The Gift 182

This is story from the heart.

It challenges the traditional rights of marriage and what a man would do for the woman he loves. He loves unconditionally. The woman he would die for and the woman he would live for.

I hope you like it!

*

Elaine looked across the restaurant table at the man talking to her. His name was Jamie and he was in the process of explaining to her the reasons that his family had moved from London's East End to Australia. Brisbane, Queensland to be more specific. She wasn't really listening to the words, but was beginning to be captivated by his crisp English accent and his eyes. His eyes never left her face.

She did not love Jamie, but was beginning to fall for his professional charm and his almost hypnotic manner of speaking. He knew what he was doing, because he was indeed an expert at what he was doing. Jamie was an escort. He was a professional male escort for older women. Elaine realised with sudden clarity that he was extremely good at what he did.

When she first arrived at the restaurant in the pre-paid taxi, she was almost wetting herself with nervousness and embarrassment. Her hands were shaking and she felt as if she would faint at any moment, but she forced herself to enter the 'Candle Night', one of Townsville's finest exclusive restaurants. The door person led her to an isolated corner as soon as she mentioned her name. She didn't dare look too closely at the table at first. She was enthralled by the obviously expensive décor of the place. The silver place settings, the low warm lighting enhanced by candle-lit tables and the flowers! Everywhere there were flowers and fresh ones to boot. Elaine loved fresh flowers. The exotic scents that they offered the room hinted at more to come. It helped put her a little at ease.

It was when the twenty-something waiter led her right to the table and she finally registered that this was where she was to sit, that she nearly turned around and ran straight out again. There, at the table was a man. She did not know this man, but he was impeccably dressed in clothes which were designed to look casual, but obviously also top shelf. He rose to greet her and went around the table to hold her seat out for her. The waiter was taken a bit by surprise, but allowed Jamie to perform this tradition rite of gallantry. Elaine loved the gesture and felt a little embarrassed by it. Jamie then nodded to the waiter and sat down himself.

"Hi Elaine, I'm Jamie. I can see that you are extremely nervous at the moment. That is perfectly understandable, given the circumstance. I hope I can help you feel at ease with tonight's entertainments. I want you to know that no-one is forcing you into anything at any time tonight. You are simply here to enjoy yourself. The night is all for you. I want you to read this letter from Paul."

He produced a sealed envelope and handed it to Elaine. On doing so, his fingers brushed her hand. Elaine was surprised by the contact. It was warm and inviting. This contact with another man surprised her. She was not used to this.

Elaine tore open the letter and read it. Tears began to form and run down her cheeks, threatening to spoil the impeccable make up placed there this very afternoon, also pre-paid.

Dear Elaine

Know that I have always loved you and always will. From our very first dance, way back in 1973. Graham Connors was playing and his wife was on the keyboards. Do you remember? I fell in love with you right back then.

We have raised two very successful boys, who are now successful men with top professions and wonderful families of their own.

This was mainly due to the totally unselfish way that you managed our house and home while I was working. You kept an eye on our finances so that now, in our retirement, we are comfortable and will be until we both die.

All of our married life, you were there for our boys and me, and now you are there for our darling grandchildren. In all of these years, you never actually did anything just for yourself. It drove me to tears of frustration, not having a passion of yours that I could support and help you develop. You would frown at me if I bought you flowers, or jewellery, or the makings of a hobby which you showed the least bit of interest in. Saving money for our family and our future was your primary interest. You never even bought new expensive clothes for yourself in all of that time. Well, tonight is a payback to you for this long-held commitment.

I know you will probably be swearing at me for spending this money on you, but know that this is what I want for you. Spread over all of the years that we scrimped and saved and forgone personal presents to each other, the money spent on you tonight doesn't add up to much for each year.

Jamie is there to help you enjoy yourself. I know that you are thinking that I should be there with you, enjoying this, and you are right I should be, but then the night would be about us and not just you. I want it to be just about you and you alone. You are not used to doing anything for just you alone and if I was there with you, the purpose of the night would have failed.

