they get a bit existential and think about their own partners (Aguri's perspective)

[NOTE: This chapter happens in parallel with perspectives from Abbie, Jake, Kei, and two voyeuristic strangers.]

Aguri could hear Kei's voice in his mind. She was so frequently disappointed in him -- but it all seemed on the surface. Or was it? They had gone to one couples counseling session together several months back. The therapist said they needed to find their common love language -- and Aguri feared that theirs might be bickering.

But then he reflected on some of their more recent arguments. "Why can't you be more spontaneous, Aguri?" she would ask. "When are you going to change and do something exciting and new?"

He felt a small smile emerge on his face as he opened his eyes and looked down at Abbie. How's this, Kei? he said to himself, trying to quell the voice in his mind. You like this spontaneity now? He closed his eyes again and thumped his body against Abbie.

As he closed his eyes, his mind was on Kei. He imagined the familiar feeling of her body in his hands, of the smell of her skin, of the feeling of her pussy as he had sex with her. He imagined it, but his body told him otherwise, of course -- this was a different woman.

When he'd been with women other than Kei, he wasn't usually so distracted. But today, Kei was there, Kei was manipulating him emotionally, Kei was with another man right next to him -- it all added up to a curious (and not a little bit frustrating) reality that had him more actively thinking about Kei than he ever otherwise would. Is she doing this intentionally?

Aguri popped his eyes open again, mostly to try to shake the less-than-erotic inner monologue that was flowing through his mind. His eyes darted around the area -- there's Kei, this is Abbie, that's her boyfriend, I'm out in the woods, and ... what time is it? Fuck, we're supposed to be at Phil and Staci's party. Have they noticed we're gone?

"Hey," Abbie said quietly. "Does this feel okay?"

The distracting questions in his mind dissolved, and he looked down at Abbie. "Yeah. Yes. It feels great." And it did, he wasn't lying. But he also wasn't entirely into it. And he wanted to be with Kei again. He closed his eyes once more, and thought of Kei.

It wasn't that he was trying to block Abbie from his mind. In fact, he found her very attractive, for a white girl. He typically didn't go for white girls. But Abbie was cute, in a rather American sort of way. He felt her foot against his chest and placed his hand on top of it. He gently touched the top of her foot, then moved his thumb underneath to the sole. He massaged her foot lightly, feeling her soft skin, and was actually quite taken with how smooth and pliant Abbie's foot was to his touch.

Aguri moved his hands along Abbie's leg, holding her against his body. He couldn't deny that the sex felt great. In a way, Abbie reminded him a little of Kei. She was attentive, active, seemed into it. Why does this feel less satisfying than it should? Aguri wondered. It's different, that's why. Usually I do this on my own, she's not there, she's not watching.

Kei wasn't watching, though. Aguri looked down at her, and she was lost in a trance of whatever Jake was doing to her. He started to feel himself getting angry again, frustrated that she was "getting him back" or something because of whatever they'd be fighting about.

He couldn't even remember what it was. It was always something. Food. Clothes. Money. Text messages. That they always seemed to recover from it and never break up made it feel like it was just part of their relationship.

Aguri realized he'd slowed down, He felt Abbie squirming a bit against his legs. Maybe she likes it slower? He thought about her for a moment, but then his eye caught sight of Kei's leg casually resting against Jake, and he knew he needed to reconnect with her. She was too important to him, too special, and even though all of this business in the woods was was likely just a way for some young and carefree people to get off with each other, he also didn't want this to end without a reassurance that he and Kei were going home together.

He looked down at Abbie. She really was quite lovely. Lying there, relaxed, cheerful -- he didn't know women could remain so cheerful during sex. He chuckled a bit at the recognition that Kei was always either serious or dominant (or both), and perhaps that difference alone made this random hookup with Abbie something worth remembering. Nevertheless, he was ready to feel Kei's touch again.

He leaned over Abbie, and touched her stomach. His hand moved slightly against her skin, and then he took a step back, pulling out of Abbie's pussy, shifting his hand to hold his dick.

He glanced at Kei, then at Abbie, and then back at Kei again. He turned to his girlfriend, touched her cheek with a free hand, and maintained his focus there.

"Oh, if I must ..." Kei said, rolling her eyes. Aguri noticed that she was smiling, though, and he was relieved to think that perhaps she too, was ready to take him back.