An Affair Begins

She gave an infectious little giggle at my attempt at humour. I liked it, although sitting here on the high stool, opposite this beautiful young woman, I couldn't think of anything I didn't like about Michelle. She turned her head for only a fleeting moment to pick up her glass from the bar and I grabbed the fleeting moment to steal an admiring glance at what I could see of those thighs in the dim lighting. She had relaxed since hoisting herself up onto the high rise stool, her thighs were slightly parted invitingly, still a massive expanse of her bare thighs on display where the already short figure-hugging black dress had ridden up.

"You work for a multi-national food company with a side benefit of lots of free stuff, so your grocery bill is far less than Mr. and Mrs. Average. Of late, you're asking yourself more and more why you married Ben. You are trying to persevere with your marriage, but it's really heading for life support, not helped at all - in fact contributed to - by Ben's argumentative nature. Before you met Ben, you were a vibrant and extremely attractive girl who had enjoyed a series of steady relationships of varying lengths. You have always been a woman who knows what she wants and you've enjoyed sex a lot since your teenage years, although these days, you don't get as much of it as you used to or need and you find that annoying ... if not very frustrating."

"Oh my God, that's good, you're very good John! That just about sums up my life to date, even the bit about having several steady relationships before I was married. I never told you anything about that, how would you know that?"

"I don't know, maybe intuition, perhaps drawing on a few assumptions. So did I make any big mistakes?"

"No, you got it all pretty much spot on." She reached out and touched my arm with her hand, I took it as a gesture to emphasise her next point, "even the bit about not getting enough sex as I used to or need." She whispered that last bit and looked around her as if checking that the bartender couldn't hear her revelation.

"Good!" I was pleased to hear that she might feel as sex-starved as I.

"Good, what do you mean good? It's not good that I am not getting my share of sexual satisfaction."

"That's true, no I didn't mean it how you took it. It's not good for your libido, but I think it's good that you do have a need to fill that spot."

"Do you now?" she said, giving me a long lingering look as if she might be assessing whether I measured up to fill that need. I was quite excited sitting here in the darkened bar with this beautiful woman, a stranger to me only a few short weeks ago. Before meeting her that night in the supermarket, I had not even contemplated the prospect of having an illicit affair. Now my expectation was that it was suddenly highly likely ... very real, at least to me.

She changed the subject, perhaps for now preferring to dismiss my suggestion that she wasn't getting enough sex, "You didn't have a guess at my age, but I won't embarrass you by pinning you down. Sometimes that can backfire, haven't we all been embarrassed at some time when you ask a person to guess your age and they guess way too high. You end up going away worried that you look much older than you really are."

"Has that ever happened to you?"

"It did once, the guy sure pissed me off. I tried to convince myself he was joking. Still, I never gave him a second chance. Oh, by the way, I won't make you sweat it out ... I'm 34."

"Ooh, you are a bit younger, aren't you? I had you pegged for early forties."

She looked indignant and her up-to-now happy face turned to an icy glare, "You are joking, surely."

"Yes, of course I am Michelle, just my feeble attempt at humour given your bad experience with the guy that thought you were older. I had to clear that up quickly before you thought I was serious and stormed out in a huff. Actually, I was right on the mark, I told myself you were mid-thirties."

Her nice smile returned, "You have done very well in working me out, even to the point of spooky. You haven't been stalking me, have you?"

I took her seriously, "Oh hell no, I'm not into that!"

Michelle grinned and touched her hand to my arm again, I liked the familiarity of it. "Sorry John, I was only kidding. I would never think that for a moment, I know I've never seen you before that night in the supermarket." Then out of the blue, she added a comment that I took as a compliment, "I would have remembered if I had."

"Really?"

"Yes really! You are a good looking man, I'd say you look after yourself, you must work out and if you hadn't told me 46, I'd have taken you for early forties, if that ... maybe even 39. So what is the rest of your story? I'm usually quite good at reading people, you know from body language, but I don't think that I'm as good as you at working out a person's life history."

