Chapter 1
My wife's 38th birthday was coming, and I planned a nice celebration fortwo. She wasn't at all happy, though.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
"I'm being silly, Don, but I feel old. I've got some new wrinkles. A couple of grey hairs. I used to feel pretty and felt good about myself, I still remember how all the men used to look at me when I entered a room. I guess I'm feeling bad because those days are gone now. Yep, they're gone, long gone. And they ain't a-coming back, either. I'm just 38 and old and ugly and it's only going to get worse."
"Sam, (her name's Samatha) we're all getting old, but you're still a ten- or at least a high nine - in anyone's book, and you know that"
"Aww, you gotta say that, you're my husband. It's in your contract or something. But, thanks, anyway, Honey."
This usually happy woman was really depressed. There was no way I could convince her that aging had'nt affected her looks. Sam IS a tall, willowy, beautiful woman. I'll admit her figure is more that of a dancer than of a Playboy Bunny, true, but in most men's eyes, she's an easy 9 or 9.5.
A month or so later, we were having dinner with a good friend of both ofours, sort of a "most eligible bachelor" type - 30 something, handsome, successful: all the right stuff. You know, 'Mr. Lucky'. Really pisses me off, sometimes.
Now Sam had arranged more blind dates for this guy than you can imagine. "He's too good to let loose, Don", was her explanation.
Sam and Fred are very good friends. They say their relationship's like having a brother or sister who's also a best friend. Uh-huh. Yeah. They say it proves that a guy and woman can be friendly without sexual pressure screwing things up. Right. Sure.
But Fred let slip a bit of an indiscretion. He had been on a west coast business trip for a couple of weeks. He mentioned in passing that it was a lonely trip, and by the end of it the nights alone in the hotel room were pretty unbearable. I tried to feel sorry for him, I really did.
"I know that feeling, Fred,"I said.
"Yeah, I had to take some action, or I'd have gone crazy."
Sam picked up on that: "What kind of action are you talking about, Fred?"
After some probing, Fred revealed that "I have a way with women. It's a little expensive, but it is a way."
"What do you mean?"
Finally it came out.
"Look, there were some girls at the bar, okay? One picked me up, that's all."
"Fred, you mean you hired a hooker?"
"well, if you're going to be blunt about it, yes. I did."
"Tell me more", from Sam.
"Look, she was very pretty, almost as nice as you, Sam."
"What happened? What did she do? What did you do?"
"She provided me a couple of hours of, um, entertainment."
"Would that be 'sexual' entertainment?"