My wife Anita shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat.
"You OK?" I enquired. No reply. A mile or so went by in silence.
"Why do they think it's so funny?"
"What's funny?" I asked, knowing full well what had got to her. We had just overtaken a white van, which as is quite typical at this time of the year, had its back end covered in the dirt sprayed up from the roads. Some wag had fingered the epithet "I wish my wife was this dirty" in the grime - Not that an uncommon a sight.
"That grafitti on the back of that van, didn't you see it?"
"Oh, yeah. What a comedian!"
"It can't be funny for a family with children in the car, surely?"
I thought for a moment
"Well I suppose that youngsters won't understand, and the older ones will be plugged into their smartphones and won't notice anyway. The grans and grandads will either smile to themselves or gaze away wistfully. I can't think that the atmosphere in the car would be too bad, unless anyone is a bit of a prude. It's the modern day version of those saucy seaside postcards. But I do agree. There should be a time and a place for everything."
Anita gave a bit of a snort, switched on the radio, and we continued down the road. A road that had become one of celibacy over the last few years, I pondered.
We were on the way back from a day with our daughter and her young family on the other side of the country. The visit was all very pleasant, and we had decided to break the journey home with a short stay in a country hotel we had spotted a few years earlier. We had both recently retired and had no desire to battle the Sunday evening stampede to London, nor the Monday morning rush-hour.
We checked-in and I conducted my usual flirty interchange with a hotel receptionist, as my wife cast her eye around and sized up the hotel - all wood panelling, and sumptuous period furniture. We took our bags up the old creaking wooden staircase, along the hall and located our room. It was warm, welcoming and not cramped. We had already enjoyed a full meal earlier in the afternoon so decided on a drink or two in the bar. A table for two in a corner, something bubbly for Anita and a single malt for me.
There were a few other couples dotted around and we passed an hour so in our own pleasant conversation. During the odd lull I eyed up a few of the women, and in a couple of cases made eye contact that lasted just a split second longer than would generally be considered appropriate and noticed one or two shift in their seats and recross their legs. I don't want to sound vain but I am told I have aged well and find that plenty of women give me the glance when I am out and about in public. As a reaction to this I have got into the habit of instantly visualising them semi-clothed or naked, whilst wondering what is going on in their minds - which possibly explains my slightly extended eye contact. None of which helps my permanent sexual frustration of course! Anita stifled a yawn or two and said that she felt like having a shower before retiring for the night, but suggested that I should not hurry myself and come along only after finishing my drink. As she rose and departed the bar I watched one or two pairs of male eyes follow her bum as it gently swayed in her trouser suit. I smiled ironically when, without exception, this was followed by some immediate admonishment from their partners. If only they knew that my wife had zero interest in sex, despite how glamourous she looked. My ego was massaged slightly as I overheard one of the men whisper
"well, you were looking at him!"
Their squabbling relented and the conversations returned to private domestic matters. I sighed to myself as I reflected that, without exception, everyone else in the bar would have more likelihood than me this evening of the enjoyment of making love or having sex, whatever the angle they took on it.
Twenty minutes later I entered our room. Anita was in the bathroom, and said she'd not be long. I kicked off my shoes, removed my socks, trousers and shirt (I had got into the habit of discarding clothes if the room temperature permitted - I like the sense of freedom) and made myself comfortable on the bed and flipped through the leaflets of local attractions to see if there was anything interesting for the morning. A few minutes later the door handle turned and my wife said in a hesitant voice
"Can you make a me a promise darling, please?"
"Of course..." I replied.
"OK, for the next hour I don't want you to say anything. I'll explain later"
What a bizarre request I thought, but what the hell.
"Sure - my lips are sealed." Anita mumbled something to herself.
"OK, not a peep from you for an hour from... Now! One last thing, can you close your eyes, and I'll tell you when to open them". Interesting... I thought to myself.
"OK, you can open your eyes now", and she took a deep breath.
I will never forget the sight that greeted me as I raised my eyes from the floor. My wife was wearing high heels, black fishnet hold-ups with a red bow motif. Above that was a delicate black and red thong, which struggled to contain a few wisps of hair. My eyes continued upwards to be feasted on the sight of a matching red and black quarter-cup bra which presented her superb 36-E bosom heaving beneath a sheer black lace shawl. She was standing by and inspecting herself in the full-length mirror, gently teasing her hair.
I gasped and opened mouth to speak, but she put one finger to her lips and swiftly stooped over me and placed it over mine. Her wobbling breasts failing to slow to a halt inches in front of my face.
"Not a word. I'll do the talking."
She stood upright again.
"I know we've not had much in the way of a physical relationship lately, but I'd like that to change, now that we've got a bit more time to ourselves. I've seen the way that you look at other women, even though you always deny it. And I've seen the way they look at you. In the bar just now, you managed to check out three more. I like it that women find you attractive."
Both of her hands moved towards her breasts and I could see her nipples harden as she caressed them between fore-finger and thumb through the sheer black mesh.