Wives Like Jodi 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE -- This is a polished draft of a story that I published a few years ago.

While the story is exactly the same, I was desperate to tidy up some random inaccuracies and formatting errors. I'm so glad that I did as this has been my favourite story that I've ever written for Literotica and it was overdue for some tidying. It's a pure reluctance story and I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you to anyone who checks this out for the first time and thanks to everyone who read the original version.

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"Oh, she's not going to like this. Not one little bit..."

No sooner had Max pulled into an empty space in the car park, and switched off the engine, the beginnings of a ferocious downpour made themselves known. Thick droplets of rain began peppering his windshield and battering against the metallic red bonnet of his Vauxhall Corsa.

With the car having just reached 10 years of age, even the slightest bout of bad weather was enough to have Max on alert. He knew when he embarked upon a career in acting that earning a living was going to be tough, but the financial sacrifices he'd made to chase his dreams felt, at times, like they were too much to take. And those feelings usually became front and centre in his mind when his car needed even more money thrown at it to keep it on the road.

As the initial downpour settled into a prolonged, heavy shower of rain, Max looked up as he heard the noise he was waiting for. He was sat outside a large, modern office building in the middle of an industrial estate, to which the front door of the main entrance swung open. It was just after 11:00 p.m. on a Friday in early June when Max watched his young wife, Jodi, peer anxiously through the driving rain in search of her lift home. As was routine for them both, Max offered a modest tap of his steering wheel and peeped the horn, before raising his hand and beckoning her across.

He allowed himself a chuckle as Jodi attempted to dash from the front door to the car without getting soaked, which she failed at. Miserably. What was earlier a pleasant summer's day had prompted Jodi to head to work without a coat, and now she was holding a tiny cropped cardigan above her head as her signature long legs took massive, hurried strides towards Max's vehicle. With all the grace of a drowned rat, Jodi closed the distance and yanked the passenger door open, before diving into the seat and slamming the door, hard, behind her.

With her eyes closed, Jodi took a deep breath as she felt the dampness of her black dress clinging to her slender frame. "I swear to God... I fucking hate that place, babe. It was so, so busy tonight. Something about a problem with the customers' debit cards. People were just calling up, screaming that they couldn't pay for petrol, food...you name it. And I'm sat there, apologising, while they gave me dog's abuse all night."

Max took a moment to switch the heating on in a belated attempt to make Jodi more comfortable, before he glanced back across at her. Even in her current state, dishevelled from the elements, he couldn't help but appreciate just how beautiful she looked. Her long brown hair was matted in places from the intensity of the downpour, but it flowed gorgeously down her black work dress. The hem of which rested only a few inches above the knee, but was purposefully short enough to showcase her terrific long, slim, toned legs. But as she caught her breath from her exertions, Max smiled as her striking green eyes slowly opened and she began to compose herself.

"It was that bad? Jesus... Listen, Jodi, don't let it get to you. We both know what those customers are like. They'll shout and scream at anyone when they're angry. Trust me, if they could see who they were speaking to, they'd bend over backwards to shower you with compliments." With a subtle grin forming across his face, Max continued. "Besides, if you really wanted to stick it to them, they should see how perfect you look even after getting caught in the rain. Just think, babe, one of these days we'll drive past big buildings like this and that beautiful face will be all over posters and billboards. Speaking of which, did you hear back from them tonight?"

As soon as Max's question was posed, Jodi couldn't stop herself from bowing her head as she absently played with the damp crew neck of her dress. "I got an email from them tonight just after six. The usual. They liked my look and energy at the audition, but they had concerns that I don't have much experience and they're going in another direction." With a thud, Jodi thrust the back of her head against her seat and let out a long, audible sigh. "You saw those other girls when you came to pick me up. Half of them were completely interchangeable. They were all tits and teeth. Don't get me wrong, they were gorgeous. Some of them were breathtaking, but they just play this game better than I can. Some of these jobs just feel like the agents pick the cleavage they like best and move on. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here in a dead-end job in a fucking bank's call centre, getting screamed at over the phone..."

