After a long reflection, I chose to re-edit this story to post it into the Mature category where I had intended it to be in the first place. It was not because of the comments but somehow, the whole marriage situation seemed to have taken the focus from the actual encounter, which bothered me.
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Emma stared at the envelope containing the invitation to her company's annual fundraising evening and sighed. The prospect of being dragged into endless small talk made her dread the evening ahead, but more than anything, this was going to be her first time out since her husband had left her. She wasn't sure how she was going to feel about going out by herself and she wished she could find an excuse to not go but there was no way around it. Her boss and long-time friend, James, insisted that she come and this time, he gave her no choice. She suspected it was his way of drawing her out of her hiding.
She considered herself lucky to have a boss who, not only believed in her skills, but was also a dear friend to her. He and his wife Helen, both in their late fifties, kind-hearted and selfless people, supported her throughout the whole ordeal of her divorce. Without hesitation James offered his shoulder for her to cry on and Helen insisted that she dine with them every Friday, just to make sure she got out at least a little bit. She knew they worried about her and were always looking out for her, making sure she was ok. Without their support, she could have sunk low. Really low.
In one day her whole world had crumbled and was reduced to dust. He left her for a younger woman. The classic story. Just thinking about it made the bile in her throat rise. It was a good thing they never had children, that way she was able to cut ties completely, though news did reach her from time to time. Apparently he was happy. It seemed it was not a problem for him to forget her and their years together. Come to think of it, she had never been truly happy with him. He had a bad habit of pointing out her flaws all the time. James never liked him with the way he put her down even in front of others and told her on several occasions that she deserved much better. That was because James believed in her and valued her, in a way her husband never did. Well, it was over and there was no use to linger on what had been.
Perhaps the time had come to focus on what will be. She was doing much better since a couple of months, but she was not quite ready for the blind date James wanted to fix her up with. So she refused and finally, after much insistence, James accepted her decision. Too bad it was not possible for her to sit at the same table as him and Helen since they had important clients to entertain. She did not even ask with whom she was going to share her table. With her sour mood, she was already looking forward to the end of the evening.
While getting ready, her mind kept straying to her virtual friend, her other pillar of support. They had met a few months back in a travel forum she had joined before her trip to Italy, her last vacation with her ex-husband. He went by the alias Exes. They shared the same passion for travelling and since he had been there many times, he offered her good advice on Italy's hidden gems. Thanks to him, she made the most of that trip, which was her anniversary gift to her husband. Her marriage was over within a month after they came back, with her husband announcing her that he was leaving. She forced the thought of him quickly out of her mind and focused on Exes again. Pang in her chest, she sighed.
Clever, sarcastic and impressively eloquent, he was by far the wittiest and most interesting man she had ever encountered. As soon as she told him what happened, he started distracting her by engaging her into passionate debates that lasted for hours, sometimes well into the night. Over the time, he became a comforting presence, something for her to hold on to. They could talk about anything but before she knew it, their conversations took on a different turn. He had a way of seducing her with words that made her head spin. Creating stories and playing teasing games, he could stir her mind in a way that excited her body like no real life lover had ever done. When she was with him, he made her forget and transported her into a fantasy place he had created just for her, where no hurt could reach her.
With the way he wooed her, she came to desire him even without ever having laid eyes on him. A few blurry photographs were all she had to bring his image to life in her mind. She had sent him many of her, not minding the unfairness of their exchange. That he wanted more was flattering to her and the way he praised her beauty made it worth sending them to him. In his late twenties, he looked handsome from the pictures but it was from the way they had connected that made him so appealing to her.
She did not focus on their age difference, but when she did, she found it hard to believe that such fine young man should pay her that kind of attention. Still, she did not expect anything from him all the while she let him draw her away from the darkness in which she could have drowned, she simply indulged in their wonderful time spent together. Afraid of ruining what they had, they had both agreed not to use the webcam and it worked well that way. No real names had been given either. When she told James and Helen about him, they both thought it was good for her to have a distraction but suggested that she should meet someone for real, but that was something she was not quite ready to do.
