The big day had finally come. After months of barren social activity, Lisa's dinner/pool party was all set. Her husband Derek, an on-call surgeon at the City Hospital's Emergency Center, had finally managed to secure a Saturday off. They happily set the patio with tables and decorations, exchanging lighthearted kisses and caresses like when they were newlyweds. This was all going to be so perfect, her friends would all be there, hopefully seething with jealousy at her beautiful home and her successful husband. Before long, the patio looked perfect, the cabana theme by the pool was just right.
They stood back together and admired the scene, and much to her surprised delight, she felt Derek's strong hand creep up her thigh under the light sun dress she wore. Her eyes met his and she smiled warmly, their love was so often interrupted by his career, it was nice to finally have a moment's peace. They locked lips gently, both breathing hard as a swell of passion washed over their senses. His hands had moved to her back, he rubbed and stroked her soft skin through the thin dress. A small moan ringed in her throat, coinciding with the ring of the doorbell inside. The first of the guests had arrived, entirely too early to be fashionable. With much frustration, they parted as she gathered herself to answer the door and he went off to prepare the grill.
Lisa opened the front door to reveal her best friend Leslie, carrying a pot of what appeared to be instant macaroni and cheese. Leslie apologized for being so early, citing fumigation problems in her building, and made her way inside. Sighing softly, Lisa put on her best hostess smile and followed. Eventually more guests showed up, and the party went into full swing. It was all going perfectly as planned. Lisa kept glancing toward her husband, the picture of manhood behind the flaming grill, and smiled to herself.
onight they would finish what had been interrupted earlier. The atmosphere stayed light and lively, she engaged in conversation happily until a sound she had come to loathe chirped through the chatter. The sound of a beeper, exactly the tone of the one Derek always wore at his side. Her hopes flared briefly as several other husbands checked their belts, (a good deal of her friends were also married to doctors), but the grim look on Derek's face sent her crashing back down. Before he could approach her and sheepishly explain, she new what he would say. There was some kind of emergency, the hospital needed his help. He apologized profusely, kissing her quivering lips quickly. Within minutes, he was dressed and off to work, leaving her alone to attend the rest of the party.
She struggled through the rest of the evening wearing a false smile, seething with disappointment and anger on the inside. Finally, at around ten o'clock, the guests started to filter out. Lisa thanked them for coming, kissed every one on the cheek and promised to attend some upcoming function, until every last person was gone. Even Leslie had ducked out early, she had a date with an artist later that night. Biting back tears, she made her way back to the empty cup strewn patio and settled in a chair. Her first social event in such a long time and Derek couldn't be there with her, an occurrence that seemed more frequent lately, each time becoming more painful. She decided to try to wash her bitterness away with a dip in the pool. Their spacious back yard had high fences, perfect for privacy, and swimming nude was one of the few wild pleasures she allowed herself.