It's Fall 1997. I've been out of work for months, almost a year, surviving on my wife's paycheck, side jobs and unemployment. Money's been tight and we've been fighting about it.
She's been taking extra shifts and working late at the hospital. To help make up the difference, or so she says. At least sometimes I think it's just to be out of the house and away from me.
I don't blame her. I'd spend more time out of the house, if I could. Our house isn't really "our house". We're renting the first floor of a duplex. One bedroom, one bathroom, small kitchen and a living/dining room. Being stuck in small apartment is getting to me.
The thing is we'd moved there a few months ago to be closer to her job (and for the cheaper rent) and I don't really know the area yet. It's hard to find places I want to go that are also free. And, even when I can, I feel guilty about going out and enjoying myself while she busts her ass at work. Even if I am just hanging out at a park or by the river for free.
When we are home together, we inevitably get into a fight. If it's not money or my job prospects, it's sex.
Of course our sex life is, shall we say, "not great". After a little over 2 years of marriage, I think I was starting to get a little bored with the routine even before I lost my job. After it's only gotten worse. The longer I was unemployed, the less she wanted sex (at least with me, I have some suspicions about some of those "late shifts").
The truth is, I think I've kind of lost interest in sex. Not just with her, in general. I'm not jerking off much and, when I do, I often just sort of get bored and put my dick away without cumming. Sometimes I don't even really get hard.
But I just started a new job last week and I feel like maybe things will get better. The pay is significantly less than I was making before and the benefits suck, but it's a real job, working for a company doing Y2K prep work, making much more than unemployment. And I figure I can probably still do some side jobs for extra, under the table cash. And they say it's easier to find a new job when you're already employed, so maybe I can use this as a springboard. So I think maybe things will get better. At least I hope they will.
It's my second Friday at the job. The first two weeks were kind of rough. That's normal though, right? I've had a lot of stuff to assimilate, everything from new names and faces of co-workers and clients to company policy and procedures to a bunch of technical BS regarding their product lines. Today is the payoff for all that. I just cashed my first paycheck. I deposited most of it into our joint checking and I've kept a little to buy a decent bottle of wine to celebrate.
She likes Pinot Noir so I got a bottle of that. It's on the seat next to me as I drive home. I'm actually feeling kind of horny (or, as she calls it, "randy"). Just a little. I can't help but think maybe, after a couple glaces, she'll put out.
I pull up to the house and park on the street. The lights are on in the kitchen and in the bedroom. "Good omens," I tell myself. I take my key out and guide it toward the lock, like a cock seeking a welcoming hole.
My key doesn't quite reach the lock when the door gets pulled open. She's standing there. At first I think she's there to greet me, her EMPLOYED husband, warmly at the door. An excited wife, happy to see her man, like some kind of '50's sitcom. I have a stupid, toothy grin on my face. Then I notice her workbag bag over her shoulder.
"Oh, hey," she says, "I didn't realize you were home. I thought you might go out with guys from work or something to celebrate. First paycheck and everything."
"Yeah, no, I figured we could celebrate together," I say, holding up the bottle of wine, my smile slipping a bit, "first paycheck and everything....."
"Oh, that's sweet," she replies as she pushes past me, kissing me on the cheek, her lips barely brushing my skin. "Rain check? Tomorrow night, maybe? I took a shift tonight."
"Okay, right, yeah, rain check, sure...." I call after her as she walks down the hall.
"Oohhh, you got a good spot," she says when she sees my car.
I watch her car pull away, a slightly rusty, tan Subaru station wagon that she alternately hates and loves. Bumper stickers cover the back. That's a new thing, since the election. It started with "Clinton/Gore '96". Then came "Hug A Nurse", "
Girl
Woman
Power", a peace sign and most recently "Nurses Do It For 12 Hours Straight". The first time I fucked her was bent over the hood off that car.
Tail lights disappear as she turns the corner and that's it. I walk inside and close the door. There's nothing else to do.
