As the driver navigated the short distance to the circus ground, Ellen took the opportunity to re-touch her make up. She tilted her compact mirror this way and that as she reapplied her lipstick, powdered her face and aimed eye drops into her slightly reddened orbs until she was satisfied with her appearance. She remembered with a grimace how Bob’s heel had pressed against her leg but when she examined it, she was relieved to see that there was only a small pull in her hose. Barely even noticeable.

“We’re here, lady, Marco’s Circus,” the smiling driver announced, adding, “You look gorgeous, by the way.”

She was beaming as she gave him his fare, plus a generous tip. As she stepped out of the cab, she felt a million dollars and she made her way across the soft grass, towards the gate.

It felt strange to be on her own, going to see a show. Still, she was relieved that she wasn’t with Bob, what a lying dick he had turned out to be! She shook her head as she remembered his face, all crumpled with anger and rejection. She would have liked someone to share it with though, a hand to squeeze, someone to glance at as they laughed and gasped at the performers. It was at times like this that she missed her late husband, Ken, most of all. Her breath hitched a little in her chest.

At the booth, Ellen handed over the tickets, refusing the refund for the spare one, telling them to give it to someone who needed it.

She made her way through the throng, smiling and nodding amiably at the excited, happy faces. Her seat was ringside, best in the house she figured, as she took off her pashmina and settled in. She wondered if she should have bought a snack or something, but her tummy was full from the meal, although her magic pants were still keeping it fairly flat! She decided to have a drink, got back up and headed to the bar for a glass of red.

Some of the performers were working their way around the audience and she took vicarious pleasure in the delighted faces of the children, mouths wide in astonishment, as a clown produced a balloon animal from nowhere. Ellen laughed, clasping her hands together, as one dad got squirted in the face by a cheeky clown, sporting a huge flower on his chest. Her spirits were beginning to lift, surprised that she was already having such a good time.

She watched with fascination, hands at her chest, mid-clap, engaged by the performance of a female clown who had a small monkey on her shoulder. A young, blonde child held out her hand and the tiny, trained primate took one of her fat little fingers in his dainty ones, then he leaned down and kissed it, much to the girl’s delight as she giggled, looking round for her mother’s approval. Ellen felt a hand on her own shoulder and she looked around, surprised. There was no one there. She quickly spun the other way and found herself gazing into a pair of huge brown eyes. The clown smiled a dazzling smile, taking off his black top hat with a flourish as he bowed low. For some reason, Ellen found herself blushing and glancing away; it had never occurred to her that a clown could be handsome, but even through the greasepaint and outrageous costume, she could see that this man was stunning.

He dropped to one knee, moving a hand behind his back and when it reappeared, he held out a perfect, long-stemmed white rose. Her favourite! She clapped, still blushing and took the flower from him. He smiled at her, raising an eyebrow and tilted his head towards her, offering his right cheek. She laughed, leaned forward and gave him a peck on the red over-exaggerated makeup, knowing she might get some on her face, but not caring.

He stood up and patted his hands over his heart, miming a swoon, as he fluttered his long, sooty eyelashes. Then he smiled, blew a theatrical kiss and swaggered off back into the crowd. She couldn’t help but watch him go, as adoring children tugged at his baggy trousers and white-gloved hands, wide-eyed and open mouthed as he produced yet another balloon animal.

The lights dimmed and the show began. Ellen needn’t have worried that being alone would mean she wouldn’t have fun. She ‘Ooo-ed’ and ‘Aaahed’ with the rest of the them, laughed, giggled and wondered why she had never come to a show like this before. She smiled as she thought of Ken and what he would have thought. He would have loved it, especially the sequin-clad beauties who spun and dropped from the trapeze. She felt dizzy as she watched their perfectly sculpted forms and she found herself holding in her tummy, despite her body-sculpting pants.

The clown, with his Bambi eyes, seemed to come over to her every chance he got, blowing kisses and threatening to squirt her with the large flower pinned to his chest. Maybe he’d seen that she was alone and wanted to make sure it didn’t spoil her experience. At one point, he dropped to his knees in front of her, producing a small ring-box from his pocket. The whole crowd went wild, clapping and laughing as she opened it and gold glitter burst out, fluttering and sparkling as it landed on her and the people around her.

