Jillian looked at the clock. It was five to eight. She was going to give Quinton until eight to come home then she was going to eat the special sea scallop dish Melba had prepared. It would be hard. The conversation she’d overheard this afternoon kept running through her mind. Was Quinton with his mistress? Could she accept this part of his life? He’d made no attempt to tell her he’d be faithful. Why was that her fondest wish?
The grandfather clock in the corner of the room struck eight and she got off the beige brocade sofa. She was headed toward the dining room when there were footsteps behind her.
Her heart felt lighter when she looked around and saw Quinton. “Hi,” she whispered. “I was about to go into dinner without you.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t eaten already. You didn’t have to wait.”
“I know, but I knew you were working late, so I gave you an extra hour.”
He moved beside her and put his arm around her waist. “That was sweet of you.” He leaned over and kissed her.
Jillian got a whiff of perfume and her heart lurched. It wasn’t her brand. She tried to be nonchalant. “Melba prepared a special meal and since it was our first full night…”
“Say no more. I’m glad you waited.”
The candles were burning when they reached the formal dining room. There was a place setting on each end of the table for sixteen. Quinton looked at it and smiled at Melba. “Everything looks lovely, but do you mind putting my wife’s place to my right at this end of the table? I want to be close to her.”
“Yes, sir.” Melba looked at Jillian, and she nodded. Melba smiled and moved the plate to Quinton’s right.
“That’s better.” Quinton held the chair for Jillian.
“I think so, too.” Jillian smiled up at him.
They talked in quiet tones, and were about halfway through the meal when Jillian said, “I discovered today we have a lovely balcony. Could we have a meal out there before the weather gets too cold?”
“Of course.” He smiled at her.
Melba came in to serve coffee and Quinton looked up at her. “Melba, Mrs. Kincade wants to have a meal on our balcony. Would you please serve us breakfast there tomorrow?”
“I’d be happy to, Mr. Kincade. Do you have a special request?”
“Do you like eggs Benedict, Jillian?”
“Not really. I like my eggs done.”
He chuckled. “Then how about plain old scrambled eggs and bacon?”
“That sounds good.”
“Okay. You got that, Melba? Make sure Mrs. Kincade’s eggs are well done, and I wouldn’t mind having a bowl of old fashioned grits. Do you like those, Jillian?”
“I do.”
Melba nodded and smiled. “I’ll make two bowls of grits.”
When they finished eating they went up the stairs together. Again Jillian smelled the perfume and knew he must have visited his mistress. She also knew there was nothing she could do about it. The man was used to women who gave him excitement and answered all his needs. For being a middle-aged woman, Jillian knew she was very unworldly. My Lord, she thought. I had my first orgasm on my wedding night and I’m not talking about the night of my first wedding.
“I tell you what we’ll do, if you want to?” He interrupted her thoughts.
“What, Quinton?”
“We’ll get in our night clothes and sit on the balcony, drink a glass of wine and have a nice talk.”
She nodded.
They went into their individual bathrooms and she decided to wear the outfit she’d worn the first night they were married. She wondered if she should buy more night clothes. Maybe Quinton was tired of seeing this robe. She decided to ask him.
She smiled when she heard the shower in his bath running. At least the perfume smell would be gone. She brushed her hair and removed her make-up, leaving only a little lipstick. For some reason Jillian thought she looked dead without her lipstick.
He came out a little later wearing a brown silk robe and paisley print pajamas. Taking the glass of wine she’d poured for him, he reached for her hand and led her to the balcony. “Want to sit on the glider?”
“That would be nice.”
He put his arm around her and they talked about the grounds, the coming fall, and the wonderful meal they’d had. He confided to her that fish wasn’t his favorite dish, but it was okay if they had it occasionally.
She told him she’d see they didn’t have it often. She then told him she’d tried to call her friend, Fran, and shyly asked him if it’d be all right if she bought some more things to sleep in.
He laughed. “Jillian, when are you going to get it in your head that you can buy anything you want?”
She shrugged. “It’s all so new to me. I haven’t been able to buy the things I want for a long time.”
“Well you can now.” He pulled her closer. “Tell you what. Would you object if I picked out some things for you?”
“Of course not.” Secretly she wondered if he’d choose things that were revealing and sexy. She knew she’d have to wear whatever he decided to buy.
Jillian was getting a little chilly in her robe and she snuggled closer to him.
“Cold?”
“A little.”
“Want to go inside?”
“Not yet. It’s nice out here.”
“Yes it is.” He put his empty wine glass on the table, leaned down and kissed her cheek.
She turned her head to him, and on impulse, set her glass down and put her arms around his neck. She kissed him fully on the lips. She even parted her lips a little.
She knew he liked it when his tongue started the dance with hers. Shortly he was rubbing his hands up and down her back and caressing her rib cage.
Jillian slid her hands down his sides and felt his muscles. For his age, he was awfully firm. She then began to play with the hair on his chest. That dark curly hair intrigued her and she let her hand trail down the line leading to the top of his pajama bottoms.
He groaned and fumbled her robe open. His hand found her breast and he began to massage it gently. Then he sprinkled kisses from the hollow of her neck to her breast.
A little guttural sound came from her throat and her breathing was heavy. Before she could control herself she began pushing his bottoms downward.
* * * *
He smiled into the night wondering about his failure less than two hours ago. Why in the world didn’t Maddie’s provocative outfit turn him on when sitting here beside Jillian in her silk robe did? Was this nature’s way of keeping him from being unfaithful to his wife tonight? He shook his head and turned his attention to the moment. That is until his body began to react more to hers. Then nothing mattered but melding the two of them together.