Maria My Shy Wife

When Maria and I got back to the hotel around 2:30 p.m. we went straight to the kids' penthouse to pack all the presents. The porter arrived with the boxes soon after, and once we had the gifts boxed, we called down to the doorman, Benton, to organise a courier. Then went down to Maria's room and moved all her luggage up to my suite, having decided we would sleep together that night.

----

Later, I went down to the lobby to ask Benton if he knew of any local Blues clubs we might try that night.

"There are plenty within walking distance of the hotel, or did you want something less touristy?" he asked.

"I don't want to do Bourbon Street on a Saturday night. We would much rather try somewhere the locals hang out."

"Well, there are a few places over the other side of the river that are worth visiting, but I know a good one this side. It's expensive, and you will need a taxi to get there, as it's a good thirty minutes drive away."

When I nodded to him that this was no problem, he continued. "You will need to get there before 9:00 p.m. After 9:00, there will likely be lines of people wanting to get into the place. It fills up quickly after that, and they only tend to let in people they know or any single females that turn up. However, they will not admit to that, but it is how it works. Call down twenty minutes before you want to leave, and I'll have a cab waiting for you."

"Just book it now. Make it for 8:30, and I will make sure we are in the lobby before then."

Benton grinned. "I won't be on duty then, so make yourself known at the porters' desk. I'll sort everything out for you and let the driver know where you're going."

I gave Benton a good tip, then returned to the penthouse and told Maria what I had planned. We sat and continued our earlier conversation.

Maria asked about my plans when I returned to Cincinnati and whether I wanted to stay some nights at her place.

I had already thought about this and replied, "That would be nice. I have my new car at the airport."

"I feel you are not 100% certain about our getting back together. Do you think we should take some time to get our heads around everything?"

I didn't answer for a minute. I still had not had time to work out everything in my head.

"I never really thought there would ever be a chance of our getting back together. However, although I'm struggling to come to grips with the new you, my body is screaming out that I want you. But I don't want us to get hurt again. Does that make sense?"

"Some things will only get answered in time, but I'll answer any questions you have honestly, you know that?"

"That's the problem. I don't know what to ask you. There are a dozen things I'm sure I should be asking you, as the changes I see are unbelievable. But I'm bloody scared of some of the answers I might get."

Maria looked worried but pressed me, "I would like to try to make our marriage work again, so ask me your worst question."

"Okay, do you think you will want to keep bringing young guys home from the gym?" I smiled as I said this, hoping Maria would take it as a joke question.

"I don't know. At this moment, sitting here, no, I don't think so. However, I might if you wanted me to. It's something we need to discuss if the occasion ever arises. There are still some things I want to try. I'm hoping you will be open to experimenting with me.

I threw my hands up to show my confusion, "I don't know how I feel about sharing you. I have always been jealous, but living in Asia for three years has changed me. They have a very different attitude to sex over there. Do you know it is common for a wife to arrange a prostitute for her husband if she thinks she is not fulfilling his needs for any reason?

And it goes the other way, too. Almost all of my cleaners were married, and when I asked some of the first ones who turned up what their husbands thought about their sleeping with me, they looked at me as if I was stupid and replied, "It's part of the job. Why would their husbands be bothered?"

Maria leaned over and squeezed my hand. "I wouldn't want to have any other men in our bed if you were not fully agreeable, and I don't know how I would handle you with another woman."

"I have been very aroused the last two days just thinking of what you have admitted. So maybe if things were all lined up, I might try. But one thing I do know, I would have been incredibly pissed if you had slept with Gary's Uncle Cliff."

Maria laughed, "I won't sleep with him then."

----

Around 8:00, Maria headed into the bathroom with her overnight bag, then emerged fifteen minutes later looking absolutely stunning. She had on a tight black mini-skirt. It had a small split over her left thigh to make it easier to walk in. She wore a black tank top with a black sheer long-sleeved blouse and high black stiletto heels. I was sure she was not wearing a bra, as I could see no bra line. Also, her nipples were visible through the top's fabric, even though the sheer black blouse was meant to make the tight tank top appear slightly more decent. The look was very classy, with just enough tramp about her to stir the lump in my trousers. She was undoubtedly going to turn some heads at the club that evening.

