“And then what did he do?” I asked, my eyes wide.

Millicent averted her eyes. “Well, he said he just couldn’t wait any longer. He tore off his apron, threw me over his shoulder, and carried me into the bedroom like a trophy.”

“ ... and then what?”

“Sara! My, my, I’m sure you can figure it out...”

“Don’t get bashful now! What happened? Tell me!”

She hesitated, but only for a moment. “He threw me onto the bed and ate me out. Then when I got close, he flipped me over and he made love to me from behind. It was just so primal and manly and passionate...”

“You’re blushing.”

She coughed and took a slow slip of her oolong tea. “It was quite memorable...”

I sighed. “That sounds like fun ... I wish I had a husband like Erik. Or any husband. Or a boyfriend...”

“You’ll find someone, Sara. You’re a wonderful woman! You’re intelligent, you’re talented, you’re beautiful. I’m sure there are plenty of men interested in you! In fact, Erik used to have a crush on you, before he and I met.”

I perked up. “Wait, he did? He never told me that!”

“I expect he was embarrassed to tell you. It was a long time ago, anyways. Back when you two were in college.”

“I had no idea! Really?” What a surprise! Erik and I had hung out a lot back when we were students together, but I hadn’t ever noticed that he had a crush on me. Of course, I had been focused more on my drums than anyone or anything else. He was certainly attractive. Not only in looks, but hearing how he spoiled Millicent and devoted himself so much to her pleasure, it was impossible not to admire him, not to use him as my standard of what a good husband was like. Was it really possible he had been pining for me that whole time? He had given me a lot of backrubs ... and he ate dinner with me a lot ... and he always came to see me perform...

Oh.

“Don’t tell him I told you,” Millicent instructed me. “I think he’d be somewhat chagrined if he found out you knew.”

“I won’t,” I assured her. I drank my coffee. What would have happened if he had asked me out back then? Would I have said yes? Would Millicent and I be switched right now, with me telling her all about my romantic, adoring, passionately horny husband while she moaned about a lack of good guys in her life? Or would I be at home right now, laying in our marital bed, Erik’s face between my thighs, his tongue licking my clit as I moaned his name, hungry for his cock inside me?

“Sara?”

“What? Sorry, I spaced out.”

“Yes, evidently. I was just saying I have to run. I’ve got a book club to go to. You’re welcome to join me. We’ve been reading The Master and Margarita.”

“I’m good, thanks. I’ve got a hot bath waiting for me at home.”

“Alright.” Millicent stood up and collected her things. “I’ll see you next Saturday?”

“Sounds great! See you then!” She put away her empty cup and walked out the door towards her car. I held my coffee up to my face and inhaled its earthy, comforting aroma as it warmed my face.

So, Erik had a crush on me ... I wondered whether he still did. Did he ever think about me while he was with Millicent? Did he wonder what life would be like had he asked me out and we ended up together? Did he fantasize about me, imagining what our sex life would be like?

When I went over their house to swim and sunbathe and relax in their hot tub, was he comparing us side by side in our swimsuits? Did he wonder what I looked like underneath? Did he undress me in his mind, picturing my naked body? I bit my lip as I realized that I hoped he did, and I wasn’t even sure whether I’d refuse him if he asked me to show him. I sighed. But the past was past. If I had ever had that chance, it was long gone now.

I set down my cup. Next to it lay a ring I hadn’t noticed before. Had Millicent left it behind? I picked it up. The band was white gold, and it held several small diamonds in a channel setting, with a midnight blue sapphire for the center stone. It looked absolutely beautiful. I held it between my fingers, admiring it. It was impossible we wouldn’t have noticed it when we sat down, let alone the entire time we had been talking.

I noticed an inscription inside the band and held it closely to read it. I nearly dropped the ring when I read, “To My Darling Sara.” I looked around. Was I on a hidden camera show? Was my reaction being recorded right now, ready to broadcast on Youtube should it prove hilarious enough for the masses? Where had this ring come from?

I slipped it on to my left ring finger. I knew that I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help but think how beautiful it would look on me. And I was right. It fit perfectly, too. I held up my hand to admire it and literally gasped at the sight. If this were a prank, it was a well-planned one. I should have just handed it to the cashier and told her that someone had lost it, washed my hands of it, and gone on my way, but I couldn’t bear to take the ring off.

