"Great party," said Juan Garza as he leaned a little closer to Melinda 'Mel' Able.
"Oh I love it. I look forward to it each spring," Mel replied.
The two of them were standing on the back patio of Strohs, the city's most upscale steak restaurant. It was a perfect Sunday evening to be outdoors: 74 degrees and low humidity. They were in a small group of about 10 people. The private event consisted of ~150 people and was ostensibly a fund raiser for the city's largest Health System, but in reality it was a thank you to big donors. There were free drinks and food, some live entertainment, and a chance to soak up some late afternoon sun and socialize. It promised the attendees some privacy and a chance to have some fun without a big push for more money. In addition to donors, board members were invited, of which Juan was the newest, having joined the board last month. There were also health system executives and spouses in attendance, which is why Mel was there. Mel was married to Todd who was the number two executive at the health system.
Todd had excused himself a few minutes ago to get some more drinks. No matter, Mel thought. She didn't feel deserted. She knew most of the people at the party, and was enjoying getting to know Juan. She had learned over the past few minutes of small talk that he illegally immigrated to the U.S. with his mother when he was a small boy from El Salvador. In the ensuing years his mother had worked tirelessly to raise Juan and his brother, but also to ensure she and her sons became legal citizens. It was important to her that she do things the right way even though it was very hard. Juan commented that he was just now understanding and fully appreciating the sacrifices his mom made. His journey impressed Mel and raised her estimation of him. He was also the President, CEO and Chairman of the 3rd largest US-based Spanish Media Company, but you'd never know it talking to him. He seemed down to earth. He was certainly easy to talk to and very charming. He was also very handsome, Mel thought. Juan was 6' 2", great hair, jet black with just a touch of gray, dark complexion and hazel-green eyes. She guessed his age to be mid-forties. He was fit and trim, with nicely tailored black slacks and an expensive white dress shirt which contrasted nicely with his skin. She didn't see any sign of wedding ring.
"You married? Kids?" she asked.
"No," he replied. "I've never been married and no kids," he answered.
"So what about you. Tell me about yourself," he asked.
"Two kids. A twenty-five-year-old son and a twenty-three-year-old son. Both out of college and both out of the house," she shared. I know I'm boring him, she thought. But the truth was he didn't seem bored. He listened intently, asked some questions and seemed genuinely interested. He also wasn't trying to dominate the conversation, which, Mel thought, is a pleasant change from most men in powerful positions who only want to talk about themselves.
"Now that you're an empty nester, how do you keep your life interesting?" Juan inquired.
Mel thought about it for a second. It was a really good and well-phrased question, and one she had asked herself quite a bit lately given Todd worked 12 hours days and she was home and bored most of the time. However, it was not a question she was prepared to honestly explore with a man she just met. "I volunteer at the hospital, mostly in the Mom/Baby unit," Mel said, staying on safe ground.
He accepted her answer, but also seemed a bit disappointed. After a little pause he thoughtfully reflected and said, "I know I just met you, so I apologize if what I am about to say is out of line, but you're too beautiful and alive to be caged.., no, excuse me, that's not right," he said as struggled for the right word. "Uh I mean, 'cooped-up,' in a house all by yourself. I know it's an overworked expression, but your life is too short and precious to waste."
Mel blushed. It was an odd compliment, but also flattering, especially coming from such a handsome, attentive man. Maybe a little over the top, but so what, she thought. It made her feel great. She loved the non-husband validation. "Well, I don't know about being 'cooped-up,' but thanks for saying I'm 'beautiful.' You're my new best friend," she said with a genuine smile.
Mel silently acknowledged that Juan was right. If she was honest, she was in a little bit of a rut. Maybe she was feeling 'caged' or 'cooped-up.' She used to be so active, engaged with the kids, and the community. Life had always been fun and exciting. Now the higher Todd rose in his career, the less she saw him, so she was alone a lot more. She was also over 50 and stressing constantly about her looks. She didn't need to lose weight, but, like most women, she still fretted about it. Mel was 5' 2" and weighed 112 lbs. Not bad for 52, she thought, so why am I so critical of myself. Her breasts were on the small side, but that was okay, she allowed. Todd liked them and they weren't yet sagging like so many of her friends. She worked out a lot. Her legs were her best feature. But she was also working hard on her arms. She was at that age where saggy skin starts to form under women's biceps and she wanted to delay it as long as possible. Her hair was a rich brown with some ash tone highlights, and was a few inches passed her shoulders. Tonight she wore her hair down. Her dress was from Anthropologie. It was a cute sand colored crochet tunic that rested 2" above the knee. She had bought some fun gladiator sandals to round out the ensemble.
