Car Repair Night
Janet and Tom new it was going to be a complicated day. They had both been awoken by the alarm earlier than normal. The main complication was that they had to take their car for service to the car maker's nearest garage. It's in the, much larger, town close by. The car was just two years old and due for its second test and repairs; if any were needed. They were pretty sure none would be as they had done far fewer miles this year, the COVID-19 year.
They were off on time following only a few other cars on the road to the town. On getting to the garage it was a case of using the COVID-19 laws and rules, introduced by the garage, to have their car booked in. They then received the replacement car for the rest of the day. Once that had all been completed and they were both in the new car, showing only 876 miles whilst in use, Tom slowly got used to driving this new car. It was an automatic; nothing like their manual. Still after a few hundred yards practice and Tom was settled. He then drove on to their favourite supermarket, close by the garage.
In the supermarket it was much quieter than normal due to the Covid-19 rules. They quickly finished shopping. They paid up in one of the few paying slots and were back in the, now loaded, car within the hour. When home it was a case of unload the car. Read the newspaper. Have lunch with a longer than normal snooze in their seats following after lunch. Then they both kept resting until the phone call came from the garage. It let them know their own car's service was complete.
Then back in their replacement car and along the quiet road, again, to the garage. Luckily they remembered to replace the used fuel at the fuel station close to the garage. When they had gone through the garage entrance it was a case of following the same route as before to the service reception.
When back at the service reception a case of them listening to the lady saying
"Everything has been checked. There was nothing unexpected or problems with the service itself. It is ready to go when you are".
So they gave the replacement car's keys back to the lady. Then they paid up for the service straightaway and went back to their own, now serviced, car and got back in. Back in their car Tom was very settled driving straight away as he had been driving for the last two years in this manual car. He comfortably drove them back home.
Getting home Tom, after unlocking and lifting the garage door, put the car in the house attached garage whilst Janet cooked dinner. She had chosen something different to any of their normal foods. It had been bought in this morning's shopping as it looked, on the notice, as though it would have a different taste. Indeed the meal had had a much different taste to any other they normally ate. One they would think about next time at the supermarket. The meal went well with the rose wine they had with the main course. A nice Sicilian tart followed, as the desert course, to finish off dinner.
It set up a relaxing evening for them to listen to some music. Janet read a romantic book and Tom was trying to work out some more bits of how to use the iPad. It was completely new to Tom. One of their daughters had given them it for Christmas. The delight of being able to see their most distant family and talk using Facebook had got them remembering how they had enjoyed their life when visiting their grandchildren before Covid-19 happened. The big trouble was for Tom to work out how to do all the other things now available; a case of trying to learn a few more each day. Shame it meant he'd often forgotten come the next day.
At 11 o'clock, as normal, it was time for bed and the usual procedures followed. Front and back doors locked. Check the alarms are on. Tom taking his hearing aids off downstairs followed by a visit to the toilet; a quick wash in the washing bowl before going upstairs to the bedroom after rechecking everything downstairs.
Janet went upstairs once the alarms were closed the first time. She then used the toilet attached to the bedroom. She took a longer wash than Tom to make sure that her skin was completely free of cosmetics. Janet was, as always, into bed before Tom.
Both got into bed without any nightwear as they had, every night, once the children had all left home. As each was nearly 70 neither thought attractive clothing was needed. Nothing happened in bed these days after the goodnight kiss.
Tom followed into bed having put his clothing together, for the following morning, on the back of his seat. That way, next morning, he would slip out of bed and away from the room, holding his clothes, to go downstairs without waking Janet. As usual he slipped down into the bed on his back and laid waiting for his usual yawn.
After being there for a little while he hears Janet
"Aren't I going to get my goodnight kiss then Tom?"
Tom is very surprised. He is sure most nights he takes longer before turning on his side for the evening kiss.
"Or are you already asleep after such a difficult day?"
"No darling. I'm not asleep. I always need to have our last kiss of the day before turning over and then going to sleep. It is such a nice way to remember how we used to end the day in so many different ways."
How pleasurable it is for Tom to put his lips on Janet's lips and tonight, as a surprise, he also decides to lick them with his tongue. It is a longer kiss than usual. Tom can also feel Janet's tongue rubbing against his. Tom's memory starts to expand. He doesn't remember the last time their tongues had touched. The touching of the tongues isn't for anything like as long as it once was. Then their tongues would mix, often between their mouths, as well as being together for a long, long time. The memory started him thinking other thoughts. Shame there would be no response inside his body to those thoughts today.
At least his hands tonight are warm enough to put them on Janet's knees to warm them. He starts to gently rub them. Janet uses her arm to turn off the light. These days Janet normally turns away once the light is out to cuddle herself together with her back towards Tom. Then they will both go to sleep. Many years ago each night would have been different. Tonight Janet turns over to cuddle herself together as normal.
As Janet cuddles herself Tom remembers that earlier in the evening Janet had been in some difficulty with her back. She had to bend from side to side a few times and stretch her arms whilst reading her romantic book. Perhaps he should use his hands to see if he could help ease her back.
To find out if he can help Tom gently runs his fingers away from her knees up the back of Janet's leg. Feeling skin on skin like that was certainly helping Tom feel good. Reaching the bottom of Janet's spine Tom splits his fingers apart slightly and increases the pressure he is applying on her back. Then he is rubbing up Janet's back with his fingers just outside the spine.
Tom is enjoying rubbing Janet's back with his fingers. He gets to the muscles by her shoulder bones. They feel very tight and in need of a good massaging. With only one hand in use he was imagining running out of pressure quite quickly. Then Janet turns herself so she is lying face down. How easy it has become to use both his hands on her back. Indeed just as he starts using them both he remembers the skin oil motion on his bedside table. Quickly he spreads oil on both hands and continues the massage. Tom feels the hard tensions in the muscles on each side of Janet's back and concentrates on both of them. He only occasionally extends his arms to Janet's shoulders or links his fingers together. To make sure he can work for as long as possible Tom starts to squat on his knees rather than lying down. This means the duvet falls backwards, off him, and away from Janet's body. In the delicate bedroom light, from the window, he can see Janet's cheeks, on her bottom, far more than he had for a long time.
Eventually with all his fingers working well together and the oil being absorbed the muscles are made looser over all of Janet's back.
'What next?' Tom wonders just as he was at the bottom of Janet's back.
