Sparle!

Neither one would have guessed that they had so much in common! Both had been married for quite some time, better than 20 years each. Both were far younger looking than their middle age drivers' licenses revealed. Both were in the throes of the quiet, lonely sadness that follows the realization that the sparkle was gone from their respective relationships.

Their meeting was by chance -- well mostly by chance. They met at a grant writing conference in Florida, he looking for money for after school programs in his school district, she trying desperately to find funding that might keep her community children's theater afloat. They literally bumped into each other on the way out the door in the midst of an unruly crowd of otherwise proper ladies and gentlemen on their way to a prepaid buffet lunch. They bumped so hard that her papers and flyers went in one direction and his in another. Their eyes first connected while they both were on all fours groping around the floor for their possessions.

He had noticed her face before that but he took a better look then and liked what he saw. She, like all clever women, had checked him out before their collision and was pleased that this close up view of him was as pleasant as the long distance view. They tried to stare at each other unassumingly and that wasn't easy, what with the frequent interception of their line of sight by the legs of the other participants making for the dining room. He spoke first, in an apologetic and courteous manner.

"Geez, I am so sorry! Here, let me get those for you."

"That's OK," she said. "I've been knocked on my butt before."

Her voice was pleasing and not in any way insecure. There she was, practically sitting on the floor in the midst of a forest of legs and shoes, and she exuded an air of confidence and control. They both seemed to have gathered together what they needed simultaneously and as they rose he moved an outstretched hand in her direction and said, as his papers went flying out of his hand once again, "My name is Gary Williams and I am truly a klutz!"

Trying to contain her laughter and not doing a very good job she replied, "I'm Beth Haverstraw and I know just what you mean."

"Beth! You're kidding! Imagine us bumping into each other like this here!" he blurted out.

And then it clicked for her. Gary was a guy she had met via a Bulletin Board network that helped people find grant money for projects they were running. It was mostly a support group type of thing because all everyone usually did was moan and groan over how difficult it was to find funding for their pet projects. Once in a great while someone discovered a lead and secured a few extra bucks for their program. For the most part the BB members belly ached and looked for shoulders to cry on.

Beth and Gary had first spoken on line about six months prior to their sudden meeting in Florida. Beth lived in Florida and in one of their conversations she mentioned the conference that was taking place in Jacksonville on the University campus. She had told Gary that she was going but he never let on that he was considering a trip there as well. Gary went, knowing that Beth would be there but, in all likelihood, she had no idea whatsoever that he would be there too.

"What do you say we skip the gourmet buffet experience and go out for a bite to eat. Just the two of us!"

He could read the agreement in her eyes before the "OK" slipped out of her mouth and in no time at all they were outside the conference area, into the parking lot, and inside his rental car.

This was a first for Gary. He had been married for 32 years and he had never spent any time alone with another woman except for his wife. He had two grown children, more or less on their own, and he and his wife should have been frolicking in the empty nest that they had longed for all those years. He had planned for these years, taking care of himself physically and emotionally. He hadn't had more than a little cold in years. He took vitamins and supplements religiously and exercised whenever he could. Most of all he never cheated on his wife -- never even thought about it.

But something happened about 8 years before. Gary had changed and he'd be the first to admit it. He had some personal things to work out and in doing so became more in touch with the anger that he had harbored and hidden inside since he was a child. It wasn't anything terrible, no shouting, no throwing things, no hitting. But he did begin to speak his mind and hold onto his opinions more than he ever did before.

Gary's wife wasn't used to this new person and their relationship went downhill fast. She tried to save it first and then he tried later, too much later. About two years ago they both knew it was over but neither one of them had the courage to leave. They talked about it a lot, during and after the spats that happened more and more often. They agreed that the love was gone. They both yearned for that feeling of freshness, newness that their relationship once had. They wouldn't admit that those feelings were only associated with young love. They were stubborn but it was gone and they knew it.

Gary was amazed that sitting in the car with Beth, someone he hardly knew at all, was enough to send a flutter throughout his entire body. He recognized the feeling and knew that he hadn't felt like this in decades.