Had Millicent left this as a gift? She had never given me anything like this before, but where else could it have come from, why did it have my name on it, and why was it seemingly made for me?

I took out my phone and texted her. “Did you leave a ring behind?” About ten minutes passed before she replied, “No. Did you find one?” So it wasn’t hers, then. I’d reply to her later, I decided.

So ... we had a mysterious ring. It fit me. It was engraved for me, or at least, someone with my name. It appeared from nowhere, left by no one. Possibilities? A prank or a social experiment still seemed most likely. My reaction so far wouldn’t entertain anyone, though. Was I supposed to return it in a test of honesty? The engraving and size could just be coincidental.

I went up to the cashier. “Has anyone come by who lost their ring? My friend found one earlier, but she had to run and she wanted me to check for her.”

“No one’s mentioned anything.”

“If you hear anything, can you call me?” I wrote down my number and handed it over to him.

“Will do,” he said with a nod. Well, I had done my due diligence. I stole another glance at the ring on my finger. Surely it couldn’t hurt to hold onto it for a day. I’d wait and see whether anyone reported it missing, and in the meantime I’d keep it warm for them. It felt so comfortable and snug around my finger, like a missing puzzle piece had suddenly been found. Maybe I had a very wealthy and very stealthy secret admirer? I walked out of the cafe, half-expecting to be ambushed by camera crews admonishing me for my selfishness as I did so, but I was allowed to walk to my car unmolested.

My night passed by uneventfully. I took a bath, I made myself some simple sushi rolls for dinner with some miso soup and almond milk, and I watched a few episodes of television in my pajamas before getting ready for bed. The ring hadn’t left my finger the entire time, and my gaze had only rarely left the ring. I didn’t want to give it up. I hoped no one claimed it. Didn’t I deserve a little gift from the universe to compensate me for my love life? I certainly thought I did. I turned off my lamp, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

I woke up. The first thing I noticed was that I wasn’t in my apartment. The second thing I noticed was that someone’s arm was wrapped around me. The third thing I noticed was that that same someone had a raging chunk of morning wood jammed against my ass. Where was I? And whose dick was that?

Mister Morning Wood snored contentedly behind me. I gently lifted up his arm and slid out from under it before gracefully falling onto the floor. “Ow...” I crouched up and peeked over the bed at whatever criminal pervert had kidnapped me and brought me to his surprisingly well-decorated sex dungeon.

“Erik?” It couldn’t be ... but it was. His beard and mustache were gone, but it was him, sleeping peacefully. And stiffly, apparently ... What the fuck was going on? And where was I? This wasn’t Millicent and Erik’s house. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My usual self looked back at me. Well, almost ... My hair was longer, and I couldn’t deny that my hips and stomach were a little ... softer than they had been when I went to bed last night.

I didn’t recognize my sleepwear either. I typically chose my pajamas for comfort. Not to appear in a Victoria’s Secret commercial, which appeared to have been the intent of whoever had chosen my dark blue chemise nightgown. It looked good, at least. It was definitely sexier than anything I had owned, well, ever, and the white lace along the top drew the eyes straight towards my half-exposed breasts beneath. None of which explained why I was wearing it.

I noticed then that things felt much draftier than usual downstairs. I lifted up the nightgown for an instant before gasping and letting go. It fell back down, but not before I had gotten a clear view at my bare pussy. And I mean bare. I had been shaved?! Okay, that was it. I needed answers now.

I climbed into bed and started rocking Erik back and forth by his shoulders. “Erik! Erik! Erik, wake up!”

His eyes blinked open. “Good morning, darling. What’s up?” he asked, his voice still gravelly and quiet. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against him, his hard cock palpable through the covers, his hand grabbing my ass possessively. “Don’t tell me you’re already frisky. Well, I’m ready if you are.”

“W-w-w-wait!” I managed to stammer out. My best friend’s husband was grabbing my ass! I pushed against his chest. His broad, hard chest. “What about Millicent?!”

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Who’s Millicent? If this is a roleplay thing, you gotta give me the script first, darling. I can’t improv at...” He turned to check the clock. “ ... seven in the morning.”

“No, she’s-” I stopped. Connections grew between the clues in my mind. I had woken up next to Erik. He called me darling. He treated me like I was his. He didn’t know his wife’s name.

