Creating Crystal
I
Jennifer and I met when we were both in college. She was in the pre-med
program specializing in Psychology and I was studying finance. We just
seemed to be made for each other. We had the same likes and dislikes in
everything from friends and food to ideology and lifestyles. We both
enjoyed the outdoors and were kind of fitness nuts. We were married
shortly after I graduated and had landed a job in investment banking.
Jennifer still had three more years of school ahead of her plus an
internship and residency before she would start full force into her
career.
Our marriage became a stabilizing force in both of our lives. While
Jennifer was buried in he studies, I was working to take the investment
business by storm. At the end of each day we always had each other to
lean on and our love to share. Through each year of our lives together
we grew stronger and could overcome any challenge. This phase of our
lives lasted for the first three years, and then things began to
change.
The first change that I noticed was that Jennifer spent more and more
of her time on her class work and clinical work. There were many days
that she was up and gone before the alarm went off at 6 AM, and crawled
in beside me well past my normal 11PM bedtime. She was working hard to
complete all of her class work and get ready for her internships. Since
she would receive her MD as well as her Psychology degree her
internship needed to address both these disciplines.
The upcoming internship was another source of trouble. Jen had accepted
an offer from the Cleveland Clinic and would split her time between
pure meds, and counseling for her Psych requirements. It was the only
opportunity available that offered her both programs, so she had
readily accepted. The trouble came from the fact that she would be
spending the next 15 months in Cleveland, over 300 miles away from our
home in Madison.
Jen tried hard to convince me that I should find a job in Cleveland,
that we could continue on there but I knew that she would be throwing
herself 100% into her work. There was also the issue of my job. I was a
rising star in the firm and that was a position that I didn't want to
give up. Moving to Cleveland meant starting over and I wasn't ready for
that.
So there we were, Jen packed and moving to Cleveland promising me that
there would be no other, and me staying in Madison promising her the
same. We planned to visit at least once a month telling each other how
wonderful it would be when we were together. Our plan was successful
for the first three months and then it fell apart.
It was December and the week before Christmas. I had pulled a few
strings and arranged to get the entire week off work. Driving to
Cleveland in near blizzard conditions had already put me in a bad mood,
and when I arrived, Jen was at the hospital having just started a 48-
hour shift in the ER. Feeling both tired and rejected I crashed in her
bed. For the next two days I pretty much stayed in the apartment, the
snow had the city mostly closed down.
When Jen finally made it home she was completely exhausted and slept
for 14 hours. When she woke up, she showered fixed us dinner and let me
know that she was back on duty in another 4 hours. She was scheduled
for another 48-hour shift. Worse yet, was that she would not have time
off on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. She convinced me to stay
through Monday so we could have a day together to celebrate our own
Christmas. Eventually, we did get our day together, exchanged presents
and made love for the first time since I arrived. Due to her
exhaustion, and my mood, our lovemaking was not the best. I left around
6 PM to drive home. With the roads having been plowed, I could make
almost normal time and would be home by 1 or 2 AM.
The remainder of the week went well and I began to get over my
disappointment. On Friday afternoon, I was asked in by my boss late in
the afternoon to discuss business. Mr. Dennison and I got along well
and he did everything in his power to help me succeed. His efforts
along with my hard work were about to pay off.
When I arrived in his office he was sitting there talking to Mr. Burns
the Vice-President of Securities Management. To make a long story
short, I walked out of the office two hours later with a great
promotion. Starting Monday I would be managing an investment portfolio
valued at over $300 million. The portfolio was mixed investments but
contained mostly 401K and other retirement plan money. The investments
were spread across about two-dozen Funds, and it would be my
responsibility to make it all work.
Among the benefits of being a portfolio manager, in addition to that
increase in wages and other direct benefits, was having a staff of six
investment officers at my disposal, a prestigious corner office with a
view down University Drive, and a gorgeous secretary. It was the last
of these that would prove to be the most problematic to manage. Trish
was an excellent secretary, and no problem around the office. She did
wear her skirts a bit shorter than was probably appropriate, but no one
ever complained.
It was early February when I was next scheduled to drive to Cleveland.
There was still snow on the ground and more in the forecast and I was
not looking forward to the drive. When I considered how our last week
together went, I considered calling Jen and canceling, but in the end I
decided that it was a weekend we both needed. Just as I was getting
ready to leave the office, it was Jen that called and cancelled our
plans. Her schedule had changed and she was on a new rotation. If I
came for the weekend, she would only be home for a few hours and she
would probably sleep through that time.
When I hung up the phone, Trish appeared in front of desk almost as if
by magic. "I'm sorry Joel. I over heard some of that conversation. I
know that you were looking forward to your weekend and now it's
spoiled. If it will make you feel any better, you are welcome to come
by my place for dinner. I'm going to make spaghetti and watch a movie
that I rented today during lunch. It's kind of a love story, girly
movie, but you're certainly welcome." With that she gave me a big smile
as if to say, 'Don't worry, we all go through these things, times will
get better.'
I don't know what it was that made me decide, but in a few minutes I
was getting directions to her apartment and asking what time to be
there. I headed out the door hurrying to get home and get myself ready
for the dinner. I was like a 16 year old getting ready for a first
date. On the way to her apartment I picked up a bottle of wine and was
on her doorstep by 7:30.
Well, as one might imagine, the dinner went well, the wine was
consumed; the movie was started but never finished. We ended up in
Trish's bed and I let go of all my concerns about what was happening.
We made love several times during the course of the night and fell
asleep in each other's arm in the early morning hours. Sex with Trish
was a wonderfully uninhibited event. She was aggressive, demanding,
creative and insatiable. Not to say that the sex that I shared with Jen
was bad, but this was different, more visceral and more satisfying.
Maybe it was just me, releasing my anguish over the recent past with
Jen, but maybe not. This was something that would have to be explored,
with Trish and maybe with others.
Surprisingly, the following day, I felt no guilt and no remorse. I was
easily able to convince myself that there was nothing wrong with what I
had done. If Jen was going to withhold sex from me, no matter what the
reasons, I would get it where I could, and now I had at least one place
to go.
Over the next six months, I indulged myself in my newfound ability to
attract women. This had been an area that I had never excelled in and
never needed to since Jen and I had been together so long. In high
school I was not a star athlete nor gifted with the charisma needed to
attract girls. I dated a few times but nothing ever materialized. In
college I met Jen, and we had been together every since. Now, having
the appearance of being unattached, and the ability to spend money
freely thanks to my new position, I was able to attract quite the
number of willing young ladies. With all this available to me, I set
out on a search to find the perfect woman, one that met every ideal
that I could imagine. For the most part, I would come back to Trish,
but I new that she was lacking as well. I truly believed that sometime
in the near future that I would have Jen back full time and would see
that she was in fact my perfect woman.
