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Carrie looked up at Bobbie and smiled "Oh? Fringe benefits you say? Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know like a king sized bed always warm and full of creaky old Butch, a hot tub, lots of little animals to play with and one very jealous old owl. If I don't turn him into cat food that is. But I do have to warn you, it is a very wild life I lead here!"
The End.
Her Sanity Day
Two decades of marriage, and I had been totally faithful to Hank. I never even felt tempted, really. Not until that day.
When my son asked if Colin could stay over for a few nights, I didn't think anything of it. My son, Steve, explained that this Colin was having some kind of trouble with his parents, and I pictured Steve's friend as some scrawny kid. When the doorbell rang and I pulled open the door, however, I was surprised by the boy's athletic body, his angelic face, and his bee-stung lips. He may have been my son's age, but he sure didn't look like my son. This kid was a babe.
"Hi. I'm Colin. Steve said I could come."
"Sure," I said. "Come on in."
Colin wasn't all that graceful; he did a poor job of hiding his glace at my tits as he walked in. But he had a certain cool charm. He reminded me of the boys I had crushed on when I was in high school. If I were still a teenager, I would have jumped to date him.
I pushed those
thoughts aside as I strolled to the kitchen and left Colin with Steve. I wasn't still a teenager. I was a married mom. And Colin was my son's friend. Cheating would be wrong, and sleeping with my son's friend would add another layer of awkwardness. Besides, Steve was only 17, and since Colin was Steve's classmate, they were probably the same age, putting Colin off-limits for me even if I were still single.
The boys played video games in the living room while I cooked dinner. I admit I glanced at Colin once, his face beaming with excitement as he played, but I knew I would never act on any attraction I might feel. I had never slept with anyone but Hank, and after all these years, why would that change?
Being faithful should have been easier than ever these days. As I closed in on my 40th birthday, the hoard of men available was thinning. There had been a time when I was sick of men always hitting on me, always looking at my body, sometimes crossing the line into harassment. At work I would sometimes skip lunch because I knew when I hit the nearby deli alone there would be men pestering to join me. Now that daily annoyance was gone, but a part of me, I supposed, missed it.
The moment I had opened the door to Colin was the first time in months I had noticed someone glancing at my chest. Maybe that was the magic Colin held: he reminded me what it was like to be a teenager again, to still have all those romantic possibilities wide open.
"Yes!" gushed Colin as he made some video game move.
Hearing those joyful moans caused me to glance again at him. There was something about Colin's voice, low but passionate, that warmed my flesh.
There was no harm, I supposed, in thinking about Colin while I cooked. It wasn't like this could really go anywhere. So what was wrong with a few private thoughts? With imagining what I might do if I were still a girl Colin's age? As long as no one knew.
When Hank got home, I explained that Colin would be sleeping on our couch for a few days.
"I guess that's okay, Linda," he said. "I just wish you had checked with me first, is all."
Colin said, "Thanks again, Linda, for putting me up. I really appreciate it."
I liked that he called me "Linda." Another of Steve's friends once called me "Ms. Marcoida," like I was some old lady. Colin calling me "Linda" made me feel like I could still be one of his peers. The name was like a caress slipping right off his tongue.
"No problem," I told Colin. "What else could I do? I mean, at 17, I'm sure hotels won't let you rent a room, right?"
"Actually, I'm 18, but a lot of hotels still discriminate."
He's legal, I thought.
Then I caught myself. Why did I care that Colin was 18? He was still my son's friend. And I was still a married woman. Legal or not, he was off-limits.
Colin, Hank, and Steve all sat at the dining table when I brought out the food. "Since today's Earth Day, I thought I'd make something vegan: marinated mushrooms and rice."
"Awesome," said Colin.
"What does vegan have to do with Earth Day?" my husband asked.
"Like I explained last year, Hank, livestock farming is a major cause of global warming. Going vegan, even if it's just for one day, does good things for the environment."
"I'm glad you thought of that, Linda," Colin said. "I should have told you, I happen to be a vegan, so I'm glad it's something I can eat."
