Adultery All In My Head by xleglover-COMPLETED

[Ramesh_Rocky]

I took her leg and ran my fingertips along her calf, loving the feel of her nylons. "Tell me why Scott turns you on so much," I said.

"We're playing the game?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. I asked "Did you fall for him the moment you saw him at the wedding?"

"I wouldn't say I've fallen for him," she giggled.

"But you're really into him."

"I guess so."

"You are," I pressed.

"Okay," she said.

I put Jen's foot against my chest and she lightly pressed against me, the pointy toe and stiletto of her high heel digging into me. She knew I loved that.

"Did he fuck you good tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Does he fuck you as good as Ricky?"

"Yeah. Better even."

"How so?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "He just makes me feel good. Maybe because it's new."

I paused processing that. Then I asked "How many times did you cum?"

"Three times."

"On his cock?"

"Two times that way. Once he went down on me."

"How many times did he cum?"

"Once."

"Just once?"

"He would have cum again if I'd stayed longer."

"He didn't want you to go?"

She shook her head. "No. He wanted me to stay over." When I didn't say anything, she added "I wouldn't do that Mike."

I moved up between her legs and pushed her skirt up around her waist. "Where's your panties?" I asked.

"Um ... I guess at this place," she said with a giggle.

I opened her legs and she let me. I looked at her pussy. She has the prettiest pussy. Thin tight lips just a shade darker than the surrounding skin. She'd clearly been fucked though. The lips were swollen and gaped apart slightly.

"Are you sore?" I asked tenderly running my finger between her pussy lips.

"A little," she answered.

I probed her pussy a little, looking for any sign of sperm. She read my mind. "I always make him use a condom," she said.

"That's good," I said. I grinned at her. "I bet he hates it."

She smiled and nodded. "He always promises he'd pull out."

"I bet you've been tempted to let him fuck you without one."

"Not an option," she said.

"But you've been tempted right?"

She gave me a look. "It sounds like you want that."

"Just in my fantasy," I told her truthfully. "I bet when you fantasize about him he's fucking you bareback."

"I guess."

"He cums inside you too, huh?"

"You mean in the condom?"

"No, your fantasy."

"Oh. I guess. When I fantasize about him I don't make him pull out so I guess he cums inside me." She gave me another look. "Does that turn you on?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" she asked.

I didn't answer. I ran my fingertips along her tummy. Her firm flat tummy.

"Because he might get me pregnant?" she asked. When I didn't say anything again she reached into my shorts and stroked my cock.

"In your deepest darkest fantasy, does Scott get me pregnant?" she asked. I didn't say anything, but she felt my cock pulse.

"I'm gonna cum," I told her.

"Come here," she said pulling me to her. She reached between us and guided me into her.

"I won't last long," I said.

"That's okay I just want to feel you." After just a few strokes I came inside her.

We lay in bed arms around each other. "I need to get ready to go," I said.

"I know," she said rubbing my chest.

I showered and got dressed. She was awake in bed waiting for me. I kissed her.

"You know, I guess if you want to see him this weekend I'd be okay with that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Would you like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Okay." I paused. "But don't stay over, okay?"

"I wouldn't," she said kissing me.

A longer pause. "You know what we just talked about?" I said. "That's just a fantasy, not real."

"I know baby," she said kissing me again. "Just playing the game, right?"

"Yeah, just the game."

I should have slept on the plane. Or worked on Sapphire. But I couldn't get Jen out of my mind.

Maybe I was stupid for telling her she could see him again. But it was clear she was infatuated with him. She'd get over him eventually, just as she had with Ricky. In a perverse way I thought the infatuation would end sooner if they fucked more now.

When we arrived at SFO there were limos waiting for us. I'd never ever been picked up by a limo. Wow, the boss people WERE really interested in my project.

I'd brought with me my team on this project: Steve, Brian and Elaine. Elaine at 22 was fresh out of college. Steve was my age (28) and Brian was older, I think 35 or so. Steve and Elaine were still single. Brian was married with a couple of kids, and I think his wife was pregnant with their third.

Everyone was excited. Meeting the number crunchers was a big deal, and probably everybody in our Wall Street office would be talking about it. On the limo over I said to Brian, "Do me a favor and double check your numbers on the alpha progression, okay? Something seems off about it."

"You got it Mike," Brian assured me.

The meetings went all day Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we took a break and I called Jen. It was about 6pm NY time. She wasn't at home so I called her cell. "Hey baby, what are you up to?" I asked.

"Doing some work on the Kelloggs campaign," she said.

"Oh. You're in the office?"

"No, Scott's. We've been hanging out at his place working on his part of the campaign."

Her words hit me like a physical blow. "You've been with him all day?" I asked.

"Not all day," she said quickly. When I didn't say anything, she added "I thought you said I could see him."

I'd meant she could hook up with him, to fuck. I hadn't meant hang out with him all day, like a date. But I didn't say that. I didn't want her to see me as weak and insecure. After all, I HAD said I was okay with it.

I guess I must have been thinking too long, because she said "Are you okay Mike?"

"Yes, everything's good," I assured her. "The meetings are going great." Then I asked, "Will you be at his place much longer?"

"Um ... I'll probably be here a little while longer. Is that okay?"

"Yeah that's fine," I assured her. "Call me when you get home, okay? I just want to make sure you get home okay."

"Absolutely," she said.

We worked late into the evening with the number crunchers. I was distracted waiting for Jen to call. She wanted to spend a little more time at his place, she'd said. One more fuck? More hand holding and sweet whispers and snuggling?

Had she spent all day with him? She might have gone right back to him after I left for the airport. An all-day date. Fucking and loving each other all day long. Sure, they'd done some work. But even working they'd be playing and laughing, rubbing her shoulder against his when he said something witty, playfully punching his arm when he made her laugh.

It got to 9pm pacific, midnight her time, and she still hadn't called. Finally my cell rang at 930 -- 1230 her time. "Just wanted to call and tell you I'm home," she said sounding tired.

"You're okay?" I said.

"Yeah, just a little bushed."

"You spent a lot of time with Scott today," I said.

"No, not really," she said. "A little after I talked to you I met up with Allie, we got a drink and then went to a movie."

"Oh, okay."

I let her go soon after that, she sounded really tired. Our short conversation hadn't made me feel much better. I could imagine what Allie talked to Jen about.

"So Scott's better than Ricky?" Allie would ask.

"So much better! God Allie Scott's freaking amazing!"

"I'm surprised you're still not with him fucking his brains out."

"I wanted to but I slipped and told Mike I'd been at Scott's all day."

"That was dumb," Allie would say.

"I know, a real blonde moment," Jen would laugh. "But I had to leave then because I didn't want Mike to get more upset."

"God what's wrong with him? Why's he got to be such a difficult cuckold?"

"Stop," Jen would laugh.

"You know what I mean," Allie would say with a knowing look.

"Yeah ..." Jen would agree. "I wish I could spend more time with Scott, I feel a real connection."

"So just do it," Allie encouraged her.

"Allie, I don't want to upset Mike."

"Why Jen? Don't you think it's time to stop kidding yourself about Mike?"

"Allie ... I've known him since college ..."

Suddenly my reverie was broken by a tap on my shoulder. It was Elaine. "Mike, what do you think?" she said.

Everyone was looking at me. "Sorry, I was thinking about something," I said. "What was the question?"

Samuel, one of the brainiacs, had a big smile on his face. He said "Mike, we've very impressed with Sapphire, the models all look good." He looked at the other brainiacs. They all wore big smiles. "I think you're going to make us a lot of money." All the partners shared a laugh.

"We want you to present Sapphire to the partners in our Chicago office," he said. "We know you're presenting to the full partnership later this week, but as you know the Chicago partners are very influential."

I did know that. In fact, next to old man Jacob and the London office, the Chicago partners were the most powerful in our company. I knew Sapphire was a good idea, but this was getting bigger and bigger.

"Tomorrow we'll continue to work with your three colleagues here," Samuel continued, motioning to Elaine, Steve and Brian. "Tomorrow morning you fly to Chicago and brief the partners there. How does that sound?"

"That sounds excellent sir," I said. "I'll check the flights to Chicago right now."

"No need," Samuel chuckled. "The firm's private jet will be waiting for you at the airport."

"Oh ... yes sir, that's excellent," I stuttered out. Holy fuck -- only the most powerful partners ever get to ride in the firm's private plane.

Our meeting broke up. Me and my team went to the hotel bar for a celebratory drink. "I cannot believe I'm gonna fly in the private plane!" I said to my team, still feeling awestruck. "I still can't believe we just spent the day working with the number crunchers!"

"Mike, man, Sapphire is your baby and it's fucking amazing!" Brian said. Steve and Elaine both agreed, big smiles on their faces.

"Brian's right, you don't realize how incredible Sapphire is, you're amazing!" Elaine gushed, giving my arm a squeeze.