I had chosen my dress jeans, a light blue shirt, and a dark navy blue sports jacket. I was conscious again that I had not kept myself in as good a shape as Maria. Her figure was close to what it had been when I met her at seventeen. The brief black outfit wrapping her pale form was a sight to behold.

Our driver was waiting for us when we got to the lobby. The porter pointed us to a young black guy dressed in a smart charcoal suit and told us his name was Lewis.

Maria pulled close to me and whispered in my ear, "He looks good enough to eat. Maybe the car will break down on the way. I have never been with a black man."

I was unsure if she was yanking my chain or serious, so I just mumbled a positive comment and guided Maria behind the driver as he led us to his car. He turned out to be a very entertaining guy, telling us stories about the places we were passing during the drive. We arrived at a small row of shops in the suburbs, in the centre of which there was a sizeable fronted building that I could tell had once been the town's picture theatre. There was no name out front to say it was a nightclub.

However, Lewis stopped out front and leapt out to open our doors. He handed me his card, saying, "Give me a call when you want me to pick you up. I'll very likely be waiting outside if it's after midnight."

Reading the card, I saw his name was Lewis Hamilton, and he had a photo of a Mercedes F1 car on it. I looked at Lewis and asked him if that was his real name. He nodded at me that it was, but gave me a big wink and followed by telling me that Lewis was his hero. I also realised then that he vaguely looked like a tall Lewis Hamilton. He even had his hair braided like Lewis Hamilton.

Benton had warned me the club was expensive but assured me it was well worth the visit. Sure enough, the door price was more than I expected in Cincinnati and well over the top after similar places I had frequented in Asia. Once inside, I saw that a large dance floor dominated half of the auditorium. Around which were tables that seated four, with most of the sidewalls, and across the back, lined with cubicles that could, at a pinch, hold half a dozen bodies.

Most of these cubicles were full, the odd one with couples, but mostly, they had three to five well-built black guys seated in them. I quickly noted that only a handful of white couples were in the place. And the guys in the cubicles all went quiet as we were directed to a free table on the left side of the room. It felt like I was walking a naked lady into a church, as every eye was upon Maria. I was beginning to worry about this local joint that Benton had sent us to. However, I had to accept that no one seemed hostile - quite the opposite; most of the guys were grinning and looking way too friendly.

Once we were seated, the atmosphere around us eased, and people returned to their conversations. A pretty black waitress came and took our drink order. Not too long after, we felt the room tense again and saw a dozen girls in their twenties being directed to a long trestle table. By their dress, it was apparent the girls were a hen party, as the bride stood out in her veil with all sorts of paraphernalia attached to it.

I leaned over to Maria, "It's a bit of a meat market here. Do you think we should call Lewis and find somewhere else?" I was sounding Maria out, as I remembered her being very nervous around different ethnicities during our marriage.

"No! This place is interesting. I'm enjoying clocking all the talent along the back wall."

"Not much for me to look at, though. They are almost all male."

She laughed at me. "Lighten up, you're getting old. There are all those young ladies over there, and Samantha, two tables away, looks to be worth your interest."

I turned my head to the right and saw a couple a little closer to our age. The woman was attractive. "Do you know her? How come you know her name?"

"I don't know her, but she looks like Samantha from that old TV show, Bewitched. Do you remember it?"

I took a good look at the woman. "Yes, and yes, she does look a bit like Samantha the Witch. The way she's dressed and the sour look on her husband's face, I would say she's here to get picked up by one of the black guys."

Maria and I spent the next hour observing all the patrons around us. As the club filled up, there was plenty to discuss. A few more couples like us arrived, as well as pairs of single ladies and more guys.

When we walked in, only piped music was playing, but around 9:45, a group of musicians came on stage and played a few blues numbers. The waitress informed us on her next visit to our table that another group would take over in half an hour, and then the club's feature group would play for the rest of the night.

