"Bryan, this is going to be as difficult for me as it is for you. With business the way it is, we need to let you go. I mean sales are getting obliterated by Amazon. We can't keep you on."
"But how about Justin? He's the new guy in town and I've been here for over a dozen years. Why me?"
"I don't make these decisions, Bryan."
"But can't you put in a good word for me?"
"I already have. I told the boss that you are a dedicated employee, but Dominic only looks at the numbers. Your numbers aren't good, Bryan.
Justin's numbers are no better."
"Yes, but he is a bachelor," Bret, the manager said.
"What does that have to do with it?"
"He has nothing to offer."
"And I do?"
"Look, Bryan, we need to make these decisions based on all of the available information and everyone's situation."
"What kind of information?"
"One of them is you have a beautiful wife. Justin doesn't, so as I said, he has nothing to offer."
"And my wife has something to offer?"
"Yes. She has something to offer and the kind of woman that can save a man's job. It's not for me. As I said, I don't make these decisions."
"I don't speak for my wife either. I can't imagine she would understand that my job depends on her."
"I understand. Maybe the two of you need to talk. After you have discussed your options with her, we can have a sit down with Dominic and work out your situation. There's not much else I can do."
At home, it wasn't going to be an easy conversation for Bryan. After dinner, he said, "Dear, I'm on the bubble."
"On the bubble?" Sheila asked. "What does that mean?"
"Yeah," he started nervously. "It's a term they use in sports when the team might not make the playoffs. In my case, I might not keep my job."
"Why?"
"The recession and Amazon are taking big bites out of our sales."
"But you are one of their best employees."
"Apparently that doesn't matter. It's the numbers that count and mine haven't been that great."
"But we have a mortgage and the country club is expensive. What are we going to do without your income and the year-end bonus? We're stretched pretty thin."
"I know dear. Maybe you could get a job at the hair salon," Bryan suggested.
"I haven't done styling for years. I don't even know the latest fashions in hair."
"Well, Bret suggested an option. It's not what I'd like but it could save my job."
"What's the option?"
"Bret said I had something to offer that not everyone else has."
"That would be?"
"A beautiful wife."
"You have me to offer? Are you kidding?"
"Bret was deadly serious, darling. I know it goes on like this in corporate life, but I never thought it would involve us."
"So, you want me to be someone's whore."
"Not me and not someone's, Sheila. He mentioned, Dominic, the owner."
"I've never met Dominic and I don't want to. They're going to have to find another whore for him."
"Look, let's talk about this in the morning. Maybe we can find a way around it."
Bryan and Sheila tried to avoid each other the next morning over coffee. Bryan took the 6:42 into the city, as usual, the same train he had taken to work for a dozen years. He had time to think but he knew without Sheila's help, this could be his last commute. He decided to string Bret along and make promises he might not be able to keep.
At the office, Bryan told Bret to set up a meeting with Dominic. Sheila would decide after meeting him. "However, I need to be there as well," he told Bret.
"I can't promise anything, Bryan, but I'll see what I can do."
It took a week before Bret handed him an envelope with his name on it. Inside was an invitation that read, "Mrs. Beloit and I would love to meet you and your wife at Perkin's Bistro at eight-thirty Friday night."
"But why with his wife?" Bryan asked.
Bret shrugged, then said, "I don't know but Dominic is a family man."
Now Bryan needed to sell the idea to Sheila. Finally, she agreed to go but said, "It's only because I'm curious. It gives us some time before you are fired and another month to pay the mortgage. Maybe I can sweet-talk him into keeping your job."
But Bryan felt he heard a weakening in her voice. Maybe she had rethought the consequences. Sheila loved the neighborhood, the house, and her friends who all meet at the club. It was her social life. Giving it all up was a lot to ask. And one night with the boss didn't seem too much to ask.
The bistro was busy, but Dominic and his wife were not hard to find. They were the best dressed and the oldest. Dominic had a shock of silver-white hair and looked very much like an executive. His wife, Dorothy, was a natural blond and wore an elfin-style haircut making her look younger than in her mid-forties. She was attractive if not beautiful.
