Brenda's Birthday
After discovering that my lingerie supplier now saw me as a close friend rather than a customer (see Coffee with Brenda) it had opened a new type of relationship, one that I thought ended with my school years. However, that coffee date started a real close and personal relationship which is followed up in this story after receiving an invitation to her birthday party.
My life has been moving along steadily; with occasional clandestine meetings with Peter as well as the mundane life at home with my husband, Colin. My son, Ryan, seems have found things to do on his weekends, including contacting his friends constantly by mobile phone and laptop.
So it was a pleasant surprise when Brenda Lee, who owns the lingerie shop where I often buy special underwear, invited me to her birthday party. It was the usual invitation giving details, but I saw additional handwriting at the bottom of the card which read, 'PS it would be great if you could stay overnight after the party. XX B'.
I wondered how many people had been invited, and how many would have received this additional note. The party was on a Saturday afternoon, so staying out on the weekend would have to be managed carefully, so as not to interfere with Colin's arrangements, which were to watch cable TV all evening.
I would go to the party, because it isn't everyday you get to celebrate a fiftieth birthday and that big milestone was getting close for me now. I was curious as to what type of party Brenda had planned, so I visited her to formally accept her offer, and find out more about the footnote. I needed to find a way to avoid suspicion at home.
I timed it well; there were no customers in Brenda's shop. "Good morning, Brenda, how are you this morning?" Brenda acknowledged me and she started talking about her party. It seems it was to be a hen's party, women only, but only a select few from her customer list. The afternoon would be professionally catered so she could spend time with her special guests. I asked her about the footnote and asked her how many had received that note.
"Just you Wendy. It's you I want to spend the night with after the others leave," she explained unashamedly, while slightly raising an eyebrow. I couldn't help but smile at her certainly that I would agree to her proposition. "You could phone your husband late and say you had too much to drink and didn't want to drive home and you would return in the morning. That might work for you." She spoke as if she had anticipated my question and pre-planned a logical solution.
"I suppose it could. I doubt if Colin would find that suspicious. It sounds good," I confirmed. "I will need to have something special for my night attire, would I not, Brenda?" I was chiding her. She smiled as she answered me, "Maybe nothing would be enough, Wendy. You don't have to be formal at my place."
Brenda never ceased to amaze me with her words; I now knew where this was going. "I look forward to being there, Brenda. Thank you for your invitation." I started to browse at the new garments she had on display. There were a few moments of silence before Brenda said, "You may know some of my select friends group, I believe you know Diane O'Neill. I have invited her too."
What did she know? I wondered. "Yes, I believe I do, her son and mine attend the same school and are playmates. I didn't say that I knew her husband, so I chose to say, "Yes, her husband is a business man in this area, I believe. I have seen him at school functions. He is on the school parents committee, I think."
"I don't know about that, but Diane comes in here to buy special garments. Did you know that, Wendy?" Brenda was looking at me, but I truly didn't know that and my face showed my surprise.
"Really? I didn't know that. I don't see much of her. Sometimes when I shop we have a coffee but that's not often. She has never talked about anything like that. Do you think she has some-one special to buy for, like I do, Brenda?" I asked her.
"She takes as much time as you do to make sure she looks the part, so maybe she does," Brenda replied, with a teasing smile.
Brenda once told me wives shop at Target or K-Mart when they just want underwear, so I guess she knows. Of course I know who Diane's lover is, I trained him and she reaps the benefit of my training. Poor Diane, she needs some-one like Clive to give her a reason to get out bed in the mornings. Her husband is too busy with his work β and with me!
I didn't purchase anything, but I learned something. I walked to my car wondering just how much Brenda knew about my secret lover. Was she letting me know she knew who he was or was it all about Diane?
Over the next few days I thought about what I would wear, knowing that she had supplied most of my intimate apparel for the past few years, especially since Peter came into my life. Now I am considering what to wear for a woman -- just like it's a first date.
A few days before the party, I told Colin I was going out on Saturday afternoon to a hen's party. Although he answered in the affirmative I wondered if he was listening. I fear not, because his eyes didn't look away from the large TV screen.
Brenda's invitation made me think about my fiftieth birthday which was still a few months away. Would I want a party? Who would arrange it? It is unlikely to be Colin. Should I invite Brenda to stay over? Hardly! I often think about Brenda not having a man like Diane and I do, perhaps many other women do secretly share other women's partners. I wonder how many women she has been with and I guess she wonders how many men I have been with. Those thoughts stayed with me whilst I worked in the kitchen preparing the evening meal for my TV addict husband and computer-based son. It is why I seek the affection of others.
It was Saturday. I arrived at Brenda's house and saw a lot of cars parked in the street near her house and wondered about who owned them. I rang the doorbell, Brenda opened it and welcomed me with a kiss. She led me through the house to the large outside area where a barbecue was set up and already fired up. The smell of meat cooking was in the air. She took my hand and introduced me to about a dozen women, who all looked about Brenda's age, I had guessed.
I had seen some of them before, but a few were not familiar. Too many names to remember! I saw Diane and went to chat with her until I found my bearings and had summed up these other women. Were they all Brenda's lovers?
"Hi Diane, do you know many of these women?" I asked her.
"Not, not by name, but that one with her tits bursting from her dress is the hairdresser in the Regency Arcade."
"I don't know her," I replied, "I rarely go that way to shop." I paused, "A nice pair."
As we talked we were offered wine by a smartly dressed woman who was part of the catering team. I took two chardonnays and offered one to Diane.
"How do you know Brenda," I asked Diane. She looked a little startled that I asked, but I waited for her answer.
"I've been visiting her shop for nice underwear," she admitted, "I still have Clive visiting me."
"How does he have time? When he was working on that wetlands project it took me a week to get him to come and look at Peter's plans. Good for you," I told her.
"Oh Wendy, no-one knows, so please don't tell them, will you."