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Happy Birthday, Renee!

Today is my wife's birthday. I already gave her a gift last night, I bought her a copy of Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History". Unfortunately we couldn't wake up together this morning, she spent the night at her mother's house to give her a hand with the preparations for this weekend's family reunion. The one thing that her mother wanted us to do was to change the linen on the bed in the spare bedroom. I am betting that this bed is well over 120 years old. Renee's grandmother and all of her siblings were born on this bed, and it has been handed down from generation to generation. The actual matress sits much higher off the ground than most beds do, and it is an odd-size. It's size rests uncomfortably between a queen and a full size.

Renee and I went into the back bedroom which had been closed so as to save the amount of space that the window air conditioner had to cool. The moment we opened the door, a blast of hot humid air greeted us. Renee, said the feeling was reminiscent of 'Backdraft'. I had on khaki pants and a short sleeve shirt, but I was instantly uncomfortable. Renee had on a linen dress that I bought her last summer for her birthday. I am sure that she felt much better than me, because the dress hangs loosely on her for comfort.

We began the tedious process of removing the dust ruffle from the bed frame, and I had to haul the top mattress off of the bed to install the new one. (There is a box spring and two matresses on the bed) By the time I finished with this, I was perspiring heavily. Renee had just the hint of moisture on her forehead. I placed the mattress back on the bed while Renee held the dust ruffle in place, and soon that part was done. The bed rests up against the wall, so it is impossible to make the bed up without literally getting ON the bed. Renee stepped lightly out of her sandals and gathered up the mattress cover. She raised the bottom of her dress and put a knee up on the bed. Slow motion. As she raised her dress *I was looking at a long stretch of uninterrupted caramel flesh from her feet to mid thigh. Renee ran track in college, and some of the characteristics of the sprinter she used to be have stayed with her. She moved forward on her hands and knees and tucked the far corner of the mattress cover in. She sat back indian style and tucked the other corner in. Once again she raised the bottom of her dress slightly and slid off of the bed. I suppose there is something about seeing a woman's legs beneath a dress that brings out the schoolboy in every man.

She turned and started putting new covers on the pillows. I watched her form the back as she worked, her arms were toned and lithe, despite the fact that she never works out. 5'6", 120 pounds, a flat stomach and great legs. All of this after having 3 kids. By the time we finished putting everything together she had a light coat of perspiration on her that glistened as she moved back and forth in front of the window. She was wearing that perfume that I love, don't ask me to name it, and she had her hair pulled back into a long ponytail in the back. She finished smoothing out the comforter and looked around on the floor. She pointed her toe and found one sandal, then the other. As we left the bedroom she said, "Thanks baby." I told her she was most certainly welcome, and started gathering the baby's things so I could head back to Frankfort. I rounded the boys up and told them to head to the car. I told my mother-in-law goodbye and gave Renee a hug. It was still blazing hot in the house, and I could feel the body heat coming off of Renee. I really felt like I needed a shower. Renee was perspiring lightly, but looking oh-so-good. (Women seem to have the uncanny ability to sweat and still smell good.) She kissed me and rubbed the back of my neck and said she would call me later on. I held her tightly for a moment longer and headed out of the door wondering whether or not I was sexually depraved, or if a person could actually look sexy while sweating and making a bed. Oh well, time to go home and take that shower I needed. Preferably a cold one.

*The "Long stretch of uninterrupted flesh" line was copied from an email correspondence with my friend Mike who was describing a photo. I laughed and told him that he ought to leave Academia and start writing romance novels.

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