Co-workers have many uses. Their knowledge can be shared, making two people smarter than either one. They can be leaned on in times of trouble. They can be sex partners.
Cheryl and Mary had no desire to have sex. They needed each other to survive an extremely stressful work environment and, for about the past six months, that's exactly what they did. They became closer and closer until they were rarely seen apart when not at their desks. Even then, one could be seen helping another on a troublesome document or learning a new application.
Perhaps they got along so well because they were so different. Cheryl had long, brown hair and was tall. Mary was blonde and short. Cheryl was a risk taker and Mary was as introverted as they came. Their only similarities seemed to be their ages—both were thirty—and their slim figures. Plus, they were both married.
It was that last fact that led to most of their lengthy lunchtime discussions. They were in their fifth and sixth years of marriage. The honeymoons were over. Each was getting to know their spouse a little better and that wasn't always a good thing. Oh, neither one was on the verge of divorce. It was just that the sparkle of being a newlywed was long gone and a routine was settling in.
The girls were not hesitant to talk about it and, of course, nothing was out-of-bounds for Cheryl.
"How's your sex life been?" she asked Mary at lunch one day.
"Fine. I mean, like, Tom would have sex every waking moment if he could. Or, rather, if I would," Mary replied. "I'm exhausted when I get home, Cheryl. I need time and space to unwind before I think about that stuff."
"Is he good?"
Mary smiled. "Yeah. He gets pretty wild, though. You know me...Ms. Conservative. But it's OK. How about you and Joe?"
"We're fine, too. I suppose it's rare to have two people that are perfect matches for each other," Cheryl said. "We have different philosophies, but the sex we have is good. I just wish there was more of it."
And so it went. The odds were good that, without an intervention, one of the couples wouldn't last to see their tenth anniversary. Luckily, things were about to change.
It began with an innocent invitation by Cheryl for the two couples to spend an evening at dinner together and gather afterward at Cheryl and Joe's condo for drinks. It would be the first time all four were together. Tom was very much looking forward to it, having heard so much about Cheryl. Joe was less enthusiastic, which was essentially his approach to everything.
From the moment Tom first saw Cheryl, he had trouble keeping his eyes off her and even more trouble keeping his mind off her. She wore a fairly unadventurous outfit, but that didn't stop him from imagining what was underneath the tall brunette's clothing. Tom loved her effervescent personality and found himself talking to her almost exclusively. Mary was just happy everybody seemed to be getting along.
The festivities moved to Cheryl's condo and she and Joe found the other couple very easy to please. Tom readily helped Cheryl with the drinks and snacks while Mary and Joe chatted. If any of them had been paying attention to such things, they would have seen that the pattern had already been established. Like particles that either attract or repel each other, pairings were formed and marital status had nothing to do with it. Within half an hour, Cheryl was feeling the attraction to Tom and Mary to Joe.
The former was physical and the latter was intellectual. The results were the same: an excitement that all of them felt needed to be acted upon. As expected, Tom acted first.
He found himself alone with Cheryl in the basement den, a circumstance she found easy to accomplish.
"I hope you won't be offended if I say you are very pretty, Cheryl," Tom said. "Mary is lucky to get to work with you every day."
Cheryl's blush preceded her answer. "Thank you. I'm glad I finally got to meet you after all this time."
"What lies has my wife been telling you?"
"How would I know if they were lies?" Cheryl said coyly. "She says you have lot of, um, 'energy.' Is that true?"
The little tilt of Cheryl's head and the look in her eyes nearly made him take her into his arms.
"I'm not exactly sure how she meant that. But it's probably true."
Cheryl laughed and said, "Joe is just the opposite, so I wondered if I would like anyone so different. But I do, in case you were pondering that."
"I'm glad you do," Tom told her. "I do have one question for you that may sound strange, though."
"Go ahead."
"Do you dress so conservatively at work, also?"
Cheryl grinned and said, "Not really. You don't like this?"
"Oh, no. It's not that. You look great," Tom explained as Cheryl delighted in watching him squirm. "I just wondered...you know..."
"What I look like naked," she finished for him.
The startled look on Tom's face quickly turned to one of pleasure. "Yes, actually. I'll admit it."
"Mary was right, then," Cheryl replied. "So, what's your offer?"
"My offer?"
"Let's say I agreed to send you a picture, what do I get in return?" Cheryl asked.
"A picture," he quickly replied. "That's only fair."
"It is. Give me your number."
They each pulled out their cell phones and exchanged numbers with nervous anticipation. They assured each other their spouses would never know and headed back upstairs.
Speaking of which, Mary and Joe were making expectedly slow headway in forging a relationship. They discussed world affairs and the election and the potential long-term dangers of fracking. Not fucking. Fracking. In the end, they liked each other. No phone numbers were exchanged between them.
Cheryl spent the next twenty four hours planning her picture for Tom. It had to be just right. She determined early on that it would not be what he probably hoped for: a full nude shot. No, Cheryl would tease him. She wanted him to beg for it, knowing that the consequence would be equal treatment from him in return. That was fine with her. This would be fun.
Finally, the evening after the dinner and drinks, Cheryl was alone in the bedroom with phone in hand. She wore her tiniest pair of lacy bra and panties, the fabric of which hid virtually nothing when the light was just right. Cheryl made sure they hid enough to disappoint the intended audience. Then, using the ten second delay option, she set the phone on the dresser and let it take the first shot. She reviewed it and took two more at different angles. After selecting the second pose, she sent it to Tom.
He was watching TV with Mary when he saw the email come in from Cheryl. The paper clip attachment indicator that came with it caused his heart to race. Tom moved into the bathroom, closed and locked the door. His cock reacted at the first view of Cheryl's long, lean body. He expanded the picture and stared at it. Soon, his zipper was down and he was stroking his ever-growing erection as he gazed longingly at Cheryl's full breasts, flat stomach, and smooth pussy. Sure, the breasts and pussy were covered by a bra and panties, but Tom visualized what was underneath. His cock was rock hard by the time he closed the picture. He stuffed his cock back into his pants, waited for it to calm down, and returned to the couch.
So, she had kept up her end of the bargain...kind of. She wouldn't send him a nude photo and she wouldn't get one back. Tom didn't intend it to be a punishment. It was a continuation of the game. When he got up the next morning to shower, he kept his briefs on and opened her photo. A few strokes through the fabric had him thick and hard. The first picture he took of himself was perfect, showing the outline of his erection as it threatened to escape at the waistband. He sent it to Cheryl.
There was only a touch of guilt on her mind as Cheryl opened the photo from Tom at work. She smiled knowingly as she studied it, thinking of the multitude of things she would like to do with that cock if Mary did not. Then she plotted her next move.
Tom would be expecting the next picture, so Cheryl sent him a text message. A very simple 'Hi.'
He replied back: 'Hi. Nice picture.'
'Same here. Is that the best you can do?'
'Ha. I had no enticement to do better.'
Cheryl thought for a moment and answered, 'You must be the verbal type.'
'Call me and find out.'
Cheryl was dialing his number almost before she finished reading the text. He answered on the second ring.