I think I blushed, which was embarrassing, which of course made me blush more. I wasn't used to such praise. I knew my team liked and respected me, but this was over the top praise. Also, Elaine was a very pretty girl, and it's always great when a girl that pretty gives you a compliment.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"Well, you know, A leads to B, B leads to C," I said. That was how I always explained how I figured things out. I'd always been good at math, and when you got down to it Sapphire was just math. And numbers were like that. You figure out A, and that leads to B. Once you've got B, you go to C, and so on.

The three of them grinned at me. "Mike, you shouldn't be so modest, even though it's really cute," Elaine said with a giggle.

Steve and Brian shared a grin. Elaine was definitely tipsy.

"Elaine's right Mike," Steve said. "This is your moment, enjoy it."

"It's OUR moment," I said to them, and we toasted to that.

As we left, I said "Brian, did you get a chance to check on that alpha progression?"

Brian shrugged. "Yeah, but it looked good to me."

I frowned and shook my head. "Something about it doesn't look right to me. Did you check the regression model too?"

"I didn't think of that," Brian said. "I'll look at it again. Steve, can you check it with me?"

"You bet," Steve said.

I woke up early on Sunday and flew to Chicago in the private jet. The plane had a phone so I called Jen.

"You won't believe where I am," I said grinning into the phone.

"Where?"

"The firm's private jet!" I explained what had happened.

"I wish I was there with you!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah we could join the mile high club!"

"I would so be up for that!" she giggled.

"Me too!" And we both laughed at the double entendre.

"What are you up to today?" I asked.

"Heading to the gym," she said.

"Okay -- I'll probably get home late tonight, probably not before 10."

"No worries, just let me know," she said brightly.

I was more nervous to meet with the Chicago partners than the number crunchers. I dealt better with brainiacs since I spoke their language (math). The Chicago partners were all about money -- the more the better -- and they intimidated the hell out of me.

But if anything, the meeting in Chicago went better than SF. Maybe because the Chicago partners were money hounds, and they immediately saw Sapphire's potential to make serious cash.

Surprisingly, the meeting ended early. They got me a limo to the airport and flew me to NYC on the private jet. I could seriously get used to this. I called Jen from the plane but got her voice mail. I left her a message: "Hey baby, the meeting ended early, we should land around 6. Meet me at the airport and I'll give you the grand tour of the jet."

Jen wasn't at the airport when we landed. I tried her cell but again got her voice mail. I tried our apartment but she didn't pick up there either. I waited for a while at the airport hoping she would show up, but the pilots had to get to their next pickup. I said thanks to them and took a taxi home.

I got home around 730. Jen wasn't there. I tried her cell but again got her voice mail. I left another message: "Baby, I'm getting seriously worried, call me, I'm at home."

Finally around 9 I heard voices at the door. The door opened and Jen came in with her bike. "Oh Mike you're home," she said seeing me.

A cloud passed over my face when I saw Scott standing behind her.

She saw the look on my face. "Um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Scott.

He grinned, oblivious to the sudden tension between me and my wife; or probably he didn't care. "I had a great time," he said to her.

"Yeah, me too," she said to him while still half looking at me. He moved to kiss her goodbye.

She gave him an awkward kiss on the lips, and said "See you tomorrow."

She leaned the bike on the wall and came to me. She hugged and kissed me. "I'm so glad you're home, I missed you," she said.

"Where have you been?" I asked. I managed to keep my voice level, if unemotional.

"A bunch of us decided to bike to Coney Island. Remember, like we did last year? It was so nice today, like spring, it was kinda spontaneous."

"You went with Scott?"

"I didn't go with Scott," she said cautiously. "He was part of the group."

"But you ended up with him?"

"No, Mike," she said soothingly, rubbing my arm. "After we got back to the city we all stopped for drinks. Scott rode with me to make sure I got home okay."

"I called you. Repeatedly."

"Oh shit," she said digging into her fanny pack for her iPhone. She saw all the missed calls and messages from me. "Oh baby, I didn't think to look. I thought you'd be home late." She got on her tip toes and kissed me, and then hugged me. "You know I would have so dumped everyone and come home if I'd known you were here, right?"

"Yeah," I said. It felt good to have her in my arms.

Later we took a bath together. We did that a lot. When we rehabbed our bathroom we'd gotten a large enough tub that we could both be in it, facing each other.

I had her foot in my hand, rubbing it. She loved her feet rubbed, couldn't get enough of it. And her slim feet were so cute and sexy I couldn't get enough of touching them. So it worked out for both of us. We were sipping wine, so we were feeling relaxed.

"I have to ask," I said. "Did anything happen between you and Scott today?"

"Nope. We just biked around, then went to a bar." She pressed a toe into my chest and smiled. "I've been a good girl baby."

"But yesterday?"

"Yeah, but ... you said I could, right?"

"Yeah ... I guess I was just wondering."

"Well ... I wasn't sure I wanted to. After you left I slept awhile and then went to the gym. I came home and worked on Kelloggs, but I got stuck on Scott's part because I didn't have his latest report. I emailed him, and that kinda lead to me going over to his place cause that's where all his stuff was. We worked for a while, and then we fooled around. Then later I met up with Allie."

"Okay. Thanks for telling me."

"You don't have to thank me baby, no secrets right?"

"Yeah. It's just, I mean ... sorry for being skitzo about this."

"That's okay baby, you can ask me anything, you're entitled."

I felt the need to explain more. "I don't know why I'm so hung up on him. Maybe because you're such good friends."

"I have a lot of guy friends Mike ... it's never bothered you before."

"Yeah but ... not with benefits, right?" I forced a laugh to break the tension.

"That's true," Jen laughed back, but her laugh seemed as fake as mine. "I don't know what to say honey," she said getting serious again. "Do you want me to break it off with him?"

Yes, that was exactly what I wanted. But we'd done that with Ricky and it didn't work out. It was better to play things out and let her work through her infatuation.

So I said, "No, I don't mean that."

"You're okay then?"

"Yeah. These talks really help."

"Definitely," she agreed.

We talked a little bit about Kelloggs and Sapphire. I liked talking about Kelloggs because I liked hearing her voice and seeing her excited. Things were going really well, and her boss said she'd definitely get a bonus and maybe a promotion. I was really happy for her.

"Your presentation is Thursday, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. Eric told me a lot of partners are flying here to attend the meeting in person." Usually partners outside NYC attended by video conference.

"Wow, and all this because of you," she said admiringly.

"Well ... I mean, it's a team effort."

"You're so modest," she said smiling. Then she kissed me. "But it's cute."

I chuckled.

"What?" she asked.

"That just reminded me," I said smiling and thinking about what Elaine had said.

"What?"

"Elaine said the same thing," I said. I realized my mistake as soon as I said it.

"Who's Elaine?" she asked. Jen wore a smile but her eyes definitely weren't smiling.

"You know, Elaine, on my team."

"I don't think you've told me about her."

"Oh, sorry. I guess she joined about 6 months ago."

"Hmmm ... and she said you're cute?"

"No --"

"That's what you said."

"No, she said I was being modest, and --"

"Where were you when she said this?"

"We were having a drink."

"You went out with her for drinks?"

"My team went out," I quickly corrected her.

"Hmmm. How old is she?"

"I think 22."

"Kinda young for you isn't she?"

I laughed nervously. "I've got you baby, why would I want anyone else?"

"Um hm," she said dismissively. "Is she pretty?"

"Well ... I guess."

"And is she blonde Michael?"

This was getting bad if she was calling me Michael. "Um ... yeah," I said.

"Hmmm ... so do I have competition Michael?"

"Jen of course not!"

She smiled, an evil glint in her eye. "That's good because I told you what will happen to this," she said squeezing my cock a shade too hard.

We got out of the bath and dried off, then got into bed. Later Jen was on top of me, rocking back and forth. I cupped and fondled her breasts.

"Are her breasts bigger than mine?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Elaine you shit head."

"Oh. I guess."

"Are they pretty?" she asked. Even though hers were perfect, Jen had a thing about her small breasts. Sometimes she talked about getting a boob job.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"I don't know. I haven't looked."

"Liar," she said. She rocked back and forth in silence, and then said "Is she prettier than me?"

"Baby, no one's prettier than you," I said truthfully.

She gave me a "whatever" look. Then she said "Do you fantasize about her?"

"Jen -- of course not."

"Never?"

"Never," I said.

"It'd be okay if you did," she said. But I knew that was a lie.

"Jen, you know what I fantasize about?" I said. "You and Scott."

"Okay," she said a little sharply. "Then you want to hear something about yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"We were fooling around," she said still rocking back and forth on me. "He went down on me and got me close but wouldn't let me cum. He's soooo good with his tongue, he was driving me crazy."

"Okay," I said hesitantly.

"Then he got between my legs. I reached down to guide him into me. I always have to use both hands to hold him because his cock's so freaking big."

"Okay," I said again. Her story was definitely hot but I felt jealousy growing inside me.

