Mars and Venus

by Jenn Ashworth

It isn't like we're an old married couple, but over the past few years my boyfriend and me have worn each other down on the burning issues - how much money he spends on computer games, my smoking, his laundry, me watching porn in bed when he's trying to sleep, him refusing to talk on the phone to my mother. We've learned to negotiate. I was enjoying this stage in our relationship - not settled exactly - we still like doing sex and I'm not past missing him when he isn't around - but I was sure we didn't need to worry about the deal-breakers anymore. Then we had a bit of an incident, a sort of accident with a milk bottle, and it's set us back. We're arguing again: he thinks we should give ourselves up and I think we should hide the body and move to Wigan. We've decided to leave it where it is for the time being and give ourselves a week to talk and come to some kind of compromise.

6S

Jenn Ashworth, author of I Can't Stand Being Disappointed, was born in 1982 in Preston, Lancashire. "Mars and Venus" is taken from the first page of her new novel-in-progress. You can read more about Jenn, her writing (and her other novel) at her website.