So many people want this to be untrue. It was unexpected and yes, I never imagined it could happen. But I can vouch for its truth because I was there. We were travelling home from a visit to distant friends and spent the night in a large modern hotel by the main road. The place was busy with a business awayday. Tired execs filled the bar before dinner, the men all dressed in the same navy business suits and relating their dreary adventures to one another. I took one look and suggested we rest on our bed until ready to eat. Julie insisted on having a drink.
"They look like a fun crowd. I wonder who they work for."
I went to the bar while Julie searched for a free table. It took a while to get my drinks and when I found her, she was seated at the end of a table shared by others.
"Guess who they work for?" she said, adding her throaty chuckle. I shook my head and she gave the name of a multinational internet company.
I was feeling tired and apathetic. "Management doublespeak and boys with their toys. How did you find out?"
"I asked someone."
I'd call Julie shy. She didn't usually speak to strangers unless she had to. "Who did you ask?"
"It's that good-looking young man over there."
I glanced over at the man. He was in his late twenties with all his own hair and he was staring at us -- or Julie -- in a careless, conceited manner.
"I bet he's in marketing," I said to dismiss him.
Conversation dried up. We had little to say to one another at the best of times. We'd had a busy night and day with the family of an old schoolfriend of Julie's -- enjoyable but exhausting because they'd spent the who time bitching and insisting that we admire their new furnishings. The friend had a wealthy husband, a big house and three young children. Julie had none of these. I sipped my drink quickly, wanting to get away. Julie fiddled nervously with her martini.
"Let's get to bed early," I suggested, thinking she might welcome the idea.
She looked surprised and glanced round the bar as if seeing it for the first time. "We've paid for the hotel and it looks rather splendid. I intend to make the most of it."
"There's not much we can do at this time of the evening except have a meal."
"You think so?" I saw a look of mischief as she suddenly smiled. "Just watch me. Maybe this is just a game, so don't get upset. I'm going over to have another chat with Grant. I think he's lovely."
"You what?" I jerked properly awake. "Who's Grant?"
"The boy I spoke to. He's over there looking at me now. Admit he's very sexy."
I looked from Julie to the man at the bar. He had a beer and was watching her. Julie was alive with energy all of a sudden.
"But...but, you can't go and chat up a stranger in a bar."
"Why not? Surely you don't resent me having a bit of fun."
"But hang on, you mean go up and flirt with him?"
"Who knows? That's a very prurient way of putting it. I think you'll be proud to have such an accomplished wife." She looked challengingly at me. "Of course Grant may not be interested and I may have to be very persuasive. Or he may be a dutiful husband with a pretty wife at home who demands to know about every woman he's spoken to. But if he likes me there's no harm in getting to know him. Go to bed if you're tired and I'll join you later."
"No way."
"Then you'll have to watch."
I'd thought it was only words, but she slipped from her chair and went across to the irritating young exec, who seemed unsurprised by her coming to talk to him. I watched dumbfounded as they turned their backs and he bought her another drink. Then they moved further down the bar so that they were partly hidden. But I could see laughter and eager conversation. Grant was staring hard at the cleavage revealed by Julie's loose shirt and she was gazing deep into his eyes. Furious with her and with myself, I turned away and stared at my drink. Whatever she was up to, I wasn't going to play.
The minutes passed and I couldn't make sense of what was happening. I'd say that Julie was averagely interested in sex. She didn't often initiate things between us, but she was mostly happy to go along with whatever I wanted and seemed to enjoy herself. But she'd never revealed any interest in other men even to joke with me. She was a conformist in most things -- she didn't dress sexily, but then she had a trim figure from exercise and liked to show off her legs in a skirt. There's an old word -- comely -- I'd use to describe her. She certainly didn't stand out in a crowd. She's the sort of person you appreciate the more you know her. It was her smile that hooked a man, as I knew to my cost.
I mostly refrained from looking towards the bar and was sunk in my thoughts when Julie eventually flopped beside me and gave me a kiss and a happy grin.
"Yes, don't say it, I've been really naughty. But it was so much fun talking to Grant. He's intelligent and kind and it was interesting hearing him talk about what he hopes to do with his life. Mind, he can only talk about himself, but that's because he's young."
"A narcissist..."
She put up her hand to stop me. "I haven't finished. I have a confession. He put his hand on mine and I let him."
"Oh." I was shocked and slightly embarrassed, as if I'd inadvertently walked in on two lovers. "What about me? Does this friend of yours make a habit of seducing wives in front of their husband?"
"He didn't seduce me. And in any case, I told him you were my uncle."
"You what?"
"Aren't you proud of me? He really likes me. But that's not all. Don't get cross because this is just a game and -- admit it! -- you're as curious as me to see what happens. Grant's invited your straight-laced wife to have another drink with him after dinner. I've accepted. I told him you were tired and would go to bed after we'd eaten. Come on, admit that's exciting and that you didn't think I had the nerve."
"Yes I'm shocked."
It was an understatement. I sat there unable to come up with anything to say. We went to dinner and it was difficult to ignore Julie's preoccupation. No doubt I was subdued, processing the idea of Julie going for a drink with a stranger. It seemed out of character, unbelievable even. I remembered what she'd said about Grant looking good. Was this some weird expression of sexual chemistry, that after years of marriage Julie had been turned on by the interest of a younger man, a man she couldn't resist?
Curiously I didn't feel angry or jealous, but apprehensive and anxious to know what would happen. There were obvious flaws in our relationship and this was something new. At lot of the time we had little to say to one another, few interests in common and unsteady tempers when we were tired or stressed from work. Was Julie walking away from all this -- literally? It was as if we'd stepped into an alternative world where we lived the lives we wanted instead of the one that held us trapped.
I dallied over my coffee as long as I could. Eventually Julie checked her watch impatiently and told me she had to go.
"Do I look okay, or do I need to freshen up, change into something more sexy?"