When the show broke for intermission, Ellen made her way to the bathrooms before heading again to the busy bar for wine. As she waited patiently in the queue, she felt a tap on her shoulder again and turned once more to an empty space. Spinning the other way, she found herself face to face with ‘Bambi’. My god, those eyes! A girl could lose herself in those. He fluttered his long lashes at her, looking a little sheepish, before producing a glass of red from behind his back. He handed it to her and produced another for himself.

“Thank you!” she giggled with surprise and he clicked his plastic wine glass against hers. “Cheers!” she grinned. “How kind you are!”

Again, ‘Bambi’ placed a fluttering hand over his heart and swooned. Ellen couldn’t help but laugh as she took a sip of her drink. He took hold of her hand, raised it to his mouth then kissed it. She blushed fiercely as his red lips touched her skin. There was something about him. She couldn’t understand it, she felt so drawn to him, despite his funny costume, the painted face, his eyes, those gorgeous eyes.

The lights dimmed then brightened and as she opened her mouth to ask his name, the announcement came through the speakers, directing the audience back to their seats for the final part of the show. Bambi looked at her with exaggerated sadness and pointed back to the main tent, he had to go. She nodded and watched as he walked away. He turned and blew a kiss that made her heart flutter. She ‘caught’ it and held her hand to her chest.

The second half was even more outstanding than the first and excited thrills shot through her every time she caught Bambi’s eye which, much to her delight, seemed to be rather a lot. “What am I doing?” she wondered. “A clown? Really?”

The last part of the show was simply mesmerising, with all of the acts performing together for a jaw-dropping finale. Painted, sparkling men and women twisted and spun from the top of the tent, jewelled horses pranced and danced, contortionists bent into impossible shapes and the clowns... Well, the clowns brought the whole thing together and had the audience enchanted with their antics.

For the first time in ages, Ellen felt completely happy, filled with a childlike delight that made her wonder once more why she’d never been to the circus. It briefly crossed her mind that she should have brought her own children to this when they were young and that maybe she had denied them a wonderful experience. Perhaps she’d bring her grandchildren soon, she knew they would love it. As the house lights brightened, she lifted her pashmina, gingerly stepped over the discarded papers, plastic cups and candy wrappers, and made her way with the throng towards the exit. Her eyes searched for Bambi, hoping that she would see him again, to thank him for his attention. He had cheered her up so much after the altercation with Bob at the restaurant. Who would have thought that she could go on to have such a good time after such a rotten start to the evening?

There was a light drizzle as she exited the tent and it was muddy underfoot. Excited voices were chattering, comparing favourite parts of the performance and she didn’t hide the big grin on her face as she silently agreed with them. A brightly-coloured figure caught her eye and, as she followed her gaze, she stepped on the heels of the man in front of her. She began to apologise as he turned but her heel slipped in the thick ooze. Her flailing arms failed to catch hold of anything to stop her fall and she heard a crack as her ass landed in the cold, soft mud.

For a moment, she simply sat there, stunned, trying to ascertain the extent of the damage. There were concerned faces all around, leaning in and asking if she was okay and offering hands to help her up. She unfolded one leg from under her and noticed that the heel of one of her beautiful shoes was broken. “Damn, those were brand new! Oh well, at least wasn’t a hip!”

As she held up a muddy brown hand to accept assistance, the crowd parted and there he was. Bambi.

His made-up face magnified his concern to a comical degree. Ellen took one look and began to smile. Then she began to giggle and then she began to laugh. She couldn’t stop, there were tears in her eyes. She laughed so hard that she feared she might pee her pants, which made her laugh even harder.

