Chapter 4: An Unexpected Visit
I had been on the deck, back and forth, at least a dozen times. She hadn't come out.
What was wrong with me? I sat there. Couldn't write. Didn't want to read. There was no joy. No gumption. No, anything. I just sat there. I didn't even care to be naked anymore. There was no appeal to this Nude-Cation anymore. I actually felt alone; something that never bothered me before.
So, I decided to just go out. I thought maybe a good walk, maybe going to a couple stores might help. Nope, there was just no joy in anything. Finally, I decided to go back and pack up; the Nude-Cation was over, four days early.
That's when she called.
Nope, not Shari. It was Jane. A surprising turn of events.
"Jane? What's up honey?" I asked, a bit surprised.
"I came home early and have no more clients for the rest of the week. Jim (her boss) has shut down the office over an emergency. He has to head to his parents. His mom just went in for emergence surgery. Anyway, I was thinking. Instead of staying here by myself, what would you think of my coming there?" Jane usually didn't care to be alone. That was a surprise.
"Well, sure! I'd love to have you come." I responded quickly.
"Only thing is," she added. "I really don't want to do that naked thing with you. You know how I feel about it . . . but I really would like to spend some time with you."
"Sounds Good." I know that I surprised her with that answer.
"Really?" she asked. Yes, she was surprised.
"Really," I answered. "In fact, forget the nude thing. Though, if we are going to very many places, you may need to bring me a couple outfits."
"Oh, wow, ok?" She didn't seem as happy about my response as I thought she would. "Are you sure? I actually prepared myself to just let you stay naked. I just didn't want to walk around that way."
"It's no problem. I just want you here." I said, honestly. I just wanted her company. The entire Shari thing had reminded me how much I needed my wife's presence in my life.
"Ok! I'll see ya soon!" She exclaimed.
"Great!" I responded. At least now I had something to look forward to.
Jane's arrival would provide a welcome distraction from the emotional whirlwind that had recently taken over. I started cleaning up the place, clearing away any evidence of my I guess you could call "intimate encounter" with Shari. I couldn't let Jane find out about that. It was important to maintain the trust in our marriage.
As I waited for Jane, I couldn't help but reflect on the feelings that had surfaced while I was with Shari. I realized that, deep down, I had been craving a deeper connection with someone beyond the superficiality of my daily life.
I watched as Jane arrived at my condo with bags in hand. My heart raced as I opened the door and greeted her with a hug.
"Hey, babe," she smiled warmly. "I missed you."
I couldn't help but notice that her eyes scanned the empty condo quickly, as if searching for something.
"Hey there Sweetie," I said, ignoring the awkward tension in the air. "I'm so glad your here! Is something wrong?"
"I, uh, actually just expected to see you still naked. I guess I really didn't believe you, when you said that you'd be wearing clothes. You kinda threw me." That was a bit interesting. She actually seemed disappointed.
"Oh, well let's get you unpacked," I said, trying to sound hopeful for our time together.
The rest of the day was nice. We ate, enjoyed a movie together, and even went out for a walk. It was nice having my wife there with me. But something was still a bit off. I hoped it wasn't my guilt. Though I had convinced myself that I didn't really do anything terribly wrong with Shari, there was still that twinge of guilt.
Once we got back from the walk, I told Jane that I'd like to unwind with a book. She was ok with that, and told me that she was heading to take a hot bath in the room's jacuzzi.
"No problem," I said. Little did I know that she would change her mind, without my knowing. Instead, she decided to get some hot tea and go out on the deck. I have a feeling that if I'd known that, there might have been a twinge of anxiety hit me.
Jane was on the deck, enjoying the beginning of the sunset. Of course, she thought that she was alone. She wasn't.
"Hello?" The voice came from the right of her. All she could see was a wall on both sides.
"Hello?" Jane answered, surprised. "Who is that? Who's talking?"
"It's me, your neighbor." Shari answered back.
"Oh, I didn't know anyone could see me." Jane inquired.
"Yeah, there's a hole in the wall there."
"Oh! Good to know!" Jane responded, but really didn't want to start a conversation with some stranger. But out of curiosity, she bent down and looked through the hole. Sure enough, she could see someone, but that someone was . . . no, surely not . . she looked like she might be naked. Surprised, she let out a bit of a gasp.
"Oh, you must have looked through the hole." Shari cautiously giggled. "Yes, I don't have any clothes on. Sorry I surprised you."
