watching january

by Kamilla Murphy

  When I saw the car out the window I hollered, “The limo’s here,” before asking Griffin where we were going for dinner.

  “I’ll keep it a surprise until we get there,” he said. “The driver knows.”

  The four of us climbed into the limo and off we went. Griffin chuckled as I worked to shimmy my dress hem down after it rode up almost to my waist while getting into the car. “That dress is going to make for an entertaining evening, I believe,” he said with a whimsical lilt to his voice. I was hoping the evening would loosen him up a bit, and so far so good.

  Nadine and I both reacted when we realized where we were going, crying out “Harry’s Place!” at the same time. Nadine followed it up with, “You romantic devil, you! It is like a new beginning, isn’t it?”

  “Exactly the mood I want,” Griffin said.

  We were whisked to a perfect corner table. While our waiter took the drink order, both couples held hands. I gazed into Griffin’s loving eyes and melted. I wondered how my new thong would handle the moisture I was exuding.

  Nadine suddenly uttered, “What do you know, look who’s here too!”

  Across the dining room were Roger and Mary-Clair. In the midst of their main course, they seemed deep in conversation between bites. I felt a little bit guilty as I continued to surreptitiously watch them throughout our meal. The body language alone was intriguing. They looked like long-lost friends catching up on things. I wondered if they’d be lovers later.

  Echoing my impression, Nadine said, “They look like they’re getting along terrifically.”

  Carolyn’s questions centered on Mary-Clair’s age. She finished with, “She doesn’t look anywhere near sixty, does she?”

  Griffin wasn’t about to admit it so I prodded him. “Come on, big guy, tell us all about it” I said as I smiled mischievously.

  Nadine picked up right away on my hint. “You’ve fucked her, haven’t you?”

  He whispered, “Shhhhhhhh, not in public.” In an even lower voice he leaned toward his wife and said, “yes, but it was a long time ago.”

  We three women tried to stifle our laughter but only partially succeeded. Griffin actually blushed and his expression matched any kid stealing the proverbial cookie from the cookie jar. I said, “Don’t look embarrassed like that. Does your wife look like it bothers her to hear about it? Well, all I want to know is whether she still delivers the goods. That way I can believe Roger will enjoy his date.”

  Griffin was still blushing when he answered, “Yes, she’s got it. If I hadn’t seen her employment records I never would’ve believed she was over sixty. Yes, she can deliver the goods, as you put it. I’m not talking any more about her.”

  “Like Jan said,” piped in Nadine, “talking about you and Mary-Clair doesn’t bother me in the least. I’m happy for you that she fucked her boss and didn’t try to blackmail you with any sexual harassment complaints. Okay, that came out wrong. Let’s just leave it as I’m glad it was good.” Carolyn had poked Nadine’s arm when she said “fucked” so when Nadine was finished speaking, she leaned to her lover and said, “Nobody heard me outside this table.”

  “Okay, but we might shut you off from the bar, at least until we get to the club,” Carolyn said, which elicited a chuckle from Griffin and an exaggerated stern look from his wife.

  We concentrated on our dinners and didn’t pay attention to Roger and his date until they stood to leave. We wouldn’t know until later at Vibe whether they saw us or not, though if they had neither one of them overtly acknowledged the fact. We paid attention to them now because Roger had no qualms of placing his hand on Mary-Clair’s ass as he guided her toward the door. She certainly didn’t seem to mind.

  After Griffin paid the tab, Nadine exclaimed, “Are we ready to party?”

  Griffin remained silent, although he smiled as Carolyn and I answered her with a resounding “Yes!”

  We drew quite a bit of attention to ourselves as we raucously spilled out of the limo at Vibe’s door. Maybe some of the attention was my fault as my dress hem was up just about at my waist as I climbed from the car, and the newfound slut in me took sweet time in bringing it back down. They were bound to see a lot more as the night progressed, I thought.

