They had been together for a little over three years. She was his best friend, and he was hers. They were deeply in love and the sex, although infrequent as it used to be, was still considered "good" by both parties. With their hectic work schedules and the other responsibilities of adult life, sex often took a back seat to other day to day distractions. It wasn't that they stopped wanting sex, but that it sometimes seemed that there just wasn't enough time in a day.
Gradually, after being together for three years, sex had become less and less frequent and less and less spontaneous. They accepted the decline as an unfortunate, but seemingly natural thing that happens to many couples in long term relationships. It wasn't until the morning that she caught him masturbating in the shower one Saturday afternoon that they were forced to confront the all too real ramifications of their dwindling sex life.
Both of them always showered with the door open as the hot water made the bathroom far too steamy. Liz was making breakfast in the kitchen of their apartment when she remembered she forgot to ask Jeremy what he wanted in his omelet. She walked purposefully towards the bathroom, but stopped just outside the door when she heard a faint groan from the shower within. She stopped moving and her breath caught in her throat. "He isn't, he couldn't be doing that" she thought. But when she heard another moan, the realization hit her hard and quick. Jeremy was masturbating. Before she knew what she was doing, she tore open the shower curtain in a potent mix of anger and sadness.
Her boyfriend Jeremy had his eyes closed and is head back. Water from the showerhead was streaming over his erect penis while his hand furiously pumped up and down the shaft. Hearing the curtain quickly open startled him, but it wasn't enough to stop what was already inevitable. Past the point of no return, he shouted in surprise at the intrusion and turned instinctively towards her. At the same time, his hips bucked forward and his eyes closed as he launched an arc of cum across her chest splattering on her pajamas and the nearby shower curtain.
"Jeremy what are you doing! I cannot believe this is happening" she stammered as he struggled in the shower to regain any semblance of composure.
"What do you think I am doing Liz? Were you spying on me or something? Just leave me alone." He responded, quickly taking the defensive as he yanked the shower curtain closed.
"First of all I am not spying on you. I came in to ask you what you wanted in your omelet. If I had known you were busy in there doing that, I wouldn't have come anywhere near you. Why didn't you shut the door? Why were you masturbating in the first place?", Liz asked with a hint of disgust in her voice.
She bombarded him with questions clearly disappointed by the whole incident. She sounded so clinical and so disgusted with him that his embarrassment was rapidly combining with a horrible feeling of guilt that left him feeling like a complete and utter asshole. Even with the shower curtain closed, he could feel her eyes searching for answers.
After a painful silence for a moment or two, it quickly became evident that she was in no way going to leave him alone right now. Since he was trapped quite literally in the shower with no means of escape other than what he knew was going to be an uncomfortable conversation, he started the only way that made sense given the current circumstances.
"I'm sorry" Jeremy said opening the curtain "but we haven't had sex in a long time. Just because you aren't interested in sex anymore, doesn't mean that I've stopped wanting it."
"What?" She asked surprised. "You think I'm not interested in sex? You think that you're the only one who gets horny around here!" "I may not be as horny as you, but I still want sex" Liz said clearly irritated.
They then proceeded to have a long conversation about their waning sex life. At times they argued, at times they were upset by what was brought to the surface, but in the end, they realized they needed to make some changes. They needed to find a way to get back to the way things were when they first met, the way things used to be.
There was a time when they couldn't keep their hands off each other. In college, with little privacy to be found they had to be resourceful if they wanted to get off. They would pleasure each other under blankets in common areas, have quick oral sex while roommates slept, or fuck quickly before their roommates would get back from class. Back then there wasn't time for much more than that, but they were still able to keep things hot and steamy between them. Now they had all the privacy and time they could want, but things had fizzled. They both agreed that they needed to get the romance and passion back into their relationship.
At work the next day Liz couldn't stop thinking about the conversation she had with Jeremy the day before. On the one hand, she loved that they finally talked about an issue that was definitely taking its toll on their relationship. On the other hand, she felt dissatisfied with their lack of a clear cut solution. During her lunch break at the office Liz approached her closest friend and co-worker Christine. She told her what happened this weekend and begged for advice.
"It's not uncommon you know. I catch Rick jerking off all the time", Christine said trying her best to reassure Liz. "I once even caught him rubbing one off with an expensive pair of my panties. I was a little pissed that he might wreck them or at least stretch them out, but I got to tell you, it kind of turned me on."
"Really? Liz asked. "I guess I never thought that guys masturbating was a turn on. It always grossed me out."
"Well you admitted you haven't been putting out right? Either you tend to your man's needs or he'll tend to them on his own, or even worse find someone else to tend to them." Christine remarked with eyebrows raised while her head nodded. "Plus in all honesty part of me likes the idea of Rick thinking about me while he jerks off. I mean that means I'm his fantasy right?"
"I guess I never thought of it like that. Christine what am I going to do? What would you do if you were me?" Liz pleaded.
"I don't have all the answers but I think I might know of something that might help. Let me go home real quick. I think I might have just what you need." Christine said leaving their office break room promptly.