Chapter 4: Another World

Sharon was not impressed when they arrived at their destination. Not only was it the smallest house in the neighborhood, the two older compact cars in the driveway drove her opinion down even more. She looked down at her outfit and back at the house.

She looked at Greg and asked, “Are you sure that we are at the right place?”

“Yes.”

“I was expecting something a little more ... like a mansion,” she said feeling totally underwhelmed. She wondered why someone living in this little house would require fancy dress for a friendly dinner.

“Don’t worry about the appearance of the house,” Greg said. He stepped up to the door and knocked using the brass knocker on the door. It just seemed more appropriate than the doorbell.

Robert, dressed in blue jeans and a tee shirt, answered the door. Seeing Greg, he said, “Hello, Mr. Anders. It is nice to see you again.”

“Thank you, Master Green,” Greg said. He turned to his wife and said, “Sharon, I’d like to present Master Robert Green to you. He’s the son of our hosts. Master Green, this is my wife, Sharon Anders.”

Robert turned to Sharon and paused for half a heart beat to see if she extended her hand to him. When she didn’t, he said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Anders.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sharon said impressed by his manners. She wondered if her kids would ever begin to act civilized and then recalled their obvious envy that she was coming here. For a brief moment she felt there was a ray of hope.

“I apologize for my attire, but I am going to the movies this evening with some of my friends. My parents are waiting for you in the back yard. If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you to them.” Robert gave a little gesture inviting them into the house. As they went, he joked about activity appropriate attire and how wearing a tuxedo to the theatre required a different kind of theatre than the one he was attending.

Watching the young man, Sharon could understand why her daughter thought he was a hunk. It wasn’t so much the way he looked, since he looked like most teenagers. It was his calm confidence that the situation was under control. That much confidence seemed almost unnatural for someone his age.

The couple followed him through the little house. They passed by the living room and through the dining room to the back door. Sharon was amazed at how neat and clean it was inside. She wondered how long the wife took to clean the house. As small and simply decorated as it was, she realized it wouldn’t take that much effort. Her own house was a different matter. It would take her a week to get her house that neat and clean. By the time she finished cleaning one end of the house, the other end would be messy.

Outside, Robert announced that the guests had arrived and then informed his parents that he was leaving. Once Robert was gone, Greg introduced his wife to the Greens. Sharon was amazed at the formality of the conversation. She had only been there a few minutes and had said thank you more times than she usually did in an entire week.

Upon taking a seat, she looked around. It was rather unreal to be sitting in the back yard of a suburban home wearing formal clothes. The two story houses around this little place overlooked the backyard. She wondered how many people were looking at her and laughing at the outrageous attire.

After coming to grips with her surroundings, she studied the other couple. Jim was dressed in a tuxedo. While he was not exactly handsome, he looked distinguished in the formal attire. Unlike most men she had met, he acted completely comfortable wearing a tuxedo.

Ann was wearing a very nice gown that was just as elegant as hers, but was a little less revealing. With Ann’s slightly larger build, she required more support for her breasts. Still, she presented an impressive cleavage that seemed to draw Jim’s attention with great regularity. Looking at the bun, she wondered how long her hair was. She glanced over at her husband and remembered his comment about when she had cut her hair.

Once the guests had been settled into their chairs, Jim asked, “Would you care for a little wine before dinner?”

“That would be lovely,” Sharon answered. She looked around at the houses surrounding the backyard wondering who was watching this strange little drama unfold. Somehow, and she didn’t understand how, she was being drawn into their world.

Jim turned to Greg and asked, “Would wine be all right with you?”

“I’d love some, thank you,” Greg said. He looked over at his wife and could see that she was impressed. He had been worried when they had arrived and she had seen the house for the first time. He knew that she tended to judge things based on appearance. In a way, he found that rather ironic considering how she had let her own appearance go to hell.

It took Jim just a minute to pour two glasses of wine. He brought them over on a silver tray. Sharon almost dropped her glass when she recognized that the glasses were real crystal. Recovering, she asked, “Bohemian Crystal?”

“Yes, it is. I just love the way it catches the light,” Ann answered while holding up her glass and looking at it.

“I’m impressed,” Sharon said. She had a set of six glasses and couldn’t remember ever using them. Some things were just too good to be used, except if the queen should ever drop by of course.

“Don’t be,” Ann said with a slight frown. She wasn’t out to impress her guests, she just enjoyed the glasses.

Ann handed out small China plates to each person. Starting with Sharon, she held out a silver tray with appetizers. These weren’t cheese whiz on crackers, but real appetizers like one would find in a very high-end restaurant.

