It took a while for the sound to penetrate her awareness. She had come home after a tiring day, kicked the shoes off her aching feet and headed straight to the kitchen for a glass of a light white wine. She didn't drink alcohol very often, but after the day she'd had, she was in the mood to be a bit rebellious. She debated about fixing herself something to eat, but decided that she really wasn't very hungry. Besides, Paul would be home in an hour or so and they could fix something together. Instead, she wandered toward the bedroom to change into something more comfortable. As she undressed, planning to slip into sweats and a T-shirt, she decided that a warm bath would feel good to her aching feet and legs so she headed into the bathroom.
She slowly sipped her wine while the tub filled, mindful of the fact that her stomach was relatively empty. While she waited, she examined herself in the mirror. As she looked at herself, she mused about the whole 'aging thing'. It was amusing to realize that she found herself needing to get reacquainted with herself on a regular basis these days. Her fortieth birthday was a couple years behind her and it was beginning to show. She noticed that her laugh lines had transformed into crow's feet that didn't disappear when she stopped smiling. The gray in her dark brown hair was becoming a bit more noticeable, too. Should she begin to color her hair? Not just yet. She believed strongly that it was healthier for her to accept the changes that life was bringing to her body......yet, she thought wistfully of the youthful tone her skin used to have. If only she had had the sense to appreciate it at the time instead of viewing her fair skin as too white and unattractive!
She took a step back from the mirror to take in more of her naked figure. She saw full breasts with pale pink aureoles and nipples that were hard little buttons at the moment because she was slightly chilly. It had been so hot for the last few days that the air conditioner was getting a real work out. Her breasts didn't sit up as pertly as they used to, but she privately found their slightly drooping fullness appealing. Her eyes traveled down over the white expanse of her belly and her broad hips. She would have liked to see a bit less padding there, but she had made her peace with that aspect of her body a long time ago. She was just not destined to be thin. She was glad to see that her waist still tapered inward above the flare of generous hips. She turned slightly to the side and was pleased to see that curves of her hips and buttocks were still round and up where they belonged! She turned back and looked at the slight overhang of her belly. She sighed, and again regretted the lessening of skin tone that comes with being over forty.
She gave her reflection a rueful grin as her eyes rested on the triangle of hair between her legs. She examined the somewhat puffy curves of skin she could see through the relatively thin pubic hair. Who knew you could store fat there! She knew that the appearance of that part of her would be described by many as 'fleshy'....and she had to admit that the term was an accurate description of what she saw framed by her full thighs.
She realized that the tub was nearly full, so she turned away from the mirror and decided that, all in all, she didn't look too bad. Thank goodness that she had the height to carry the extra weight and curves well. At 5'8", she wasn't overly tall for a woman, but no one would consider her short. She set her nearly empty wine glass on the counter and moved toward the source of relief for her aching muscles.
She turned off the tap, stepped over the edge of the tub and with a sigh, eased herself into water that was so warm it was almost painful. She couldn't believe she actually was enjoying a hot bath on such a hot day, but the heat felt wonderful on her sore legs and feet. She laid her head back and soaked for a while, letting her mind wander where it would. She wished for probably the millionth time that she had a hot tub, or even a nice deep garden tub, so that she could really submerge completely. Well, at least her sore legs and feet were happy. Eventually she sat up and reached for the body wash. She enjoyed the feeling of the moisturizing lather on her skin. As she caressed her skin, she decided that she needed to shave, so she grabbed the razor. She completed the task with businesslike motions because she was beginning to feel overly warm from the hot bath. She decided that she might as well do the job right and sat on the edge of the tub to also remove the hair from the underside of her labia as well. This task always made her feel a bit mischievous and mildly aroused. The skin was so soft and sensitive when bare, and it was a nice compromise between the naughtiness of being completely shaved and not shaving at all. She definitely did NOT want to look like a child!
She stood up and turned on the shower to wash her hair and thoroughly rinse herself. She soon emerged from the tub feeling clean and refreshed. She dried herself and slipped into her light summer robe. She had made the robe herself from a lightweight flannel in a pretty shade of mauve. Silk or satin felt smoother to the touch, but in the hot weather she preferred the flannel because her skin felt drier in it.
She wandered out to the living room and settled on the couch to look through the mail and wait for Paul to come home. A few minutes into her task, a sound that had probably been going on for a while penetrated her awareness and prompted her to look out the window. While she had been in the tub, the sky outside had darkened dramatically and a stiff breeze had developed. She realized that a storm was blowing in. She loved summer storms. There was something slightly erotic about the wildness of the wind and rain. She liked to watch the rain come pouring down with the lightning flashing and the thunder rumbling.