Our table was only one row from the dance floor, so it was light. But it was distinctly gloomier at the back of the room. Another hen party arrived. This time, they were older. I guessed most of them to be in their mid-thirties. I noticed that a few of the guys from the back were starting to ask ladies out to dance, so I hauled Maria onto the dance floor before I lost her to one of the hungry punters eyeing her up.

We danced for twenty minutes, enjoying ourselves by watching the guys bringing different ladies onto the dance floor. The guys were all well-groomed and acting like gentlemen. That is, if you ignored their wandering hands. But I didn't see any of the women complaining.

When we returned to our table, a black couple approached and introduced themselves to us. They told us that Jadyn's uncle Benson had asked them to look out for us, so we offered them our spare seats.

Her name was Divine. She was good-looking, with wavy black hair, and showed plenty of cleavage. She had an athletic body and was only a few inches shorter than me. I deduced she had been, or still was, a bodybuilder. Maria looked like some tiny waif beside her, but she didn't seem bothered by the couple's being coloured - another sign of her newfound confidence.

Seeing how easily they were getting on, I relaxed and turned my attention to Jadyn. He was an imposing man, an inch taller than I at six foot three, give or take. His braided hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He looked me straight in the eye, and I noted his confidence and that his dark brown eyes had a lot of mischief in them.

"You played football. What team and what position?" Jadyn asked me in a deep southern drawl.

"I made the first cut for the Cincinnati Bengals as a Line-backer but never got to play a game. I finished university, and then my work put paid to my football dreams. And you?" I fired back at him.

"Played college for Nicholls State University. Like you, I tried for the big league with the Saints but never got past the second-division teams."

They were an interesting couple and very easy to talk to. I have to admit to feeling much more comfortable in the club now that they were seated with us.

When the live music started up again with a new group of musicians playing, I leaned in to ask Maria to dance, but Jadyn put a hand on my shoulder and asked if he could have this dance with Maria. Without waiting for an answer, he stood, leaned over, and helped Maria to her feet. My stomach lurched as I noted his huge black hand drop to the small of her back as he steered her into the crowd of gyrating bodies.

I was so intent on watching for my ex-wife's reaction that I jumped when I felt Divine pulling me to my feet and guiding me after them. She put her arms around me and started dancing me through the crowd. Divine lifted her chin to my shoulder and started asking questions. She had to speak loudly, but no one would have heard her over the band. I quickly deduced she was trying to ascertain if we were after some action. I was at pains to assure her that we had no idea the club was a meat market and that we had just asked Benton for a good blues club that was not touristy.

Then, I fired a few questions back at her. "Does Jadyn come here looking for some white tail?"

She laughed. "No, you have the wrong person. It's me that drags him along to check out the talent."

"I can see the guys picking up all the ladies. Do you chase their husbands?" I said, with a surprised look on my face.

"No, I look for the young, petite white girls. They turn me on. We don't come here that often nowadays. And when we do come, we seldom go home with anyone. We used to score a lot when we were younger, though."

I raised my eyebrows at her revelation. But she laughed before I could ask anything else and said, "I'm not a lesbian. Well! I suppose I am, but Jadyn and I have been a number since I was eighteen, and we are very happy together. We have never married. We have a very open relationship; we both like to play around. I have had a couple of other guys, and Jadyn has been okay with that, but my preferred vice is the young, mostly white, girls."

"Do you mind Jadyn playing around?" I asked

"He actually doesn't fool around that much, and it's usually at my request, sometimes to help me pick up a girl I have my eyes on. So no, we have never argued over either of us playing around. It's always mutual."

The thought went through my mind that she would probably make a play for Maria. And as if she could read my mind, she said. "I haven't got my eye on your wife. She's hot but a little old for my tastes. I'm watching the girl in the blue dress over there at the first hen party table."

I looked to my left and saw immediately the girl she was referring to as there were only four girls left sitting at the table, all the others up dancing with the black gigolos. "Why her?" I asked.

