"What's your problem?" Aleena asked, locking the hoop earring on her lobe. A trail of jasmine and ylang-ylang accompanied her shadow.

She didn't meander in the living room anticipating his answer. She knew what created his agitation. Her heels clicked against the stained pine floors like a sultry lullaby stoking the flames of his ire and she'd be lying if she said it didn't bring her slight satisfaction.

Aleena felt his presence sucking the air out of the kitchen before she heard his low, even voice.

"That's what you're wearing?" He asked, sliding his sight up and down the fabric of her garment that hugged her body perfectly in all the right places as if the designer themselves had her curvaceous frame in mind whilst etching the dress.

White was anyone's color. Plain and ordinary but against her rich brown skin it called eyes upon her and deemed her worthy of praise. She was mesmerizing.It wasn't an unusual feat. She could pull it off in any color of the spectrum but she knew he loved it and she was currently in her 'Era of Petty'.

An era that started a month ago when he set her down in the formal dining room to have a conversation that obstructed the order of the perception. To her their marriage was normal. Tiffs here and there with moments of annoyance that was greatly forgotten after a quickie in the in the hallway or wherever they got the urge to fuck. She didn't know that he was tense. She didn't know that tracking her ovulation had frustrated him. She didn't know he needed a reset.

It was what he called it. A reset. She didn't know one could reset a three year marriage after five years of dating but she wanted to give him this time so he could get it out of his system and she didn't have to worry about it disrupting their lives when his sperm finally found its way into her egg.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" She questioned after swallowing the chunk of cantaloupe she took her time chewing. She swiped her hand down her cinched waist, over her full hips and back back up again.

He cleared his throat, standing firm in the doorway with folded arms and squared shoulders. "It's tight."

"And?" She said accompanied by a chuckle as she placed the fruit bowl back in the fridge. "I'm going out with Serena and it's Monday."

They both knew what Monday meant. It was one of the days they agreed wasn't for couple business. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were set aside for whatever endeavors pleased their individual desires. 

"I know what day it is." DeMarcus snided, not moving as she sauntered towards him. "I didn't see anything on your schedule and so I assumed..."

"Oh, babe." She glanced over at the chalkboard calendar, her curls bounced shining in the evening sun. "It was last minute and you usually work late at the beginning of the week. You know what you should do—" She stopped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest.

His arms instinctively circled her waist and drew her body against his. "Get you out of his dress."

"No. Not that." She shook her head. "You should call Ty over. Order some food and watch football, basketball, or whatever's in season."

His face hardened as he locked her in his gaze like a lion to a gazelle. "Are you meeting Serena? Just Serena."

"Mostly. I mean it's the plan." She tugged at his arms and after she pulled the third time he released her. "But life is unpredictable. Anything can happen." She kissed his cheek then maneuvered around him out the kitchen. "But if you don't want to call Ty, you can call your girlfriend."

"I don't have a girlfriend." His hissed, following her to the door.

"Girlfriend. Special Friend. Sex buddy." She shrugged nonchalantly as if she wasn't fuming inside. "Semantics."

He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants begrudgingly watching her check her makeup in the mirror at the door once more time. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, baby." She smiled at him then grabbed her keys and purse. She opened the door and then said, "Don't worry. I know I'm going out without a plan but I do have condoms just in case. Love you."

She gave him an air kiss then shut the door behind her leaving him in the empty house alone with his thoughts.