It was seven thirty Sunday evening when I picked my wife up from the railway station.
"So how was your weekend? How's Mary?" I asked Jane, Mary being her friend's name.
"Mary's fine, we had a really nice time, so good to have a catch up," Jane replied as she fastened her seat belt.
"Glad you enjoyed it. You should do it more often," I said and set off for the short drive home.
"Well I did suggest that she should stay with us next time. Anyway how was your weekend? Did Danni come round?" She asked.
"Well, yes she did, how did you know that?" I asked with surprise.
"I have to confess I did suggest that she should. I knew Sam wasn't about and as I was away, well, I just thought it was a good idea," Jane explained.
"You realise I feel really guilty about all this don't you, it just doesn't seem right!" I said.
"Don't you realise how bad I feel that I can't satisfy my own husbands needs any more. I don't want you to feel guilty about anything. And remember I was the one who instigated the whole thing anyway!" Jane said and patted my thigh.
"Yeah I suppose, but even so, it still feels like cheating," I said, still unconvinced.
"Well I honestly haven't got a problem with it. If you had gone looking else where for it that would be different," she said.
"You know I'd never do that," I said.
"Yeah I know you wouldn't love. Anyway you should enjoy it while you can, after all if Danni sorts things out with Sam that could be the end of it," she said.
"Yeah I know and I really do hope they sort themselves out eventually. I would hate to see them split up. Sam would be a fool to let a girl like Danni to slip through his fingers," I said.
"My thoughts exactly," Jane agreed.
Arriving home we were both soon sitting in the lounge having a cuppa.
"I'm looking forward to my own bed tonight. Oh yeah by the way I was talking to Mary about this menopause thing and I think you'll be pleased to hear that there could be light at the end of the tunnel," she said.
"How do you mean?" I asked, not really sure what she meant.
"Well Mary hit the menopause before me and has come out the other side. She was telling me that she lost the urge the same as me, but now she says it's come back with a vengeance!" Jane explained.
"Really!" I exclaimed, my interest growing.
"She quite shocked me actually. I mean she's gone from shy retiring widow to, well I don't know what you'd call it. She seems to be playing the field like she was a teenager again," Jane said.
"That's good to hear, good for her I say," I said.
I didn't really know Mary, I had met her at our wedding but I hadn't seen her since. She had come across as very pleasant caring woman which was backed up by what Jane had told me of her. Tragically she'd lost her husband soon after that so I was genuinely pleased that she was enjoying life again.
"At least I've learnt there's still hope that things will change, it might just take some time. In the meantime I'll do my best to make sure you don't miss out," Jane said.
Those last words were to stick in my mind...
Before I knew it another week had passed and with another weekend approaching my mind turned to Danni. I realised that this was going to be the problem now, would or wouldn't I be seeing her!
It dawned on me that our previous encounters had really come down to chance. Of course it had been helped by Jane but the rest had been decided by circumstance. The fact was that it was beyond my control. All I could do is wait and hope.
As it happened that weekend I was left disappointed. No Danni! But at least me and Jane* could enjoy a quiet weekend to ourselves. And we did but there was moments when I looked at my wife and wished we could finish our days like we used to, more often than not...
We were half way through the next week before Danni had came up in conversation. I hadn't enquired after her, I would have felt awkward doing so but I was more than interested when it happened.
"I had a chat with Danni last night," Jane said out of the blue.
"Oh yes! how is she?" I asked, playing down my interest.
"She's okay but she's still not happy," she answered.
"So they haven't sorted things out between them I take it?" I enquired.
"No it doesn't sound like it. They spent the weekend together which makes a change, as you know Sam often works, so Danni was hopeful that they would have the chance for a proper talk," Jane said.
"I take it it didn't go well," I said.
"No it didn't. Danni said that Sam is so stressed and tired from work he just wanted a quiet weekend. To rub salt in to the wound Sam is away this weekend, something to do with work again!" she said.
"It's not looking good is it!" I remarked.
"No it isn't. They're not talking at all now let alone having a serious heart to heart," Jane said with concern.
I was genuinely concerned myself that the young couple were having a hard time but hearing Sam was away for the weekend I couldn't help having purely selfish thoughts. Although I berated myself for thinking in such a way, the thought still survived.
It was Friday evening when Jane sat down beside me in the lounge. I had heard her talking on her mobile phone but she had been in the kitchen so I couldn't hear the conversation.
"That was Danni, apparently she's got a power cut and she asked whether you could help," Jane said.
I looked at her suspiciously, "Oh yes!" I said.
"No it's got nothing to do with me, she actually sounded scared. She's always been afraid of the dark ever since she was a kid," Jane said.
"Well there's not much I can do if its a general power cut, has she looked to see if her neighbours lights are on?" I asked.
"Yeah she says it's just her house. Honestly I know no more than you, all I know is she sounded genuinely worried," she said.
"Lets see, what's the time? Well I suppose I could take a drive, the traffic should be light this time of night," I said. It was ten past eight.
"I could come with you!" Jane offered but didn't sound too keen.
"No it's okay love, by the time I get there, fixed the problem and driven home it will be past your bedtime. And I know what you're like come ten o'clock, you'll be out for the count wherever you are," I said.
"You're right of course. Well just make sure you drive carefully," Jane said...
On the way to Danni's I weighed up the facts. Of course what I really hoped was that Danni wanted me for another sexual encounter but I was reluctant to raise my hopes. Considering Jane knew nothing about it made me think maybe this wasn't what I hoped it would be.
I arrived at Danni's just before nine. The house was indeed in darkness while the rest of the street showed no sign of a problem. When Danni opened the door answering my knock I saw nothing but a beam of light from the torch Danni shone in to my face.
"Thanks so much for coming," Danni said as I stepped inside.
"So what happened, did the power just suddenly go off or was you switching something on or plugging something in when it went?" I asked, in to the light from the torch that was still trained on my face.