Enjoy yourself with Jamie. I have spoken with him and I trust him. He is an intelligent guy and seems to be very professional at what he does. He entertains people, especially women. He will not force you into anything that you are not comfortable with at any time during tonight.

Relax, enjoy the attention, the expensive meal and know that this is what I want for you from the bottom of my heart.

I love you

Paul

Elaine realised that tissues had appeared from almost nowhere. She took them and saw that it was Jamie again. Again, their hands touched as he handed them to her. In as dainty a manner as possible, Elaine dabbed at the fallen tears, being careful not to spoil the makeup.

"This make-up," she thought to herself. The professional make-up artist had been the last place she had visited today in a whirlwind of stops.

The touch of tissue brought Elaine back to the present. It wasn't her dabs which were livening her senses. It was Jamie's. He was also dabbing at the spots which she missed. He had a gentle touch and was talking soothingly to her as he dried spots on her face.

"I will kill him when I see him again!" Elaine pronounced to the air in general.

"Paul said that's what you would say at some point of the night," laughed Jamie.

He had a deep infectious laugh and Teri couldn't help but begin to quietly laugh along with him.

"I had no idea that he would pull this stunt on me. What a day it has been for me. Paul dropped me off at the day spa on Hastings Street at ten o'clock this morning and said that the treatment had already been paid for. I know he did that so that I would not know how much it would cost, the bugger! Anyway, for two whole hours, they massaged me, did my nails gave me a facial and led me to the sauna. I love a sauna! After the sauna, it was another full body massage followed by a light salad lunch."

Elaine outlined in great detail what the day had been like. She spoke almost non-stop about the day spa, followed by the dress shop, followed by the make-up, followed by the motel suite. Every treatment was prepaid and every time a treatment finished, there was a taxi waiting to take her to the next place. Paul had planned this to a tee.

Throughout the detailed explanations, Jamie listened. He actively listened, just like Paul always did. He interjected when it was appropriate and nodded in encouragement when she needed it. Without realising it, Elaine was becoming less nervous and more relaxed in this strange situation. Elaine felt more confident that she was in control of the situation and mainly, that she was safe.

Jamie nodded to the waiter who appeared with a bottle of white wine. It was a crisp sauvignon blank from the Hunter region in New South Wales. Elaine loved this wine and relished her first glass. Over the wine, Jamie took up the conversation again after Elaine's recount of the day. Slowly, he expertly drew her out, getting her to talk about her life, her interests and her family. He knew she was beginning to warm to him and he kept the level of conversation at this comfortable plateau.

During the meal, a magnificent seafood platter, the signature dish for this restaurant, Jamie and Elaine spoke comfortably about a range of topics. Therese was a natural conversationalist, which made Jamie's job of keeping her at ease much easier to accomplish.

Desert was a delicious cheese cake slice with mango dressing, both of Elaine's favourites.

Soon it was time to leave and Jamie graciously led Elaine to the front door and to the waiting taxi. The bill for the meals and drinks had also been pre-paid. This made the transition from one activity to the other very smooth and effortless.

"Paul said you might like to go dancing after the meal, but to remember that you don't have to do anything that you don't want to," Jamie announced expectantly.

Elaine was at a crossroads. She loved dancing as much as Paul did and truth be told, she did want to go dancing. She even wanted to go dancing with Jamie, which scared her a bit. By now, however, she felt quite at ease with him and only hesitated briefly before answering that she would love to go.

The nightclub which they were taken to wasn't one of those loud beat boxes where conversation is impossible. It was more in the style of the seventies era cabaret, where couples had a table which they could leave at any time to visit the dance floor. Again, they were led to a quiet corner table where the water and the wine were already waiting. "How much preparation did Paul do for this?" Elaine thought. "He must have spent weeks setting it all up."

