Brian Welker couldn’t help but smile as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Earlier in the day, he had been promoted to shift foreman at Harding Containers, effective immediately. The icing on the cake was working night shift for the foreseeable future. Most people hated night shift, but the timing was great for Brian.

His son was a junior in high school. He participated in several sports and clubs. By working nights, Brian would be able to attend his son’s activities without missing work. He had worked night shift more than a few times over the years and had developed a system for sleeping days that made it all work for him.

That was the reason he was crawling across roof trusses in his attic on a warm August afternoon. He had been given Thursday and Friday off with pay after being informed of the promotion. It was an opportunity to rest and prepare for his new position starting on Sunday night.

Brian had long planned to make a small apartment over his detached garage. It would become his fortress of solitude where he could peacefully sleep days. He hoped to avoid the usual interruptions and distractions which so frequently occur when a person tries to sleep at a time most people are up and about.

Brian was running a cable so he would have internet in his apartment. The WiFi signal in the house simply did not reach the apartment. He decided to place an extender in the end of his house attic nearest his garage in the hope it would give a strong signal inside his apartment.

As he worked at uncoiling the wire the length of the attic, Brian heard faint sounds coming from inside his house. It was early afternoon, so his wife, Brenda, would be at work. Tim, their son, was visiting Brenda’s parents for a few days, so the house should have been empty!

Brian crawled over trusses toward the area from which the noises were coming. After moving fifteen feet closer, Brian was able to determine the origin of the sounds. It was his bedroom!

Conversation grew much more distinct as Brian settled over an unused air conditioning vent in his bedroom ceiling. Brenda had insisted the old vent was blowing cold air on her at night, thus causing her frequent neck aches. He had installed a new vent as far from Brenda’s side of the bed as possible, but never bothered to take the old one out. That would have required repairing the hole in the ceiling created by pulling the vent. Brian simply left it in the ceiling, but not attached to any ductwork.

He gently lifted the fiberglass insulation which was resting on the floor of the attic and slowly uncovered the vent. He felt his gut wrench when he saw his wife of twenty years moving under a thin man with a what appeared to be an exceptionally white ass. As painful as the vision was, Brian was unable to look away. He couldn’t stop watching a train wreck which had once been his marriage.

The couple had been rutting for a few minutes when Brian’s brain finally began to function. He set his phone to video and carefully placed it on the vent in such a way the camera eye had an unimpeded view of his marital bed.

“I love how tight you are,” crooned the guy between Brenda’s legs. “Does your husband ever tap this prime pussy, or does he have a needle-dick?”

“I’ve asked you not to mention Brian,” protested Brenda, somewhat weakly, in Brian’s opinion. “This isn’t about him. He’s a good lover and a great father.”

“I’m sure he is. I’m getting ready to drop a big load inside your pussy right here in his bed, yet you insist you’re happy with how he fucks you. What’s wrong with this picture?”

“I don’t know why I let you talk me into doing this here. Ahh! Right there! There’s no chance of being caught in your apartment. I’m going to cum!” groaned Brenda.

The guy covering Brenda suddenly tensed up. The couple became very still for a minute before Brian saw the man roll off his wife.

“See how intense it is when you take chances?” asked Brenda’s lover. “Fucking in my apartment works great most of the time, but banging you in your marital bed takes it to another level.”

Brian recognized the man enjoying his wife once he flipped onto his back after coming inside her. He was Bill Grant, a driver for the parcel delivery company where both he and Brenda worked. He was recently divorced and had a daughter in Tim’s class.

“That sounds terrible,” responded Brenda, but without any real emotion. “You wanted to have sex in my bed because it turns you on to think you’ve put one over on Brian? You act like it’s a competition or something.”

“It is a competition, at least for men,” replied Grant with a soft chuckle. “You’re a sexy woman and the sex is great, but knowing you’re married and I’m having sex with you in your husband’s bed makes me the winner. It feels incredible!”

“It wouldn’t feel so great if Brian caught us here. I don’t know why I agreed to this, but it won’t happen again! I’m worried about Brian discovering us. It would ruin my marriage,” admitted Brenda.