The remaining months of Jen's internship now passed quickly since I had
other distractions to fill my time. Almost before I knew it, she was
preparing to return to Madison. For the next two months my entire life
was changed back to something close to what it had been before she
left. We bought a house and moved out of the apartment. Jen had
accepted a residency with a Clinic attached to the Madison Area General
Hospital and was specializing in family behavioral counseling.
For me, life went on and seemed to just get better. Jen and I
reestablished our relationship and commitment to each other but while
she apparently lived up to the commitment, I did not. Our sex life was
great, but I could not get out of my mind the notion of finding the
perfect woman. I kept up a schedule of visits with Trish and several
other girls that I had been seeing. I knew that it couldn't last, and
had convinced myself that I could slowly wean myself of these other
relationships.
The remainder of our relationship was great. We never fought, we were
both earning comfortable incomes and money was not an issue. We treated
each other and ourselves to some of the luxuries in life and enjoyed to
fruits of our efforts. It would be another six months before things
came apart, but come apart they surely would.
II
It was a rainy afternoon in April when my life changed. It was Saturday
and Jen was out of town for the weekend with a friend of hers. She
called it their semi annual shop-a-thon in Chicago. She would not be
back until Monday night. Although I had been very careful in the past
to keep my extra curricular activities separated from home life, this
time I tripped up and would pay for it dearly.
Trish was the only one of the girls that I occasionally visited that
knew that I was married. Somehow, this made me break on my own rule, to
never let any of these girls near my job, home or wife. On this
particular day, I managed to let Trish convince me to go back to my
house. She knew that I made good money and had been endlessly curious
about the house. With her promise of special attention that day, I gave
in.
To cut to the chase, Jen's friend had become sick on Saturday morning,
and they had drove home cutting their shopping trip short. When Jen
walked into to the house, she found Trish and me in a more than
compromising position. Her reaction was immediate. "When you two are
done screwing like a couple of dogs in heat, you can pack your bags and
leave. If you think you can talk your way out of this, send your bitch
on her way and come begging on your knees. I'll be on the patio trying
to let the filth wash off of me with some Tequila!"
Trish and I scrambled getting to our feet and getting dressed. As she
headed out the front door, I headed out the back to plead my case with
Jen. Jen sat there with the Tequila bottle in one hand and a glass of
ice in the other. I expected to see tears but was met instead with hers
dark eyes filled with fire. As I started to speak she cut me off with a
frightening look.
"I believe that I said you should be on your knees if you choose to
plead your case. And by the way, who told you to put your clothes back
on? If you can get naked for that little bitch in the other room, you
certainly can get naked for me. Now, if you're not naked, on your knees
and begging and pleading within two minutes, you can get the hell out."
This was a side of Jen that I had never seen before. I realized that I
didn't have a choice so I quickly undressed and knelt in front of her.
"Jen, I am so, so sorry for my indiscretion. I want you to know that
there is really nothing between us, I mean that girl you saw in there,
there is nothing between us. You are the love of my life and I will do
anything to make it up to you. Please say you forgive me?"
Jen looked at me with something between hatred and contempt. "Shut up!
Isn't it bad enough that I put up with this crap every day at work? Now
I have to come home and find my husband crawling on the carpet with
some blond bimbo. Forgive you? I doubt it. Maybe, just maybe I'll find
a way to let you make it up to me, but it will be on my terms and by my
rules! Now, get your sorry ass up stairs and shower all that filth off
of you. When I get up there I expect to find you on your knees at the
foot of the bed and your skin red from scrubbing off the filth. Now get
out of my sight and let me think you cheating little bastard."
I hurried away and saw Jen pouring herself a refill of Tequila. There
was no question as to following her orders. I was upstairs, scrubbed
and kneeling by the bed in 30 minutes. I stayed there for a long time
before I heard Jen coming up the stairs. It was already getting dark
outside but I knew better than to get up and turn on the light. I just
waited patiently as she made her way down the hall and into the room.
"Well maybe there's hope for you after all. At least you were able to
follow my directions. Now, let's us decide how we deal with this little
dalliance of yours. You may think that I've sat down there drinking all
afternoon and am not of the mind set to deal with this, but you're
wrong. A couple of Tequilas worked their magic to calm me down, and
then I was able to sit and think. I am going to ask you a few questions
and you are going to answer me. Now you better make damn sure that you
answer me honestly, or else we're through. I would rather give you a
chance, but if I even suspect that you're lying, the next person you
talk to will be a divorce lawyer. Do you understand?"
I raised my head to look her in the eye and started to stand. "Yes Jen,
I understand. But you really need to listen to..."
She cut me off in mid-sentence. "I don't believe that you are in any
position to tell me what I really must do. Now, I want you back on your
knees, and I want you to listen to how this discussion is going to take
place."
I sank to my knees and let my eye fall away from her line of sight."
"OK you little bastard of a cheating husband, here's how we are going
to do this. I'm going to ask you several questions and you are going to
answer. You will be allowed one of two answers. You may either say yes
dear, and I am sorry, or no dear, I beg your forgiveness. Do you
understand me?"
I looked up slightly to see her standing directly. Although I could not
make eye contact, I answered. "Yes dear and I am sorry."
"OK, now we are getting somewhere. Here is your first question, answer
it clearly. Is this the first time that you have brought another woman
into my house?"
"Yes dear, and I am sorry."
"Ok then, let's move on. Is the blond bimbo the only outside service
that you have taken advantage of?
I looked up meekly, but saw the fire in her eyes. "No dear, I beg your
forgiveness."
She reached out and slapped me hard across the face. "You pig!"
We went on for another hour with Jen asking question that became more
and more incriminating. Finally, she fell silent. I waited for several
minutes but could not stand the silence any longer. "Jen, I truly am
sorry. I wish that you would let me explain."
It was a minute before she answered. "Well I guess that I owe you that
much, but it had better be good. Right now I am leaning towards calling
my lawyer first thing in the morning."
I talked for the next twenty minutes, and to her credit, Jen listened
carefully. I could tell that she had slipped into her Family Councilor
mode as she took in what I said. I explained my feeling about what had
happened while she had been gone for so many months and how I
eventually fell into the search for the perfect woman. I also told her
how I had decided that she was really the perfect woman for me. I hoped
that I was gaining some ground, but I doubted it.
