They had planned a small afternoon party at their house for that Saturday. And, it was only now, in the midst of the nervous excitement fluttering at the back of her stomach, that Beth marveled at the series of circumstances leading to this very moment. Had she known in some mischievous, slightly devious, way that the probability of Jason being called into work today was fairly high? Surely, she couldn't have known that Autumn's youngest would come down with a fever this morning. Yet, it just seemed to fall into place, like it was supposed to happen, that she was standing here in the kitchen so close to, and alone with, her husband's younger first cousin. A second thought was overlapping the last in her mind; the word 'fever' lingered provocatively. Certainly, she was having a different sort of fever herself. She could feel the flushing of her skin on the back of her neck and, oddly, her knees as well. Was this so wrong, when it all fell into place so naturally?
She chanced a glance at his bare back. Ron was standing behind her and to her left, peeling carrots at the sink and wearing only board shorts. The fact that he was younger than her husband meant nothing to her. She herself was considerably younger than Jason and she was only a few months Ron's elder. She had always known him as an equal and had never had the older-sibling perspective that her husband still clung to. No, it all felt quite natural to her. Standing here in her bikini top, a towel around her waist, preparing a salad with him only a few feet away. They weren't completely alone, of course. The children were in the yard, just outside the window, having a wonderful time with their cousins in the shallow stand-up pool. Her youngest, the one she would have to worry about near the water, was asleep in her room. At this moment, this very perfect moment, she could totally relax, sip her margarita, and pretend she couldn't hear the hoots and hollers just outside.
He was crossing behind her, to the refrigerator for something, brushing her long hair slightly so that it moved gently across her back. She held her breath so that she wouldn't inhale. It was part of the game they were playing; she couldn't openly let on how he was making her feel. But, he knew. They both understood what they were doing. He certainly didn't have to brush her hair, and it was no accident. He also didn't have to leave his shirt outside.
She turned around to grab a bowl from the cupboard behind. It was timed well, and she bumped into him, face to face has he turned away from the fridge. They laughed, a light giggly laugh, and their eyes lingered into one another's long enough to share it. They each joked a word or two about clumsiness then stepped around each other, their hips brushing as they passed. She turned back to the island, she hadn't needed a bowl after all. He was rinsing an onion now. She glanced at him again. His massive shoulders rippled as he worked the knife in hand. The nape of his lower back glistened with a light sheen of sweat. She didn't mind. It was good sweat. The sweet sweat of a handsome man. And he was handsome. Not terribly so, but real. He was charm and kindness. There were no judgements between them; they had their own spouses for that. They shared sympathy and understanding. They both knew the labors of love. The turmoil of marriage. They were compatriots of a war each waged on another battlefront, and they could share their stories openly, without judgment.
He was big man, with the typical slight over-build of an American male in his early 30's. And, he was fit enough that he carried his weight without looking obese. If she were to judge, she would have to give her husband the nod in the looks category. But she wasn't judging and Ron was more than attractive enough to turn her head. Certainly, he didn't judge her. And the glances she had caught him making told her exactly where his mind was. As for herself, she knew she was no model. Three children and time had taken their toll, but she wasn't outside of society's parameters either. In fact, with this new swimsuit and her summer tan, she was feeling quite proud of herself. Glancing down at the thought of her new suit reminder her that half of it was still in the bathroom. On a fanciful whim, she had left the bottoms off after coming in from the pool and using the toilet. Leaving them in full sight on the side of the tub, she was quite certain he would have seen them when he traded the use of that room with her. And here she was now, in the sweltering heat of the summer afternoon, naked under the towel around her waist, with only the small fabric of her triangle top to cover her breasts, having a wonderful time flirting with a married man while her husband sat at a desk miles away. And it was all so natural and innocent to her, that she felt it was exactly what she needed.
He was beside her now with a bowl of onions and carrots which he set down near the head of lettuce in front of her. How long had she been standing there, staring at the lettuce, waiting for him to make a move? Now his arm was against her shoulder and as he reached across for the salad tongs his forearm slid across the front of her top. Beneath the damp fabric, her skin goose-bumped and she felt the cold tension that marked her nipple hardening in response to his touch. This time, she did inhale and he immediately withdrew his arm, keeping contact with her breast as long a possible as he did so. She looked up into his grinning brown eyes.
"Player," she joshed.
His grin widened, "Well."
They shared another moment before he began tearing the lettuce into the bowl.
"You're still pretty wet," he commented, a sly look slightly altering his grin.
"So are you," she replied. A sudden and daring inspiration had struck her, "Maybe I should put this up to dry?" and she gestured to her top. It was, of course, just silly to think that either of them were uncomfortably cold from their damp suits in the heat of the kitchen.