I didn’t know what was the matter with me. My girlfriend Evelyn lay in bed beside me, her back turned away, contently sleeping and understandably worn out. I, on the other hand, felt awash with sexual frustration. Lately, our late night antics would typically end this way- after unsuccessfully getting me to climax, Evelyn would give up and retire for the night. I couldn’t blame her- I was having some serious intimacy problems and it was negatively affecting our sex life. For whatever reason I just couldn’t reach a satisfying climax.

      I climbed out of bed and headed for the shower in our apartment. Evelyn and I had been dating for about 2 years now, but we had only decided to get serious a few months ago when she moved in with me. She was a sweet girl, tall and athletic, and she genuinely cared about me. She had a middle management position at a research facility and had been sent back to school for her M.B.A degree. A smart, strong headed woman- I knew I had found a real catch with her.

      I turned the shower handle and was immediately blasted with ice water. Too lazy to move I just waited until it warmed up. Analyzing my own life in search of an answer to my sexual problem brought me no solution. I had wasted 4 years of my life in the service, but I had finally found myself ready for college. With my military experience I should have gone into business like Evelyn, but I thought a less stressful job would be better for me, so I decided to pursue a teaching degree. As a college history professor I could be something Evelyn would respect, and it would be satisfying work for me as well.  Things were really looking up for me- I was smart, fit, and well on my way to setting my life up. To top it off I had a fantastic girlfriend who meant the world to me. It’s just that, for whatever reason, I couldn’t get off lately. We’d only become sexually active when she moved in with me, which was great at first, but the past month was just frustrating.

      I decided it wasn’t a problem worth spending a great deal of time on. Evelyn was certainly satisfied, at least it seemed that way. I thought that she was immensely attractive, so it wasn’t like I would consider leaving her over this. That would be stupid of me! My sexual problem still persisted, but it was fixable. At that moment I decided that the best course of action would be to finish the deed myself. After 4 years in the service I was well practiced in that act anyways.

      After my shower I crawled back into bed, careful not to wake Evelyn up. She had a busy week ahead of her. She was currently working on a large business deal with the research facility and taking her online classes in the evenings. She was very serious about her work, and often told me about stressful situations she had to deal with. I listened carefully, but thought that she took it home with her too much. I guess in that way I kept her pretty grounded, because she always seemed to feel better after ranting a bit. It was a lot to deal with for her, but she handled it well. I curled up gently beside her and drifted off.

      The next morning I woke to the sound of the neighbors arguing in the apartment below us. This was a regular thing, as they both had some serious substance issues. When they weren’t screwing loudly they were arguing loudly. I couldn’t wait to get a better apartment and take Evelyn with me.

      It would a while before she had to get up for work, and the noise didn’t seem to be bothering her. She had always slept like a rock, and her arm was currently wrapped around my torso. Like a contortionist, I managed to squirm my way out without waking her. As I put on some clothes I eyed her voluptuous form. She was tall for a woman, about 5’10”, with an athletic build. Her body was well toned from years of playing volleyball in high school and college, and unlike many women she maintained that form after she stopped playing. A bit bigger in the hips, she also wore a nice DD-cup bra. A cute face completed the package, with large and expressive green eyes and straight dark brown hair. I was a lucky guy.

      I went to the kitchen, set the stove, and cracked some eggs over a frying pan. As long as I was going to be up, I might as well make some breakfast. I heard Evelyn get up and start up the shower. By the time I was finished making breakfast she was done, and she greeted me as we ate.

      “Good morning Jack, you’re up early.” She accepted the eggs and bacon I made for her.

      “You’ve got that big meeting today, figured I’d help you out with that.” I said as I started pouring her a cup of coffee. “It takes you forever to get ready by yourself.”

      Taking my little jab in stride, she raised her eyebrow and shot back, “Well someone has to pay the bills around here.”

      “Ah, see now you’ve wounded my pride. No coffee for you anymore.” I took the coffee I had just made and sipped it spitefully. I got a small chuckle out of her and poured her a new one.

      We talked quietly, mostly about her job. She was in charge of working with another team from a Japanese company on some biological research, and her boss was really pressuring her to make some progress. On top of this she had a bit of a language and cultural barrier to deal with, which was frustrating her. I reminded her that whole ordeal would be done by the end of the week, and things would get better after that. We finished eating and I got up to leave for my morning run. I kissed Evelyn goodbye and was out the door.