“Are you ok Beth” asked my friend. Stupid question as I had just been told my husband, Andrew, had been killed in a car accident. We had been married for 10 years and now I was 30yo and a widow. After appointments with Lawyers and Accountants I learned than my husband, who was 40, had built up a portfolio of 2 rental houses, stocks and cash in the bank. I knew he was clever but I was surprised. “You will never have to work again” said the Accountant. That was the only good news as I hated my job. I resigned on the spot, thinking of taking a year off to decide what I wanted to do. Two years later I was sad, bored and fat.

I decided I had to do something. I joined a gym and went every day religiously. Gym in the morning, lunch and then a walk around the park in the afternoon. It filled my day but not my need for intimacy. You see Andrew and I had what could be described as a torrid sex life. Even after 10 years we made love nearly every night and experimented with every position possible and several we thought were impossible – but weren’t. Part of killing my boredom was the use of sex toys. First I bought a small vibrator and a larger one. They gave me certain relief but lacked the intimacy of another people. I tried dating but I kept comparing them to Andrew and they failed, usually on the first date. In short, I hadn’t had sex for those two years.

I had just finished my run one Friday and sat on a bench near home when this guy walked past with a dog on a lead. He was a black Labrador. The dog walked close to me and stopped, looking at me. “Hello boy” I said and patted his head. He immediately made a dive for me, forcing his head between my knees. “Stop Randy” shouted the guy and pulled his away. Meanwhile I was in shock. “You should be careful with that animal” I said sharply. “Oh I am so sorry Miss” he said “he can get a little excited at times”.