"He pushed into me. It always hurts at first because he's so big, but he's super considerate so he always goes slow. I really like that about him. He'd gotten me so hot though I was really wet, so it didn't take him too long before he was all the way in me. God Mike I can't tell you how good it feels when he's all the way in me. It's like he reaches every part of me, it feels freaking awesome. I don't know what it is, but he fits be perfectly! It's like my pussy was made for his cock!"

"Okay," I said.

"Are you okay baby?" she asked.

"Yeah I guess," I said, not at all feeling okay.

She shrugged like she didn't care whether I was okay or not, then continued her story. "Then he started fucking me, going slow at first. He put my legs on his shoulders so he got super deep inside me. God Mike I can't tell you how good it felt! Oh, did I tell you? I had on the black ankle strap Jimmy Choos, you know, the ones you say make my legs look so great? I'd worn them with really tight jeans because Scott loves my ass and I wanted to drive him crazy!"

She paused looking into my eyes, then asked, "You're not upset are you?"

"I don't know," I said my head spinning by this point. "I thought you said you weren't sure if you wanted to fool around with him."

She shrugged. "I still wanted to dress sexy for him." She looked into my face. "I can tell you're upset -- but good upset right? Anyway, Scott was fucking me faster, and I reached down to caress his balls. He loves when I do that, and I love it too because his balls are so big and tight, just like his beautiful cock!"

She paused and looked into my eyes. I sensed she was getting to the punch line. "As I rubbed his balls his cock rubbed against my hand. Guess what I realized?"

"What?" I asked feeling dread approaching.

"He wasn't wearing a condom," she said simply.

It felt like my heart stopped. "What happened?" I said feeling more dread.

"It felt so good I let him fuck me that way."

"What?!" I cried.

"Don't worry, he didn't cum in me."

"But he might have! And even his pre-cum--"

"Michael, listen," she said dismissively. "You want me to fuck other guys. And I LOVE fucking them. Shit happens. Grow up and get over it."

I grunted and came. Then, without even a kiss, she rolled off me and went into the bathroom.

What the fuck had just happened? I'd gotten release from my orgasm but no pleasure, and now I was an emotional wreck. She hadn't been teasing or playing the game. She'd been mean, cruel even, and now she seemed pissed at me. What had I done?

Then it came to me. Elaine. She was upset about Elaine.

It always amazed me how someone as beautiful as Jen could ever be jealous or threated by another girl. Believe me, Jen is so stunning no man who had her would ever look at another girl. I certainly never did. But I'd learned early on she was probably the most jealous person I'd ever met, she got hurt really easy, and she had a fiery almost vindictive temper.

She came out of the bathroom with a frown on her pretty face. Her eyes were a little red. Had she been crying?

She got into bed and rolled over. Her body language told me I was not invited to spoon her.

I needed to reassure her. It was actually easy for me to do, because I adored her so much.

"Wanna know something?" I said moving closer to her but not touching her. "Remember back in college, when I first saw you?"

"Yes Mike," she said impatiently. "You've told me this before, over and move again. You saw me coming out of my dance class in my leotard and tights, and you immediately fell in love with my long blonde hair and long legs. So where are you going with this?"

"Yeah but, I never told you this part," I said gently, ignoring her major brush-off. "We actually met before that." I waited a moment for her to ask "when" or something like that, but she didn't say anything. She was going to make me work for this.

"The first time we met was in Platter Records and Books. You know, the used record and book store outside campus? I worked part time there. You came in looking for old Springsteen vinyl records. I'll never forget, you were wearing a pink bow in your hair. I swear to god, you were the prettiest girl I've ever seen in my life. I tried to talk to you but, you know me, I could barely put two works together I was so nervous looking at you. I managed to ask you why you wanted old Springsteen records, and you said he was the greatest poet who ever lived. I told you I'd never really listened to his stuff, and you told me to listen to Thunder Road. Then you left. Jen, that night I listened to Thunder Road like 100 times."

She turned around and looked at me. "I kinda remember, but I didn't know that was you."

"Of course not," I said with a humble laugh. "You were gorgeous and the most popular girl on campus, and I was a geeky math major who worked in a used record store."

"Why haven't you told me this before?"

"Well ... what happened was, I kinda stalked you after that," I said seriously embarrassed. "I knew your name -- you paid for the records with a credit card -- but I didn't know who you were. So, for like the next month, I found out as much about you as I could. What you were studying, what your class schedule was, who your friends were, things you were in to and things you didn't like, everything."

"How'd you do that?"

"I Googled you. There was some stuff on you but not a lot. Mostly through Facebook."

"Did we have common friends?"

"No, but, well ... I kinda hacked Facebook."

"You -- hacked - Facebook?" she said shocked.

"Yeah," I said, really embarrassed now. "It's actually not that hard."

"But ... my class schedule wasn't on Facebook," she said processing what I'd said. Then it came to her. "Did you hack the Penn State computer network too?"

I nodded, red faced and grimacing.

"God Mike you're dangerous."

"Anyway," I continued, wanting to get passed this part of the story, "My point is I didn't want to be a blubbering idiot when we met again. A friend got me invited to one of your sorority mixers. By then I'd listened to every Springsteen song, memorized the works of all the great European masters, read just about everything by Emerson and Thoreau, rode all the bike trails within 10 miles of campus, learned how to make a fire in the pouring rain with just a couple of sticks, studied Dante's Infernal, ..."

"God Mike," Jen said amazed. "I remember wondering how a math grad student knew so much about French non-conformist literature."

"Yeah, well ... I wanted to make sure I had something to talk to you about. I'm just saying ... baby, from the moment we met you've been everything to me. I think about you all the time. Whenever I see you, it's like my heart stops. Jen -- I'm consumed by you."

She smiled at me. It was almost a shy smile. But she was beaming at me.

She reached into my pants. I was soft. I'd just cum, and this was about love, not sex. She moved down my body and took me into her mouth. I got hard, and then I got on top of her and entered her.

This was how she liked to make up, after we fought. She liked making love to cement our reconnection. I liked it too of course. Afterwards we hugged and kissed and fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up with my cock in her mouth. She got on top of me and put me inside her. "I was really mean to you last night," she said rocking back and forth.

"That's okay," I said trying to be cool. But I had to know. "Did he really fuck you without a condom?"

She nodded. "Just a little bit," she said. "He went down on me and got me so hot I forgot to tell him to put on a condom. He entered me without one. I figured it out and told him to stop and put one on."

"Did he?"

"Not at first. He said it felt really good and he'd pull out in a minute."

"Jen, even his pre-cum --"

"I know, I know," she said soothingly rubbing my chest. "I made him pull out. I was so mad at him I wouldn't let him fuck me after that even with a condom."

"So he didn't cum?"

"I went down on him."

"Oh. Okay. I guess you weren't that mad at him then."

"Well ... I don't know," she said. "We didn't really make up until yesterday on the bike ride."

Her words "make up" rang in my ears, and bothered me. It made it sound like they were dating and she was his girlfriend. Maybe she was.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"You said you didn't have sex with him yesterday."

"We didn't," she said. "But we rode together and talked." When I didn't say anything, she asked again "Are you okay?"

"You rode together the whole time?" I asked.

"Not the whole," she said. "You know how rides go. People move around a lot."

"But you rode next to him the most."

"I don't know. I talked to a lot of people." She was still riding me, moving up and down really slow. She rubbed my chest again. "Are you okay?"

"It just seems like you're dating ... you're his girl friend."

She looked confused. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I don't know ... I guess."

She kissed me. "You're upset?"

"Yeah."

"Good upset or bad?"

"Bad I think," I said.

"Which part?"

I took a long breath. "He wants to fuck you bareback. And I think you want him to."

She kissed me. "It's not gonna happen Mike. You don't have to worry about that." She kissed me again. "What else is bothering you?"

"I guess the dating part," I said.

"You liked it when I dated Ricky," she said kissing me again.

"You didn't work with Ricky. You see Scott every day, you work with him, you party with him, you go on bike rides with him. You're with him way more than me."

I was still inside her, but now she stopped moving and just laid down on my chest, my cock still inside her. "Do you want me to break it off with him?" she asked. "I will if you want me to."

"I'm not saying that," repeating what I'd said the night before.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"Why? If it bothers you so much?"

"Because you have a thing for him," I explained. "And it has to run its course, or you'll always be thinking what if."

"I would never think that Mike," she assured me.

"I'm not willing to take that chance," I said.

We were both silent, like at an impasse. After a few minutes Jen said, "Wanna play hooky today? They owe you a day off, and I can take a mental health day."

Why not? I thought to myself. My presentation was done. Sure there was some tweaking, but I had until Thursday to do that. "That's a great idea," I said. Just as I did, my cell rang.

"Mike, where the hell are you?" my boss Eric practically shouted into my ear.

"Home boss," I said. "The meetings went great this weekend. Catching up with Jen."

"They didn't go great," Eric said. "They went FUCKING great! I need your ass in London, they want you to brief them before the partner meeting."

