Chapter 2: Blunt Talk

After the sexless weekend, the next five days played out the same as the previous week. Peter tried to join Brandi in the shower one morning and was harshly rebuked: “Get out! I’m running late and need to get to the office by 8:00.”

Two evenings as they got ready for bed he tried to engage his wife. The first time she ignored him as he held her hips and pressed his hardening member against her panty-clad backside. The next time she turned him down by simply saying, “Not tonight. I’m not in the mood.”

On Friday morning Brandi told Peter that the regional vice president was coming to the store on Saturday. She was likely going to be late as she supervised the work needed to get the restaurant perfect for the visit. To her, this was the informal interview to prove she should be the next district manager.

Peter just shrugged at the news and gave her a non-committal peck on the cheek before he took his coffee and went to his office to begin his workday.

At 6:15 Peter’s boss sent him an instant message.

“Why are you still online on a Friday? You’ve put in well over 40 hours this week.”

Peter clicked into the messaging app.

“Just wrapping up a few things. Wife isn’t home so no rush to quit for the day.”

It only took a few seconds to get a reply.

“Just because she’s not home doesn’t mean you need to continue working. Go do something for yourself. The work will still be here on Monday.”

Peter smirked his understanding and entered a thumbs-up emoji in reply. A few minutes later he shut down his computer and leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling lost in thought.

He reached for his phone even though it had been silent all afternoon. As he expected, there was no message from Brandi. He reached to poke an icon on the screen for a game when he changed his mind. He opened the app for a local pizza place and ordered a pizza and a hoagie.

Thirty minutes later Peter was relaxing in his recliner with a paper plate holding two slices of pizza and half a hoagie balanced on the arm. A mostly empty beer sat to this right with an unopened full bottle nearby. In his hand Peter pushed buttons on the remote as he searched for a movie in a free-to-view list. He saw 9 ½ Weeks and clicked play.

When Mickey Rourke blindfolded Kim Basinger and started to tease her with an ice cube Peter slid his hand into his shorts and gripped his growing manhood. He slowly stroked himself as the scene unfolded on the big screen television. By the time the ice cube teased the top of Basinger’s panties Peter had pulled his dick free and was pumping himself in anticipation of blowing his load into a waiting napkin.

Chirp, chirp. His phone buzzed.

“Sorry, it looked like I was almost done, but Denny just dropped a five gallon bucket of pickles off the top shelf in the cooler and it exploded. We need to empty the cooler to clean it. Will be another couple of hours.”

“Fuck!” Peter spat as his erection ebbed and the movie moved on from the frosty seduction scene.

“OK,” was all he replied to his wife’s message.

He flopped against the back of his chair, his pants still around his ankles. He had lost interest in the movie and clicked over to a baseball game. It was in commercial break so he stood and pulled up his pants, then took his empty plate and beer bottles to the kitchen. He returned with two more bottles of beer and settled down to watch the game. The local team lost in extra innings but Peter didn’t register the outcome as his four beers had given him a good buzz and he drifted off to sleep.

“Hey! What are you doing out here?”

Brandi stood over Peter with a hand on her hip. He shook his head as he slowly woke.

“Huh?” he asked stupidly.

“Why are asleep on your recliner?”

Peter had come to and sat silently. He wanted to question why she cared where he slept since she spent so much time at work. Instead, he said, “Was watching the game and must have dozed off.”

“Go to bed.”

Peter followed Brandi to the bedroom and watched as she marched into the closet. When she did not return shortly, Peter knew she was considering every combination of blouse, skirt, pants, dress, and shoe to wear for tomorrow’s meeting. He grunted and rolled onto his side, pulling the covers over his head. He was snoring soundly when Brandi finally slipped into her side of the bed.

There was no note on Saturday morning. Peter knew this would be an all-day meeting as his wife schmoozed with the VP. It would probably turn into drinks and possibly dinner. He would be on his own for the day. Again.

The weather threatened rain but Peter didn’t care. He wheeled his bicycle out of the garage and started to ride. He was in a foul mood but did not push himself this morning. He just rode and let his mind wander. After ninety minutes he found himself approaching the coffee house he visited the week before. The grand opening sign still hung over the front door.