JENNIE
Everyone has left, Ella, James and Maddie have gone to bed and Lisa and I are left in silence on the terrace. The caterers have cleared up and if it weren't for the furniture and the props scattered around, it would almost feel as if tonight had never happened. In the background we can hear the hypnotic swell of the ocean and we're lying on one of the loungers together, listening to the sound of the waves, both coming down from an intense night that neither of us will ever forget. As we mingled with my guests, we found ourselves overwhelmed with positive vibes and smiles, and even though some had no idea what to say, they still wanted to show their support. Mark, Chahee and Neil kept us entertained for most of the evening, and when I introduced Lisa to my friends and acquaintances, she was charming, funny and sweet and I was so proud to have her by my side. It's strange to be out and it hasn't quite sunk in yet. I turned forty, I was reunited with my son, I told Lisa I loved her, and I came out to the world. It's a lot in one day.
"I don't regret anything," I say, wanting Lisa to know that whatever I said or did tonight was not on a whim. "I love you and I want everyone to know." We've turned off all the lights, apart from ones on the enormous '40' inflatable, that is gently bobbing in the pool.
"I love you too, baby." Lisa wraps her arms tighter around me. "Are you not worried about the gossip?" She hesitates. "Concerning me, I mean."
"No. I'm more worried for you. Will you be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. It was bound to come out at some point anyway, it might as well be now. By the time Lily is old enough to understand she'll be oblivious to what I used to do for a living, it will be long forgotten."
I nod and lift my head to kiss her. I love that I can kiss her all the time now, that we don't have to sneak around and be careful. She returns the kiss, parting her lips to welcome my tongue and I moan as she weaves her fingers through my hair. Soon, we find ourselves entangled, making out hungrily. My breaths are quick when I pull away and smile at her. "Do you want to go for a swim?"
"From that mischievous look on your face, I take it you don't mean you want to swim lengths with me. Won't they wake up?"
I shake my head and lick my lips. "James and Maddie will be jet lagged, and Ella always sleeps like a log, so I think we're safe if we're quiet."
"I can be quiet," Lisa promises.
"Can you?" I get up, kick off my heels and strip off my red dress. Lisa's eyes darken when she sees me in my red lingerie set, and I want her so much that I can hardly wait. "I think I'll keep this on," I say in a teasing tone, glancing up at Ella's bedroom window. "Just in case."
Lisa gets up too and strips off to her underwear. Her body looks amazing in the dim twinkling lights surrounding the '40' inflatable and I push myself against her and kiss her again, sighing at the sensation of her warm skin. "You feel so good," she murmurs, running her hands over my behind. When she squeezes me and kisses me so deeply that my legs almost give way, I wiggle myself out of her grip and cast her a flirty look over my shoulder as I head to the pool. Slowly lowering myself quietly, the water feels amazing, and as I turn on my back, the big glowing '40' looms over me against the dark sky. The number doesn't scare me. Growing older doesn't scare me because I know I will grow old with Lisa and I'm excited for the future.
She joins me in the pool, and I wrap my legs around her waist and my arms around her neck, basking in the blissful weightlessness of the cool water. The moon is full and bright, radiating in the dark as our lips meet in a passionate kiss.
"Have you ever made love in a pool?" Lisa asks through ragged breaths.
Her husky voice causes a flash of arousal between my thighs and I push my hips into her, the ache for release almost agonizing. "No. Have you?"
Lisa shakes her head and smiles, then paddles over to the shallow end of the pool where she wedges me between herself and the wall. "There's a first time for everything." Her mouth moves to my neck and she kisses me softly, then harder, sucking at my flesh while her hands slip into my bra to caress my nipples. I stifle my moans by pressing my mouth against her head.
"I've missed you," Lisa whispers, sliding a hand inside my panties. She rubs me gently and I push myself into her, gasping at her touch. Staring deep into my eyes, she smiles as she puts more pressure on my center, and I reach between us, mimicking her actions that are slow and deliberate. Our energy has changed tonight. The same all-consuming lust is still there but there's so much more. There's love, and it's apparent in the way we look at each other, hold each other, more tenderly now. The deep connection I'm feeling is unlike anything I ever thought I'd feel and as my climax builds, the bedazzled '40' inflatable shines proudly behind her, reminding me it's the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one.
"Come with me," I say when I feel her tensing in my arms, and she kisses me to stifle our moans. Being quiet is strange but beautifully intimate, a secret moment shared, yet so still, yet so intense, the energy flowing between us as I pour all my pleasure into her and she pours all her pleasure into me.
"I love you, Jennie, happy birthday, my love." She holds me, resting her forehead against mine.
