspective on whats gone wrong and empathy for how the husband wound up in this situation.

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Graham Kinross
21:11 Jan 12, 2023

Thanks Scott, I wanted to show that the husband was trying in his marriage as well as being unfaithful. I also wanted the wife to be exhausted from doing a job we all know is important and stressful, so she works in a hospital. Hopefully that balances things.

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Lily Finch
13:25 Jan 12, 2023

Graham, that is so true of many marriages with becoming complacent. It makes you wonder if the wife is not doing the same thing. Many people are flippant about extramarital affairs and sometimes view marriage commitments as anchors around their necks after so many years. At that point, they tell themselves whatever they need to to get on with their life but remain in their homes, functioning on some level with their spouse. Sad really. This story was descriptive and engaging. Thanks for the great read. LF6. These lines really sum it up nice...

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Graham Kinross
21:06 Jan 12, 2023

I’ll edit that typo you noticed. Thanks for reading.

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Graham Kinross
12:14 Jan 12, 2023

If you want to read the first story in this series then you can use this link. Thank you. https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/kjzdiz/

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23:05 Apr 11, 2023

REALLY good. The part where you say “She flipped through TikTok on her phone, smirking at something that was gone a moment later.” Kind of reminds me of how this stuff is always so short. Love and life but it’s bittersweet and painful all at once. Love your writing

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Graham Kinross
00:23 Apr 12, 2023

Thanks, Kylea.

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Amanda Lieser
19:46 Mar 14, 2023

Hey Graham! This story was breathtakingly beautiful. I think I’ve said it before that as much as I love your science work, I am a sucker for some of these intense dramas that you can create. I found myself devastated for all involved in the story. I think that you did a great job of capturing marriages that have failed, but also the thrill of starting an affair. I think it’s very easy to write stories about this particular trope – the beginning of the affair, but I thought that you justified some of the harder parts of these characters’ choi...

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Graham Kinross
21:53 Mar 14, 2023

Thanks, Amanda. It’s easy to empathise with this kind of thing isn’t it? We’ve all been on one end of this if we’ve lived long enough. Tempted by one or suffering another.

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Ian Barrett
16:45 Feb 25, 2023

Love the story Graham. How true the spark fades into routine. Love the end with his wife having an affair at the same time.

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Graham Kinross
23:31 Feb 25, 2023

Thank you. The wife was never having an affair. It was his lover showing up at the hospital to see him.I wasn’t clear on that when I wrote it though.

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Graham Kinross
03:33 Feb 06, 2023

If you liked this and want to know how it ends, the last part of this little trilogy is now uploaded. You can read it using the link below. Thank you for your support and encouragement. https://blog.reedsy.com/short-story/xekad5/

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