Jen got off me and I sat up. Despite my interest in what Eric was saying, I ached when Jen pulled off my cock, as I hadn't cum yet.

"Eric, what's with all the pre-meeting meetings?" I asked not understanding what was going on. Jen leaned in so she could listen.

"Mike, your Sapphire baby is big," Eric said. "Really big. The partners are thinking about scrapping everything and going all in with Sapphire, changing our short and long terms plans around it."

"Fuck," I said under my breath.

"You got that right kid," Eric said. "You know how it is now right? All the big investment firms got spanked with the housing crisis and stupid shit like derivatives. Made us look like selfish money hungry bastards. Since then we've been playing catch up. But Sapphire will change all that. It's based on sound fundamentals. We can make a lot of money for our clients, and do it the right way. Mike, we can restore the public's faith in Wall Street. And by the way make the partners a fortune."

"So tell Jen I'm sorry, and then get your ass to the airport," Eric continued. "The plane is waiting for you. And Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't fuck up." Then Eric hung up.

"Shit," I said under my breath.

"Mike this is really something," Jen said awestruck. "You're doing something amazing, world changing even."

"Well you know," I said shrugging. "It's just math. A to B, B to C ..."

"You're so modest, it's so freaking cute!" she giggled. But then her laughing cut off as we remembered how she'd (and Elaine) had said the same thing. I dreaded her going ballistic on me again. She got off the bed and went into her closet. I braced myself for the worst.

She came out. She looked stunning! She'd brushed her hair and put on black eyeliner, making her blue eyes really pop. She'd also put on pink lip gloss making her sexy lips look wet. She wore black thigh high stockings and high heels.

She'd put on black high heels, and carried something pink in her hands. It was Scott's bustier.

She brushed the bustier against my chest, and my heart raced feeling the soft velvet and hard ribbing. "You know this is Scott's right? I'll wear it for you right now. Would you like that?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" she whispered breaking out of the game. "You like this? I'm not upsetting you?"

"No. I mean yeah, I really like it."

"Okay," she said with a smile. She turned her back to me and held her long blonde hair up. "Tie it for me?"

I tied the laces, and then she stood up and let her hair drop. She attached the straps to the thigh highs. No words could describe how achingly stunning she looked, the bustier pushing up her tits and stopping just below her belly button, her tight ass and long shaping legs below.

"You like?" she asked getting on the bed and straddling my crotch.

"Yes!" I said running my hands over the bustier.

She caught hold of my hands. "You understand this belongs to Scott right? This is the last time you'll ever see me in it."

"God yes, I understand!"

She let go my hands and I caressed her again. Reaching down she took hold of my cock and guide me into her. "God you feel so amazing!" I gushed. Then I excitedly asked, "Have you worn this for him?"

She smiled teasingly. She leaned over and whispered into my ear, "Mike, I wore this for him on Saturday."

"Oh god!" I moaned.

She moved my hands to her feet. "These heels too."

"God Jen!"

"You know what else?" she hissed into my ear. "You know I told you I gave him a blow job? I swallowed most of it. But some of it got on the bustier."

"Ugh god!" I cried. I came shooting my cum into her.

Afterwards we kissed and held each other. "Did you like that?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was amazing," I gushed. "You really know how to push my buttons."

She giggled. "I thought you might like to play the game a little."

"You're incredible!" I gushed. I was probably babbling but I couldn't help it, she completely rocked my world!

"You're incredible too Mike," she said kissing me.

I obviously felt great on the flight to London. Flying in the private jet certainly didn't hurt. I felt everything was perfect. I had a young pretty wife, she loved me, we had a great adventurous sex life, my job was great, everything was moving up.

The only damper was Scott. She'd offered to end it with him, but made it my decision. It had to be her decision. If I forced her to end it, she'd eventually resent me for it. It could drive a wedge between us. Then he'd look like the good guy and me the bad, and that might drive her into his arms. Despite all the pain, it had to be her decision.

I didn't trust him. He didn't want just Jen's body, he wanted HER. Just like Ricky.

I wished we could have played the game with just nameless, one-night-stand fucks. But that hadn't been good for her. It wasn't just sex for her, she needed the romance. If I was honest with myself, that's what I really wanted from the game too. It just hurt a lot.

I called Jen from the plane. "Hey baby," I said catching her at work. "Can you talk?"

"Yep, anything for my jet setter hubby," she said.

Even though I was the only one in the cabin, I lowered my voice. "Baby, I think you should go back on the pill," I said.

"Yeah, I was thinking that too," she said. "I'll go to the drugstore today."

"But it's not effective for a while," I quickly cautioned.

"I know baby," she said soothingly. "For the next month I'll keep using condoms with him."

"Okay," I said relieved we were in sync. Now came the awkward part, but I'd been thinking about it and wanted to tell her. "Even after the month, I might want him to keep using condoms," I said.

"Oh ... okay," she said.

"We can talk about it though, okay?" I quickly added, not wanting her to think I was trying to dictate things to her. "I know it'd feel better for both of you without condoms. I'm just not sure I want him bare inside you ... or cum inside you." When she didn't answer immediately, I added "Sorry for being a control freak."

"It's okay baby, if that's what you want then that's what I'll do," Jen said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said. I tried to detect impatience or annoyance in her voice, but I didn't hear any.

"We don't have to decide now," I added. "Let's talk about it when I get home."

"Okay."

I felt like an ass, like I was saying I didn't trust her. Trying to make it up to her I said, "I'd be okay with it if you want to see him while I'm away."

"Okay," she said. I think she sounded a little surprised. "We'll see. I'm not feeling it right now, but thanks for offering."

The meetings in London were tough. The London partners were old college, pessimistic, half-empty kind of people, but by the end they were on-board and as enthusiastic about Sapphire as everyone else. The meetings though went non-stop until late Wednesday night. Me and all the London partners boarded the firm's private jet for New York Thursday morning. We'd make it just in time for the full partner meeting that evening.

I barely had time to call Jen before take-off (I obviously couldn't call her during the flight with all the partners there). "The meeting will probably go until about 10," I told her.

"Got it," she said. "I'm so proud of you baby. I'll make a late dinner, your favorite."

"That sounds great!" I said.

We landed at 3pm and the partner meeting was scheduled for 7. More than enough time.

I gave Jen a quick call. "I'm so proud of you baby," she said. "I know you'll be awesome tonight."

"Thanks!" I said.

"Um ... can I ask you something?" she said tentatively.

"Sure."

"Scott just called and asked if I wanted to get together with him," she said.

"Right now?"

"Yeah," she said. "He asked yesterday and the day before, but I wasn't up for it. I'm only asking now because he's going to Vegas tomorrow for the weekend."

"Oh," I said. I felt deflated, after all this was my big day. But then, I'd told her it'd be okay with me if they hooked up. "I guess so," I said.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I said. "He'll be gone before I get home, right?"

"Way before then," she promised.

The London partners took limos to the office. They'd gotten me my own limo, and we made our way into the city. I should have been thinking about my presentation but I couldn't get my mind off Jen and what she was doing with Scott. I was rock hard. It was only 315, I had a lot of time. Making a decision, I told the driver to instead go to my apartment.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"Wait here," I told the driver.

I quietly opened our apartment door. They hadn't wasted any time. Jen's dress was on the floor. His shirt and pants were on the sofa. Her bra and panties were next to her dress. There were sounds of sex coming from our bedroom.

I quietly walked to the bedroom. The door was wide open. Jen was on her back. Scott was on top of her. His cock was inside her. He was fucking her.

I watched them. They were too much into each other to notice me.

Scott was banging her hard, long and fast thrusts of his big cock into her pussy, so hard the bed was hitting the wall. "Oh god oh god oh god," Jen moaned, her long legs on his shoulders. She was naked except for thigh highs and high heels. "Fuck me, fuck me, don't stop, fuck me!" she cried.

I watched her cum on his cock, her back arched, her high heels pointed as her toes curled inside, her long soulful moan. He supported himself on his muscular arms as she recovered. He tenderly kissed her cheeks and lips. "That was freaking amazing," she gushed beaming into his eyes. "You have no idea how much I needed that!" she giggled.

"We should have fucked the other day," he said smiling.

"You were an ass!" she said, but she laughed and gave him a playful hit on the chest. "But you know what?" she said with a sly grin. "I'm on the pill again."

"Oh yeah?" he said grinning back. "So I can ditch the condoms?"

"We'll see," she said and then she enticingly ran her stockinged leg over his calf. "Come on we have to finish."

"You said he wasn't getting home until late."

"Yeah but I have things to do," she said. She gave him a seductive smile. "You think you can make me cum again?"

"I like a challenge," he said with a grin, moving inside her again.

"God I could get SO addicted to your cock," she gushed. She ran her hands over his muscular chest and six pack. "And your body."

"You like my body?"

"You know I do," she said smiling into his eyes.

"Better than your husband's?"

"I like Mike's body just fine," she said with a laugh. But as Scott moved inside her she cooed, "But I DO like your body, alot."