When I had finished speaking, Jen leaned back and closed her eyes as if
she were turning it all over in her mind. Finally, she looked back at
me and spoke. "I guess that I can understand a little bit about how you
felt, because I felt much the same way myself. The difference is that I
did not go bed hopping with every guy that winked at me! However, I am
not without some degree of compassion. As a matter of fact, I will make
a deal with you, but remember, it will be a nothing or all deal. Do you
understand?"
I looked up at her as best as I could and nodded. I was too frightened
to even say a word.
"Alright, here is my plan. Since this type of situation is what I deal
with everyday at work, I believe that I am the perfect choice to
develop a corrective plan of action. I am going to spend some time over
the next few days thinking about what happened and researching
treatments and therapy. By next Saturday, I believe that I can have a
plan together and we will sit down for our first counseling session.
During the week that lies ahead, I want you to carefully consider how
far you are willing to go to save our marriage because once we start
there is no turning back, it's all or nothing. Do you understand?"
Again, I nodded my head feeling like I was totally defeated. I would
just have to accept my punishment and hope that she would forgive me.
Jen looked down at me where I was still kneeling. The look in her eye
had changed but it was subtle. Now there was just a glint of what
looked like pity. The problem was that the pity was not for what had
happened, but for what was going to.
"Pick yourself up and get out of my sight. This is my bedroom and I'll
not have you soiling it. You may use the guest room and bath if you
wish. Take with you enough clothes for tonight and the morning, but
tomorrow you will remove your belongings from my bedroom completely.
Someday, if you respond well to treatment, I may yet again allow you to
share my bed, but only time will tell."
I gathered up my pajamas and some clothes for the morning and retrieved
my shaving kit from the bathroom. I left Jen standing there with her
eyes still filled with emotion. As I walked down the hall to the guest
bedroom, I heard her close the door and quietly turn the key in the
lock. There was finality in that sound which rung through me like the
peal of a bell. I knew that our relationship would never again be the
same. The question that floated across my mind was what would it be
like? I had heard what Jen had said and was concerned by what she
meant. She had used words like Treatment, Therapy and Corrective
Action. In my mind these words did not bode well for me. While I hoped
that she was speaking of counseling, talking things through and working
things out between us, but in her words there seemed to something more.
III
On Sunday morning I awoke early after a fitful night of sleep. As I
padded down the hall, I noticed that Jen had unlocked and opened the
bedroom door. I peaked inside and found that she was gone. There was a
note taped to the mirror and I pulled it loose to read it.
"Joel. I knew that you would come looking when you saw the door open. I
have left for the day to do some research. I will be home promptly at
6PM. As the smallest token of your love and affection, I would expect
that you would have a wonderful meal prepared for me. A nice wine to go
with the meal and fresh flowers on the table is to be expected. Please
be prepared to serve as soon as I arrive. Jen."
I cleaned myself up and dressed casually, Dockers and a Polo shirt. I
decided to check out the food situation and see what was available.
During the time that Jen was in Cleveland, I had managed to learn some
pretty good basic cooking skills. Although I was self taught I had
learned to follow recipes and could hold my own. The cupboards as well
as the refrigerator were both pretty empty so a trip to the market
would be required. It was no big deal since I needed to get some wine
and of course the flowers.
I decided on a chicken dish that I had learned one day when I got
especially creative. The chicken breasts were first grilled and then
covered with compote of tomatoes, mild onions, peppers, garlic and
other spices. This was placed in a baking dish over a bed of vegetables
including asparagus, Brussels sprouts and green beans. A light wine,
vinaigrette was added along with blue cheese. The dish was then baked
at a low heat for two more hours. The finished dish was almost too
wonderful to imagine. To go with the chicken I selected garlic creamed
potatoes and a tomato bisque soup.
It took me several hours to get the shopping done, the dining room
ready and the meal prepared. By 5:15 I had just enough time to get the
wine chilled and change clothes to make myself presentable. I placed
the bottle of Pinot Noir on ice and left to shower and change. The
chicken was in the oven and would be done precisely at six. I was
pretty proud of my preparations and hurried to finish getting ready.
I was fussing with arrangement of flowers on the table when I heard Jen
come in the front door. I heard her make her way directly to the dining
room, but also heard her talking to someone else.
"Lucy, I know that you will absolutely enjoy diner. Joel studied hard
to become a decent cook while I was off in Cleveland. It's a shame
though that it was the only decent thing he did."
Jen entered the dining room along with her friend Lucy. They had been
close in college and had only recently had the chance to get back
together. As a matter of fact, Lucy had just started working as a
computer tech at the hospital and with Jen being at the clinic, they
saw each other almost every day.
As they entered the dining room I was wondering what to do about diner.
I had made enough for only two. Jen answered my question before I could
ask. "Joel, you remember Lucy don't you? She will be joining me for
diner this evening. You may seat us and serve when you are ready. When
diner is over and you have cleaned up and done the dishes, you may run
out for your own diner. I believe that there are a number of fast food
places that stay open late."
I started to protest but was cut off with an icy stare. As I turned to
begin serving, Jen continued to speak. This time, she was talking to
Lucy, but making sure that I heard every word. "After diner, there is
some wonderful Cognac that Joel purchased a while back. We can retire
to the living room and relax with a glass or two while we look through
some of the books that I picked up today. It was surprising how many
resource books there turned out to be available when I started my
research. I really do appreciate you offering to give me your opinion
about an appropriate treatment for Joel's indiscretion."
So there it was. Now she had drawn Lucy into her little scheme. I was
not going to stand for this. I was about to say something when she beat
me to the point.
"Joel dear, before I forget to mention it, I am expecting a call
tomorrow morning from Hal Baker, he's my attorney. If I'm not awake yet
when he calls, be a dear and take a message, would you?"
My boldness quickly retreated. She had me were she wanted me and she
knew just what buttons to push. I hesitated only for a moment while I
let my thoughts clear then I proceeded to serve the dinner. Jen and
Lucy chatted between themselves while they ate ignoring the fact that I
was even there. The only time that they spoke to me was to ask for more
wine to be poured. When the dinner was done, I cleared the table as
they moved to the living room with a bottle of my best Cognac. By the
time I had finished the dishes and cleaned the kitchen it was almost
11:00. I was hungry and exhausted. Slipping out of the house I managed
to find a place to get a hamburger and French fries, a far cry from the
dinner that I had prepared for Jen.