“Let’s make a deal,” suggested Grant. “As long as you shut off your husband, I won’t insist we do it in his bed. Once he gets between your legs again, we’ll have to return so I can reclaim my place as top dog.”

“I’m not going to refuse Brian! He’s my husband. I can’t just close my legs and expect him to go along with it,” reasoned Brenda. “He’s a man and wants sex on a regular basis.”

“You do what you have to do, but keep in mind I’ll be balls deep inside you in this very bed as soon as possible, if he fucks you. Maybe that excites you as much as it does me,” replied Grant. “Look how hard your nipples are getting. You’re turned on!”

“That’s the damn air conditioning,” was Brenda’s reply. “I’ll try to discourage Brian from having sex and keep these suicide meetings in my bedroom to a minimum. I don’t like to think about what would happen if Brian ever caught us.” Brian had parked his truck inside his detached garage. It was hidden from view, thus Brenda had no idea he was home and certainly had no idea he was listening to her conversation.

His face was covered in sweat. It dripped steadily from his body to the insulation covering the floor of the attic. He refused to let himself vomit knowing how hard it would be to clean up, and how bad it would make the entire attic smell. He forced himself to remain still as he listened to the loving couple get dressed and leave.

As he made his way to the ladder, Brian considered what he had just learned. A slimy bastard was fucking his wife. She was even going to withhold sex from him as much as possible to placate and please her lover. Brian managed a grim smile as he considered that. Brenda was going to have no trouble withholding sex from him because she was never again going to have his cock inside her!

He studied his situation while taking a shower and came to several quick decisions. He wouldn’t let Brenda know he was aware of her infidelity. Tim had two years of high school left, so Brian decided his main focus would be his son. He’d no longer concern himself with Brenda. He simply no longer cared about what she wanted or how she felt. Why should he give a rat’s ass about her since she obviously held him in complete contempt?

He wasn’t willing to vacate the house he had spent fifteen years remodeling so some sleazy prick could live there in comfort while banging his wife! Brenda hadn’t sounded like she would be seeking a divorce, so Brian decided to make an attempt to hang on until Tim graduated from high school.

There was one thing he knew he’d need; his apartment completed much sooner. Brian decided he’d include some major upgrades. Rather than only sleeping there while working night shift, it would become his living quarters for the next year and a half. He would need a small kitchen, as well as a full bathroom. By the time Tim graduated and headed for college, Brian would have had time to form a plan on how he wanted to proceed.

To that end, Brian called some contractors he knew and made appointments to get estimates. He had decided to hire a company to complete the work. It would be done quickly and professionally, and he’d pay someone to do it. There was no longer a need to save pennies by doing everything himself. His promotion would easily allow him to cover the expenses. For the first time in his life, Brian realized his time was more important than money.

If he saved a dollar, half would be Brenda’s. He was done with his old way of life. He’d always tried to do as much of the work on his home as he could, thinking it would benefit his family. That had all changed when he saw Grant banging Brenda. He was going to make certain Tim’s college education was fully funded. Beyond that, Brian was going to rebuild his life and have some fun while doing it. He no longer felt any allegiance to his cheating wife.

Brian had gained control of his emotions by the time Brenda walked in after work and saw him sitting in the kitchen. “You’re home already? Did you get off early for some reason?”

Brian gazed at Brenda and decided she looked different to him. She had some lines and wrinkles in her face and she carried a few extra pounds. Why hadn’t he noticed it before? Had his love for his wife blinded him to her faults? It saddened him to think about his sudden change of attitude toward Brenda, but it had been her decision to have an affair. He was simply reacting.

“Yeah, we’re in a bit of a jam at work. I was asked to work nights for awhile, starting tonight. They let me come home and pack a lunch and rest. I’ll be headed back in later.”

“They shouldn’t ask you to work nights after a day shift, even if you had some time off during the day,” reasoned Brenda. “You’ll be exhausted. At least lie down and sleep for a few hours.”

“Good idea,” responded Brian. “I’ll just go crawl between the sheets and...”

“Wait!” insisted Brenda far too loudly as she recalled the condition of the bed. “I just remembered I need to wash the bed linens!”

“Okay,” responded Brian calmly as he grimly chuckled to himself at Brenda’s discomfort. “I’ll just use the bed in the guest room. There’s no need to get so excited.”