"Well, she's pretty and well put together. But the main reason is that every guy that has gone to the table has headed straight to her first. She has refused them all. She looks so innocent. She might even be a virgin and definitely has never even thought about touching a woman, as I've watched her with all the other girls at the table. That's the sort that punches my card, innocent and unavailable. I'm wet just looking at her."

I laughed, "You sure like to set yourself a challenge."

"I do, and I seldom miss out if I set my eyes on someone. How about you ask her to dance, bring her back to our table to meet us all, and let me take it from there?"

I looked to find Maria and caught sight of her nearby. Jadyn was teaching her some dance moves that looked like Jive. "You sort it out with Maria. We are separated, but working through getting back together, so I don't want to fuck things up by going over to ask some pretty young blond to dance."

Divine was watching Jadyn and Maria dance as well. "She's actually very good. Have you guys had dance lessons?"

"I don't know about Maria recently. We've been apart for five years. But early in our marriage, she was incredibly shy and inhibited. So, I dragged her along to a Latin American dance club to gain her confidence in herself. We learned the tango, samba, rumba, etc., and Maria was quite good."

At that moment, the musicians took a break, so everyone left the floor and returned to their tables. Divine sat down next to Maria, and I knew she was ironing out my going over and picking up the young lady for her. And when the music started up again, Divine leaned over. "Just ask her if you can rescue her. She'll leap into your arms."

I looked at Maria, and she gave me a nod, so I got up and walked over to the other side of the hall. In those brief fifteen paces, I watched the girl in blue turn away two guys, and I thought about how I would handle being rejected.

Moving alongside her, I asked, "Would you like me to rescue you from all these guys hitting on you?"

She looked up, her eyes brightened, and jumping up, she said, "Yes, please." Then, she proceeded to explain herself. "The bride is my cousin. I don't know most of these girls well, but they all talk about having a black guy tonight. Even my cousin has her eyes on one. I want to leave, but I'm frightened to go outside of this place on my own to search for a taxi."

I was going to walk her to the dance floor. But when I saw that our table was all still seated, I steered her back to meet the others instead.

As we approached the table, Divine jumped up and moved over beside Jadyn, beckoning the girl to sit by her. I sat down between her and Maria.

Divine took her hand, saying, "Oh! You are quite a beautiful young lady. Relax, I don't bite," and leant in and kissed each of the girl's cheeks.

We made introductions all around. The girl's name was Penny. I could see that she was very nervous about being seated next to Divine. When Jadyn leaned over and said hello, her left hand searched out mine and gripped it hard.

Maria talked across me and joined the conversation with Penny and Divine. When I felt Penny slowly relax next to me and saw she was becoming comfortable talking with Divine, I asked Maria to dance.

Immediately, we were out of hearing. On the dance floor, Maria asked what I thought about Divine seducing Penny.

"I thought about that very thing as I walked her towards our table. I had been expecting her to reject me, so I hadn't thought that far ahead. But on a score of one to ten, I would give Divine a minus six chance of seducing her. Still, I think Penny is probably a lot safer sitting with us than sitting over there with her friends."

Before we could talk much more, Divine moved alongside us with Penny in tow, and she proceeded to give Penny lessons on how to swing. Over the following three songs, Penny noticeably started to relax and enjoy herself and was picking up all the moves quickly. Then I heard Divine say to Penny that she should dance with Jadyn, as it was best to learn with a man and that Jadyn was a good teacher.

Penny protested, obviously a bit wary of being alone with Jadyn. But Divine just whisked her back to the table. Jadyn was sitting there laughing and joking with one of his mates who had joined him. He hopped up though, took Penny's hand, and took her back to the dance floor.

I couldn't blame Penny for being a bit nervous around Jadyn, as he was quite an imposing, dangerous-looking guy. But he soon had her smiling and was teaching her new moves. Two songs later, when the bracket finished, she looked disappointed that she had to leave the dance floor.

The mood now was quite relaxed around our table. Even Penny now seemed at ease. But I did take note that Penny sat by Divine, not Jadyn, when they returned to the table. Jadyn's mate, Micah, danced with Divine when she dropped Penny with Jadyn. But when the next bracket of music started, he asked Maria up to dance.