The weight of her disappointment compelled Max to reach across and rest his palm on Jodi's knee. "Look, we both know how much work you've been putting into this. We've both knocked on so many doors by this point...we've knocked so loud we're going to wake the neighbours! Jodi, I don't care if we have to knock with a battering ram, you are the complete package. Those girls might flaunt their tits in every audition, but not one of them has your look. They'd kill to put your elegance and natural beauty in front of a casting agent."

As his fingertips brushed across her knee, Jodi tilted her head towards him. "The skirt I wore to that audition barely covered my ass. It's just so frustrating. I'm 5'5", but I'm all legs. And when I decide to fight fire with fire and show them off, I just know that they're counting me out because I'm slim with a flatter chest." After taking a short breath, Jodi sat forward in her chair and fastened her seat belt. "They may as well hang a sign on the front door for me in the future, smaller chests aren't welcome... How about you? Did you hear anything about those jobs from last week?"

With a soft shrug of his shoulders, Max fought the urge to look away in embarrassment. "Nothing from either. The deadlines for both are pretty much up by now. Obviously having heard nothing at this point isn't a good sign. I know reading for a play that's broadcast on the radio is a bit out there, but they really made me think that I'd done enough."

After a pause, Max tapped his fingers on the steering wheel for a few seconds before he continued. "Listen, I saw something earlier today. It wasn't in the trade press, but a guy I used to work with sent the link to me. It's an advert for a job over in Glasgow. There wasn't much detail, but it said it was looking to hear from real-life couples in the industry and they want applicants to email them a link to their demo reels. I wish there was more I could tell you, but it's offering £2,000 each to shoot for 3-4 full days." With a hint of hesitation, he looked into Jodi's eyes. "The part about real-life couples makes me think it might be a casting for some reality TV bullshit, but...I don't know. The part where we could get £4,000 for a week's work... I mean, that's some breathing space I want to grab with both hands."

Jodi furrowed her brow as she let her fingers roll back and forth across the smooth strap of her seat belt. "That's pretty good money for just a week's work. Did you have time to check out the studio? The couple part is really weird though, why does it have to be a real couple? How would they know? Why would they even care? Maybe you're right, it does sound like a reality TV casting. And you don't need to film a game show for a full week." After a momentary pause, Jodi smiled and started to giggle. "Oh fuck, babe. Could you imagine if it was one of those sleazy porno castings? If that's what they're up to, trying to trick people with an ambiguous advert, I'd go fucking bananas."

The smile on Max's face widened as he considered his wife tearing the place apart. "Honestly? We already know the studios to avoid that are producing adult content. Unless it's a brand-new pop-up studio, I really don't think that's it. I did a bit of digging, but it's hard to pin them down. The studio's name is some kind of soulless corporate acronym, I can't even remember what it was. Normally, I'd just send my stuff to them, but because it would be for both of us, I wanted to see what you thought first."

After a deep breath, Jodi clasped both hands together and pressed her fingertips against her bottom lip. "I mean, we can apply, sure. If we get a response from them, we can always insist that they clarify exactly what they want. Glasgow's not far, but still... It's always excruciating to arrive at an audition and they ask for something completely different."

Max took a moment to start the engine and glance in his mirror. "Yeah, I think we should maybe just send our demo reels as they are. No need to go overboard customising the application. I'll just fill in the gaps about us being a couple and the ball will be in their court at that point." Just as Max started to pull out of the parking space, he glanced across to Jodi. "We can do it tomorrow morning. But after the shitty night you've just had, I can stop and get us some Chinese food on the way home. Money's never so tight that we can't get some of that soup on a Friday night, I'm absolutely starving!"

With her spirits buoyed, Jodi's eyes widened as she ran her hands across her soaked dress. "Perfect! But it's your turn to go out into that rain. There's no way in hell I'm walking into that shop looking like this..."

