Summary

Even the hours of the day the narrator is not thinking about the affair, the feeling haunts him. As the weeks pass, the thoughts diminish. Yet he continues calculating the hours he spends thinking it as part of the experience. Sometimes the thoughts last only a few minutes. Other times they consume "half the night" (22). In total, he figures he has spent roughly “$3 an hour” on the whole thing (22).

He wonders if he should include "the bad times" in his calculations (22). Yet the only bad time he can recall was the night he told her he loved her. He could not help himself. He assured her she did not have to reciprocate the sentiment. Not wanting his love to be a burden, he tried not to say it. The knowledge that he loved her overwhelmed his interior. Having sex amplified the feeling. So...