Their fucking picked up. Scott put Jen's legs over his shoulders again. He leaned down, squishing her tits against her thighs, and they kissed and tongued each other.

My eyes focused on her foot. So slim and pretty, and even sexier in nylon. Scott was pounding her so hard her high heel -- the one in my avatar -- was coming off. With each powerful pounding thrust her high heel came off her foot a little more. Soon it dangled from her toes. God it looked so hot!

"I'm cumming!" Scott cried.

"Cum in me!" Jen told him. "Cum in me baby!"

Scott's orgasm hit and he cried "I love fucking you Jen, I love you!"

Jen came again, her orgasm hitting at the same time and she cried back, "Oh god! I love fucking you too baby! I love you!"

They held each other, panting into the other's face. "That was fucking incredible, you're a great fuck," Scott gushed.

"You're not too bad yourself mister," Jen replied, beaming at him with a big smile.

Then she turned my way and saw me and her smile disappeared. "Mike!" she gasped seeing me.

She saw the hurt on my face. There's no way a husband -- even a cuck like me -- can watch his wife respond to another man like that, say the things she said, and not be hurt. But she also saw the excitement, both in my eyes and my crotch.

"Um, Scott ..." she said to Scott, pushing against his chest. He got the message and pulled out.

"Careful, the condom," she cautioned him, and she reached down and held the condom on his shaft while he pulled out. The end of the sack held so much sperm it sagged under the weight.

She modestly closed her legs. "Come here baby," she said reaching for me.

I felt uncomfortable with Scott there seeing his ripped body and big cock (even soft he was noticeably longer and thicker than me hard). Jen sensed this and said to him, "Scott honey can you wait outside a minute?"

Scott did a "whatever" shrug and left our bedroom. I closed the door.

I sat on the edge of the bed. "Hi," I said looking into her eyes.

"Hi," she said back looking into my eyes. We kissed.

I stroked her stockinged thigh. "You look incredible," I gushed.

"The freshly fucked look, it's the new fashion trend," she joked. We laughed.

I caressed her inner thigh, and then pulled a little. She parted her legs for me. I looked at her pussy. She was really wet and her pussy lips gaped apart some, but there were no signs of his sperm.

"Thanks for making him wear a condom," I said.

"Don't thank me baby," she said. "That's just the way it is." She stroked my arm. "Don't you have to get to work?"

"Yeah," I said caressing her small breasts and tracing circles around her hard nipples. "I couldn't resist ..." I felt a little embarrassed.

"That's okay honey," she said reassuringly.

"I don't have much time," I said.

"Come here," she said pulling me to her.

Our love making was slow and tender, nothing like what I'd seen just moments ago. She felt loose but still incredible. I came after a few minutes, coming into her. We spent a few more minutes kissing and holding each other.

I took a shower and dressed. I sat back on the edge of the bed and caressed her stockinged leg again. "I better go," I said.

"Good luck I know you'll do great," she said. Then she asked a little hesitantly, "Would it be okay if Scott stays a little longer?"

"Sure," I said, not really wanting him to. But I guess she wasn't completely satisfied yet, or she felt she still needed to take care of him.

I needed to go, but I didn't get up. Instead I kept stroking her leg. Finally I said "I wish I could make you respond to me the way you do for him."

"Baby ..." she soothed rubbing my arm.

"He makes you cum so much," I said feeling inadequate.

"You make me cum more," she said.

"Only because we do it more," I said.

She rubbed my arm. "Baby, that counts," she said reassuringly. After a moment she smiled, as if thinking of something that would make me feel better. "I won't clean up until after he leaves."

I didn't understand what she was saying at first, but then I did. "Okay," I said with a smile. That did make me feel better.

In the taxi on the way to the office, I couldn't help grinning. He might fuck her better than me, but his sperm was in a condom in the trash, while mine was in her pussy. I hoped he enjoyed my cream pie.

"How do you feel?" Eric said when I arrived at the office. Brian, Steve and Elaine were there, looking nervous and excited.

"Good," I said. I worked with my team a little to sync up, and then I spent some time alone in my office to psych myself up. This was the biggest presentation of my life. I felt confident though.

I tried not to think about what Jen and Scott were doing at that moment. I guess a part of me wished she hadn't hooked up with him today, since this was my day. But he was going to Vegas so I'd have her all to myself the entire weekend, so that made up for it.

It was almost 7. The entire partnership was waiting for me. Eric appeared at my door and we walked to the big auditorium. As I walked in all the partners stopped talking and looked at me, all 200 of them. I was on the stage by myself. I forced a confident smile. It was just math, I told myself. A to B, B to C. I started my presentation.

At 1030 I got home. Jen gave me a hug and kiss. She looked stunning. Her hair and makeup were perfect. She wore a slinky black dress. Was it new? It was as short as the Chanel dress, but instead of the daring back this one had a swooping front that showed off the soft swell of her cleavage. She also wore black stockings and black stiletto heels.

"You look incredible," I gushed at her. She smiled.

I saw the food on the table, the wine, the lit candles. "I made your favorite, rack of lamb." She'd really made an effort to make this a special evening for me (especially since she hated to cook).

"It smells really good," I said. We sat down and ate. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"The partners approved Sapphire," I told her with a big smile.

"That's wonderful Mike I'm so proud of you!" she said with a big smile beaming at me. Her words made me feel so great.

We talked more. I told her I was going to be really busy the next month or two as we got SEC approval for Sapphire. She told me Kelloggs was up and running and everyone was happy, and her boss Johnny had mentioned she might be assigned to a new big project. She was excited but didn't know the details yet.

"How long did Scott stay?" I asked her.

She moved over to me and sat on my lap. She put her arms around my neck. "Just a little longer."

I traced my fingertip along the swell of her bosom. "Did you fuck again?" I asked.

"Yeah, a quickie," she said and then kissed the top of my head. "I feel bad I hooked up with him today. This was your big day. I only did it because he'll be gone all weekend."

"That's okay," I said.

She kissed me again. "I can tell you're upset."

I didn't say anything for a while. I didn't want her to think I was a complete insecure and pathetic loser. But I couldn't help myself, it was nagging at me. Finally I said, "I guess sometimes I wonder who's more important to you."

"You are Mike," she said reassuringly, and kissed me. "It's not even close."

Another pause, and then I said "You said you loved him."

I was about to say more but she put her finger over my lips. "Don't do that to yourself baby," she said soothingly. "I've told you -- when I cum it feels like love. It doesn't matter who I'm with. But that doesn't mean I'm in love."

"You're just so in to him, I can tell," I said.

"He's just new, that's all," she said soothingly, kissing me. "You know I like that. The romance and excitement of a new relationship. It'll go away, just like it did with Ricky."

"What if it doesn't?"

She put her finger over my lips again. "Don't think that Mike," she said soothingly. She put her hands on my head. "So much goes on inside your head. I like Scott, we're buds. And right now he's more than a friend to me. But eventually we'll be just friends again." She looked into my eyes. "Okay?"

"Yeah."

She smiled. She reached down and cupped my crotch. "I think this needs taking care of," she said with a cute giggle.

I traced her breast again. "I like this dress," I said.

"I bought it new for you," she said.

"You'll only wear it for me?" I teased her.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"If you want," she said.

I thought about it. "That's okay, you can wear it for him," I said. I continued to trace lines on her breasts, following the soft slopes up and down.

"Scott likes bustier girls," she said.

"Yours are perfect," I assured her, speaking truthfully.

"Yeah, perfect but tiny," she said with a laugh. "Scott said I should get a boob job." Seeing my frown, she added, "If I did it, it wouldn't be for him."

Her assurance didn't make me feel better, at least not completely. Sensing this, she said, "Sorry, I'll stop talking about him."

A little later we made love. Like before, our sex wasn't frantic and passionate like hers with Scott, but tender and loving. I came inside her. I was pretty sure she didn't cum, but she seemed content.

It was getting late and we both had to get up early, but I didn't want our time together to end. She seemed the same way.

My fingers trailed down her body and caressed her stomach over her garter belt (she'd worn it for me, making it really a special evening). "Have you ever worn a garter belt for Scott?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"I don't want you to ever wear one for him," I said.

"Okay, I won't."

"I know it's petty --"

"That's okay baby, you're entitled," she said kissing me on the lips.

We kissed a little (tender kisses, not making out). Then I said, "Has he asked you not to do things for me?"

"No, but ..." she didn't finish, as if unsure whether to say more.

"What?" I pressed her.

"He said he'd like to spend more time with me," she said.

"Oh," I said. I was silent processing that. "Do you want to spend more time with him?"

"I think so," she said hesitantly.

Her words felt like a punch in the gut. But this was what the game was all about. I said, "I guess I'm okay with that. Just tell me when you see him, okay?"

"Of course," she said. She reached down and cupped by crotch. Although I'd just cum, my cock had stirred with our conversation. "Do you want to go again?" she asked.

