Charity Begins at Home, Chapter 8 – Games Abroad

Richard stretched lazily on the sun lounger and wondered if he should turn over and ask Lorna to oil his back for him. The sun in the south of Portugal wasn’t too hot at this time of year but still much warmer than back at home and he didn’t want to suffer the ignominy of sunburn for two weeks of their holiday. They had been really lucky and managed to get two last minute rooms on a holiday in Vilamoura, as someone had cancelled through illness, so here they were in the last week of May, basking in 24°C warmth whilst the UK was still fairly cool.

The holiday had been fairly expensive but it was all inclusive in a good 4-star hotel and there were 2 full day excursions and one half-day excursion included in the price and there was no single supplement to pay as Lorna had insisted on separate rooms. There was also entertainment each evening, although not necessarily to their taste, but they could always go out to the Marina or for a walk along the beach.

Lorna gazed at the people around the pool and wondered, not for the first time, if any of them ever looked in the mirror when they donned their bathing costumes or beach attire! She knew that she had put on a little weight but worked hard to keep her figure with sensible eating and lots of walking and gardening. Not so some of their fellow holiday-makers; pendulous breasts hanging over huge bellies and huge bellies hanging over the briefest of bikini bottoms – and that was just the men! Quite a few of the older ladies had decided to sunbathe topless and it was not a pretty sight; much better left to the young and slender.

She glanced at Richard as he turned over on to his stomach; at least he was still slim and fit and “stripped to advantage” as they used to say in her favourite Georgette Heyer Regency novels. “Would you like me to put some oil on your back?”, she asked. “Oh, that would be great, thank you”. She measured out the sun tan oil into her palm and smoothed it over his back, arms and the backs of his legs, although he probably could have done his legs himself. It was quite an intimate moment and she wondered again about her embargo on a sexual relationship; maybe it was worth thinking about after all. Lorna laughed to herself, a 67 year old woman having “naughty” thoughts about her friend; must be the sunshine and the almost naked bodies around her.

Richard wriggled gently on his sun lounger. Lorna smoothing on the sun tan oil was the first time in a long time that he had been touched like that and it was evoking some sensual memories. Better behave himself or he would upset her and there is no way that he wanted to ruin their holiday together. She had told him something about her disastrous marriage and the fact that her ex-husband had been a serial philanderer throughout their married life; she had refused sex with him after a while, as she was never sure whether or not he had been practising safe sex with his other partners, either male and female. Richard could understand why she had felt like that but it was only one man and surely he could persuade her that he was one of the “good guys”.

Lorna settled back down with her book but found it difficult to concentrate. She was remembering an occasion a few years ago, when she had been working in the Midlands for about three months. She had a particularly bad day and had returned to the hotel hot, tired and very grumpy; she hadn’t even gone to her room but had headed straight for the bar, handbag, briefcase and laptop case in hand. As she approached the bar with the taste of her Gordon’s and tonic almost on her lips, a man standing at the bar had looked up at her and she felt as if she had been plugged into the mains! He was nothing to look at, tall, skinny and with overlong blond floppy hair but he smiled at her and she felt like ripping off his clothes there and then. She had given herself a mental shake, ordered a double Gordon’s and tonic, drank it in three long gulps and almost ran to her room before she did anything she would be ashamed of! She could not remember ever feeling that way about a man before or since but it obviously possible.

They had just returned to the hotel after a long day out, tired and sunburnt, with a desperate longing for a shower and a long, cool drink. Dinner wasn’t until 7.30 and was fairly formal, so they agreed to meet up at 7 in the bar and dragged themselves to their respective rooms to recover from the day. Lorna decided to make an extra effort that evening and put on a strappy maxi dress, silver sandals and some subtle make-up. She felt a lot better after the shower and a half hour rest on the bed and walked down to the bar in anticipation of an ice-cold gin and tonic. Richard was already there, looking dapper in short-sleeved shift, well-cut slacks and polished loafers – thank goodness he wasn’t a socks and sandals man! Lorna felt a frisson of pleasure at the sight of him and knew that it was going to be an interesting evening, perhaps a pivotal one in their relationship.

