Honey Butler is a married woman in her late forties. Sex with husband Tim has been practically nonexistent over the last decade. After a number of long conversations, they recently agreed to trial an open relationship, on condition they both shared their experiences.
She has recently met Kenton, a twenty-nine-year-old casino security guard. They have been having a passionate two month relationship. Recently, though, the relationship has cooled slightly and Honey has met Carlo, a gym instructor, who has given Honey some personal training at a gym she recently joined on Kenton’s recommendation.
Carlo has been trying to get a date with Honey for weeks. However, her last torrid sex session with Kenton has left her very sore but wanting more. Disappointingly though, Kenton hasn’t been in touch and Honey, imagining his condom pile decreasing rapidly, decides to move on and accept Carlo’s offer of a drink.
Honey peeks through the blinds, watching out for Carlo’s arrival and he pulls up at exactly 7 o'clock as arranged. To Honey’s absolute amazement, Carlo is driving a bright yellow Ferrari Roma which must have cost at least two hundred thousand pounds sterling. How on earth does a gym instructor afford that? she muses. Feeling slightly puzzled, she makes her way to the car and slips in as elegantly as she can, helped by Carlo getting out and opening the door for her.
“Mind your skirt Honey.” says Carlo, as he notices a small piece of skirt in the frame of the door.
Honey pulls the fabric in. Carlo nips around to the driver's side and they're off, accelerating up Honey’s road at a great pace.
Carlo tells her he is taking her to a country pub about seven miles out of town. Honey’s enjoying the feeling of being in this beautiful car, the way it clings to the road and its throaty roar as it accelerates. They make small talk about how Honey’s work out regime is going. Honey has made a mental note to quiz him on how he manages to afford a car like this. She will do this when they get to the pub.
The pub is quiet, with just a few regulars sipping beer. A handful of couples are drinking and eating what looks like traditional pub food. Honey has a white wine and Carlo drinks a small bottle of beer, after telling Honey that he would move onto diet coke. Honey studies him intently. His nose is large and has clearly been broken at least once. His lips are full, with a scar on the top lip. His head is neatly shaven, and he has dark almond coloured eyes, which are surrounded by scars. He reminds Honey of a slightly over-the-hill boxer. He is rugged though, and she finds this attractive. His sleeves are rolled up, showing off his enormously powerful forearms with veins protruding as if under high pressure.
The conversation flows nicely as they talk about various jobs they have had. Carlo tells Honey about his time as a nightclub bouncer. He tells her how one particular time he got into a fight with five huge Albanian men, ending up with him receiving several broken bones, including his nose, as well as internal bleeding. He was hospitalised for three weeks. His employer had paid him four hundred thousand pounds compensation as the lack of support at the club was held to be a health and safety breach.
Honey reflects that four hundred thousand is an awful lot and makes a mental note to do some on-line research when she has some time. Carlo’s phone pings again, as it has been doing all evening.
“You’re very in demand tonight - personal training bookings?” asks Honey.
“No, no, just some other business I’m involved in, imports and exports, you know,” explained a not very convincing Carlo.
He then takes a couple of calls, apologising to Honey in advance as he disappears around a corner. She hears him speaking in Italian and he sounds aggravated, judging by how loudly he is shouting at the caller.
“These people are idiots,” says Carlo, returning carrying a diet coke and another glass of white wine for Honey.