Jamie poured the wine, being careful not to over-fill Elaine's glass. He had heard from Paul that Elaine was not a good drunk. To push her to that limit would spoil the night. He was actually having a good time as well. Elaine was a bubbly person who was easy to like. Not all of his escort jobs were as easy as this. Admittedly, the first part of the evening was a struggle. Getting Elaine to loosen up a bit and be more natural took a little time, but he knew what he was doing and now the night seemed to be enjoyable for both of them

The band was playing a rock and roll set, so Jamie suggested they move to the dance floor. Taking a quick sip of drink each, they wandered out to the boarded floor area and slowly got into the rock groove. This was perfect as there was little touching involved and it served the purpose of loosening them both up physically. Elaine often looked at Jamie and smiled, which Jamie returned in kind. They were enjoying themselves. When the set finished, they returned to their table and talked and drank some more. It was a comfortable time.

The band resumed, so their dancing resumed. Just before the end of this set, they played a slow number and Jamie realised that this was make or break time for Elaine. Up close dancing was not something that Elaine had done with any other man, he had been warned by Paul. Jamie did not hesitate and give Elaine time to back out and return to the table. He quickly reached out, took Elaine's hand and gave her a big smile.

"Shall we, my lady?" he asked in a very royal sounding English accent.

Elaine laughed at his parody of the English gentry and followed his lead.

"Why, yes of course, good sir!"

Jamie knew not to take this step too quickly, so he held her away from him, not allowing their full bodies to touch except arms and hands. This went on for two songs and as this slow set continued, he gradually came more and more into Elaine's personal space until they were leaning against each other in that pseudo waltz that many people resort to when slow dancing happens. Elaine relaxed into his dancing embrace and she could feel his whole body touching hers. He could feel his strong chest and gentle arms encircling her. She could feel where her breasts pressed against his lower chest. She could just feel his cock making its presence known through his clothes and her clothes. She knew what was coming if she allowed it. She also knew that Jamie would not press the matter. Because of this lack of pressure, she relaxed more into him and simple enjoyed the closeness, the arousing smells of his body deodorant and the feeling of safety which he oozed. She rested her head into his shoulder as the dancing went on.

This was the moment that Jamie had been waiting for. He could feel the exact time when Elaine relaxed into him. During some escort jobs, this moment never happened and it was very difficult for him to progress further. He could feel his cock starting its rise and thanked god that he didn't need to take the ever-present Viagra tablet for later.

They danced out the slow set, and in a dream-like state returned to their table and their drinks. The conversation was slightly different now. They both realised that the night had taken a turn. This was no longer just entertainment and fun. It was rapidly becoming more intimate. Inevitably, the topic of conversation turned to sex. Jamie knew to be extremely careful here, as many women are quite happy to talk about their sex lives with other women, but in an intimate moment such as this, talking about it with another man is fraught with danger.

Elaine told Jamie about her Catholic upbringing in a strong Maltese family and how these two cultures combined to give her a very repressed view of sex, even within marriage and that sometimes, secretly, she wished she had been just that bit more promiscuous during her teenage and young adult years. Jamie let her guide him into the depth of detail and expertly encouraged her to outline these desires. He affirmed her desires while not pressing her into uncomfortable territory.

Soon, Elaine felt at ease with the topic of conversation until they could each playfully tell each other about sexual desires which they had. The night wore on, until Elaine realised that it was already ten o'clock. She had been with this man for four hours already and felt completely at ease with him.

Jamie knew it was the right time. It was the right time to carefully suggest that they take this to the next level.

"Elaine, you know what Paul wanted for you tonight don't you? He wanted for you to feel confident as a woman. Confident that you could form a relationship with a man apart from him. You are looking to me, right now, as that woman. You are happy, bright, bubbly, a fantastic talker and just simply fun to be with."

"I know it Jamie. I could feel that as well. It is a new, refreshing feeling for me and tonight has been a real eye-opener for me. You have helped me see myself as a woman, not just as someone's wife, or mother. I am a strong woman who can stand up and be comfortable in any situation. Thank you for doing that for me."

"Elaine, you also know what comes next if you want it. Paul has given you his blessing to fully enjoy this night."

