Bonnie and I met at a house party when one of her girlfriends introduced us. We hit it off from the beginning. I thought her smile was really attractive. We started talking and found that we had a lot in common. We both grew up in the Northeast and we were both from large families.
We started dating after that party. She said later that she knew right away we would always be together. The more we were together the more we found we liked each other. We agreed on most major issues. We both wanted to live comfortably and didn't mind working hard. We also felt that our families and friends were more important than our possessions.
Our friends thought we were a good couple. They were counting the days until we decided to get married. I proposed to Bonnie about a year after we met and she accepted on the spot. That was one of the best days I can remember.
We married three years ago. Now we live in Middlefield, Connecticut. Bonnie has been working for the Aetna Insurance Company and I'm an accountant in a firm. Despite the jokes about accountants having dull lives, we manage to have a few good times.
We're both pretty busy working during the week but we like to do things together on weekends. We don't usually plan much. We just do whatever occurs to us at the moment. Sometimes we jump in the car and head for New York or Boston for the day.
Our life is like you read in the personal want ads with quiet evenings, walks on the beach, good restaurants, smooth jazz, etc.
There was one thing, though, I found out about Bonnie after we married which worried me. I wondered if it would spoil our life together. At first, I thought it could be a big problem but now it doesn't seem like a problem at all. As you get accustomed to things they become mundane. It's like a crack in the wall. Eventually you barely notice it.
Bonnie has a quirk in her. I don't know if you would define it as a fetish or a compulsion or a perversion. In any case, it used to seem like a big deal but now it's just part of our life together.
The easiest way to explain it is to give an example. Last weekend we had nothing in particular planned. Bonnie proposed that we check out the art and craft show in Glastonbury. This show draws exhibitors from all over the region.
"Bob, the Glastonbury art show is going to be this weekend. It's pretty nice out. We should do something outdoors today."
"Okay, if we go in the morning maybe we can get decent parking. The crowd builds up by afternoon."
"I'll be ready soon. It's only twenty minutes from here so we can get there by ten o'clock."
It was a summer day. The sun was shining but it wasn't too hot or muggy. We did find a parking place close to the Glastonbury Green.
There are always good craft exhibits at this show. There are usually some good artists.
Bonnie and I strolled through the outdoor exhibit spaces. We sometimes stopped to look at a piece of craftwork or talk with an artist. We buy quite a few things at these shows. Contemporary crafts and artwork go well with our house so we look at what's there with the idea that we might find something to take home.
Bonnie stopped to look at some monotypes. They were cleverly made. One depicted stones on a beach. The artist had put up explanations and diagrams about the process of producing a monotype. Bonnie was talking with the artist.
"Bob, come over here. This is fascinating. These are made on a press. Only one copy can be made which makes all of them original. Mary's been telling me about them."
I was not surprised to see that the artist was young and slim. She seemed about twenty-five years old and had a fresh wholesome look. She was very pleased that Bonnie liked her art.
"Mary, this is my husband, Bob. We've been looking for something like this to hang on the wall in our living room. What do you think, Bob?"
"Yeah, that would be nice there."
Both of the women seemed pleased. Bonnie had two reasons. She had found some art to hang on that wall and she had found Mary.
Bonnie wanted to invite Mary to have dinner with us.
"I would like to learn more about her. She might be an important artist some time and it would be nice to be able to tell people about the person who made our piece."
Bonnie knew that exhibitors at these fairs are often far from home. They need to keep their expenses low so they usually eat fast food and sleep in their vans. Mary's studio was in New York.
"We don't have any particular plans for this evening. Mary, if you don't have other plans we could all go out to dinner. Also, if you haven't made arrangements for the night we have plenty of room in the house if you'd like to stay with us."
Mary accepted the dinner invitation and said she would consider the offer of lodging. We knew she would eventually agree to that too. We decided to return at five-thirty to pick her up. Bonnie seemed satisfied. Mary was just the kind of girl she was looking for.
We came back at five-thirty. Mary had stowed her collection for the night. She wore jeans and a cotton shirt. She was glad to see us again. As I mentioned, Bonnie has a face that everyone trusts. She seems open and approachable. I must look harmless too especially when you see both of us together.
Mary brought a small tote bag. She had decided to stay the night at our house.
We ate Italian food. The restaurant had a patio under an awning. It was warm enough so we were comfortable eating outdoors. We talked about Mary's career and aspirations. She still did some commission work but overall she was a self-supporting artist. Bonnie got into some girl-talk. She wanted to know if Mary had a boyfriend.
"Well, I have been seeing a guy but it isn't really steady. He just broke up with his fiancee when we met. They may be thinking of getting back together. They may be together right now for all I know." She looked a little hurt. Mary seemed like a trusting person. She was one of those people who easily get their feelings bruised.
Bonnie was sympathetic. She tried to cheer Mary up. "We're glad you decided to stay. We have plenty of room. We could watch a movie and have tea and turn in early so you could get back to your exhibit tomorrow morning. Our house is only twenty minutes from here. You could probably use a hot shower and comfortable bed."
"That sounds wonderful. I really don't like to sleep in the van and I never feel quite right without a shower in the morning. Are you sure it wouldn't be imposing?"
"No, we would love to have you, wouldn't we, Bob?"
I noted the gleam in her eye. I tried to look distracted, like I was not really paying too much attention.
"Yeah, that would be okay. We usually don't go out on Saturday, anyway. We're sort of homebodies. A lot of times we don't even go to movies anymore. We just wait for them to come out on DVD and then rent them."
The air was getting chilly as we finished our coffee. During the drive back to the house Mary was looking a little worn out. She had a long day beginning this morning when she put her art on display. She had been outdoors all day talking to people.
She was impressed with our house. It has plenty of windows with views of the woods. It is a comfortable house. Bonnie showed Mary the spot on the wall where she planned to hang the art we bought.
Bonnie talked to Mary. "You probably want to take a shower." She led Mary into our bedroom and rummaged through her pajama drawer. She pulled out a cotton pajama set made of T shirt material. It was a light blue shirt with matching shorts. I couldn't wait to see Mary in it. I hoped she wouldn't put on a bra under the shirt. I tried to look completely uninterested in the girls' activities figuring that was probably the best way get Mary to feel comfortable.
Mary took a shower. She came out of the bathroom in the cotton set. She looked delicious. She was clean and fresh and she hadn't put her bra back on.