Under the Covers by Rita Herron

in bed," one man said.
    "And sometimes we like for the woman to take the lead."
    "After my wife read that book, she left me," a whiny guy in an outdated leisure suit cried. "She said I didn't pass the bedroom test."
    "And my wife told me she wouldn't sleep with me unless I learned how to do this bedroom talk," a trucker with a big belly shouted. "She never complained before."
    "If the love is there," Abby continued, "you can both work it out, gentlemen. If the feelings are real and strong, not just lust, people can better their chances of keeping a marriage together by learning to communicate both in and out of the bedroom." Her smile dazzled the crowd.
    Hunter frowned. Maybe her sister had coached her in acting lessons. She certainly sounded sincere.
    "After all, marriage is about compromise," she continued. "And sex with emotions is much more powerful than sex simply for physical-gratification purposes."
    "I can testify to that," Hunter said, shocking himself by speaking up.
    Abby grinned, obviously assuming he was playing his part.
    The audience chuckled.
    Hunter lifted Abby's hand against his mouth and dropped featherlight kisses along her fingers. "Let's face it, guys. We can be better lovers if we listen to what our ladies want."
    "Ahh, what women want," the host commented with a grin. "The million-dollar question."
    The camera jumped back to the audience. "The big mystery, you mean," another man commented.
    A brunette in her twenties jumped up. "We want men who care."
    "And men who take care of us."
    "And men who make us scream with pleasure."
    "I pleased my woman." A young black man threw up his hand. "See, I wrote crib notes from the book right here to help me out."
    "I did, too," a yuppie-looking guy with wire-rimmed glasses added. "We had sex for twenty-four hours straight."
    "What about what we want?" a bodybuilder-type man asked.
    "Yeah, what about our needs?"
    Abby cut in smoothly. "The book addresses both sexes' needs and the fact that each partner needs to listen to the other."
    "That's right." Hunter leaned sideways. "Just let your girl whisper in your ear what she wants. You take care of her"—he pulled their clasped hands to his chest—"she'll take care of you."
    "I'm afraid we have to close on that note," Segoda said. "But we'd love to have you come back, Dr. Jensen, and talk with us again."
    She stood to shake the host's hand, and Hunter followed suit. But just as she extended her arm, a pair of her panties slid from beneath the cuff of her jacket. Hunter grabbed them just before they fell into Segoda's hands.
    Pasting a shit-eating grin on his face, he twirled them around his hand. "See, ladies and gentlemen, how can the honeymoon be over when your wife tosses her panties at you everywhere you go?" He nuzzled her neck for emphasis.
    Abby's mouth dropped open, the crowd roared, and he covered her reaction with another kiss. Her mouth felt hot, her small gasp of surprise another kick to his libido as he tasted the inner recesses of her mouth. Reminding himself he was still onstage, he slowly pulled away, laced his fingers with hers, turned and waved the panties in the air, then led her offstage.
    * * *
    "That was great!" Chelsea jumped up and down, her banana suit bobbing.
    "Great?" Abby whispered between clenched teeth. "It was horrible."
    "Nonsense, you were wonderful. I can't believe you pulled that clever trick with the panties."
    "That was an accident," Abby screeched. "They must have gotten stuck to my blouse in the dryer."
    "Good show, you two." The producer pumped their hands. "Nice touch with that underwear trick."
    Several crew members joined in the congratulations.
    Chelsea's cheeks glowed pink beneath her yellow makeup as she embraced the actor. "And you were fabulous. I loved the thong."
    Abby blushed to the roots of her hair. The man still had the panties wrapped around his hands!
    Staff and more camera crew flocked around them, asking for autographs. Abby spent the next few minutes trying