And I was still wearing the ring.

No ... this couldn’t be possible ... But no prank show could make my hair grow three inches overnight, or put a couple of pounds onto my ass. And no show could get Erik to grab aforementioned bigger ass and proposition me for sex. I hoped not, anyway. So the only logical conclusion was ... I was insane. I had gone too long without any dick and I had snapped and gone crazy from sexual frustration and I was hallucinating all this.

“Are you okay, Sara? Did you have a nightmare?” Erik asked, his amber eyes filled with loving concern. He pressed his forehead to mine. “You don’t have a fever. You want some water?”

“Y-yes, please.”

“I’ll be right back.” He got out of bed, completely nude. Oh, wow ... I felt slightly guilty staring at his package, still vividly erect, as it swung from side to side. But if I really had gone insane, it didn’t hurt to stare, right? And if I hadn’t gone insane ... well, then what?

If I were sane, if this were really happening ... were Erik and I ... married?

I looked at the ring. My engagement ring, I realized. What should I do? What could I do? The only person who might even be able to help, Erik didn’t know. And if I tried to explain the situation to anyone, they’d think I was crazy. Hell, I thought I was crazy.

Erik returned with a mug of warm water and a bowl of orange slices. “Here, I brought you some fruit, too,” he said, placing both of them on the side table next to me, his smooth, shirtless chest so close I could reach out and nuzzle my face against it. “Can I get you anything else, darling?”

“I’m good right now, thank you.”

He kissed my lips suddenly. I froze as his soft lips pressed tenderly against mine, his nose brushing against my own. His musk, virile and earthy, filled my nostrils. He pulled away. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, I’ve ... got a lot on my mind.”

“Nervous about the concert?”

“Yeah,” I lied.

“You’ll do great. You always do. I’m looking forward to it. You don’t have to worry about a thing, my love.”

“Thank you.” I took a bite of orange and a sip of water. Erik was my husband. And I gave concerts, apparently. And he was a really good kisser and he slept completely naked like he was some sort of primal caveman and his cock looks delicious and I’m really curious what it feels like ... Well, I was his wife ... I mean, I assumed I was. There wasn’t anything wrong with a wife copping a feel, right? “Um, there is something else I want...”

“Anything, Sara.”

My eyes went down from his tussled, dark hair down his smooth, broad chest, past his firm abs until my gaze reached his resting loins. “I want to touch you.”

He laughed. “You are frisky ... Well, if it will make you feel better ... Boom boom badum boom, boom boom badum boom,” he sang a capella, putting his hands behind his head and dancing his way towards me goofily. My cheeks smoldered. He turned sideways and winked. “You want to give it a spank?”

“Yes,” I replied hastily, instinctively.

He bent over suggestively. “Be gentle.”

I laughed nervously. Was this married life? I swatted his well-muscled butt firmly. I could get used to this... “Turn around,” I ordered him.

“Yes, ma’am.” I forced myself not to look away as the man who had so long been my close friend turned around naked. My friend’s cock appeared before my face, thick and circumcised, still tumescent from before. More nervous giggles escaped my lips. A slim happy trail led from his belly button into a thick bush of hair, but his large, heavy balls were smooth and pink. His head was large, and I couldn’t stop myself from imagining how it would feel between my lips, filling up my mouth, throbbing inside of me.

“Oh my god,” I whispered aloud, prompting yet another laugh from Erik.

“Still impressive, isn’t it?” He looked down, admiring his own manhood. My hand reached out. He waited for it to reach him patiently. I trembled as I wrapped my hand around his shaft. Erik moaned softly. His cock was warm and firm, soft, but there was a feeling of latent power within it, ready to be unleashed at any time. My heart thundered in my chest. I couldn’t believe myself, stroking my friend’s cock, my best friend’s husband’s cock, feeling it stiffen and grow in my grip, getting bigger and thicker and harder. Where had he been hiding this handsome manhood all these years? I felt his heartbeat pulsating through his cock, filling it with desire, readying it for its purpose. “That feels great,” he groaned breathily.