After the introductions, Dominic ordered a bottle of Champagne. He said it was to celebrate the closing of an important contract with a new customer. This put him in a good mood and talkative. Sheila and Bryan listened politely but said very little. Dominic's wife Dorothy hardly spoke.
Among the topics Dominic discussed were the company's family values. He felt they were necessary for a positive working environment. He said, "It's always been a dream of mine to make our company feel like we all are related as in a happy family. Socializing with the staff such as tonight makes me think our company is on the right track.
"I know there has been some talk about our company downsizing due to competition and the recession. But this new contract might help save a few jobs. Someone leaving us is, well, like a death in the family to me. As we all know, that affects everyone including husbands and wives. So, what I'm saying is we need to work together so that doesn't happen."
Sheila and Bryan knew exactly the point he was making. It was his way of telling Bryan he needed to have Sheila cooperate if he was to save his job.
"Holy cow," Sheila said on the way home. "What a hypocrite! He's a nice man and all that but telling us about family values when he wants to fuck someone's wife, well, that is hard to swallow."
"Speaking of swallowing, maybe you don't have to fuck him. Maybe a blowjob will be enough. Can you do that? I mean, you are good at it."
"Thanks for the compliment dear but you know it never stops there. At least it doesn't stop there with us."
"He's an older man so you never know."
At work, another envelope was on his desk. This one had different handwriting and smelled of perfume. It was from Dominic's wife, Dorothy. She was inviting him to lunch at her house on Wednesday at noon. The address was embossed on the envelope. She hoped he would be free. "Please RSVP: 487-5196, signed Dorothy Beloit."
Bryan asked Bret what he knew about the invitation. "I can't say, Bryan. I only know that the Beloit's were impressed with you and Sheila."
On Wednesday, Bryan left his desk at eleven-thirty. The Beloit house was not hard to find. It stood on a hill and could be seen from blocks away. Dorothy Beloit greeted him wearing a breezy summer frock with enough cleavage to make the dress interesting. It was nearly November making Bryan curious about her choice. She had a pretty face and was probably a beautiful woman in her younger years.
"What can I get you to drink, Bryan? I hope I'm not being too familiar by calling you by your first name. We're kind of informal around here," she said provocatively."
"Bryan is fine, Mrs. Beloit."
"It's Dorothy. Please call me Dorothy." A woman as beautiful as Dorothy could afford to be pretentious but that was not her style. She preferred to be subtly seductive and made sure to bend over when serving the wine so he could see she wasn't wearing a bra.
They both sipped wine and she served a light lunch then Dorothy said, "I don't wish to be presumptuous, Bryan, but that chat we had the other night was about your job. Is that correct?"
"Well, yes, there is a question about downsizing at the office."
"And in particular, it is your wife who is being asked to help."
"I don't know what you mean, Dorothy."
She looked at her hands as if to inspect her nail polish then looked at Bryan and said, "You are being asked to offer your wife to my husband. There is no sense in denying the obvious. This has happened before. My husband can't resist pretty women, especially as beautiful as your wife. Look, I'm not a spring chicken anymore so he strays from time to time. But Bryan, I still have my needs, so I enjoy the company of younger men like you. Do you understand what I'm saying, Bryan?"
Yes, Mrs. Beloit. I get your point."
"Maybe I can make my point even clearer in the bedroom. I think it can help your cause."
Bryan hadn't anticipated that he would be called upon to cheat on his wife. On the other hand, if he told Sheila he had an affair with Dorothy Beloit, she might find it easier for her to spend time with Dominic. So, he followed Dorothy to the bedroom.
"Kiss me, Bryan. You don't have to mean it but make me feel like you do."
She smelled like the perfume on the envelope. They kissed and he raised her light dress over her head. She was naked underneath. Her ample breasts were pleasing to the eye with only a hint of a sag. Her hips were wide like most women of her age. She had shaved her pussy. Dorothy wasn't Bryan's fantasy girl, but she was more than worthy of his attention.