“Could you hand me that?” Amanda requested, pointing at the plate lined with paper towels on which the lightly fried tortillas were being drained while she turned off the heat, setting aside the large skillet in which the freshly, browned beefs lay.

They had returned from the festival about half an hour ago, and Amanda had immediately set out to preparing dinner, refusing her help and unwilling to let them dine at a restaurant.

“So much for wanting to do this alone.” Emma teased as she handed the plate over. “Seriously, you guys are doing enough by accommodating us. I can't even help you cook?”

Picking the tortillas one by one, Amanda dipped them into the already prepared sauce made from a mixture of canola oil, flour, salt, pepper, red sauce and chicken broth. Though Emma had never ate an enchilada before, the aroma of the just simmered sauce and the browned beef was alluring enough to wet her appetite.

“You know you guys are our guests. Guests aren't supposed to cook.” Amanda mused.

“Since when and says who?” A smile curved her lips as she heard the sudden uproar of laughter coming from the living room.

George and Gustavo had decided to catch up on old times, reliving their times in high school and in the university. The lilting sound of their mirth could be heard all the way from the kitchen.

Amanda too was sharing stuffs about herself, and though Emma barely shared any of her own experiences because there weren't much happy ones to recall, the other woman seemed content with giving without receiving.

“Oh, and you should've seen George. When I met him in our second year, I thought he was quite weird.” She confessed, giving Emma a sidelong glance.

“Why is that?” Leaning forward, ears perked, Em waited to listen, looking for details that she could use to tease George later.

“Well he was this quiet, nerdy, introverted guy who barely talked to anyone apart from his own friends. I would see him talking with the other guys, and then shut up whenever I approached. He always seemed so on alert and guarded if he didn't know you.” Amanda narrated with a reminiscent gleam in her eyes.

George had described his personality before the therapy that made him more open to people, but it was a whole new thing hearing it from another perspective.

Spreading the other ingredients on top of the splayed tortillas, she rolled them one by one, setting them in the baking dish already line with the sauce.

“It was only after he warmed up to me and opened up about his past that I realized that his odds weren't that great. When George felt he could trust you, he dropped all his guards, which was somehow to a fault since he got hurt easily. He was and I know he still is loving, caring, kindhearted, you name it. You are very lucky to have him, Em.”

“I know.” Em whispered, feeling her eyes sting a little.

“Thank you for loving him.” Amanda slid her hands over Emma's on the counter. “I'm sorry telling you this, but when George informed us almost five years ago that he was getting married, we worried. He had a delicate heart even though he tried to act tough sometimes.”

“We asked whether he wasn't being too impulsive. Hell, he'd only known you for a year which could mean he didn't know you that well. And marrying you could be another ticket to getting hurt by someone he loves. We...”

“I understand.” Emma squeezed the other woman's hand.

Returning to her food preparation and finishing the rolling up of the tortillas with their sumptuous, inner goodness sticking out at the edges and placing them in the baking dish, Amanda poured the rest of the sauce on it. She set the dish to bake in the preheated oven before turning to Emma again.

“But you proved our fears worthless. I look at George and I can see the happiness blooming within, burning brighter.” She glanced at Emma briefly, then gasped. “Oh God, you're on a vacation. I'm going to turn this with my sappy conversation into a sappation.”

Emma couldn't help but chuckle at that, but a pang of guilt assailed her chest as she remembered the estranged relationship between she and George until 5 days ago, the hurt she knew she'd caused him. She didn't deserve this praise. Not when she'd let another man rattle her feelings.

Not when she was betraying him with her lies, her thoughts, her feelings.

Thankfully, Amanda continued to regale her with much more humorous stories for the rest of the time the enchilada took to bake. “Hey, help me bring the the food to the table?”

“Says Madam I-need-no-help.” Taunting, Emma reached for two plates of the delicious enchiladas - she'd stolen a taste when Amanda hadn't been looking.

Yeah, bad manners.

Winking, Amanda retorted, “Technically, I needed no help with the cooking. But a helping hand while carrying the dishes is always welcome. It helps to avoid several trips to and fro.

“Hey, why you ladies took so long? We're starving.” Gustavo grouched as he saw them emerge from the focal point.

“Don't tell me your long talk wasn't enough to sate your hunger for a while?” Rolling her eyes, Amanda made for the table.