"Born and bred here, I love this city, doubt that I could ever leave it. Left school after high school, never had any interest in pursuing a degree in anything. Liked the idea of working and I've done a few different things in my working life. First real sexual experience at 16 with what you'd call a childhood sweetheart..."

"How is your first real sexual experience different from unreal ones?"

"Ha ha! Oh well, real is what we used to quaintly call 'going all the way.' The present generation just calls it fucking."

"Oh, so you were only 16, how old was the girl?"

"Sixteen too, she was a few months older than me, we'd known each other since kindergarten. We went steady until we were 19 and then somehow drifted apart. I guess we wanted to see what life was like with other partners and we never found our way back again."

"Were you disappointed at that?"

"Oh I guess I was at times, mainly felt it in later years whenever I was between girls."

"Sounds like it really wasn't meant to be if you were that casual about losing her."

"Yeah I guess so. Anyway, I had about three ongoing relationships - each between 6 months and a year - before meeting Jennifer when I was 23. We married a year later and had our kids soon after, so I was a dad by the time I was 25."

"How did you meet her?"

"At a company I worked for back then, she was one of the P.A.'s, and a good one at that."

"Love at first sight?"

"Yes, pretty close to that."

"Any regrets now?"

"Not about us becoming a couple back then because I think we made a couple of good kids and we've been good parents together. But I do have regrets that the two of us have grown so far apart. We have few mutual interests these days, her best friends and my best friends don't even move in the same circles."

"And you regret that you're not getting your share?"

"My share?" I feigned ignorance so I could push her into being more explicit.

"Of sex John ... oh my God, do I have to draw a picture ... of sex."

"Hmm, I'd like to see what kind of picture you'd draw for that."

She giggled again, I liked the way she did that, it was infectious.

"Yes, I knew what you meant. Yes, I'm disappointed that she's lost interest in that."

"But you haven't?"

"Oh hell no! While my heart beats and my penis rises on demand, I will never tire of the enjoyment of making love to a beautiful equally loving woman."

"Does she have to be beautiful?"

"No I guess not, but it sure helps, particularly when I am having this conversation with a woman who is so beautiful."

"Aaah, how sweet, thank you. So John, tell me why you think we're here, two mature adults, each married to other people, meeting secretly in a darkened bar? Where is this heading John? What is it that you expect might happen ... or want to happen?"

Wow, there it was, so early in the evening, the leading question ... she put it right out there. Should I be careful how I answered this? Would she mark my future chances on the way I replied? I stared into her eyes and took her hand in mine, "I want you Michelle ... it's as simple as that, I really want you!"

"Ooh, that's a bit heavy, I didn't quite expect that."

Was I too over the top in being that direct?

"That's a big step John, have you ever been unfaithful to your wife before?"

"No never!"

"Then why now and why me?"

"I've already told you why now, the way our marriage and our relationship within it has crumbled. As for you, I was attracted to you the minute you took my mud cake. You might remember my hand landed on yours after you grabbed it. Even back then, at first sight, I didn't want to let your hand go."

Michelle lightened the moment, "That's because you thought you were still a chance to steal the cake away from me."

My turn to laugh now and I did, "I was captivated by this wonderful woman who had suddenly crossed my path. How beautiful she was, with such a sparkling and vivid personality, and a great sense of humour."

"You got all of that in sixty seconds?" she checked.

"I don't think it takes long with you, I am sure you light up a room when you enter it."

"A serious question John, do you really want me John, or is it a game for you? Do you just want to have more sex in your life and you've met an attractive woman, she seems like she might be unhappy in her marriage and you think you've got a pretty good chance here?"

"No, oh Michelle, a thousand times no! Don't cast me as a typical male just out to get his rocks off! It's you, I was captivated by you that first afternoon in the supermarket. That day I saw the woman of my dreams. To that moment, I had never considered cheating on Jenny. As for the sex at home, I just thought I'd go on accepting the meagre hand-outs a couple of times a month. But then I met you that day, and only for a minute or so and I saw a woman I could fall in love with."

"You've used the word beautiful a few times and I am flattered by that but you can't judge someone just from the way they look."