  The place was hopping as we entered. Long ago I would’ve been surprised by all the gyrating women on the dance floor, but not anymore since hearing all about the club. At least two female couples were unapologetically dry humping as they danced. Unexpectedly the sight set my thong a-tingle, hardly thinking I’d have this reaction so soon.

  Two women enthusiastically greeted us and ushered us to a large booth. Chloe and Carly were quick to point out Roger and Mary-Clair and asking questions about their attendance. Carly made sure she sat at the end of our banquette next to me, and right away began to flirt.

  “I love your dress, Jan. I love it because I can see all of your glorious legs and a delightful hint of thong.” When I reacted by trying to shimmy it back down, she placed a hand on my upper thigh and said, “Please don’t. Nobody else can see.” I didn’t fight her when the hand began to move upward toward my thong-covered pubic mound. I secretively glanced around to see if Griffin or anyone else in the booth knew what was going on. They were talking and laughing and mostly paying attention to Nadine and Carolyn’s gossip on some of the dancing women.

  Carly’s breath audibly caught in her chest before she whispered at my ear, “Oh God, you’re soaking wet!”

  I looked at her, our faces very close together and whispered back, “It must be the atmosphere in here.” Her lips parted and I thought for a second she was going to attempt to kiss me. Roger’s sudden appearance next to us saved me, at least for now.

  “Hi, sweetheart. You’re looking gorgeous. Is that a brand new dress?”

  Before I could answer, Mary-Clair, who was there beside Roger said, “I wish I could wear a number like that.”

  “Thank you both. Yes it is new. Griffin just bought it for me.”

  Roger called over to Griffin, “You’ve got great taste on what looks great on her.” Then he faced me and said, “It really does look sensational, hon. I watched you walk in and frankly so did most of the women in the place. Again… gorgeous!”

  Whether planned or by chance, Nadine took Carolyn by the hand and pulled her to the dance floor for a slow number. The remaining four of us slid over to make room for Mary-Clair and my husband. Carly made sure Roger sat next to her, and proceeded to get reacquainted with him. She wasn’t one bit uncomfortable telling Roger that I was “wet” and asking if he was fucking Mary-Clair.

  Mary-Clair didn’t miss a beat by winking at me and answering, “Not yet, but the night is still young.”

  Roger and I laughed. I wasn’t sure of Carly’s reaction. Jealousy, perhaps?

  “Let’s dance,” I said to Griffin before Chloe slid out of the booth to let us exit. There I was, self-consciously tugging down the dress as I stood. Griffin and I danced to the slow and sexy song the DJ played. I said close to his ear, “Look at Nadine and Carolyn. Don’t they look happy… like us?”

  “They can’t be happier than I am. Roger’s right even though his compliment fell short. You are more than gorgeous, yet words like exquisite, stunning and dazzling don’t begin to describe you either.”

  “I love you, Griff.”

  “I love you too, my sweet January.” After a pause he added, “He was right about something else, though. Every eye in the place was on you when we came in. No exaggeration.”

  I was surprised by Nadine when, as the next song began she asked to cut in and dance with her husband. I had a momentary twinge of jealousy I knew I couldn’t allow to keep happening, especially if we would live together under the same roof. Carolyn took my hand and led me away to another part of the dance floor. We danced, and I watched Nadine and Griffin together as my mind filled with a jumble of conflicting thoughts.

  “Don’t fret, Jan,” Carolyn said to me. “You might say they’re signing the contract, the one that creates tw
o new couples that need to be together.”

  “You’re happy too,” I said.

  “Of course I am. I’ve loved Nadine for a long time but she was never totally mine, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I understand, and I’m so happy it’s turning out perfect for all of us.”

  “Even Roger?”

  I glanced at Roger, Mary-Clair and Carly now alone in the booth and having an animated conversation. “Roger’s happy too, I think. Happier than he would’ve been if we’d remained in the rut our marriage had become.”

  “He is different now than when I first met him, like life is fun again. Do you think it’s because he’s unattached and can fool around with whomever he wants?”

