Dave had been hiking when he came home just after sunset. His wife Katie was sitting on the couch with a woman, probably around their age, with blond hair, wearing black slacks and a blue cashmere sweater. As usual on winter evenings, Katie had the place nice and warm. Katie looked gorgeous, lounging on the couch in tight jeans and a sexy black top that accentuated her full breasts.
Drinking wine with the attractive petite woman, Katie flashed her brilliant smile and said, "Hey, baby! This is my old friend Cayla, from back in the day. You two haven't met, but I told you about her when we were in Europe."
"It's nice to meet you, Cayla." He smiled and shook her hand. She reminded him of a slightly boyish looking Katie. He remembered being surprised when Katie told him she'd had a crush on Cayla many years earlier but hadn't acted on it. Katie said she'd never had a sexual experience with a woman.
"Cayla and her husband, Bob, lived near us. She, Maggie, and I were pals way back in the day."
"That's great. Welcome, Cayla," he said. "I hate to be rude, but I could really use a shower. But I'll be back shortly."
"No problem, honey," Katie said. "We'll just be here catching up."
As Dave undressed in the bathroom, Katie poked her head in, looking mischievous.
"Remember Cayla was the friend Maggie and I got the sexy nightie for, in hopes it might encourage her husband to finally give her oral sex."
"Oh, that Cayla. The one you had a girl crush on," he teased. "Did the nightie work?"
"I don't know yet. I was just going to ask her about that when you came home," she said, grinning.
"Can I trust you two out there alone?" he joked.
"Of course," she replied, then paused. "Unless you take too long, and we drink more wine." She winked and hurried out the door.
Dave took a long, hot shower, so the old friends could have some privacy. Drying his body in the soft towels, it aroused him to think of the two women in the other room, talking about sex. Figuring they were out of sight in the living room, he hung up his towel in the bathroom and walked naked the few steps to the bedroom. He pulled on some loose pajama pants and shirt before walking back to them.
They weren't talking when he got there. Exchanging quick glances and smiles, they looked like cats that had eaten a couple of canaries. The wine bottle on the table was drained.
"Honey?" Katie asked, followed by one of her signature long pauses.
"Yes, darling?" Dave finally responded.
"Well . . . Cayla and I have been talking about a situation she has at home with Bob. It's kind of an intimate problem, that's been going on for an awfully long time."
Suspecting the general subject, Dave managed an, "Uh huh."
After another long pause, Katie continued. "So, here's the deal. Cayla, you're sure it's ok I share this with Dave?"
"Yes, it's alright," said Cayla, blushing.
"Cayla loves Bob very much," Katie began. "They've been together forever, since they were kids, really. But sexually, Bob has no technique, he doesn't do foreplay, just climbs on top now and then, does his thing quickly, rolls over, and falls asleep. Sometimes he gets her to do a little oral sex on him, but he's never reciprocated or even told her if she's doing what he likes. And in all these years he's never given her a single orgasm."
Cayla nodded slightly, blushing deeply.
Unsure what to say, Dave finally filled the silence. "I'm sorry to hear that. I know from my first marriage how hard it is to have an unsatisfying sex life with the person you love. Do you two talk about it?"
"No," Cayla responded. "He can't talk about anything important or sensitive. And I've been married to him since I was 19, so I don't have any experience of my own to bring to a talk. He's the only man I've ever had sex with. I'm not very interested in porn, and he's opposed to it on religious grounds. So, I have no frame of reference to make suggestions to him." She looked bewildered.
"Do you ever make yourself have an orgasm?" Katie asked, rather directly, Dave thought.
Cayla paused. "I grew up in a very conservative home and have issues with that. Thanks, Mom. I've hardly ever touched myself. But when I have, and from having even quick, bad sex with Bob, I think there's more I could be experiencing. I'm afraid I'll go my whole life never knowing what it can be like."
"I understand that, for sure," Dave replied.
"Cayla and I were talking about what might help them," said Katie, pausing again. "Maybe what she needs is to know what a loving couple with a good sex life do with each other, so she can try to communicate that to Bob and encourage him to try new things and think about her needs."
"That makes sense. But watching even good porn seems out of the question. Would he read how-to books on sex with you, or read erotica together, Cayla?" Dave asked.
"I've never seen him read a book other than the Bible," said Cayla.
"How about working with a sex therapist?"
"I can't even get him to go to a doctor when he's sick, so no way," Cayla replied.
"Cayla and I talked about another possibility," Katie said, now blushing herself, though not as much as Cayla. A pregnant pause ensued.
"Maybe we could help her."
Dave nearly fell off the couch. "Uh, I don't think I understand," he stammered. Eventually he said, "Honey, you know my feelings about including other people in our intimate lives."
"I know and I agree with you, baby. But I'm talking about Cayla just watching as we give her some tips, not really participating with us. That way she'll see what it can be like and take that home and maybe teach Bob a thing or two."
The silence returned.
