The Christmas Dinner

The Christmas dinner.........Real beginnings.

She awoke as usual at 6.30 am to the sound of the radio. She lay there for a few seconds, coming to suddenly, as she realised that today was the day she was at last going to meet Ken. Ken was her internet friend, they had know each other online for at least a year, becoming closer over the last few months, and at last the opportunity had come for him to be in her area overnight He was taking her to dinner! They had discussed long and hard whether they would actually sleep together, but decided to treat the occasion as nothing more than old friends meeting for dinner...........if anything else happened between them it would be a bonus. This way neither of them had any pressure put upon them to sleep with the other if the chemistry wasn't right...............but the possibility was there making her feel nervous and excited at the same time...............anticipation..........the better part of the meal, as they say.

She got out of bed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen to put the kettle on. While it was boiling she went to the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, 'Oh my God she thought, good job ken can't see me this morning!'. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then went and made tea for herself and her husband. She sat in the front room smoking a cigarette and drinking her tea as her husband used the shower, feeling not a little nervous and guilty, but she had a lot of preparations to make before that evening which would keep her busy.

The next couple of hours were taken up with giving the children breakfast, making lunches and doing her house work, but the evening to come was always on her mind.......would it be ok? Would they like each other? Would he find her attractive in the flesh? This was somehow more important to her than whether she felt the same about him. She had become very fond of him through their long chats - she had missed him terribly while he had been on his annual holiday with his wife - perhaps more than she had the right to or would care to admit. She tried to put these thoughts out of her mind........after all they had agreed that at least they would have a nice 'date' no matter what the outcome..

After she had seen the children off to school she switched on her computer, she knew he wouldn't be signed in as he had already left home for his business trip to London, but he may have had time to mail her before he left. She wasn't disappointed........he had sent her a nice e-mail telling her how much he was looking forward to seeing her that evening and he verified the details of the time and place they had arranged to meet......The Quays Restaurant at 7 pm, he was staying at the Premier Lodge next door.

She got herself ready and drove herself to the High Street where she had a few last minute things to buy......a tanning towel to top her tan up, a new lipstick and some nail polish. She looked at her hands, she would give herself a manicure that after noon, she had managed to keep her nails a reasonable length considering her job wasn't conducive to having perfect talons.

Back home she went to her bedroom to check the outfit she planned to wear.........she had deliberated over this.........she knew he would prefer her to wear a skirt, but as she normally only wore a skirt when she went to dinner with her husband she would have to wear trousers as not to arouse his suspicions, but she felt more herself in trousers anyway, and it was important to her that she felt she looked her best.

She had already bought and secreted a new set of underwear, cream which would flatter her skin tone, pretty but (she hoped) sexy..........she knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help thinking that they might sleep together that night, and was preparing as if it were a foregone conclusion. She was wearing her red velvet flared trousers with a white pullover shirt, black fringed belt and short high heeled black boots.......smart but comfortable, and pretty trendy! She decided.

She took her boots downstairs to give them a polish, then sat doing her nails while thinking about her reasons for doing what she was about to do, dinner alone would constitute unfaithfulness, never mind anything else that may ensue that evening. She had found the chat room where she had met ken quite by chance, and enjoyed the banter, and of course the attention and flattery she got, but that was as far as it went. She could have met men three times a day seven days a week if she was inclined to do so, but not only wasn't that her style, or what she was looking for when she had started chatting, she had never met anyone who interested her mentally, most of the men she spoke too were crude and base, assuming using a chat room meant you were sex starved and 'looking for fun' as they often so succinctly put it.

But Ken was different, they had a few laughs in the room when they first met, then had a few chats on messenger as he had lived in the same part of London that she had come from, so they had some common ground Then one day he had disappeared, and it later transpired that he had lost his messenger contacts, then some months later he had appeared in the room again, they spoke and.......well somehow it had led to this.

