'Too much, too young'

1980s - it was sex.

With different guys. Lots and lots of sex.

I remember her telling me that she didn't actually get much out of the sex itself - it was furtive, it was quick. But she did love the adventure of it, the break from her routine, the attention she got from men as they chased her around. She felt attractive and wanted and she wanted more.

The husband had no idea what was going on. Probably because she was still having sex with him too. His life hadn't changed. He had a wife who looked after him and had sex with him and who looked after their children. What's to notice?

Most of the assignations happened during the day time - a lot of the guys seemed to be self-employed so they could take time off to meet up with Elaine to have sex. Ocassionally she'd see one of them in the evening. She would tell the husband she was out with me or another one of her friends. She asked me if I minded her saying that. I didn't. How could I mind? She was my friend. I just wondered where she got her energy from; she was full of life.

The men she chose were married. She wanted it that way as it was safer and she was unlikely to have any of them turning up on her doorstep. Even so one of them did get very attached to her and wanted her to leave her husband and he would leave his wife. But Elaine managed to head that off as she didn't want her marriage to end.

Not for a man she didn't love.