Open House Ch. 07

I hear Tina's words and sink deeper into my temporary bliss. I feel as if all of my worldly concerns have been sucked away in the vacuum of space, leaving me floating carefree. I feel a slight tug and relax my body as Tina slowly drags her finger from my lips. My eyes flutter back open and I find Tina with a look of pleasure on her face. I can tell now that she too was affected. Her mouth hangs slightly open, and she has the fiery look of a panther ready to pounce. Neither of us speak.

Tina places her credit card on the table and, with a glance, engages the waiter. I for some reason don't even bother to offer anything. I feel taken care of and I'm just sitting in it for as long as it lasts. We walk out together and I can't help but glance around the restaurant, expecting to find the curious gaze of onlookers who witnessed our discreet escapade and are aware of my arousal. But to my relief we attract no attention and we pause at the valet. As we stand waiting for her car I feel awkward. What are we doing? Are we dating now? Geez! I feel so self conscious. And a little embarrassed. The real world is bringing me out of my fog of influence and there's another thing... I didn't valet!

Tina sees her sleek black car roll up and turns to me. She touches my lips with her finger again, her face hinting at desire. Then says, "I'll text you." As she turns to walk away she says, "Wait. Are they getting your car?"

"Oh, no. I'm just up the street. It's fine."

Tina huffs in frustration. "Get in, silly."

* * *

The next night I get home from work and try to decompress for a moment before making dinner. I drop my shoes, get a drink from the fridge, and flop on the sofa to stare at my phone. a couple of minutes go by and I begin to realize that I haven't seen John. I mean his car is in the driveway, but he usually hears me arrive and makes his way down to catch up on the stories of our day. He must be deep into something in his office I think and so I wander upstairs. It's quiet, like normal. But for some reason I'm acutely aware of how quiet it is at this moment. I turn into John's office and find his computer off. He's not here. My heart sinks. Is today the day? Did he meet with Tina? I suddenly become a bundle of nerves, but with a glimpse of logic still present, think to check the rest of the house. After nervously peering into our upstairs rooms I make my way back downstairs and check my phone. Did I miss something? Did Tina already text me? Or is she waiting until afterward, so that I can't intervene? Then, as I stand there with my mind spinning up all forms of possible scenarios, I hear a faint metal clink from the garage. Puzzled by the sound and now almost shaking, I nervously move to the door and peer inside where, to my surprise, I find John wearing headphones and using what appears to be new weight lifting equipment. The stress immediately falls from my shoulders and I feel myself take a normal breath. I step out the door into the garage, but John doesn't yet see me.

John is sweating through a loose tank top and I stand for a minute to watch him. I've always loved his body, but it's been a while since I've seen him exercising. If I'm being honest we've both gotten a little soft. But at the moment John looks a lot different. His muscles have a distinct pump, giving him that hard, Abercrombie & Fitch model look. John has put weights on a bar and now sits facing away from me preparing to do a bench press. His back ripples with sculpted tone as he sits readying himself. I watch as he lies back on the bench beneath the bar and takes hold of it. The muscles in his arms undulate beneath his skin with mesmerizing firmness as he adjusts his grip. I find myself feeling quite voyeuristic as I search his form in this prone position. His back has a slight arch and his shorts sink into the recesses of his crotch revealing a pleasing bump. John then disengages the weight from it's stand and lowers the enormous bar down onto his chest - pressing out short bursts of breath as he does so. Then with a violent lurch and a strong vocalization he thrusts the bar back up to full extension. I watch John repeat this motion and realize that I have forgotten just how powerful he is. His vocalizations and sweaty, forceful display are incredibly arousing and I catch myself fantasizing about the moment. I see myself completely undress and straddle him as he finishes his move. I place my hands on his chest and arch my back, pressing out my breasts for him. He reaches down and grabs my waist with his powerful arms, pulling me forward then pushing me back, forcefully moving my pussy across his cock and bringing himself to erection. Nothing is stopping me from actually making this fantasy a reality, yet I stand frozen. Conflicted--.

"Babe! Hey. I didn't hear you come in." John says, jolting me out of my trance.

"Hey, so this is kind of a surprise."

John crosses to me and delivers a soft peck on the lips, then catching his breath says, "Yeah, pretty cool huh?"

I'm distracted by his closeness to me. I can feel the humid warmth of his body and smell a pleasing whiff of sweat and sweet cologne. I maintain my composure, still conscious of my prior concerns. "Yeah, I guess. But I mean what is it?"

John responds through heavy breaths, "Oh, well... you know how we said we were gonna make a workout room. You know, a home gym. Well, this is the start of our gym equipment."

"But we don't have the room yet. It's actually still kind of just an idea," I remind him.

"I know, I know. But, um... I thought - you know we said we wanted to be working out anyway... and this way we can... um, start getting in shape and that will help inform us of what we want and don't want for the gym."

I can't believe I'm watching this. And, I'm positive this is all because of Tina and some need he feels to preen himself for her. I'm listening to John stumble through one of the worst cover stories I think he has ever delivered and all I can think of is how impressed I am with his effort. Wow! I never expected this. But that's just me being naive again. I look up at him all worked up and winded, and in my mind again see him with Tina. The images move so fast I can't consciously redirect myself. Flash - His sweaty body looms over her as he does me now. Flash - It's not me straddling him naked on the bench but her, grinding on him in sweaty, moaning ecstasy. Flash - they share a departing kiss, fully clothed and satisfied. I'm jealous. And conflicted, struggling to understand the vivid nature of my fantasies.

My incite on his secret causes me to swell with an urge to call bullshit, and that's exactly what I would normally do. But now... I'm not sure what to do. A part of me is actually quite entertained. And if I do challenge his logic on this we might wind up in the exact conversation I'm hoping to avoid. I acquiesce. "Oh, okay babe. Yeah... um, I guess that works."

John gets excited by my agreeable response and moves to further impress me with the apparatus. "Look babe, you're gonna love this. I got the smaller bars for lunges, but you can still--"

"This is great babe, but I think you're gonna have to show me later. I just got home and I don't think I can process this all right now."

John visibly deflates as I turn to go back inside, interrupting his reply. "Okay, sure babe. I'll be right behind you in just a few minutes."

* * *

I'm just back from a short after dinner walk and John is almost finished with the dishes. The distant clank of pots and plates echoes into my bedroom from downstairs as I look at myself in the large floor mirror. My entire walk was consumed by unrelenting replays in my head of my life choices, my possible future scenarios, and... John with Tina. Every waking moment of my life is now lived in anticipation of John being with Tina and how I might choose to decide the aftermath. I begin to change clothes and pause in my underwear to compare myself to Tina. I trace my silhouette in the mirror and think how sexy my curves are. I loosen my posture and slink into a more delicate pose. I don't normally look at myself this way and find that I like what I see. My body is not lesser than Tina's I think, as I caress my hips and abdomen. I hear John's footsteps and make myself seem busy, moving to pick up my clothes from the floor. He passes without even a look on his way to his office and I think how we have become more like roommates than lovers.

I fold my clothes to put them away and notice in our bedroom chair my purse and heels on the floor, both still sitting where I left them from the night of the party. I take them with my clothes to the closet and when I open the purse to clean it out, find something unexpected. Tina's panties.