Chapter 1

The ringing phone jarred her from a deep sleep. The shrill noise first insinuated itself into her dreams as the call of a thousand unseen birds.

But it's unrelenting noise finally forced her eyes open.

She reached out in the darkness and found the receiver, lifting it to her pillow and her bleary eyed face.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, my wife." The voice said in a calmly even keel.

"What time is it?" She felt her annoyance rising. She knew he had little of import to tell her and was probably just intending to upset her.

"Where you are?" He asked, she was about to let loose a smart-ass reply when he finished his own answer. "It should be just dawn now."

"And why did you wake me up at such an ungodly hour?"

There was along silent pause before he finally replied. "Your summer is almost over. You should be returning home soon."

Her annoyance grew even more heated now. "I'm well aware of that. I don't need the likes of you to remind me."

"Such venom." His voice dripped with sarcasm even over the tinny tone of the telephone. "I just wish you'd find a better place to spend your summers. A place more befitting your stature."

Her annoyance dimmed slightly, it was always the same old argument. All he cared about was his stature and his place in society, and the damage she might be causing to it with her juvenile, as he called them, antics.

"Why don't you come here and see?" She asked, challenging him. She was sure that he would refuse; he would never lower himself to this.

"You might manage to learn something." She added with a sarcastic tone of her own.

"Impossible." Was his immediate answer. "I have far too much work to attend to. Unlike you, I have responsibilities that I take seriously."

She laughed sarcastically at him, "There is nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. If you want to remain locked up in your marble palace, that's your choice, but don't try to blame it on your responsibilities."

"If I agree to this..." He started to say, long pauses between his words as if he was thinking while he spoke.

She was stunned into silence; she didn't expect him to even humor the idea. He was calling her bluff and waiting for her to back down in defeat.

"Then I want something in return." His tone was deadly serious now.

"What is it?" She asked with a fair amount of trepidation. Dealing with him when he got into a mood like this was always dangerous.

"If I spend a day with you, then I expect you to return home a week early."

She waited for a long moment before she answered, trying to determine if he had a trick somewhere hidden in his words.

"Deal." She replied slowly. "But that means that you do what I normally do and no complaining."

There was another brief pause and she waited for his inevitable refusal to her conditions. There was no way he'd agree to her terms. He might have called her bluff, but she was raising the stakes.

"Very well." Was his curt reply, the tone of annoyance thick in his voice.

"I go out for breakfast at 8." She informed him, matter of factly. "Be here before then."

She hung up the phone before he could reply, unconcerned with what ever he had to say.

She slid out of bed and walked naked to the covered window. She enjoyed the primal feeling of sleeping naked and did it whenever she could. The sensual feeling of the sheets against her bare flesh made her feel alive in a way she couldn't describe.

Standing bare in front of the window, she drew the shades open. The beams of dawn's light just barely seeping through the canyons of the city streets to fall on her pale skin. She picked this apartment in particular just because of its easterly view.

She felt no modesty as she stood revealed in front of the window. Closing her eyes as the sunlight caressed her. She was sure that there was more than one set of eyes watching her skin, and she enjoyed the attention.

She stretched her arms over her head, flexing her back and jutting her breast forward. She lowered her hands and drew her curly blonde hair back, behind her shoulders, making sure that there were no obstructions hiding her breasts from her unseen audience.

She felt the short hairs on the back of her neck bristle with lust. She could feel the eyes all on her. Male, female. Young, old. It didn't matter to her.

She slid her hands down her hips, spreading her legs slowly. Her fingers plowing slowly through the field of golden hair between her legs.

She imagined what her husband would say if he saw her doing this. No doubt that he would be even more upset.

And that excited her even more. She ran her fingers across her already moist lips and then brought the tips to her mouth. Her tongue licking the very essence of herself from her hand.

She was just about to return to her pussy when she spotted her phone.

She picked up the receiver and hit the first speed dial button, waiting for the connection to be made.

"Mom, you're never going to believe who just called me." She said with a faux pained sound of sarcasm. "My darling husband."

There was an exasperated sound of annoyance from her mother. "And what did the letch want this time?"