I returned to the house shortly before one AM. All was quiet and the
lights were turned out. As I walked down the upstairs hall I noticed
that the door to Jen's bedroom was closed and locked. It seemed funny
to me that I was already referring to it as her bedroom no longer our
bedroom.
The remainder of the week was pretty much a replay of Sunday. Jen was
up early and off to the office. Sometime during the day she would call
me and make a request for dinner. I would have to rush home to prepare
it so that it was ready when she arrived. I was not allowed to join her
for dinner and each night she would bring home a guest. By the end of
the week, it was obvious to both her and me that I had reached my
limit.
On Friday night she came home later than usual and brought no guest
with her. She sat at the dining room table while I served her. When her
meal was served, she invited me to kneel beside her chair while she
ate. Occasionally she would offer me a bite from her plate and I was so
hungry that I greedily accepted. When the meal was over, Jen retired to
the living room with more of my Cognac while I cleaned up. When I was
done, she asked me to join her there. She offered me a glass of the
Cognac and allowed me to sit in the chair opposite her. As I drank the
liquor, she spoke about our relationship for the first time in a week.
"Joel, I have spent a lot of time thinking about us this week and I
have done a lot of research into the types of treatments and therapy
that can be used successfully to heal the relationship. Although I do
admit that there are two parts to any relationship and two sides of any
argument, I believe that it is clear in this case that there is only
one person to blame and therefore one persons actions that need to be
corrected."
I started to object, but she cut me off. As I told you last week, this
is either an all or nothing situation. You can either agree to the
treatment that I have prescribed, or in the morning you can pack up and
leave. Now, one last time, do you agree to submit to the treatment, or
will you be leaving in the morning?"
I had only drunk the one glass of Cognac, but I was feeling the effects
already. It must have been due to the small amount of food I had
consumed. Weakly I nodded my head in agreement.
There was excitement in her voice as she responded. "Good, I'm glad
that you have seen your way to accepting my help. We shall start
immediately. Are you comfortable sitting there?"
Again I nodded.
"Now listen carefully. I gave you a little something in your drink to
help you to relax. You will remain awake and alert, but your body and
mind will just relax."
My mind reeled. What had she done? I tried to get up from the chair,
but found that my muscles would not respond. Resigned to my fate I
looked over to Jen and saw her smiling back at me.
"Well, it looks as if your medicine has taken hold. Now just let
yourself relax and listen to me closely. I am not going to hurt you in
any way. As a matter of fact, we are only going to discuss our
relationship and what you have done, openly and honestly. Along the
way, we will talk about options for your treatment, but in the end the
ultimate decision will be yours. I may make a few suggestions, but all
of the choices; all of the decisions will be yours. Do you understand
this?"
I was too weak or relaxed to even nod my head. I managed only to mumble
OK as a response.
"Very good, I am glad you understand. Now we will begin. I want you to
close your eyes and listen to my voice. As you listen I want you to
continue to relax. Your mind will become free, but it will become
focused. You will seek out a place where you can be totally relaxed and
free and you will find it in my voice. You will hear the rhythm of my
words and find comfort in my tone. You will allow my voice to lead you
to inner peace. I want you to relax and respond only to my voice. When
I tell you, you will be completely relaxed and allow only my words to
lead you."
I do not recall the next several hours. I awoke in the morning naked
and kneeling beside Jen's bed. I stayed there quietly until sometime
later when she awoke. She rolled over, looked at me and smiled. "Joel,
you are such a devoted husband. Have you been kneeling there all
night?"
Recognition of my situation returned to me and I nodded.
"Well, for being such an attentive husband, I believe that you deserve
a reward. Do you agree?"
I smiled at her and nodded.
"Well then let's not waste any time. Devoted and attentive husbands are
rewarded by be allowed to make love to there wives. Now if you believe
that you have truly been good come and share my bed."
Sex with Jen that morning was spectacular. It was everything that it
should ever be and more. I worked hard to make sure that she was more
than satisfied and in the process was completely fulfilled myself. We
finished our first love making session in over a week together in the
shower. Jen was displaying a new level of excitement and creativity and
my whole focus was to find ways to satisfy her.
After breakfast, which I prepared and served, Jen and I returned to the
living room to talk some more. While we sat drinking coffee she handed
me some papers to read. I noticed that they were in my handwriting and
glanced through them quickly. It was a list of each of the women that I
had had sex with since starting on my wayward path. Next to each name
were several notes. I looked up at Jen in shock. I started to mumble a
question, but she cut me off.
"Don't you remember? Last night when we were talking, you decided that
you wanted to confess to me about each of your little affairs. Next to
each of the names, seven if I counted correctly, are a few notes that
you added about each of the women. Just little things about what you
found so special about each of them."
I scanned the list, and it was all there, starting with Trish, then
Cindy, Joan, Sue, Vanessa, Elaine and Deb. I didn't know what to do or
say.
"Don't be ashamed. Last night you were almost boastful. You kept
talking about your search for the perfect woman and how each one of
these ladies represented some portion of that ideal to you. See what
you wrote there: Trish - beautiful eyes, long blond hair, big breasts
sexually focused on her partner, Cindy, long shapely legs, perfect
complexion sexually creative and uninhibited, Joan - sultry sexy voice,
always ready to please, Sue - the perfect body 36D 24 33, loves short
skirts, tight sweaters and high heels, Vanessa - a creative lover that
will play any role from angel to bitch, sweet young girl to hooker,
Elaine - always looks perfect, hair, make up, clothes, jewelry always
perfect, high maintenance but worth the time, Deb - smart, shy, sexy,
seductive always looks great, knows how to use her body to get what she
wants."
I listened in amazement as she read this back to me. I had had these
thoughts a hundred times but I never meant to share them with Jen. I
had nothing to say.
"Now don't be embarrassed. Look at the next page. This is where you
took all of the information about these women as well as your other
thoughts and described to me your perfect woman. My only regret is that
I fall so far from your model of perfection that I will never be able
to achieve it, but then again, I don't really think that any woman
could live up to this model. The only possibility would be for a woman
to create herself in this model, but then again there is another
problem isn't there? Your goal was not only to find the perfect woman,
but to posses her, to have her there only for you at your beckon call
to serve her partner in any and all ways. Now that I think presents a
real problem, don't you? But don't worry, I think I have a solution to
this all."
I was completely stunned and had no idea where this was going. I knew
that Jen was headed in a certain direction but had no idea what it was.
She was not going to let me off easy, that I knew for sure.
Jen looked at me and there was a hint of something foreboding in her
eyes. "Joel I want you to relax now and return to your most peaceful
place."