Richard’s pulse quickened as he saw Lorna approaching him, looking lovely in her long frock and silvery sandals. He had already ordered her favourite Gordon’s and tonic and handed it to her as she reached his side. “Ooh, lovely, thank you so much!”, she exclaimed and took a long drink, “Just what the doctor ordered”. “The entertainment in the hotel tonight is a Fado singer; shall we go for a short stroll to the Marina after dinner and then have an early night?”, Richard asked. Neither of them really liked the typical Portuguese singing and agreed to go for a walk to settle their dinner instead of joining their fellow travellers in the lounge.

It was a lovely evening and they strolled slowly along the harbour, arm in arm; a good looking couple obviously enjoying each other’s company. They talked quietly about their day out and the holiday in general, then Richard dared to say “I have really enjoyed your company this last week, Lorna, and wondered if we could take our friendship any further and become “an item” as I believe the youngsters call it these days. I know that you are wary of an intimate relationship but I promise you that I’m genuine and would never play around or do anything to hurt you”.

Lorna thought for a short while then replied “I have been thinking the same thing, Richard, but am so scared that it would all go wrong and then I would lose a lovely friend. I don’t seem to be very good at relationships and know that I was also to blame for my marriage breaking up. And it’s been such a long time since I went to bed with a man that I don’t know if I would be any good – and no quips about riding a bicycle, as I cannot ride one anyway!”

They both laughed at her attempt to lighten the moment, then Richard said “Well, why not behave as we did when we were teenagers getting to know a new girlfriend or boyfriend, with just kissing and cuddling, until it naturally progresses further, or not, as the case might be? We don’t have to leap into bed tonight and don’t forget that it’s been a long time for me as well; the spirit might be willing but the flesh might be very weak”.

The decision made, they continued their walk around the Marina, stopped for a drink in one of the little bars and watched the holiday crowd enjoying themselves. With the pressure off, Lorna visibly relaxed and savoured her gin and tonic; a few more of those and her inhibitions would be shed, along with her M&S firm control knickers!

The penultimate night of their holiday had arrived and it there was a formal dinner that evening. They both dressed up for the evening and knew that they looked a very handsome couple; several of their new friends stopped them to take photographs and promised to email them on as soon as they got home. They had their usual aperitifs at the bar, then went in to the four course dinner with plenty of local wine. It would seem that they had both decided that tonight was the night, with the help of some alcohol to relax the nerves! After the delicious dinner they went for their now usual stroll along to the Marina, had a coffee and brandy then walked back hand in hand.

Without a word being spoken, they took the lift to Lorna’s room, then stood awkwardly looking at each other. “Oh, for goodness sake, come here!”, she said to Richard, and put her arms round his neck and kissed him soundly. “Shall we rip each other’s clothes off in a sexual frenzy or pretend we’re an old married couple and get undressed carefully, hang up clothes and use the bathroom before going to bed?”. “Let’s be an old married couple”, Richard smiled, “You use the bathroom first, if you wish”.

Her heart thumping so loudly that surely he could hear it, Lorna disappeared into the bathroom, undressed, quickly washed intimate areas and put on the hotel dressing gown, cleaned her teeth then needed to use the loo, so washed again – when did it get so difficult?! Despite all of the alcohol, was she still ready for this? Oh well, deep breath and out we go. She moved back into the bedroom and had to put her hand over her mouth to stifle a belly laugh. Richard had got as far as taking off his shoes, socks and trousers and was fast asleep on top of her bed, wearing just his briefs and dress shirt and tie.

She gently removed his tie and tucked the sheet over him, then put on her very unsexy cotton nightdress and climbed into bed beside him. So much for sex and games abroad! They were travelling home tomorrow and who knew when they would have this opportunity again…….

To be continued …….

Chapter 9

Written by Laura Wickham