Beth too was experiencing a shiver that coursed through her whole being. She too was married and what was left of her relationship was a shambles. She had escaped the obvious relationship busters -- untreated alcoholism, unfaithfulness, violence. Her husband worked a good job and provided for her and her children but his connectedness stopped there. She described her husband as out of it -- a couch potato with none of the comical associations that go with that caricature.

She was young at heart and full of energy but her husband couldn't care less. Beth's days were full of activity -- volunteering, horse back riding, doing things with her children. His were full of nothing. She could reach out and grab anything she wanted. No challenge was too great for her. She could have everything! Everything, that is, except love.

The innocuous conversations that Gary and Beth had on line were never directly about their relationships. Nevertheless, when you speak to anyone for any length of time, things come out. By this point, they both knew the status of each other's relationships and they both new that what they were feeling in this hot rental car was a sensation that neither of them had experienced for many years.

"So, where shall we eat," Gary said, attempting to hide the slight nervous quaver in his voice.

"Keep going straight," Beth whispered, a plan hatching in her head.

Gary had no idea where he was going. He drove the main thoroughfare without noticing the scenery and without an inkling of his goal. Beth was in control. She knew it as well as he did.

"So, how come you didn't tell me you were coming to this conference," Beth said with what seemed to Gary like a little edge to her voice.

"I didn't know I was going to be able to come," he lied quickly. "Things lightened up at work just last week and my boss thought it would be a good idea if I came down and tried to learn something about this business."

Nothing could have been farther from the truth. From the minute Beth had mentioned the conference he had plotted and planned so that he would be in Jacksonville when Beth was. He didn't have any trouble with his wife. She was happy to see him go. They often planned respites away from each other. That seemed to be the only way they were able to get along -- relationship intermissions, sort of.

He had more trouble with his boss, a cheep, smarmy overstuffed bureaucrat who was only convinced when Gary told him that with the right grants he might be able to offset his entire salary. Reluctantly, he approved the funds for the two day conference. Gary just hoped that he could make good on his promise.

"I never expected to see you here but I can't tell you how happy I am that you are here," responded Beth in a much more pleasant tone. "I wanted to meet you for so long. Your picture doesn't do you justice. You are a handsome fella!"

Blushing, Gary said. "Thank you," wanting it to sound suave and sophisticated but knowing it sounded childish.

"I can't tell you how surprised I was to bump into you," he said. "I didn't recognize you at first. You are way younger looking than in your photo. Have you been lying to me all this time about your age? You can't be in your forties!"

"Believe me, honey! I'm way into my forties but thank you anyway."

As she finished her sentence she pointed to the shoulder of the road and Gary saw an unassuming restaurant with a few cars in the parking lot.

"Pull in there," Beth said.

Gary wasn't expecting fine cuisine! The place was called Prince of the Malabar Hills and he assumed, correctly, that it was an Indian restaurant.

"I didn't think they had Indian restaurants down here," he said, surprised.

"Well, we do! And I think you'll like this one."

The place was dark, a welcome sanctuary from the glaring noon day sun. There was piped in sitar music playing very softly, very pleasantly. A large gentleman in a huge turban met them close to the door and ushered them to a table in the rear corner of the main dining room. It was a fair distance from the entrance and as they walked slowly through the establishment, Gary noticed that the walls were decorated with exquisite representations of Indian scenes. On closer observation he realized that each and every painting was taken out of the Kama Sutra. Sexual positions that he had never imagined were possible hung silently on the wall by each and every table. He was curious to determine if they were all different but he didn't want to seem overly preoccupied by the art work.

The turbaned host motioned them to sit and politely handed each of them a mustard colored cloth napkin. As Gary folded it and placed it on his lap, he realized that he was no more than a few feet away from a painting that depicted a beautiful, nubile Indian maiden sucking on a huge penis!

"I thought you would like the paintings," Beth whispered. "I used to bring my husband here when I felt like turning him on. It worked for a long time. We haven't come here in ages."

