she was wondering if maybe that was a mistake. Long or short didn't seem to matter though. Her hair was like some sentient being that disliked her as much as she did it. A lot like my relationship with Ryan, she started to think before she stopped herself. Being negative would only make things worse, and things certainly didn't need to be worse.
She quickly took in the rest of her reflection and cataloged her complaints. Slightly too wide hazel eyes, complexion okay if a bit pale. Unfortunately, not the porcelain skin kind of pale, just cubicle worker pale. Boring nose. Boring lips that she did her best to not part when she smiled because of the tiny gap between her two upper teeth. Average figure, leaning toward the curvier side. Okay, much curvier side, she sighed to herself.
Average. She couldn't be beautiful, but she could be average. That meant things could be worse, at least. Sighing, she turned on the water in the sink and splashed her face with it a few times, then used a soft towel to blot it dry. She removed her clothing and separated out the pieces that needed dry cleaning, then tossed the rest into the wicker hamper by the bathroom door.
Elle climbed into bed, and stared at the ceiling. Sleep didn't seem like it was going to happen anytime soon, and the last thing she needed to do was think anymore. She rolled onto her side and opened a drawer in the little table beside the bed , then withdrew her vibrator. She really should give it a name, she thought. It had spent more time between her legs in the last six months than Ryan had. Now that she thought about it, she should be making dinner for the vibrator instead of him.
A low buzzing noise filled the room as she switched it on and slid it between her legs. Closing her eyes, she fell into her standby fantasy of having forgotten to close the window shades when she started masturbating. She imagined looking out the window to see a man standing on the upper deck of the house across the way, overcome with lust as he watched her. She pictured his hand moving across his shaft as his eyes locked on to her fingers moving in and out of herself. In her mind, she shifted herself to give him a better view, which caused his hand to move faster.
The man in her fantasy looked so hungry as he watched her, like he wouldn't be able to stop himself from taking her if they were in the same room. She felt the pressure start inside her body, building steadily, until she let out a sudden gasp and pressed her shaking knees together. The waves of pleasure flowed through her body, and she rode them, all the tension draining from her in shuddering gasps.
She rose shakily from the bed, returning to the bathroom to carefully clean the vibrator before replacing it in her side table. As she climbed back into the bed, she looked down at the new sheets she had put on it earlier in the evening and was overwhelmed by a feeling of emptiness. Elle reached for an extra pillow and curled herself around it, letting the tears come in full this time. She woke sometime later in the night as Ryan finally came to bed, but he turned his back to her and fell asleep almost immediately.
****
“You can’t seriously plan to wear that to work today,” Ryan said, looking Elle up and down before shaking his head in disgust.
Elle looked down at her black pencil skirt and fitted jacket, then back up at Ryan. “What’s wrong with it?” she asked.
Ryan sighed, while adjusting a tie that Elle though probably cost more than her entire outfit. “It’s too tight. You’re not a 20 year old anymore, Elle . I mean, have you seen yourself in that? It’s not very flattering on your hips.”
Elle turned to look in the mirror and plucked at the sides of her skirt. She turned slightly to the side and checked out the rear view of her skirt over her shoulder. She didn’t think it looked that