Whit closed the door to his hotel, and walked right to the shower. As usual.
"This is way past getting old!" he said out loud. For most people, the pandemic was tailing off. Most were vaccinated, or taking enough precautions that life felt something close to normal. Or a new normal, anyway.
For him, the heavy travel was over, but he still made rounds to the outlying clinics. This trip had been longer, more like the first days of the pandemic. And for the doctors and nurses, all the old precautions still applied, vaccination or not.
The cold water of the shower hit him, and within a few minutes he was out of the shower and toweling off. He was in sweatpants, still shirtless, when he left the bathroom and pulled leftover whatever out of the fridge. He hit the button on the microwave, and reached back into the fridge for a beer. He popped the top off and took a pull from the cold bottle as he ran a small towel through his still-damp hair.
His phone chimed with the tell-tale FaceTime request. It was Chrissy.
"Hey beautiful" he said, eyeing the screen.
"Hey yourself!" she answered. "Naked, and a beer in your hand? Wish I was there!"
"Baby, I wish the same thing. Unfortunately, it's going to be a few days more."
She tried not to show her disappointment. He was scheduled to be home by Friday -- three days from now.
"Looks like Sunday. Maybe Saturday night if I'm lucky, but we have a booster clinic set-up on Saturday now. They need it bad, and it'll probably take all day. Which puts me out to Sunday."
She nodded and looked away to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. Then she turned back, trying to smile. "Too late for me to get another present delivered for you!"
He smiled at her. "That was the best time I've had all year! We'll be reminiscing over that story when I'm old and bald. You have no idea how much thinking about you keeps me going out here."
"Well, your Sexbot will be available whenever you get home, stud. And I'll still be your Sexbot even when you're old and bald!"
They both laughed, and were quiet for a moment.
He broke the silence. "Hey. I got an idea. Let's have our date on Friday anyway. I'll still be here, but we can video. And I'll have dinner delivered for you." He paused and raised his eyebrow at her. "Unless you have something else to do?"
She laughed. "You know my Friday was already booked for your return. Yes, fine, let's video."
"I know it's not the same, but it's better than nothing. I wish I could be there next to you."
She giggled. "Or on top of me."
He laughed. "Or underneath you!"
"Or behind me."
They both laughed, and then were quiet again, looking at each other. "It's going to be over soon, babe. It will. A few more months at most."
On the screen, she waved at him. "I'll see you Friday" she whispered.
He nodded, with a lump in his throat, and they hung up.
_________________
Whit listened as his medical director gave him the news.
"They're sending a mobile unit. And the Stevensville site will take overflow and any other appointments. So..."
"So, no set-up on Saturday?"
"Nope. That's good news, I hope?"
"Sure. But how is one mobile going to handle the volume?"
"Another one is coming on-line in two weeks. May not be ideal for the first few days" his boss went on "but it's cost effective. And don't worry. They'll catch up fast."
"Okay. Hey, I'm not complaining. It makes sense. But we both know the vax for kids is coming any day. The mobile unit won't be equipped for that, and I hate to delay even a little."
"Me too, but you can't be everywhere at once. Go home on time, for once. If we need to get back out there, we will."
They hung up, and Whit began to think about what this meant. It meant he could be home on Friday. He started to think about Chrissy, and their video date. With a little planning, maybe he could return the favor...
__________
"You ready for tomorrow, beautiful?"
"Yes. You?"
"I'm always ready for a date with you!"
"Well, I've got a little surprise for you. Since we'll be staying in, I can wear something a little sexier. I'll give you a little preview!"
She turned around and held up a body suit, sheer and lacy, and almost see through. Then she held her phone up high, and tilted her head back.
"It looks better on, but this gives you the idea."
She cradled her tits in her left arm and slowly lifted them up. Her shirt bulged, and her cleavage overflowed into the wide neck of her top. She smiled and winked lazily, and brought the phone down.
He growled. "That is going to look amazing on you, beautiful. Everything does! I can't wait to see it! I'll have dinner delivered at 7:00."