I opened the wine and poured myself a glass and sat down to watch some TV. I took a sip and made a face. I couldn't believe I paid almost $30 for that crap. I poured my glass down the drain and looked for a beer. None to be found. I could have sworn there were a couple left, but apparently she drank them. Or someone did. Whatever.
I watched a little TV and went to bed. It wasn't even 10pm, but I was actually kind of tired. I'd been getting up at 5am everyday so I could be at work before 7am and been there until at least 5pm every night. There was a lot going on.
I was still kind of horny; I hadn't jerked off in about a week. I figured it was about time.
That was one of few the advantages of being alone in the house overnight. Being able to lay in bed jerk off without fear of being caught. My plan was simple, jerk off, cum on myself, maybe taste some and fall asleep that way. I would be awake and have things cleaned up before she got home.
I started to think about the admin assistant at work, the owner's niece or something. She was a cute little redhead, probably 18 or 19, that had been so helpful the past few days. I overheard her telling another girl at the office that I was kind of cute and a nice a guy and how it was great to work with somebody who wasn't a complete creep.
If she only knew.
I imagined my dick sliding between her perky B cups as I stroked my cock and fondled my balls. I imagined pushing her to her knees and holding a fistful of that long, red hair as my cock head slipped past those sweet Irish lips and I fucked her mouth. I imagined bending her over and eating her pussy and ass from behind before I stuck my cock deep into her cunt hole. Her cunt hole ringed by fiery red pubes. I imagined her gasping and moaning with pleasure as I pounded her like the slut she was. I imagined moving from her cunt to her ass, the only lube my spit and her cunt juice. I imagined her loving it.
Yet I couldn't finish. I was getting that bored feeling again. It's not that I didn't want to cum, I think I just didn't want to cum alone.
I pulled on my pants, shirt and shoes. I grabbed my keys, a $20 from my secret cash stash (all of $37 before I raided it) and headed out with something like $22.50 in my pocket. I wasn't sure where I planned to go; I don't think I really had a plan beyond find a bar. I looked at the car. I had gotten a perfect spot, right out front. She saw it. If I lost it, she'd know I went out. There would be questions about where I went and how I got the money for it. No matter what the answer, it would probably be an argument.
There was a 7-11 within walking distance. I headed toward it.
A few minutes later I was inside looking at the beer selection. I made the classy yet pragmatic choice - a 40 of Budweiser. I walked home and, since it was a nice May night, I sat down on the porch steps to enjoy my bottle. Even though I was drinking straight from the bottle, I stayed classy and held my pinky out as I drank.
I had made a small dent in it when I heard my upstairs neighbor come down. I know I'd been told her name but I couldn't remember it.
She was an older woman, around 45 or so, not really old, just older than me. She lived with her daughter, a pretty 20-something who was going to community college. There was also a boyfriend (mom's, not daughter's) who was there pretty often but didn't actually live there.
Mom smoked and the landlord didn't approve so she'd taken to stepping out for the occasional cigarette. She sat down next to me and lit up.
"Hi," she said, "do you mind?"
"Hi. No, not at all." I lied.
"Nice night," she said exhaling smoke.
"I guess so," I answered and took a sip of beer.
"Where's your wife?" More smoke exhaled.
"Working. Night shift. Won't be home until morning. Maybe early afternoon." Another sip.
"Oh. My daughter's out, too. Went with friends to Jersey Shore for the weekend. Won't be home until Sunday." Smoke.
"Jersey Shore is nice. She'll have fun." Sip.
"Boyfriend's turkey hunting or fishing or some bullshit until Sunday, too." Smoke.
"Oh." Sip.
Quiet. Smoke. Sip.
She looked at me. "You know she's fucking somebody else, right?" Smoke.
I looked at her. "Yeah, I figured." Sip. Who did this bitch think she was?
Quiet.
"You know he's fucking somebody else, right?" Sip. Fuck it, two can play at this game.
"Yeah, I know." Smoke.
Quiet.
She finished her cigarette. She dropped it and crushed out the butt under her heel. She stood up. She looked at me.
"You want to come upstairs?"
I stopped mid sip. Was she saying what I think she was saying?