"Hon, would you get the door. That's probably Mark"
Jenna, like usual, was running late. A pile of dresses lay on the bedroom floor, as she scrutinized the latest choice in the full-length mirror in the upstairs bathroom. Although the latest option was not as flattering as she'd hoped, she realized that it would have to suffice if they were going to make their dinner reservations, and she frantically began the process of applying make-up.
At 36, Jenna was still quite gorgeous. Although two children had softened her form, her husband still routinely devoured her with his eyes. After nine years of marriage, their love and passion had gown more intense, and when their busy schedule permitted, their lovemaking, although fairly conventional, was very much steamy and enjoyable. Aside from occasionally watching online gang-bang or bisexual porn, commitment to family life in the last six years, as well as their busy work schedules, had tempered some of the sexual experimentation that they'd previously enjoyed, and their brief foray into the swinging lifestyle before the kids were born had come to an end- at least temporarily.
As Jenna applied her lipstick, she thought back at some of the occasions when men had stared or flirted with her recently. Although men of all ages and ethnicities showed interest, often the men were African-American. And she found herself being ogled by high school and college age kids quite frequently. She thought to herself that it must be her incredibly large, beautiful breasts- the size of which she was, at times, annoyed by. Her husband, however, was immensely aroused by them, as were many of the young men (and women) in her painting classes at the college where she'd recently been hired as an adjunct faculty member. The dress that she settled on for the evening, which exposed much of her robust bosom, would surely elicit some hearty stares.
Ben, who had been watching the football game, while Jenna was getting ready, strolled to the front door to greet Mark, with whom they arranged to sit the kids during their date. Ben still possessed an imposing physique. His 6'4" frame had not changed much since his days as a college quarterback, and although some gray had emerged around his temples, he looked almost ten years younger than his forty years of age.
"Hey Mark, how are ya?" Ben asked as the door opened.
"Good, thanks. Sorry I'm late, Mr. C."
The two men exchanged a firm handshake, and Ben smiled, "No worries. Jenna isn't even ready yet. At this rate we'll be eating at Denny's tonight. Come on in."
Mark was nineteen, and although he carried himself with significantly more confidence after a year of college, he was still a bit deferential, much like the young high-school kid who had occasionally babysat Ben and Jenna's kids when his girlfriend, Ashley, wasn't available. Several inches shorter than Ben, and a bit more svelte, a year on the college swim team had broadened his shoulders, and resulted in a more muscular body. His loping gait and shaggy blond hair revealed his youthful, carefree demeanor.
"You want to go in and say 'hi' to the kids?" Ben offered. "They're in the den watching a movie. They've been excited to see you. I'm going to see if I can hurry Jenna along."
Mark disappeared into the den to let the kids know that he'd arrived, and from the bottom of the stairs, Ben prompted Jenna to speed things along. In a mildly annoyed tone, she responded, "I'm almost done." Mark emerged from the den, and Ben asked about how things were going with college, and with the swim team.
"It's going well. I made the dean's list last quarter," Mark replied, "and I think I'm going to have a chance in the 100 freestyle at the conference championships next year."
"Ya, your mom mentioned that you won conference Freshman of the Year. I ran into her at the grocery store a couple of days ago." Ben continued, "How are things going with Ashley?"
"We broke up," Mark said. "It was hard to stay connected. A long-distance relationship wasn't working, and we wouldn't have been able to really spend any time together this summer, because she's doing an internship in London."
"Sorry to hear that," Ben offered.
"Ya, thanks. We'll see how it goes. We're still close, but a committed relationship isn't realistic."
Jenna's arrival into the living room was met with an enthusiastic greeting from Mark, "Hey Mrs. C, how's it going?" The two hugged.
"Good Mark! Look at you- you're turning into quite the young man. It seems like yesterday when you were a cute little freshman in high school, and now- facial hair. How is school going?"
Mark replied, "It's pretty cool. I partied a little too much fall quarter, but then I buckled down, and got on the dean's list."
"Nice. Good for you. How is dorm life?" Jenna asked.
"It's alright, I guess," Mark responded. "I'm looking forward to finding an apartment for next year. I might move into a place with my dorm mate and a couple of his football friends."
"Jenna, we're so late," Ben interrupted.
"Right," Jenna agreed.
"Listen Mark, I put together a snack for the kids. If you could offer it to them once they've finished watching their movie. It's in the fridge. The kids should go down by 8:30 or so. You remember the whole bedtime routine?"
"Yep, I remember."
We're going to see a movie after dinner, and should be home around midnight. We'll call if we're running late, cool?"
"No worries, Mrs. C.," Mark assured her. "I was up late last night. I hung out with some friends I hadn't seen in awhile, so I'm beat. I'll probably crash out by 11:00. So go have fun! And, by the way, you two look really nice."