The following Monday, Max was sat at his kitchen table reading through a long list of job adverts in the hope of finding some acting work. With his eyes glued to the laptop screen, Max was busy scribbling some thoughts and observations down on an accompanying notepad as he decided on which adverts to pursue.

He and Jodi shared a small apartment on the outskirts of the city that they moved into just two years prior. Both were 25 years old and had met at high school, where they quickly became a couple and shared their dreams with each other of making it in the entertainment industry. Of the two, Max was always focused on securing consistent acting work while Jodi's dream was to become a star. Acting was never a true passion of Jodi's, although she held an incredible talent for it. Her true goal was to achieve a breakthrough in modelling, and reasoned that if she could get discovered at the right time, acting work wouldn't be as difficult to secure.

However, recent years had been difficult for them both. They spent their early twenties working in a variety of office jobs for close to minimum wage but kept their hopes up that their big breaks were imminent. However, as the months turned into years, they had to make do with a smattering of paid acting work every few months, from which they were able to create their demo reels and form the basis of a CV. Jodi was able to branch out and do some low-key modelling work, but both were frustrated that they were never close to being able to give up their jobs and achieve their dreams.

The two had gotten married the previous summer and had worked as much overtime as they possibly could to pay for the wedding. If it wasn't for their parents' insistence on contributing towards the cost, the ceremony would have been an incredibly modest one indeed. But despite their humble, working-class lifestyle, they were genuinely happy together and always strived to help motivate each other during tough times. Between Jodi's shifts at the call centre and Max's full-time job as an account manager, the roof was kept over their heads. But their savings from after the wedding were dwindling, which brought extra pressure to their current situation.

It was the morning of Monday 6th June, and Max had just begun a two-week paid holiday from work. He and Jodi weren't going on holiday that summer due to their financial situation, but at the very least they'd get to spend more time with each other. Jodi's recent shift pattern saw her working from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. every weeknight, and she got out of bed and joined Max in the kitchen just after 10:30 a.m.

Clad in just an oversized black t-shirt, Jodi shuffled across towards the kettle and flicked the switch before allowing herself an exaggerated stretch. "I can't believe I have to go to work for the next two weeks. If it was me that had the time off, I'd be going down to the park every day and enjoying the sun."

After taking a moment to lean back against his chair, Max slowly stood to his feet and slipped across the kitchen floor until he affectionately wrapped his arms, loosely, around Jodi's waist. "I think if you went down to that park every day, the locals would be lining up to check you out. They'd make it a spectator sport. If you wore those cut-off denim shorts, I'd be right there with them, babe. Right at the front of the queue." Max swooped in and planted a soft kiss against Jodi's cheek before turning and sitting back down in his chair.

Max hadn't gotten dressed yet as he'd only woken up around an hour earlier. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Max changed into a fresh pair of black boxers and pulled on a comfortable pair of jogging bottoms.

It was commonplace for Max to walk around their flat shirtless, which never drew any complaints from Jodi. As she scooped a spoonful of coffee and two sugars into her mug, Jodi's eyes darted back to Max as he resumed working on his laptop. She had the biggest crush on him from the moment they met in high school and her feelings had only gotten stronger as their relationship developed. He stood just over 6'1" and had a lean, muscular build. In all their years together, Max always found the time to stay in shape. There was barely an ounce of excess fat on his entire physique, with his sharply defined abdominal muscles complimented by strong shoulders and upper arms.

Underneath his jogging bottoms was what captivated her most. Jodi had always revelled in her high sex drive, and Max was the perfect partner for her. All she had to do was click her fingers and Max would be more than willing to please her. They spent many evenings together over the years distracting each other from the challenges in their professional lives, with Jodi riding every bit of Max's rock-hard seven inches with everything she had. And while Jodi drew immense confidence from her incredible looks and enviable figure, she knew from the way Max worshipped her small, gorgeous breasts and tight little ass that she was everything he wanted.

No sooner had Jodi poured the hot water into her mug and begun to stir than Max tilted his head quizzically and looked across at her. "Well, there's something I wasn't expecting to see. That advert we responded to at the weekend...the one asking for real-life couples. I only sent it on Saturday morning and they've responded to me."

