Cate was sitting at the table going through her expenses while Jo was flicking the TV channels over and over again. Cate sensed for a while their relationship was in trouble. Signals of coldness and resentment were surfacing from Jo. They hardly went out in public together and nights when Cate had clients, Jo would stay overnight at Symon's place.
Cate couldn't handle the silence any longer “Will you talk to me Jo, I can’t handle this distance between us.” Cate watched as Jo was getting ready for work
“I’m fine I keep telling you.” She puts her gear into her gym bag, but doesn't make eye contact with Cate
Cate goes to her and grabs her “well we haven’t had sex in over a week. That is a good indication that things are not fine.”
Jo uncharacteristically exploded “For fuck sake, why does everything have to be about sex. Does there have to be something wrong just because we don’t screw every god damn 5 minutes Cate. ”
Cate burst into tears, Jo groans and left for work
---
Jo came home from gym feeling like a total bitch. She found Cate sitting on the couch, she didn’t look up or acknowledge Jo at all.
Jo sat next to Cate and put some flowers on the coffee table in front “I’m sorry about this morning, I was out of line.”
“yeh you were, I was trying to talk to you and you just shot me down. I don’t know what to do Jo, I feel as if I’m losing you, that I’m in this relationship by myself.”
“You’re not”
“I know a relationship is not all about sex, I was just trying to acknowledge we have issues we need to address..... that's all.”
Jo nods “Yes I know, so why don’t you and I go away for a week. Go to the country and pamper ourselves. Leave our clients behind and rekindle.”
Cate was thinking about her schedule when Jo jumped up “Look if it’s going to be too much trouble, just forget it.”
Cate got up “no no of course not... if that’s what you want then I can do it.” Throws her arms around Jo and hugs her tightly “I will do anything for us”
Cate spent two days cancelling and rescheduling clients. Whatever it took to get Jo back she was going to do it.
-----
Cate lay in bed excited. It was a few days until their week away and she rolled into Jo and gave her a kiss on the cheek
“Do you know what I’m looking forward to while we are away?”
“hmmmm what” Jo listened
“Being served breakfast in bed, every day.”
“hmmmmm yeh”
“and maybe we can spend two days in bed, just being in bed” joked Cate
Jo smiled “sounds awesome, yeh”
Cate steals another kiss and jumps from their bed “Well I’m going to take a shower, I want you to join me then we are going shopping. I want you to try on that nice little Italian leather jacket I’ve seen.” and heads into the shower
Jo rubs her hands over her face and winces the more she thought about the week away.
Cate waited then called to Jo again to come have a shower. She could she shadows in the bedroom, but nothing indicating she was coming to join her. “Just take a breath Cate, she’s just going though stuff.”
Cate wraps towel around herself and walks out into the bedroom stopping dead.
Jo was dressed and met Cates eyes. Cate’s eyes dropped to the bag next to Jo
“Jo, what’s going on... what’s with the bag honey, you packed already”
Jo ran hand through her hair and bit her lip “I can’t do this, I thought I could... but I can’t. I’m leaving.... “
Cate trying to get her head around it “leaving... what do you mean, where you going.” It then sinks “You are leaving me, you’re fucking running out on me. I go to all this effort in trying to hold us together, only for you to bail on us. You fucking bitch, you didn’t even try... one week and you just”
“It would not have made any difference.” admitted Jo
“Then why the fuck did you suggest it, why the fuck did you make me believe there was a chance when you were planning to fuck off anyway.”
“I don’t know, I thought it was what I needed, I don’t know” Jo shakes her head
“You don’t know, well that’s just fucking brilliant Joanne. Fine you runaway, I’m glad this whole thing doesn’t bother you”
“Hey I’m hurting here too. I just “
“WHAT.... my god, I am sick and tired of apologising to you over what happen. But it was sex, you need to move on.”
“I had no idea you gave blow jobs, you had his” Jo took a breath and swallowed what had regurgitated
“Joanne stop it.” berated Cate
“I wanted so much to hit..... to” Jo sneered but stopped herself
“I know, you wanted to hit him” Cate stepped forward
Jo quickly backed away from Cate “No.... I wanted to hit you. I had to run, I had to get rid of all my anger, energy because I was afraid of what I would do to you.”
Cate couldn’t believe her ears “I don’t understand, I didn’t do anything wrong Jo.... it was my job no more or no less. I don’t know why this is affecting you so much”
“It affects me because you let it”
“You could have said no”
Jo shook her head “I tried, I told you I didn’t think I could do it, but you pushed and pushed until you got what you wanted.”
“Oh well I’m sure if you insisted a little firmer”
“What and ruin the fun you had at my expense” Jo's voice started to rise
Cate met her tone “What are you talking about, I didn’t do this to have fun at your expense, that is absurd.”
“Bullshit, you enjoyed the pain you put me through. You got off on seeing me in agony while you two fucked” Jo was in full rage as she relived that night, like she did everyday since.
“That is a lie, you are out of line Joanne.” spat Cate
“Am I”
Cate scoffed and points her finger at Jo “You just accused me of getting off on upsetting you, it’s pathetic. You’re just upset because you can’t deal with your insecurities”
Jo screwed her face up and snarled back “YEH and you are too addicted to your lifestyle to care about how much it hurt me. You put your client’s needs ahead of me, no wonder I’m fucking insecure. How can I possibly love someone who treats me like that?”
“fuck off you little shit” spits Cate, her body shaking uncontrollably
Jo voiced lowered, she looked towards the door and back at Cate “The trouble with you Cate is you never like hearing the truth.”
Cate kicks Jo's bag to the door “I’m done with you. Get the fuck out of my place, I never want to see you again.”
Jo takes a final look at Cate, grabs her bag and leaves.
Cate waits for the door to slam, goes over to her dressing table and screams pushing all the items off and throwing them, smashing them around the room. She crashes against the wall and slides down sobbing.
the end