Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 She was early.

   She found a decent table, hidden back in an alcove.  She sat at the edge
of the seat, watching the door.

   It was the annual "Hen Roost" as her husband liked to call it.  Her and
her two good friends would go out for the night, drinking, carousing, and
male bashing.  Of course, it was easy to do when he used terms like that.

   She ordered a coke to start with, wanting to be sharp for the beginning
festivities.  Betsy was the first one in.  It figured, since she was
closer, and not having any kids, she'd find it easier to escape.

   "Betsy!  Over here!" she called out.

   "Deni!" Betsy rushed over and threw her arms around her friend, then
proceeded to drop a large shopping bag and her coat to her seat.

   "Holy shit, Den!  How much weight did you lose?" Deni did a little
pirouette.

   "You like?  Twenty five pounds; yoga, and power walking," she replied as
they both slid into the booth.

   "So, where's Ella?" Betsy flagged down a waitress.

   "I imagine she'll be here shortly.  Her kids go to bed later than
mine...and she has a lot further to travel.  You spending the night here
like last year?"

   "Hell, yeah.  Too fricken far to travel back tonight.  Too bad you can't
stay.  Ella said she probably will."

   "Actually, I am.  Ethan arranged it!" Deni grinned.

   "Woohoo!  Oh!  There's Ella." Betsy cried out.  "Hey Ella!" Deni laughed
at how half the bar looked over at them.  Ella laughed too through her
blush.

   "I can't believe you did that!" She dumped her belongings down and
looked at her two friends.  "So...What'd I miss?" She plopped down into the
booth next to Betsy as the waitress came by.

   "Hi ladies.  Will you be starting a tab tonight?"

   The women chuckled.  "Oh, yeah.  Lots of talking tonight!"

   "Great then.  What will we start with?"

   "Husband bashing for the first course?" Deni grinned.

   "Oooh.  I'm up for some of that!" the waitress replied, "but I have to
take your drink orders."

   "I'll have a mudslide please," Betsy chimed in.

   "Sombero please...and the more Kahlua the better." Was Ella's addition.

   "I swear, I'm gonna call you girls the Kahlua sisters.  I'd like a
Tequila Sunrise please?" Deni finished as the waitress smiled and left with
their order.

   "Let's go through the pictures first, before we're too sloshed to
recognize who's who." Deni said while she pulled her bag up to the table,
digging for her collection.

   "Good idea.  I didn't bring many this year.  You always bring enough for
the two of us." Betsy nudged Deni.

   Ella sighed as she pulled hers out.  "The girls got into the pictures
just before I left...so they aren't all here..." she shuffled through,
"Here is Molly's school pictures." She smiled.

   "Pig tails, Ella?  God, that's old-fashioned!  Oh wait." Deni chuckled,
"Look at Lizzie's school picture."

   They all laughed when they saw Lizzie had braided pigtails as well. 
"Probably the only time I did that all year too."

   "Oh, aren't they darling!" Betsy commented.

   Ella snorted.  Deni shuffled through the pictures.  "Really?  Take a
look at this one."

   Betsy gasped when she saw the same "darling" covered with...  "What IS
that?"

   Deni laughed.  "Oh, they decided to get into the cubby where I store all
the holiday stuff?  That was Easter egg dye.  They thought they'd use it
like makeup.  You should have seen the floor when I found them." She shook
her head, "it took me ages, and there are still green stains on the floor."

   "THAT is why I don't have children.  Well, that and I can't.  But it's
why we never adopted.  I have enough trouble cleaning up after the dogs."
She handed the picture to Ella.

   She laughed, "I recognize that.  Only mine was Christy getting into my
makeup."

   Pulling another picture from the pile, Betsy asked, "Was this your
vacation?"

   Deni nodded.  " If you can call a weekend a vacation, yes.  But it was
nice.  The weather was gorgeous.  Couldn't've asked for better."

   The waitress showed up with the drinks, taking a moment to laugh at
Lizzie covered with egg dye.  "Just holler when you need more, it looks
like a long night!" She grinned as she moved away.