This had already been inside this body, hadn’t it? Inside my pussy, inside my mouth ... who knew where else? How many times had the Sara of this timeline made Erik orgasm? Made love to him? Slept in his arms? This cock was mine, I concluded, squeezing it firmly. Just as my body was his. I stared at the virile member in my hand. But I wasn’t sure whether I was ready to have my friend’s cock inside me just yet, even if he were my husband, and even if it did look absolutely magnificent. That was a whole nother level of intimacy.

“Do you, erm, will you...”

“Yes?”

“Will you ... eat me out... ?” I squeaked.

“So formal today. What, are you going to send me an engraved invitation?”

I took a deep breath. “Eat me out. I want it.”

He smirked. “That’s my frisky little darling.” A growl escaped his lips. He nodded down towards his crotch. “Don’t think you’re not going to take responsibility for this later. But you seem like you need a little pampering right now.” He pulled away the covers off of me and crawled between my legs like a tiger on the prowl. He leaned in closely and inhaled deeply. “You really do want it ... you’re already dripping wet, darling. I can smell your desire.” He lowered his head and kissed my lips. My thighs clenched against his soft, smooth cheeks.

I felt almost predatory taking advantage of this situation I found myself in. Was I really his bride? Wasn’t I technically a stranger who just happened to share the same past as her? But as Erik’s head bobbed above my cunt, as his tongue and lips caressed my pussy lovingly, I decided that if I was going to be facing an existential dilemma, I’d rather be satisfied than achingly horny. Horny Sara made bad decisions anyway. I ran my hand through Erik’s thick, messy, black hair and pushed him down with a moan.

He licked me passionately. Millicent’s brief descriptions did him no justice. The man was an animal. I had never been able to reconcile her tales of his romance with the quiet, studious classmate I had known. But now, looking down at him lasciviously lavishing my lips with lingual love, I finally understood just why Millicent was always so happy all the damn time. “Oh god, don’t stop,” I moaned, my head arched back. His arms wrapped around my thighs. He pulled me into his mouth, ready to devour me alive. His hot breath panted against my soaked cunt. He ate messily, sloppily, with a relish that refused to be tamed.

“Fuck ... I’m almost there...” I murmured half to myself. When was the last time I had been given an orgasm by another person? I refused to think too much about it. The answer would only depress me. I just laid back, clenching the sheets in my hands, bucking my hips, trying to force his tongue deeper inside of my lips, a hint he quickly caught, his thick tongue firmly penetrating me, sliding up and down. I felt like the entirety of my being was slowly being drawn into my pussy by his ministrations, coalescing into a singularity that would soon explode into an orgasmic supernova.

His pace was steady, his stamina impressive. He neither slowed nor faltered as his tongue continued to lick away. I watched him work. His attention was focused so completely on me that he didn’t even notice me staring. My friend Erik was really eating me out. This was real. I was his wife.

I moaned loudly. Why hide it? We were husband and wife. I surrendered myself to him, casting aside my inhibitions. “Erik!” I cried. “Keep going!” My legs pressed against him. My fingernails dug into my palms. The little star inside me threatened to burst. My entire body clenched and tightened and squeezed and...

Oh my goodness...

I screamed, raw and primal. Waves of pleasure shook through me as that supernova ignited. My body quivered, weakly, unable to withstand such ecstasy. I shook, my legs still squeezing Erik, hot bliss filling me, melting away any sort of rational thought. I wished it would never end.

But slowly, the pleasure faded. My mind slowly returned. My breath had left me. I panted deeply, trying to recover. Erik climbed over me, leaving a trail of kisses from my clit to my collarbone. “How was it, darling?”

“Oh my god...”

He laughed heartily. “Good to hear.” He kissed my cheek. “You want anything for breakfast?”

“Oh my god...”

“I’ll make us something.” He got out of bed and disappeared into the bedroom. By the time he had finished brushing his teeth, I was finally able to speak again.

“That was incredible,” I gushed. I eyed his body, drinking him in. There were so many details I hadn’t noticed before. The hint of muscles on his abs. Just how thick and strong his arms were. The heavy girthiness of his cock and balls swinging between his thighs. Any ambivalence I had felt was long gone. If this were temporary, I’d make the best of it. If it were permanent, I might as well get used to it now. Either way, the optimal course of action was to let Erik eat me out however much he wanted and maybe a few more times than that.

“I know,” he winked. “You think of what you want for breakfast yet?”

