Every creak of the house sounded like thunder. Cathy took a deep breath to calm herself, and again checked her hair in the mirror, though she didn't know why. Every light in the house was out except the one in the master bathroom where she prepared herself.
She understood the idea behind the key party. Test pilots here at Edwards Air Force Base had a horrific mortality rate. In the last ten years alone, more than a hundred had died, leaving widows and their children behind. So, the families did everything they could to bring each other close together, and support each other. Everything to feel connected. Absolutely everything. The commander pretended not to notice.
When the men put their house keys in the hat that morning, her own husband had picked up Captain Bailey's key. That meant he was over there now, with Mrs. Bailey, strengthening the bond between families in the most intimate way. But who had gotten the key to her own house? Sometimes they told ahead of time, sometimes they didn't.
It was a warm night in California, like it often was. The windows were open and she could hear the soft rustling of the tree branches in the breeze. The children were already deep asleep, as they didn't need to know what was about to happen. All was still.
The quiet of the night was broken by the sound of the front door opening quietly. It was understood in the test pilot community; when a man came as a friend he knocked, when he came as a lover, he let himself in.
Cold sweat formed on her neck. He was here. Cathy and her husband had only participated once before in the ritual, and Lt. Doug "Dopey" Harrison had been so nervous he hadn't managed to even get a steady erection. She had lied to him to salve his feelings, saying that he gave her pleasure at least. Dopey was a good man, and she was friends with Sally Harrison and wanted their families to bond anyway. Their kids had a playdate next week.
The carpeted stairs creaked ever so gently, as the man climbing them took his time. It was quiet enough to not wake the children, but she heard it anyway somehow over the pounding of her heart. She had sweat on her chest, and had the sudden impulse to remove her bra.
Don't be silly,
she told herself.
I know these men, and its okay if I'm apprehensive.
But if he'll be taking it off anyway?
She turned the light out, plunging the whole house into the night's dark embrace and a sudden urgency struck her. She fumbled through her nice blouse to try to remove her bra through the sleeve. What was she doing? He'd be here any second!
Just leave it on!
She told herself, but she had already gotten one arm strap off before her arm awkwardly got caught in her sleeve, so she stood there in the dark bathroom uncertain whether to put it back or try again and risk disheveling her whole look.