"Oh, the usual." She glanced at her nails as she replied, performing her disaffected act even though her mother couldn't see it. "Wants me to come home early again."

"You told him he could shove it up his uptight ass, I hope?" Her mother's voice seemed to quiver with anticipation, as if she was looking forward to an argument between her daughter and her son-in-law.

"Nope." She paused just long enough for her mother to make an assumption and start to grow angry.

"I asked him to join me for the day."

"You did?" The sound of her mother's surprise was almost palpable. "And what did he say?"

"He said yes."

Her mother was completely silent now, even more surprised by the agreement than the younger woman was.

"I just thought you might like to know." She added, breaking the silence. "And be sure to tell dad."

"I..." the older woman started to reply, still too shocked for worlds. "I will."

"Good." She glanced at the clock. "I need to go get ready before he gets here. Love you, mom."

She blew an exaggeratedly loud kiss into the receiver, and then hung up the phone.

He knocked with outright disdain on his wife's apartment door. He didn't understand why she wanted to live in such a place. The smell was abhorrent, the scent of sweat from too many bodies living in too small an area. He couldn't understand how anyone would be comfortable living on top of one another like this.

"You're late!" She shouted through the door.

He didn't bother to answer; it was beneath him to be seen in a hallway shouting.

The metallic snap of the dead bolt lock being retracted echoed in the hallway, followed by the jingling sound of the chain locked being unhooked. The sound disgusted him. To have to live in constant fear of intruders and uninvited guests. It just felt unnatural.

The door opened just an inch. "Come in."

He could hear her walking away from the door. Not opening it for him was probably a conscious choice to further insult him. Forcing him to open the door himself.

His disdain still high, he reached out and pushed the door open with just the tips of two fingers.

The room beyond the door was all that amounted to his wife's home away from home. She called it a flat, but he couldn't see how anyone would live in a place smaller than one of their closets back home.

"Are you going to come in?" She asked from the other side of the small room, just beyond the bed that almost filled the entire room.

He frowned as he watched her. He was sure she was doing this intentionally. Forcing him to degrade himself by entering.

Her hair was still wet and except for the towel she had half wrapped around her head, she wore nothing else. She knew that there was no way he'd leave the door open with her exposed like this.

"You're not even ready to leave." He said, annoyed as he stepped through the threshold. "So why is it a problem that I'm a few minutes less than punctual?"

"It's the principle, that's all." She picked through her small closet looking for the right attire for the day. "You're over dressed for a relaxing day out anyway."

She glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded towards the dark black suit, red tie, and polished leather shoes that he was wearing. His dark hair was, of course, immaculate. Still cut short and not with a strand out of place. His dark eyes were piercing into her, seeming to smolder with anger. His features were chiseled in their distinctiveness, which was fitting when compared to his normally cold emotions.

"And you're under dressed." He commented, crossing the room to shut the window shade. "Must you give this entire wretched city a show?"

"The people across the street are hardly the whole city." She sneered, avoiding the question all together. "Besides, I couldn't really pick out what I would wear until I knew what you were wearing."

She pulled a tan dress from the closet, one with a particularly plunging neckline. She wanted something appealing, but not too revealing.

She held the dress against herself as she stood in front the closet door mounted mirror.

He admired her from here, the smooth soft curve of her ass, the reflection of her full breasts, creamy white with their pale pink nipples. The slight bit of golden blonde hair peeking out from between her legs.

She still was everything that had beguiled him all those years ago. She still cut the same figure as she had when he decided that he had to have her.

He was so entranced by her beauty that he didn't even notice her looking backing at him from the reflection in the mirror. She said nothing, just allowing him to admire her.

For a moment she could see the man she fell in love with in his face. The caring, troubled man that he refused to let the world see.

"What do you think of this one?" She asked, shaking the dress slightly to draw his attention to it.

"That-" For a moment he found himself at a loss for words. "That one should do nicely."

In truth, he didn't think it suited her. She deserved something more impressive. Gilded in gemstones or precious metals, but he knew she'd never wear anything like that. She seemed always to be more comfortable in the plainer attire that she preferred.