The small crowd, seeing that there was no serious injury, began to disperse and Bambi grinned broadly as he knelt down beside her, not seeming to care that dark mud was soaking into his colourful costume. Ellen gazed at him. His soft eyes twinkled with mischief and concern. His lips parted slightly in an attractive, crooked smile, giving just a glimpse of his white teeth. She saw his stubble poking through the thick white greasepaint on his chin. His top hat gave him an air of elegance, despite his attire. He noticed her noticing, took it off and sat it on the wet ground beside them. His short, dark hair was damp and pressed against his head. He smiled, leaned forward and stroked Ellen’s cheek. Her heart leapt in her chest as he raised an eyebrow, as though asking permission, before he leaned forward and kissed, first her forehead, each cheek and then he moved towards her mouth.

Ellen inhaled, wide-eyed as his lips got closer.

As his soft warm lips pressed to hers, she gasped, feeling a jolt as the connection was made. She pouted and opened against his as he began to kiss her in earnest. His tongue brushed and she inhaled sharply, smiling and allowing her own tongue to touch back. It was the most amazing feeling she could remember in ages. Little vacuums popped as their mouths opened and closed. Bambi leaned over and pressed his body against hers while snaking an arm around her shoulder to keep her from sinking into the mud.

His weight settled onto her and his leg rested on hers as they kissed. His fingers traced up and down her back. She absentmindedly pressed her hand against his cheek, lightly stroking the stubble and she opened her eyes, not realising she’d closed them. He was gazing at her, smiling and it felt good. She shivered with pleasure and he broke the kiss, shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

“Oh I wasn’t cold,” Ellen explained as he pulled her into his arms, then took hold of her hands and helped her to her feet. She stopped herself from saying more. His proximity was turning her on and there was a heat between her legs that she couldn’t ignore. As he pulled her from the mud, a loud sucking, squelching noise made her giggle like a naughty school girl. He grinned at her, shaking his head, as he swept up his hat and placed it on hers. She was beaming as he took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. Her body was tingling and she had butterflies in her tummy.

The cool night breeze soon began to chill her muddy legs and bottom, and she had to keep tugging at her hem, to stop it from sticking to her legs and riding up her thighs. Of course it was made worse by the fact that the heel was missing from one shoe and the other kept sinking into the mud. She yanked his hand, pulling him to a halt and kicked them both off, grimacing as her stockinged feet squelched into the thick muddy grass.

Bambi bit his lip as he watched, politedly suppressing a smile, then took the offending footwear from her and slipped one shoe into each of his jacket pockets, seizing the opportunity to kiss her again as he did. He pulled her arm and inclined his head towards the crest of the gentle slope and she could just make out the roofs of caravans and the coloured lights strung between them.

Ellen only slipped a few times as they made their way but Bambi caught her each time and stopped her from falling, although at one point she almost took him down. They giggled together and he lifted her chin and kissed her gently on the nose before tugging her hand again. It didn’t take long to reach the camp. He showed her to an aluminium ‘van which was coloured with the dancing reflections of the lights swinging gently in the breeze. He fished a key from silver chain around his neck and unlocked the door.

Ellen stepped up as he pulled her in. The caravan was obviously old, at a guess she’d say from the 1950s or 60s, but it was warm, spacious and perfectly preserved. Small lamps here and there subtly illuminated his living space. He raised a finger, telling her to stay put before disappearing down the corridor. She stood obediently and took in her surroundings. It was wonderful and cosy, tidy too, which impressed her, well, apart from a dressing area, where greasepaint and accessories were laid out. “ The tools of his trade ,” she supposed.

Bambi returned, carrying a large towelling robe and a small laundry basket. Ellen looked down and saw the way that her tummy was bulging through her dress over her magic knickers, leaving a Michelin Man roll of fat. Embarrassed and self conscious, her gaze shifted to her feet and she saw their muddy footprints marring the pristine floor. She felt uncomfortable, cold and wet. Her tights were thoroughly laddered and caked with dirt. The varnish she’d taken such care to apply earlier was chipped, with mud packed under her false nails, all seven of them! “Dammit, I lost some, must have been when I fell...” She knew her makeup was a mess and her hair, so painstakingly straightened earlier, now framed her face with dripping, wet curly ropes.

Bambi inclined his head and shook the basket as he handed her the robe.

He pushed one overly long clown shoe off then prised the other with his foot and kicked it away. His eyes stayed on hers as he slipped his red braces over his shoulders and even before his baggy comedy trousers dropped wetly to the floor, he was unbuttoning his mud-stained shirt. It was clear that Ellen should follow suit.