   "Now for the proof of point pictures, ladies." Ella flipped one on top
of the pile.  "Remember how I said the house looked?  And neither of you
would believe how bad it was?"

   Betsy gulped and Deni laughed.  "Looks like the girls' rooms after a
long, rainy weekend."

   "So, Bets, where're your pictures?"

   "Don't have many...just one of the dogs, one of the new garden, and one
of Daren when he got sunburned." She shuffled through the pile and pulled
out the pictures she mentioned.

   "Ouch.  That had to hurt." Ella remarked.

   "Stick a fork in 'em he's done," was Deni's.  "When was that?"

   "We went for a weekend to the shore."

   "Ooooh.  We just went there!  We left the kids with Josh's mom for the
weekend." Ella smiled dreamily.  "We had such a nice time...a romantic walk
on the beach...and afterward...I haven't had an orgasm like that in ages!"
She blushed, then asked, "Did you have a good time?"

   "Too many people.  After he got the burn, we ended up coming home.  No
sense in staying if he had to stay inside all the time."

   "God, they're getting old." Deni whined.

   "We all are.  But, there are bonuses to being older." Ella fiddled with
her glass.

   "God, what?"

   "We don't have a problem going after what we want."

   "Damn right!" Deni scanned the bar for likely suspects as she grinned.

   "The stud at the next table - damn right - I need a good screwing."
Betsy commented as she raised her glass.

   "Don't we all?" Deni quipped.  " I mean, what is it with men?  I could
get just about any male in here.  Flash a little tit, a little thigh and
they're drooling like mental patients.  Marry them, and you need to drag
them kicking and screaming to bed." She paused to swig the rest of her
tequila.  "It's been three weeks since I've had any.  And then?  I
literally was on my knees in front of him begging.  Hell, when it comes to
sex, I have no pride." She raised her hand to signal the waitress for
another round.

   "My problem is wham bam thank you ma'am and too bad you didn't get a
chance sweetie - I'll try harder next time - but he never does." Betsy
answered.

   "Exactly.  But with a stranger?  Hell, fireworks, and excitement and
everything sex should be.  You know what it is girls?"

   They both watched Deni for her answer.

   "They take us for granted.  They don't have to work to please us
anymore, they already HAVE us." The waitress put the tray down as she
handed out the drinks, grinning at the women and silently nodding her head.

   "Well, DUH.  Tell me something I didn't figure out after the first two
years of marriage." Ella nearly choked on her drink laughing.

   "So why do we put up with it?  If a stranger would treat us better, why
do we put up with it?" Betsy asked.

   "Because we don't want to be alone?" Deni replied.

   "Aren't we little miss cynical!" Ella exclaimed.  "You know why as well
as I do.  We love them.  God only knows why, they certainly drive us
insane, but there it is." She took another swig of her drink.  "Topic
change; when was the last time your husband did something sexually
surprising for you?  Could be romantic or whatever."

   Betsy spoke first, "Ummm Lets restate the question.  When did they EVER
do something to surprise us?"

   "Ethan used to bring me cards home.  Used to bring me flowers for no
reason.  Last year after a really and I mean REALLY bad fight...he arranged
for mom to take the girls while we went to a really fancy restaurant.  One
where we could actually hear each other, and had tablecloths." Deni said.

   "Denise Louise Richards.  I said sexually surprising, I already said
mine." Ella nudged her.

   "Fine.  At least he's willing to do something more than missionary. 
Doesn't like anal, but he'll play around a few times a year since he knows
I do." Deni thought for a moment.  "Last year he shaved me!  That counts,
doesn't it?" She grinned.

   "You like anal?  My husband would kill to try that out...nope, no way.
Not in this lifetime." Ella retorted.

   Betsy moaned.  "This is almost more than I needed to know."

   "Fine then, what does Daren do to get your motor going?" Ella answered.

   Betsy laughed.  "Does baking me chocolate chip cookies count?"