"Maybe I'll change into this after the delivery."
"Hell no!" Whit protested laughing. "I'm going to be on with you from the second the bell rings, and that's how I want to see you! But you can wear a robe to answer the door, how about that? Course if you didn't, I'm sure the delivery guy wouldn't complain!"
"Sexist! How do you know it won't be a girl?"
"Ha! Don't be homophobic -- who says a girl wouldn't like it?"
They both laughed. Neither of them was sexist or homophobic, but they knew what they liked.
"Alright. Well, tomorrow it is. Looking forward to it."
"I'd look forward to it even more if you were going to be here in person."
"Really? So, what will you give me if I could make it home?"
"I'll give you anything you want. But you'll get everything anyway, and you know it. So don't tease me!"
"Don't tease you? What do you call what you just did?"
She laughed. "You want me to stop?"
"You know better! I want to see some more!"
"Yeah? You want to see more? More of this?"
She rolled her shoulders back and inhaled, lifting her tits again.
"Or maybe you want to see something else?"
She moved her phone so he could see her from the side. Seated on her couch, she arched her back and pushed her rear back.
He growled again, and she laughed.
"Hurry home, stud -- and bring me what I want!"
"I'll be there as soon as I can!"
"That's what I want to hear!"
It was his turn to laugh. "That's what you want to hear, and you sure know what I want to see. Won't be long, love."
"I know. You do what you have to do. I'll be here!"
They hung up again, and once again Whit was alone in a quiet hotel room.
_______________
Whit was parked on their block, a few houses down, dressed in a fake delivery uniform: brown shorts, brown shirt, and hat. He called Chrissy.
"Hey babe. Did the delivery arrive yet?"
"No. But that's alright. I was just getting changed. I decided to test your theory about the driver liking my outfit."
"What? You are not!"
She laughed. "I might slip a robe on over." She paused. "Might."
"You better! You open the door without a robe and Mrs. Pratt across the street will have a heart attack!"
"Mrs. Pratt should keep her eyes to herself. The old bat complains about everything."
"Well, if you want to get rid of her, I guess you could just open the door a little wider and let her see..."
"Doctor! I am shocked that you would suggest such a thing!"
"I'm not suggesting anything. And if Mrs. Pratt has her binoculars out again, it's her own fault. And the idea of you opening the door in that outfit is starting to turn me on!"
"Well, be careful. And see a doctor for erections lasting more than four hours!"
It was his turn to laugh. "Alright, alright. I'm going to call these people and make sure someone is on the way. Hopefully not some big stud who will show up and give you some indecent ideas!"
"I already have indecent ideas! And I wouldn't complain if a little eye candy showed up!"
"I hope he's hideous. Or her. In fact, I may request that when I call!"
They both laughed, and disconnected.
A minute later, her phone buzzed with a text.
Delivery will be there in minutes. They just confirmed. So be dressed. Or not.
Your choice! ; - )
She texted back:
I'll think about it! Promise me you'll hurry home, and I might be able to restrain myself.
I'll be home before you know it.
Okay. I'm yours the second you walk in the door.
I'm going to hold you to that!!!
_______________
He pulled up a little closer, but far enough so she wouldn't see his truck out the window, and got out. He lifted the box out of the back seat. It was light, nearly empty, but he had chosen the largest size, so it fully covered his face when he carried it.
"Mine the second I walk in the door. I like the sound of that!"
He taped the envelope with the fake packing slip prominently against the side, so she could easily take it, and he walked up the steps to their house.
___________________
Chrissy slid over to the door as soon as the bell rang. She glanced quickly in the mirror to make sure nothing was showing unintentionally. She got a charge out of showing off for Whit, but opening the door to a stranger while dressed in lingerie was purely a joke. Satisfied that her long bathrobe covered her sufficiently, she kicked her high heels off and out of sight, and opened the door in her bare feet.
At first all she saw was box. Then she realized it was being held by a delivery man.
"Or a really tall girl" she thought to herself absent-mindedly.