Don't let anyone ever tell you that sex stops once you reach 40, or even older. Provided you keep yourself in trim and take care over your appearance there's no reason why it can't just go on getting better and better. At 49 I've just had the most amazing experience of my life and I've realised that there's a whole world of new things to try out there and man, I'm going to go all out to try them.
Let me go back to the reason why I've decided to write all this. First of all, a little bit about me: My name is Elizabeth and I am a high school teacher, married to Pete who has a job in the City. Now you might get the impression that being a teacher I'm a bit of a frumpy old prude, but believe me, I just don't fit that mould. Everyone says that I look 10 years younger than my age and I work hard to keep it that way with yoga and dance which have helped maintain my 35D 26 36 figure.
Pete and I have been married for 23 years and you could say we have a relatively wealthy life style, but that comes at a price, and in our case it means that we rarely get to go on vacation together due to Pete's work. He also spends a lot of time away on business so the idea of getting on a plane for a holiday is a real turn off for him.
Given the fact that I have long summer holidays I often arrange to go away with a girlfriend for 2 to 3 weeks in order to chill out and top up my tan. Anyway, towards the end of the summer term, Luke, our 30 year old yoga class instructor, came up to me and asked if I was interested in working during the summer holidays as a film extra. Now in itself that doesn't sound too exciting, but what made it attractive was that filming was to take place in the south of France and would last for a month, all expenses paid. Apparently, Luke had done the same thing the year before and thought it would be ideal for me, although he himself wouldn't be attending the auditions.
When I came home and mentioned the idea to Pete I think he saw it as an opportunity for me to get away and stop nagging him to join me on holiday. So when I talked to him about it he said,
"You might as well give it a try. It could be quite interesting; certainly different and if you don't like it you can always quit and spend a week or two in Cannes or Monaco."
"Are you sure you won't mind honey," I asked, knowing damn well he wouldn't.
"No. I know how you like to get away in the summer and I've got so much on at work..........you know how it is."
Yep. I knew how it was. So it was either stay around the house getting bored or auditioning to be a film extra. Well what would you do?
What surprised me about the application form was that it was like one of those personality assessment tests - which of these statements best describes you - in such and such situation would you do a, b or c and so on; not exactly the sort of application you'd normally expect for a background part. Anyway, after a couple of weeks I got a letter saying that 'in view of the expenses incurred in film production, it is imperative that we select candidates who are entirely suitable for our requirements' and inviting me to attend an interview. I was getting a bit pipped off with all this, but was intrigued as to what it was all about, so I went along to see.
The interview was just as involved as the application form and the producer and director explained that as there were to be so few extras, it was important that those who were picked were going to be totally suited to the type of film which was to be shot. They were giving little away, except to say that it was to be an historic film about the Roman occupation of southern France. All those interviewed during the day were asked to stay and eventually, of the hundred or so who attended, some thirty, roughly half men and half women, were called back. I was one of them.
The director stood in the middle of the room.
"Congratulations," he greeted us, "You have been selected as being the right type of person for our production. Just so you understand; this will not be an easy going holiday. The days will be long and hard, but there will be time to relax and we will look after you. The area we are going to is beautiful and we want you to enjoy your time with us. For some of you it could lead on to further work with ourselves."
He then went on to tell us that we would be leaving in a week and that he looked forward to seeing us on location.
I felt as excited as a schoolgirl when I went home to tell Pete.
"Guess what? I got the job and I leave in a week." I told him
"What? Oh yea.........the job" As usual he was engrossed in some file or other.
"Come on Pete. Try and show a bit of interest in what I do for a change."
He looked guilty, "Oh I'm sorry darling. I will miss you, honestly I will so call me every night and tell me what you've been up to." and with that, he returned to his file.
My disappointment at Pete's response was soon overcome by excitement and before I knew it I was on the plane to Nice, from where we were taken to a little village called Tanneron, north of Cannes. That evening all the extras who had been chosen met the main actors and I was surprised to see Luke among them.
"Luke! You didn't tell me you were going to be here. I didn't see you at the auditions."
He grinned at me "I didn't need to. You see, once you've been through the interview process it doesn't need to be done again, so if they want you back they just call you, which is what happened to me."
I was pleased to have someone I already knew there and Luke introduced me to the nine men and two girls actors who were to take the principal parts. The girls were about 25 and 28, both very attractive, around 5'5", one blond and the other had long shiny black hair down to her waist. I soon got to chatting to them and it turned out that they were only part time actors who, like me, were married, but came away each summer to act in the production the film company was making that year.
We were all tired after the day's travelling and went off to bed. The following day we were taken down to the old manor house which was to be used as the film set and assembled in the great hall to be briefed by the director.
"Thank you all for coming and well done and congratulations on coming through the selection procedure. You were chosen because you are all fairly broadminded people who are prepared to push the boundaries and experiment with different experiences. Let me tell you about the film. It will concentrate on the Roman occupation of this area in the first century AD and will revolve around the life of the main character, Cassius, played by Luke. Before we go any further, I have to tell you that there will be violence, which will be simulated and graphic sex, which will not!"