Amy, who sat on George's laps, held his hand to draw his attention. “Keep singin' daddy.”

That made Emma and Amanda raise their brows, watching as Gustavo and George cleared their throats and begun singing a particular song in Spanish.

She and Amanda burst out chuckling at the same time. George had a good voice - not a stunning one. But Gustavo... goodness.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. Barely anytime into it, Gustavo, ever the talkative one, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it when he met his wife's glare. “What?”

“Gustavo Ponce! I know you lack manners at the table, but we have guests, okay?”

“It's no big deal actually.” Emma assured. “We don't observe that particular table manners at home much either.”

“And will you guys stop referring to us as guests?” George jumped in. “It makes it feel as if we only met yesterday.”

Gustavo cocked his head after swallowing the food in his mouth. “You know there's this night club here. It's called 'The Devil's Inn.' Because of the jazz fest, they're having these performances tonight. Believe me you guys don't want to miss it”

“Really now. And what's so special about that?” George asked, his interest already peaked obviously.

“Ugh, telling you will be like giving spoilers, which I won't.” Then he leaned forward, keeping his voice deliberately low. “What I can tell you, is that you'll certainly be going on an adventure of horniness.”

“Gustavo!” Slapping Gustavo on the arm, Amanda gestured at Amy who sat beside her, struggling with her cutlery. The little girl looked up suddenly, blinking as she found 3 pairs of eyes looking at her.

“What?” Gustavo demanded frustratedly. “It's not like she understands the word.” Rolling his eyes, he glanced at her and George. “As I was saying, you're gonna return so horny you would need the room all to yourself.”

A chill of sensation run across her nerve endings. Because this place was new, they'd slept the night before with Amy wedged between them instead of letting her occupy the other room.

“And of course we will take care of your daughter.” Amanda joined in, then smiled ruefully. “We wouldn't want any distractions when you guys return, would we?”

She met George's gaze and felt the sizzle of sexual awareness. What was this place and what would happen in there to kindle their arousals? She looked at Amanda with a smile. “You will do that for us?”

“But of course, Amy is a darling.” Seemingly trying to emphasize her point, she leaned down and kissed Amy on the forehead.

“Speaking of that, are you guys planning on having a child anytime soon?” George suddenly asked.

The change was sudden and poignant. Gustavo's smile wavered while Amanda's smile dimmed as she lowered her head. The other woman's reaction made Emma realize that this was a particularly sensitive topic, and George had hit right at home.

Amanda finally looked at them, her eyes glistening with tears that made George panic judging from his expression. “Hey, did I say something wrong?”

“We've been trying for the three years we've been married, George, but it's just... The doctors say we're both healthy sexually and fertile but I don't know why...” She trailed off.

George glanced at both her and Gustavo apologetically. “Hey, I'm so sorry guys. I... I totally forget about it.”

“It's okay.” Amanda said as she tried for a smile.

It only took some seconds, and Gustavo was back to his normal joking self, and they were all laughing throughout the rest of the meal.

***~***

The club was situated at a lone area, away from the alignment of shops and stores on the streets, offering that semblance of discretion.

While dropping them off, Gustavo had revealed nothing about what they were to expect, which made their curiosity heighten all the more, and Emma's skin was racing with nervous tingles as they purchased their tickets at the gate and entered.

Inside, the place was fairly packed but not too much. Suitably dim with the faint spotlights travelling around, giving it a dark ambience filled with the promise of sin. A frisson shot through, only to transform into shock when she saw the poles on the stage. A strip club?

How did Gustavo expect her to get horny? By watching her husband get an erection from watching other women strip naked?

Glancing at George, she saw that beneath his cool exterior, he was as excited as she was. Some of the people were dancing wildly to the crazy jazz song blaring through the speakers, while the rest sat in pairs, the women sitting on laps of their men.

Surveying the hall, George pulled one of the last two chairs at a particular table and took his seat. Emma made to pull the other seat when George suddenly grabbed her and pulled her onto his laps.

Gasping, she whipped her head around to look at the other couples. Thankfully, nobody was staring their way. Everyone seemed too absorbed with doing their own thing. “What are you doing?” She questioned raspily.

Combing her hair to her left shoulder, George whispered against her ear. “When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do, remember?” His voice was husky. She shivered as he trailed his tongue along the crook of her ear.

Thank God for the dimness.

“Hey, let's go dance.” George suggested, standing up and taking her along.

