I was baby-sitting for Angela and Neil Reynolds. They're both in their early thirties, which is a bit surprising seeing that their kids are so young. They apparently chose to have their kids fairly late.
Neil is nice. A charming gentleman, in the true meaning of the word. He's all smooth and suave and kind. Always polite, and I've never heard him run anyone down.
Angela, on the other hand, is a bitch, studying to be the queen of bitches. I can't, for the life on me, see what he sees in her. I sort of figured she must be really good in bed. While I've never heard Neil have a rude word for anyone, Angela delights in putting other people down. Bossy as anything and acts superior to everyone else. I try to ignore her, mainly by just nodding my head and agreeing with her every pronouncement.
They'd been out to dinner and a show and arrived home quite late. Neil put on some coffee and we sat around drinking it while Neil and Angela discussed the show. Neil made what seemed to me to be a reasonable critique of the show. Angela promptly supplied a rebuttal of the critique, countering every good point that Neil had made and then moving on to the characters and short-comings of the performers.
Until Angela told me I had had no idea that all performers had such low morals and lived such hedonist life styles. Angela was especially critical of the young female star. If I mentioned her name and Angela's comment in the same breath she would probably be taking legal action against me.
"No better than she ought to be," sniffed Angela. "I've heard that she regularly has sex with half the cast. You'd have thought she'd have grown out of that by now."
She gave me a forbidding look, one that made me want to run to the nearest theatre and have wild and passionate sex with half the cast, just to show her that I wasn't intimidated.
"You're what, twenty? You'll probably get the urge to have sex with a man sooner or later, but take my advice and don't do it. It's just not worth the bother. Disgusting thing to do, if you ask me."
I wasn't asking her, and it seemed a strange attitude for a married woman with two children. Was she supposed to have had them by immaculate conception. Casting a look at Neil, who was wearing a poker face, I was willing to bet that she wasn't as pure as she made out. He didn't look like the type of man who would willingly forego his sexual activities.
I could be wrong of course. Angela carried right on, telling all.
"Neil and I never bother about that sort of thing now. We have our children so there's no need. I don't want it and Neil doesn't need it. I've told him so often enough. He's a bit dim that way, but there again, I suppose all men are."
Oh, thank you so much for that insight into your family sex life, Angela. How could I have gone on without knowing that. A case of TMI as far as I was concerned.
"Remember, Ronnie, if a man suggests you do nasty things with him, just slap him down. You'll appreciate this advice when you're older and raging hormones don't get in the way."
She gave me a look that seemed to suggest that I had a queue of men waiting at my bedroom door, all wanting to make indecent proposals.
"I," she announced, "am retiring. Please don't make any noise when you go to bed, Neil. You know how I hate to be woken up."
With that she sailed out of the room, leaving me looking at Neil and feeling somewhat embarrassed.
It didn't seem to bother Neil at all. He was just sitting there, all relaxed and smiling.
"Too much information?" he asked idly. "An interesting look at the intimate lives of a suburban couple."
I blushed a little, and he went on.
"She's only been like this since the birth of Timmy. The doctor says that eventually she'll snap out of it and things will get back to normal. Don't let her worry you."
She didn't worry me, but I'll admit to a feeling of sympathy for Neil. I had a feeling he was probably a man of strong appetites and enforced celibacy must have been hard on him. Not that I could say or do anything about it.
Anyway it was time for me to pack up and go home. Neil was already teaching for his wallet to pay me. He must, I decided, have been slightly more upset with Angela than I thought. He put my pay on the coffee table for me to come and collect it. He normally walks over and gives it to me.
I went over and picked up my money and stuffed it into my pocket. I didn't bother to count it. Neil was always generous and, rather than short change me, he was more likely to slip in an extra five or so. Then I gave a startled squeak as his arm went around my waist and he pulled me onto his knee.
I wriggled and tried to stand, giggling a little. I wasn't concerned. After all, Angela was in the house and Neil was a gentleman anyway. He was just teasing. His hold was a little tighter than I expected and I relaxed a little, giving him a look.
"Do you mind," I growled, or at least, tried to growl. It sounded more like a breathless squeak.
"No," he replied. "I don't mind at all. I'm just doing you a favour."
