Β© Original_Cinnamon 2005
We have had a good evening. There has been good wine, good food and conversation that lapped about the boundaries of our lives; my friends know me better than to push for details. They have been kind this evening and, as I wave them farewell from the door, I thank them.
They haven't mentioned you, though your picture still sits on the mantel. As I start to clear glasses and plates, remove the empty bottles, I'm almost glad your presence wasn't a part of the evening - it's as if it proves something, proves my new independence, my strength. It's a silly notion, soon gone. I remember, as I stack the dishwasher, how you'd wave a dismissive hand at the washing up, teetering in crusted piles in the sink. You'd say we should leave it until the morning.
'Who knows?' you'd say. 'We might be dead tomorrow.'
I miss you. Even more when I stand, and my back clicks. I miss your gentle touch, your massages, your sympathy.
I don't want to turn out the light. The candles are blown out, the table cleared, the room returned to normal. I say goodnight to you.
*
This is my bedroom. My room - you were never here; never in this flat. The colours are mine, soft citrus and pastels. The carpet is thick, the bedclothes satin and impractical. You'd hate the tactile throws, the girly touches of dΓ©cor, the amber lamp I brought back from Krakow (my first holiday alone).
Reaching behind me, I unzip my dress. It's a thick, heavy fabric; holds in what I've let slip a little since you. I don't worry so much now about what I wear - no more black tie functions, no more skimpy Little Black Dresses to show off my arms and the rounded prize of my bum, for you to pat while you spoke Japanese to middle-aged businessmen who stared at my breasts.
The dress falls to the ground in a cascade of light blue, thick like frozen water. Warmer than ice, I suppose.
My body is tired. I run my hands over my head; my hot, dry forehead, my new blonde perm (you like me brunette, I know...). I feel the knots in the back of my neck, still long, still strong - I must keep my head up in the City, darling - and trace the points of my shoulders. The straps of my black bra (sensible, no lace) are easily dispensed with; I pop the clasp and remove its constraint.
My breasts aren't as firm as they once were. Still high-slung, still creamy and solid, my skin soft, my nipples large and brown - and, oh, if anything, more responsive. Just the brush of the air makes them hard. I toss my bra onto the chair, run my hands down my dΓ©colletage, press my palms against my hard nipples.
It's a small friction, but it runs throughout my body. I squeeze my tits, like you might have done, but I miss the heat and the weight of your body behind me, your cock pressing against my buttocks as you kiss my neck. I miss your arms.
I sigh a little as my hands slide down to my tights, my underwear. My stomach, more rounded than you'd remember it, moves under my fingers like a lazy tabby, needing, purring.
I strip the tights from my legs, rubbing the muscles that high heels cause such agony. You loved my legs - long and strong, not those of a girl. I won't pretend I don't have the occasional varicose vein, the odd stretch mark. It's my body, and I've had fun with it.
I sit on the wide of the bed, the velvet throw crushed against my thighs, and wiggle my toes. Pink is a good colour for me.
Off with the panties, I slip quickly into bed and watch the room in the orange glow from the amber lamp. It is too quiet. I snuggle under the covers, pulling them close about me. I don't want to turn off the light.
Oh, God, I don't want to be here in the dark without you.