Michelle was indeed checking all the angles.

"No, you know they say beauty is only skin deep, and they are right. Yes, you are indeed a beautiful woman, but I liked what I saw that afternoon of your personality. You seemed to be fun loving, a bit cheeky, flirty even, and you have a great sense of humour."

"You saw all that in a short minute while we argued over who got the mud cake?"

"No, not just then. You paused to tell me how to work the self-serve cashier machine and then we were parked alongside each other."

"So we're up to at least two or three minutes in each other's company now, eh."

"And then you came up to me at the fete ... you could have slipped past me without any acknowledgement. But the fact that you came up to talk to me, well I read that as you being interested too."

"Hmm, that's interesting! So I gave myself away, did I?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that, to be honest, I too liked what I saw at the supermarket that afternoon, there's every chance I was flirting with you. You say you've never contemplated cheating on your wife before, but I have had my radar tuned to every man I've met in the past year or so. It's been about that long since I came to the conclusion that my marriage can't give me everything I need right now. We're just going through the motions."

"You must have met a few eligible guys in that amount of time?"

"Yes, there's been a few that I have considered."

"Any that you've auditioned?"

"Auditioned? Is that your quaint gentlemanly way of asking if I've had sex with any other man?"

"You could take it to mean sex but it wasn't intended that way. I really meant it as something like we're doing tonight, meeting up in an intimate rendezvous to find how compatible we may be."

"Oh I see! Sorry, I jumped to the conclusion that by audition you meant trying out the sex."

"So since you brought it up, have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Had sex with any other man since you've been married?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I do like you and I am on my third vodka so I'll be frank, I'll tell you ... yes I have."

"And how did that go?"

"Oh my God, we are getting personal, aren't we?"

"I'm getting nosy, that's just me, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I'll be honest. Yes, I did have sex with one guy. As I said before, I think I'm good at reading body language but I read this guy totally wrong. I thought I'd seen all green lights, but after two or three times in bed with him, I realised he was only after the sex, not a relationship of any kind."

"Was the sex with him good?"

"Yes it was, he was certainly good in bed and would have been fine if I'd wanted that, but with the way Ben is these days, I wanted more from a man if I was going to risk my marriage by seeing somebody else. I wasn't just after good sex, I wanted a bit of romance, a man with similar interests to me so we could lie there and talk together afterwards, not just fuck. Don't get me wrong, I'm not after another husband John, but I am looking to spend some wonderful intimate moments with a man I can love and be loved back."

"So there's only been that one guy you've had sex with?"

Her eyes drifted away for a moment, how hard would it be to recall how many guys she'd had sex with in the past year? It seemed such a simple question - or was she considering being evasive for now?

"Yes, only that guy!" she eventually admitted.

Our glasses were empty again. I decided that we better eat something or we'd both just sit there and get wasted. Too much alcohol and I wouldn't be able to perform, that's if that was where this evening was headed.

"Are you hungry Michelle, should we get some dinner?"

She smiled, "That would be nice," and she reached her hand out to grasp mine warmly.

"They do basics like hamburgers and pizzas and stuff here in the bar, but there's a nice little Italian place next door that you might like."

"Sounds great, let's do Italian."

I paid the drink tab and while I was doing that, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Michelle trying to manoeuvre her way down off the high stool as respectably as possible. That short dress clung to the seat while her legs slid downward and her feet reached for the floor, pulling the black dress so far up her thighs that the hemline rose precariously close to revealing her panties.

I fully turned back to Michelle to find her hands smoothing the dress back down into place on both sides. I took her arm and escorted her out of the bar. She leaned in close to me as we strolled arm-in-arm, "You don't miss much, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you like what you saw?"

"What did I see?" I was attempting to play the innocent while immediately sensing that Michelle had sprung me checking out the long expanse of her naked thighs revealed as she slid off the bar stool.

"I saw you steal a peep while you were paying the drinks tab."

I was guilty as charged, I smiled at her as we walked through the hotel foyer toward the front door, "What's wrong with that, I'm a man, aren't I?"

"...And your hearts beating and that other bit you said too."

