âYou know Janeâ, Kay sighed as they sat having tea in the coffee shop that morning, âI sometimes feel that the spice has gone out of my marriage.â
â How dâyou mean, Kay?â Jane asked interested.
âWell, Martin always makes sex seem like a chore these days, and I have to make the first move all the time. When we do have sex its good, just not as special as it used to be.â
Just then, there was a cough, and they realised that Anna was standing there, while she was a friend Kay did not feel good letting everyone in or her most intimate secrets, and went bright red.
Jane asked Anna how long she had been standing there, and she said that she had been there long enough to hear Kay saying that she had a problem, but she couldnât see why.
As Anna had heard most of it, Kay told her the problem and said that she did not know what to do about it. Anna said that she and David had once had problems like that, and Jane & Kay both pooh-poohed what she was saying. Both Kay and Jane knew that Anna and David were always over each other whenever they were out anywhere, they were not the sort of couple that you could ever imagine having problems.
Anna however, said that it hadnât always been that way for her and David. At one time they had been on the verge of splitting up, but they had done something about it, so it wasnât a problem any more for them.
While Kay didnât really want to share her problems with Anna, but she was really curious as to what she and her husband had done to solve the problem. Annaâs cryptic answer was that they go to lots of parties, and that they talked. When Kay asked her to clarify what she had said, she said that she couldnât really do that, something about discretion and confidences, and would not elucidate on it. Kay had the feeling that if she had been on her own, then Anna would have less cryptic. She had to admit, that while Jane was her best friend, she was a bit of a gossipmonger. Always listening out for a good rumour, and spreading it quicker than the News of The World.
After a while they all went their separate ways. Jane & Anna to pick up their kids from school, and Kay going home to cook the dinner. What Anna had said was on Kayâs mind all that evening. She went to bed thinking about it, ok she and Martin did talk, but it was mainly about work, and hat they had done during the day. She mused about what Anna and David could talk about that would have improved their sex life.
She lay next to Martin in bed listening to his even breathing for ages, her mind unable to settle down. It was working overtime on what Anna had meant. Mind you, Kay and Martin rarely got invited to parties as their circle of friends was a little limited. Martin worked so hard, and had little time off to socialise, and when he did he was too tired sometimes to do anything. It was strange though that David worked in the same Office, worked the same hours, but still had time to party with his wife. She eventually fell asleep with that thought in her mind.
Kay did not see Anna for the next few days, but on the Friday when she was cleaning the house the doorbell rang. She was surprised as she wasnât expecting anyone, maybe it was a salesman. She went to open it, and was surprised to see Anna standing there with another woman, who Kay recognised, but didnât know by name. She invited them in, and made them a coffee, which they sat on the sofa drinking while Kay finished the hoovering in the Hall. Then, she went into the living room and apologised for being a bad hostess.