Tenth Anniversary

[Piv]

Tenth Anniversary

Bethann, a confident thirty-five-year-old fitness enthusiast, twisted in her seat and slipped her hand teasingly beneath my shorts as we drove toward the mountain resort. We had been married for ten years, had three children at home with her sister for the week, and were finally getting a rare weekend alone together.

She grinned mischievously as she toyed with me.

"Now remember," she said playfully, "no flirting with the women at your trade show."

"I wouldn't dare," I laughed.

"You absolutely would."

She gave me a warning squeeze and leaned close enough for me to smell her perfume.

"And when you arrive here in two weeks," she whispered, "you'd better still want me this badly."

I definitely would.

Bethann had spent the last several years transforming herself through intense training—tennis, cycling, aerobics, and strength workouts. She was stronger, leaner, and more self-assured than ever, and she knew exactly how much that drove me crazy.

When we arrived at the fitness retreat, we kissed goodbye in the lobby. Her body pressed against mine just long enough to remind me how badly I already missed her.

The following two weeks crawled by.

She sent me photos from the resort: her cycling with friends, lifting weights, posing proudly after tennis matches. At thirty-five, Bethann looked incredible—athletic shoulders, toned legs, auburn curls cropped short around her face, and the same teasing smile she'd had since college.

By the time I finally drove back to meet her for our anniversary weekend, I could barely think straight.

She had upgraded us into a private suite overlooking the woods. The room was romantic, dimly lit, stocked with drinks, and unmistakably prepared for seduction. When I found the delicate purple lingerie she had laid out on the bed "for my benefit," I realized she had been planning this reunion as carefully as any military operation.

That night at dinner, everyone noticed her.

Men stared openly as she walked by in her elegant black skirt and sleeveless top. Bethann noticed too—and enjoyed every second of it.

"You know," she teased while we danced, "I think I could beat you in a wrestling match now."

I laughed nervously.

After two weeks of intense workouts, she genuinely might have.

Back in the room, the flirting escalated into playful power games. Bethann reveled in her new strength, confidence, and control, delighting in driving me wild before finally rewarding me with affection. Everything between us was consensual, intimate, and charged with years of trust and chemistry.

What surprised me most wasn't her fitness transformation.

It was how fearless she'd become.

At thirty-five, Bethann knew exactly what she wanted—from life, from her body, and from me—and she had absolutely no intention of pretending otherwise.

By Sunday morning, exhausted and tangled together in the hotel sheets, I realized something important:

The weekend hadn't just been about celebrating ten years of marriage.

It had been about rediscovering each other as adults—older, bolder, and more in love than ever.

[Piv]

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[Piv]

Tenth Anniversary (Continued)

The drive home was quieter than usual, though not uncomfortable. Bethann sat back in the passenger seat with one arm resting against the window, a faint smile lingering on her face like she was replaying the weekend in her mind.

Jamie kept both hands on the wheel, but his thoughts drifted constantly toward her.

Not just toward the spa, or the workouts, or even the competition.

Toward the way she carried herself now.

Confident.

Certain.

Every movement seemed more deliberate than before.

"You're thinking too loud again," Bethann said without looking at him.

Jamie smiled faintly. "Maybe."

She turned her head just enough to glance at him. "So what's going on in there?"

He hesitated for a moment.

"You've changed."

Bethann leaned her head back against the seat. "Have I?"

"You know you have."

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stretched slowly, almost absently, though Jamie suspected she knew exactly how graceful she looked doing it.

"I think," she said at last, "I just figured out what I'm capable of."

Jamie nodded once.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I noticed."

Silence settled between them again, warm and familiar.

Then Bethann smiled.

"You still owe me a wrestling match."

Jamie laughed under his breath. "You're serious about that?"

"Completely."

He glanced sideways at her. "You really think you can beat me?"

That confident little smile returned.

"I think you're underestimating me."

---

That evening, the house felt unusually still.

The kids were staying another night with Bethann's sister, and for the first time in weeks there was no noise, no television in the background, no interruptions.

Just quiet.

Jamie wandered toward the spare room they'd converted into a workout space.

Bethann was already inside.

The exercise mats had been rolled out across the floor. She was stretching near the wall, focused and relaxed at the same time.

"You really planned this," Jamie said.

Bethann looked over her shoulder. "Of course I did."

Jamie stepped into the room and rolled his shoulders loose.

"Alright," he said. "Friendly match."

Bethann smirked.

"We'll see how friendly it stays."

They circled slowly at first.

Playful.

Testing each other.

Jamie reached in first, aiming to grab her shoulders and push her off balance.