"Oh, I get it..." I threw my head back for a good belly laugh, "you're recalling my comment from before ... the rest of it was 'and my penis rises on demand.'"

"Yes, that was it, so your point is you're never too old or you never tire of getting a peep wherever it happens."

"Michelle, I love your legs, surely you don't mind men admiring them or you wouldn't wear a dress that short."

"No, of course not, I don't mind, women like being admired. I also saw you check them out when I drove away in my car that first afternoon. You must be a leg man John?"

"Err, leg man, breast man, arse man, whatever, I love all of a woman's body parts."

"Hmm, I can see I might have trouble with you."

"You could ... if you want to call it trouble, or it may be that you've picked well."

"Really, did I pick you, did I?"

"It doesn't matter who picked who, the good thing is we're out together getting to know each other, and before another moment goes by, I want to tell you I'm having a great time with you."

"Aaah, that's nice," and she gripped my arm a little tighter, "me too!"

We got a table at the Italian restaurant. It was much more brightly lit than the bar and our conversation seemed to reflect the less intimate nature of the surroundings. We talked on and on about our upbringing, our interests, our work ... it seemed like everything other than our respective partners and their shortcomings. We'd already done that in the bar.

We enjoyed a bottle of wine with our meal so we were both buzzing nicely by ten o'clock. Michelle saw me checking my watch and leaned across the table to whisper, "We won't be having sex tonight John."

Her straight-to-the-point comment took me completely by surprise and my face must have reflected that.

"No, that's ok, I wasn't expecting it, but why do you feel the need to tell me?"

"I thought you might have expected it. You know, meeting at the Radisson, it's a nice hotel, I thought you might have booked a room in anticipation."

"I wouldn't have been that presumptive Michelle."

"That's good, thank you for your respect. I only said that to clear the air. John, I've had a wonderful night with you and I have enjoyed your company so much ... you're a lovely man."

Oh no, was this a brush off coming? It sounded like she might be smoothing the way for an 'I like you, but don't call me.' Was it my age, did she think I was too old for her at 46?

She continued, "I've always had a thing about not having sex on the first date ... like forever, from way back long before I was married. So I'm not about to change my standards. But at 34 and 46, we are both what you could call consenting adults with varying lengths of marriage time. I don't have any rules about second, third or fourth dates ... that's if you want to see me again."

Wow, why wouldn't I want to see her again if she had just implied that sex is possible in the future? I broke into a big smile and that made her look curious, "What, what are you smiling at John? Are you pleased that I hinted that you could have a chance sometime soon?"

"No, nothing like that! I thought you were about to dump me. Telling me there won't be sex tonight, then saying what a great night it was and that I was wonderful company. I thought your next line was going to be something like it wouldn't work out or you're way too old for me."

"Oh no, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to have you think that. No, it's not that at all. Even if this wasn't our first date John, and even if I didn't have this thing about first dates, it is ten o'clock now. Surely you'd agree that in our situation with spouses waiting at home, it would be a bit late to be starting sex at this hour? I'm only guessing, but I don't see you as a wham bam man. To enjoy it properly, we wouldn't be home much before one, maybe two and that would raise huge suspicions with our other halves. If we both mutually decide that we want to move to that next stage sometime down the track and do it properly, we will need to set aside a few hours. If it's nighttime, that will mean skipping dinner, don't you think?"

"How wonderfully pragmatic, I love it. And I promise I won't disappoint you the way that other guy did. I agree that I too want exactly what you are looking for."

Michelle had taken the lead, coming straight out and putting the possibility - no, the probability - that we were going to have sex together, and really soon by the sound of it.

"John, you are such a nice man. This could be the alcohol talking, but at the moment, I dare say you are the nicest man I have met since I started assessing every guy I came across this past year. I'm afraid I'm being a bit forward - that's the vodkas and the wine talking. If I hadn't had too much to drink, I would have remained quiet and innocent and left it to you to lead me to where you wanted us to go, but I'm a bit sozzled so I thought why beat around the bush. We both know what we are looking for, let's come right out and say it."