I was putting a few last-minute revisions on my book, which had been accepted for publication by a respected publishing house. I was very proud of the book, a culmination and expansion of several articles I had written over the years about toxic masculinity. I heard a car pull into the driveway, and through the window I saw our VW pull in, and my husband getting out with a bag of groceries.
When Mike came through the door, I said, "All done!"
He paused for a moment, then his cute face broke into a wide smile.
"Your book?"
"Yes!" I grinned, and we high-fived each other.
"I'm so proud of you," he said. "You're brilliant."
"Yes!" I said again, grinning.
"Then let's celebrate," he said. "I bought steaks and wine."
"Life's good," I agreed.
After dinner, we sat in the backyard, taking in the fine September weather. I looked at Mike and twirled my wine around in the glass. He was watching some swallows flutter around at the south end of the yard, and I was looking at him. Just the sight of my husband made me smile. Not because he is gorgeous or anything: he is average-looking, a little bit on the small side, but he is the best man I know. Smart, kind-hearted, funny, sweet....I absolutely adore him.
He noticed me smiling at him, and smiled back. "What?" he said.
"I'm in love with you," I told him.
He smiled back affectionately, and gently took my hand. But he seemed slightly distant, troubled even.
"What's wrong, Mike?"
He shook his head. "Oh, nothing really."
"Tell me, sweetheart."
He sighed. "It's David. Fucking asshole."
I threw up my hands. Just the thought of David, my husband's boss, could exasperate me. I disliked the man even more than my husband does. He's a big, confident man, and he is also an enormous jackass. He is quite disrespectful to Mike, which is the primary reason I dislike him. But he's also famously sexist, so that had long been a point against him too, in my view.
"He called me a pussy today," Mike said, looking angry at maybe slightly embarrassed.
"What!" I couldn't believe my own ears. "Mike, your boss is not allowed to say that to you!"
"I know," he sighed.
"You have to take this to HR," I said.
He laughed, but in a humorless way. "Can't. He's fucking Amanda, who is our HR rep."
I shook my head. "The boss is having sex with the HR rep? That's insanely against the rules!"
"Plus she's married," Mike said. "Anyway, to hell with it, I'll just move on."
I rubbed his hand, and gave him a warm kiss. "Yes, to hell with him. You're awesome.....oh shit! Oh, I actually forgot!"
"The party," Mike said, sighing and nodding.
Every September, we have a little solstice party. It means nothing: just an excuse to get together with friends and drink too much. It was less than a week away. A few of my university colleagues come, as does most of the small crew from Mike's office. And unfortunately, David.
"Disinvite him," I said.
Mike shrugged. "That sounds exceedingly awkward."
I kissed him again. "It'll be fine," I said. "We'll make the best of it."
A couple of our friends arrived early, and they were helping Mike out in the kitchen, preparing snacks and prepping for the BBQ, while I showered. I looked at my naked body in the mirror, and I admit I liked what I saw. I'm proud of my body. It's an hourglass, with average-sized, nicely-shaped breasts, a slender waist, delicate arms. My ass is maybe a little on the big side, but I don't care at all: it's also firm and shapely. I've seen men staring surreptitiously at my butt more times than I can count, and I enjoy that, honestly. My feminist principles don't stop me from enjoying male attention.
I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, deciding against a bra. I rarely wear bras. I made my way downstairs just as more guests were arriving.
I noticed David's Mercedes pull up and park on the street. I rolled my eyes, almost instinctively. I figured he was going to dominate conversation, and I was exactly correct. He is 6'3 or so, and striking. Big shoulders, a chest you can tell is strong even in a suit. But today he wore jeans and a t-shirt, like me.
I could see that the women--all of them at our party--spent a lot of time looking him. This made me shake my head to myself. Yes, he is gorgeous. But he's also a mean, sexist asshole. And he was complete;y ignoring Mike....at our own party!
At around 6, Mike stationed himself at the BBQ and started cooking burgers and sausages and chicken legs. The smoke wafted around the yard, and beer and wine were flowing liberally. I was talking to my colleague, Jenna, congratulating her on her upcoming wedding. She was marrying Ed, also a colleague. They were both forty, and Jenna had confided to me that she had been getting nervous over the past couple of years about her single status.
"It's not that I need a man, don't get me wrong....but between you and me, I'm very happy i landed one!"
Now I congratulated her again. "Ed's a great guy," I said, and she nodded.
"He really is. Very considerate and loving. That's what a woman my age really needs."
I couldn't disagree with that. Mike is the same way. He buys me flowers, he does more house-cleaning than I do (by a long shot, to be honest). He rubs my feet when I'm tired. I'm crazy about him.
If there's any weak point at all to our marriage, I must admit it's in the bedroom. He loves sex, but it's not exactly his primary talent. He adores my pretty body, but is not able to make it respond very intensely. He never lasts more than three or four minutes....and his penis is small.
I had only ever had sex with three men before I met Mike. And of course none since. These three men did not really stand out as sexual experts, nor were any of them particularly well-endowed. I'd estimate them as average, with penises probably between five and six inches. But in my memory they all seemed positively large compared to my loving husband. And they could last longer for sure.
Honestly I didn't care very much. Mike is so loving and devoted that any...shortcomings...are easily overlooked.
Finally, Mike had fed everybody, and he and I sat side by side at the picnic table, munching on burgers. He gave my thigh a rub, and I leaned in and kissed his ear.
Ed approached us, downing the last of his burger. "Have you seen Jenna?"
Mike and I both shook our heads. "Maybe the bathroom?" I offered.