They had discussed a mutual interest in BD/SM, exchanged stories and even started writing a book together. This led to them discussing their fantasies, and role playing as 'Aramis and Eleni' they had cybered, and she hoped this didn't make things embarrassing for them, when they met, but somehow she didn't think so as he seemed to find her openness refreshing, and after all they were both adult enough and intelligent enough to know the difference between the cyber and real world, and also that it was just fun and insignificant in the scale of things. At first she had thought him quite 'stiff', reserved and formal, but as he began opening up towards her and began to explain his true feelings she had gradually warmed towards him.

So why meet him then? If she were honest with herself, the thought of being with another man excited her, maybe she was lacking real attention, she felt that although her husband loved her he perhaps didn't pay her enough real attention and didn't appreciate her. Although their sex life was fine it was often sporadic, she making most of the moves, trying to spice things up with nice underwear and new ideas.........perhaps the truth was he took her for granted, assuming that all wives were like her, but if only she could tell him about the husbands of middle aged women (Ken included) whom she had spoken to, then he would realise how wrong he was. Besides she had never found him sexually attractive and couldn't bring herself to even kiss him, passion........ that's what she would really like to feel, her stomach turning over with the thrill of it all, kissing and holding, some real sensuality both given and received things she had almost (but not quite) forgotten about, and also a little romance she smiled to herself, she knew nothing could ever come of it, but well all women like a little romance don't they?

So the afternoon passed until the children came home and she gave them an early tea at 5 pm It was time for her to start getting ready as her husband wanted to leave at 6.30 so he could get back for a drink and a kebab, she wasn't worried that he would be suspicious as he always dropped her off when she was meeting her friends from work, it was only her pangs of guilt making her feel paranoid that he would suspect what she was (potentially), about to do.

She ran the shower, taking with her a fresh razor and her special body wash. She shampooed her hair, and shaved herself while her conditioner was soaking in. She shaved her armpits, legs and between her legs, praying she wouldn't get 'razor rash', 'maybe I should have used hair remover', she thought to herself, 'well too late now!'. She washed herself with the body wash and scrubmit, at least her skin would be soft she laughed to herself, she felt like a teenager embarking on her first date, certainly not a middle aged mother of four!

She got out of the shower, wrapping her hair in a towel and another around her body, she applied moisturiser then went upstairs to her bed room. She sat in front of the dressing table, applied mousse and began to blow dry her hair. She hoped it would behave for once, she'd had a trim two weeks ago and applied a colour the previous day, so there wasn't much more she could do! Then she applied her body lotion, yes, her skin did feel soft, that's one saving grace she thought, and as long as the lights were low she should pass muster......she was terribly worried about disappointing him though she knew these thoughts were irrational, he had reassured her God knows how many times. She also reminded herself again that perhaps they wouldn't get on, and have no chemistry between them at all, but deep down she didn't think this was likely, they would be friends at least..

Going downstairs again she paused to pour herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves, 5.40 pm, plenty of time she thought as she entered the bathroom again, she didn't like getting ready in a rush, getting ready carefully was part of the ritual she enjoyed. Pushing her hair back from her face she carefully applied her make-up, funnily enough they had never discussed his preferences , but she knew what suited her so went through her normal routine. It was still a little early to get dressed so she tidied the kitchen chatting with the children as she did so, enquiring about their plans for the evening.

She went back up stairs to get dressed, took the new underwear from the drawer and stood looking at herself wearing it, thinking what a shame it was that if she did undress for him things would be spoiled a little by the marks her trousers would make around her waist. She mentally chided herself, she should not be making assumptions and there wasn't much wrong with her anyway, everyone has some insecurities, even super models!

She got dressed and went downstairs as her husband walked in asking her if she was nearly ready, he was obviously eager to drop her off so he could enjoy his own evening, and she didn't blame him for that, at least he would have a few pints and drop off to sleep by ten so he wouldn't stay awake fretting about where she was. She finished her hair, applied her lipstick then packed her bag with essentials for the evening, make up, money, cigarettes, keys and mobile phone, although no one would ring her. She put on her long black jacket, kissed the children goodbye, then they were off............the big day had arrived at last, she felt a little surreal, it wouldn't feel real until she actually met him she thought.

To be cont'd /.....