“I must look a state,” she sighed as she took the robe. With half a smile, he placed a hand over hers, pulled it to his mouth and kissed it. She wondered if he was he nervous? With as much composure as she could muster, she smiled back and slowly began to undress. She blushed as he raised one eyebrow with amusement, or mischief.

She lifted her dress at the back and pulled down her ruined tights, grimacing as the stretchy fabric stuck stubbornly to her legs, resisting her efforts. Finally, she almost lost her balance as she clumsily stepped out of one leg and then the other, dropping them to the floor with a quiet flop .

Despite her self awareness, she was committed to this now, and willingly so. Her arms twisted behind her back to find the zipper of her dress. She caught the tab between finger and thumb and tugged, nothing. Bambi was watching her intently and his face was flushed. Ellen looked down and noticed that one of her nipples was poking very obviously through her dress and she suddenly felt mortified. Ever the gentleman, Bambi pulled her into his arms and she closed them and pouted for a kiss but instead, she felt herself quickly turned until she was facing away from him. His fingers tugged at her zip, quickly pulling it down. The sound seemed loud in the quiet of the caravan.

With her back exposed, her skin goosebumped as his lips touched her hairline. She gasped as she felt his mouth open and close on her neck, little nips, kisses and bites. His hands slid down her sides until they rested on her hips then slid around her belly, a belly which she suddenly remembered was almost split in two, hanging softly over her now rolled down magic knickers. “ They don’t feel so bloody magic now!” She panicked and sucked in her soft tummy, trying to regain her svelte shape. He snorted and she felt her mind race between indignation and hysteria. “How dare he judge me? I’ve had TWO kids! Oh my god, he must think I’m a fat bastard.”

She opened her mouth to speak, not sure if she was angry or the hurt but stopped when she felt his left hand press harder than the other at exactly the point where her roll of fat and panty waistline merged. “The cheeky fucking bastard,” she thought defensively, “He couldn’t just politely ignore it...”

She stopped herself, something didn’t feel right.

His fingers kneaded her belly and she felt a distinct numbness, a lack of sensation. Panic began to rise as he moved his hand then slid it round her back, inside her dress. She looked on in horror as the shape of his hand snaked under the fabric around her ample belly until stopped, seemed to dig and then pulled it away, almost as quickly as he’d put it in.

“Oh god, I’m unloveable,” she wailed inwardly as she felt his breath chuff on her neck, “Is he snickering?”

He spun her around by the shoulders once more and as she came face to face with him, he was holding a translucent blob in front of his left eye and triumphantly grinning, as bigly as she’d ever seen anyone grin.

“OMIGOD!” she wailed, hand over her mouth. “My fucking silicon insert!” She felt her temperature soar and her face redden as she looked down at her distinctly uneven boobs. The right taunted perkily, safe in its satin cup, while the left just looked, well, deflated with the nipple poking through her dress, in an almost embarrassed way.

She couldn’t even look at Bambi, she was that affronted. Her mouth opened and closed but no words came out.

She heard a soft splat as the offending lump dropped to the floor and then his fingers curled under her chin, smiling kindly as he lifted her face and pressed his lips to hers. She tried to pull back, offer an explanation, but he silenced her with soft wet kisses and when she tried to speak again, his tongue parted her lips and her breath caught in her throat.

His hands went to each shoulder and pulled her dress down. She shrugged and it curled damply from her body. Before she knew what was happening, his left hand dipped into right bra cup, deftly tugged out the other silicone pad and dropped it to the floor. He never broke the kiss and she found herself relaxing into it, responding, her tongue seeking his. As she felt her body being pulled close, she thought what a good kisser he was, how compatible their mouths seemed to be but the thought disappeared as she gasped, feeling his tongue push against hers and she opened her mouth a little wider.

