Chapter 5

Men are supposed to hate shopping. I am ambivalent about the pastime. I went shopping for a purpose, to buy food or clothes usually. I know what I want and go straight to the shops that will have the goods I need. For me the pleasure in shopping was the success of getting exactly what I wanted. Women, it seems, shop for the pleasure of looking; perhaps this gives them a better understanding of the economics, and who has the best value for money. I did enjoy the day in Torquay shopping centre. Marilyn was good company at any time. There seemed no plan for this outing; she appeared to pick at random the shops she would visit. I had made the mistake of asking her what she planned to buy and she looked askance at me.

"Nothing really, but if something catches my eye then I may buy." Something did catch her eye. It was a dress. Men, as a rule cannot visualise a dress hanging on a rail with the vision it will be when worn by the woman, yet Marilyn had that happy knack of seeing a dress and knowing how it would look. There was one. It was a creamy white, quite short with tight waist and a low cut neck. My initial reaction was that it would be quite daring, but Marilyn thought otherwise. She decided to try it on. I have to confess that she was right. She filled the bodice well, the swell of her breasts just peeking over the fabric with some cleavage to delight and entice. She looked gorgeous in it. She twirled for me.

"What do you think?"

"It's fantastic. You look fabulous, and your bum does not look big at all."

"I didn't ask that and you're not supposed to be looking at my bum, well not yet anyway. What about these?" She struck a pose with her hands on her hips emphasising her bust. I happily looked long and hard, looked away, and then with an exaggerated movement looked again.

"That was the second look, and it was definitely worth it."

"You like it then?" I moved closer and whispered.

"You have given me an erection."

"I have? Oh goody I will be able to look after that tonight. I will wear the dress and you can take it off me."

"If that is the case then I shall buy you the dress." I thought for a moment."Now do you think there should some lingerie to go with it?" Her eyes sparkled.

"Oh yes, what colour would you like?"

"That needs no thought." I replied. "They have to be white or cream." She nodded.

"Ok. I'll go and make a selection. But you mustn't come with me. I want them to be a surprise when you take the dress off."

Marilyn cooked a meal of Chicken breasts in Lemon sauce, asparagus and broccoli. I didn't compliment her out of manners, I thoroughly enjoyed the fare.

"You forget, my dad owned a hotel and I had to pull my weight. I helped the Chef and learned a little from him."

"If you can cook like that, I shall have to marry you."

"Yes please." Marilyn answered. Then she started laughing at the expression on my face. I was flustered as I had said that flippantly. Her laugh alerted me to the fact that she had answered as flippantly as I had made the comment. So I laughed as well. Later I understood that it had introduced a topic that was probably on both our minds, a topic that needed some serious consideration.

We took the bottle of Chardonnay and the coffee into the lounge, where the fire cradle was heaped with logs that crackled and spat as they burned. We settled in the huge settee and Marilyn leaned into me, taking my arm and looping around her shoulders. She guided my hand to her breast and looked up.

"That's better. I have missed your hand on my breast."

"It's re-acquainting with a lovely memory, yet somehow better now than the memory." She nodded.

"Yes it is because this time we don't have to stop. This time you won't be going to bed with an ache. This time you will be inside me, lying on top of me and the thought of that is making me very wet." Our lips came together, opened and allowed our tongues to duel. My hand tightened on her breast and I felt her nipple harden. Without taking her lips away, Marilyn caught my hand and guided it inside the neckline of her dress and back to where she wanted it. Her bra was no obstacle and almost immediately my hand had possessed her breast and my thumb was rubbing languorously over her nipple. Her lips left mine as she gasped. She twisted in my arms.

"Dal, I'm sorry I can't wait. Please let's go to bed?" That was the first time she had ever called me Dal. I nodded and I held her hand to help her up. She turned to lead the way, as she did I held her shoulders, pulled her back into me and cupped both her breasts. She turned her head and her lips begged for a kiss. A kiss and then another, she became impatient so with my hand in hers she pulled me towards the door. My free hand went to the zip on her dress. Slowly as we walked I brought it down. We were in the lobby when the zip completed its journey, revealing the lace trimmed lingerie she had bought. With her free hand she slipped the dress off; first one shoulder then the other letting it fall. It was held in place by the tight waist. She asked me a question with her eyes, and I wordlessly answered by easing the dress over her hips. The quiet smile told me that was what she wanted of me. The dress fell to the floor and clad just in her pretty lingerie, hold-up stockings and her high heels she led the way up the stairs. She undid her bra as she reached the landing, turned and smiled as it dropped to the carpet. She reached out and opened a door, and stepped through leading me by the hand into her bedroom. It was a very feminine bedroom, in Ivory and lemon tones. The lighting was subdued, provided by large candles in tall cut glass vases. The comforter on the bed was already turned back revealing the lace trimmed pillows. Marilyn walked to the bed and turned. She was beautiful; her breasts quivered gently, the nipples already hard points I wanted to kiss. She smiled serenely and sat back onto the bed, the comforter dipping slightly.