I'm David. I met my wife, Karen, more than thirty years ago. We have been together for 27 years. Our sex life is still OK, but I find myself wishing for something more.
My mother-in-law, Jayne, has lives in the same town as me and Karen. She's been on her own since Brian, her husband, died a couple of years ago.
It's December, and it's been snowing a bit. Karen asked that I stop by her mother's on my way home from work, to make sure everything was OK there.
Jayne is 75-years-old. Short, a bit chubby, and she dresses in frumpy old-lady-conservative way, but she's very sweet and has a great smile. She has orangey-red hair, naturally going to gray. Twinkly, pale blue eyes. We've always got on, and, I've fantasized about her on occasion over the years, but nothing ever came of that, and there's been no overt attraction between us.
So, I stopped off at Jayne's on my way, home, as my wife asked. I knocked on the door, and Jayne quickly welcomed me into her warm home.
"Oh, David, I'm so pleased to see you! I need a tall man with long arms to help lift down the decoration boxes."
"Happy to be of assistance," I replied, following her down the hall to a storage cupboard above her bedroom closet. I didn't remember ever being in her bedroom before. She'd always kept that door closed.
"They're just too high for me to reach," sighed Jayne. "And I don't like going up on step-ladders."
"No worries. Where do you want them?"
"Oh, on the living room couch would be fine," replied Jayne, directing me, with a little pat on the back. I thought her hand lingered a little after her pat, but that may have been my imagination.
We opened the boxes, and Jayne began sorting through the decorations. There were garlands and lights for the eaves of the living room, in addition to tree ornaments.
"I may need some help again in the next day or so, David, to put the higher decorations up, and to reach the top of the tree."
"I'll await your call, or just let Karen know. It's easy for me to stop by on my way home."
"I have a bit of mistletoe that you could put up in the hallway entrance now, before you leave," suggested Jayne. She fetched if from a table by the front door. "Some local children stopped by, selling sprigs. And here's push-pin to get it up."
I took the sprig and pin from her, and felt her hands stroke mine as I pulled away. I quickly tacked her fresh mistletoe up over the hallway.
"That looks lovely!" proclaimed Jayne, clasping her hands. "It's feeling more Christmasy in here already! Thank you, David."
"Well, you can thank me again when I come back to help with the rest of the high stuff," I said, giving her upper arm a little rub. "Just let me know when."
"I'll get things organized," said Jayne, clasping my hand in both of hers as I slid it from her arm. "Since we're under the mistletoe, do I get a little holiday kiss to start the season?"
"Of course," I replied. I leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek. She was still holding my hand in hers.
"I know I'm just an old lady, but that wasn't a proper kiss, was it David?"
Well, now what? I'd never kissed my mother-in-law except on the cheek, usually with a quick hug. She was still hanging onto my hand, so I leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. As I began to lean away, she held my hand closer to her chest.
"That was nice," she said. "Maybe one more?"