Something’s Up

Something was up with Rachel. Jordan could tell, the way a husband could tell when something was off with his wife. She was acting… different.

It was small things. She had been awake when he got up, already in the kitchen, eating breakfast and reading the news on her phone. After cleaning himself up and getting dressed, Jordan joined her, leaning in for a kiss.

That was his first clue. The kiss.

Just as his lips brushed against his bride’s, she turned away, wincing. Was she mad at him? Had he done something wrong? Just a moment earlier, Jordan had been looking forward to breakfast with his wife. Too often she woke up early and left for her job at the hospital before he was awake. It was a rare chance for him to spend a little time with her alone in the apartment.

She seemed to sense that she had done something odd, then turned back to him, shoving her face against his, her eyes squeezed tightly. Her tongue shoved itself into his mouth, she moaned loudly. It was too much, like she was overcompensating. Yes, it was pleasurable, but it made him feel uneasy.

“Well good morning to you, too,” Jordan said with a chuckle once she released him, trying to shake off the feeling.

“Did you sleep well?” She said, her face flushed, eyes returning to her phone.

“Well enough,” Jordan responded, grabbing a plate and popping a couple pieces of bread into the toaster, “No shift today?”

“I did a double on Tuesday, so today I’m taking an in lieu,” she said dismissively, “What’s your day like?”

“Meetings,” Jordan said, “Lots of boring meetings.”

He was young, had a lot of school debt, and at the beginning of his career. Even with Rachel’s nursing job and he working at his cousin’s office, the two of them would still be stuck living in the tiny apartment for a long time. He’d taken the job working for his cousin Louis only because of the pay, not because he enjoyed the work. It was boring as hell, but Jordan was in no position to be picky.

“This is weird,” Rachel said, still staring at her screen.

“What?”

“This article,” she said, “it says that scientist have been tracking the movement of a new type of mite, related to dust mites. Says that they are harmless to humans, but they have been found to destroy clothing. A woman in England lost her entire wardrobe in three days. “

“That is weird,” Jordan said, pulling his now toasted bread from the toaster, then spreading peanut butter, “Is there, like, an insecticide or anything that works?”

“Nothing that they’ve found,” she continued, “still too new. Hopefully we don’t get them here. I just bought a new sweater that I love!”

As he sat down to eat, Rachel looked up and smiled at Jordan lovingly, making his heart warm. Maybe he had just imagined her behaviour before. Maybe she was just caught off guard. Maybe. But he didn’t think so.

“Is everything okay?” Jordan ventured, “Like, are we okay? I feel like maybe…”

“Don’t be silly, babe,” Rachel kicked him under the table playfully. Too playfully. “Of course everything’s fine. I’m going to have a great day off, and your work won’t be as terrible as you think it’ll be.”

She quickly got up and crossed to the coffee maker to refill her cup.

“Is there anything you want to do tonight?” She asked with her back turned, “It’s Friday…”

Friday was their regular sex night. The pair had very early on decided to celebrate the beginning of the weekend by enjoying each other’s bodies. Sometimes they even got a little creative, sex toys, role play. That night or was Jordan's turn to pick how and where they did it. The week before Rachel had chosen to Fuck in that very kitchen, buck naked, bent over the countertop.

“I’ll think about it,” Jordan smiled, staring at the backside of his wife, “Maybe you could put on your schoolgirl outfit and I could be the disappointed teacher. That’s kind of fun.”

Did her shoulders just hunch? Did she just sigh? If she had, it was so subtle that Jordan wasn’t so sure that he could say anything about it, but there was definitely something up with her.

“I can’t wait,” she said, still turned away. She took another sip of her now refilled coffee, then turned back, “I’m really lucky to have you, you know?”

“Not as lucky as I am,” Jordan said truthfully. He hoped that whatever was up was minor. Rachel was his guiding light. If she was upset, he wanted to fix it. But if she wasn’t ready to let him in, he was going to have to be patient.

“Shut up,” she said through a smirk, “dork.”

“Nerd,” he retorted.

“Dweeb.”

“Loser.”

“Jack-ass.”

“You wound me!” Jordan mimed being shot in the heart, eliciting a laugh from his wife.

“Alright lover-boy,” she said, “I’m going shopping with my sister this morning, so I have to get ready. I’ll see you after work.”

Then she left him alone with his toast. Maybe he was overthinking things, maybe it was all in his mind, but something was up with her. He’d get to the bottom of it, but if the experience of being married to Rachel for two years had taught him anything, it was that sometimes you had to wait to see how things unfolded.