Gary was getting turned on! But it wasn't merely the pictures that were doing it! Beth's demeanor had suddenly become very seductive. Her voice was at least an octave lower than it was back in the car and she seemed to be murmuring her words. She either made no eye contact with Gary or she stared at him, very directly, very deeply. He was getting really turned on and in his mind he wondered if there was an expectation that his penis would match the prowess and enormity of the one on the wall. His body was numb; numb with the tingle, the sparkle that he hadn't felt in years. He guessed correctly that Beth's was too.

"Shall I order for both of us?" Beth asked.

"Sure, why not? You seem to know exactly what you're doing!"

Beth motioned to the waiter with one finger. She had the menu all planned in her mind, it seemed. Pakora, samosa, dahl, hot spicy vindaloo shrimp, tender, succulent tandoori chicken, large bottles of musky Indian beer and plenty of nan to still their prickly palettes.

They sat in near silence waiting for their food. If they did speak, it was not memorable. They touched each other only with their eyes. Before long the table was crowded with delicacies. They ate slowly; ate as though the meal were a kind of foreplay. Each highly seasoned morsel, rolled around on the tongue, was absorbed by every taste bud and swallowed in a cautious deliberate manner. The spices invaded their olfactory orifices as well. Beth and Gary's noses ran imperceptibly. They sniffled frequently, masking the depth and increased rate of their breathing. By the time they had finished eating, passing up the flowery Indian desserts, they were both very close to a sexual frenzy.

Beth took Gary by the hand. "Come with me," she said. "This place has a few more surprises."

They passed through the fragrant kitchen, pushing curtains aside and moving deeper into this cavernous building. The sitar music, mixed with the sweet sound of a small harmonium, made the atmosphere even more eerie. The large room that they eventually entered was more like a tent than a room -- completely enveloped in brightly colored fabric. There was little furniture to speak of but the floor was cluttered with large, shiny pillows.

No one else was in the room when they entered but as soon as they sat, or more precisely, reclined on a rather large pillow, a young man and a young woman appeared from entrances that were completely invisible. They were dressed in flowing cotton robes, bangles on wrists and ankles, and they both had dark, long hair, dark features and deep, very deep obsidian eyes. They seemed to be very young. That's what appearances revealed. Yet, they moved in ways that made it clear that they were mature and experienced at their craft. The young girl went up to Gary and the young man went up to Beth.

Gary and Beth were then separated, taken to different parts of the room. They were still in plain view of each other but far enough away so as not to be really with each other. They were undressed, slowly, methodically. The inclination to watch what was happening on the other side of the room was too great a temptation so Gary kept his eyes glued to Beth and she reciprocated. They each were given loose fitting cotton robes to wear, nothing else. Each had now seen, stared at, the other's nakedness and Beth was unsuccessfully driven to hide the obvious wetness that was trickling down her legs while Gary had no choice but to expose his enormous erection. The clothing did nothing to erase those vistas from their minds. They craved closeness, togetherness, oneness.

The man-servant and woman-servant further anointed the guests bodies with perfumed oils. Familiar smells of sandalwood and jasmine wafted through the room. Less familiar, more intoxicating scents of pachouli and verbena covered their bodies. The final chapters of this preparatory ritual involved the ceremonious painting of Beth hands, wrists, ankles and throat with a rich henna stain. The young woman expertly applied the brush to her white skin and the end product was a maze of curlicues, labyrinths, and painted designs. Gary didn't know why but they were sexy as hell.

The young people then moved to the center of the room. They stood facing each other, very close to each other. They unfastened a tie on the robes they were wearing and the clothes dropped to the floor as if they were of a ponderous weight. Their naked bodies glistened in the dim light of the room. Simultaneously, Gary and Beth sat on their pillows, aghast at the sight before them.

The young man gently placed his hands on the woman's shoulders. Slowly he traced the contours of her body with his lithe, slender fingers. If his touch tickled her in any way, she didn't show it. She just stood there, motionless. He was careful first to touch only those parts of the young woman's body that wouldn't be considered erotic -- her arms, her back, her legs, her knees, her feet. But they were erotic. Gary and Beth could tell just by the look in the woman's eyes. Her head bent slightly back and her eyes, previously focused directly on the young man, closed softly.

