Iris' Fountain of Youth

Iris felt incredible. Not simply satisfied. Not merely happy.

Alive.

The sensation rolled through her body in warm, lazy waves while she sat straddling Roy in the back seat of her minivan, both of them flushed and tangled together beneath the tinted windows. Her skin felt electric. Every nerve seemed newly polished, humming softly beneath the surface. Even breathing felt easier somehow, deeper and fuller, like somebody had opened a window inside her chest.

Roy had done that.

Her own private fountain of youth.

The metaphor almost made her laugh out loud.

Middle-aged suburban mother sneaks off for sex in a minivan and emerges feeling twenty-two again. There was probably a paperback novel somewhere built entirely around that premise.

Still, Iris held the laugh back. Didn't want to crack the moment open by talking too much. Because this...

This was perfect.

Warm skin against warm skin. Roy beneath her, softening gradually inside her body while his heartbeat thudded steadily against her chest. Sunlight filtered dimly through the tinted windows, turning the cramped back seat into something strangely intimate, almost dreamlike. The air smelled faintly of sweat, perfume, and sex.

God.

She could stay here forever.

A dangerous thought.

George flickered briefly across her mind then, uninvited and inconvenient. Her husband unloading the kids from the SUV later. Asking how book club had gone. Probably kissing her hello without noticing anything different.

Iris shoved the thought away immediately. Didn't want George here. Not now. Roy filled too much space in her head already. And honestly? That felt wonderful.

Unfortunately, one unwelcome reality refused to stay buried.

Time.

Shit.

Regret settled in immediately as she shifted carefully off Roy's lap. The loss of him inside her drew a quiet little sigh from somewhere deep in her throat before she could stop it. Warm slickness followed, physical proof of what they'd shared lingering between her thighs.

Mine.

The possessive little thought arrived naturally. Roy had chosen her. Wanted her. Taken care of her. Not obligation. Not routine. Not fifteen years of marriage settling into comfortable predictability.

Desire.

Pure and uncomplicated.

"Thank you," Iris murmured, brushing her fingers lightly along his chest. "That was... wow."

Roy let out a tired laugh beneath her.

"I completely agree." His head rested against the side window for a moment before turning toward her again. "And thank you right back."

Heat bloomed pleasantly across her cheeks at that. No wonder the man kept attracting women. Roy knew how to make somebody feel wanted. Really wanted. Not decorative. Not useful. Desired down to the bones. Her whole body still buzzed from it.

Honestly, Iris already wanted another round.

One look at the clock on the dashboard killed that fantasy immediately.

"Oh no."

The words slipped out quietly, full of disappointment. Reality came rushing back hard after that.

George would eventually come home. The kids too. Alexander probably hungry already. Zoe wanting attention. Sophia asking questions about her day. The life waiting outside this van suddenly felt very far away from the woman currently pulling damp underwear back up her legs.

Still, she dressed quickly. Practical habit. Bra first. Leggings next. Tank top dragged back over her head. Sneakers tied efficiently while Roy remained sprawled across the bench seat looking pleasantly wrecked.

Cute.

Very cute.

A laugh finally escaped her.

"Seriously, Roy," Iris said, smiling despite herself. "We do not have time for round two. As tempting as that is."

A dramatic groan came from him.

"You're breaking my heart."

"No, I'm preserving my marriage." She pointed toward his abandoned pants. "Get dressed, handsome, unless your long-term strategy involves streaking through the suburbs."

That finally got him moving.

Soon enough the two of them were awkwardly climbing back through the van together, bumping elbows and knees against cupholders like teenagers trying not to get caught after prom.

The thought made Iris grin all over again. God, she hadn't felt this reckless in years. Maybe ever.

Once they reached the front seats, Roy paused before she could put the van in gear. His hand settled gently against her arm. The touch alone softened something inside her immediately.

"Iris," he said quietly. "Really. Thank you. You're incredible. I hope you get everything you want out of life."

The sincerity in his voice hit harder than expected. For one strange second, Iris almost felt emotional. Then she laughed instead, bright and warm and utterly smitten.

"Roy," she said, shaking her head. "What more could I possibly want? I've already got you."

Leaning across the centre console, she kissed him one last time. Not frantic this time. Not hungry. Just soft. Affectionate. A kiss that said mine without needing the word. When she finally pulled away, something inside her chest felt wonderfully full.

The van rolled slowly around the side of the community centre toward the exit. Afternoon traffic drifted past in uneven waves while Iris waited for an opening.

Then, suddenly...

A strange sensation prickled across her skin.

The hairs along her arms lifted sharply for half a second. The world seemed to tilt strangely sideways, like reality had briefly lost its footing. Pressure built behind her eyes. Not pain exactly. Just... distortion.

Weird.

Iris frowned faintly and shook it off.

Traffic opened.

Without another thought, she eased the van onto the road, already thinking ahead toward home, toward dinner, toward what excuse she might give for smiling so much.

Barely ing the unfamiliar man stepping out onto the curb behind her.

Barely noticing him close the enger door.

Barely seeing the sadness in his eyes as she drove away.