"So... What are you wearing?"
Cynthia glanced down at her comfortable, baggy trousers with the elasticated waist, and wiggled her toes inside well-worn carpet slippers. "Mmm..." she began, doing a rather dodgy Mae West impression, "Why dontcha come up and see me sometime? Silk stockings and suspenders, high heel shoes... and a skimpy bra and panties set - black, trimmed with lace, with a little love-heart motif on the... er... private bit. You know where I mean?"
"Oh wow, babe," Clive enthused, building the picture in his mind's eye, and oblivious to its implausibility. "That sounds drop-dead sexy. Wish I was there to see you. And check out that little motif. I'm sure it just needs a quick stroke to make it come over all wet."
Typical Clive, Cynthia thought. He was rushing things forward too fast, as usual. Where was the flirting? Where was the small-talk? A kiss? Some romance? It was the same in bed - that impatience to get on with it, without any preliminary love-making to get her in the mood. Obviously, it was something which suited him, as a testosteronic male, but not her, as a... as a what? Her self-doubt kicked in again. No, I'm not a frigid old biddy... And I'm not a... Yes, I like Bea... OK, I love Bea... But that doesn't make me gay.
A single mother, Bea was Cynthia's best friend, though they had known each other for only a short while. They had met on a junior school outing for their children, and though the relationship thus far was platonic, there had always been a certain 'something' between them - an occasional 'frisson', indefinable and unrealised. Bea openly admitted she was not attracted to men. This obviously had not stopped her becoming a mother, although the father of her son very quickly was off the scene once Bea got pregnant. Not wanting to risk damage to the valuable fabric of their developing relationship, Cynthia had always politely avoided asking uncomfortable or intrusive questions. Nevertheless, she did harbour a burning curiosity about the mechanics of Bea's impregnation, viz. Was it an accident? Or was it planned? Was the father simply selected as a suitable gene-source for Bea's progeny? And how many times did they 'do it'? Was it only during Bea's fertile time of the month? Was there even any affection between them, at any stage?... And, importantly, did she enjoy it?
While such mysteries teased Cynthia, at the current moment she needed to concentrate on her sophisticated tart impression. "Naughty, naughty," she chided him. "What about you? Hope you're suitably presentable for our 'special' date. Fresh from the shower, a nice musky after-shave, fitted shirt, Armani cuff-links?"
"Better than that," Clive announced proudly, his phone lodged behind his ear. "I'm on the bed, totally starkers, hands free. My dick is getting hard just hearing your sexy voice on the phone, babe."
Cynthia didn't doubt it, but suspected it was a condition which would similarly have been induced by any female voice on the phone. Hers was free of charge, of course, as opposed to one at the end of a premium-rate phone-line. She suspected her husband would easily have been on such a line, had Cynthia not suggested their little telephonic tryst to spice up their week apart.
Yes, phone-sex, while Clive was away on one of his frequent business jaunts, was Cynthia's idea, so she didn't have anyone but herself to blame for her disappointment. She wasn't brave enough to say, "Clive, this isn't working," or, "Clive, this is everything I don't like about our sex-life." So although Bea was now even more in her conscious thoughts, Cynthia pressed on with the pathetic charade: "Mmm... unfastening my bra... whoops... falling out all over the place!"
Describing her imaginary disrobing inevitably reminded Cynthia how totally inept Clive was at manipulating clasps, zips, buttons, suspenders, or indeed any securing device associated with women's attire. At least, not in any way seductively - he always expected her to do her own undressing. She recalled that hot day with the kids at the beach, wrapped in a towel, her hands messy with after-sun and sand, when Bea offered to help take off Cynthia's bikini top. Bea had stood behind her, fingers playfully running down Cynthia's shoulder-blades, then slowly and smoothly separating the hook from its locking piece. No fumbles. No drama. Cynthia had felt Bea's warm breath on the side of her neck. Both women laughed, for some reason - maybe to take the heat out of the intimacy of the encounter. But long afterwards, the incident still lingered in Cynthia's memory.
"Don't worry, babe, I'll catch them," Clive countered. "One in each hand. Squeezing them now... are your nipples getting hard? I know my cock is."
"Are you getting hard?" Cynthia silently asked her nipples, looking downwards. Then, in the manner of a parade-ground drill-sergeant, she (silently) bellowed out the order: "Atten-shun!"
"Like bullets," Cynthia confirmed. "I'm flicking them from side to side - they're in need of some manly TLC. I'm stroking them with my phone. Put your lips to your phone, darling, so they can feel your tender kisses."
"Mmm..." responded Clive, discounting the practicality of putting his mouth any nearer the phone. "Licking... sucking... biting... God, you are sooo hot! Can't wait to go down and taste your pussy juices. Fuck, babe, you're good at this!"
Pussy juices? Where DID he get these expressions? The land-line phone in their hallway abruptly diverted Cynthia's bemusement. Having told Bea that Clive was away for the week, and that any company would be welcome, Cynthia had half expected Bea to call - both their respective sons were off on a field trip. And if this was Bea calling, she didn't want to miss it. Clive also heard the ringing: "God... What a time to ring! Leave it, babe. Probably a junk call. Whoever it is can ring back. For Chris'sake!"
"Sorry Clive," Cynthia apologised. "I better see who it is. It may be mother - better make sure she hasn't had another funny turn. Hold whatever thought you were having, darling."