Duvet Days
******​
Henry Willoughby could hear noises from upstairs that told him his wife was up and about but he was a little bemused that she was taking time to come down the stairs to join him. The sounds indicated that she was changing bedding or something of that ilk which was a strange thing to be doing on a work day, but then again, one thing that he had learned about her was that she was anything but predictable.
He put down his coffee cup and turned his head at the sound of high heeled shoes clicking on the tiles of the kitchen floor. It was Daniella (who else would have been?) and his jaw dropped at the sight of her, she was wearing a short red silk dressing gown that was loosely tied and ineffectively hid her underwear beneath or the fact she was wearing a suspender belt holding the tops of her black stockings.
"You don't mind if I take the day off do you, darling?" she asked.
He shook his head. "N... no," he replied. "Is... is anything the matter
"No," she said putting her arm around him,".. as I was getting dressed I thought that, actually, I don't have much on at work at the moment so I thought a day off and some time to myself would be nice."
Henry put his arm around her waist. He could feel the outline of her panties through the material of her gown; the smell her perfume and, as always when he held her close, felt a thrill course through his own body. He restrained himself and merely said, "Not a problem, it's fine by me. Are you planning on going out then?"
She shook her head, freed herself from his embrace and went to fill a cup from the percolator and said, "I was thinking of going back to bed actually, and having a proper lie-in."
Actually, the reality was that her decision had nothing to do with him for although they both worked at the same company, in the same building, they weren't in the same department and therefore her being absent from work would be an understanding between her and her boss; aka, 'nothing to do with me'.
He looked at her as she stood with her back to him, pouring her coffee; long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders; long, shapely nylon covered legs beneath the hem of the red silk dressing gown, a sight that caused a nervous flutter in his stomach, a stirring in his loins and a desire to go over, turn her around and snatch at the tie of the silk gown, expose her, take each breast in his hands, kiss them and gently tweak each nipple. He wanted to fall to his knees; cover her inner thighs and mound with his kisses and then pull down her panties and taste her sex.....
.. but he didn't.
Although he knew that Daniella enjoyed his attention, his oral skills, he also knew better than to disturb her from her chosen routine; she was very forthright and would not appreciate him interrupting what she had decided to do. From his point of view, it was a shame, a lost opportunity, for although he was aware that his manhood was no better than average size and knew that, most probably, there were lots of men who had more to offer, he consoled himself with the knowledge that he more than made up for his lack of inches with his oral expertise...
... She had often told him so.
******​
He knew that he was so lucky to have married her. She was ten years younger than him, beautiful and very attractive. They first met over the water-cooler shortly after she came to work for his company, well, not HIS company, rather the company at which he worked.
He had been captivated by her initial appearance when he first spotted her presence and thereafter looked forward to their chance encounters (except that often they weren't 'by chance' as he was forever keeping an eye on the rest area of the open plan office) and if the situation allowed would quickly join her and engage in some kind of chat.
He quickly learned that she had been down on her luck, virtually penniless after a recent divorce from an abusive marriage and was living in a one bedroom apartment in a not-so-nice area of town. She hadn't made a big deal of her situation but it was clear she was at a very low place in her life.
For himself, he liked to think of himself as having done well in his life, he had a good job, did well in his field and his salary was a reflection of that but, as much as he congratulated himself on his success he was also aware that he was no great looker, therefore it was an ego-boost that this attractive, flirty lady seemingly reciprocated his interest and for their water-cooler meetings to evolve into something resembling a romance.
Friends had tried to warn him that she was only after him for one thing (certainly it wasn't his body) and that she had a roving eye but he didn't care. He needed someone like her in his life and after a few months of meeting at the water cooler and subsequently going out together, he asked her to marry him. She had shown a little hesitation in accepting citing the pain she still felt from her previous abusive marriage but when he said to her, ".. I will take care of you, never hurt you and I won't disrespect you and I will let you tell me when you want to, uh, you know..."
She did know and responded, "I... I don't like the idea of being tied into a relationship again.... but if you are not expecting to...," she gave that charming giggle "... you know"
He had held her close, "I mean it when I say that I will not expect you to be... well... you know.. maybe sometimes"
Daniella accepted his marriage proposal and six months on they were very content and happy.
******​
Henrylooked around for his car keys, espied them on the counter and walked across the kitchen to where she was still concentrating on her coffee cup. She turned, put the cup down and gave him a kiss and asked rhetorically, "You off then?"
They kissed again and ignoring her question nervously asked his own, "Will... will you be sleeping all day?"
She rested her hands on his shoulders and pressed up tightly against him to discover that he was getting an erection, "Hmm, I will most probably be lazing in bed for most of the day... why do you ask?"
"I was planning on leaving the office at around four o'clock today... will you... uh, will that be too early?"
"Of course not, darling," she told him as she reached down to squeeze his bulge,"... I will be up and ready for you."
