Sarah wore her anklet to the party. I told her that I love it when she wears it. She doesn’t know what it means. She’s aware of a connotation to swinging but she dismisses it. My heart was racing, back in the summer, when she asked me to buy it for her. I had half an erection taking it to the till. I’d already spent a year trying to slowly coax her into becoming a hotwife. Our sex life had improved, we were more loved up than ever. She was dressing sluttier. But aside from that I’d come to think this was just a game in my head. A game that wasn’t going anywhere. So to me the anklet felt like a really big thing. To her probably meant nothing. When winter came she stopped wearing it. But it came back out for the Christmas party. Especially for me (she said). I told her that I love it when she wears it. She came to the party wearing it. All my friends were there. We had a great time. Afterwards she says she is really glad we’d attended. (She’d not been particularly keen to attend.) She seems really happy. She says ‘Your friend Steve is a really nice guy isn’t he?’ I just smile and wait for her to continue. ‘I’ve never really had a conversation with him before.’ ‘Have you not?’ ‘He’s always been kind of cool and distant. He never said very much to me… But tonight he really came out of himself. He was really chatty. Really friendly, and bubbly. He was telling me about his house that he’s renovating… His trip to Indonesia last winter...’ ‘This is the first winter he’s spent here at home in 20 years I think.’ ‘Maybe he’ll settle down now? With this big house on the lake that he’s busy renovating. It sounds amazing!’ I don’t respond and she falls silent for a little while. Then she says; ‘I’ve never seen him with a girl. Has he ever had a girlfriend?’ ‘Yes, quite a few, but they never last. They can’t compete with climbing. And he’s never stayed in one place longer than a season.’ ‘Maybe he’ll find someone now.’ ‘Maybe...’ I smile again. ‘...but he’ll have a job to find someone who can keep up with him.’