Davina got settled in Rochelle’s place. It was a small three-bedroom house. But even though the rooms were small, it was spacious enough, and unlike Betsy’s apartment, it had an additional quarter bath. No having to hold it in when Rochelle was in the shower.
Thirty-one-year-old Rochelle had first rented the house with a former roommate, and when that roommate moved out, she made a deal with the landlord to buy it, so she now owned it outright.
Davina liked the idea of being with someone who owned a house as opposed to renting an apartment, even though she had liked Betsy’s apartment and found the neighborhood to be peaceful. Rochelle’s place was actually noisier. There was a family with small kids next door who could often be seen and heard outside playing noisily, and some teenagers across the street who loved to blast music.
The question was, what were they? Were she and Rochelle just roommates or something more? She did find the detective attractive, but Betsy had been better looking in her opinion, and she liked her more outgoing personality before she decided to dump her for what Davina felt was her not being good enough. Maybe she shouldn’t feel the way she did, but she couldn’t control her emotions.
Rochelle was more laid-back and sometimes too quiet. She wasn’t shy or anything like that, just less talkative.
Over the next few weeks, they slowly got to learn a little about each other, and then the relationship progressed to intimate levels.
Davina wasn’t sure she was as good as Betsy even in the intimate department, but she had no real complaints.
The more time that passed, the more into the relationship she became. She didn’t feel like she was settling at all. It wasn’t that Rochelle wasn’t as good as Betsy, she found, but she was just different. She didn’t look anything like her, and she didn’t act anything like her either.
Eventually, Rochelle accompanied her to her parents’ house and was introduced to them. Rochelle was as impressed with her parents as Betsy had been, she noted to herself, unable to stop comparing the two in her mind. Perhaps that was because they were her only real relationships.
But once again, things were eventually fated to take a turn for the worse. Davina was getting tired of Rochelle’s crazy hours and unreasonable demands. The kitchen was never clean enough. The laundry was never done fast enough. The place was never neat enough. And how horribly selfish of Davina to dare complain when she knew upfront that Rochelle’s hours were erratic!
And then there were the issues of sex. The sex had started off enjoyable at first, but then Davina found it not to be nearly as often as she would like since Rochelle was out so much of the time and often tired when she got home. When they did get together, Rochelle was just as selfish and domineering in bed as she was with every other aspect of their relationship.
Yet the more Davina spoke her mind to Rochelle, the less she wanted to hear it.
“You’ll just have to go home or get your own place if you’re not happy with all I’ve provided you with.”
“All you’ve provided me with?” Davina asked incredulously. “All you want is a live-in slave, Rochelle.”
Rochelle went stock-still and looked at her intently. Davina could see that she was not at all happy, but she wasn’t about to stop either. She had had enough.
“It’s like all you want is someone to take care of the house because you’re not here to do it yourself most of the time. Then you expect that slave to cater to you in bed, and even that has to be your way and your way only.”
Rochelle continued to stare at her, eyes now shooting angry daggers. The detective looked so pissed that Davina thought she might hit her. She didn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to work things out. Couldn’t she see how unfair she was being? How could she really think she was selfish? How could she believe anyone would be okay with the way things were? They practically saw their friends more than they saw each other. That certainly wasn’t okay. Davina didn’t mind taking care of the place, but she wanted Rochelle to do her part and give as well as take. Yet Rochelle seemed to think that giving her a “free” house was more than generous. So much so that she shouldn’t complain about anything else but simply accept things as they were instead and be more grateful.
“I’ll be more grateful when you give me more than just a place to stay!” Davina shouted. “When I see you more than we see our friends. When you take care of me in bed as well as expect me to take care of you. When you quit picking on everything I do… that’s when I’ll be more grateful.”
If looks could kill, Davina would be deader than dead. She was terrified at that split moment Rochelle quickly advanced in her direction and towered over her. “This is my life! This is the way I am! This is the way I live! You don’t like it? Then get the hell out, you spoiled little princess! You can go live someplace else, and you know what?”
Davina looked at her, tears in her eyes, both hurt and angry.
“I’m not even going to be nice enough to give you the time Betsy gave you.”
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