Leaving home tonight, and certainly now after this handsome, younger man's compliment, she was inwardly pleased with how she looked.
"I've enjoyed getting to know your husband," Juan commented as he switched the conversation. "Todd is well respected by the board," he added.
Mel smiled. It was always nice to hear good things about Todd, especially from a Board member which technically was his boss' boss and held a lot of sway over his career. However, she wasn't surprised by the comment. Todd was 53 and much shorter than Juan at only 5' 5". However, he was wicked smart and good at what he does. His boss, the CEO, relied on him heavily and his team loved him. His smaller stature never seemed to bother him and it certainly never got in the way of his career.
A few minutes later Mel welcomed Todd back to the group, "What took you so long?"
"Oh, I got sidetracked and talked to a few people," Todd said. Todd handed Mel her drink and then started chatting amiably with Juan.
Mel let her mind wander while the two men talked. The difference in height between the two of them was stark, she noted. Nothing unusual there, Todd is invariably the shortest man in any group and after 26 years of marriage she was used to it. Mel had dated a lot in high school and college and Todd was by far the shortest man she had gone out with. He was also the one that she fell in love with. She loved his mind, wit and ambition. But if she was honest with herself, she also was a little envious of her friends with much taller husbands. Of course there was the practical side of a tall man. I'd never have have to worry about wearing heels or pulling dishes from top shelves, she inwardly mused. There was also the natural order of things: No woman wants to be the same size or taller than her husband, and although Todd was technically 3" taller, the difference was not that pronounced to the outside world.
Practicality and appearances aside, there was also the naughty side of thinking about a bigger man. Her mind continued to wander and she allowed it. She was having fun tonight, and was enjoying the attention of the handsome Mr. Garza. She started to daydream what it would be like to have sex with someone like Juan. She looked again at his features, great hair, broad shoulders, big arms, and muscular thighs. He would swallow me up, she thought. She imagined his large hands caressing, squeezing and exploring her. His stubbled beard tickling her neck and ears. She wondered what his tongue would feel like on her breasts and other even more naughty spots. How would his six foot frame feel between her legs, spreading them further apart than Todd ever had, or kneeling and impaling her from behind. God, this is fun, she thought. Could I even support his weight? she asked herself. She also caught herself looking at the crotch of his slacks, Although nothing was apparent, she shivered a little at what she imagined was behind his zipper and how it might compare to Todd's admittedly average size. She started to blush for the second time this evening.
At one point, Juan looked down at his watch and said he had to go. Something about an early start to tomorrow. His comments startled Mel from her reverie. That's disappointing, Mel thought. The scenery is about to be less interesting, she inwardly giggled.
Juan reached across and shook Todd's hand goodbye. He then turned to Mel. "It has been a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for keeping me company." He took her hand and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek while whispering so only Mel could hear...
"Call me. I need a new plaything."
"I really like him. He's a great addition to the board. He seems to like me...."
Todd was talking, but he might as well having been standing by himself, as Mel was not listening to a word he was saying.
What the fuck just happened? she thought! Did he just fucking proposition me right next to my husband? Fuck! Did I hear him right? What the fuck! Mel was stunned speechless and having trouble processing what she had just heard.
"Mel?" Todd said. "Hello? You okay? I seem to have lost you."
Mel shook her head to clear it and slowly recovered. "Oh. I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
"I was just commenting that I like Juan. He brings a lot of experience to the Board, asks good questions, and seems pleased with the management team. What did you think?" Todd asked.
