“Why are we here?”
Marta laughed. “To bath, it is true; Americans are so uptight. To feel sexy, you need to feel sensations on your skin.”
“We take baths in America. I’ve taken baths with my husband,” responded Josie. “I don’t know what you think of me, but I’m not some uptight virgin.”
“Everything is a sensation,” replied Marta, “everything is sexual—a bath, a massage,” she ran her fingers through Josie’s hair, “a haircut, eating, shopping, everything. You just need to find the joy in it; find the joy in life.”
The experience of sitting naked with Marta in the bath reminded her of her brief encounter with Wendy, yet there was no physical touching, just the feeling of the soft, spring water, and the subtle outline of Marta’s submerged nude body. She was thin, even bony, but she had beautiful full breasts. Josie felt very aware of her athletic figure and small breasts.
Afterward, Marta took Josie to the salon. They sipped liquor and ate chocolates as the attendants worked on their hair and nails. Under the dryer, feeling intoxicated by the alcohol, Josie grew aroused. She couldn’t believe a blissful day with a friend could make her feel so sexual.
When the foils came out of her hair, Josie was shocked to find herself a lighter blonde. “Nick’s going to kill me,” she said.
Marta winked. “You look hot. You’re going to kill him.”
Shopping with Marta was a more intense experience. Josie was never one to wear such tight, short and low cut clothing. “I can’t wear this; I’ll feel like a prostitute.”
“You don’t look like a prostitute,” Marta said, helping Josie adjust in the dress. “You just look sexy. Have you never seen yourself look this sexy?”
“Ah shit, who knew I had it in me,” Josie said with a sigh.
“All women have it in them,” replied Marta as she smacked Josie on the behind. “Now you’re ready to make your man crazy.”
Josie arrived at the restaurant where she was to meet Nick and several of his coworkers, most likely in the company of ravishing women. She approached a female host and said, “Anisimov party,”
The receptionist looked her over and guided her to the table. Josie didn’t notice the looks she received from men as she passed. When she took her seat next to Nick, he glanced up and said, “This seat is saved for my wife.”
Josie laughed and took her seat at the table. “You’re funny.”
Nick stared at her. Her long blonde tresses were gently curled. Her eyes were hi-lighted with dark liner and her lips were bright red. But it wasn’t just the hair and makeup; she wore a stunning knit dress that clung to her figure and high heels that accentuated her shapely legs. Nick looked at her again and again but said nothing.
The men at the table were falling all over themselves to get her attention and to please her. One of Nick’s male associates passed a dish to Josie. “Try this Kaluga caviar. It is freshly farmed in China; it is exquisite.”
Josie took a taste and moaned her response. “It’s so good.” She touched Nick on the arm. “Oh sweetie, you must try this.” She spread caviar on a cracker and put it to his lips. He looked at her as if she were a stranger—a strange beautiful woman. “Come on sweetie. Try it.” Nick parted his lips and Josie fed him the cracker. Finally it hit her—sensuality. It wasn’t just about the act of sex; it was about how she felt, and tonight she felt beautiful.
Nick hid behind his menu as the waiter helped Josie with her decision. “Madame, may I recommend the green borsch, the swordfish for a main course and the honey layer cake for desert.”
“Sounds delightful,” replied Josie.
“I’ll have the same as my
wife
,” said Nick to the waiter as he handed him the menu.
Josie smiled at Nick’s possessive behavior. She never thought she would enjoy being possessed by a man, but she had to admit, it was a turn on. She slipped her hand from her lap and onto Nick’s thigh. Slowly and carefully not to draw attention, she caressed his thigh and moved it toward his crotch and gave him a good squeeze. Nick coughed and scooted his chair forward toward the table as Josie continued to rub him, feeling him grow hard in her palm.
The waiter returned to Josie. “Madame, would you like to try the salami? It is quite tasty—specialty of the restaurant.”
