The phone rang in the kitchen. Laura Bowen looked up from the book she was reading.
"Could you answer that dear," her husband Gerry asked.
Gerry Bowen had brought work home for the weekend and was diligently working on it. They didn't get many phone calls and Laura pondered who it might be as she walked through to the kitchen to pick up the phone.
"Did he tell you the good news?"
"Umm, yes," Laura replied, her heart sinking, instantly recognizing the voice.
Laura had hoped not to hear from Kirton Hughes. Her husband had returned home on Friday evening delighted to inform her that his job probation period had been moved out to two months. Laura knew of this in advance, because Kirton had told her, following their sexual liaison at his home office.
"Good, and did you reward him as a wife should?" Kirton continued.
"Umm, well, possibly. We had a nice evening," she replied trying to keep her voice as monotoned as possible, should her husband be listening from the lounge.
"Possibly! Ha, ha, ha. You fucked him alright, didn't you?"
"Yes," she answered, as blandly as she could.
"Good. Gerry deserved a small reward. Ok here's what we'll do. I've freed myself up Wednesday afternoon so we can meet at my home office at 1pm. You can make a comparison between your husband and your lover."
"I... I don't think I can make that time," replied choosing to ignore his crudeness
"Why not?"
"I'm playing tennis that morning."
"Oh, you play tennis down at the club. Good for you. How do you find it there?"
"The facilities are quite run down, but apart from that, I enjoy it."
"Run down are they. Hmmm. Ok, what time do you finish?"
"Ummm... early afternoon," she replied lowering her voice still further.
"Good. I'll come around to your house early afternoon. You enjoy the rest of your weekend Laura," he said and rang off.
Laura stood stunned, still holding the phone.
"I can't have him around here. Not in my house," she thought, quickly dialing the number at the factory.
Being Saturday, no one answered, and Laura hung up.
"Who was that darling?" Gerry called out.
"It was ahhh... just Margaret, asking if I was going to tennis this week."
Kirton hung up the phone and sat back in his large chair. He was in his office at the factory, as was his practice every Sunday. He liked to work some weekends, feeling it set a good example to his employees. Some were present that afternoon, especially in Accounts. They were trying to get their heads around the new accounting system, which Hughes Mining was looking to implement.
"You'd better have it operational soon or heads will roll," Kirton had told old Jack Fisher, the Head of Accounts, watching Hughes and Co longtime employee squirm.
Kirton considered Laura Bowen, who he'd taken to his bed only days earlier. It had required the motivation of saving her husband's job to get her there but, despite this, she'd proven surprisingly willing. Kirton had not been expecting this of the seemingly conservative young wife, and had been delighted, coming away desiring more.
Although married, Kirton no longer had relations with his wife, the mother of his six children. She'd long been aware of his serial philandering and for some years had been refusing him. They slept in separate bedrooms. This didn't concern Kirton. Mary had been a good wife, raising their six children well, while he was often absent. She deserved not to be pestered by him. However, at 48nyears old Kirton continued to have a strong sex drive. A lack of opportunity at home meant he constantly needed to find relief elsewhere.
"I must have Bridget start working Sundays," he thought, frustrated that his immediate need could not be satisfied. "She won't like the notion, but I can give her fiancé a pay rise by way of compensation."
Kirton had first sighted Bridget Huff at 18 years old. She was the daughter of an Assistant Manager. He'd offered her a job and bedded her within days of commencing. She was inexperienced and had clearly not enjoyed the experience, telling Kirton she would need to leave.
He'd told her work was not easy to find in middle-America in the early 1970's, and that she should speak to her father about adapting to the demands of the job. Bridget had returned telling Kirton her father had told her she must do what was required, while her mother had merely cried. Pleased with his employees response, Kirton had given Cedric Huff a substantial pay rise and gone about molding his young attractive daughter to his needs. Three years later she was the only woman he returned too. The rest me merely discarded, once he tired of them.
One day Bridget had come to Kirton saying she'd become engaged to Wayne, who worked on the factory floor and that she could no longer come to Kirton's bed. Kirton had promoted Wayne to Floor Manager and informed Bridget that he required her to remain available.
"I can't give young Wayne another promotion," pondered Kirton. "I'll give him a pay rise and he'll need to understand this entails his future wife being available to work weekends."
Happy with his decision Kirton decided to remain celibate until the Wednesday, while looking forward to seeing the very captivating Mrs. Laura Bowen again.
