A few years back, a dear friend of mine was feeling quite sad because the romance and intimacy she had once shared with her husband had all but disappeared since the arrival of their first child. The bouquets and moonlit walks that had always filled earlier days were now replaced by diaper bags and sleepless nights. She lamented spending many such nights yearning for the past and ultimately made a promise to herself. Determined to rekindle the flame in her marriage, she vowed to act on every romantic impulse or inspiration that came her way. Her first opportunity presented itself a few days later during what began as a rather ordinary family trip. The daring display that transpired was so outrageous she and her husband would never forget it.
At the time, the family was living in Colorado so one balmy summer morning they decided to take a daytrip up Pikes Peak. Upon reaching the top and after admiring the view, they made their way into the visitor’s center along with dozens of other tourists. Inside the lobby but just outside the gift shop, my friend spied a photo booth off to one side. She chuckled at the memory of sitting in several such photo booths with her husband as they posed for silly photos together during their courtship. She was just about to point it out to him when inspiration struck. She rapidly devised a plan to present her husband with surprise photos of herself blowing kisses or whatever expression of love may occur to her during the “photo shoot.” She felt giddy while discreetly excusing herself as her husband strolled easily into the gift shop with the baby, completely oblivious to her plan. She was certain that he had not even noticed the photo booth. The stage was set.
Once inside the photo booth, my friend felt even more inspired. It may have been the mountain air or perhaps the white knuckle drive to the top of the peak but whatever the reason, she decided to be daring. After brief consideration and an attempt to more securely close the curtains, she took a deep breath and then removed both her shirt and her bra. Scanning her own reflection in the glass in front of her, she decided to adjust her hair and put on some lipstick. She was shaking with the thrill of her secret endeavor. She was confident that the risqué photos would astonish and delight her husband, sparking conversation at the very least.
Just as she was about to start the camera, she heard her husband’s voice outside the booth. “Honey, we need to leave now.” Slightly annoyed that he had discovered her there and determined to finish the deed, she tried to brush him off. “Just a minute.” she called back through the thick curtain. In a more authoritative tone, she heard his voice again “No. We have to leave right now.” Thoroughly disappointed and a little worried about the reason for his persistence she dressed and then stepped out of the booth. Upon emerging from the booth, she searched his face but he did not offer any explanation. He simply took her hand, leading her directly to the car where they made a quick departure.
As soon as they exited the parking lot, he began to explain. He told her that shortly after she left the gift shop, a commotion developed in the lobby. Curious, he joined the crowd and made his way through to see what was drawing so much attention. As heads moved and people shifted he began to notice a large video screen placed prominently in the lobby of visitor’s center. On the screen, he was surprised to see a larger-than-life image of his wife sitting topless in a small, dark room. He was alarmed that she seemed so completely at ease as she fixed her hair and applied lipstick. “That’s when I realized what must be happening and went to find you.” he explained.
Confused at first, my friend slowly began to realize that the photo booth had a video link to the big screen in the lobby so other visitors could be entertained by the antics of photo booth customers during photo sessions. Gasping, my friend said, “I was just trying to do something to surprise you.” At that, her husband flashed his warmest smile and as they both burst out laughing, he said affectionately, “That you did my dear!”