A few hours later Brian left the house as if he was going to work. He stopped at a local sports bar and watched a baseball game and enjoyed a few beers. He had previously placed an air mattress in his future apartment. Once he was sure Brenda would be asleep, he parked inside the garage and went up the stairs to his waiting air mattress. He slept surprisingly well.

One of the contractors Brian interviewed the next day was between projects and offered a very good price if Brian would agree to begin immediately. Two weeks would see the contractor’s crew moving to a new development miles away. Brian agreed and signed the contract for the work to begin Monday morning.

His night shift operated from Sunday night through Thursday night. The plant would shut down Friday evening and start up again Sunday night. Brenda knew Brian would not have to work Friday night. Therefore, she was surprised when he got ready for bed and headed for the guest room the next night.

“Why are you going to sleep in the guest room? We won’t see much of each other while you’re on night shift so why don’t you sleep in our bed?” asked a perplexed Brenda.

“Since I worked night last night and slept a few hours this morning while you were at work, I’m not very tired. I’m going to watch a baseball game and maybe a movie after that,” replied Brian with his planned excuse.

“I’m trying to get accustomed to staying awake nights and sleeping in the morning. I don’t want to ruin your sleep, unless you’re thinking we should get it on,” suggested Brian as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Brenda’s reaction was just as Brian had expected. If he hadn’t heard her conversation with her lover, he would have missed her brief deer-in-the-headlights look before she gave a weak smile.

“I’m pretty tired tonight. Maybe we could just cuddle a little and go to sleep?” responded Brenda. “Besides, Tim’s home tonight. He might hear us.”

“Cuddling won’t cut it for me,” replied Brian. “Once I get you in my arms and feel those nipples of yours get hard, I’ll want to have my way with you. If you’re ruling out sex, I’ll just eliminate temptation and sleep in the guest room. You never worried about Tim hearing us before, so that’s just a bullshit excuse to avoid sex. You really don’t need to make shit up. I’m not the kind of guy to push himself on a woman.”

“I know that, Brian. You’re right. It was pretty weak and I’m sorry. I’m just tired and don’t feel romantic. I hope you understand.”

“I understand better than you realize. Let me know when you’re in the mood. If I’m in the mood at the same time, we might get together. Good night,” retorted Brian as he turned and headed toward the guest room, leaving Brenda with a confused expression on her face.

Brian played catch with Tim for an hour on Saturday and then did yard work. When bedtime rolled around, he strolled down the hall to the guest bedroom. Brenda watched his back and wondered why he was behaving so oddly.

Brian went into work early Sunday night to prepare for his role as shift foreman. By the time the production workers began appearing he felt very good with his work situation. He hadn’t bothered telling Brenda he had been promoted to foreman. She had secrets she kept from him, so he no longer had qualms about keeping things from her.

His shift went smoothly. He was well received by those working under him. He decided he had a great group of people on his shift. The new position carried more responsibility, but Brian had seen all the problems before and knew how to deal with them. He settled into his job with minimal adjustment or difficulty.

Brenda had already left for work and the construction crew was setting up when Brian arrived home Monday morning. He spoke briefly with the job foreman to be sure they were on the same page and then went inside. He fell asleep immediately, but was awakened several times by loud sounds from the crew working on his apartment, and once by the ringing phone.

Cursing himself for neglecting to turn off the ringer on their land line in the guest room, Brian answered with a groggy, “Hello?”

“I’m sorry, Brian. Did I wake you up?” asked his mother-in-law, Beverly.

“Is that why you called?” snapped Brian with some annoyance. “You wanted to know if I was sleeping?”

“No need to get at attitude,” responded Beverly. “I just wanted you to know Bill and I heard you were on night shift and we won’t be disturbing you. If you need us to do anything for Tim when you’re sleeping, just let us know.”

Brian hung up the phone without responding. As he unplugged the phone from the wall he considered just how stupid people could be. It took a few minutes, but he fell back asleep.