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Wednesday morning saw Laura particularly flustered. She'd hidden her angst from her husband, because he remained upbeat in the knowledge he'd retained his job for at least another two months.
"Little does he realize the price I'm paying to secure his happiness," Laura thought, while cooking his breakfast.
Once she'd kissed him and sent him out the door, Laura considered skipping tennis, but dismissed this idea.
"What's remaining at home going to achieve. I'll just sit here fretting and then he'll come around anyway," she decided.
As was her practice she tied her dark hair back in a pony-tail, before slipping into her short white tennis dress, matching frilly panties and white tennis shoes. Once at the tennis club, in the company of the other women, Laura began to relax. She enjoyed her tennis and despite the morning heat, was looking forward to playing. 'Women only' mornings occurred twice a week. On Wednesday mornings the players circulated, playing one set games, before moving on to compete against another opponent.
Laura was a good tennis player, younger and more fit than most of the others. She won her first two games with ease. Her third opponent of four was Diane King, the woman who had introduced her to Kirton Hughes, when he approached their group at the recent work function. Diane was closer to Laura's age and her equal at tennis. They embarked on a long, tiring game as the morning drew hotter.
At the end of their match, Laura had won six games to five, and the two women approached the net to congratulate each other.
"Good game Diane. Thanks."
"Yeah, nice win. I missed a few shots."
"Thanks," Laura repeated, intending to walk to her next game, when Diane took her by surprise.
"Have you heard from Kirton Hughes?"
Given her appointment that afternoon the question hit Laura like a sharp barb. She hesitated briefly before replying.
"No, of course not. Why?."
"I just wondered, because he's standing over there talking to Brad, the groundskeeper."
Laura jerked her head around to look. The two men were conversing, while looking out to the courts. She quickly hid her look of disquiet before turning back to Diane.
"Does he often come down here?"
"Only if there's something of interest to him," Diane replied with a knowing smile, turned and walked away.
Laura moved to her next game as quickly as she could, pulling at her short tennis dress in a vain effort to make it longer.
Unfortunately, her next opponent Pat had gone for a toilet break, leaving Laura standing alone and very self-conscious. Her heart racing, she glanced to see him still there, looking more imposing than ever.
"Oh Laura, what have you got yourself into," she worried.
Laura had long held a secret attraction for large, brawny, charismatic men.
"Why not," she'd rationalized. "Many women would find them attractive."
In public she was dismissive of such men and their brash manner. Privately, safe in her own bedroom, she'd long fantasized freely about them, assuming other women also did. Only once, while in college, had she dipped her toe in the water, but pulled back before matters could get out of hand. Now, required to save her husband's job, she'd gone with the man standing only yards from where she stood. No longer mere fantasy, her recollection of what had occurred with him was vivid.
"I gave more than enough of myself that afternoon," she thought, as she fought to deny the physical reactions her memory elicited. "My husband now has a chance to prove himself and I shouldn't have to do any further shameful acts. It's unfair. I'll tell him so today."
Pat arrived and Laura was relieved to commence their match. However, the two men remained talking. Conscious of this, Laura couldn't concentrate and began the game in terrible form, soon down four games to love. At this point she glanced and both men had gone. Better able to concentrate, Laura lifted her game, but still lost six games to three.
"Well done Pat," Laura congratulated at the net.
"First time I've beaten you," Pat reflected accurately. "Did Mr. Hughes watching make you nervous."
"No! Not at all," Laura said, aware that her denial was too quickly given.
"Maybe subconsciously, he's an imposing man who'd make any woman's knees quiver," was all Pat said, walking away.
"Oh golly," Laura uttered quietly, getting a sinking feeling. "What are they all alluding too. Why did they think he's here to see me. I've done nothing to have them think that way. Nothing at all."
She gave some consideration to querying the women further, but decided that would merely increase suspicion. She moved into the clubrooms and took a drink of water. At this point Brad walked over to her.
"Mr. Kirton and I thought you look a good player Mrs. Bowen," Brad said.
"Oh... ummm.... thanks. I didn't know you were watching."
"Watching intently Mrs. Bowen. You need to stay a few minutes; I have an announcement."
Disturbed by his comments, Laura got another drink and sat waiting for the other games to finish. Once they had, Brad called all the women together.
"Good news for us here at the Tennis club ladies," he began. "Mr. Kirton paid a visit today and was shocked at the disrepair of courts and equipment. He said we are to get new nets, two new hardcourts at the north end, and the clubroom will be refurbished."
