Even after two years, Mallon could still feel the sting of realizing that she had lost her husband's interest. The marriage didn't last long after that day. His attention had been captured by another, and with the kids out of the house, there was no reason in his mind to stick around. She had been mother and devoted wife for 23 years to the only man she had known. How could it have been so easy for him to abandon her?
She had done most of what he asked of her. She stayed fit, exercising daily to shave years off her 40 year-old figure. She gave her body to him every Saturday night and many Tuesdays and Wednesdays too. She had gone down on him, pretending to enjoy it, even swallowing just to give him pleasure. Yet the same love and attention had never been returned to her. She felt that she was somehow undeserving, and so she tried even harder to be a pleaser.
She had grown to believe that orgasms were the god's gift to men and not something that was intended for ladies. She didn't believe what she heard or read on the topic and considered the big O a myth that was propagated by the same people that sold health and beauty products. The one time that she had come close was from a well-placed jet in a Jacuzzi bathtub when they had stolen away for the weekend. But he had managed to take that one away when he walked into the room to use the toilet.
She had left that all behind when she sold the house and everything that she couldn't pack into the car and moved to the coast, taking her share of the divorce settlement. She looked forward to a new life, away from the memories of a small Midwest town. It felt good to shed the prying eyes of the local gossips and vultures, single and married alike. She was once again a carefree Mallon, free from the chains of that small town; looking for adventure not a husband.
The morning sun shown brightly into the bedroom and a slight breeze ruffled the curtains, bringing in the fresh sea air. The soft rhythmic breathing and the rustling of the sheets beside gave her a warm feeling inside. Beside her was the partner who had helped free her of the myth, to help her release the last of the chains that had bound her for so many years.
She rolled out of bed, her nipples stiffening from the coolness of the breeze. Mallon went into the bathroom and admired her shape in the mirror before she sat. The years of hard work had paid off, she loved the way that she looked. Her pale white skin set off a lovely contrast against her red hair. Her green eyes further betrayed her Scotch-Irish heritage. Her breasts were small, too small for many men's tastes, but they still sat where they had when she was in her teens. Best of all, her 5'10" frame made her look even slimmer than she really was. She slipped on her robe and slipped from the bedroom.