"It wouldn't hurt you to try a pair of jeans once in a while." She said rhetorically as she pulled the dress over her head. "Or the horror of a pair of shorts."

He didn't even bother to dignify her words with a response. Instead stepping up behind her and tying the back of her dress closed.

It took him a second, but he realized that the shoulder straps crisscrossed between her shoulder blades and then tied to the lower portion, leaving the majority of her back exposed. The opening plunging all the way to the small of her back.

Only after the dress fell into place did she hike the hem up and step into a pair of white thong panties, shimmying her hips to slide them into place.

He thought about voicing a protest about her chosen attire, but knew it was likely to be pointless. She had already made up her mind and arguing with her about it would accomplish nothing.

Once the panties were in place, she let the dress fall back into place. The bottom hem only reaching to just a few inches above her knees.

She took a moment to admire herself in the mirror. Spinning in place as much for his benefit as hers.

After making a full turn and a half, she stopped to look at her husband again.

"Hungry?" She asked, distracting him way from his staring.

"Yes." He managed to speak with out too much of a mental hiccup. "I made reservations at-"

"Cancel them." She interrupted, crossing her arms in front of herself.

"What?" He looked at her, more than a bit surprised.

"I said," she repeated, her voice calm and even, as if she was speaking to a five year old. "Cancel them."

"But," he started to protest.

"No buts." She interrupted again, raising her voice slightly. "You agreed to do what I want. That means we eat where I choose."

He gritted his teeth as he stared at her, doing his best to hide his annoyance. He held the stare for a moment to see if she would back off.

"Very well." She didn't relent, he was stuck with it.

She walked to the flat door, stopping near it to slip a pair of brown, open toe sandals onto her bare feet. At the same time her hands pulled down a white purse that she slung under her arm with practiced ease.

"So then where are we going?" He asked, with a slight bit of trepidation.

"The park." She replied as she pulled the door open.

"What is this called again?" He asked, holding the plastic cup up so that he could look closer at the murky brown liquid that flowed inside it.

"It's a Grande Caramel Mocha Monterey Blast." The words rolled off her lips easily, even though they made little sense to him. "So you like it?"

He took another sip through the plastic straw as he considered his response. He let the sweet liquid sit on his tongue for a second before he swallowed.

"It isn't bad." He commented, frowning at having to admit that there might be some merit to her chosen breakfast.

"I'm impressed." She smirked as she looked at him, the straw of her own drink dangling from between her pink lips. "From you that's glowing praise."

He only grunted in reply, wanting the topic of conversation to move on as quickly as possible.

"See?" Her smirk faded slowly. "I still know what you like."

"And I," he seized on the chance to deflect the conversation somewhere else. "Still don't see what intrigues you about this place."

She glanced at him for a second, surprised that he still couldn't see it. She then looked around the bustling park for an example to point out to him. From their place sitting on the park bench they had a perfect view of the field beyond the gravel path in front of them.

Scattered around the verdant emerald green grass were all sorts of examples, young families out with their children, older retirees walking their dogs, young lovers laying in the grass and enjoying the morning.

Even on the path in front of them there were passing examples, virile joggers out for their morning exercise, young parents pushing strollers, even the occasional mounted horse complete with rider.

"Can't you feel it around you?" She looked back to her husband in disbelief. "All the life, all the energy, all the happiness."

She stressed the last part as being the most important of all. She was sure one of these examples would sway his thoughts.

"Yes." His voice was calm and unimpressed, as if it was all a given and nothing special. "So?"

"So?" She didn't know if she should be offended or sympathetic. Did this really not affect him at all? Could he have grown so cold as to not feel anything?

Then, like a bolt out of the blue, a thought came to her. Perhaps she had the reason for his state of mind.

"Just because we have no children of our own doesn't mean you have to despise the ones who have." Her voice was a soft whisper now. "You can still find joy in other people's happiness."

He made no effort to reply reply, his face remaining a stony, emotionless façade.

She shifted closer to him on the park bench, letting her hips touch his. A familiar yet still dignified contact. If he wanted to pursue it further, he would need to take the next step himself.