She made to protest. “George you know we both suck...” She gasped as he bunched his lips to hers, then grabbing her hand, pulled her towards the dance floor.

She couldn't help but laugh at George's dancing expertise while he laughed at hers, but thankfully nobody seemed to be looking their way. The beat suddenly ended, earning groans of protest and bemusement.

Then a man walked up to the stage, a microphone in hand. “Ladies and gentlemen, you better buckle up, for the main part of the show is going to begin.”

Faint squeals of excitement sounded as they made for their tables, no wonder by those who knew what to expect. She didn't protest as George pulled her unto his laps. A minute or so after, the whole room suddenly turned pitch black, and Em heard a hiss and harsh suck-in of breath from around their own table.

Beneath her, she could feel her husband's erection prodding against her mound and she couldn't help but breathe in and out shallow breaths. A thrum of guitar sounded, tingling Emma's senses. It was followed by a succession of thrums until it'd morphed into a classic tune of guitar.

The stage was suddenly lit by spotlights as a group of performers emerged from a room on the left side of the stage. The women were adorned in colourful blouses and skirts with very elaborate ruffles.

The men wore just a pair of tight trousers with the well-developed torsos bare and on display. They lined up as the guitarist begun to strum a sensual melody.

“Oh, the flamenco dance?" George seemed to wonder.

Four women moved to the center, one after the other, stamping their heel clad feets on the tiled floor, moving in tune with the guitar, becoming faster and faster. As the music crescendoed in excitement and intensity, shouts of some words in Spanish that Emma couldn't understand but was too absorbed to ask George, wheedled the dancers to a violent, more frantic rhythm.

There was a short moment of silence, followed by a raucous round of applause as the music and dance ended.

“This is beautiful, they are amazing.” Emma squealed, barely able to contain her wonder and excitement.

As the four dancers retreated, a fifth woman stepped forward. She had an air of nonchalance around her, completely immune to the audience. As she begun stamping her toes, a male dancer joined her on the stage.

The other performers begun clapping their hands, blending in with the thrums of the guitar, and the rhythmic beat of their palms enhanced the music and dance, building it, lifting it, until the whole room rocked with the heels of the dancers as they clicked hysterically on the stage.

Their bodies pulled apart almost reluctantly, only to come together  again in a frenzy of passion. There was something about the way they danced, the look in their eyes as they gazed at each other that made Emma wonder whether their connection went beyond the professional line. It had to, otherwise, this would be such a perfect simulation.

Suddenly, their movements turned more hypnotic, charged, until they were making mad, violent love without ever touching, cresting on an orgiastic climax that had the audience, including herself and George screaming.

She felt the sensitivity of her nipples puckered against the lacy bra she wore, the pool of fire in her belly and lower, and realized she was aroused. Gasping as George lifted and grinded his erection against her bottom, she realized she wasn't the only one.

**~**

The drive back was filled with eagerness. She felt giddy and frisky, more than she'd ever felt in a while, and George wouldn't help stroking a hand up her thigh once in a while, heightening the sexual tension.

On reaching, they'd barely closed the door on entering the cozy apartment when George pulled her into a kiss so passionate it made her knees buckle. She felt drunk in the sexual awareness that had kept on sizzling.

Holding onto his collar as they pushed across the room, never breaking the kiss, Em pulled the two sides apart. The first effort didn't help much, and so she applied more pressure, groaning as she heard the clicks of his buttons on the floor.

Holding back his arms, he allowed her to pull the shirt off his shoulders. As the kiss intensified, she pressed her hands on his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath her hands.

Wrapping his arms around her, he unzipped her dress, then impatiently slid the sleeves off her shoulders.

Breaking the kiss and making her groan, he assailed her neck with kisses. He made to unhook her bra, then as if on second thoughts, tore it from her. A shiver of excitement raced through her.

Groaning, he spun her around, then grinded himself against her rear. “Do you know what i was imagining at the bar as we watched them dance?” He asked huskily against her ear.

“I think so.” She found her voice to be equally frenzied as she arched her neck to give him more access.

The two of them on the stage, his strong arms around her while they did more than just simulate the act of love making.

George suddenly spun her around, and before her gasp could tumble from her lips, he'd swept her off her feet, heading for the bedroom.

“We're going for blissful, sensual and ecstatic.” He rasped.

As good as his words, the man delivered on all three.