© 1995

"Hon?" We were lying in bed and it was time for sleep.

"Yes?"

"Um, what do you think of... doing it with another woman?"

I know the answer to *that*one: "A nice thought, but you are all I want."

She giggled a little. "I'm serious! What would you think of doing it with Jennifer."

Well, well, well! Not our usual conversation. In fact, I kind of liked it, though it also made me very nervous because I was not at all sure what Clara wanted to hear, or how she would react. Clara wouldn't put up with my silence. "Come on! I *know*you think she's good looking." Jennifer and Tom are thirtyish, which is about ten years younger than Clara and myself, and Jennifer definitely looks nice.

I still wasn't sure what was going on: "What's all this about?"

"Can't you answer a simple question?" She giggled a little and I could tell she was smiling though it was dark.

"Not fair teasing me like that," I said.

She paused a little, then said in a quieter voice: "Sorry. Actually I'm serious." I didn't say anything as I continued to try to figure out what was going on. I have to admit it: sometimes Clara is beyond me. She finally spoke again: "Tom is going out of town, and, well, we could invite her over..."

My mind raced again. It was like it was finally sinking in that Clara was serious about this. But why? Why was she suggesting that *I*get together with *Jennifer*? It made no sense. "Are... *you*attracted to her?" I asked.

"No!" she replied, giggling a little again. "I'd just like to see *you*do it with her. Are you up for it?"

I lay there, more confused than ever. "Clara, this is weird!" She didn't answer. I couldn't make heads or tails of her objective in all this. "I don't think so..."

"Why not?"

"It would... affect our relationship. It's dangerous."

She giggled: "A million men would *jump*at such a chance, and *I*married a man who dosn't want to." She didn't say any more and neither did I though it was a while before I fell asleep as my mind turned this over and over. What the hell was going on?

The next day when I came home from work, there was Jennifer, sitting in the kitchen while Clara cooked. There were *three*places at the table.

"I invited Jennifer to join us because Tom was busy tonight," said Clara. Then she gave me a look while Jennifer was looking elsewhere. Jennifer had a glass of wine in her hand and supper was a beef marinate. And more: I wasn't sure when Clara had had time to do all the work. And Clara was dressed up: she wore this party dress with a low neckline as well as jewelry and in fact looked like she was ready to go out. I managed to get her alone for a second.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

She smiled at me: she has this little smirk. "*Nothing*'s going on tonight, so don't get yourself in a tizzy: I just wanted to soften her up and see if you'd change your mind if given a chance." And that's all I got out of her.

Dinner was pleasant other than my constant worry about what was going on here. Clara seemed to be going out of her way to be friendly, and Jennifer was pleasant company. And definitely good looking even if not dressed up like Clara was.

Later, Jennifer got a hold of me alone while Clara was in the kitchen.

"What's with Clara?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"What about her?" I didn't know what to say, so I played dumb.

"The way she's acting! I feel like she's *coming on*to me!"

We didn't have a chance to continue that conversation, which certainly did nothing to calm my nerves. We all talked and drank a little more wine, and finally Jennifer left.