The construction crew completed their work in less than a week. Brian marveled at how the contractor had completed the entire remodeling in four days. It would have taken him four months. When he woke up Friday afternoon, he drove to a furniture store and ordered a king sized bed, a small kitchen table, four chairs and a small sofa. Next he drove to a major appliance dealer and selected a large flat screen TV, a refrigerator, an oven and a microwave. By Monday afternoon, his bachelor pad, as Brian considered it, would be ready for him to occupy full time.

He chuckled at how perplexed Benda had been when she came home from work Monday to find a crew of men bustling around the detached garage. She approached Brian as he was chatting with the job foreman and insisted on a private discussion so he could tell her what was going on.

“I have them finishing an apartment over the garage,” revealed Brian. “I want to be able to sleep days without people barging in or calling. I’m having it double insulated to keep noise to a minimum. There won’t even be a land line. Since I’ll be working nights for some time, I felt it would be a huge benefit to have a place I can sleep without putting you and Tim out. You won’t even know I’m around.”

“Not know you’re around?” repeated Brenda. “You’re my husband and Tim’s father! We’re supposed to know you’re around.”

“I’ll be going to Tim’s baseball practices and games. I’ll be bringing him home afterward so he and I’ll spend lots of time together. Don’t worry about that. We’ll all be able to have dinner together.

“I told you a few days ago to let me know when you were in the mood for some special lovin’, but you haven’t taken me up on my offer yet. Are you asking me to scratch your itch tonight?”

“You’re being such a jerk! Husbands are expected to do more than screw their wives when they feel like it. We expect conversations, seductions, and sharing ideas, as well as problems. Marriage isn’t just about raw sex. You know that!”

“Don’t even think about lecturing me about what constitutes a good marriage,” cautioned Brian. “I’ll put the efforts I make to this marriage against your efforts anytime! This’ll work fine. All you need to do is let me know when you want me in your bed to service you.”

“I’m not some damn cow that needs or wants servicing!” snarled Brenda. “You won’t be doing any “servicing” until you make a sincere apology. I’ll want a nice evening out at a good restaurant along with that apology, Asshole!”

Brian broke into a big smile and simply walked away, leaving Brenda completely befuddled. He was making it easy to keep Bill Grant from demanding she have sex with him in her marital bed, but Brenda was concerned about Brian’s attitude. He simply wasn’t his usual self. He was ignoring Brenda and that concerned her. He had always been a very attentive husband.

She made up her mind she’d give Brian a night to remember once he apologized for his crass behavior. She knew he wouldn’t be able to go much longer without sex. A man can’t go from getting laid two or three times a week to nothing and be happy. Brenda was confident he’d be after what she had. He’d been that way since they first met. He was far too young to lose interest in sex.

Brian had completely moved into his new apartment by the following Wednesday. The coming weekend would feature three nights off because of Labor Day. Tim’s Junior year would begin the following Tuesday.

“How would you two like to go to a Diamondbacks game this weekend?” asked Brian at dinner on Thursday. “They’re playing the Dodgers and fighting for the pennant. It should be a great series.”

“Seriously? That would be amazing! Thanks, Dad,” gushed Tim.

“You know I don’t like baseball that much,” groused Brenda. “I’ll pass on that offer. I’ll find something to do around the house.”

“I bet you will,” responded Brian under his breath, yet loud enough for Brenda to hear. “It’s settled. Tim and I’ll go to the Saturday night game.”

“Wow! I can’t wait to tell Scooter about this,” blurted Tim. “He’ll be so jealous. He’s a big Dodger fan. He used to live in Los Angeles.”

“Why don’t you invite him along?” suggested Brian. “Baseball’s more fun when you watch it with friends, especially when they’re fans.”

“I’ll call him right now! Thanks, Dad!” replied Tim excitedly as he raced off to get his phone.

“You certainly made Tim’s day,” observed Brenda. “Baseball is a great way to bond with the boys. Horace is a nice, polite young man.”

“Holy shit! His real name is Horace?” asked Brian as he shook his head. “No wonder he has a nickname. What kind of parent names a boy “Horace” unless they hate him or something?”

“Tim told me Horace’s father died of a brain aneurism two years ago,” continued Brenda as she pointedly ignored her husband’s comment about the boy’s name. “He and his mother moved here this summer to be closer to her parents. They’re older and in failing health.”

