I had all but forgotten our big fight by the time we broke away from the remainder of the party and headed for the elevator. It had been a great evening and Marie and I had a nice time catching up with family and friends gathered from all over the country for the celebration.
We waved and smiled as the doors slid shut and cut us off from the noise and bright lights of the hotel lobby, like the throwing of a magical mute switch. But as soon as we were by ourselves I realized that her jovial attitude had been nothing but a skilled act, and the time had come to drop the curtain. Oh yes, our fight was still on and our nice evening together had done nothing to change that. Marie's brilliant smile melted away like a thin sheet of ice in the spring to be replaced by an expression of stony contempt.
I slumped my shoulders and sighed.
I was rewarded with a scowl before she turned to press the button. She ignored me for the duration of the elevator ride and when we arrived at the eight floor she walked briskly ahead of me as if we were two strangers who just happened to be going in the same direction.
To be honest I didn't mind the walking ahead part too much because it provided me with an excellent view. Even pushing forty and after having given birth twice Marie was still a sight to behold. Her long curly red hair and the way the green silk dress clung to her fit but deliciously curved body made her look ten years younger. Hell, if we weren't married already I'd have bagged her ass faster than a cheetah in heat. My cock agreed with the assessment and I felt a telltale stiffness in my nether regions. I guessed I would need a long cold shower before bedtime.
We reached the door to our room and Marie held out her hand for the keycard. As I handed it over she spotted my straining crotch area.
"In your dreams buster," she sneered and opened the door to our suite.
Yep, a long cold shower indeed.
****
I sat on the bed releasing my sore feet from my shiny but not very comfortable dress shoes attempting to reason with my grumpy wife.
"God dammit Marie! You've been pissed for over a week now. I'm really sorry I accepted the invitation without checking with you first. But it's Harrys wedding for God's sake and I thought..."
Marie came out from the bathroom all guns blazing.
"And it's our first vacation together for over a year Dave! Did you realize that? I had reservations for a bungalow in a quiet Bermuda beach resort where we could have relaxed and recharged our batteries. Made love under a moonlit sky to the sound of the ocean and the tropical night."
She inhaled sharply in preparation for the coup de grace.
"But instead we find ourselves STUCK IN ANNOYING LAS FUCKING VEGAS WITH SOME OF THE MOST ANNOYING MEMBERS OF YOUR ANNOYING FAMILY!"
I wisely said nothing.
Stomping angrily back to the bathroom Marie swallowed a couple of sleeping pills and washed them down with a glass of water. She then proceeded to drop her robe and slip on the ugly pink "no sex tonight"-shirt she sometimes slept with when the temperature was low. And despite this being Nevada there was definitely a chill in the air when she slid under the blanket facing away from me and turned out the bedside light in her side.
"Fucking sand all over the place but no beach," she mumbled sourly.
I couldn't help myself. "So I got it fifty percent right, didn't I?"
"Fuck you Dave," she sneered.
I was considering a smooth retort along the line of 'Yes please', but decided to curb my teasing. I don't know whether or not it's true what they say about redheads and temper, but Marie was living proof that the saying was fitting for at least one of them.
So I decided to refrain from tempting fate and settled for a "Goodnight honey."
I didn't expect a reply and, as predicted, none was given.
****
Sure, I knew my loving wife well.
Which is what you would expect after fifteen, mostly happy, years of marriage. In fact I was still every bit as much in love with her on that day as I had been on our wedding day, and our kids couldn't have wished for a better mom. Add to this the fact that our sex life was good and reasonably frequent -- except when she was pissed at me - and it should be evident why I generally was as happy as a pig in mud. Marie was the love of my life, period.
"But she can sure as hell carry a grudge," I sighed as I leaned back on the bed with my hands behind my head.
Sometimes I wished she would just blow the hell up and get it over with. Go nuclear on me, smash a few plates, scream till the neighbors call the police, go out with her friends and get shitfaced while agreeing that all men are assholes and so on. But no Sir - not my Marie. She would punish me relentless with a wall of silent resentment for days, weeks and sometimes even months.
And no sex of course.
Goes without saying.
Damn...
****
I woke up on the bed fully clothed. Shit! I couldn't afford to mess up the suit - it was needed for the following day and there was no time to get it pressed. My watch showed 2 a.m. and my mouth tasted like stale alcohol. Yuck! To top it off I needed to pee like a racehorse. I got up and staggered to the bathroom still feeling the effect from the wine and the - way too many - drinks.
After a quick shower and the usual bathroom activities my clothes were folded up neatly, the suit looked salvageable and I was ready for bed. Actually I was ready for fucking Marie but the way things looked at the moment the bed would have to do. The bed as in, 'a place for sleeping.'
I opened the bathroom door and froze in my tracks. There was somebody on the bed next to her!