They kissed, bodies together, Bambi’s firm chest rough and hairy against her soft breasts. She could feel him, stiff through his boxer briefs, against her soft belly. She tried to sneakily pull up her magic panties but his hands were behind her, fiddling with the clasp of her bra and she forgot, reached behind her back to help and unfastened. He pulled back, eyes wide as she shrugged the straps off her shoulders and he cupped her soft naked breasts in his large hands, gently thumbing her eager nipples. She gasped and closed her eyes as he dropped to his knees and began to fondle and suckle each one, as though his life depended on it.

“God, it feels so good!” She looked down and took hold of his hair, pulling her onto him, arching her chest forward as he sucked a nipple deep into his mouth, stroking it with a firm wet tongue. His breath was loud as he moaned and yummed, gently trapping a swollen nub between his teeth.

She remembered her panties again and tried to pull them up over her belly without him noticing but he did notice and pulled her hands onto his shoulders then tugged her underwear down.

Had she ever been this nervous and excited? Stepping out of her knickers and kicking them away with a flick of her foot, she couldn’t remember. Bambi kissed down her belly, pressing his mouth against the soft flesh as his hands smoothed up and down her thighs, pushing them wide, wider. She felt his mouth against her mons, nose snuffling into her short dark curls, breathing hot breath against her. She heard a guttural moan escape her mouth as she gripped his short hair, thrusting her pelvis forward and pulling him close. His fingers gripped her thighs as his tongue probed and flicked, opening her lips, finding her nub. She cried out and had to press her hands on his head to stop her knees from giving way.

Then his fingers were between her legs, rubbing up and down her slit, spreading her juices, allowing him to ease a finger inside as he sucked her little clit between his lips, flicking with the tip of his tongue. As she felt a second finger join the first, she thought she might faint and all she could do was grunt and thrust against his palm.

While his fingers eased in and out, the suction on her clit was relentless. His fingertips grazed her spot, her breath caught in her throat, a shock pulsed through her core, a quickening. She was panting, grunting and thrusting as her orgasm burst through her body and hot liquid gushed onto her thighs as she came and came and came.

Her whole body was shaking as he slowed, decreased and guided her through her climax, bringing her down. He leaned his head against her pussy to keep his balance, sticky hands on her hips. She could feel him breathing fast and smiling against her.

She looked down at her body and it didn’t look tired or old. It wasn’t a disappointment. It was however covered, smeared in red and white greasepaint. It was hilarious and her breasts began to shake as she giggled. Bambi looked up at her, his face a wet mess of smeared make up, it was so comical that she began to laugh, loudly, taking his hands and pulling him up.

Then his mouth was on hers, wet, cummy, giggly kisses and she felt his stiff cock against her belly again and she gasped as he pushed hard against her. He pressed his forehead to hers and rubbed her nose with his, arms tightly around her.

He took her hands, grinning broadly as he looked at their messy bodies then he led her down the narrow hallway.

The bathroom was small, well it didn’t have a bath for starters, but it did have a shower cubicle and he pulled back the brightly coloured curtain and turned it on. As he waited for the water to heat, he pulled off his socks and shorts. Ellen took out her earrings, unfastened her necklace and bracelet and sat them beside the small sink. She watched Bambi as he bent, admiring his butt and as he turned to face her, she saw that he was still semi-erect. His cock was beautiful, circumcised and leaning slightly to the right. “ Cute,” she thought, noticing that he cared to manscape. She liked that, it showed consideration. His eyes were taking in her perfectly manicured bush and his cock continued to rise.

Bambi pulled her into his arms and placed a palm against her cheek, she leaned into it, smiling and his other hand went over her eyes, closing the lids. Again she expected a kiss, but she felt him gently tug at her false lashes, peeling them off. She stood, completely naked in front of a man who should have felt like a stranger, he was a stranger, but he didn’t feel like one. She felt comfortable and at ease as he took her hand and pulled her with him into the shower. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

He squeezed shampoo into a cupped palm and washed her hair, his chest coarse against her smooth back. She closed her eyes, leaning against him, tingling at the feel of his fingertips on her scalp. Then he rinsed her hair and turned her to face him, soaping a washcloth and handing her a sponge. She leaned back against the wall as he began to wash her chest, rivulets of water, pink and white from the facepaint, trickled down her body. With hands slightly shaky, she sponged foamy circles over his chest, his body so hot to her touch. She watched as he explored her body and she explored his. She took his fully engorged penis in her hand and sponged it lovingly, lifting his balls, washing, massaging. He pushed her hard against the wall and their mouths met again; wet, hungry kisses as the water cascaded over them. His erection was firm against her belly and she stood on tiptoes to pull his cock down between her legs. He slowly thrust against pussy lips that were moist, hot and ready to be opened.