   "Well, lets see, chocolate, sex.  Chocolate.  Sex." Ella held her hands
face up as though weighing the subjects.  " Close enough I guess." She
paused, "Actually, I think chocolate may be better."

   "Bite your tongue!  Better than sex?" Deni said.

   "Fine then.  Better than bad sex.  And before you start, YES there is
such a thing."

   "Well, duh," she replied, mimicking Ella, "of course there is.  That's
what we're complaining about, isn't it?  Well, quality AND quantity. 
What's the longest you've been without?"

   "Honestly?" Ella answered.

   "No, lie to me," Deni said, exasperated, "Of course honestly."

   " 20 months, 2 weeks and 3 days."

   "I think she meant since you've been married." Betsy said.

   "That WAS when I was married." Ella countered.

   "Ouch!  And I complain about 3 months.  Jesus.  How did you live through
it?"

   "Thank god for Rechargeables and cyber is all I've got to say." Ella
shook her head and took a big gulp of her drink.  The question 'Why?' hung
in the air, but no one wanted to ask.

   "Have you ever considered women?" Ella broke the silence.

   "You mean become bisexual?  What woman hasn't?" Deni joked, then seeing
the looking on Ella's face, "You're serious?"

   Betsy answered quietly, "I've thought about it.  I mean, hell, men
aren't doing it for me."

   "I've thought about it a lot.  A Lot." The women waited for her to
continue.  "I've been sorta seeing this woman online."

   "REALLY?  What does Josh have to say about that?  Does he even know?"
Betsy asked incredulously.

   "He knows.  Not happy, really, but surprisingly, he's pretty
understanding about it.  But I think he thinks it's some sort of stage I'm
going through." She paused a moment, "or he thinks he can get a ménage
going on."

   "Deni," Betsy suddenly hissed, "there's some guy staring at you."

   "Really?  Where?  Is he cute?" She grinned then turned around.

   "Jesus, girl where were you in Clubbing 101?  You don't turn and LOOK!"

   The guy was good looking.  Tall, with a sexy smile that lit up his eyes.
Older too, not some college brat.  He raised his glass in her direction
when he caught her eye.  She smiled at him, and he started to walk toward
their booth.

   He stopped at the booth and looked down at the women, or more
specifically, at Deni.

   "Hi."

   It wasn't much, but that one syllable melted over her body like rich,
warm chocolate.  Betsy and Ella gave her an imperceptible head nudge.

   "Hi." She managed back.

   "Would you like to dance?" he held his hand out to her.

   She began to stutter her apology when Ella answered for her, "Oh, go on
Deni!  Just remember what we had the conversation about." She grinned at
her friend as she was led out on the dance floor.

   "Do you come here often?" He asked her.

   "No, just once a year.  You?"

   "Just passing through.  I like the scenery." He smiled down at her
again, revealing an adorable dimple on his right cheek.  She flustered as
they continued to dance on the miniscule dance floor, until she caught the
eyes of her girlfriends who were egging her on.  Ella's words came back to
her, and she replayed the conversation in her head as his hand softly
caressed her back.  She followed Ella's advice, remembering the words she'd
spoken earlier.  "But with a stranger?  Hell, fireworks, and excitement and
everything sex should be." Guess she was saying follow my own advice.  Her
body closed the gap he'd allowed, and felt her breasts brush against his
chest.  A quiet intake of breath was her acknowledgement.  His hands
continued to wander her back, up and down slowly and seductively.  Each
pass brought his hands lower and lower until his palms were resting over
the curves of her ass, and his fingers squeezing her pelvis closer to him,
feeling his own reaction against her stomach.  She gasped.  Maybe this is
too much she thought, looking over his shoulder to her friends.

   Who were no longer at the table.  She could see the bills fluttering
beneath the empty glasses, her own purse and bag missing.  Damn them!

   The song ended, and she stepped away.  "I'm sorry...but my friends just
left, and they have my purse.  I need to go hunt them down...but it was
lovely meeting you." Deni smiled, as she stepped away.

