So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content, gender discrimination, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual violence.

The woman is happily married with children but often imagines having an affair with a different man on one of her weekend trips away from home. In December, she makes plans to spend the weekend in the city doing some Christmas shopping. She prepares the house for her husband and kids before she leaves. She takes the train and rents a hotel room in the city.

In the evening, the woman has a drink at the hotel bar before going to bed. The next day, she walks around shopping and studying the city scenes. In the afternoon, she visits a local pub, where a man greets her. They end up drinking together, and the man quickly opens up about his life. Then they play pool. Afterward, they walk through town together. They pass through the markets and squares. The man buys some fish and invites her back to his home. Before leaving town, they also buy wine and a lottery ticket.

The walk back to the man’s house is long, but the woman is enjoying herself. At the house, she studies his plain space.