Suddenly I knew what was happening, but I could do nothing about it.
Some how, Jen had managed to hypnotize me last night and that was how
she had gotten me to give up all of what I had done. Now, she was
taking me back there again.
I heard here as she spoke to me, "When I count to three you will be
back to your most restful place. One. You will relax and free your
mind. Two. You will listen and respond to my voice only. Three."
I was lost. It was early evening when I became aware of where I was.
Sitting in the living room with Jen, we were discussing redecorating my
bedroom. Not our bedroom, because that was now hers, but my bedroom the
one down at the end of the hall that we had never used. It had sat
empty since we had moved into the house, but now we were discussing how
to decorate it for me.
We finished our discussion, and Jen decided that we should go out to
dinner and celebrate. When I asked her what we were celebrating she
looked at me in surprise.
"We will be celebrating the beginning of your treatment and therapy,
don't you remember? After we talked today we were able to get to the
root cause of your problems and agree on a plan of action. You told me
everything you wanted in life, and I proposed methods for you to obtain
them. You considered the options, made your decisions and we then
agreed that this would be an acceptable course for your treatment. It
will be totally up to you to take the steps necessary to achieve
recovery, but I will help you along the way. It will be your ideas,
your decisions, but I will be there to help you with every step. In
return, you agreed to be a complete dedicated and attentive husband to
me serving my every need and desire. Do you remember all of that?"
Suddenly it was all clear. I did remember talking about what I wanted.
That's what made it so appealing to me. The treatment, therapy and cure
were all centered on what I wanted. What could possible be better. Let
me see, what was it that we decided...ah, of course it was easy to
remember because it was what I wanted.
1. I did not want to give up my relationship with Jen. In fact, more
than anything else in life I wanted to please and satisfy her. When her
needs where met and she was satisfied I would find my greatest
happiness.
2. Next to pleasing Jen, the thing that I most desired in life was to
find and posses the perfect woman. The profile of the perfect woman had
been created from the notes and description that I had given to Jen.
3. Since there was no way to find the perfect woman, she would have to
be created. This would require a willing subject that could be molded
into the perfect woman, someone who could understand every aspect,
every nuance of what the perfect woman was. Since there was only one
person in the world that could completely comprehend the model of the
perfect woman, this is the person that would be required for the
subject. This would also have to be the one person that I could totally
posses. This person was I.
4. While creating this perfect woman, it would be necessary for her to
find employment to fund the transition. Joel's income was necessary to
pay for the house, the cars and all of the other things that he and Jen
owned, and Jen's income, well that was hers.
5. All aspects of this treatment and therapy would be planned and
carried out by Joel. Jen might occasionally make a suggestion, play a
little game to help me learn and understand, but it would always be my
decision.
6. If ever there came a point when Joel could no longer function as a
man to satisfy Jen's intimate needs, she would be free to find a man
that could. Conversely, if Joel gave over his intimate needs and
desires totally to his alter ego, he would be allowed to seek other
companionship but only with the direct consent and approval of Jen.
There it was six easy steps and each of them tailored around me
achieving my goals in life. It was so wonderful that I had a wife that
was so understanding and so accommodating. It was almost as if she were
putting her life second. I would have to see that she was well taken
care of, anything that she wanted I would somehow find a way to get for
her. Her every wish was my command; her happiness was my most important
mission in life.
IV
On Monday morning Jen was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when I
came into the room. When she looked at me she smiled. "Good morning
sweetheart, you look like a new man this morning. You must have had a
good night's rest."
I kissed her cheek as he headed to the table. "I decided to shave the
moustache and go for the clean faced look. I think that facial hair is
on the way out. You know how styles are always changing. By the way,
I've been thinking about letting my hair grow out a bit, I think that a
longer style might suit me better. What do you think?"
"Oh, you know me dear, I've always thought that long hair looks better
than short hair, it's just that it takes a lot more time to care for
it. I like mine cut to the shoulders, but what ever you choose I'm sure
you will look lovely."
I spent the day at the office considering what hairstyle I should
choose. It was difficult to choose something immediately since my hair
just barely reached my collar, but if I decided on a style now I would
know how much my hair needed to grow. At lunchtime I passed by the deli
where I normally ate and headed across the street to the Jade Garden
restaurant. I had heard that they had a great salad bar and this
sounded like a good idea to me. I had been meaning to shed a few pounds
and a salad for lunch would certainly help my cause. Outside the
restaurant I stopped at the newsstand and picked up a copy of the Hair
Fashion's magazine. While I ate, I reviewed the 300 hot styles promised
on the cover.
During lunch I became so involved with the magazine that I was almost
late getting back to the office. There was an article on how to plan
for long hair. It showed several different styles that could be managed
and restyled as the hair grew with out sacrificing length with each
style change. There was one particularly interesting style that started
with hair cut shorter than mine was now. Ultimately, it ended in a
style that hung in a loose shag down to the middle of your back. I made
up my mind; this is where I would start. The change was not too
dramatic, mostly moving the part from the side to the center of the
head. It did require the front to be cut in layered bangs that would be
feathered back, but this only added more appeal to the style. Calling
the salon where Jen always had her hair done, I made an appointment for
the late afternoon. They always did a great job on Jen's hair so they
should be able to provide an improvement over the barbershop that I
normally used.
I arrived at the salon at four o'clock for my appointment with Denise;
she was the same girl that cut Jen's hair. She was more than a little
surprised when I pulled out the magazine and showed her the style.
"Your hair is the perfect length and thickness Joel, but don't you
think that it might be just a bit too feminine. I could leave out the
bangs and you could still part it in the center if you would like."
Thinking about it for a second I answered her. "No Denise, I think
we'll do it just like the picture. I think that it's a good unisex
style and I'm secure enough in my masculinity to not care what anyone
else thinks."
Two hours later I arrived home. Jen was already there, stretched out on
the sofa with a glass of ice tea. She looked up when I came through the
door and fought back a giggle when she saw my hair. She had not
expected this much this soon; but apparently when she turned my desires
loose, the affect was immediate.
"Joel, you changed your hair style. Doesn't it look lovely? I think
that it really suits you. With your mustache gone and your new
hairstyle you look like a whole different person. I think it makes you
look softer and more desirable. Why don't you come here so I can give
you a big kiss?"
The simple request had just the affect on me that Jen knew it would. I
walked across the floor and gently sat next to her. She turned and
place her lips upon mine, softly, just barely a touch but very sensual.