  I thought about it for a moment, and just as the music stopped I said, “It’s more than that, and maybe I had a bigger role in his ennui than I would’ve admitted to myself a few months ago.”

  Carolyn leaned in for a light kiss before whispering, “I’m moving in next week. I hope you do too.”

  Chapter 36

  Roger

  Harry’s Place was perfect, and I was having a blast with Mary-Clair. She was an impressive conversationalist, and nowhere near as shallow in my opinion as a lot of younger women today. We talked about my career before shifting over to her life and work at the law office. She’d been married long ago and had no regrets about remaining single ever since. We each had a favorite gym and worked out often.

  “It shows on you, Mary-Clair. I can honestly say I’ve never seen a woman your age in better shape.”

  “You’re in good shape, too,” she said before leaning closer and whispering, “I have a feeling we’ll be able to show each other what shape we’re in later.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” I answered with a smile.

  I asked her what she thought of being around a bunch of attorneys, and questioned why she never sought a law degree herself. “You would be a killer in a courtroom, I think.”

  “I almost went for it once but maybe I’m too introverted for the job.”

  “You? Introverted?”

  “You’re equating being introverted with being shy. I’m basically a solitary person, comfortable in my own skin. Perhaps that’s another reason I’ve been single all these years. Self-reliant might be a better term for my affliction.”

  “I see it better now. It means the wrong approach for a man who wants to know you better is to be macho and take charge, right?”

  “Right, though there is one place I like a man to take charge.”

  “I already got that message, dear lady.”

  That’s when I saw Nadine and Carolyn, followed by Griffin and Jan get seated. Mary-Clair saw them too. “Should we acknowledge that we know they’re here, or should we put on a show for them?”

  I chuckled and said, “Neither, I guess. It’s their special night out too. I don’t want to make them think we’re crashing their party, even if we were here first. Ignore them.”

  “I think your wife is hard to ignore in that dress she’s poured into.”

  “Not to mention Nadine showing acres of cleavage.”

  “That too.” We silently finished our meal and ordered coffee before she spoke again. “I don’t understand you. You’re married to that heavenly creature over there and instead you’re out on a date with an old pussy like me.”

  “There’s nothing to understand, really. Mary-Clair, I’m just a normal guy who knew when to make changes to feel alive again. I took the marriage vow part about in sickness and in health to mean mental health and happiness. I want Jan to be happy again and I think she finally is, and in my mind that trumps the until-death-do-us-part thing. The lovely bird needed to be freed from its cage and I freed her. And as for ‘old pussy,’ I have a feeling it still has a few tricks left in it.”

  “Tricks, indeed! You’re a unique man, Roger. I wish I’d met you a long time ago.”

  “I wasn’t much to look at when I was in diapers.”

  She laughed, “I’ll make you pay for that, sonny boy.”

  “I’m counting on it.” I paid the check, and as we left I used all my willpower to avoid glancing their way. With my willpower gone, I couldn’t refrain from grabbing some of Mary-Clair’s firm ass on the way out.

  Vibe was hopping when we got there. We were immediately accosted by Candy and Clarice, whose combined sweaty appearance made it look like they just finished a marathon sex session instead of dancing, although these two probably blurred the boundary between dancing and a sex act. They were intrigued by my date and asked a bunch of rapid-fire questions, some veiled to ascertain the possibility that Mary-Clair sexually leaned their way. They dragged us to a table and we ordered drinks. Mary-Clair was supremely cordial and even did some flirting back at them. I was the fifth wheel, but in reality that didn’t bother me since I was growing fonder of my date by the minute. Nothing was being said about an upstairs after-party-party, although that might change when the foursome arrived.

  When they did arrive the atmosphere changed dramatically.

  All eyes were on Jan and Nadine, though for two different reasons. Nadine’s low-cut dress showed so much cleavage only her nipples were a mystery. And then there was Jan. In that tight knit dress she was a goddess encased in a tube. She visually radiated sex, and based upon the reaction of many of the women in the club she exuded some strong pheromones too. I hoped she and Griffin were ready since she’d be hit on continually all night.

