It had taken a little talking, but Melinda had finally convinced Gerald to visit his family without her. It wasn't that she didn't like his family, and she loved him madly, but, well, they'd been married five years and in all that time she'd had precisely two weekends to herself. She'd just wanted a time out from being a minister's wife and everything that went along with it. So when he left Wednesday night after services and youth group she'd sighed a big sigh of relief, closed the curtains, locked the doors and then stripped off the sensible, minister's wife clothes she'd been wearing, poured herself a big glass of white wine, and lounged around, naked and comfortable, watching television shows Gerald would have told her weren't appropriate material for a minister and his wife, even if they were amusing.
She had no obligations until Sunday when she would be expected at services, and Sunday afternoon the senior youth group would be visiting the house for the last session of the responsible relationships course before they started off to college. Gerald was preaching in his family's church that morning and wouldn't be back until just before the youth group was due at the house.
They'd married just more than five years before, after a year-long courtship where Gerald's calm, thoughtful, graduate-divinity-student-soon-to-be-minister demeanor and handsome features had persuaded Melinda to become his wife and to tone down her life a bit. She had not been wild before Gerald, but she definitely had been far more sexually active and adventuresome than had he.
He earned his doctorate, she earned her bachelor's, and two months later, on a hot July day, they'd been married by Gerald's uncle. She was barely 22. He was 28.
Gerald had quickly found a position with a fairly well-off church in the "city" near where he'd grown up. They lived in a house that had been donated to the church by one of its founding members. The only reason it had not become the pastor's home, even though it was larger and more comfortable than the rectory next to the church, was that it was located more than ten miles away from the church and the current pastor believed in being physically close to the church itself. So, she and Gerald had the privilege of living in a 4,500 square foot home in the middle of a ten-acre nature preserve with five bedrooms, seven baths, a three-car garage and ample entertaining space as well as a large pool that the previous owner had swum lengths in every day of his adult life. The price for that luxury was that the church used the house for entertaining and meetings frequently and occasionally hosted overnight guests there as well.
But nothing, other than the senior youth group, had been scheduled that week. Melinda had the house to herself.
She'd dug out some of her old clothes – more revealing and more comfortable ones that Gerald would only let her wear if he were sure they would be alone...and not often even then. On Thursday she drove 50 miles to another city, wearing a only a thong, a pair of tight capris that tended to ride up a bit, a pushup bra and a sleeveless white blouse that she left unbuttoned far enough so that her cleavage attracted a few stares from the stock boys and an assistant manager in the liquor store. She bought wine, had lunch, and then went to an afternoon matinee of an R-rated romantic movie that Gerald would never have taken her to see.
That night Melinda called an old friend from college, Stacy, and they'd talked on the phone for hours, or so it seemed. The talked about everything – life after college, family, vacations they had taken, classes...and what it was like being married. Stacy had married only a year before and, so far, her experiences had been pretty much similar to Melinda's. A few arguments, lots of getting used to each other, but basically good and fun. And then Stacy asked about sex.
"So, five years in are you still doing it every night?" Stacy asked.
"Hardly," Melinda replied, a bit sadly. "In fact, for the last year or so it's rarely been more than a few times a month. We're just too busy."
"That's all?" Stacy exclaimed. "But you, you know, you always had somebody – well, almost always. And I know you masturbated pretty regularly too. I remember finding your vibrator that day."
"Thanks for reminding me of that," Melinda said. It was true. She enjoyed sex and owned a vibrator or two. In those days, Melinda remembered, she'd had a hard time keeping her hands off herself – or any of the good-looking, reasonably polite guys that were always after her.
"But really," Stacy said, "only a couple of times a month?"
"Yes," Melinda admitted. "And then only missionary and never for more than 10 or 15 minutes. That's all we seem to be finding time for."
"How do you stand it?" Stacy asked.
"He does make me come. But, I still have fantasies about some of the men I see around. And I still masturbate," Melinda admitted. "Look, its ok. I love Gerald. He's tremendous. He understands how horny I get and that from time to time I'm going to masturbate if he's not around or doesn't have time. But he's a minister and believes that we need to set an example for the community. And, he's been working his tail off and it's paying off. He was promoted to associate pastor."
"That's great. But, if you're setting an example, why no babies?" Stacy asked, a bit nosily.
"Because I upgraded to an IUD shortly before we got married. We knew if we had babies right away it would make life more difficult. And, then, we really couldn't afford a child. But with Gerald's promotion, well, now I'm thinking that I'll have my gynecologist remove it the next time I get a checkup."
"And Gerald's ok with that?"
"Yes. We talked about it before we got married. It's working out just fine."
"I guess," Stacy replied. "But if Frank and I only did it a couple of times a month I'd be jumping the mail man every few days."
"I know, I know. There are definitely days. But I'm a minister's wife. I have to behave myself."