"I'm not sure I can," I said with a laugh.

"Okay," she said tiredly. "I guess I'll go to sleep now. Love you baby."

"I love you too." She fell asleep almost immediately.

We had to work the next day, but then we had the whole weekend together. It was really good. We didn't do much, other than be together.

Sunday Jen was surfing the internet while I did some mindless busy work on Sapphire (the real work would start the next day). She started laughing, looking at the computer screen.

"What's up?" I asked smiling at her.

"Look," she said gleefully showing me the computer screen. It was Scott's Facebook page. It showed Scott and his buddies with a bunch of really pretty girls. Scott was in Vegas for a bachelor's party.

There were a series of pictures and they got pretty explicit. They didn't get x-rated, but it was pretty clear Scott and his friends had sex with the girls. Jen's delight grew as she scrolled through the pictures.

"Oh he is such a hound dog!" she said delightedly looking at one picture of Scott kissing a really pretty girl. His hand was just below her very large bust. "I told you he liked big breasts," she said laughing.

She scrolled through other pictures, each showing Scott with another girl. All the girls were drop dead gorgeous -- their faces and bodies so perfect to be runway models -- and from the pictures it was pretty clear he'd had sex with a lot of them. "Oh I'm so giving him shit about this tomorrow," she laughed delightedly.

I felt deflated and inadequate. All the girls were gorgeous, and Scott seemed to have his pick of any (or all) of them. I was pretty sure none of the girls would give me the time of day. Jen was prettier than all of them, but it made me wonder why she ended up with a geek like me instead of a stud like Scott. Jen was too involved with the pictures to notice my unease.

One picture showed Scott kissing a girl at a club, his hand inside her pants and squeezing her ass cheek. The girl had a tattoo above her ass. "Isn't that sexy?" Jen said pointing to the girl's tattoo.

"Yeah," I agreed. Sure, it was sexy and Jen had talked about getting one before (she didn't have any tats now), but I talked her out of it. I didn't like the permanency of a tattoo. Jen's body was perfect, she didn't need anything like that. I hoped she wasn't thinking about getting a tat for Scott.

Jen scrolled through more pictures of Scott with gorgeous girls. I guess trying to make myself feel better, I blurted out, "They're probably hookers."

Jen laughed and said "Mike, believe me, Scott doesn't need to pay for it." Her comment stung but she was so focused on the pictures she didn't notice my reaction. The weekend had been going really great, but this made it a bummer.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

All In My Head Ch. 06

One night Jen got home and immediately said "I need a drink." She was distraught. She'd had to fire Calvin, an account exec. She'd known him a long time and she was friends with him and his wife. "I didn't have a choice, he really screwed up a major important part of the Kelloggs campaign," she said. "We almost lost Kelloggs." But she cried because Calvin was a friend and it was never easy to fire anyone. I held her. After the tears she told me she'd be in scramble mode the rest of the week fixing Calvin's mistake.

So things were busy for Jen and me. I was working non-stop to get Sapphire ready for launch, and get SEC approval for its use in the United States. Since the partners wanted to simultaneously launch all over the world, I also had to work with our offices in the key foreign countries to get their governments' approvals. Not only was I working 24/7, I was traveling all over the place.

Jen hooked up with Scott about once a week. Sometimes twice, but she always told me, and never slept over with him even when I was traveling.

Their hookups made it tough on me. Including work they spent a lot of time together, and our time together shrank to almost nothing with all my long hours and travel. She knew I was working hard on something important. I guess a part of me wished she'd cool it with him until Sapphire was over. It felt like she was taking advantage of Sapphire to spend more time with him. But deep down I knew that was unfair. When we were together, it was real quality time, and she was super supportive.

One evening we were watching TV and she said, "Scott's gym closed. I was thinking of suggesting he join our gym." Jen called it "our" gym, but I hardly ever went. "What do you think?"

"Geez Jen, you already spend so much time with him, now you want to work out with him too?" I said. I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"Okay, sorry, I won't say anything to him," she said, but she gave me a brief what –is-your-problem look.

"Whatever," I said, upset. Now I felt like an irrationally jealous husband. But how could she think it was okay to treat him like a normal guy friend when she was fucking him? "I've got to do some work," I said going into our home office.

She came in a few minutes later. "Will you be home next Thursday?"

"Why, do you want to see him then?" I snapped at her.

"No, Mike," she soothed, rubbing my arm. "It's your birthday you goof. I want to make sure you'll be home so we can celebrate."

I felt like an ass. "I'm sorry honey," I said. I'd forgotten about my birthday. Checking my calendar I said "Yeah, I'm not traveling that day."

"Can you take the day off?" she asked. "I think we need some alone time together."

I nodded. "Yeah, I think we do too," I said with a grin. I checked my calendar again. "I have a meeting in the morning, but can get off in the afternoon."

She sat on my lap and hugged me. "If an afternoon is all I can get, then that's what I'll take," she said smiling at me.

We made out with her on my lap. I unbuttoned her blouse and cupped her breast over the bra cup. I kissed along her neck and she reached down and rubbed me. We stopped and were both panting. For a while we gave each other soft tender kisses.

"I'm sorry about the gym thing," I said. "It's a good gym, go ahead and ask him."

She shrugged. "I'll tell him but he can do what he wants, I don't care really."

Thursday morning I woke up with my cock in Jen's mouth. "Happy birthday baby," she said with my cock in her mouth, looking at me through heavy lidded eyes. I turned her onto her back and got between her long legs. She'd put on high heels!

"You're so fucking sexy!" I gushed pushing inside her.

"Never forget it," she teased. I fucked her hard and came inside her.

She made me breakfast, a rarity since she hated cooking. She hugged and kissed me as I left for work. It made me wish she was a stay-at-home wife, for a lot of reasons.

I went to my meeting at work and then met Jen at our apartment. She looked casual but gorgeous, her hair in a ponytail, pink lipstick, a tight cashmere sweater, skinny jeans and slim pink sneakers.

We took a taxi to Central Park. We strolled the park, holding hands, talking and laughing. We went to the zoo and had a great time looking at all the animals. We'd been there before of course but it was one of our favorite places. We found a nice tree and had lunch. We called it "our tree" because we'd been there more than once. Jen had packed a picnic lunch with wine, again a rarity with her (she hated cooking so much she normally found even making sandwiches a challenge). It was far but we walked home, enjoying the nice day and being together.

It was around 3 when we got home. Jen told me to sit in my favorite chair and made me a scotch. She sat in my lap and we made out for a while. She had me panting, and then she whispered in my ear, "I'll be right back." She put the glass of scotch in my hand and said "Don't move."

She went into our bedroom. When she came out later my jaw dropped at the new outfit she was wearing. A starched white shirt, short pleated skirt, white knee-high ribbed cotton socks and saddle shoes. She'd brushed her hair out and put in a pink ribbon. She wore a light coating of sweet pink lipstick.

She looked like a young college girl! She knows I love that look on her! One time she wore something similar to a Halloween party and I practically came in my pants. I was having the same reaction now.

She came to be until her bare knees touched mind. "Are you having a good birthday baby?" she said with a smile.

"Yes! This is the best birthday of my life!" I gushed.

"Want to know something?" she said. When I nodded she bent at the waist and moved her lips close to my ear, her silky blond strands tickling my face. She whispered into my ear, "I'm gonna make your birthday next year even better."

God, she was making this such a special day for me!

She took my hands and put them on the back of her legs, on her calves over the knee high socks. She rarely wore knee highs, but I loved seeing them on her. They don't look good on most girls passed 20 or so, but her legs are so long and slim they look sooooo good on her.

I slowly ran my hands up her legs, feeling the ribbing of her cotton knee high socks, her soft bare skin above her knees, the swell of her tight ass under the short pleated skirt. She'd taken off her thong and put on cotton bikini panties to go with the collegegirl look. I kneaded her ass and she softly moaned "Feels nice."

She straddled my legs, and we made out. I unbuttoned her blouse and reached in, cupping her small breasts. "You like them?" she asked me.

"You're perfect just the way you are," I said honestly.

She smiled and beamed at me, clearly pleased.

I picked her up and gently laid her on her back on our sofa (I'm not muscle bounded but she's so petite and light I can easily pick her up). I pulled her cotton panties down her long legs. I opened her legs and went down on her, using every trick I knew. I wanted to give her a lot of pleasure and after years together I knew all her buttons and what she liked. After a few minutes her body tensed and shuddered and she let out a long moan. I moved up on the sofa and held her as she recovered from her orgasm.

After she recovered (but still panting) she pulled me on top of her. She reached between us, unzipped my fly and then guided me into her. She felt so good, so warm and tight and smooth.

I took one of her legs in my hands and pressed my face against her calf, feeling the knee high socks against my cheek. I have a real leg and foot fetish. She knows it, and as I slowly moved in and out of her, she took her other leg and pressed the point of the high college cheerleader saddle shoe against my chest. My head spun with excitement.

