Chapter 13
I don't believe I slept very long. I felt tugging on my shoulder. In my half-awake state, I wondered who it could be. I wasn't even startled; that alone registered how bone-tired I was. I kept my eyes shut and could feel my arm still wrapped around Bunty. I patted her, and unless Bunty had shrunk twenty percent in a few hours, I had to be spooning Ellie.
"Wake up, Jared," Bunty urged as she pulled my shoulder. I slowly disengaged myself from my wife and rolled to a sitting position. "Common, Jared, I know just the thing for you," she coaxed.
"What time is it, Bunty?" I coughed.
"It's twenty-five to five." She whispered.
"Please, in English," I begged.
"I just did. Now, don't be a pillock," she admonished.
"Don't you ever sleep?" I yawned. I slowly rose and steadied myself. Once I found my feet, Bunty grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hallway, past the kitchen, through the hall, and into the men's bath alongside the Red Room. I kept thinking, 'Christ, this place is deceptively big' as I trudged behind Bunty.
"Jesus Bunty, where do you get your energy?" I begged to know.
She said nothing but led me into the men's bathroom and placed me under the shower. She turned the knobs, and excruciatingly cold needles of pain hammered me from above.
"Son of a fucking droopy tit whore," I screamed.
"Language, my boy language. Fucking shameful," came her reprimand.
My eyes opened, and I saw a wide-awake Dave enter from the Red Room, bright as the morning sun. He smiled, waving warmly to me.
"Morning, my love," he said to Bunty. He stopped, swept her into his arms, lifted her to him, and gave her a big long Texas kiss, "You enlisting Jared to help us with breakfast?"
"That's right, luv, we shan't be long," she smiled back. Dave released her, patted her on her fanny, and stopped by a mirror. He yawned, stuck out his tongue, and went on through the door.
"Your English accent is sneaking out on you, Bunty," I observed.
"Oh, you are waking up now?" she smirked. "As it so happens, my dear boy, every morning I am like this, and after coffee and conversation with my husband, my brain engages, and your colonial pigeon English takes over."
I smacked her lightly on the ass and said, "Now, now, we're allies; play nice."
Bunty adjusted the water, which was deliciously warm, flowing over us as she joined me. She had soap and a natural sponge that was quite large in hand. She proceeded to soap it up and, for the next 10 minutes, bathed me thoroughly. When she was done, I reached for the sponge, and she stopped me.
"No need, I bathed already." She put the soap and sponge on the rack. She then dropped to her knees and, as the water flowed over us, hungrily drew my cock into her mouth. She savored it, rolling her tongue over my glans as my brain lit on fire better than a Starbucks triple espresso.
I braced, leaning back so the water flowed between us as Bunty fellated me. Her hand and tongue action was pure morning delight. I heard Dave call for her from beyond the door. Bunty began to slurp as her head bobbed up and down faster, her wrist rolling my shaft. I lasted only thirty seconds before I exploded into her waiting mouth.
Bunty pushed herself up on one leg, and I helped steady her to stand alongside me again. She looked into my eyes, drew my mouth to hers, and locked our lips. She pressed against me urgently, and I could feel her breasts pressing into me. After a few seconds, she softly broke the kiss, turned the knobs controlling the shower, and the water stopped.
"Good morning, Jared," she smiled sweetly. "There is a fresh robe hanging once you have dried off. Be a luv and help me in the kitchen with the 'Bangers and Mash,' would you please?"
"I will be right there, lovely lady," I said as I raised a hand in thanks. Bunty blew me a kiss while taking a fresh robe off the hook. She drew the robe about her and, with a flip of her still, dripping wet hair, exited through the door, drawing it closed.
I finished drying off. I decided I might as well avail myself of the amenities and shaved, brushed my teeth, and swept my wet hair straight back. I threw a robe on and headed to the kitchen. Bunty was grilling the sausage. It smelled yummy, and I smiled as I approached.
"Jare, you are just in time," she said, handing over the tongs she was using. "Please tend to these, and keep turning them on low heat. When they release steam from their ends, they are ready. Don't scorch them."
Bunty had pulled a cooking apron on over her robe. I watched as she mashed potatoes. Dave walked in from the patio with a steaming pot of napa cabbage. Bunty motioned for him to do it on a large trivet next to her. Dave nodded in acknowledgment and set it down. He quickly leaned in and kissed Bunty's neck, and she giggled like a schoolgirl, and then he returned to the patio.
"Bunty, you and Dave sure are a happy couple," I said.
She cocked her head and stopped pounding the spuds, "I see the same with you and your wife, Jared."
"Bunty, do you and Dave integrate romance into your swinging? Or, is the romance in your marriage distinctly separate from these get-togethers with your select friends?" I asked.
Bunty put her balled-up fists on her hips and looked at me with worry, "What troubles you, Jared? It seems you and Ellie are having a good time."
