As told by Ann, a 28 year old work colleague (all characters fictional of course).
Rich and I have been together since uni and apart from a tricky period when I was working abroad, our relationship was stronger and more secure with every new year. We joked about getting married, but in the last six months the jokes had got a bit more serious and both of us are ready to make some big commitments next year.
Our work lives are pretty busy - I’m a lawyer and he’s in a city insurance firm so we have to make sure we make an effort to spend decent time together. We like travelling, walking, country pubs - part of what makes us right for each other is that we like the same things - books, tv series, food...
We have sex less often than when we first met and it tends to be me who makes the initiative recently. Early on we talked a lot about stuff and felt we were less inhibited than a lot of our friend couples, but recently when I’ve tried to bring things up, Rich has been more and more keen to change the subject.
It’s beginning to become a bit frustrating - I’ve got no particular desire to get off with anyone else as Rich is still fit, handsome and the guy I most want to be with. But I was sensing a barrier between us and it didn’t feel healthy to let that carry on if we were about to make a life-long commitment.
When we first got together, I would ask Rich stuff about himself and he was pretty upfront about finding guys as well as girls good looking. It’s one of the things I like about him that he’s relaxed around our gay friends, and doesn’t need to put guys down for not being macho. He plays in a work football team and some of the homophobic banter really gets on his nerves.
One of my theories about him clamming up when we talk about sex is that he’s more inclined to dismiss possible bi-leanings in himself as we prepare to get married. And yet I’ve realised that the idea of seeing him with another guy is something I find really arousing. Just in fantasy of course, but whenever I try and talk about it he rapidly changes the subject.
All of which maybe explains why my birthday meal at our local Italian restaurant got a bit out of hand...
It’s our regular birthday spot - it’s not at all fancy, a family owned place that is in fact run by a Turkish guy, Azad. He’s a guy in his fifties and works all hours, with a friendly staff that changes over the years as young cooks and waiters come and go.
We’d been working late so they let us eat just as the kitchen was closing, and it was pleasantly romantic being the last two in the little corner at the back of the restaurant, getting pleasantly d*unk on a lovely Chianti. As Mirad, the handsome young Bosnian waiter cleared our table, I admit I caught his eye. Dark-haired, deep set eyes and muscular forearms - I’d noticed him the last time we came and had felt a little spur of pleasure when I realised he’d be serving us.
Maybe it was the Chianti, but I said to Rich: ‘Do you think he’s good-looking? The waiter?’ He just smiled, humouring me.
‘I wouldn’t mind if you did. In fact, if you did it would really quite turn me on...’
And - OK this was the Chianti! - to give him an idea I was telling the truth, I took Rich’s hand under the table and slipped it under my dress. He looked round, a bit shocked, but we’d been left alone in the place and no-one could see. I slid Rich’s hand up between my legs so he could feel the hot wet excitement there. Half of him was freaked out by the boldness of it I could tell. But he didn’t pull away - in fact he gently spread his fingers to tease more of the sensation from me. I gave him a big smile.
And maybe that’s where I should have stopped... but then it would never have been quite the birthday treat it turned out to be! |
