by Dille, K.
Mark began to feel that ember began burn brighter. He began to hope. Lara must've noticed it.
“Let me finish, Mark,” she said, a little testily. “Me and Jim are through. It...probably should have happened a year ago, maybe longer. And...well, that leaves me in kind of a weird place. I obviously can't live with him anymore.” Mark couldn't help himself.
“You could move in with me.”
“Dammit Mark, let me finish.”
“Sorry.”
“It's alright...but listen. Mark, I know you meant it when you said that you love me. And, I think...that I do love you. I've had a while to think about it and...yeah,” she sighed. “I think I might really love you. But Mark...listen. This is very important. It...it probably won't work between us. Our relationship is already pretty unstable, seeing as its based off the fact that you paid to fuck me. Hold it, don't say anything.
“I know that look...Mark, I know things have been great, and they seem great now. And they're going to be great, a lot of fun, for the next few months. This is your first relationship, and your happiness chemicals are going to be firing for quite a while. But Mark, and this is the important part, you'll get content with me. You might even get bored. And I might get bored with you. It will almost certainly happen, and it won't be our fault. I know it seems like you'll never stop feeling this happy and of course you'd never get tired of having sex with me but...trust me, honey, you will. So...with all that in mind...do you still want to give this a shot?”
Mark was silent for several seconds, collecting his thoughts, before he replied.
“I would rather have a fun couple of years with you and a potentially painful breakup in the future than give you up now because the relationship might go south.” Lara sat back, her eyes widening a few centimeters in surprise.
“That...was incredibly mature. And insightful,” she murmured. Mark shrugged.
“Better to have love and lost and all that...I've been doing some thinking myself. And...well, I just want you, Lara. I don't care how we started our relationship, or that you cheated on your boyfriend to be with me, or that you might get sick of me a few years down the road...I'd rather be happy right now. Because, at the end of the day, life is fucking short and completely full of bullshit. And you have to be happy where you can be happy. There's no good sense in what-iffing and playing it safe,” he replied. Lara chuckled.
“You may regret those words in a few years.” Mark shrugged.
“I probably will, but I'm tired of being a shy recluse.” He stood up suddenly and extended his hand. “So, what do you say? Will you have me? Give this thing a shot?” Lara laughed again.
“Didn't I just ask that?...And given our age difference, I should be asking that question. It seems so rare that men actually go for older women beyond just cougar sex.”
“Fuck age difference.”
“Ha! Elegantly put.” She took his hand and he pulled her up.
“Come on, let's go to bed.”