"Melinda, I can hardly believe you're making do with sex only a couple of times a month. It's just not you."
"Well, yes and no," Melinda admitted. "Mostly because I love Gerald and he loves me. So I've changed a little. I still get horny. I still get aroused looking at certain men. But, well, I'm a minister's wife now. It's just the way it is."
"Sounds a little dull to me," Stacy said.
"Well, it's not, really," Melinda replied. ""It is what it is." She wasn't really convinced of what she was saying, but she knew it was the right thing to say.
They talked about some other things for a while and then hung up. It had been a long day. Melinda undressed and got ready for bed. She'd sleep in the nude. Gerald never let her – she had nice, sensible nightgowns and pajamas now. But what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. And no one was in the house but her, anyway.
She was restless. Just at the edge of being aroused. She had a glass of wine and tried to watch television, but nothing could keep her attention. Finally she went to bed, but her dreams kept her tossing and turning. Every one of them was about sex, and Gerald wasn't in any of them. Members of the youth group were in most of them. Different boys and, in one, a few of the girls, too, at some kind of an orgy.
Friday during the day was just as bad. She spent the day cleaning the house and doing laundry, but she couldn't get her mind off sex. She even caught herself pressing her crotch against the washer as it rumbled and shook through its cycles. Thinking a swim might distract her, she put on her old college tank suit and swam up and down the length of the pool for 45 minutes. It didn't help. The suit was a little tight and the feel of the water flowing over her body just aroused her even more. She should have worn the suit Gerald bought for her, she thought. Very modest and with a full skirt.
She didn't know why, but she resisted masturbating. She kept thinking about somebody catching her. And about the things she did in college, before Gerald. But she kept her hands off herself.
On Saturday Ben ate an early lunch and then picked up the truck and drove over to the barn at the Lovejoy's house to get the tables and chairs for the meeting the next day. Although he'd really "graduated" from the youth group after he went to college, for the last two summers he helped Reverend and Mrs. Lovejoy with different youth groups and especially with the responsible relationships course. His job today was to set the tables and chairs up for the meeting the next afternoon. It was going to be kind of a party around the pool, with food and sodas. He came in through the back entrance, since that was closer to the barn. He grabbed a couple of the metal tubs they used to put the sodas and ice in while he was at it. After he had everything loaded into the truck he headed up the road to the pool area.
Nobody was supposed to be at the house. The Lovejoys were supposed to have gone to his family's house and weren't due back until Sunday just before the meeting. So Ben was a little surprised when he looked through the trees and saw someone standing by the pool. The pool area was surrounded by a low fence, and fir trees had been planted all around it, but they hadn't completely grown up yet, and he had a good view of the terrace between the house and the pool. He was, he thought, more or less hidden from view.
A woman was there, stretching. She was tall, with chestnut hair and impressive figure. She wore a navy blue tank suit that in one way was pretty modest, but in other ways not really. As she bent over, Ben had a clear view of her long legs and her tight, round bottom. The fabric was molded to her body and he could see the line between her buttocks. He felt a stirring in his groin.
Ben knew he was being a bit rude by just watching and not announcing himself, but he couldn't resist. The woman looked familiar as she bent and stretched and the tight suit clearly showed the shape of her bottom and, when she turned around facing him, her breasts. He was getting erect as he watched, and he tried to resist because he knew he eventually would have to announce himself.
Melinda's night had been just as bad as the one before. When she finally fell asleep her dreams were all of sex. And all of them featured members of the youth group. She woke up with a pillow between her legs and the sheets soaking wet. She got up and showered, ate breakfast, and then finished cleaning the house for the meeting the next day.
She tried to nap, but she was still restless, her body just on the edge of being aroused. She decided to take a swim.
Not long after she'd walked out to the pool Melinda heard the truck coming up from the barn. She remembered that Ben was coming to set up the tables and chairs. After thinking for a moment about going in and putting on her more modest bathing suit, the one with the skirt that Gerald preferred she wear if there were others around when she was swimming, but decided not to. What she was wearing was fine and perfectly modest. And, she thought to herself, if Ben enjoys watching me in this suit that's fine – more than fine. So she went through her stretching routine, making sure that she gave Ben a nice view of her bottom and chest from time to time.
After a few more minutes of stretching Melinda gave up on Ben coming into the pool area right away. She had an idea why, and a little shudder went through her when it crossed her mind. She jumped in the pool and started swimming laps. Maybe exercise would calm her down a little.
Ben watched Melinda swim a few laps, still not realizing who he was watching. Finally he decided to get to work. Whoever it was, she was nice to look at. He opened the back of the truck, pulled out a table, and rolled it into the yard. He set it up and went back to the truck for the next table.
Melinda kept swimming as Ben worked. She'd glance up every once in awhile, but Ben was working diligently.