"Aaaaa," she stammered. "He seemed okay, I guess," she added. "He definitely seems to like you," or so she thought one minute ago. Mel's mind was a tangled mess and she was having a hard time engaging in even this simple conversation with Todd. She finally gave up and excused herself and headed to the restroom. She needed a minute to gather her thoughts. In the bathroom she realized she was clutching something in her hand. She looked down and saw that she was holding Juan's business card. He must have handed it too her when he was leaving. Again she thought, what the fuck just happened. Mel stuffed the card in her purse, collected herself and made her way back to Todd.
"Todd, can we go?" she asked when she got back. "I'm not feeling good all of a sudden, and I want to get off my feet and out of the sun."
The ride home was quiet. Todd chalked it up to her not feeling good and didn't press her. Once home, Mel told Todd she was going to take a bath and go to bed early.
"Can I get you anything?" Todd asked.
"No I'm fine," said Mel. "I'm just feeling funny," she honestly replied.
In the tub, Mel added some salts and lit a candle. She closed her eyes and rehashed what had happened. Juan, a younger man she just met, boldly and assertively asked her to be his "plaything." Who the fuck am I kidding, she thought. He just asked to fuck me. Where did that come from? I wasn't overly flirtatious, was I? God, I hope I didn't send a wrong signal, she thought. Maybe it's a cultural thing and I misread him. She was going round and round in her mind trying to determine if she was to blame. She finally concluded that she hadn't done a damn thing. Juan was way out of line and it didn't matter what culture you're from, you don't proposition happily married women while standing next to their husbands. She grabbed onto her indignation and held it tightly. She knew it was how she was supposed to feel.
But...lying in the tub, with her eyes closed, she drifted back to her naughty daydream and started having other, more dangerous thoughts. Out of all those younger, prettier, single women there tonight, he hit on me. She remembered how confident he was and how he carried himself. She started picturing his eyes, his smile, strong hands, and beautiful face. She knew it was wrong but reliving his request had her worked upped and she could feel herself getting wet. She lowered her hand and started rubbing her breast and with the other hand she reached down and started teasing her clit. God, she couldn't believe how aroused she was and in such a short time. She insert two fingers and started moving them frantically in and out of her vagina. In no time she could feel her orgasm building. She cried out and let the pleasure wash over her. It was the fastest she had ever brought herself to an orgasm.
She laid there a few more minutes before actually allowing herself to ask, am I seriously thinking about calling him?
The next couple of days, Mel careened from being indignant, to flattered, to curious, to turned on. She could not get his proposition out of her mind. Her libido was in overdrive. She repeated the bath tub scene again, but afterwards quickly determined that her aroused state wasn't going to be quenched by her hand, she needed fucked.
When Todd got home Wednesday, she jumped him the second he walked in the door. She pulled him to the bedroom, grabbed at his belt and yanked his pants down, she dropped to her knees and started furiously sucking on his cock. Once she had him hard, she pushed him on the bed with his pants still bunched up around his ankles, hiked up her dress, straddled him, pulled her panties aside and guided him into her. She was as wet, and so turned on. She fucked him hard with no thought to his pleasure.
Todd had no idea what was going on, but he wasn't complaining. Soon he felt himself building and suddenly came with no warning.
No. no, no! Mel screamed to herself. I was so close.
Todd deflated quickly and Mel almost started to cry. She desperately needed that orgasm, but she also needed to be pleased by her husband to help push away this fantasy she was forming of sex with another man. She rolled off him and went to clean up knowing full well her torment was not about to end anytime soon.
"Well that was a great welcome home!" Todd said.
Mel put on her best fake smile, "you've been working hard and I figured you could use a quick romp before dinner. Did you enjoy it?" she asked.
"Hell yeah!" he said enthusiastically.
"Well, then I'm glad I could be of service."
Thursday morning, after Todd left for work, Mel decided to call Juan. She rationalized that she wanted to clear the air and let him know in no uncertain terms that she did not appreciate his proposal. She was also very nervous. What am I in high school? she thought. She fished out his card and dialed his number.
Juan answered on the first ring. "Hi Mel."
That immediately threw her off her stride. How did he know it was me I never gave him my number? "Uh, hi Juan," Mel said tentatively.
Before she could continue he asked, "What took you so long to call?"
Again, Mel was thrown off guard, but quickly composed herself as she could feel some irritation building. "Look," she said. "I'm calling to clear the air from Sunday."
