The guitar solo blared from the phone's small speaker. The Carpenter reached quickly to silence the alarm he'd set. The digital clock on the screen told him that his work day was done. A glance out the window confirmed it. The sky was filled with the reds and oranges cast by the setting sun.
He looked back toward his work. It had been a productive day. Tomorrow, he would be finished building the wardrobe. A few days more to add the color and protect it, then he'd be ready to deliver it to a client he knew would be thrilled. He ran a hand through his curly hair and felt the bits of sawdust. Unsurprisingly, he was almost completely covered. He brushed his forearms, his chest and shoulders off with his hands, releasing a small cloud of dust into the air. He laughed as he surveyed the mess he had made of his shop. There'd be plenty of time to clean up in the morning.
He made his way into the house and headed directly for the bathroom. He was quick about removing his dust-covered shirt, boots and jeans. He took hold of the elastic of his underwear and slid them down. He let out a small sigh of pleasure. There were few joys in life quite like the feeling of taking off clothes at the end of the day. For a time, he stood naked in the bathroom and reached down to hold his balls. It felt so good to have them uncovered now. His hand cradled his manhood. He let himself enjoy the sensation for a short while before turning on the shower and stepping in to wash off the day.
Within fifteen minutes, he was showered and clean, standing in the kitchen and starting to make dinner. He checked the clock on the microwave. His wife should be on the freeway by now. The traffic was unavoidable, but she ought to be home in half an hour or so. He smiled silently at the thought of seeing her. It was the time he looked forward to every day.
He was making her favorite tonight, a pasta dish he'd experimented with several times before finding the perfect combination. His smile grew even more when he thought of how happy she'd be when she saw it. The perfect surprise, along with the bouquet of brightly colored flowers he'd bought for her earlier that day.
He was proud of himself for managing to time the meal well. He had two steaming plates sitting on the table with candles burning just as he heard her key in the door. His heart jumped a little at the sound. "Hi My Love," She said as she came through setting her purse down with a flighty breath. Her voice was enchanting. He stood leaning against a nearby wall, watching her with the happiest of smiles on his adoring face, "Hello Darling." He had known her long enough to know that the second she came through the door was not the time to approach her. She'd been in the car a while and would definitely need the restroom. He waited patiently as she brushed past him.
She returned before long with her own joyous grin. Now, it was his time. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him in a warm embrace. Her hands entwined around his neck and her head rested tenderly against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, "Welcome Home, Sweetheart." They kept the loving hug for a glorious while then pulled just enough apart to share a kiss on the lips.
Her reactions to both the food and the flowers were no disappointment. She gave him one of those expressions where her shoulders rose almost up to her ears. There was no doubt of how thrilled she was.
The couple sat down to eat and the Carpenter listened to his wife describe her long day. She told him all about the coworkers she was struggling with, the weird expectations from the client, and that the project was moving even if it wasn't as quickly as she'd like. He took it all in, delighted to hear every word.
After the meal, he placed the dirty dishes in the sink. More cleaning that he could take care of in the morning. It wasn't important at all right now. His time with her was precious. The extra hours she was putting in on this project meant that she'd have to be up very early in the morning and should be in bed soon. Still, she told him earnestly, there was enough time for just one episode of her favorite streaming show.
They ended up watching two because she couldn't possibly go to bed without knowing what happened next. She enjoyed this show far more than he did. It had its moments that made him laugh, but he struggled to see why she felt so passionately about it. What he loved most was sitting on the couch with her as they watched.
He sat up on one end and she reclined on the other, perpendicular to him. Her head rested against the arm of the couch like a pillow and her legs were laid across his lap. As the show played, his hands rubbed slow patterns across the skin of her bare feet. He moved slowly, his fingertips tracing this way and that. The touch and the rhythm was soothing to her. They relaxed this way in comfort until the show's theme song played over the second episode's credits. He turned off the Television without giving her a chance to suggest a third. It was time for sleeping. They held hands as they made their way to the bedroom.
The Carpenter's clothes were off before his wife's were. He sat naked on the edge of the bed and watched her nightly routine in front of the mirror, removing her jewelry and combing her hair. It was a great length right now. She looked absolutely gorgeous. They'd talked about her cutting it short again, and he looked forward to the change, but for the moment, he watched her with love and admiration.
