Love Rat

She looked over the multi-coloured frame of her glasses and assumed a stern expression.

“Mr and Mrs Alexander, it’s a positive step that you’ve both come here to try to work things out but you really must stop bickering like school kids.”

They both mumbled sheepish apologies and so she softened her tone as she continued: “Now then, Dave, tell us about your relationship with Sophie. And Debbie, please don’t interrupt him.”

“I wasn’t in a relationship with Sophie.”

“You know what I’m talking about. Tell me how you met her, what she looked like, how she made you feel.”

Debbie leaned forward as if to speak but the counsellor raised her hand swiftly to signal that she keep quiet.

“Well…we met at the office. I don’t remember the date or anything like that. She wasn’t bad looking but nothing special. She was pleasant enough and seemed to settle in pretty quickly, one of those people who could get along with anyone.”

“Did you feel anything for her at this stage?”

“Nothing at all.”

“How did the two of you become closer?”

Debbie rolled her eyes at that question but remained silent, turning her head to study the tall oak bookcase in a corner of the room.

“It was only when I was asked to work on a project with her about four months after she started that things started to change slightly. I didn’t really set too much store by the fact that we talked non-stop and that she laughed at my jokes because she seemed to be like that with everyone.” Dave paused and took a sip from the glass of water on the glass topped table before him. “I’ll admit that it felt good to be with her and I used to look forward to seeing her again.”

Debbie turned her head sharply at that admission and focussed her gaze directly on her husband.

“This is good,” the counsellor encouraged him. “Carry on.”

“Well, the project lasted three months and by the end we were indulging in some mild flirting. I mean, it was all pretty harmless- she was in an on-off relationship that she hoped would work out and I was a happily married man with a young son; even if I hadn’t been, there was no reason to suppose that Sophie actually had any real interest in me. We’d worked so closely together on this project that there was a… I don’t know… a special friendship between us and believe me, I kept reminding myself that it was just a friendship.”

“What happened when the project finished?”

“We made this great presentation that the company directors loved and then we went off for a coffee together to celebrate. That’s it, really.”

“How did you feel in that moment? Were you carried away by your success?”

“We embraced and I kissed her the cheek. That’s what friends do, isn’t it?” Dave looked at his wife for support but she turned away and looked towards the bookcase once more, as if to signify that this held more interest for her than her husband did.

“You didn’t tell me how you felt.”

“I felt regret, relief, exhilaration and I was quite emotional.”

“Explain each of them.”

“Do you think I could have that coffee you offered before we got started?”

The counsellor stood up and walked over to the coffee maker. She poured a cup and placed it in front of Dave. He took a sip and then sat back in his chair.

“Regret because I wouldn’t be working so closely with Sophie- she was great fun to work with after all; relief because I hadn’t been tempted to stray from the straight and narrow and truly did- and still do- love my wife; exhilaration because we did a bloody good job and I was emotional because all these conflicting feelings were running around my mind. I even shed a tear in the car on the drive home but I honestly couldn’t tell you which of those feelings caused it.”

“I think it’s really positive the way you’ve opened up to talk about this. Wouldn’t you agree, Debbie?”

“Personally, I don’t think that my husband’s tears were linked to any of the feelings he mentioned; it’s more likely that it was frustration that despite working so closely with Sophie, he failed to get her into bed.”

“That’s not helpful, Debbie.”

“I didn’t even want to come here,” Dave added. “I only came because you insisted upon it.”

“You haven’t got to the juicy part of the story yet.”

“Would you like to carry on, Dave?”

He nodded. “Of course, I didn’t see so much of Sophie after that and so my feelings were never as strong, although it did feel a bit strange when I saw her laughing and joking with some of the other guys.”

“You were jealous. Bloody hell!” Debbie stood up as if to leave.

“Please sit down. Your husband has come here at your request and is being completely honest. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Debbie did not reply but sat down once more.

“I don’t know if it was jealousy, it was just that I’d got used to being the guy who made her laugh. Anyway, it all came to a head after the company Christmas meal. A few of us headed on to a club after the meal and I found myself on the dance floor with Sophie; in fact, she’d dragged me on there, I’m not really one for dancing usually. We’d had a fair few drinks by then and when the music stopped, we had a moment where our eyes just locked on to each other. She leaned towards me and kissed me on the lips; it took me a second to realise what was happening and I took a step back to create some distance between us.”

Dave looked over at his wife but the slight arch that had appeared in her right eyebrow told him all he needed to know. He carried on regardless. “I took her hand and led her away from the main area of the club towards the exit. Sophie kept asking me why I didn’t like her. I told her that she was a great girl and was about to tell her that nothing could happen between us when she rushed off to the ladies’ toilets. She came back after a couple of minutes and looked a bit green. I took her outside, said goodbye, but without any kisses, on the cheek or otherwise, and saw her into a taxi. Then I hailed a taxi for myself and made my way home. That’s it, that’s the extent of any relationship we had.”

“So how did Debbie come to think that there was more to your relationship with Sophie?”

“She used to work with one of the other women in the office. This woman told her that Sophie and I had been really close during our project and that we’d then been seen kissing on the dance floor before leaving the club together. I suppose the basic facts are correct but it seems that everyone in the office drew the conclusion that I was having an affair with Sophie and that’s what Debbie was told. It’s not true; all I’ve said tonight is exactly how it happened. There’s no crime in having feelings for someone else if you don’t act on them, if in fact you make a conscious decision not to act on them, no matter how strong they are. There’s no crime in that, is there? Is there?” he repeated, facing his wife. She remained silent but Dave sought to press home the point and turned to the counsellor. “What do you think?”

She looked at her watch. “We’ve made progress. Perhaps we can hear Debbie’s side of the story next time.”

“No, there won’t be another time. I’ve heard what I need to hear.”

Dave looked at her cautiously, trying to read the expression on her face. She maintained a neutral expression as she turned to face his gaze: “Come on then, Love Rat, let’s go home.”