Three

Lizzie had got up late that day. Her father was long gone to work and Jason was at school. As she was planning to go out after lunch Lizzie was dressed .Her mother came in the kitchen, clearly in a rush.

“Oh Lizzie, can you put this shopping in the fridge for me, I’m running late.” She took off her coat and hung it on the door.

“Mum you’ve been to the supermarket wearing only your coat again” Lizzie asked.

“It’s a long coat, dear, nobody could see anything; and who would suspect”

“But, Mum, what if you had an accident?”

“Oh dear, I see. Well I wouldn’t have to worry about the state of my underwear would I?”

The phone rang and Lizzie answered. It was Mrs Steeet.

“Hello, Lizzie dear, how’s university”

“Oh good; in fact more than good.” she replied

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Is your mother there?”

Lizzie passed the phone and went back to putting the shopping away.

“I’ll be over in five minutes Marjory “said Lizzies mum. There was a pause. “I don’t know, she may be going out later, I’ll ask her if she wants to come” There was another pause as Mrs Street spoke.

“Of course she’ll be fine with it, you know Lizzie”

She hung up. Lizzie looked questioningly at her mother.

“I’m going over to Marjory’s for coffee. She asks if you would like to come.”

“Yes. Ok. I’m not going out until this afternoon.”

Lizzie’s mum picked up her door keys and headed towards the front door.

“Er mum haven’t you forgotten something?” said Lizzie

Her mother stopped and looked around “Is the back door locked?”

“Yes”

“Have I left any windows open?”
“No”

“Have I left the gas on?”

“No”

“Well no I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything”

“Mum, you’re not wearing any clothes. You can’t go to see Mrs Street stark naked”

“Oh is that all. It’s alight dear, she’s fine with it”

“She is” said Lizzie “I thought she heartily disapproved”

“Well she doesn’t know how Edgar would take it; but she’s fine with nudity”

Lizzie took this in slowly.

“Oh right” she said.

Lizzie’s mother paused in thought for a moment “I think” she said “that it may best you were naked too”

“Why, not shy are you.” retorted Lizzie “In need some moral support”

“No dear, but Marjory may be a little nervous if you were dressed. Quickly now we’re late already.”

Lizzie decided she had better humour her mother and stripped off her clothes. Her mother was already opening the front door. The front garden had high hedges that shielded them from the road. A thin rain fell softly from the dark sky. Lizzie ignored the tiny cold pinpricks of rain as she tiptoed down the glistening front path. Bare skin dried much quicker than clothing she thought to herself as she a quick look to check for traffic. There was none, so they both scooted down the pavement into the Street’s drive. Lizzie’s mum rang the bell. Mrs Street opened the door just wide enough to poke her head out.

“Do come in, Janet and little Lizzie,” She looked Lizzie up and down “Well not so little Lizzie now”.

She opened the door to let them in. As the door swung wider Mrs Street moved with it, so to Lizzie it appeared that her head was stuck to the door

Lizzie and her mum stepped into the hall. Lizzie had rarely been in the Street’s house. She looked around the hall. It was decorated in an old fashioned way with shining hors brasses and the fine hunting prints that Mr Street collected. ‘To each his own,’ thought Lizzie.

She turned towards Mrs Street. Lizzie’s mouth dropped open. All her neighbour wore was a gold necklace.

“Come through Lizzie, I hope I haven’t startled you.”

“No It’s just so unexpected, I, I never thought”

“Well you mother and I have been having morning coffee for years, and we discussed your family’s nudity many times and eventually I thought to myself ‘why not give a try’ so I did and well here we all are.” she said brightly.

Mrs Street led them into the huge, modern kitchen. It was like stepping from the distant past into the a bright future populated by a new naked race who had forgone the repressed ways of their forbearers. Mrs Street asked Lizzie her mother if they needed a towel but they were more or less dry already. They both sat at the table while their neighbour busied herself making coffee.

As the elder women chatted Lizzie looked at Mrs Street’s body. Despite the Livingstone family’s lax dress code, the only woman of, shall we say elder years, that Lizzie had ever seen naked was her mother. Mrs Street was a tiny woman with surprisingly large breasts and just a small band of fat across her stomach. All the walking on the golf course clearly paid off as her short legs and rounded bottom were firm and trim. Lizzie reckoned she was well into forties and hoped at that age she had worn as well.

“Would you like a biscuit, with your coffee, Lizzie?” Mrs Street asked.

“No thank you Mrs Street” said Lizzie planning ahead.

“I think perhaps, given that the three of us are completely starkers we can drop the formality” said Mrs. Street jollily, “Please call me Marjory”

“Oh yes Mrs sorry Marjory, we are a little informal I suppose” giggled Lizzie.

“So how long have you two been having nude coffee mornings?” enquired Lizzie getting straight to the point.

“Over a year now” replied her mother. Lizzie wasn’t sure what shocked her most, the fact that her mother and Marjory held nudie coffee mornings or that it had been going on for a year without anybody finding out, until now.

“We’ve always had coffee together” said Marjory “but up until a couple of years ago Janet was always dressed”

“Then one day I forgot and answered the door in the nude” continued Lizzie’s mother

“I’ve told you about that, mum” scolded Lizzie

“She was so apologetic” said Marjorie “and of course manners dictate that I said ‘it’s alright it’s not problem’. What I didn’t expect was your mother to take me at my word. I can’t say I was pleased that she remained au natural, but you just grin and bare these things”

She laughed heartily at her own joke.

“You know us Marjorie; clothes are optional”

“Well after a while I wondered what it would be like, so when Edgar went off to work one day I stripped off and wandered around the house, and I have to say I quite enjoyed it. So much so that I spent the rest of the day in my birthday suit. Of course I was dressed as usual when Edgar came home. This added even more to the fun”

“And then one warm day last summer when you were in school Marjorie dropped her bombshell, and promptly asked me around for a naked coffee” said Lizzie’s mother.

“And ever since then” continued Marjorie “we’ve taken tiffin in the buff”

“And does Mr Street know?” asked an incredulous Lizzie.

“Not a clue” smirked his wife

“Well he’d certainly have a shock if he walked in right now” said Lizzie

“True” replied Marjorie, but he wouldn’t be seeing anything he hadn’t seen before”

Lizzie was struck by the truth of this. How odd she thought. An unsuspecting man walks into his house. Upon entering the kitchen with a cheery “darling I’m home” he finds his naked wife taking coffee with two equally naked women. A man’s fantasy come true, but he has already seen the women naked many times. Well thought Lizzie, I know he’s seen my mother and me.

“So are you going to keep it a secret forever?” asked Lizzie

“No” replied Marjorie “I’m beginning to think it’s time he got an eyeful. And” she added conspiratorially, “I’d like to get the old fuddy duddy out of his clothes”

“Well” said Lizzie’s mother “I’ve got just the thing”

Like a conjurer producing a bunch of flowers from a hat she pulled a pamphlet from her handbag.

“Get naked for Africa” read Marjorie “get sponsored to spend twenty four hours in the nude, and help starving children”.

“Where do I have to do it?” she asked suspiciously

“That’s the beauty of it” assured Lizzie’s mother “you can do it in your own home. Never have to leave the house. All Edgar has to do is sign to say you completed the day naked”

“Capital” said Marjorie “a lot easier than running a marathon! I take it you are doing this too?”

“Of course we are, aren’t we Lizzie?”

“Sure mum Lizzie” replied