When I responded with a sigh she pulled me closer and intensified the
kiss. Before she let me go I was whimpering in desire for her. Jen knew
just when to break the kiss and move away. It was a move that promised
things to come later. I hoped so; I would do anything for her.
Later that evening, Jen was lying in her bed reading though a magazine
while I kneeled quietly at the side of the bed. I had been there, on my
knees and naked for quite some time but I did not complain. Jen had
asked me to stay there and stay I would until she finally dismissed me.
Jen put down her magazine and looked at me as he knelt there. It was
time to play a little game. "Joel dear, would you please sit here on
the bed beside me?"
I responded immediately and sat where she pointed. Jen picked a silk
scarf and quickly tied it around my head as a blindfold.
"Now place you hands behind your back"
As I did, she used another scarf to securely tie them together.
"We're going to play a game now. I will lie back on the bed, and you
will find a way to please me. If you are successful and I have an
orgasm, then I will have a treat for you. If not, I will leave you
blindfolded and tied and send you off to your own bed for the night."
I didn't need to be told twice. I rolled onto my side then was able to
get up on my knees. Bending forward and searching for Jen, my tongue
flicking out like a snake. Jen wiggled around on the bed causing me to
continue the chase but finally gave in a lay still. I had never before
been particularly interested in oral sex, but now I put my whole being
into it. Jen was soon writhing on the bed in the throws of her second
orgasm.
Jen sent me off to clean up as she came down from her high. When I
returned, I knelt quietly next to the bed waiting for her direction.
She lay there for several minutes before she spoke wondering how her
next idea would play out. At last she decided that she just needed to
push forward and try it.
"Joel. I'm having a little problem here. Remember when I told you that
this was my room. I told you that it was a room for girls only and that
you would be sleeping down the hall. Well now, I am ready to give your
reward but you are a man in a girl's bedroom. Do you think that there
is anything we can do about this?"
Jen expected some kind of a response from me that would lead into a
discussion about our relationship and where it was headed, but that did
not happen. Instead, I got up and walked across the room to Jen's
dresser. From the top drawer, I removed a light blue baby doll
nightgown and panties. I took these and went into her bathroom. Jen
heard the shower running and waited to see what appearance I would
make. It was half an hour before I reappeared wearing the nightgown and
panties. I came across the room sat on the side of the bed and then
turned and lay down cuddling up to my wife. To Jen's surprise, not only
was I wearing the nightgown, but also I had shaved every hair from my
body other than my head, used her perfumed bath powder and placed two
small barrettes in my hair.
I rolled over and whispered in her ear. "Is this better? Now we're just
a couple of girls that happen to be sharing a bed for the night."
Jen pulled me close and hugged me tightly. "You make me so happy, but
if we are to be like this I can't very well call you Joel. Do you have
another name that you prefer?"
Jen already knew the answer to this question. It had come out in my
profile of the perfect woman. She just needed to hear him say it.
"If it pleases you my lady, you can call me Crystal, which is the name
that I favor. However if there is another that you prefer, you can
certainly ask me to change."
"Well then, Crystal you shall be. Now come to me and receive your
reward."
For the next hour Jen enjoyed the pleasure of teasing Crystal
mercilessly. She used every method that she could think of to tease and
torment me with out letting me achieve release. Finally, when I was
moaning and wiggling in a totally uncontrolled and uninhibited fashion,
she slid her body on top of mine and allowed me to enter her. Once we
were so intertwined it was only a minute before I almost screamed as I
finally achieved my orgasm.
As we lay together on the bed with our bodies still intertwined Jen
knew that she had complete control over me in every way. She also knew
that she would use this control to extract her revenge for the way I
had deceived her. The plan was already deeply imbedded in my brain. All
she had to do was offer encouragement and rewards along the way.
For my part I lay there in total contentment. This beautiful woman was
mine to serve. I knew that I would do what ever it took to satisfy her
every wish. Through serving her, and making her happy, I would derive
all of my happiness in life.
Together we drifted off to sleep, each wondering in our own way where
this all would lead and when it would end.
V
Over the next several days I noticed that there was an enormous amount
of information that you could gather by just watching people. I had
never been one to watch people with any great eye for detail, but that
had changed. For the most part, I watched women, but not in the same
way that I would have just a few short weeks ago. Back then I looked at
women or I checked them out, but it was all very superficial. Now I was
really watching them and doing so in detail. I now noticed things that
I never would have before. I studied their cloths, what they wore and
how they wore it. I studied their accessories from shoes to purses. I
was interested in hairstyles, jewelry, make up and every aspect of
their style and appearance.
On Friday afternoon, I decided to leave work early. I explained to my
boss that I was a little burned out and that I could use a few hour
jump-start on the weekend. My boss told me that there was no problem
since he new how I always worked hard and how many extra hours I
normally put in. When I walked out the door, I knew exactly where I was
headed. Saturday was Jen's birthday and I still needed to pick up her
present. I had done a lot of window-shopping and I knew exactly what I
was going to buy her, I just needed to head over to the mall and pick
it up.
The mall was a fantastic place to be. While I used to hate it, I was
now fascinated. Not only where there women everywhere to watch and
study, but the stores provided endless opportunities for exploring.
There were beautiful dresses and other apparel on display. The perfume
and accessory counters in the big department stores cried out to me.
Why was it that it had taken me so long to realize the opportunity to
while away a few extra hours there?
Slowly I wound my way through the mall finally stopping at Duran and
Sons Jewelers. Several weeks ago, I had been here with Jen and
remembered her finding a diamond and emerald ring that she fell in love
with. The ring was priced at over $1200 and she could not bring herself
to buy it. Now it provided me with the perfect birthday present for
her. After looking at several other rings, I decided that Jen was
right, this was the most beautiful of them all. The purchase was made
and I waited while the Jeweler verified the sizing of the ring, checked
the settings and finally placed it in a small box and wrapped it for
me.
While I was waiting for the ring, I wandered around the shop looking at
other jewelry; necklaces, bracelets earrings and more. Finally,
settling in front of the earring case I was studying the offerings when
another sales clerk approached me.
"Hi, I'm Kathy. Can I help you with something?"
Looking up, I smiled at her. At first I bit my tongue trying not to say
what I was thinking, but gave up. "I've been thinking about getting my
ears pierced and just looking at the ear rings that you offer almost
has me convinced to do it."
Kathy was set back just a bit. There were a lot of guys who had an ear
pierced, singular, but very few that came into an upscale jewelry store
to have it done. And, if she had heard him right, he said ears, not
ear.
