When Kent first met his future mother-in-law, Venus, he was amazed. He had once been told that if you want to know how a girl will look when she's forty, go and look at her mother. To his eyes Venus was almost the mirror image of her daughter Natalie, the girl he was hoping soon to become engaged to, and this augured well for her future looks.
Venus he thought must be at least in her late thirties if not early forties, and of course had the figure and manner of a mature woman, but if Natalie had come close to that 38-24-38 supposedly ideal female figure, then Venus seemed to have almost achieved that hour glass shape.
Looking at mother and daughter side by side, they were both the same height, around five feet eight, with the same oval faces framed with long chestnut coloured hair, cerulean blue eyes, attractive retrousse noses, full lipped mouths and long shapely legs.
Somewhat facetiously Kent did wonder that if Venus had been available, and given the choice, whether he would have chosen the mother or the daughter for his future bride. But Venus wasn't available and seeing the man who was to be his future father-in-law he felt that he would not have been given the choice.
In thinking this Kent might have been underrating himself in that he was certainly a very good looking and personable young man.
However, Mr. Eddington ("Just call me Harold, son") was a handsome man in his middle years who carried himself with that air of self assurance that seems to appeal to women.
Quite apart from the usual anxiety that seems to attend the first meeting with the parents of the girl you hope to marry, Kent had been troubled by what he saw as the social disparity between his family and Natalie's. If he needed a demonstration of this inequality, the house, its elegant décor and furnishing was sufficient evidence.
The welcome he got from Harold and Venus conveyed a somewhat mixed message. Harold was welcoming to the point of being overly effusive, while Venus seemed to stand back a little, and Kent felt that she was observing him rather intently, this making him feel slightly uneasy.
Kent and Natalie, in the way of contemporary young people, had already decided they would get married, but that was some way off because Kent had to complete his qualifications to become a vet, and Natalie her law studies. They would have to wait until at least Kent had qualified and had a job, before they could marry.
The meeting with Natalie's parents was not so much to ask permission to get engaged as to let it be known they were going to get engaged; of course hoping the parents would make no opposition, especially as Kent's parents had raised no objections.
Natalie's parents also raised no objections, and in fact Harold seemed extremely keen on them getting married as soon as possible, especially after he and Kent had enjoyed a few glasses of his horrendously expensive Queen Anne Scotch. Venus, who had not indulged, suggested that they wait until Kent had qualified and was in a job. Harold made a vague suggestion about Kent and Natalie getting married and living with them until they could settle down in a place of their own. This was not well received, and so he went on to suggest that he set them up in a place of their own, and he would cover the mortgage until Kent was earning.
This was acceptable to Kent and Natalie, but Venus vetoed this idea.
Kent was puzzled by Harold's latter suggestion. He had never met Harold before but he had heard of him, and knew that he was a rather small time solicitor. Granted that solicitors made a good living, Kent thought it couldn't be so good that Harold would be able support his own elegant life style and pay out for another place.
The mystery was solved when Kent learnt that Venus owned a small chain of very profitable women's boutique dress shops, "Venus Fashions," that catered for middle income women.
Much of what was sold tried to emulate the sort of clothes worn by film and television stars on award and opening nights, when silicon boosted breasts are well on display.
The fact that Venus usually wore samples of the wares she sold added to Kent's feeling of unease because what she was wearing gave an excellent view of breasts and thighs. That, added to her disturbing appraisal, made for increased disquiet.
If the engagement needed parental agreement, by the end of the evening they had got it, and even Venus made no objection.
Kent was not sure how well he was going to get on with his future mother-in-law, but being engaged to a very attractive girl with obviously well heeled parents and a father who was inclined to generosity, he felt he had struck gold.
* * * * * * * *
Even in the Garden of Eden there had been the snake, and there was one slithering around in Kent's relationship with Natalie. When he first met her she had many males in pursuit of her, and the fact that he had won her had been quite overwhelming, and Kent was utterly besotted with her.
The snake first made its appearance when he tried to make love with her. "Not until after we're engaged," Natalie had said firmly.
Kent had dated many girls and had never experienced this sort of rejection. At first he wondered if Natalie had some religious principles, but as he got to know her he discovered no such conviction. Now they were engaged he felt that he could look forward to having access to her vagina and other parts of her anatomy.
He did indeed gain access to her vagina but that was all. Any attempts at foreplay were invariably met with protests; "Don't do that;" "Don't touch me there;" I don't like that."
Much of the pleasure of sexual intercourse derives from the knowledge that your partner is enjoying it as much as you are. When Kent did finally manage to penetrate her, she was unresponsive. Natalie simply lay there limply.
What Kent did discover was that Natalie was not a virgin. There might be a number of reasons for this, but Kent did wonder if she'd had sexual experience before him. They had not talked about past sexual experiences which had suited Kent because he had a lot he could have talked about. It seemed to be tacitly assumed that what was past was past, and it could stay there.
Kent also wondered whether Natalie was the sort of girl who could only perform well sexually within the security of marriage. He did try to talk to her about it, but she said, "I don't like talking about sex."
Had Kent got these sorts of responses from other girls, then they would never have got past the second date, but being so obsessed with beautiful Natalie, he told himself that things would improve with time.
Throughout their engagement things did not improve, and ever hopeful Kent thought it would be okay once they were married.
* * * * * * * *
After being somewhat reticent at the start, Venus had become increasingly affectionate. They had graduated from a handshake to a peck on the cheek, from there to a kiss on the lips, and finally a kiss and a hug.
Kent found the kissing and hugging both enjoyable and disturbing. Venus tended to wear rather revealing garments, and of course she had a lot to reveal. This had a stimulating effect on Kent, who was after all a potent young man who was not getting the sort of sexual satisfaction he needed.
Whenever he visited the Eddington home Venus always seemed to try and get Kent alone for a while. The purpose of these sessions appeared to be another way of Venus getting to know him better. There was nothing overtly sexual about these brief sessions; nevertheless for Kent the thoughts and feelings were there.
Kent told himself he wasn't really in love with Venus; he just felt affection for her, which I suspect was his way of deceiving himself about his true feelings.
The long engagement came to an end but it was still necessary for Kent to get a job. It was then that Harold, who had always seemed keen to get them married, weighed in with his earlier idea of setting them up in a place of their own. He put down the deposit on a small but very pleasant house, and continued to repay the mortgage until Kent got a job in a veterinary practice. Harold even suggested that he put Kent into a practice of his own, but although overwhelmed at Harold's generosity, Kent refused this, saying he had to get more practical experience before he was ready for private practice.
The outcome was that Natalie and Kent were able to get married sooner than they had originally planned. It was a week before the wedding that Kent had a rather puzzling interview with Venus.