“I’ll just call him Scooter and pretend I never heard his real name,” declared Brian just as Tim rushed back into the room.

“Scooter’s mom said he can go!” announced an almost giddy Tim. “This is going to be great!”

Saturday afternoon, Tim pulled his truck into the driveway of a nice ranch house in a good neighborhood. Before he was able to stop, Scooter was racing out the door. He jumped in next to Tim as soon as the pickup was safely parked.

“Mr. Welker? Mom says she wants to meet you before we leave. I guess she wants to make sure you aren’t a serial killer or something,” offered Scooter. “I’m sorry about that.”

“No problem,” replied Brian as he climbed out of the truck, walked to the house and rang the bell.

A slender, rather nondescript woman about Brian’s age opened the door. With what he felt was a quick glance, Brian determined her legs were her best feature. They were strong and shaped perfectly. Her running shorts provided him the opportunity to admire a lot of them. Her stomach was flat while her breasts barely pushed her top away from her torso.

“My legs look pretty good compared to the rest of me, don’t you think?” asked Scooter’s mom, much to Brian’s chagrin.

“I, ah, well yeah,” agreed Brian once he saw the grin on the woman’s face. “You’ve got a great pair of legs.”

“Do you think I should let my son go to a baseball game with a man who checks out every woman he sees?” challenged the boy’s mother. “I’m trying to raise a gentleman.”

Brian saw the laughter in the woman’s eyes and knew instinctively she was busting his balls a little. He decided to play along.

“What you’re really asking is should you let your son go anywhere with a man, as checking out women is the best part of being a man,” replied Brian with a grin. “He needs to learn how to appreciate the fairer sex. I’ll show him what to look for and how to do it.”

“I certainly hope you’ll be less obvious during these life lessons you’ll be giving Horace,” countered the still smiling woman.

“The first thing I’ll teach him is to smack anyone who calls him Horace, except his mom, of course,” joked Brian.

“I see. My son will learn to be violent with people who address him by his given name as well as how to appreciate women’s legs. Does that pretty well cover it?”

“Not even close,” responded Brian. “I’ll show him the fine art of judging asses and boobs surreptitiously. It’s important he have a well rounded education and not focus entirely on any single female attribute.”

“That’s a relief!” replied Scooter’s mom, thus gaining even more respect from Brian. “Have a good time and be sure “Scooter” calls if you’re going to be late. My name’s Gertrude, by the way.”

“Seriously? Gertrude? What do your friends call you?” asked Brian.

“Oh, for my male friends I answer to Minx, Raven, Candy or Bubbles. My girlfriends call me Gertrude,” replied the straight faced woman.

“Sounds good to me. I’m Brian. We’re going to be friends, so I’ll call you Minx. I kind of like that name.”

“Why am I not surprised?” responded Gertrude before breaking into a hearty laugh. “Horace can go along with you anytime. I love your sense of humor. Tim is a very polite young man, so I was pretty sure his parents would be fine.

“Thanks for inviting him to the game. We’re a baseball family. I used to go to as many Dodgers’ home games I could. My father even played in the minor leagues before I was born. He was pretty good, just not quite good enough,” added Gertrude.

“Scooter’s a great kid, so it’s no problem. I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he gets back home in one piece, Minx. Have a nice day!”

“Is that going to stick? I was making a joke!” protested Gertrude.

“You’ll always be a Minx to me,” was the quick reply as Brian turned and headed back to the truck.

Brian had a relaxing day at the game. Scooter managed to catch a foul ball. Both boys ate too many hotdogs and drank too much soda. They fell asleep in the back seat of the truck before Brian was able to exit the parking lot.

When he reached Scooter’s home, Brian gently shook the boy awake and escorted the sleepy teen to his front door, where he was met by a beaming Gertrude.

“He may have had too many hotdogs and sodas,” admitted Brian.

“Of course he did. He was at a ball game!” replied Gertrude. “Thanks so much for taking him, and bringing him back safely.”

“It was my pleasure. Scooter’s a great kid, Minx,” retorted Brian. “I’ll see you at the boys’ games.”

Brian settled into a routine which worked well for him. He would get home, have a small breakfast and then sleep from nine to three. With the extra soundproofing and blackout curtains on his windows, he usually slept soundly.

