I looked at all of the options, only "loving wives" seemed to fit for this segment. Lord knows I am one, even though my husband of 20 odd years is gone now.
I guess I am writing about my life, at first it was about what went before. Now it is almost like a diary. I don't even know why I write, I am not very good at it, not like Ted (my late husband) was. He wrote for here under the name of "magichands" I try very hard to see his style, his words. He was good at it, he wrote with real emotions.
This story begins as I sat at the airport. I met a man, Jonathan, on a trip to Reno just a few weeks ago. He seemed to like me. He sent me tickets to come and stay for a date. My room and meals and the limo are always paid, they have been for several years.
Jonathan works at the Casino, he had them comp my tickets, easy as that. I even took the time to look up the family name, I was surprised. Several generations involved, obviously a family with assets.
Well, I am not broke either. Still, this was a bit much. I wracked my brain trying to think, why would Jonathan, a man in his position in life show an interest in a 51 year old lady Doctor?
I have been around long enough to know that some things don't ring true, but Jonathan seemed to really like me. Still, I didn't completely understand. Here was a good looking man surrounded by young women all day, every day. Yet he seemed..well, interested.
The very best I can say is I got on the plane confused. By the time the takeoff pressed me back in the seat, I wanted off. I wanted to go back to my bedroom, to be left alone. Just me and my thoughts. I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes.
{Take a pill.}
I was trapped by then and we were in the air. The trip from Portland is short, just over an hour. Soon we were down, I walked out onto the concourse and headed off to baggage.
I was intercepted just before I got there, a smiling young man greeted me. He led me to the car, retrieved my two bags, and off we went.
I was a bit upset, I had expected Jonathan to meet me. But still, this was nice, although the Casino always sends a driver for me. Ted and I got that for life as part of a crazy win he made on a Megabucks machine years ago.
Ted and I used to look at the ads they sent us in the mail, sometimes 2 to 3 a week. "Must want their money back." he would joke. The truth isn't far from that, of course.
I waited for the driver to open the door. He lifted out my bags, raised his hand and another young man instantly appeared to take them. I pressed a crisp $20 into my driver's hand, he smiled and nodded.
Soon I was in my room, no checkin, I was taken directly there. I looked around, 5 TV sets, 6 telephones, one in each bathroom even. There was a horseshoe shaped bar. I counted the seats at the bar, 14.
Laughing at that, I wondered what in the hell was I going to do with 14 seats at the bar? There was a note, it read, "Press 6 for service". Being curious, I pressed.
Instantly a woman's voice asked what I required. I asked what was available. The answer was a long list, up to and including a private bartender to serve my drinks and clean the bar for me. And should I have any "unique" requests, simply contact my Concierge.
Thanking the lady, I went and sat down on the couch and clicked on the TV in the main room.
There were 14 seats in there, too, I realized, I took the time to count. Getting up, I wandered into the other room, there was a huge shower/sauna, it was a full glass enclosure. I thought about that, how would I take a private shower if someone was in the room.
Then I giggled when I realized the intent probably WAS to watch.
My mind flashed back to before. I realized how much Ted would have loved to watch me wash up in there.
Suddenly I was crying, there was no stopping it. I sobbed and sobbed, finally I managed to get to the bathroom and blow my nose and clean up.
I realized I was late with my medication, so I took one, resting while I waited for calmness to flood over me again.
I heard the doorbell go off about then, I wasn't ready, I ignored it. I did pick up 30 minutes later when the phone rang, it was Jonathan. We made a dinner date after he went through all of the "Are the accomodations all right?" stuff.
It was mostly waste to me, what was I going to do with TV sets, a bunch of telephones, crazy big bar that most bars I have been in would love to have. All this was a big fuss, not my thing, not my lifestyle.
"Oh, fine, very nice."
"Good, let me know if you need anything."
What I needed was some new clothes!
I had planned on shopping but right after my arrival home from the last trip it had snowed. It snowed a lot. Driving was out of the question. Then once the roads cleared I was behind at work, so the days got very long for nearly a week.
Far too soon it was time to head for the airport, I packed what I had available, thinking of perhaps doing a bit of shopping in Reno.
So here I was, preparing to go out on a fancy date, not a damned thing to wear.
You would have to be a woman to understand.
After changing at least 10 times, I settled for my Beige dress. Ted loved it because it gave hints of my nipples through the thin material, and he knew I never wore a thong or panties with it because they would show. I did have a matching slip, I put it on because with light behind me I would appear nude otherwise.
I had worn it going out with Ted many times that way, without the slip. He always delighted in the looks I got, the way the material would go transparent for a moment when the light was right.
I have to admit I loved the attention, too. But this was different. I didn't want to appear slutty to this man.
Jonathan arrived right on time, I opened the door to a handsome man. He complimented me, all the usual. I was nervous as hell, but it hit me that he was, too.
I had expected to be going to one of the restaurants in the Casino, but I was ushered out to the front door. It was very cold, I pulled my soft shawl snugly around my bare shoulders. Jonathan just glanced at an attendant, he ran to get the vehicle.
A white Mercedes pulled up a few seconds later, I waited for the door to open when a deep red Corvette pulled in behind.
I could not help grinning as Jonathan opened the door for me, delighting in the tiny z06 emblem on the side of the fender. Ted has one just like it in the garage at home, it is bright Red, this one was Burgundy.
I settled into the seat, thinking Ted would be tickled pink. In seconds, we were off.
I watched Jonathan's hands as he shifted gears from 1st to 4th when the shift light came on. I smiled inwardly, that was the very first thing Ted had done. He had rewired that somehow, hating it.
"I will decide when to shift gears." he had said, pretend gruffness in his voice.
I looked at Jonathan's hands on the shift lever, large but soft looking and well manicured. Ted's hands were big and muscular.
{Stop that! Comparing again.}
I leaned back and closed my eyes, soft music came from the radio, I almost felt at home hearing the sweet sound of the engine. We drove quietly along, no conversation.
Soon we were on the outskirts of town, heading somewhere. It was dark, traffic was light, Jonathan picked up the speed. I glanced over at the speedometer, he was drifting along at about 60.
I could not stand it.
"Let's go." I blurted.
"Go?"
"Yes, GO."
"You mean?"
"Yeees!!!"
Jonathan looked at me oddly, then grinned and dropped to 3rd gear, flooring the machine. There was the instant howl as the engine hit redline and he shifted, redline again, my body jammed back into the seat.
Familiar sounds, familiar feelings. For a second, I was home, Ted driving.
As Jon lifted off the throttle and eased back to speed, I sat back and breathed in some kind of crazy satisfaction.
"Ted drove like that, huh?"
"Yes."