He followed her example and reached down to slip a hand under her silk gown and felt her wet warm pussy. He couldn't think of anything to say so she said it for him as she gently squeezed his hardness again, "I'll have something nice for you tonight when you come home," she told him.
Henry groaned, "Something nice?"
"Yes darling, I've already been making preparations. Perhaps you might just pop back upstairs and finish off by straightening up the duvet before you leave? You know I find that awkward."
He pulled away, picked up his car keys and then went upstairs to find that Daniella had remade and put fresh sheets on the bed, their best, the white satin ones. He went to her side of the bed and neatly turned down her corner of the duvet before going to the other side to turn down his corner as well. He stood and examined his work with satisfaction then went back downstairs, put on his jacket and, after kissing her goodbye, left for the office.
He was well aware that she would not just be lazing about in bed.
*****​
Henry was an account manager responsible for many client accounts. He accepted that his portfolio of managing these 'average' clients meant he was regarded as 'middle management' but he held aspirations of being promoted to overseeing more profitable customers so that he in turn could benefit from their success. Fulfilling this ambition however, was very much dependent on the whim of the CEO, a man with a reputation of being a womaniser, who could be as unpredictable in his decision-making as Daniella was in hers. It was no secret within the company that if you 'played nice' with the CEO then he would be more inclined to dispense his favour to those who showed him respect. For that reason there were many rumours and a few substantiated instances (Daniella reliably informed him) where such respectful behaviour had been rewarded, as was evidenced by the number of attractive women who had been promoted to populate his domain. She never said so directly but he did wonder if her own elevation to the company HR department was a result of being compliant with this policy.
Henry, not having the required attributes or assets, despaired of being able to take advantage of such a route to promotion... or did he?
******​
He arrived at the office and straightaway had his first surprise of the day. Alice, the CEO's personal assistant, had come into his office and presented him with a mug of coffee, a surprise for although he was often liaised with her during the working day and knew her quite well, she would normally only provide such a service to her boss, Ian. In the normal course of events, it would have been Daniella who often started her working day by giving him that treat.
He thanked her for her consideration to which she replied that Daniella, her friend, had rang the office to say she would not be in that day and had jokingly asked that although she, Alice, was not his wife and lover would she be kind and bring coffee for him when he arrived and give him his 'usual treat'.
He had to check himself as Alice came around his desk to place his mug on the coaster as he knew what the 'usual treat' referred although he was too embarrassed to tell her when she asked what that might be.
He couldn't do to her what he normally did with Daniella, of playing their little game. He couldn't reach down and touch the back of her knees; he couldn't slowly slide his hand up under the hem of her skirt and between her legs from behind; he couldn't bring his fingers up over her stocking tops, linger for a few moments in her warmth before venturing further; he couldn't press his fingers into the warm, damp panties; he couldn't feel her sex against his fingers; he couldn't gently rub her as she parted her legs. Neither could he ask her to remove her panties and demand she put them in his drawer until going home time.
"Will that be all then Mr. Willoughby?" she asked him.
He glanced up at her and shook his head, "No, er, Yes thanks, Alice".
She walked away and then suddenly turned around, "Oh, sorry Mr. Willoughby,I forgot to mention. Ian also rang in to say he is out today meeting somewhere but that you are not to worry, he said that his in-tray is cleared and depending on how well his meeting goes, that he may have some good news for you when he comes in tomorrow. He also mentioned that he was aware that your wife was taking a duvet day."
Henry looked up at her hoping to get a hint OF what kind of good news might be forthcoming but her expression gave nothing away, "Thanks, Alice".
Duvet days as a perk were quite the thing in Henry's firm. Ian, the CEO was smart enough to know that it was better to allow employees who fancied taking an occasional day off to do so by ringing the office and honestly declaring it rather than pretending to be sick. All that was required of them was to be responsible and not be absent if the workload demanded their presence. He allowed his staff five duvet days a year which everyone recognised as being an extra weeks annual vacation, quite a perk.
Alice left and as she closed the door behind her he switched on his computer and waited for it to whirr into life so he could check the time on the screen. The screen blinked and he grimaced at the thought that there was a long time to go before home time. As he waited for the computer to finish doing whatever it is that computers do when you're keen to start work, his thoughts turned to Daniella and he wondered what she might be doing.
He was certain that she was with another man, that she had a lover, but he had no idea whom he might be or the name of the person for whom he had turned down the duvet for on his side of the bed. Neither did he want to know but he did admit to himself of being curious.
His thoughts were interrupted when the mobile phone in his pocket began vibrating. He pulled it out and the screen told him it was Daniella, "Just wondered if everything was okay; whether you got your coffee," she asked him.
"Y... yes," he told her,"..everything's fine. Should be a quiet day, Ian is out of the office."
"Hmm that figures," she told him. "Chloe, in the mailroom, is on holiday this week."
"Chloe?"