  Clarice was quick to ask if Jan would “put out,” a phrase I hadn’t heard in years.

  “I’m not speaking for my wife, especially not tonight, and not now that she’s with Griffin Langman.”

  Both Clarice and Candy looked like they were ready to find out immediately until the four newcomers ended up in a booth with Carly and Chloe. As a fallback position, Candy actually pouted saying, “Oh sweetcakes, I’m not enough for you?” to her younger companion.

  Clarice’s answer was, “Just look at her and you tell me…”

  Mary-Clair, sensing the tension between the two women, asked me to dance. I’m always told how perceptive I am, so I generally take hints well. Though I hardly wanted to dance, I said “Sure” and taking Mary-Clair’s hand in mine we headed to the dance floor.

  Halfway through the mid-tempo song, I asked her if we were “safe.” She squeezed one of my ass cheeks and mischievously replied over the music, “I think I’m safe, but what about you?”

  I rubbed against her so she could feel my burgeoning boner and said, “Are you sure you’re safe from… everything?”

  “You’re right. There are dangers lurking everywhere.” Her hand now was at the front of my slacks where there certainly was some lurking going on. “Let’s do the inevitable and go see your wife,” she said, and that’s where we headed.

  We said hello and I asked Jan if the dress was new, although I knew all along it was. Meanwhile Mary-Clair wondered aloud if she could ever wear a dress like Jan had on. I didn’t answer her but I thought she could pull it off, and made a mental note to look into buying her one if we had a second date. I complimented Jan some more on how great she looked before Nadine and Carolyn went off to dance, opening spots on the banquette for me and my date. We joined the group. I wondered how pissed Clarice would be when she saw us over here.

  After we sat down Carly wasted no time, telling me how wet my wife was and wondering aloud if Mary-Clair and I were lovers.

  Mary-Clair said, “Not yet, but the night is still young.” She winked at me, and the twinkle was there in full force. Oh, was I going to enjoy making love to this woman!

  Carly was persistent. After a few heartbeats of silent displeasure she kept trying, her hands all over me below the table top, though not hidden from Mary-Clair’s view. Jan and Griffin went out on the dance floor and that changed the dynamic in the booth, forcing Carly to quit her assault on me and focus on Chloe as she should have.

  My eyes were riveted at my wife’s exposed thighs before she pulled her dress do
wn to cover them. If Carly’s touch hadn’t done the job the sight of those thighs would. I was rock hard and unsure of whether or not I wanted Mary-Clair to know it. She took away my worry by saying, “I suppose if I were a man I’d have the same reaction. She is the most beautiful creature in the club, but I won’t question your motives anymore.” Silent for perhaps ten to fifteen seconds, she added “I will want that later.”

  Like natural magnetism as old as humankind our lips came together, with our tongues following their lead. I wasn’t sure how long we kissed, but when our lips parted it seemed every eye in the place was upon us.

  Mary-Clair said in a throaty voice, “It’s been ages since I’ve been kissed like that. I think you’re spoiling me, Roger dear.”

  “Spoiling you feels like the right thing to do,” I murmured back.

  “So, fuck all the nosey people and kiss me again.”

  I did.

  Chapter 37

  Jan

  After dancing the one dance with Carolyn, when the next song played I found myself dancing with Nadine. I joked, “With your breasts it’s hard to dance with you, you know that?”

  “But it makes dancing so much fun!” she said while making a point of pushing her ample chest into mine.

  “Carolyn told me she’s moving in with you. I’m happy for you, Nadine.”

  “Have you thought about moving in with us? Griffin would be ecstatic.”

  “Oh yes, I’m thinking about it. You’d be okay?”

  “With Carolyn I’ll be more than okay with it.”

  That’s when she changed the subject. “You know about the upstairs room, don’t you?”

  “Only what Roger has told me. Sounds wild.”