I usually just ate something simple, some miso soup or an onigiri or two, but that felt like a waste of my own personal naked chef. “Make me my usual,” I told him.

“You got it, darling. I love you.”

I paused only a moment before replying, “I love you, too.” I didn’t. Not yet, a small part of me added. But it felt good to pretend. And I felt happy knowing that he truly meant it. He left the room and found his way to the kitchen, if the sounds of drawers and kitchen doors opening and closing were any indication.

I didn’t want to leave the bed, but I knew I had to eventually. My crotch felt like a licked-clean plate, for one thing. The room reeked of my sex, too. I rolled out of bed and entered the bathroom. The turquoise toothbrush was still dry, so I assumed that was mine. As I brushed, I weighed myself. Turns out that ten pounds was the difference between single life and wedded bliss for me. I marveled as I looked around the bathroom. I had been too frazzled earlier to notice, but now that I was looking, there was a bizarre sense of familiarity. I had never been here before, but the decor was what I would have chosen, from the towels to the bath that was more than big enough for two to share comfortably, I thought with a smile.

I finished brushing and rinsed before entering the closet. What I found was an odd hybrid of my style, Millicent’s, and something new. I assumed the clothes like Millicent’s were to Erik’s taste. Were the thongs, too? I had stopped wearing those back in college, but now they made up half my underwear drawer. What had once been a drawer full of practical sports bras had given into integration and welcomed a vast variety of diverse brassieres ranging from the simple to the sexy to the barely existent.

I wanted to make a good impression. I wanted my husband to look at me with lust and pride, even if we had only been married less than an hour from my point of view. I picked out a scarlet thong and a matching, sheer balcony bra. I could scarcely believe I was wearing something so see-through, but modesty felt unnecessary after I had just been devoured from the inside out. I checked myself out in the mirror. I thanked my alternate self for keeping a good gym routine going. My ass looked amazing, even with a few extra pounds on it.

I grabbed a blue tank top and a pair of black shorts and finished getting dressed. I owned a lot more makeup now, I realized, but I only applied a small amount, including some burgundy lipstick, before going to find Erik.

He was in the kitchen cooking. Unlike me, he hadn’t bothered to get dressed except for an apron. He stood at the stove, a spatula in one hand, tending to two sizzling pans. His bare buns remained exposed. I spent a few moments just staring, enjoying the view. I even had my own personal chef now. And he cooked naked. “Don’t burn that sausage,” I teased, walking towards him. I hugged him from the side and gaze his buns a good squeeze. A noticeable bulge rose from his apron. I looked at the stovetop. Bacon fried in one pan, its aroma enveloping me, while scrambled eggs coagulated in the other, glistening golden and moist as they fluffed up and cooked.

“I’ll be careful. You look beautiful, Sara. I love that top on you.” That word again: love.

“I love you in that apron, Erik. You should wear it all the time.”

“If the police weren’t so uptight, I would, darling.”

“Breakfast smells wonderful.”

“It’ll taste wonderful, too, in a minute. You want to cut up some fruit for us? I’ve got some peaches on the table.”

“Sure.” I took one of the fruits and picked a knife at random from the block. I got ready to make a cut when Erik interrupted me.

“Oh, not like that, Sara. You’ll hurt yourself. Here.” He set down the spatula and stood behind me. His eager hardness pressed against my ass. His arms wrapped around me, taking my hands in his. I faintly felt his heartbeat through his chest. His soft cheek nuzzled against mine. “You have to curl your fingers in, Sara. I don’t want you to slip and cut yourself again.”

“Thank you,” I replied. He stayed against me as I sliced through the fruit properly, protecting me, my own personal guardian angel. “Like this?”

“Perfect. That looks delicious. Almost as good as your peaches,” he added, cupping my full, round breast and squeezing it gently. I squeaked in surprise. His hand lingered, massaging my chest. I rested my head against his neck and let him, my nipple hardening from the stimulation.

“You’re insatiable,” I dreamily whispered.

“I am. What are you going to do about it?”

“Finish cooking and I’ll show you,” I challenged. I turned my head to look into his amber eyes. He smiled back at me and growled. Goosebumps blossomed along my arms. “Don’t let the food burn, chef.”