Bethann reacted instantly.

She caught his wrist, pivoted sharply, and shifted her weight into him.

Jamie stumbled a half-step sideways before catching himself.

Bethann raised an eyebrow.

"Careful," she said lightly. "Too confident."

Jamie laughed once. "Alright. Fair warning."

The next exchange came quicker.

Jamie moved lower this time, trying to drive forward and force her backward across the mat.

For a second, they locked together evenly.

He felt the strength in her immediately.

Not just resistance.

Control.

Her balance stayed centered while his footing adjusted constantly.

Then she turned suddenly, using his momentum instead of fighting it.

Jamie lost his base for just an instant.

That was enough.

Bethann hooked his leg neatly and guided him down onto the mat.

Not violently.

Efficiently.

Jamie landed on his back with a surprised laugh.

Bethann stayed standing above him, breathing steady.

"Well?" she asked.

Jamie shook his head. "Okay. That was better than I expected."

"Better?" she repeated. "That sounded almost respectful."

He grabbed her wrist playfully and pulled himself back up.

"This round doesn't count."

"Oh, now the excuses start."

The second time felt different.

Less playful.

More focused.

They locked up shoulder-to-shoulder, each trying to gain leverage.

Jamie pushed forward.

Bethann held her ground.

Then she pushed back.

Hard.

Jamie blinked in surprise.

He could actually feel the difference.

Weeks ago, he would have walked her backward without effort.

Now she drove him sideways across the mat instead.

He tried to recover by turning his hips and reaching around her waist, but Bethann slipped free, shifted behind him, and used his movement against him again.

Jamie hit the mat a second time—harder than before.

Before he could recover, Bethann pinned him.

One hand braced against his shoulder.

One knee anchored near his hip.

Firm.

Balanced.

Confident.

Jamie tried to push upward once and immediately realized he wasn't getting free easily.

Bethann leaned down slightly, smiling.

"Four pounds of muscle," she reminded him softly.

Jamie laughed despite himself.

"Alright," he admitted. "Now I'm impressed."

"Only now?"

He looked up at her for a second longer before relaxing against the mat.

There was admiration in his expression now, not just surprise.

Bethann saw it immediately.

After a moment, she eased off and offered him her hand.

Jamie took it.

She pulled him smoothly back to his feet.

For a second neither of them spoke.

The mood had shifted.

Not competitive anymore.

Not exactly.

Something quieter.

More balanced.

Jamie rubbed the back of his neck and laughed softly.

"Guess I've got some catching up to do."

Bethann folded her arms, clearly pleased with herself.

"Guess you do."

Then, after a beat, she tilted her head toward the mats.

"Same time tomorrow?"

[Piv]

The next morning started earlier than Jamie expected.

He woke to the sound of movement in the hallway and the faint smell of coffee drifting through the house. Sunlight leaked through the blinds in pale stripes across the bedroom wall.

Bethann's side of the bed was already empty.

Jamie sat up slowly, stretching stiff shoulders, then glanced at the clock.

6:12 a.m.

He groaned.

Only Bethann would voluntarily wake up before sunrise after a weekend like theirs.

By the time he wandered into the kitchen, she was already dressed in workout clothes, leaning against the counter with a mug in one hand and a notebook in the other.

"You're impossible," Jamie muttered.

Bethann looked up over the rim of her coffee cup.

"And good morning to you too."

He opened the fridge and stared inside without really seeing anything.

"You're actually exercising already?"

"I was planning to."

Jamie turned toward her suspiciously.

"You planned this too, didn't you?"

Bethann smiled slowly.

"Maybe."

That immediately made him nervous.

"What kind of maybe?"

"The kind where I signed us up for something."

Jamie closed the fridge door.

"No."

"Yes."

"Bethann."

"It's local."

"That's not reassuring."

She finally laughed.

"There's a couples fitness challenge at the community center this afternoon."

Jamie stared at her.

"A what?"

"It's mostly obstacle courses, relay games, balance drills. Stuff like that."

"You signed us up for a public competition?"

Her expression turned innocent.

"Well, technically I signed us up before the spa."

Jamie pointed at her.

"You were planning this the entire time."

"Planning is a strong word."

"You trained for it."

Bethann tried—and failed—not to smile.

Jamie shook his head and laughed despite himself.

"You are unbelievable."

"That's part of my charm."

---

The community center gym buzzed with noise by early afternoon.

Music played from mounted speakers while volunteers moved equipment across the polished floor. Folding tables lined one wall with water bottles and sign-in sheets.

Jamie looked around slowly.

"Oh, this is worse than I imagined."