I took off the shoe of the leg I was holding. She moved that foot to my face, pressing the sole against my nose. Her cute foot looked so sexy in those socks. I took her foot and sucked her toes right through the cotton. With her toes in my mouth, she took her other foot and pressed the hard toe of the saddle shoe against my cheek. With all this happening, and my cock still moving in and out of her pussy, I felt like I was going to pass out from excitement, and moments later I came.

I rested on her as I recovered from my orgasm. "You know me so well," I said admiringly, panting.

"Of course, I'm your wife."

She got off me, and then lowered her head and took me into her mouth, cleaning me with her mouth and tongue. Then she put my cock back in my pants. She freshened my drink. "Are you having a good birthday so far?" she asked.

"It's incredible, you're incredible," I gushed.

She smiled. "It's not over yet." She gave me the remote control so I could watch TV while I sipped the scotch, and told me she was going to make dinner now. This was a really special day. She'd made me breakfast this morning, packed a lunch picnic and now dinner. Pretty amazing birthday!

I tried to help but she shooed me out. She was in the kitchen non-stop for over an hour. Then I heard her go into our bedroom and take a shower. When she came out she blew me away again. She'd really dressed up. Her hair was up in an elegant way, and she wore the Chanel dress with black stockings and high heels. She'd gone from barely legal college girl to sexy sophisticated lady. I felt so lucky to be married to her.

We ate by candle light. She made some of my favorite dishes. It all tasted great. After dinner she gave me my birthday present. It was a photo of us in Cabo. In was in one of those frames that you could press a button and hear a recorded message. I pressed the button and heard Jen's beautiful voice. She sang the first part of her favorite Springsteen song, Thunder Road. But she'd changed the words:

The screen door slams

My dress waves

Like a vision I dance across to you

As the radio plays

Roy Orbison singing for the lonely

Baby that's me and I want you only

Don't turn away again

I can't face life without you again

Don't run back inside

Baby you're what I'm here for

So you're scared and you're thinking

That maybe I don't love you any more

Show a little faith there's magic in the night

You're my baby and I'm all yours

And that's alright with me

I was so moved. My throat caught when I listened to it.

"I love you baby, you're everything to me," she said hugging me. "Don't ever forget it."

She took me into our bedroom and undressed me. Then she had me take off her dress. She was naked underneath except for a garter belt, black stockings and high heels.

She started the shower and told me to step in. As the water ran down my back she reached up and undid her hair, letting the blonde locks fall sexily around her pretty face.

Then she stepped into the shower still wearing the garter belt, stockings and heels! It looked incredible as the nylon got wet. She was literally a wet dream!

She soaped me up, giving me a massage. We made out and I got hard again, even though I'd already cum twice today. She crouched down in the high heels, so her head was level with my cock. With soap she softly massaged my cock and balls, and then her fingers slipped under me between my cheeks and across my asshole, gently rubbing me back and forth. I was panting and so hard it hurt.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

The sucked me but just for a few seconds. Otherwise I would have cum. She pushed my cock up so it pressed against my stomach, and then she licked and kissed down the underside of my shaft. She licked further down, gently kissing and caressing my balls.

She told me to put my foot on the side of the bath, opening me up. She kissed my balls again, and then she went farther down, the tip of her tongue rubbing my sandbar. I shuddered from pleasure.

Then she went still farther, her tongue getting close to my asshole. I stopped her by holding her head. "You don't have to do that," I said panting.

She looked up at me with bedroom eyes, the water sprinkling onto her pretty face. "I want to," she whispered huskily.

She dove under me again, and when her tongue touched my asshole it was like sparks going off in my head. She explored around my asshole with the tip of her tongue, and then she rubbed against it with the flat of her tongue. I groaned.

She stopped just long enough to say, "Tell me when you're going to cum," and then her mouth and tongue returned to my asshole. Then she wrapped her hand around my shaft and stroked me.

It only took a few strokes. "I'm cumming!" I groaned.

She licked across my asshole one more time, and then she moved her face in front of my cock. She pumped me fast and hard, and then I came, shooting my cum all over her sweet pretty face.

I panted as I recovered, and watched as she moved my softening cock across her face, painting my cum across her cheeks, nose, and mouth.

Finally she stood up. Her high heels scratched across the tub floor. By then the water had washed my cum from her face. She put her arms around my neck. "Hi" she said to me looking into my eyes.

"Hi" I said back looking into hers, my arms around her slim waist.

Later we were in bed on our sides, looking at each other. "This has been the best birthday ever," I said. "Thank you."

She smiled. She reached down and cupped my cock. "Am I the first to ever do that to you?"

"Yeah."

"Let's keep it that way," she joked, giving my cock a squeeze.

I laughed. Then asked, "Am I the only person to do that to you?"

"Um ... no comment," she said with a hesitant laugh. I could tell she didn't want to go there, and neither did I. I didn't want to ruin this moment.

But I couldn't help asking, "Have you ever done that to anyone else?"

"Nope," she said. I could tell she was telling the truth.

"Let's keep it that way," I told her, repeating her words.

"No worries there," she said with a laugh. That was an easy promise for her to make since I knew she didn't like to do it.

She snuggled into my arm and we fell asleep.

About a week later I called Jen to tell her I would be working late. "No worries, I'll see you at home," she said.

Around 7 she called me. "How long do you think you'll be working?" she asked.

"Hmmm ... probably another couple of hours," I said.

"Okay ... um ... I was thinking of going for drinks with Scott," she said.

"I thought you were at the gym."

"We are, we just finished working out," she said.

"Oh ... he joined our gym?"

"Yeah – remembered we talked about it?"

"Yeah," I said. "I guess it's okay. I'll be home by 10."

"I'll definitely be home by then," she said.

I still had a lot of work to do but I found myself staring out the window. They worked together all day, sometimes they had lunch together, they hooked up one or twice a week. Now they work out together at night. She spent way more time with him than me. I kept looking out the window at the NYC skyline.

I got home at 10. I was afraid she wouldn't be there. During the Ricky thing, she often broke promises like that. But she was home on the sofa watching TV, and she had a wine glass waiting for me. She was still in her workout clothes.

She could tell I was bothered. "You know, we don't work out that often together," she said.

"Okay."

"This was the first time we've gone out after."

I nodded. "Thanks for calling me first."

She hugged me. "How's Sapphire?"

"We're close to SEC approval. We might launch next week. We've already lined up thousands of investors."

"That's great baby I'm so proud of you," she said hugging me again.

After a few moments I asked "Did you have sex?"

She paused, then nodded. "Yes."

"Where?"

"This is going to sound slutty, but in the alley behind the gym."

I couldn't help smiling. "You guys are like horny teenagers," I said. Then I said "You made him wear a condom right?" She was back on the pill and it was effective now, but I still didn't want him inside her bare or cum inside her.

"Always baby, I always put one on him."

"You put it on him?" I asked.

She heard the sharpness in my voice. A little hesitantly she said "Yeah, I mean ... yeah."

I gave her a whatever shrug. It bothered me. If a girl is horny and just wants fucked she'll tell the guy "put on a condom." But if she's into him, especially in a relationship with him, she'll put the condom on for him, use her hand or even her mouth to roll the condom over his shaft, as a sign of affection and even love. Jen had always put condoms on me, when we used them. Just another sign this was a relationship with Scott, not just hookups.

"Come on, don't get upset," she said giving me a smile. "Wanna check he wore a condom?" she asked extending her legs to me.

I couldn't help smiling. I grabbed the waistband of the tights and pulled them off her legs, in the process also pulling off the thong underneath. I looked at her pussy.

"Come on, get closer," she whispered sexily to me. I got on my knees and she parted her legs.

"Do you see any cum?" she asked. When I shook my head, she said, "Touch me to make sure. But a little gentle okay? I'm a little sore."

I traced over and between her pussy lips. "You're always sore after fucking him?"

"A little bit, but I'm getting more used to him."

"His cock's really big," I said.

"Really big," she agreed. As I continued to caress her, she asked "Is my pussy as pretty as it used to be?" I'd always told her she had the prettiest pussy because it was petite and the lips were thin and tight, just a shade darker than the surrounding skin.

The lips were swollen and not so tight together at the moment. "Your pussy is more beautiful than ever," I said truthfully.

She smiled and then closed her legs together, like a bashful girl. I opened them up again. "Did he make you cum?" When she nodded, I asked "Do you think you can cum again?"

"I might be able to," she said.

I went down on her. I tasted the rubber but didn't care. It look longer than usual but eventually she came.

"I want you inside me," she said after recovering from her orgasm. We made love and I came inside her.

A week later we launched Sapphire. It was a real big day for me, the biggest of my professional career. Everyone from file clerks to even old man Jacob himself congratulated me. The number crunchers and partners in Chicago and London called me or emailed me with congrats. In my office I had a glass of champagne with my team and we toasted ourselves.

Jen and I were meeting later for dinner to celebrate. Around 5 she called me. "You won't believe this, Scott just got promoted to director," she said sounding awestruck.