She said, “Please, have some appetizers.”

“Thank you. Everything looks so good,” Sharon said while examining the contents of the tray. She took a small square of toast topped with caviar, a mushroom stuffed with crab meat, and a small piece of bread topped with pâté. She took a bite of the bread with pâté and said, “This is excellent.”

“Thank you,” Ann said. She went on to offer the appetizers to everyone else.

Sharon watched the give and take that went along with the simple act of serving the appetizers. The entire time that Ann had been interacting with her she had felt as if she was the only one in the room. It was really amazing. She realized that there was an art to being a good hostess. It was an art that she had never before observed.

When she had finished her appetizers, Ann had been there offering her more. Such attention was very flattering. Jim was just as attentive to their needs. When she finished her wine, he was there with the bottle to refill it.

The greatest surprise of all was her husband. He was actively engaging them in conversation about topics she hadn’t realized he knew anything about. Occasionally, he would reach over and touch her to bring her into the conversation. When the topic had turned to architecture, he had turned to her and asked her to tell them about the castle they had visited on a trip to England.

She was surprised at the impact that his touch had upon her. It dawned on her that she hadn’t had real physical contact with anyone for ages. Everyone in her house lived in their own physical space that wasn’t invaded by others except on very rare circumstance. This continued casual touching was having an effect on her libido. She found that she was reaching out to him. At first, it was brief touches of his arm. After a while, she found she was holding hands with him.

After an hour on the patio, they went inside for dinner. The curtain that separated the kitchen from the attached dining area initially struck her as stupid. After a minute of being in the room, she realized she had forgotten that the kitchen was on the other side of the curtain. It wasn’t long before she felt that the curtain gave the dining area a more intimate feel. The lit candles of the candelabrum gave a soft intimate glow to the area.

Once again, Sharon was amazed at the extent to which Ann had gone to make it an occasion. The table was set with real China, crystal glasses, and real silver silverware. Ann would disappear for a few minutes at a time and return with the next course. Sharon couldn’t believe the quality of the food and was confused by how quickly Ann was able to bring out each course.

Throughout dinner, the conversation flowed around the table. At times it was lively while at other times it was thoughtful. They discussed topics that Sharon had not heard discussed in years. Ann was a spectacular hostess. Jim was witty and entertaining. Her husband was animated and interesting. She did her best to keep up.

After the dessert course, Jim said, “Ladies, if you will excuse Greg and me, we shall go out to the patio for cognac and cigars.”

Ann knew how much her husband enjoyed his after dinner cigar. Usually, she would trim the end off of it for him and hold the match while he lit it. Of course, she sat on his lap while doing it!

Ann said, “Go ahead, dear. We’ll stay here and drink some coffee.”

Looking at her husband, Sharon wondered if he was going to smoke a cigar. He looked just as surprised by the suggestion as she had been.

Smiling, she said, “Go ahead, dear.”

Somewhat surprised by the use of endearment by Sharon, Greg followed Jim out to the patio and took a seat. Jim went to the drink cart and prepared two snifters of cognac.

Handing one to Greg, Jim said, “I hope you enjoy this. It is my favorite.”

“Thank you,” Greg said. He took the snifter and swirled the golden liquor it contained. Putting the snifter to his nose, he inhaled the aroma. It was heavenly. He took a small taste. Expecting it to be overpowering, he was amazed at the smooth gentle taste. Nodding his head, he said, “This is excellent.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Jim said. He picked up a small humidor and set it on the table. He settled into his chair. Opening the humidor, he offered it to Greg. He said, “I don’t know if you enjoy a good cigar after dinner. If so, please take one.”

It had been years since Greg had a cigar and it hadn’t been a very good experience. He decided to try one anyway. Taking a cigar, he looked at it and smelled it. It was a short cigar; about a third the size of the last cigar he had smoked. He said, “It’s been a while since I’ve smoked a cigar. Actually, I haven’t done it since college.”

Jim laughed and said, “Oh, God. I remember the cigars I smoked in college. They were horrible. I think you’ll find that one a very different experience. Just remember not to inhale the smoke.”

“Thanks,” Greg said looking at the end of the cigar. The last cigar he’d had, came with a plastic tip. He wondered if he was supposed to bite the end off.

Leaning forward, Jim said, “Watch how I clip the end off the cigar. You want to do it so that the cut is even.”

Greg cut the cigar in the same manner as Jim had done. Jim handed him a box of matches and said, “Here are some matches.”