One could conclude the term “happily married” conveys what is says. But that’s the quality inherent in adverbs; they’re fuzzy. They’re the chenille in a pile of written fabrics; the stick that led me down this path.
Honestly, I’ve never every thought about playing outside of my marriage. To put this into perspective, cheating on my husband with a much younger man doesn’t deserve to be called a thought. It’s been merely a playful fantasy, up until early last week.
I’ll be the first to admit that after years of marriage to Jeff, we appear to be joined at the hip. Together we’re a well-oiled machine. But sometimes I feel like a horse with a bit.
Initially I loved the way Jeff would reign me in for a kiss. He’d take my by surprise, pull me in close and give me a kiss that felt like a hit. He made me dizzy and I sensed he yearned for my ride.
If there’s an explanation for the way me and Jeff started to drift it is simply the sense of decline I felt whenever we kissed. Maybe there’s a finite number of passionate kisses two people can share. Perhaps me and Jeff just allowed ourselves to burn through our stack.
When Eric first hit me up with a text then a chat, it seemed playful enough. Like most men he was attracted to my appearance. His compliments encouraged me and i found myself wanting to please him, to bring a smile to his face.
Initially, we met for coffee at our local grocery store. It was harmless enough. Later standing by his truck in the parking lot, we both dropped a couple of hints, just a neighborly sort of flirt.
For whatever reason. it never occurred to me that Eric could become someone I miss. So when Eric when silent last week, I became quite simply a mess.
“Is something the matter,” Jeff asked, after I’d waited hours for Eric’s non-existent ping. “I don’t know Jeff, I’m not sleeping soundly. Summer is over; adjusting I guess.” Jeff gave me his usual decline of a kiss.
On Monday, Jeff went to work and I took a well earned day off, beginning with a bath. I dressed in a way I thought Eric couldn’t resist.
The local grocery store was crowded, with all of the work from home types stocking up after the weekend. Walking through the store, i purposefully avoided the coffee shop.
Eric wouldn’t be there and even if he was, I refused to allow myself to make such a blatant approach. Particularly after his inexcusable week of silence.
“Hey.” I heard over my right shoulder. Eric’s now familiar voice sent chills down my neck. When I turned he was standing in front of the greeting card section, apparently looking for a birthday wish.
I asked offhandedly about his selection. “My nephew’s birthday is today. I need to buy him a gift.”
“And how have you been” he said.
I fell again for his casual charm and found myself aroused by his ability to move into the roll of an overgrown boy. Eric is 26 and I’m 39.
I’ve never thought of myself as a Cougar, but the ideal appealed to me now. “One of us will assume the lead from here, and that’s probably me,” I thought.
“I’m running a few errands today; maybe you could use my help selecting a gift,” I said.
“Oh yes, that would be awesome Susie. If you want to drive, I’ll drop my truck off at my house.”
The fact that Eric had a house was news to me. And I had no idea whether or not he had a job, or even a girlfriend for that matter.
“I’m about two miles from here. You can follow me.”
I followed Eric to his truck and hesitated as he stood by the door. If he hadn’t really noticed me before, he had to now. I stood close at his side, in my expensive LB wood heels. I watched his eyes slowly work down past my knees.
The cracked asphalt was the perfect stage for the look of my feet. I twisted my ankles and wiggled my toes; they were my lure to his fish.
“Nice shoes,” he said.
“They’re size 10 and basically one of a kind.”, I replied.
“Maybe today you’ll learn how they work,” he said, with with an irresistible boyish grin.
“Yes, maybe we will,” I replied.
I followed Eric over to his house and pulled up behind his truck parked at the curb. When Eric walked back to the open window of my car, I mischievously looked up into his eyes. “Yes officer, you’ll have to arrest and cuff me,” I said.
Eric laughed. “Come inside for a second, I want to show you around.”
Eric impressed me with his living room design, if for no other reason then the fact he’d obviously understood the art using robotic intelligence inherent in mail order furniture store decorating. It revealed itself in the ability to put a “B” to the “A” like bronze is to chrome and leather is to lace.
If there was anything eclectic in his design, it escaped me. It also relieved my concern over accidentally falling through the web of some flimsy family antique.
I walked over to the corner style leather sofa and made a point of leaning just so over the arm and placing my left hand on the cushion. The diamond tennis bracelet and wedding ring displayed like a wild card and a reminder to me at least, I had other options to play.
“I love your full grain leather.” I arched my back slightly and widened my stance, just enough to reveal the goods on display.
“It’s super comfy. Take a seat if you want. I’ll be back in a second, once I put on a clean shirt.”
I sat down on the sofa and put my shoes up on the glass and chrome coffee table.
My shorts were off white trending to beige, low cut and short; just loose enough by design to fail at covering the g-string pantie, which peeked up to the base of my spine.
Another chevron of pink string pulled up past my hip. I looked down at my toes and closed my legs at the knees.
If I were ever the model of control and matured innocence it was in this moment, when Eric returned to the room.
“You know Susie, I’ve heard a lot of nice things about Jeff, and you seem to have the perfect marriage. You’ve really got it all.”
And with that, Eric flopped down onto the sofa at my side. He casually placed his left and over my hands at my knees.
If there were ever a time to turn back it was now, as he looked over at me. I looked into his eyes and held onto his gaze. “You know Eric, things are not always as they seem.”
My body began to relax and I felt my chest almost start to heave. Eric brought his right hand up to the back of my neck and we kissed.