The young man's hands now seemed to lock firmly around her ankles. Instead of lightly touching, he now began to massage, to knead her dark flesh, starting with her calves. Once again he traversed her entire body, conspicuously avoiding erogenous places. The room was quiet -- so quiet that when Gary and Beth first heard her gentle moans they were startled. But they quickly knew that she was finally responding in some way to the young man's touch. Her moans spurred him on.

He knelt before her and continued his manual explorations. His head reached precisely the place where her thighs met and the moist curly hairs gathered around her dark cunt. She remained still, statuesque. His hands now rested on the top of her thighs and he began spreading her legs ever so slowly and deliberately. Her movements were almost imperceptible. Yet he had opened her up enough to bring his lips closer to her cunt. He breathed heavily on her, in her. His head turned to the side and his lips met the swollen lips of her moistening sex. He kissed her there, long and hard. His head began to move more. Her legs began to widen. Gary and Beth stared, trying to look but not intervene in any way in this thoroughly provocative scene.

The tempo, still slow, picked up slightly as the young man started to explore the young woman's cunt with his tongue. His tongue darted in and out, flicked back and forth, lapped and licked thoroughly. As the woman's excited state increased she became even more still, practically rigid. Her stillness was counter balanced by the increasingly furious movements of the young man's head.

The vision that Gary and Beth feasted on was now full of many noises. Every possible variation of moans and groans from both the performers filled the open space. His were guttural, throaty. Hers became overt, obviously audible, signaling that she was close to orgasm.

And then it came. It came much quicker than the observers had anticipated and it came with much more force, much more energy. She bucked and squealed, grunted and howled through her amazing orgasms. Gary began to sweat, breath harder. Beth just watched as her hand inched closer to her own pussy.

The young woman's excitement persisted. She came at least three distinct times, maybe more. As she eked out the last spasm, as she relished the remaining thrills concentrated between her legs, the young man suddenly rose. He stood and revealed an enormous erection, completely out of proportion to his stature. He appeared to be straining, holding back. The woman looked down, saw his tumescent cock and smiled. She bent slightly, reached out her right hand, cupped his balls and squeezed. He suddenly and immediately ejaculated with a force that sent semen spurting all over the young woman's taut stomach. She squeezed again and more milky goo gushed forth. Her squeezing turned to massaging, milking the last drops from his increasingly limp cock.

Both remained standing -- standing and smiling. They hugged ever so tenderly and then, arm in arm they walked out of the room.

Gary and Beth stared at each other across the empty room almost as exhausted and pleased as the two lovers who had just exited.

Time passed. Minutes, no more!

"Come closer," Gary whispered, dropping his robe. And, even though they were yards apart, Beth heard his voice reverberate across the empty room, dropped her robe as well, and started to move.

"I'm coming," she said in a subdued, throaty voice and she glided across the pillows, the cold stone floor, and some more pillows until she stood, naked, beside him.

"That was beautiful, so beautiful. And sexy as hell," he said as the fingertips of his right hand began to travel up Beth's thigh.

"I thought so too," she murmured and then began to sway imperceptibly, rocking ever so slightly back and forth, from foot to foot. She was enjoying his touch. She was shaking all over. She closed her eyes and thought of the couple, of their unhurried, gentle yet extremely passionate ways. She yearned to be caressed; yearned to be ravaged by this man who she had only just met in person. She yearned to have the chilling, twitching taste of ecstasy returned to her body.

Gary continued to move his fingers and hands all over Beth's body. Her skin was cool, covered in tiny beads of sweat. His fingers glided over her. As he touched, he walked around her, circled her. He found ever line and every crevice on her soft skin. He ignored nothing -- lips, hair, ears, toes, soft armpits, ankles, knees and belly button. As each area was isolated, Gary could see Beth quiver and squirm. She kept all signs of delight inside except these few involuntary reactions but Gary knew that she was relishing his touch.