Bethann nudged him with her elbow.

"Relax. We're just here to have fun."

"That sentence usually means I'm about to get embarrassed."

She grinned.

"Only a little."

Most of the other couples looked casual and relaxed.

A few stretched near the mats.

Others joked nervously while waiting for instructions.

Bethann, meanwhile, looked completely at home.

She wore fitted black athletic leggings and a sleeveless top, her shorter auburn curls pulled back with a narrow band. Weeks of training had changed her posture entirely.

She looked confident walking into the room.

Jamie noticed other people noticing her too.

One of the event volunteers approached with clipboards.

"Jamie and Bethann?"

Bethann raised her hand immediately.

"That's us."

The volunteer smiled. "You'll rotate through four stations. Fastest combined score wins."

Jamie sighed quietly.

"Of course there's scoring."

Bethann elbowed him again.

"Competitive spirit, remember?"

"That was before I realized you'd turned into an athlete."

She looked genuinely pleased by that.

The first station involved balance platforms and resistance bands.

Jamie expected Bethann to do well.

He didn't expect her to dominate.

She moved through the course with startling control, keeping her footing while other competitors wobbled and struggled.

Jamie barely recovered from one obstacle before Bethann was already calling encouragement back toward him.

"Hurry up!"

"I'm trying!"

"You're losing valuable seconds!"

He laughed breathlessly.

"Who are you?"

By the second station, Jamie finally found his rhythm.

A relay carry involving weighted sandbags played more to his strengths, and he managed to make up time.

Bethann jogged beside him afterward, breathing lightly.

"See? You're useful after all."

"Generous of you to notice."

The third event changed everything.

Partner grappling.

Jamie stopped walking.

"No."

Bethann looked delighted.

"Oh, absolutely yes."

"It says light positional drills," Jamie protested.

"That still counts."

Pairs were guided onto thick mats where instructors demonstrated simple holds and escapes.

Nothing serious.

Mostly balance and coordination.

Still, Jamie could already see the look forming in Bethann's eyes.

Competitive.

Focused.

Dangerous.

"You are enjoying this way too much," he muttered.

Bethann stepped onto the mat.

"You said you needed practice."

The instructor demonstrated a basic control position, then told the couples to switch roles.

Jamie cooperated at first, keeping things easy.

Bethann, however, adapted quickly.

Too quickly.

The second time they reset positions, she shifted her hips at exactly the right moment and rolled him cleanly onto his back.

Jamie blinked up at the ceiling lights.

Bethann looked down at him with unmistakable satisfaction.

"That looked familiar," she said.

A nearby couple laughed.

Jamie pointed at her from the mat.

"You've been practicing."

"Maybe."

"You absolutely practiced."

Bethann offered him a hand.

This time, instead of pulling himself up immediately, Jamie tugged her forward instead.

Bethann lost balance with a surprised laugh and landed beside him on the mat.

For a second they both stayed there laughing while the instructor tried not to smile.

"Competitive couple over here," someone joked nearby.

Bethann pushed herself upright first.

"You started that."

Jamie grinned.

"Finally won one."

---

By the end of the afternoon they were exhausted.

Sweaty.

Laughing.

And somehow still arguing about points.

"We should've won the balance round," Bethann insisted as they walked toward the parking lot.

"We lost because you spent half the time mocking me."

"That is not officially against the rules."

"It should be."

Bethann bumped her shoulder lightly against his.

"You kept up better than I expected."

Jamie narrowed his eyes.

"That almost sounded nice."

"It was nice."

They reached the car, but neither opened the doors immediately.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the nearly empty lot.

Jamie looked at her quietly for a moment.

"You know," he said, "I think this whole thing suits you."

Bethann tilted her head.

"What thing?"

"This version of you."

Her expression softened slightly.

"The stronger version?"

"The happier version."

For once, Bethann didn't have a quick answer.

She looked down briefly, then back at him.

"I didn't realize how much I needed something that was mine again," she admitted.

Jamie nodded slowly.

"I get that."

A small breeze stirred loose curls near her face.

Then, predictably, her smile returned.

"But I still beat you."

Jamie laughed.

"There it is."

"And," she added while opening the passenger door, "I'm still counting wrestling wins separately."

"Oh, come on."

Bethann just smiled to herself as she climbed into the car.

Jamie shook his head and walked around to the driver's side.

Somehow, despite all the teasing and competition, everything between them felt lighter now.

More equal.

More alive.

And as Jamie started the engine, Bethann glanced over at him with that same confident expression she'd worn all weekend.

"By the way," she said casually, "I already signed us up for next month too."