She went into the ensuite and began to put herself together for her day out. She stood in front of the mirror in her panties and bra. Her curves were still attractive, and her 34C breasts were firm and upright. Her toned legs were those of a runner, lightly tanned and shapely. Her hair was cut in the bob style which flattered her face, colored platinum blond, her favorite choice. Most days she felt like she could lose 5 pounds, but nevertheless she would still turn heads when walking down the street. Perhaps it was also the way she dressed. Mostly it was her presence. She projected. Her husband always laughed when people asked how tall she was. His theory was that she appeared to be at least another 4 inches in height when out in public.
With the warmer weather, she selected a light summer top and some capri pants, with open toed sandals to show off her pedicured feet. She checked herself in the mirror and was happy with what she saw. With that done, she was out the door.
She began her day with a trip to the post office. Her online order undertaking was small, but it kept her busy throughout the year, and today she had to get two important packages out asap for a regular client. She was a regular. She exchanged some light conversation with the clerk and headed to her next stop. She wanted a nice table at the coffee shop where she could set up and make her calls.
It was time to chat with her grandchildren. Her adult daughters both had toddlers, and the girls liked to bounce parenting ideas off their mama. It was also a chance for Janice to get a little FaceTime with the youngsters. When she got there, she had a choice of several nice window seats, so she set herself up and then ordered her drink.
The calls were fun but brief. She loved the kids, but in truth, she really didn't have a lot of interest in children's issues anymore. She tossed out some general advice and goo-gooed with the babies for 15 minutes, but then she was done. After some final chatter, she signed off and went back to enjoying the view and thinking about her life. She was happy, she told herself. She and Ben had achieved a lot of their goals and had set themselves up well. The pinnacle of their careers was largely behind them, despite Ben's new foray into the business world. They had enough to be comfortable, and for them that was all that really mattered. They had both worked hard, done the right things by their kids, and now were free to enjoy all that life had to offer. It all seemed so perfect that sometimes she would just shake her head at what they had done.
But sometimes, a little doubt would creep in. Why was Ben back on the road? Was there some honey from his working days out there, luring him on? Was he bored with life at home? Would they really be okay in the future? Was it time for her to go back to work too? Being at home was so nice, and so relaxing, but there were times when she couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Yes, she admitted to herself. It was loneliness that she felt that furtive feeling in her mind when she looked at the big picture. Yes, they had what they wanted, but how come at times it felt like it had brought so much emptiness too? Sometimes it came down to wanting something physical to ground her. 'A good-looking man with a rock-hard cock would take care of that,' she allowed herself to think, in her less guarded moments.
She snapped out of it and scolded herself. 'Do not undermine what you have done, woman!' said her inner voice. Life with Ben was all she had ever wanted and now she had it. 'And you better think carefully before you question it,' the voice added.
A car door slammed, and she came back to the moment. She checked the time and realized she had to get back for the dogs' afternoon walk, and that sunbathing session she had promised herself.
When she got home, the dog had not forgotten. He was waiting by the door to remind her that it was time. After dropping her things on the counter, she went down to the street and headed out for a little walk around the neighborhood. Usually, she went for 30 minutes or so and had a choice of several neighborhood strolls.
Today she paralleled Main Street and then entered it from a side street not far from her place. There was another coffee shop on the furthest corner of Main, where she could turn and be home quickly. As she walked along, she admired the single-family homes, many of which were manicured and contemporary. She and Ben hadn't been able to afford one of these. 'It was probably too big anyway,' she told herself.
Nevertheless, it was nice to walk past and fantasize about what it would be like to live in one of these fine places. Janice had a flair for design, and she felt as if she would really be able to do something spectacular with one of these homes. It was a career she had considered doing at one time in her life but had chickened out several times. Even now, Ben told her they could afford to bankroll a startup. She appreciated the compliments and the support, but what she really needed was the nerve to plunge in.