I was altogether un-phased by her moment of confusion. "I really like
the small diamond studs with the gold setting, but I also think that
the gold and platinum studs are quite lovely. What do you think?"
Now she was really confused. Not only was he talking about both ears,
but also he was trying to decide between two very feminine pairs of
earrings. Not wanting to hurt his feelings in any way, she studied both
pairs and considered it for a while. "Well, I can certainly understand
your dilemma. Both pairs are exquisite. You know you could always go
with double piercing and wear both pairs. I think that they would
really compliment each other."
Kathy was sure that she had gone too far with this last comment. She
studied the look on his face and expected him to get up and leave at
any moment. She worked on a commission basis and was certain that she
had just lost a nice sum of money by not keeping her mouth shut.
I studied the two pair of earrings more closely as I listened to Kathy.
Suddenly, it dawned on me, she was right. It was quite fashionable to
have your ears double pierced. It made all the sense in the world. I
looked at her and smiled.
So it was that I left the jewelry store 30 minutes later with Jen's
birthday present wrapped in a beautiful silver paper with a red bow
attached, and two sets of studs adorning my ears. I made my way through
the mall and out to my car. If anyone noticed, I did not realize it.
Moreover, I didn't care. Once I had made my decision I knew I was
right, and the sales girl was right, the two pair of earrings did
compliment each other. I couldn't wait to get home and show them to
Jen.
I arrived home a couple of hours ahead of Jen. There was going to be a
party tomorrow with several other couples, but I wanted to give her the
present I had purchased for her tonight. That way, she could wear it to
the party and show it off. I carefully made my preparations, preparing
a light meal complete with her favorite wine. It was ready to serve
when she arrived. I had made other plans also, but they would wait
until later.
When Jen arrived, I greeted her at the door with a passionate kiss. I
escorted her to the table where her wine was already poured. "Relax and
enjoy the wine, dinner will be ready in just a minute."
Jen smiled at my attention. This was something she was going to enjoy
getting used to. She sipped her wine as I served the meal. I had
prepared a mixed seafood salad with shrimp and snow crab and served it
with warmed garlic vinaigrette. Added to the fare were warm crusty
bread rolls drizzled with melted sesame, ginger butter.
When the meal was served, I sat across the table from Jen and studied
her face carefully looking for a sign of satisfaction. As she tasted
her first mouthful, she smiled and I knew he had done well with the
meal.
As Jen tasted the delicious seafood, she looked at me and smiled her
appreciation. When she did, she noticed the sparkle of my earrings. Up
to this point, I had been so busy that she had not seen them. With out
being too obvious, she studied them carefully. Not only were my ears
pierced, but also they were double pierced and I was wearing two lovely
pairs of studs. She smiled again just managing to suppress a giggle.
She could hardly wait to see what other surprises waited for her.
After dinner I served Jen another glass of wine telling her to relax
and enjoy. I quickly cleaned off the table and headed upstairs. She had
no idea what I was up to, but waited and enjoyed the wine and giving me
a little time. She might want me to give her a back rub to help her
loosen up a bit, and then she would ravage my body before sending me
off to bed, but I had other plans.
Jen waited another 20 minutes, relaxing and enjoying her wine. She knew
that I was up to something being so caring and so attentive to her
every need but she had no idea what it was. There was so much more that
we talked about. It used to be that all I wanted to talk about was my
latest investment success. Now, we talked about styles of clothes,
movies and music, and all sorts of other things. Jen knew that I had
always loved her, but now I was so much more open with my affection.
Jen made her way up the stairs and down the hall towards my room. This
was the only place I was allowed other than the bathroom. But as she
started by the door to her room her eye caught a glimpse of me. I was
there, next to her bed kneeling in my place and surprised her by
wearing another of her nightgowns. This one was pink and covered in
rows of ruffles and lace. I also wore the matching panties and two pink
bows in my hair.
Jen walked across the room to where I was next to her bed. Sitting next
to me on the bed she bent down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. As she
did, she noticed that I was wearing a bit of her make up, a slight
amount of pink eye shadow along with a little pink blush and ice pink
lip gloss, she kissed me again, this time on the lips and with great
passion.
When the kiss ended we drew apart from each other. Reaching to the
nightstand where I had set the small package, I handed it to Jen.
"Happy Birthday. I hope that you like it. I really wanted to get you
something special."
Jen untied the bow and tore away the paper. Slowly, she opened the box
and looked. "Oh my! It is so beautiful. How? Why? Oh it is so lovely!"
She slid it on to her finger and admired how the light reflected off
the stones. "You are so special to me. I love it. I'm going to be so
good to you tonight."
She kissed me again, and then left me there while she changed. She
returned wearing a white negligee, her hair pulled up and held with a
matching ribbon. She climbed onto the bed pulling me up beside her. She
laid me on my back and pulled my hands above my head. She used the
ribbon from the gift box to tie my hands together and then tie them to
the headboard. The bond was purely symbolic but she knew I would dare
not to pull my hands loose.
Jen took her time, exciting every bit of passion and emotion, both mine
and her own. When she was through, we lay in each other's arms. It
seemed that neither wanted to be the first to let go of the embrace. We
kissed again, a deep and lasting kiss, and when our lips parted we
drifted off to sleep.
VI
In the morning, I was up early and had breakfast ready when Jen made it
to the kitchen. Warm, fluffy omelets, fresh squeezed orange juice and
hot coffee greeted her as she sat at the table. While she was wearing
jeans and a t-shirt, I still wore my attire from the previous night.
"Joel dear, you are just too good to me. You know that you are spoiling
me rotten.
After last night's performance I almost decided to forgive you but I
changed my mind when I saw you serving breakfast. I'm not ready to have
the old Joel back. Besides, I realized that I've still not fully
forgiven you for your affairs and sexual antics with all those other
women; the new Joel is a much better companion. You were genuinely
interested in me as more than a sexual partner. We talked about all
sorts of things that we've never approached before. We go places and do
things that are fun and exciting not that just fill the time between
meals and sex. But no, I'm not yet ready to forgive and forget. You
still have a long tuff lesson to learn."
I was seated at the end of the table quietly eating when she broke free
from her parable. "Joel, you still have your nightgown on this morning.
Are you going to change or just lounge around all day?"
I swallowed my last bite before he answered. "I thought we agreed that
my name was Crystal whenever I dressed in my special cloths? Besides, I
plan to change just as soon as I clean up the breakfast dishes. We have
a busy day today with your party and all. I also have something else
that I need to do. You won't mind if I run out for a while this
morning, will you?"
