An unnamed woman has spent the entire winter as her lover's other woman. She feels alive with him and, she thinks, the same is true for him. Aside from sex, they also play little games with each other. Their favorite is rock-paper-scissors—it's one indulgence they allow each other. At first, she pursued him out of boredom and attraction. A few chance encounters and many advances on her part later, they were involved. In the months since, their relationship has been playful, sexual only. They playact domesticity, not engage in it. Only once, when he tells her how he met his girlfriend of three years at a party and defended her against a rapist, do things get real. That day, their parting game of rock-paper-scissors takes on special significance. One day, she and a few friends chance upon her lover and his girlfriend at a bar. He's nervous and a bit awkward, but she revels in it, enjoying the joylessness of his partner, Catherine. She labels her rival a party pooper, especially when she throws cold water on their group's jokey hypothetical trip to Mexico. The next time they meet, they finally address the issue head-on. Stumbling over his words, her lover reveals that his relationship with Catherine isn't always perfect. She rages at him, beats him. But he still can't leave her. The woman's shock disappoints her, which she covers by deciding to leave town on the spot. During one last session of lovemaking, they confess their love to each other, but when they part after a game of rock-paper-scissors, their good-byes feel suspiciously final.