Josie laughed and everyone at the table looked at her. She took a piece while continuing to massage Nick. “I love salami.”
“You sir?” the waiter asked Nick.
Nick quietly gestured no. Throughout dinner, he noticed Josie constantly touching him, heard her soft moan with every bite of food and her eager expressions as if everything and every word spoken contributed to an inner rapture. He began to wonder what demon could have possessed his wife.
After dinner, Nick hailed a cab. He remained quiet. She didn’t remember him saying one word. “Are you okay?” she asked.
He wanted to ask what happened to his wife, but he didn’t want to offend her. He was still trying to digest Josie’s change of appearance.
“Are you mad? Don’t you think I look beautiful?” she asked.
“Very,” he said.
“My friend Marta said men like beautiful women. She said a woman should try to be beautiful for her husband.”
Nick broke a grin. “She is a wise woman.”
The cab pulled up outside their apartment. Once inside, Nick was slow to make a move. He could not take his eyes off her.
“Are we going to make love tonight, or not?” Josie asked frustrated.
“To touch you, would disturb your beauty,” he said.
“Well that just fucking sucks! I got all gussied up for you and all I get is nothing! No, ‘you look beautiful tonight honey.’ You barely responded when I was feeling you up at the restaurant. Don’t I excite you anymore?” Josie kicked off her high heels and stormed into the bathroom.
Starting at her reflection in the mirror, Josie grew teary-eyed as she removed her makeup. When Nick entered she said, “All I wanted to do is turn you on! I wanted to be so sexy, so you couldn’t keep your hands off me.”
Nick grabbed her by the waist and turned her to face him. He kissed her hard, inserting his tongue in her mouth when her lips parted. This was the reaction she was hoping for—unbridled passion. He placed his hand on her hips and lifted her dress over her head. Josie reached unhooked her bra, letting it slide gently down her arms.
Nick lifted Josie onto the edge of the sink and kissed her breast stopping only to nibble her nipple. He stepped back and slid her stockings from her legs. When they landed in a heap on the floor, he removed her lace panties. He unzipped his fly allowing his pants and underwear to fall to his ankles. Josie spread her legs and shifted her hips forward.
His thrusts pushed her back against the spigot of the sink. “Ouch!” She opened her eyes for a moment but soon closed them as her body shuddered with delight. “Nick!” He pulled her forward and held her up against the bathroom wall. He pushed himself inside her with greater force.
It had been a long time since they made love with such fervor, like strangers in a clandestine location, hoping not to be caught. Josie hung onto his shoulders and ran her fingers through his hair.
When he climaxed, he lowered her gently to the floor and planted light kisses on her face and neck. Josie took his hand and guided him to their bedroom. She wanted more, much more. She reclined on the bed, spread her legs and started playing with herself.
“You are insatiable,” he said, looming above her. “What in the world has come over you?
“I am a fiend,” she teased. “Do you want me? Do you want to taste me?”
“I do.” Nick stood up and left the room, leaving Josie confused and alone. He returned shortly with a bottle of vodka which he drizzled over the nape of her neck, down her breasts, and between her legs. Josie giggled as the vodka washed over her skin. Nick cupped her breasts in his hands and licked the vodka off each one-by-one. When her nipples stiffened, he kissed her belly and licked her bellybutton. Slowly, he moved down between her legs and sucked the vodka from her pussy.
Josie arched her body and grabbed a fist full of his hair. With her other hand she reached for the bottle. When he came up, they switched positions and she drizzled vodka all over his body. She massaged his penis and leaned forward, licking him like a lollipop, and swirling her tongue around the head.
Nick groaned. “That is gooood.”
Everything about love-making is the appreciation of something fine
. Savoring every bit of him as if he was a fine delicacy and as far as Josie was concerned, he was.
Josie lay awake in his arms and thought about all the other couples in the world, particularly Marta and Oleg. Did they really feel and taste each other? Could they truly identify their lover’s scent?