"Okay," he replied. "What exactly would you like to clear?"
"Well for starters, what 'exactly' did you mean by 'you need a plaything'?"
"Mel you are as smart as you are beautiful. Don't insult my intelligence or yours. You know exactly what I meant."
Again she was off balance. This wasn't going as she had planned. "I mean," she stammered, "why would you say such a thing, especially in front of my husband."
"Mel, I say what I want, when I want and I also go after what I want. I don't care that you're married or your husband was standing there. You're interesting, beautiful, and no doubt able to come around to what I need. So I chose you."
"Enough Mr. Garza. This is bullshit. I am not available for you to just 'choose.' I am also not going to stay on this call while you disrespect me and my husband," she said as she was about to hang up.
Juan quickly interrupted, "before you hang up, listen to me," he commanded. "First, I choose who I want. You have no say in the matter. I am choosing you. Second, you ALSO have a choice to make. You must decide whether to invite me to your home and give yourself completely to me. Do you understand? My choice is made, now it is up to you. I believe you will choose to call me back. The fact that you didn't throw away my card tells me you are already mine. But regardless, I won't let you waste anymore of my time. I haven't gotten to where I am by playing games and I'm not about to start with you. Call me back and submit to me, or don't. Your choice. You will live with the ramifications either way. Goodbye Mel," he said before hanging up.
"Shit!" she screamed. The arrogance. The nerve. I didn't even have the pleasure of hanging up on him. He won't have to worry about me calling him back. Good fucking riddance, she thought. What a bastard.
Her anger at Juan, fueled by his cocksure attitude, carried Mel through most of the weekend. When she thought of him, which was often, it was always with righteous indignation. She was not at all tempted to call him back.
To aid in her distraction and affirm the strength of her marriage, she coaxed Todd to have sex again on Saturday night. She encouraged him to go down on her. She desperately needed Todd to make her cum. It was something he was always willing to do, and luckily for her, something he was good at. This time, however, the orgasm remained elusive. The tongue of her husband was not sending her over the edge. In fact, it was having the exact opposite effect. The stark physical comparisons between him and Juan that she had allowed herself to make all week were coming back to haunt her. It was all she could think of. Todd was not a big man. He would never tower over her, make her feel tiny or dominate her in any way that Juan could. As he continued licking her clit she was becoming less and less aroused. Enough, she said to herself. I need this to end. She faked an orgasm, giving Todd unspoken permission to move up between her legs and finish himself off in the missionary position.
As she walked into the bathroom to clean up she started to tear up. She felt terrible for the emasculating thoughts she had just had about her husband, but that didn't change the fact that she was also as sexually frustrated as she had ever been in her life.
By Sunday afternoon, her indignation, anger, curiosity, pride at being singled out, and if she was honest, continued arousal, had turned to something much more reckless: rationalization.
Why shouldn't I call him? Don't I deserve a little fling before I get too old and all I have is a life as a grandma? My life is on such a predictable path. This will be my last chance to experience someone other than my husband. He'll be discrete. Todd will never know. Besides it's just sex and a made to order opportunity like this won't present itself again. No strings. No commitment. I won't love Todd any less. The roles are already established. There will be no awkwardness. It will be fun. I'm sure he knows his way around the bedroom. I want so much to be desired and he desires me.
Her mind continued in this vein for some time.
In addition, although she was appalled by his arrogance, she was undeniably swept up by his raw masculinity, confidence and charisma. Mel had met Todd in college. All her previous serious relationships were basically high school and fraternity college boys. The only 'man' she had been with was Todd and he had to grow into that role over time. Juan is definitely all man and he chose me without hesitation. He is attracted to me. He wants me. He could have any women he wanted and he desires me. This idea of being desired at the age of 52 by a younger, beautiful, powerful, wealthy, exotic stranger was intoxicating and dangerous. He was the proverbial bad boy, and like in so many women in the movies, she was intrigued beyond the point of caring. She didn't ask for this to happen to her. She didn't seek it out or encourage it. But now that it was on her doorstep, she was ready to walk through. This unplanned opportunity was addressing so many of Mel's recent insecurities that it began dawning on her that she was probably powerless to say no. This whole episode was taking on a sense of inevitability.