Her connection with Exes was something that was part of another world, a dream that was too far away from her reality. She wanted him, but it was not like she was ever going to meet him though secretly, deep down inside her, she harboured the fantasy of spending one night with him and each time she thought of it, it made her heart skip a beat. He occupied her thoughts more often than not, a ray of light in her otherwise dull life. The way he called her his Goddess and sometimes, when in a teasing mood, his Cougar Lady, made her feel special.
Cougar.
Never in her life would she have imagined that one day, she would become one. At the age of forty, it was as if a part of youth had been restored back into her life. The same word she used to cringe at with resentment now made her smile. How easy it was to judge before one really had the chance understand something like that. It was by far the best part of what seemed to her like midlife crisis. Her husband would never believe it if he heard she had someone so young adoring her.
With Exes on her mind, she ran her hands slowly over her body, applying a special lotion that gave her skin a glistening glow. She then tamed and curled her usually wild dark red hair and created an elegant hairstyle which exposed her graceful white neck. Rolling on her light shimmering stockings she attached them to the silver suspender belt that matched her silk bra and panties. Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, she applied her makeup, with a thin line of liquid eyeliner and her long lashes lightly coated with black mascara, making her aquamarine eyes stand out, sparkling like gems. She glazed her full lips with a glossy lipstick of deep ruby red and painted her nails in the same colour.
The glittering black dress she bought for that occasion flattered her voluptuous figure exposing her cleavage in the most sensuous way and showing off her shapely legs with its hem ending just above her knees. Metallic silver stiletto shoes, silver earrings and a matching bracelet completed her attire. She kept her neck unadorned.
Satisfied with her image reflected in the mirror she wondered what Exes would think if he saw her like that. Just the thought of it made her head spin. Not for the first time, she wished he was close to her, his lips whispering all those beautiful words to her while turning the literary into literal.
Many eyes turned her way as soon as she had entered the hall in which the evening was taking place. The atmosphere was festive with countless fairy lights suspended from the ceiling and a live band performing mellow music during the dinner. She greeted everyone politely but her mind was always on the one she desired, the one she could not have, wishing he could be at her side. Taking her seat in the chair that had been appointed to her, she looked around absentmindedly. She was surprised to see the three couples that shared table with her. Why did James not make sure she was around people liked? It was not like him to be so careless when it came to her.
Having no other choice, she introduced herself to some of them and then engaged in a conversation with the arrogant middle aged man from the finance department who sat on her right. His name was Tony. Not only was he unpleasantly flirtatious, he was also friends with her ex-husband. His eyes widened when he saw her sit down next to him and she could tell that it was because he liked what he was seeing. It made her shiver in disgust. She never liked him and she was not the only one. He had a reputation of being rude and tactless and no one except some of the women he lavished with compliments liked dealing with him.
There was nothing she could do. Tony and his wife, and the two other couples she did not know personally were going to be her company for the rest of the evening so she had to make some effort in order to make it endurable for the hours to come. He was bald, short and sturdy and his wife was a severe looking type of a woman, blond and thin, the kind who looked down on most people. Her dark blue eyes were assessing Emma and she was frowning. At least, outside of the work environment, Tony seemed more relaxed and approachable.
Still, she felt quite out of place, being surrounded by the couples who clearly knew each other quite well. It was her impression that the two women were chatting about her, from the way they kept glancing her way. She could tell they were worried about the kind of attention she might receive from their husbands. As if she would care to seduce any of them. She nearly burst out in laughter at the mere thought of it. The chair on her left side remained empty and only when the meal started did its intended occupant show up. Lost in her thoughts she did not notice the young man who seated himself silently next to her. Having nothing else to do, she was really making an effort by trying to make a conversation with Tony. But he took the opportunity to make her feel small. So like her ex-husband.