"I know Jamie. It is what scares me the most. In my heart I know that Paul wants this for me and I know why he wants this for me. I don't know how much he has told you about us, but what I am about to tell you is very personal. We haven't had sex in the normal sense for nearly fifteen years. His diabetes and other medications have made it impossible for him to achieve an erection of any sort. Oh, yes, he still gets me to orgasm using his fingers and a vibrator, which is fun and satisfies me, but he knows I miss penetrative sex a lot. Dildoes just don't do it for me. They are hard, cold and usually too large. He wants this for me because he says that soon we will be too old and that it isn't fair for me to miss out just because he can't do it anymore."

Elaine again dissolved into tears and Jamie was there immediately with a dry handkerchief and a warm hug. He remained hugging her until her sobs died down. Gently he led her outside to the cool air of Hastings Street. The festive lights and background party noises settled Elaine and she relaxed into the strong arm around her shoulder. They walked slowly through the street, occasionally stopping to look at this shop or that. They finished at the foyer of the hotel that Paul had booked.

The moment of truth had arrived. Elaine knew she had a huge decision to make and Paul knew that also. He waited patiently while hugging her tightly. He whispered into her ear, "Elaine, it is all up to you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Don't feel guilty because of Paul. You have his blessing. He made that very clear to you and me. I am happy to go with whatever you decide."

He let those whisperings hang, again while hugging her. Elaine took a deep breath, sighed loudly and disengaged from the hug. She looked deeply into Jamie's eyes and saw only the truth of what he said. This whole evening was set up just for her and only for her. Paul had set it up and he wanted everything to go as it had. She knew deep down that she wasn't cheating on Paul if she went ahead. Paul wasn't doing this as some sort of kink. He wasn't being a cuckold. He wasn't doing it to later get a blow by blow description of what happened so that he could get some perverse pleasure out of it.

He did it because he loved her deeply. So deeply that he was prepared for this to happen, just for her.

Elaine made her decision. She turned towards the lift area while holding Jamie's hand. She would not let him go as she made her way to the lift entry. Smiling at each other, they entered the lift and again hugged each other tightly. There was no animal passion. There was no frantic tongue kissing as hands furiously groped each other's bodies. There was no tearing off of clothes as they exited the lift and entered the prepared room. There was just a gentle holding of hands and knowing smiles for each other.

The door closed and they stood facing each other holding each other's hands. Slowly Jamie brought his face close to Elaine's. She responded likewise and soon they were kissing each other lightly on the lips. They moved to each other's necks as they hugged. Their hands moved freely around their backs and soon down to their backsides. The hands pushed lightly so that their bodies were pressed further to each other. Jamie moved his hands up Elaine's body and while kissing her lightly on the lips, which she responded to similarly, he rubbed her neck lightly, while ruffling his hands through her hair. This caused the kissing from Elaine to get more passionate. She continued the kissing and gently brought Jamie's shirt out of his trousers and began undoing the buttons from the bottom. Jamie, in turn slowly brought the shoulders of Elaine's dress down over her shoulders. When it couldn't go any further, he left the dress and lightly rubbed Elaine's breasts becoming more and more purposeful until he was full on massaging her breasts albeit through her clothes. Elaine dropped her arms so he continued to bring her dress down over them and let it fall to the floor. Elaine stood there just in her bra and panties, kissing Jamie. She took off his shirt and also let it fall. His singlet was next. While he lifted his arms to allow their removal, Elaine kissed and nibbled his nipples. She knew Paul loved this play and it was just so natural for her to progress to that. Jamie moaned at the attention his nipples were getting.

As his arms dropped back down again, they moved around Elaine to undo the bra clip. As the bra also dropped to the floor, his hands cupped her breasts from the underside forming a kind of hand bra. With his hands cupping her breasts like this, he gently used his index fingers and thumbs to lightly pinch and roll Elaine's nipples. Now it was her turn to moan. This continued for a while, increasing the heat of their closeness to a new level.

They kissed again, but this time Jamie gently started to insert his tongue into Elaine's mouth. This was new to Elaine. Her and Paul did not engage in tongue kissing, mainly at her insistence. She just wasn't into it, but in this moment, it seemed the natural thing to do. She allowed him in and responded by twirling her own tongue around Jamie's as well. While this kissing became more impassioned, so did their hand movements. Now they both moved around each other's chest area, both openly playing with each other's nipples and stroking freely all over.