As Mary swirled the colours across her canvas, (just a small one, of course) she really felt as if she was producing some good art.  The colours were vibrant, actually more vivid than in real life, her trees actually looked like trees and the water before her glistened with sunlight, much as they did on her painting, Mary was thrilled. The park was glowing with the late Spring flowers and it was really very challenging to portray them as they appeared before her eyes and Mary had to concentrate hard.

She'd got the hang of using different brushes and mixing colours, it had taken her a long time but she had never anticipated being an artist, she just wanted to expand her horizons and the art group seemed to be about all that was offering, she didn't really want to play tennis with the ladies and she was a beginner there, too.  So the art had been her choice and now she really looked forward every Tuesday to being with her friends but feeling as inspired as she now was was a new experience.  She wondered if having sex had anything to do with it.

The time flew and reluctantly she had to pack up her tools and be off for a late lunch with her companions.

She could still smell the paints even after she had put them away. As she walked through the park and back to their cars or buggies as some still insisted on having she could smell the very essence of all the nature around her, flowers, trees, bushes, grass and as she came closer, even the horses.

It was just the same at the restaurant, her sense of smell seemed greatly advanced and she looked forward to her food hungrily.

Phil singled her out for special attention and the little group gave her a round of applause, all of this for the previously mousey little Mary, my how things had changed.

Her increased appetite meant she ordered a full meal rather than a small salad with a bread roll and the class wit announced that all of this attention had gone to Mary's bight not her head, laughing happily at his own joke and barely getting a titter from the others.

But Mary didn't care and the words of wisdom she had been planning on seeking slipped from her mind.  For that she would need to wait for another day.

While the others continued to chat Mary was on her way, wanting to collect her luggage and the two cats before departing for Jim's.

It was odd, she mused, just how much travelling she was still doing, despite her recent marriage but it was just twice a week and for the benefits that keeping her own house provided it was worth the trouble.

The cats slept most of the way and Mary too felt a little drowsy, shaking her head to stay alert, after all she would soon be there and then she could have all the sleep she liked.

By the time she arrived the cats were keen to play and they charged around Jim's townhouse, obviously regarding it as their second home.

Mary yawned long and hard and pulling off her shoes and removing her outer garments she crawled into bed, intending to just have a small rest.

Jim was a bit late that night but bounded in full of enthusiasm.  The cats ran playfully around him and he wondered where Mary was, she could not be far as her car was still there and he looked around anxiously for some sign of dinner preparation and even his frig still looked a bit bare.

Making himself a strong coffee to enable him to wait for dinner he settled down in front of the TV and was soon totally absorbed with one of his favourite sports programs. But it was not long before the hunger pangs returned and there was still no sign of Mary, he pulled off his tie and went to the bedroom to remove his suit and it was then he discovered Mary, dead to the world, fast asleep.

He groaned inwardly to himself, realizing that dinner was not an option his frig ws simply too bare, he was quite spoiled, ne now realized by her good care but there was no way he was going to get any of that tonight.

Leaving a quick message behind him he was off to the local supermarket where he shopped for eggs, milk, bread, tea, coffee, a mixture of fruit and vegetables and a very nice box of chocolates.  Just as he approached the check out he suddenly realized he had no meat so went back for it, selecting some good steaks and sausages thinking Mary might like to do him sausages and eggs for breakfast for a change.  He then picked up some cereal and headed off to pay bundling his purchases into the car and stopping at that great outlet he frequented for some really classy hamburgers.

Dumping the laden bags on his return, he put the burgers onto plates and trotted off to the bedroom to see if Mary had stirred.  She hadn't.  Cautiously he tried to rouse her, but was met with a sleepy, "oh, no, I couldn't" as she rolled back over and promptly fell fast asleep again.

So Jim went off and getting ready to eat his own he was met with some very hungry cats, he found their food amongst Mary's luggage as he realized how hungry they must be, eating two hours later than usual, and after they had eaten and had some milk, fell fast alseep, curling up together, as usual, leaving Jim licking his fingers after his burger as he sat looking at Mary's which before long would start to turn cold.  So he helped himself and tucked in for seconds.

He found another show and dashed out to the kitchen to put the perishable in the frig, leaving the rest strewn about on the kitchen table, as he was keen to get back to his show.

So now we have Jim, sprawled on the couch, in his business suit becoming more and more crushed every minute, filled with food way past his comfort zone, losing sight of everything but his show.

When it finished he switched off and sat down again, waking up some two hours later, with his suit definitely now needing a good dry clean.

He moved gingerly into bed beside Mary who was stretched sideways on the bed, not wanting to wake her, but he need not have worried it would have taken an earthquake to do that and as sleep claimed him he was left to wonder what had made her so tired.

No sex tonight, he mused, but he really didn't care, by now being quite tired himself.

Morning came all too soon and Jim looked over at his sleeping wife, still she dreamed on.  He noticed how late he was and dashed off to shower, finding a fresh suit and clean shirt, at least he had plenty of clothes, which didn't get eaten every day, so they, unlike his food supplies did not get depleted.

He grabbed a bowl of cereal and mik, thinking the sausages would have to wait for another day.  Then he was off leaving Mary to wonder why there was a note saying he'd gone shopping, instead of going to work before she wandered into the cluttered kitchen, noticing the abandoned packages and realizing the note had been left there last night.

The cats tugged at her legs demanding to be fed, they too were puzzled by the strange turn of events which left them feeling very hungry and very happy after they had been fed, and after that they were happy to be left to their own devices.  At least their kiity litter had been prepared for them, the consequences of that not happening would have been disastrous.

And so it was a well rested Mary who took her time cleaning up the mess and organizing the domestics and then she sat down and had some sausages and eggs, having missed her evening meal not even the ample lunch of the day before could stave off those hunger pangs.

After lunch she went off to the dry cleaners with Jim's crumpled suit and decided she must have a talk to him about the slackness of his ways.  Somehow, unlike she would have been some 12 months ago, she was not going to be anyone's servant and was loathe to take on that role in her marriage.

When Jim returned that evening he noticed how nice everything looked and took Mary into his arms kissing her soundly, while the cats looked on at this strange human behaviour.

He accepted her explanation of her tiredness which had shocked her as much as him and Jim was all apologies for the mess he'd left, thanking Mary for her efforts.  So it was a happy couple who spent the rest of the week together before Mary returned home ready for her job at the vets and looking forward to Jim's arrival that evening.

The cats were happy to be home too and it was a busy day at the vet's.

By the time Jim arrived home Mary had prepared a nice dinner, wondering what surprises Jim would spring on her this weekend.