I'd love to say that my wife bounced back immediately after her breakup with James but, in fact, it was several months before Cheryl started acting like her old self. Even dates with the Gym Guy and Brad failed to rekindle my wife's spark and it was only when I suggested we take a much-needed vacation that I saw a glimmer of excitement in Cheryl's eyes. To my surprise, Cheryl wanted to go on a walking tour through Western England that she had read about in the paper. It was organized by a local travel group and the concept was that you would hike from village to village and the tour organizer would drive your luggage between the Inns at which you would be staying. Given our love of hiking, Cheryl thought it would be a good way to see the countryside as well as getting some exercise.
When we booked the trip, Cheryl was as excited as I'd seen her in some time. And rather than shopping for sexy beach or clubwear, my wife visited REI repeatedly picking up various hiking outfits and gear for the trip. It was great to see my wife so enthusiastic about something other than an upcoming date and she even picked up the pace on her workouts, making sure she was tip-top shape for hiking.
We planned to spend several days in London before meeting our group and then following the hiking portion of our trip we would spend two final nights in London before returning home. And when we were packing for the vacation, Cheryl carefully packed two bags, one with her hiking clothes and gear and the second bag with various, sexy outfits for wining and dining in the city.
The first few days in London were spectacular and since we were visiting in June the days were long and the weather perfect. We spent the days sightseeing and the evenings were spent enjoying the burgeoning London restaurant scene. Each night, Cheryl dolled herself as she typically did when going out on a date and I found myself continually thanking my lucky stars I was married to a woman as beautiful and sexy as my wife. And although jetlag played havoc with our sleeping schedules, we did find the time to make love on our last night in London.
The next morning, we packed up our bags and made sure all our hiking clothes were in one bag and all the London clothes in another. We planned to leave our London clothes at the hotel as when we concluded our hike we were returning to the same hotel. I guess my mind was still on the previous evening's lovemaking when I said, "Honey, I think there's still some room in our suitcase. Maybe you should bring one of your other outfits in case we want to go out for a romantic dinner in one of the towns."
Cheryl thought that was a great idea and she then pulled out a short black miniskirt and a black sleeveless turtleneck top and tucked them into the bag. Of course, my wife wasn't going to wear these clothes with hiking boots or sneakers and so she retrieved a pair of black platform heels along with a package of thigh-high stockings and added them to the suitcase as well. I smiled to myself when I saw my wife pack these sexy items and I looked forward to escorting her into a romantic restaurant at some point on our journey.
We met up with our group at 11:00 that morning and introductions were made all around. There were six couples in all with most of them close to our age, but when Ian, the tour guide, arrived I could tell Cheryl was immediately smitten by his boyish good looks. Ian must have been in his mid-40's but you would never have known it by looking at him. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and he had a charming, devil may care attitude that even I found charming. Once Ian had given us an overview of the itinerary, we then all piled into the waiting van and were on our way to the countryside.
The drive was longer than I'd expected and for the most part everyone dozed in their seat or watched the countryside pass. And when we eventually pulled into the small village where we were to start our trip there was an audible sigh of relief that we could finally get out of the van. That night we had a group dinner where Ian described in more detail the route we would take, the general rules and other details regarding the journey. All throughout Ian's presentation, Cheryl couldn't keep her eyes off him and later when we were back in our room, I kidded her that she had a new crush.
"He is good looking but I'm not going to try and seduce the tour guide," laughed my wife as we got ready for bed. She then went on to say that as handsome as Ian was, she wasn't going to ruin our trip just to enjoy a little fling. That night we both slept well as we looked forward to hiking early the next day.
The next morning, we were supplied with maps, water bottles and a box lunch and Ian outlined the hike and the Inn we were to meet at that evening. Hiking was to be done at our own pace and as we set off, Cheryl and I quickly found that we were in the lead, our pre-hike fitness routines paying off. That day was an incredible experience and we loved seeing the charming villages, green fields, and quaint pubs as we made our way to the next town. Cheryl and I were the first to arrive at the Inn and we treated ourselves to a pint of beer before heading to our room to shower. That evening Cheryl wanted to eat a true English dinner and so we headed to a nearby pub where we ate meat pies along with salads while discussing our day.
The next several days were much of the same. We were blessed with near perfect weather and the hiking was truly magnificent. We also had a chance to meet the other couples, all of whom were from the Bay Area and most had taken similar trips in the past. All in all, I had to admit Cheryl had been right, a hiking trip truly was the best way to see a country and we both were having a great time.
It was on the fourth day that our innocent hiking vacation turned into something a bit more scandalous. The day had been beautiful, as always, and as we arrived at our hotel, Cheryl and I sat out front and enjoyed a pint of beer in what was now a habit. Cheryl and I had been enjoying dinner on our own except for the first group dinner, but that evening two of the other couples asked if we wanted to join them at a nearby restaurant that was supposed to be excellent. After agreeing to meet them at 8:00 in the lobby, Cheryl and I headed to the room where we washed up and then took a short nap before getting dressed for dinner.
I had a pair of khakis and a polo shirt that I put on, but when Cheryl pulled out her miniskirt and sleeveless turtleneck, I said, "Isn't that a little too sexy?"