I back peddled, "Oh Bunty, I am sorry. No, no. We both are having a great time." I sighed, "I was just curious how you integrate this with everyday life?"
Bunty turned to work her potatoes and then stopped herself. She turned to face me, "We don't integrate this into our regular lives. We jealously guard it and compartmentalize it. We don't squander it, either. We use it when and where we need it to help us release much of the stress regular life imposes. This should be readily apparent to you as a Yank. God bless you, Americans. You work harder for less than any culture I have ever observed. You speak of work-life balance, but few practice it as we do this weekend."
"I follow you, Bunty. You have a logical argument," I said.
Bunty smiled, "You may have observed that the couples here this weekend all lead very stressful, fast-paced lives with significant responsibilities. Corrine is a school system administrator. Her husband, Nate, is a civil engineer. You and Ellie are computer scientists. Seth is both a practicing corporate lawyer and a certified accountant. My husband runs BOEs central U.S investment division, and I spend his money as a sitting member on three charitable boards. We all have our professional and philanthropic ambitions. They grant us security and a high standard of living while demanding much from us in return."
I nodded, "I agree."
"Hear me out," she continued reaching up to cup my face. "The more complex and stressful our lives, the more simplistic and stressful releasing our play must be. This is how one keeps one's sanity."
I offered, "But Bunty, romance seems incongruous.."
Bunty cut me off, "You have lived long enough to know the answer to your question. Romance belongs anywhere and anytime your heart wants, needs, or feels it. Romance better find itself everywhere in your relationship with Ellie. It begins with the feelings in your heart and finds expression through imagination and action. As my Father always quoted me, from the 'Book of Common Prayer,' Bunty my luv," he would say. "No one can express love without thought, word, and deed."
I nodded, "I do believe that, Bunty. Ellie and I have been friends, lovers, partners, and parents raising our children and earning a living. We strove to give our girls values and security. We tried hard to stress family togetherness but also accountability. I can count on one hand the number of times Ellie, and I selfishly set time aside for one another over the last twenty years."
Bunty pursed her lips, asking, "Do you feel like you and Ellie have forgotten how to romance one another?" she offered.
I shook my head, "Bunty, we just woke up in the last week and realized we were empty nesters. I see another side to Ellie's sexual needs that I was oblivious to. A week ago, I was content to sit in my kitchen drinking coffee while Ellie used her vibrators in the bedroom. She didn't even think to include me, much less invite me to make love with her. She just asked me where the batteries were."
Bunty nodded, "Remind your wife that love is selfless and selfless love is perfect love."
I explained how I had gone upstairs that day and though uninvited, added a little of me into Ellie's masturbation that morning.
Bunty blinked and observed, "Speaking as a woman, I can tell you that I would have found that very romantic."
"Bunty, I think Ellie appreciated it and loved me for doing it. She didn't extend the play with me afterward. She didn't do anything more except tell me not to worry about doing the yard work." I hung my head. "Heather and Ellie set up this whole adventure, and I was slowly played and warmed up to going along." I drew a deep breath as I opened my heart to our host.
Bunty pointed to the skillet, "Take your bangers off now. Bring that pot over to the stove and set it down," she said.
I continued to unburden my feelings to her, "I was hoping Ellie would choose to focus on just us, working to rekindle the romance. I didn't expect her first choice as an empty nester to be swinging," There I had said it.
Bunty unhesitatingly wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. She looked up at me, "You are a loving husband, and Eleanor adores you. When it comes to romance, what do people say at NASA?"
Dave hollered from outside, "It ain't Rocket Science."
Bunty burst her gut in a high-pitched laugh. Collecting herself, "You commented you have never felt worthy of Ellie. That you have lived with insecurity. I tell you, my friend, stop that silly thinking this instant. She is lucky to have you! I venture you have ceded your standing in your relationship to Eleanor for the entire time you have been married. Bloody take charge. Don't be sot. A woman will fight for equality socially, but she wants her husband to guide and sustain her. If you want romance, create the conditions for it. Stop being 'Mr. Sissy Pants' Jared, and possess your woman." She took a breath and continued, "Assert yourself. After breakfast, get dressed and take her for a walk in the pasture. We did get some rain the other day. The cactus roses have bloomed. Make that a moment between you both, and tell her what you told me. Tell her what you need her to be for you."
The light bulb went on above me, and I muttered, "I'll be damned."
"Bollocks that, Bunty said. "Damned you shall be if you don't do as I told you."
She softened and gave me a reassuring look, "You both are still very much in love with one another. It is as plain as the big Texas nose on my husband's face. Tell your wife your feelings and let your romantic ideas for her take flight. Do the unexpected; personally deliver flowers to her desk at work. Write her daily love notes. Before you know it, she will see you there. You are a good man Jared, but you must be assertive."
