The Wax-In

There’s a bit of intimacy at the end of this story.  If you don’t care for that, just skip this one.

“You want me to do what?” Rhonda was on the phone with Bev, her oldest and dearest friend. She cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder so her hands were free to pull various things out of the freezer.

Bev didn’t say anything for a moment, and Rhonda was sure she could hear her rolling her eyes. Eventually, Bev said, “Just come over after dinner.”

After agreeing to the terms, Rhonda returned to her preparations. She put the meat in a bowl in the fridge with a note on top. She had to drive the twins to their piano lessons, so Ed would be cooking that night. She figured having the meat available would broaden his options. She left to pick the kids up from school.

Three hours later, Rhonda was in Bev’s living room with Maureen and Janetta. Bev was holding a box.

“What the hell is that?” Rhonda asked.

“It’s wax. Haven’t you ever done this?” Bev raised her eyebrows at Rhonda.

“Yes, when I was sixteen and stupid. I screamed the whole time.”

Maureen giggled; Bev glared at her and she stopped.

“I thought we should do this before Joy delivers the stuff we ordered at her party. You know, so we’ll be ready.”

“I hope you don’t mean tonight,” Janetta put in. “I shaved this morning.”

Bev rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t meaning our legs.”

Maureen and Janetta exchanged glances. Rhonda merely sighed.

“So, let me get this straight,” she said. “You want us to tidy things up a bit, presumably so we’re all ‘sex-on-legs’—shut up, Janetta—for our husbands when we try out our new sex toys.”

“That about sums it up, yes.”

“You know you’re being ridiculous, right?”

Bev huffed. “I’m trying to help us all spice things up a little. Besides, I haven’t done this since high school. It’ll be fun.”

“‘Fun’ is relative, and there’s a reason we haven’t done this in thirty years.”

Ignoring this, Bev began putting out the supplies. The other three women huddled around Bev’s table, eying her suspiciously while she worked. Rhonda spread out the instruction sheets Bev had obviously printed from the Internet.

“I remember when we didn’t have to go to so much trouble for sex,” she grumbled.

“I still don’t,” Maureen whispered, causing the others to break out in badly-suppressed giggles.

Rhonda thought about Ed. She didn’t really know whether he ever watched porn; if he did, it wasn’t causing any problems that she knew of. Rhonda wondered if he would even notice the wax job. She suspected he wouldn’t say anything if he did.

By the time everything was ready, Rhonda had made her decision. “I’m going home,” she announced.

“But we haven’t even started!” Bev complained.

Rhonda pulled on her sweater. “I don’t really care. If my husband doesn’t want me with my pubic hair intact, then he doesn’t deserve me. I’ll see myself out—you look busy.”

She stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her. She didn’t bother to see if any of the other women would follow. On the way home, Rhonda reflected that she would need to call Bev in the morning to make sure they were still okay. This wasn’t worth losing a friend over.

Later that night, she lay in bed next to Ed, unable to sleep. She wondered if she’d done the right thing. Maybe Ed really would have preferred her a little neater down there. She sighed and rolled over.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned her head.

“You okay?” Ed asked.

“Sure.”

“You’ve been in a mood since you came home from Bev’s. What’s wrong?”

Rhonda sighed. “Do you think I’m sexy enough?”

Ed laughed, and Rhonda poked him. “You were serious?”

“Yes.”

Ed tugged until Rhonda turned back over to face him. “What on Earth would make you ask that question?”

“Bev.”

“Bev thinks you’re not sexy enough?”

Rhonda smacked his arm and then sighed. “Sort of. She thought we should wax our. . .you know.”

Ed buried his face in his pillow, his shoulders shaking. Rhonda shoved on him, and he finally looked up at her, still grinning.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

Rhonda huffed. “Bev didn’t think so.”

Ed grew serious. “Well, I do. Rhonda, I don’t even ask you to shave your legs for me. Why would I care what other hair you removed?” He reached out and touched one of her soft, gray curls. “I didn’t care when you lost all this, and I didn’t ask you to color it when it grew back in. I’m not in love with your hair, no matter where it does—or doesn’t—grow.”

He slid his hand across her cheek and down to her shoulder, toying with the sleeve of her nightgown before moving further down. He slipped his fingers up underneath the gown, and she adjusted so he could lift it off; she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

Ed traced the curve of her reconstructed breasts, down her belly and along the faded stretch marks from her only pregnancy. He laid his hand on the soft swell of her abdomen then stretched his pinky to brush against the coarse hair.

“Beautiful. Sexy,” he whispered, slowly moving his fingers to slide between her legs. She arched into his touch and leaned over to kiss him. It was full of heat and need. She wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders, holding on as he gently stroked her.

He shifted so he was between her thighs, continuing his ministrations. She eased his boxers off so she could return the favor, but she was losing herself quickly; she ended up simply holding on to his hips as he brought her closer to orgasm. She felt herself letting go, and she gave herself over willingly. He pressed against her, and as she came, she drew him inside. They moved together until he, too, was sated. They lay entwined for what felt like an eternity, kissing lazily.

Eventually, they separated to clean up and put their clothes back on. Rhonda curled into his side, and he folded her into his arms. Her last thought was how glad she was that she hadn’t listened to Bev.