He paused to turn off the shower and he pulled a towel around them both, giving her a peck and hugging her as he hurriedly led her to his bed.

It was perfect, cosy, dimly lit, the only noise was their breathing and the sound of voices carousing and partying outside, it seemed that everyone was having fun tonight. He kept kissing her and she returned it hungrily, stepping backwards until her legs met the edge of the bed and he embraced her, dropping her softly onto the covers.

Her nails traced circles on his back and shoulders as he kissed her mouth, her jaw, her throat. He tasted just about every inch of her damp skin, and she his, until he parted her legs with his knees and then he kissed her slowly. She ached to feel him inside her, to fill her, to possess her, her core was on fire as she felt him line up the head of his cock with her hungry pussy. He stared into her eyes and ever so slowly began to push. Her mouth was an ‘O’, she gasped and he grunted as she felt her pussy stretch and give, accepting every throbbing inch as he thrust deeper, deeper, deeper.

It lasted all night. There were hard fucks, there was gentle lovemaking. She worshipped his cock, tasting her essence on him as she licked and slurped and sucked. He lapped their cum from her throbbing pussy, fingering and licking, prolonging and extending her orgasm. Orgasms. She lost count. Then he shared their juices with passionate, moany kisses. They had the boundless energy of teenagers but it was tempered with the familiarity and experience of old lovers. It was perfect, better than perfect, better than she could have dreamed. They just seemed to fit.

With their bodies tired and their energy spent, they fell asleep, locked together in a perfect messy tangle.

She woke in the morning snuggled against him, head on his chest, his strong arm around her shoulder. Her eyes remained closed as she remembered their night, replayed it in her mind. Her body felt achy, a good achy, she’d earned it and there was that familiar pulse between her legs again. She sighed a satisfied smile. As she lay, naked and content, she could hear the hustle and bustle outside of the campsite waking. Horses whinnied and there were muffled shouts here and there.

Shouts...

Her eyes opened and she lifted her head to look at Bambi’s angelic, sleeping face. Bambi, that wasn’t his name though, was it? And she suddenly realised that he hadn’t said a word to her the whole time they’d been together, not a single, solitary word! He’d mimed, he’d gesticulated and acted. “Shit, is he mute?” She felt a sudden panic rising. “Should I have said something? Does it matter? We didn’t need words last night...”

Bambi opened his eyes then and smiled. Then he seemed to register the concern on her face and he frowned and cleared his throat.

“Good morning,” he said, lifting a hand to tuck her riotous hair behind her ear. “What’s wrong?”

His voice was rich and deep with a hint of a European accent, Italian maybe? It was music to her ears.

It took her a moment to find the right words. “I-I wasn’t sure you could talk? You-you never said a word last night,” she stammered. “I thought...” she trailed off.

He laughed quietly, shaking his head and pulling her to him. “Actions speak louder than words,” he said, kissing her forehead and squeezing her tight. “We didn’t have much use for talking last night, did we?”

“No,” she admitted, relaxing onto his broad chest. “What’s your name?”

“My name?” He laughed, “It’s a bit late for introductions!” Her head shook on his chest as he laughed and she smiled. “Last night I thought my name might have been God or maybe Jesus, the amount of times you called out.”

Ellen blushed coyly, remembering. “What IS your name though?” she asked again, suddenly realising she’d never had sex on the first date before. “Man, it wasn’t even a date, it was a fucking force of nature!”

“It’s Buckley,” he sighed, stroking her hair, “but my friends call me Buck.”

“Buck,” she smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Buck, I’m Ellen.”

“No,” he grinned, speaking into her mouth as he kissed her, “You are just beautiful.”

And she was happy, for she knew that to be true.