He released me from his amorous embrace and turned back to the food. “Whoops!” He turned off the stovetop burners hastily. “You like your bacon crispy, right? Eggs look good, at least.” He danced from stove to cupboards and back, grabbing some plates, setting them down, scooping up a serving of eggs and a few strips of well-done bacon and placing them onto the plates, one at a time. He pulled out some forks from a drawer and closed it with a swing of his hips. He spun around and handed them to me with a kiss. “Breakfast is served, Sara. Just grab some peaches for them. What would you like to drink?”

“Almond milk?” I hoped we had it in the fridge. It felt so odd, to be a stranger in a house that I myself had filled and decorated. Even the art on the walls were familiar surprises. I could see an Alphonse Mucha print framed near the front door and a picture of me performing hung over the fireplace.

Fortunately, this Sara drank almond milk, too. Erik poured me a glass and himself some cow’s milk before bringing both to the table, where I had set our plates and now sat waiting for him. He took off his apron and hung it over the chair, sitting down naked next to me. I clenched my thighs together and bit my lip, enjoying his casual exhibitionism, the way his body was completely on display in front of me, but without any explicit sexuality. His penis lay unstirring and soft, and he took no notice of his own nudity as we ate and talked and laughed together. Yet I couldn’t help but feel naughty, as though this were all for my benefit, I his mistress and he my servant.

But he deserved a reward, too.

I ate my breakfast happily. The bacon was a little better done than I’d have preferred, but the eggs were just perfect, light and fluffy and well-seasoned, glistening with butter. The peaches were firm and fragrant and yielding to the bite, full of summer flavor. The juices dribbled down my chin as I ate unabashedly like a hungry child. I set down my empty cup. “That was delicious, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Sara.”

I reached under the table, resting my hand on his upper thigh. He squirmed. “But now I want some dessert,” I told him, sliding out of my chair and onto my knees beneath the breakfast table. I couldn’t believe my boldness, preparing to suck Erik’s cock like this. Just yesterday he had been only a friend, and now here I was, eager to fellate him. But it felt right. I lazily pumped away at his cock with one hand as I looked up into his eyes, coaxing him to hardness.

He smiled back. “Are you sure? I thought you didn’t want to waste any.”

I kissed the swelling head of his cock. “This isn’t a waste. Besides, you deserve it.” His cock awakened quickly. All it took was a few strokes and kisses before it was rock hard and ready. From this perspective, it looked almost overwhelming. Would I be able to fit this between my lips? I was certainly going to try. I admired my new husband’s cock. Its long, smooth shaft. The strong veins running along its length. The way it curved just so slightly to the left. The manly aroma wafting off of it. The heat of his arousal radiating from it. His big, smooth balls dangling beneath. And that large, threatening speartip of a head, ready to penetrate his prey.

I couldn’t wait a moment longer. I tucked my hair behind my ear, opened my lips, and engulfed his cock. He moaned softly, his hand resting against my head. “Good girl,” he sighed, and despite myself, I felt like one, eager to please, eager to impress. I wanted him to think his wife was the best little cocksucker in the world. I cooed and bobbed my head. His cock throbbed between my lips, pulsating passionately, eager for relief, eager to release. Its size felt perfect inside my mouth, as though we had been designed to please one another.

I grazed my nails along his thighs, my fingertips circling against his sensitive flesh. His hips slowly rocked, his cock sliding deeply into my mouth. It had been too long since I had partaken in this primal pleasure, compelling a man to orgasm using only my mouth, an action so intimate, so personal. I sucked and licked as he trembled in his chair, his abdomen shivering. His palm brushed against my cheek. “That feels incredible,” Erik told me. “You’re such a good girl.” I smiled as much as I could with a full mouth and moved faster. His breathing told me that he couldn’t last much longer. “I’m about to cum,” he advertised.

I took him as deeply as I could into my tight, warm mouth. His body shook. He groaned loudly. “Sara...” Erik’s cock spasmed in the confines of my mouth. A hot burst of cum gushed out of his cock down the back of my throat, again and again and again, his manhood filling my mouth with his essence.

I greedily swallowed every drop and sucked his struggling shaft dry, making sure I didn’t miss a single delicious drop of his semen. And finally, when his body had emptied itself into me and his satiated penis began to wilt, I released his moistened member from my mouth and looked up at him proudly, awaiting my praise for a job well done.