Jen seemed a little surprised by my answer. She looked as if she were
ready to drag me back to bed for a repeat of last nights fun and games.
The look on her face gave her away and I was quickly apologizing.
"Oh Jen, I am so sorry. I can postpone my appointment if you like. It's
just that I've been a naughty girl lately and have been spending Joel's
money. Yesterday, I heard about a job possibility and called to
schedule an interview for today. It really isn't much of a job, just a
clerk at Dunn's department store at the mall. It would be weekends and
one or two nights a week but the extra money sure would help. It seems
like there are a hundred things that I need to buy, and I don't feel
right about spending Joel's money."
Jen smiled as I apologized. This was very interesting. I was separating
Joel and Crystal as if they were two totally different people and Jen
seemed to sense it. I was there all right, Joel that is, but when I
took on my feminine persona Crystal was in charge and Joel was off
somewhere else all together. I don't know how I did it, but it just
seemed to happen.
"I am sorry Crystal. How silly of me to call you Joel. Certainly you
may go to your job interview. I know how determined that you are to
make it on your own and this sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I'll
just relax while you're gone so that I'm rested up for the party. As a
mater of fact, why don't you go get yourself ready for your interview
and I'll clean up the kitchen for you? I'll still have plenty of time
to relax when I'm done."
With that decided, Crystal bounded up stairs to get dressed, but twenty
minutes later it was Joel that came down ready to head to the
interview. Interesting, how I keep the two personalities separate but
allow for intertwining when necessary. I wonder if Jen can rationalize
this in her mind and then explain it to me. I'll have to keep that in
mind to ask when we have our next session.
It was mid afternoon when I returned home. Jen was sitting in the
kitchen enjoying some tea and I hurried through the front door laden
with packages and dashed up the stairs. I was back down in a few
minutes and joined her for tea. I was almost giggling in excitement,
and Jen knew that I must have gotten the job. Before she could ask, I
just blurted it out.
"I start Tuesday. I'll be working in the Formal Wear Department. They
have a Bridal Shop and do tuxes as well as ladies formal wear and they
needed a man to help with the fittings and selections. The department
manager Mrs. Hines told me that they have had some problems keeping
guys in the department because 90% of the business is women. There are
four ladies that work there and apparently the last few guys were
frustrated being the only guy in the department. I guess that they
transferred to hardware or appliances and that one of them just quit. I
don't understand. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me. Mrs.
Hines told me that if I stay through the 30 day probation period that I
would get a bonus and a raise if I agreed to stay in that department."
Jen was amazed with my degree of excitement. "I've never seen you get
this excited about your regular job, and sometimes it's like you live
and breathed for it. I'm very happy for you. It does sound like a
wonderful position. But I'm sure that it didn't take you all this time
just to get through the interview. By the looks of the packages you
carried in, you must have done a little shopping. Are you going to show
me what you bought, or is it a surprise?"
I smiled at Jen then bit my lip as if thinking about what to do. "Well,
I just couldn't resist. They told me that I would receive a 30% off in
any of the clothing departments and 15% in all other departments. They
gave me my ID card and said that all I had to do was show it to the
clerk when I paid and that I could start using it at any time. So I
figured, why wait? Besides I needed something to wear tonight. They
also let me charge everything to my new Dunn's credit card so I didn't
have to worry about not having any cash with me, see."
Suddenly Jen appeared as if she wasn't sure if she was talking to Joel
or to Crystal. She picked up the credit card that I had laid on the
table and looked at the name, there she found the answer. The card was
in the name of C.M. Jennings.
"C.M. Jennings, who is C.M. Jennings?" she asked while sliding the card
back across the table.
"Why it's me silly. Crystal Maria Jennings. I thought that it probably
wasn't a good idea to put my whole name on it and they didn't have any
issue with using my initials. Now I just have to wait for my first
check to pay off what I already charged."
Suddenly Jen seemed concerned. The dinner party tonight was with some
of our closest friends. She was worried about what I had bought and
needed to see it before turning me loose on our friends. For all she
knew I might have bought a gown. I was having such fun teasing her with
the idea that I might have purchased something totally off the wall.
"Why don't we go upstairs and you can show me what you bought? Maybe
this way I can head off any problems with out upsetting Joel or
Crystal."
I stood but told her to stay put. "Take your tea into the living room
and I'll go change. Then you'll have a chance to inspect the finished
product."
Jen sat in her favorite chair with her legs curled up underneath her. I
could see that she was worried. She knew that I needed to be punished,
but was she afraid that I was getting out of control? She had left the
decision making up to me, but it seemed like things were moving a
little faster than she expected. Maybe I needed to slow down; after all
I would feel awful if I caused her any anguish.
When I entered the room, Jen breathed a sigh of relief. The outfit I
wore was very sharp and stylish. She seemed surprised that I had picked
it out on my own. The pants were black dress pants with pleats in front
to lie flat. The shirt was medium gray in a cotton blend that looked
soft to the touch. The shirt was covered with a pull over sweater vest
in the same color of grey with a pattern woven through it in black. All
in all Jen appeared impressed with me for having picked out such a nice
outfit. She gave me a kiss and told me how nice I looked. Then it was
her turn to get changed.
Jen's outfit for the party was a little dressier than mine, but she was
the birthday girl. She also knew that the other women that would be
there tonight would dress better than there husbands, it was a girl
thing. Her dress was black silk with a plunging neckline and short
hemline. She wore simple gold jewelry with the exception of her new
ring, which she wanted to show off. She pulled her hair up into a loose
twist leaving several tendrils hanging softly along the line of her
neck. She stepped into three-inch heels then sat to do her make up,
added a spray of perfume and was ready to go.
When she entered the living room I let out a long low whistle. "Wow!
Another year older and just as sexy and beautiful as every. It's no
wonder that I fell in love with you." Jen offered her hand and I took
it and kissed it softly. We then turned together and headed out the
door.
The drive to the restaurant went by in silence. It was as if neither of
us wanted to break the silence and risk loosing the magic. The evening
was off to a great start and offered only to get better.
Arriving at the restaurant, we were met by the other members of the
group for the party. Bob Thoms, my best friend was the first to show up
with his wife Marlene. Jens best friend Donna Skyle who was also a
doctor, arrived with her husband Rich. The last to arrive was Beth
Daniels and her husband Mark. They had been in school with us and had
recently moved to Madison taking new jobs there. As I suspected, all of
the women were dressed at least as well as Jen was, and the guys were
all much more casual.
The dinner went off with