"So, what time are you going out?"
Tom Green looked up from his evening crossword and peered over the top of his reading glasses.
"About an hour or so, I guess," he said, "why?
His wife looked back at him and smiled. "I've had a hell of a day. I just thought I'd take a long hot bath and relax. You know, just me, a book and the whole house to myself."
"Sure, why not. I'm meeting Mike at the bar at about eight. I don't suppose we'll be out for very long."
Tom watched Julie nod her agreement, turn and leave the room. She still looked good after ten years of marriage. She was certainly not as innocent looking as she once had been but, dressed as she still was in her business suit and stockings, she still looked as sexy as hell. He made a mental note not to drink too much beer; maybe there would be a little fooling around on the cards when he got home later!
The bar was crowded, smoky and too loud for Tom and his friend Mike and, over their second beer, they tried to think of somewhere else to go.
"We could try Mulligan's," Mike said, "that Irish place on Main Street."
"I don't know," Tom replied with a sigh, "it'll probably be much the same as here, maybe even worse. Can't a man go just go out for a quiet beer anymore?"
Mike nodded. "Or Gino's? We haven't been there for a while. Come on, Tom. I don't want to go home just yet."
For a moment, Tom seemed deep in thought.
"Well, I got a very good bottle of Scotch back at home. Why don't we head back there? Play some music we actually like and relax in comfort?"
Mike grinned back at his friend and nodded his agreement. Tom always bought the very best whisky and there was always the added bonus that his wife Julie might be around. Mike had always had a thing for Tom's wife - not that he would ever have let on to Tom of course!
Sitting comfortably in a deep armchair, Mike was quickly presented with a tumbler of clear, golden liquor. He sipped the drink contemplatively and smiled his thanks.
"Very nice, Tom."
Sadly, Julie didn't seem to be anywhere around and Mike guessed that she must either be working late or on her own evening out with some of her girlfriends. Either way it was a shame.
"Here, have a top up." Tom insisted as he poured the bottle into Mike's glass.
"Steady on! Two beers and a triple whisky? I still got to find my way home, you know!"
But Mike protests were half hearted and both friends knew it. Dire Straights played on the sound system and Mike found himself very relaxed. Both he and Tom lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"Actually," Mike said suddenly, "I think all this beer has caught up with me. I need to take a leak."
Tom had no idea what made him say it. Possibly it was the knowledge that his friend had always lusted after Julie, but probably it was just a bit of wicked fun
"Sure. But use the bathroom upstairs. There's a problem with the one down here."
Tom smiled to himself as his friend unwittingly made his way up the stairs to the bathroom where Julie would still be soaking away her day's stress. He knew that she never locked the door – rarely even shut it closed – and so sat back and waited for the inevitable scream as she was disturbed.
Mike padded slowly up the stairs towards the master bathroom. He could feel the whisky warming his insides and already felt a little drunk. The door was ajar and he pushed straight in. It was steamy inside, warm and the aroma of scented candles wafted through the air. He had made no sound and was pleased that he hadn't because he was now looking straight down into the bath at the naked body of Julie Green as she dozed peacefully in the warm water.
Mike held his breath for what seemed like hours. Julie was still asleep and completely unaware of his presence. A wash cloth was draped over her face as she breathed slowly and the bubbles from her foam-bath barely covered her ample breasts. Her long blonde hair was wet at the tips where it fell to cover the upper slopes of her chest.
Fuelled and emboldened by the alcohol and niggled by the irritating thought that he could not just stand and stare for ever, Mike decided to try and make a joke of the situation.
"Nice tits!"
He was aware that his voice sounded squeaky and distant and cleared his throat quickly and noisily.
Julie reacted sharply, tearing the wash cloth from her startled face, she looked up at him and gasped.
"Sorry," Mike continued, "Tom didn't tell me you were in the tub. I had no idea."
For some reason, Julie's vocal chords didn't seem to want to cooperate with her brain. She was aware that she was gawping silently at her husband's friend but couldn't find the words.
"What...I...what...?"
But Mike was still standing there. Why hadn't he turned around and returned her privacy to her, she wondered? She had told Tom that she would be bathing. Why hadn't he warned his friend? Slowly, Julie began to understand.
A few nights ago, after a particularly frenetic session in bed, she and Tom had discussed the fact that Mike was very obviously attracted to her and they had laughed about how interesting it would be to let him see her naked. Julie has assumed that the whole thing was just a joke to her husband, but now it seemed like he had actually done something about it. She knew that the whole situation was probably brought on by the amount of booze that the two men had consumed – bar bravado, she called it – and she also knew how easy it would be to stop anything more from happening. But she was rather irritated that Tom had allowed this to happen without informing her first. Perhaps she would have to teach him a little lesson.
Regaining her composure, Julie looked up at Mike and grinned. She wriggled up a little in the water, now aware that her large breasts were well above the water line and quite visible to him.
"I'm glad you like my tits," she commented matter-of-factly, "I think they are one of my best assets, don't you?"
This time it was Mike that was lost for words. His eyes were riveted to Julie, and he was now being treated to a view of her completely topless. Had he been able to articulate he would have had to agree that her breasts were indeed rather fantastic.
"Er....yeah...I... er...."