The next morning, I woke after a restless night of sleep. Usually I sleep very well after Tanya and I make love, but my mind began racing as soon as I opened my eyes. What to make of last night?
Tanya remained curled up under the covers sleeping as I got out of bed. Despite the promise from my wife of a lovemaking session before work today, I felt very unsettled. Like playing the real game of dominoes, I kept drawing a piece that I didn't need. Each question I asked, not the answer I needed.
Disappointed? Yes.
Angry? Sort of.
Aroused? Maybe.
Need to figure this out? Definitely.
If I have time during lunch, I try to fit in an hour work out at the gym. Half hour to forty minutes on the tread mill, twenty minutes of lifting, and then ten minutes of stretching before a hot shower. Today, I decided to go running before breakfast. Tanya wasn't up, and with the wine she drank last night, it would be an effort to get up for work this morning. So off I went.
I found myself on one of the many jogging trails winding through the Denver area before long. The quiet of running in the early morning mist was invigorating, but soon, I was reflecting on Tanya's behavior last evening. She seemed receptive to Jon's advances, that much was obvious. Jon sticking around to help clean up the patio was not the first time one of our friends, male or female, had done this. Her mild flirtation with Jon on the sofa before they became hot and heavy was not the first time I've seen her flirt with someone. Our lovemaking was very good, and while there were times she wanted more when I was spent, there have also been times when she said no mas!
As I continued my run, I began to wonder if she had in fact always pushed away suitors. Our periods out of town for business travel may in fact be an enabler for her after all. Now, for all I knew, she could be having random sexual encounters on the road. Or, I hoped, maybe this was really a one time thing caused by too much wine, a good looking friend making a pass that wasn't denied.
Nearing the end of my run, I decided a couple of things. I wasn't going to be the guy who's wife was sneaking around with everyone laughing behind his back. Jon usually kept his cards very close to the vest, and unless one of the women he dated made a comment among the girls about him, he wasn't one to kiss and tell. Nonetheless, I had to keep an eye and ear on my wife, and some of her friends to see if last night came up in discussion. Second, I wasn't going to become a statistic in the divorce count, but I wasn't going to look like a fool either. I was curious why Jon didn't make a move on one of Tanya's friends as they were single. Did he target married women? Lastly, if a cute woman threw herself at me, I'd have to think twice about not starting my own game of dominoes.
When I got back to the house, Tanya was just getting out of the shower and was startled to see me in my sweaty running clothes. My wife said she thought I was already at work, and was disappointed that I had left without waking her up. She looked a little tired, and I asked her how late she stayed out. Looking at me, then away, she said that around midnight, she and some of her friends left the wine bar for our house. Everyone had left by 130am-200am after having a few bottles of wine. My wife said that she needed to take it a little easy tonight as her stomach was a bit out of sorts from the wine she had. Luckily, she expected a fairly easy day leading into the weekend. I suggested dinner for the two of us that night, with some fun later on. Tanya put her left hand on the back of my neck and kissed me softly but lustily. Pulling back slightly she said you betcha and kissed me again.
Work that day consisted of resetting the dominoes for the opening the US currency markets and setting up our positions heading into the weekend. The dollar was stronger, and one of my traders suggested a strategy that anticipated profit taking ahead of the close of business. We entered into "put" arrangements immediately, and then calls in the Asian markets for Monday morning. As my team built up our positions by mid afternoon, the dominoes were all in place for the weekend. The reset button to our overnight strategy was helpful, and we were having a good day. In fact, a very good day as we called the dollar strengthening correctly.
Sitting back in my chair, I looked across the trading room. We have about forty five people who work as traders and trading support. Even though it's an "alpha male" type of business, we do have twenty five women on the floor. It's the type of position where you are generally "on game" the entire day, so its a generally young and energetic team. I think the oldest person working on the floor is 35. It's a group that works hard and plays hard.
Many of the women on the team are single and cute, and on more than one occasion, seemed to have an interest in me. But today, I seemed to notice only the married women. I looked at them a little bit differently today. I knew some of their husbands from social occasions, and their relationships appeared solid. But I wondered. Most dressed sharp but comfortable every day. But a few dressed pretty hot on Thursday and Fridays for weekend and pre-weekend social activities. I wondered pretty more.
I also looked at some of the guys on the team who were married. What about their wives, some of whom I have also met at the same social get-togethers. More dominoes. After a few minutes, I snapped out of my daydreaming to double check our positions in preparation of market close. Tanya texted me that she had heard of a new restaurant in the "Museum District" south of Denver's business district that might be interesting for dinner tonight. She had to close out some things, and suggested we meet at 7 at the restaurant. I returned the text, and said it was a date.
After markets closed, a few of my trader colleagues suggested that we go out for a cocktail to start the weekend. I told them sure, but I had to cut out to meet my wife at a restaurant for dinner. About an hour later, fifteen of my coworkers were sitting and standing at the end of a bar on the north end of Lo-Do. I was chatting with two of them, and I noticed that two more of my coworkers arriving at the bar. Christine and Sean worked in the derivatives group.
Christine had been working for the company for about a year and a half, and was married. Sean was also married, and was a senior trader. I couldn't help but notice that they seemed to have the look of the cat that ate the canary about them. Christine had a red blouse on with a short black skirt and pumps on. Her dirty blonde hair usually up in a pony tail during the day, was let down. She looked good. No, she looked hot. And she looked a little bit interested in Sean. Maybe I was imagining things, but maybe I was not. I made a mental note of this for future reference.