The Royal Plams
By Matthew Klam, first published in The New Yorker
A man tries to reignite the spark in his failing romantic relationship.
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Plot Summary
A man and his lover, Diane, go on a vacation to a resort in the Caribbean. The man laments that their sexual relationship is lacking and that he is constantly unsatisfied with Diane. At the resort, they meet another couple named Rick and Joane. The man and Rick form a friendship. During a fishing trip with his new friend, the man spots an attractive woman on the boat and tells Rick about his relationship woes. Later, the man tries to have sex with his wife, but she falls asleep. When Rick comes to the man's room to ask for money, the man finds out that Rick has a gambling addiction. He gives Rick $500. Later, the man talks to Joane while Rick and Diane go off on the beach. The man believes Diane is cheating on him with Rick. The man touches Joane's shirt, and it seems like the two of them might be intimate until Rick and Diane appear. Later, Diane has passionate sex with the man and then asks if she can go fishing with Rick. The man agrees but still suspects that she's cheating on him. While Diane is with Rick, the man finds the woman he saw on the boat and asks for her number. On the last night, the two couples have dinner, and Rick reveals that he is in extreme debt. The man enjoys the rest of the vacation before they all go back to the airport to return home.
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