account was nearing zero and he was almost peeking into his overdraft facility. Nevertheless, he could not disappoint his girl. “Six pounds,” he announced, handing the card over to the costumed barman. When the drinks were served the pair of them found a table. The atmosphere was tense to say the least. “I’m going to the toilet,” she announced, and disappeared round the corner of the bar. Sam was glad. It gave him time to think, to allow the realisation he had made to sink in a little. Because now he knew that they both had completely different conceptions of what a ‘relationship’ was. He had always thought of it was two equal, individual people enjoying each other’s company, loving one another; she, however, seemed to think it was something to do with dominance and servility. While she was gone, he got out a pen and paper from his bag and wrote down his thoughts. She treats me like a cash machine, he complained. That’s all I am to her: someone to use for money when her whim demands; someone to be her ever-willing servant. She returned, and he hid the sheet in his pocket. He mustered up the courage to speak to her in person. “Sandy,” he began. “I can’t afford to keep doing this. I thought we were equal in this.” “No!” she snapped back. “The man has to pay for everything in the relationship.” He gawked back at her. “Everything?” “Yes. Everything. Now finish your pint and go and buy me dinner.” He downed it gladly, for he could not stand to be with her sober. They exited the pub and went on their way.
Day 54 It was three in the morning, and Sam was lying on the bed awake. He had not been able to sleep for some time now. Of course, it was not his own bed; it was Sandy’s, and she was lying next to him. He had long since lost the freedom to choose where he spent his nights. They had tried to make love that evening, but the passion was gone. Sam just couldn’t get into it anymore since the day in the pub. He had seen a side of her that he just could not unsee, and he was seeing it every day now: she was in control. She controlled how his money was spent, who he spent his time with, where he spent his nights, everything he did down to a T. It bothered him. It had produced a change in him, and Sandy noticed. “Who is she?” she blurted out. “What?” asked Sam. Yet he knew what she was talking about. She had noticed his new lack of enthusiasm and, perhaps logically, had put it down to the intrusion of another woman into her beloved’s life. “No-one, Sandy. There’s no-one else.” “In fact, why would you even think there was anyone else? Have I ever done anything to give you that idea?” “No,” she mumbled from beside him sadly. Her back was turned to him, but he could hear her sobbing. And he didn’t know what to do. They were both sad now, for different reasons, and he didn’t know what to do. So he settled down in the bed, just as he had done for the past fifty three nights, and tried to go to sleep next to a girl he was finding it harder and harder to love.