Brenda complained occasionally about him always sleeping in his “man cave”, even on weekends. She’d leave the subject alone as soon as Brian asked if she needed his services. Brian decided she was truly worried about Grant insisting on sex in her bedroom and being caught. That suited Brian fine. It indicated she wasn’t contemplating asking for a divorce at the moment. His goal of remaining married until Tim graduated high school seemed attainable.

Because he was a foreman and getting less exercise, Brian purchased a home gym machine that was advertised to give a complete body workout. To his pleasant surprise, it performed as advertised, as long as he was diligent in using it.

He attended all of Tim’s baseball practices and soon the coach had him working with a few kids off to the side while the coach was doing drills with a different group of players.

Tim was a pretty good player and showing signs of improvement, but Scooter was a real surprise to Brian. At the start of the season he showed some talent, but he was tentative and timid. Brian worked with him as much as he could. They even spent a few hours on weekends practicing at the local park. Brian decided since he wasn’t having sex, he may as well take the edge off by playing baseball with the boys.

As Scooter’s confidence grew, his level of play increased dramatically. By the season’s halfway point, Scooter was batting clean-up and playing shortstop at a high level. Tim was the starting center fielder and batting third. Brian was tremendously proud of both boys’ accomplishments.

One thing Brian could not help but notice was the attention some of the kids’ mothers had begun paying to him. For some reason, his jokes actually made them laugh. His efforts with the kids were constantly praised. A few mothers would bake something for the team, but they always make sure he received a piece of whatever it was.

Tim’s friendship with Scooter, as well as the time Brian spent with the boys naturally caused Gertrude and Brian to spend time together. Brian thought of her as a smart friend with a great sense of humor. He decided to ask Gertrude if she had noticed the increased interest the mothers were showing him.

“I may be way off base here, Minx, but I have to ask you a bit of a personal question,” began Brian.

“Almost a B cup!” was Gertrude’s quick response.

“What? I don’t get it,” admitted Brian.

“When men preface a question to a lady by saying it’s personal, aren’t they usually going to ask her about her bra size?”

“Well yeah. That’s usually true,” agreed Brian with a chuckle. “In this case, I was going to ask if you’ve noticed some of the mothers have been treating me differently the last couple of weeks. Do you think they seem a little friendlier lately?”

“Well, aren’t you Mr. Observant?” retorted Gertrude. “You really don’t know what’s going on, do you?”

“I’d need more information regarding the “what” to which you refer before I could answer that question,” mused Brian. “I understand the infield fly rule. I know you never make the first or last out of an inning at third base. You aren’t referring to those baseball axioms, are you?”

“No, I was talking about the unwritten rule of never bunting or stealing bases when you have a huge lead,” quipped Gertrude before becoming more serious.

“If you’d been paying attention, you’d know the friendliest team mothers are also single mothers. You’re a great dad, a good looking guy and have a pretty decent job. That makes you a damn good catch in their book,” reasoned Gertrude.

“What about the fact I’m a married man? Wouldn’t they take that into consideration?” asked Brian.

“They have,” responded Scooter’s mom. “That’s why they haven’t actually attempted to seduce you. No one’s tried that yet, have they?”

“No one’s seduced me, as if that’s ever been a problem,” replied Brian. “I’m married, so I obviously can’t be a good catch for anyone.”

“Brian, I don’t like how I seem to be the one who has to tell you this, but we’re friends, so it falls on me. The mothers all know your wife is cheating on you. That’s not bad enough. The rumor is she’s shut you off from sex. You don’t sleep together and it’s a foregone conclusion you’ll become a free agent in the not too distant future. These women want to sign you up for their team as soon as you’re released.”

Brian was stunned by Gertrude’s revelation. How could so many people know his personal situation? Who would possibly know about his sex life, or lack of same? Then it hit him.

“Brenda must have told that fucker we weren’t sleeping together and he’s bragged about it to someone! That miserable cocksucker!”

“Are you referring to your wife, or her lover,” asked Gertrude as she tried to lighten the mood. “I have to say you don’t appear to be all that surprised by the rumors. Did you already suspect Brenda was cheating?”