   Quickly, he fell into step with her.  "That wasn't a nice thing to do!
Let me help you find them.  At least this way, you have someone to help you
with a plan B."

   She nodded and smiled, "Thanks.  I might just have to take you up on
that." She wandered up to the bank of elevators, and pressed the floor she
knew Betsy was staying on.  He followed her into the elevator, rubbing her
tense shoulders.  "My room and car keys were in my purse...they know I
can't get home without them.  What made them think this would be amusing?"
she ranted idly, even while her body's nervous system was going on overload
at his touch.  The elevator stopped on the floor, and she walked up to the
door.  It was slightly open, so she pushed it in.

   "Okay guys!  This isn't funny!" The empty room echoed as she wondered
where they could be.

   Her purse was sitting on the closest bed with her keycard and she sighed
heavily in relief, as she heard the door click shut behind her.  She heard
him come up behind her, and knew what was coming.  She tossed the momentary
qualms aside and turned into his embrace.  His hold was strong, sure and
sensual, as his lips kissed first her eyelids, her nose, her cheek, her
jaw, before settling over her mouth.

   His tongue teased her, drawing a moan from her, as his arms tightened
around her suddenly slack body.  Her hands drew up to play with the hair
curling at the collar of his shirt.  His lips left hers and skimmed down
her neck to the hollow of her throat, kissing softly and making her shiver
in his embrace.  The buttons quickly fell open as he skimmed lower.  His
touch was electric.  She moaned softly as his fingers tightened against her
back, her hands running down to his broad shoulders.  She fell back onto
the bed, as he pulled off his shirt, returning to her quickly.  She could
feel the heat of his chest burn through the satin of her bra.  It teased
her already turgid nipples.  Quickly, she reached behind to unclasp the
bra, desperate for the feel of his hot skin against hers.  The cold of his
belt buckle hit her stomach and caused her to shiver again.  She reached
down to undo it, feeling his thickness press against her thigh as she did
so.  Her own skirt had magically disappeared.  She lay nude beneath him,
his touch causing frissions of tension to course through her body as his
slacks slide down to puddle on the floor.  With a moan, he fell forward on
top of her, his hands running down her sides.

   Slowly, he slid down her body, softly worshipping her body with his
mouth as he moved until he was kneeling between her thighs.  His dark
smiling eyes caught her lust hazed ones before dipping into her femininity.
Once, twice his tongue slid widely over her slit, dragging across her
already engorged clitoris.  Her breathing caught, and he felt her thighs
vibrate against his cheeks.  Three times, and she shrieked loudly, her
inner lips fluttering spasmodically against his tongue.  He pressed his
tongue against her quivering flesh, and held still until the spasms passed.
He rose to his knees, pressing his shaft against her humid core, and
gradually slid inside.  He groaned, pressing up against her pelvic bone. 
His hands pulled her hips against his own, her clitoris stimulated by the
contact and she bucked against him.  He slid and out of her relentlessly, a
steady rhythm, not too fast or too slow.  They both panted, moaning,
otherwise silent.  Her body arched as he brought her closer and closer to
the brink, each breath becoming more ragged.  In a sudden blaze, Deni
shrieked as her body began to convulse about the bed, in the throes on a
massive orgasm.  And still, he kept pounding away like a metronome.  His
breathing was coming in hisses now, and his constant rhythm began to break
down, as he roared his own completion.  He fell against her, his head
against her breast, while they both caught their breath.

   "Wow," she breathed.

   "Wow is right," he answered as he slowly stood up, "that was wild."

   "Mmmmhmmm," she agreed still in post orgasmic bliss.

   "I need to work in the morning, so I better get going." He zipped up his
pants.

   "Okay sweetheart, I'll see you when you get home from work." She stood
up and slid her naked body against him.

   "Thanks for fulfilling my fantasy...Yours is next." She murmured against
his cheek as she let him out the door.
   Ella and Betsy were never going to believe it.