"Um, that's ok. Is that, um, normal for you." Jane asked
"Well, yes, when on a vacation by myself." Shari answered. Little did Jane know, there was a slight plan that had developed in Shari's mind. She had been surprised to see a woman there. She supposed it was Jane, but wanted to make sure, and had to be a bit cautious in how she proceeded.
"I'm sorry to intrude. Are you alone?" Shari continued.
Jane hesitated before responding. "Yeah, I'm alone." It felt very strange that this naked woman would even want to start a conversation with her.
But something in her tone put Jane at ease, even though she was still a bit surprised.
"Well, actually, my husband is here," Jane said, looking back at the sliding glass door that led to the bedroom. "But he's reading a book right now."
"Ah, I see," Shari replied. "I hope I'm not intruding too much. I just noticed you were here and thought I'd introduce myself."
"No, not at all," Jane said, feeling a little more comfortable.
"I'm Jane, by the way. And you are?" She asked politely.
"Shari," the woman replied, with an easy smile. "I'm on a solo getaway, trying to clear my head after some recent hardships." She said, as if reading Jane's mind.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Jane responded sympathetically. "I won't pry, but I hope you find peace and clarity on your getaway."
"Thank you, that means a lot," Shari replied genuinely. "So, what do you and your husband like doing, while here." Shari started prying to try and get the conversation going the way she wanted. Her ultimate goal, though far fetched was to try and see if she could persuade Jane to try and join in on her husband's desire to have a Nude-Cation with his wife.
"I, uh, actually surprised him by coming down. He's been here for a couple days. Obviously, he's not been on the deck though, or you two might have met." That thought immediately triggered a bit of "what if" anxiety. What if they'd met? Him being nude; her being nude. The thought of it freaked her out a bit. However, she trusted her husband completely.
"Oh, I see," Shari responded, acting ignorant to his presence. "That's strange that he came down without you. Was he here on business, or what?"
For some odd reason, Jane felt comfortable enough with Shari to give her the truth. Maybe it was because she might be able to pick her brain, hoping to figure her own husband out; that is, since it seemed Shari was here at the condo for possibly the same reason as her husband . . . this weird Nude-Cation thing.
"Well," Jane hesitated, wondering if she should reveal their intimate secret. "There's actually something I need to tell you, Shari." she finally admitted. "It's about why my husband came early without me; He's here for, well, he's here for a nude vacation, just like you."
Shari couldn't believe her ears. She felt a surge of excitement run through her body. Jane was already opening up to her!
She then asked, trying to keep her cool. "That's amazing! And you...
?" Shari asked, trying to contain her excitement. "Do you plan on joining him?"
"Umm, well, I've been hesitant," Jane admitted, a hint of apprehension in her voice. "He's been asking me for a while now, but I've always said no. I'm not really comfortable with the idea."
"Understandable," Shari empathized. "But let me ask you something, have you ever tried it? I mean, just once?" She pressed, ever so slightly.
Jane hesitated for a moment before responding. "No, I haven't. But I was actually considering it. It feels like he and I have not been connecting recently. I thought that maybe, if I could swallow my pride, fear, or whatever this is, I'd be willing to do it for him.
Shari felt the open door. Maybe this would actually work. "Well, I'll tell you, after I lost my husband, I really regretted not spending more time with him."
"I'm so sorry," Jane responded, sympathetically.
"Thank you," Shari answered quietly. "But I want to tell you, after he passed, I was so depressed. I just had to get away from all the stuff; to just get alone with my feelings. It may sound strange, but the nudity really helped."
"Really?" Jane responded, honestly taking in what Shari was saying.
"Yeah, but seriously Jane, if it would draw you closer to your husband, it just might be the best thing you could do." Shari cautiously said, hoping that the bait had been taken.
"Hmm, well, if so, how do I even go about it?" Jane honestly wanted an answer.
Shari knew how to easily answer this one. "Umm, at this point, it's just you and him. You just strip. Strip and surprise him!"
There was silence on the other end. "Did I go too far?" Shari thought. She had hesitated to look through the hole, but had to know if Jane was even still there.
She looked and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Jane was actually stripping right there on the deck. "Jane? You there?" Shari knew she was, but wanted a response.
"I am." Jane finally responded. "And Shari, I've taken your advice. I'm going to swallow my pride and walk in there naked!"
"Well, good for you!" Shari approvingly said. She heard the door open, then close. "My goodness," She said out loud. "That was an amazing turn of events!" Her fingers were already rubbing on her clit. "I can't . . . mm . . . I can't wait to see how this turns out!"