Stu

Ana was in the bathroom, combing her hair and applying her make-up, when Bob walked in. “Whoa,” he said. “That is pretty hot. Are you sure you want to wear that?”

Ana was wearing a red blouse, and a long, tight black skirt with a slit that ran practically to her waist. If she stood a certain way, the slit exposed the top of one of her stockings. Capping her outfit were a pair of 5-1/2-inch black stiletto pumps.

“I need to be very, very sexy tonight,” Ana said.

“Explain this to me again. Your co-worker, George, and his wife, Patricia, have invited us to dinner. Why?”

“I don’t know all the details,” Ana said. “Patricia told me they talked it out. George must have admitted he fantasized about me during their lovemaking, and Patricia must have admitted she had figured that out on her own and had let that little fact slip out when we had lunch. So now they want to ‘legitimize’ their friendship with me. Um, I mean with us.”

“Thank you. I am glad someone is thinking of me while your strange little love triangle develops,” Bob joked.

They drove over to George’s and Patricia’s house, and were greeted warmly at the door. The evening proceeded in a very normal fashion. As the two couples ate, Ana and George talked about working at the bank. George and Patricia talked about their two grown children. Ana and Bob talked about how they had met. After finishing dinner, they moved to the living room and sipped coffee while Ana shared some of her experiences about growing up in Costa Rica. It was only then that the evening’s conversation took an unusual, if not completely unexpected, turn.

“So tell me, Ana,” Patricia asked. “Do a lot of Costa Rican women share your taste in clothing and shoes?”

“In all honesty, Patricia, my style has evolved to the point where it is a bit extreme, even for Costa Rica. But, clearly, my tastes are derived from Costa Rican fashions. You might say I take Costa Rican sensibilities and combine then with the North American penchant for experimentation and risk taking.”

“And I am so glad you are willing to experiment and take risks!” Patricia said. “It is nice to see someone who is not afraid to step out there and be different.”

George cleared his throat. “I have something to say. Inviting you for dinner was Patricia’s idea. It has been a very pleasant evening until now, but I can no longer ignore the elephant in the room. The only reason the four of us are here tonight is because I had some very personal thoughts that were never intended to be shared with anyone. But they were shared. And I cannot just sit here, especially talking about women’s fashions, and pretend that it did not happen. Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I am very embarrassed about it all. And, furthermore, Ana, knowing what you know, I don’t quite understand why you would want to be my friend.”

“But I do want to be your friend, George,” Ana said reassuringly. She stood up so that the other three could clearly see her from her hair down to her stiletto heels.

“There are some things you should know about me,” Ana said. “I come from a culture that strongly embraces high heels and other bold forms of feminine expression. Women are encouraged to express their femininity in a very physical way. And men feel comfortable about openly admiring women. We are not taught to hide our feelings, as people often feel they must do here in the United States.”

She turned slightly so that the top of her stocking was visible through the slit in her dress. “I dress boldly because it is the way I express my true self. And I always appreciate it when others enjoy my form of expression.”

Bob said, “I will vouch for that. Ana believes in being honest with herself and with others. She is not shy in the way she dresses, and you don’t have to be shy in the way you react to her. If you like her style, you can tell her. Ana takes a special pride in brightening peoples’ days.”

“Look, I could be jealous of Ana,” Patricia said. “I could have made George feel guilty for finding her attractive. But what purpose would that have served? By embracing her presence in my husband’s life, we both became closer to each other, physically as well as emotionally. So I appreciate what Ana has done for us. The only thing that came close to ruining it was my big mouth.”

Ana walked over to George and said, “I know it is hard, George. Men, especially North American men, are taught to hide their feelings. In the workplace, you are warned that you are putting your career at risk if you tell a woman she is attractive. But around me, you can feel good about being a man. Compliment me or don’t compliment me as you see fit. If you are open with me, then I will be open with you, too.”

“OK, I will try,” George said. “Your attitudes are all a little foreign to me, but I think I will be able to embrace them. Ana, thank you. You are indeed a lovely woman.”

“If there is anything I can ever do for either of you, please let me know.”

“There is one thing,” Patricia said. “I can’t wear high heels any more, but Ana, I like your eye shadow and eye liner. I would love to go shopping with you so you can teach me more about the cosmetics that are available today. I would like to experiment with that.”

“How about next Saturday?” Ana asked. Patricia agreed.

Bob and Ana said goodbye a short time later and left for home. When they got in their car, Bob said, “Well, the hard part is over. Now you can relax. George and Patricia will incorporate you into their fantasies as they see fit. And there is nothing more that you need to do.”

Ana replied, “With all due respect, Bob, I do not think it will be that simple. I see George every day at work. Will I flirt with him more now? Will I start going out to lunch with him? And I have a funny feeling this upcoming shopping trip with Patricia will not be the last. What other highly personal things will she end up telling me? And lastly, we will have to invite them over to our house for dinner some time. What do you think I should wear as an encore after tonight? Do you really think we are going to have a normal friendship with these two?”

Bob thought for a few moments and said, “You are right. We have managed to establish yet another unusual relationship with another couple based on a mutual interest in high heels and bold feminine fashion. Except this time, you do not have to share the spotlight with anyone. You are the sole star of this show.”

Ana turned to Bob, smiled mischievously and said, “I know. Isn’t that great?”

Next: A prequel: Ana’s experiences in Costa Rica