I first met Ashley when I started a new job some 10-15 years ago. She was probably in her early 20s then, fresh out of college, just starting out her career like I was.
I wouldn't say we disliked each other, but there were no sparks or anything of the sort. We had no shared interests, our social circles had no overlap, we were barely colleagues, just two people, similar age, working on the same floor in the same building for the same company. We worked in offices that practically touched, but for the first few years, we barely spoke a word to each other as we worked in different departments. Nothing more than the occasional hello in the hallway.
Over the next decade, not much changed. At some point, we became Facebook friends the way one often does with acquaintances they share workspace with for a decade or so. There was a bit of joking back and forth, maybe, at a holiday work party or celebrating a coworker's birthday over cake, maybe once or twice working together on a project, but nothing even close to flirting. It was very professional.
Still, I couldn't help but notice how attractive she was in a girl-next-door way. She was the kind of girl you could tell grew up conservative. Probably went to church every Sunday for a little bit. A daddy's girl based on her loving tributes to her father on Father's Day that would pop up on Facebook. A loving sister. A great daughter and a wonderful mom herself too. But there was something beneath that exterior. You could just tell.
I wasn't invited to her wedding or knew much of anything about her home life. We weren't friends, just cordial coworkers. I knew she had 2 kids in that time and, based on Facebook, a kind, caring husband named Dan. They did family stuff like pick apples and vacations to Disney and all that stuff that plain ol' white upper middle-class families do.
In that time, I'd watched Ashley's body change the way many (most?) women's do as they age from their mid-20s to their mid-to-late 30s. She'd had two kids, putting on some weight that never really left. She'd gone from a relatively thin young lady to a more curvy woman, especially around her hips. Her ass was big and kinda flat, to be honest. Her face was still sweet, though, freckled with thin lips that opened to a beautiful smile and framed by long, natural red hair.
I found the transformation weirdly erotic. The way her large ass looked, though she usually kept her backside covered by the tails of a long flannel shirt or a top that went almost down to her knees. She didn't dress "down" or "frumpy" necessarily, but modest, clearly "off the market" and not seeking male attention. She'd probably laugh if she was told how sexy she looked. You could tell that she had tried dieting and exercise, but she'd sadly resigned to never getting that pre-children body back.
So, instead, she covered up with sweaters and sweatshirts and nothing that ever revealed much. The best you could hope for was the occasional peek at the band of her Hanes Her Way panties when she knelt down and the back of her jeans or khakis opened up just a little bit at the top.
And, for some reason, I knew I'd one day be with her. And that it would probably be through means that were a bit clandestine.
***************
Date night. About 4-5 months ago.
Ashley and her husband Dan were out, enjoying drinks at a sports bar near their home. They must've hired a babysitter.
I was out too and "just so happened" to be at the same sports bar. What a coincidence, right? Not really. This was an establishment they went to semi-frequently based on my reconnaissance, which really wasn't all that much: just listening a bit more closely at work when she talked about her weekend plans.
And so, I "accidentally" bumped into them. And then I bought them a round to celebrate something or other that happened at work. And then I, using what I'd gleaned from Facebook, really connected with Dan. Like, really connected. We found out we loved the same bands, rooted for the same teams, even agreed on the best pizza in town. Did you know Dan loves horror films and his favorite is Dawn of the Dead and that he had tickets for a special screening in a few weeks? I did...and then I told him I had tickets for the same screening and maybe we should hang out before and after, y'know? Grab some beers at that favorite pizza place we both adore.
I didn't push too hard.
We didn't go to that movie together or even exchange phone numbers.
But I had broken the ice. And, at work, Ashley and I talked more openly about our interests and whatnot. I wouldn't say we were really "closer," but I did find myself getting invited out to lunch more often by and her and the people in her "coworker clique."
This, of course, only gave me more access to personal information, and also meant she'd probably name-drop me at home to her husband.
"Oh, who'd you go out to lunch with today?" he'd ask.
"Just the usual. Takeisha, Katelyn, Christie, Drew," I imagine she'd answer. Drew is me.
"Oh, how's Drew doing? He never called me about the Dawn of the Dead thing," he'd say.
"Yeah, he told me to tell you that he was sorry and something came up and he didn't end up making it. But he did say he'd still like to go out for a beer sometime," she'd answer back.
This lasted about 3 weeks before I finally got his number from Ashley and I called him and we met for a beer.
We had a good time, watched a game, talked horror movies, talked about work. I learned he and Ashley had actually dated in high school, went to prom together and everything, but split up for several years when they went to different colleges, and then re-connected years later just as me and her were starting our careers.
"Wow, that's almost like a storybook romance," I told him.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he said.
"I mean...you've basically been together your whole lives, save for what? A couple years? I mean, that's really special," I said.
"Yeah, Ashley is an amazing person, the love of my life," he said. It was really sweet.
"To Ashley," I said, hoisting my beer.
We clinked bottles and finished our drink and told each other we'd have to do this again sometime.
And we did. More than few times over the next several weeks. I was Dan's new best friend. Sometimes Ashley would join us, too. Those nights were fun. I'd practically shovel drinks down their mouths and wait for Ashley to inevitably go to the restroom.
"You're a lucky man," I'd say.
And Dan would just smile and nod, drunkenly.
"You can trust me...between me and you...you gonna go home and rail her tonight?" I'd ask.
Most of the time, Dan would just laugh off a comment like that. Sometimes he'd say something like "You better believe it, bro."
And when they left, on nights they were both a little more than tipsy, I'd give Dan a nod, a not-so-subtle gesture to say, "Go take care of business, bro." Like a baseball coach telling a player to swing for the fences. And Dan usually just smiled and shook his head a bit.
****************
More weeks went by and my birthday came around. A gorgeous summer night. I invited Dan to come out with me and a couple of buddies. Nothing crazy, just maybe some cards at my place. Of course, after about an hour of that, we hit a strip club. Dan resisted going at first, but it didn't take much to convince him otherwise. And then we drank a ton. I even busted out a little bit of coke, knowing full well that Dan, a good drinker, had probably not done anything harder than a weed gummy since college.
The rowdy mood led to all sorts of wild discussion, but I made sure to keep Dan "on the outside" a bit. Every time he seemed like he might chime in with an opinion on a stripper's body or was asked by someone about what his wife was like, I'd steer the conversation away before he could say anything.
Until, of course, we were alone while the other guys enjoyed lap dances in a private room.
"Thanks so much for coming out, Dan, I really appreciate it," I told him.
"Are you kidding me? This has been a wild night, man, thank you!" he said.
"Oh, no worries, brother," I said.
"Y'know, we can't tell Ashley about any of this," he laughed.
"Your secrets are safe with me, man...but I dunno...she seems like she might be cool with you blowing off steam every now and then," I said.
"Oh, for sure...but this is more than just blowing steam. A strip club? She'd kill me," he said.
"Really? I mean, dang, I thought she'd owe you," I said.
"Owe me?"
"Yeah, y'know...cuz of...like...when you weren't together," I said.