As Nick slept with his body pressed against her, she touched his skin with her fingertips. She looked at the rough callouses on his hands, the vein that ran up his forearm, and the bulge of his bicep. She felt the expansion of his chest as he breathed and sniffed his musky odor that to her, smelled like a spicy, chocolate. Josie never denied her lustful desire for Nick, but she knew she never truly appreciated him until tonight.
Madame Tsvetkov
After meeting Marta and becoming accustomed to Moscow, Josie grew to love Russia; she loved everything about it—the rich foods, the history, the poetry and literature, and even the vibe. The city surged with a strong sexual energy that she had a hard time containing. She thought of herself as a young Catherine the Great conquering a new territory.
Although unlike Catherine, I’m not going to have my husband killed.
I like mine. He is my Gregory Olav
.
Josie’s body changed along with her attitude; she gained twenty pounds from enjoying all the sweet tea cookies, and the heavily sauced foods. She didn’t care and neither did Nick who loved to come home and bury his face in his voluptuous wife.
It was not just her weight, but her style changed. She wore provocative low-cut and sometimes animal print sweaters, high-heeled strappy boots and, weather permitting, short skirts. She outlined her eyes with black pencil and highlighted her full lips with bright red lipstick. She felt entirely sexy and was brazen enough to flaunt it. No matter how many men she enticed, it was all for Nick. She paraded her sexuality for all men to see, but reserved her body for his touch alone.
Every night was the same; Nick arrived home from work and after a quick meal, they retired early to the bedroom for raucous love-making that drew several complaints from their neighbors. Josie didn’t care about the neighbors; as far as she was concerned, it was jealousy.
One summer afternoon in Gorky Park, Nick and Josie were making out on a blanket. Josie pushed Nick away. “Why did you marry me?”
“Why?” he asked, continuing to kiss her.
“It’s part of the deal with Marta. She helped me become accustomed to Moscow, now I have to help her get her boyfriend to marry her.”
Nick squeezed her breast. “Tell her to get pregnant.”
Josie urged him to stop. “No, she’s not that kind of girl. They’ve been dating for two years and he hasn’t asked her to marry him. Why?”
Nick rolled onto his side and propped himself with his elbow. “Men marry for three main reasons—she’s loaded, she’s pregnant, or he can’t get enough of her sex.”
“And not love?” questioned Josie.
“A guy can love a woman and be committed to a woman, but not marry her.”
“So you married me for sex, because I’m certainly not loaded and I wasn’t pregnant.”
Nick grinned, cupping her breast and leaning over to kiss her neck. “Yes.”
Josie fell onto her back and stared at the clouds. “And here I thought you loved me.”
“I do. We just graduated college and we could have easily gone in different directions. I asked you to marry me so you would go
my
direction.” He smiled. “I wanted to make sure you were in my bed every night.”
She stared at the sky in disbelief as he continued to fondle her breasts and nibble on her ear. Now that she knew the truth, she felt duped into something. But then again it was true; had they not married, it would have been easy for them to find careers in different cities and their relationship may not have continued.
“So what do I say to Marta?” she asked.
Nick lay back with his arms behind his head. “She needs to make it so he cannot imagine living without her.” He glanced at Josie. “She must make it so he wants her in his bed every night,” he paused, “or she should get knocked up.”
“So sex?” Josie asked.
“It’s gotta be so good he can’t imagine being without it, that he would go absolutely nuts with desire, if not, there’s no reason for her to be there,” he replied casually.
“So that’s it with you, you’d go absolutely nuts without me?” she asked.
He nuzzled his face against her neck. “You drive me absolutely nutty. I can’t help myself.”
Josie didn’t know how to convey the information to Marta. Most women don’t think about their man’s constant sex; they are too often thinking of tales of romance and matters of the heart.
Women want to be romanced, men want to be fucked
. The trick was finding a balance—a meeting in the middle.