Jodi tossed the teaspoon into the sink and brought her mug of piping hot coffee across to the kitchen table, where she pulled out a chair and sat before bringing her knees up to her chest. "That was fast! And you only sent them our demo tapes? Is it a rejection? It's only been a couple of days; we usually have to wait an eternity to get our hopes smashed to bits."

After taking a moment to review the contents of the email, Max sat back in his chair and glanced towards Jodi. "No, no. It's an invitation to go and meet the director. Her name's Molly, she says that she liked our reels and that she wants us to meet them to read some lines and have a screen test. There's still nothing about the job, but the email signature has that same corporate acronym for the name of the studio. Give me a second and I'll try and search for her name alongside the company's."

With care, Jodi slowly lifted her mug and took a short sip before resting it back on the table. "I just wish they'd be more forthcoming with the details. We could get there and they could ask me if I'm a trained ballet dancer or some other bullshit. If it's something outside of my wheelhouse, she could just tell us what's required. Is there anything you can find out about them that suggests that they're legit? Four grand is a lot of money."

Max spent the next 30 seconds concentrating as his fingertips danced across the keyboard. "Well, it's a fully registered company and I can see some archived financial records. There's nothing about this Molly character, but the company has been making a tidy profit for each of the last few years. It's definitely not a big studio, but it's not withering on the vine either. For me, the most important thing is that there are no sob stories or warnings about them from other actors. No bitter stories from production staff not getting paid, there's hardly any mention of them at all."

Jodi sat silently for a moment, in contemplation of what Max found. "In that case, if they're making money...we should go and meet them. I think if they were a scam, their name would be plastered all over the internet. Especially if they've been active for years. If it's something stupid, or weird, we can just thank them for their time and drive home."

The slow nodding of Max's head telegraphed what he thought they should do. "Yeah, that's where I am with it too. I'll reply to this email and confirm the time and date. She'll need to tell me where they're based, but I'll make sure we get there."

As Max spent the next few minutes drafting his response, Jodi drew her knees back up to her chest as she sipped her hot coffee. While it was reassuring to her that the company had a digital footprint, all she could think about was the casting call for real-life couples. The importance of that little detail swirled in her mind as Max fired off his response and went back to sifting through his long list of job adverts.

It was four days later, on a sunny Friday afternoon just after 2:00 p.m. when Max slowly cruised up the driveway of a large, distinguished property on the outskirts of the city. At first glance, he figured it was a six or seven-bedroom house, but certainly looked more like a private residence than a studio. The house was in a splendid spot, in near-perfect isolation as it sat next to large, contiguous acres of farmland. The closest houses Max could see were around a half-mile back down the road he'd just driven along, but were few and far between.

Just as he'd been instructed to do, Max crept towards the end of the driveway and parked his car in a reserved space on the left-hand side. Just as he and Jodi had stepped outside the vehicle, the front door to the property opened and a young blonde-haired woman emerged. At the first opportunity, the woman raised her hand above her shoulder and offered a friendly, energetic wave in Max and Jodi's direction, before shuffling down the steps and began walking across the 40-foot gap towards them.

Sensing her last moment before the woman arrived, Jodi ran both hands across the sleeves of her top and muttered to Max. "Ok, she's coming. How do I look?"

Max offered a calming smile towards his wife as he let his head start to nod slowly in her direction. "You look perfect, babe. Whatever this is, you're going to blow her away."

And for his part, he was completely honest. The ambiguity surrounding the meeting had influenced his wife to dress more casually, where she combined a tight pair of high-waisted, faded-blue jeans with a cute red crop top with long sleeves. As her long brown hair reached down past the cropped hem of her top, her flat, toned stomach was completely exposed. Max took a lingering look into her stunning green eyes, before glancing down at her long legs in those tight jeans. Silently, he reasoned that if they wanted to go in another direction from his wife, they'd need one hell of a reason to do so. Jodi looked like an A-lister on her day off. Her beauty was effortless.