"Wasn't he an account exec?" I asked.

"Yeah, he jumped two rungs, he's at the same level as me and Allie now," she said excitedly.

"It doesn't seem fair, you were team leader on Kelloggs," I said.

"It's okay, I'm really happy for him, I couldn't have done Kelloggs without him," she gushed. I would rather she not be so enthused about his promotion, but didn't say anything knowing it was petty.

Then she said "A lot of people are going out tonight to celebrate. I should probably make an appearance."

"Okay," I said. "Do you want to meet at the restaurant after?"

"Can you stop by the bar?" she said. "We can leave from there."

Scott was the center of attention of course. Jen was next to him, smiling and looking really proud of him. I stood beside her and listened as everyone talked about how amazing he was. More than once Jen joined the chorus and gushed "Scott's freaking brilliant!"

I'd been there 30 minutes before Jen said "Oh honey congrats about Sapphire." She kissed me, but then turned her attention back to Scott and his big promotion.

I told Jen we needed to bolt to make our reservation. Scott heard me and insisted we go out with them, to celebrate both our big days. I didn't want to, but I could tell Jen did, so I agreed.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

There was a group of 10 people, I think the main Kelloggs team. There was more talking about how great Scott was, and toasts to congratulate him, and a lot of gossip about work. I felt like a complete third wheel.

At one point Jen announced to everyone my Sapphire project had launched. "Oh yeah, how's that going bro?" Scott said, not sounding very interested.

There wasn't a lot I could say. I mean, Sapphire wasn't something sexy like the Facebook IPO. Sapphire worked in the background, slowly at first, and my projections didn't have it showing any results for a few weeks.

I stumbled over my answer. Everyone gave me a half-hearted toast, and then their attention quickly returned to Scott and office gossip. Jen squeezed my hand and whispered "I'll make it up to you." But she quickly returned to their group discussion too, focusing a lot of her attention again on Scott.

I went to the bathroom. Passing the bar, I glanced at the TV. Anderson Cooper on CNN was doing a short blurb on this new investment vehicle called Sapphire. It made me feel a little better.

The dinner wound down and people started to leave. Scott whispered something to Jen. She whispered something back, shaking her head. They whispered some more.

She came over to me. I expected her to tell me she wanted to go home with Scott. That's what she would have done during the Ricky thing. But instead she took my arm and said "Ready freddie?"

I was quiet on the taxi ride home. I felt really hurt, this was my big day. Okay, it was Scott's big day too, but who was her husband?

"Sorry about that," she said. She squeezed my hand.

"Don't worry about it," I said. I didn't pull my hand away, but I didn't squeeze back.

"I guess I got caught up with being with everyone," she tried to explain. "We haven't gone out as a group in a while."

"Sure," I said. I pulled my hand away and looked out the window. We rode the rest of the way in silence.

In our apartment I gave her the silent treatment. Sure, it was childish, but it gave me some satisfaction.

"Mike, I'm sorry," she said. When I didn't respond, she said frustrated "Will you talk to me?"

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. Then I looked at her. "You know what I've figured out?" I said. "You may love me. But you're completely infatuated with him. So if it's a choice between him and me, you always pick him."

"That's not true Mike. He wanted me to go home with him but I told him no."

I stared at her in amazement. "He asked you, today of all days?" I asked. "Yeah, he's really a nice guy Jen."

"Mike the point is--"

I held up my hand, interrupting her. "I don't care Jen. Don't do me any favors. If you want to be with him tonight, then go. I have to work anyway."

I walked into the home office. I was hurt, jealous, and angry. To do something, I accessed the Sapphire server and ran through the logs and diagnostics. I raised an eyebrow at some of the numbers. It looked kind of strange. Not a big deal, but a little off. An anomaly.

Jen came in. She wedged herself between me and the computer. "I want to be here, with you," she said rubbing her stockinged leg against my hand. "I'm sorry about tonight. You know Callie and Val, right? They were there tonight? They've been in London since last year, and just got reassigned here last week. I guess I was excited to see them, but we should've gone to dinner ourselves, I was wrong." She rubbed her knee against my hand again. "It's your day baby. Let me make it up to you."

All my hurt, jealousy and anxiety came out. "It's my day unless Scott's around, right?" I said in a cold bitter voice. "Then it's his big day."

Her shoulders fell, as if in frustration, and maybe a little panic. She was used to getting her way using her pretty face and sexy body. "Mike, what do I have to do to convince you I love you?" Frustration and impatience were in her voice. "Okay, I admit, I was happy about Scott's promotion. But Scott's my friend, I have a lot of guy friends, it's never bothered you before."

I shook my head incredulously. How could she not see the difference? "You weren't fucking those guys Jen," I said glaring at her.

She looked distressed, like my words were a physical blow. "I told you I'd break it off with him," she said.

"Yeah, like that worked with Ricky," I said to her sarcastically. We were silent for a few moments. In a more reasonable tone I said, "It's not your fault, I wanted this as much as you. But this thing between you and him just has to work its way through. Sometimes though, you're not going to be able to make it better for me. I'll just have to deal with it."

A little later in bed she reached for me, like she wanted makeup sex. I pushed her away, saying "I'm really tired and tomorrow's going to be a long day," I told her.

"Okay," she said resigned. She rolled over on her side. I rolled over the other way.

By silent agreement we called a truce after that. For a while she stopped hooking up with Scott, but then she started up again. Not as much as before, every other week maybe. Things got better between us, I guess. We talked and made love, but I felt my birthday was the high point of our closeness since before Ricky. We felt disconnected, a rift between us.

Or maybe it was me. I guess I was scared. I was afraid she was getting tired of my insecurity, my back-and-forth between jealousy and excitement, my weakness, my moodiness. On the one hand she had me, with all those many faults. On the other she had Scott, who was handsome, charming, charismatic, a karaoke-god and "freaking brilliant." Why not cut her loses with me and move over to the winning team? We didn't have kids. We owned our apartment but we could easily sell it. She made a lot of money in her job. It was clear Scott wanted her, not just her body, but all of her. Why not cut me loose and go with someone who rocked her world?

I figured she wouldn't ask for a divorce right away. She'd tell me we needed some time apart. Maybe she'd pitch it like it was for my benefit, to give me space to concentrate on Sapphire. She'd let me stay in the apartment to make it easy on me, and she'd move in with Allie. Maybe she'd suggest we have dinner a few times a week, to stay connected. She'd see Scott of course, so she could work out her feelings for him. But really, what did she have to work out? It was clear she wanted him more than me. She'd shown that.

One night Jen excited told me Johnny (her boss) had assigned her to lead a new project. They were going to pitch for Google's on-line advertising work. This was way bigger than Kelloggs, it was so big 3 directors would manage it. Jen would lead the team, and Allie would be her second.

"Johnny put Scott on my team too," she told me, a little hesitantly.

Of course, I thought to myself. Now they'd be spending even more time together. But I put on a brave face and didn't show my anxiety. "Baby I'm so proud of you!" I said. And I really was proud of her. I took her to a really nice dinner to celebrate. But inside I felt even more anxiety.

A few weeks later, on Saturday, I had to go into the office to work on Sapphire. Jen was okay with that because she had to work on Google for a while. We agreed to meet later that afternoon.

I met with Steve, Brian and Elaine. The anomaly was still in the Sapphire numbers, and I wanted to brainstorm to figure out what it was and what it could mean. The number crunchers in SF had noticed the anomaly too, and they were analyzing it. I wanted to figure out what it was before anyone else.

We made some progress. We decided to go to lunch and then call it a day. After all, it was probably no big deal. Sapphire was starting to make money. In fact its performance was running very close to my projections. So we decided to go to lunch for a little celebration.

The trendy mid-town restaurant was busy. As we waited in line, my heart jumped when I saw Jen ahead of us, also waiting for a table. Scott was with her.

She looked super hot. She wore cutoff jean shorts that barely covered her tight butt and showed off her shapely legs. She wore a snug short sleeve top that buttoned up the front. She finished the outfit with ankle high boots, which emphasized how long her legs were. She looked extremely cute and very sexy too.

As they waited in line, she and Scott were talking and laughing in a very relaxed familiar way. His hand moved to her back while they spoke. Then he curled a finger in her back pocket to bring her closer to him, and said something to her. She smiled and said something back. She didn't make him take his finger out of her pocket. The way they acted was the way a boyfriend and girlfriend would act.

I looked nervously at my team. Steve and Brian both knew Jen. Luckily they weren't looking that way.

Jen was laughing at something Scott said, and she turned my way. Her laugh caught as she saw me. Scott looked where she was looking and saw me. He scowled. The asshole scowled at me! Jen subtlety removed Scott's hand from her ass.

She came to me and gave me a kiss. "What a great surprise!" she said hugging me. She gave hello hugs to Steve and Brian, who she knew. I introduced her to Elaine. She smiled at Elaine and gave her a hug too, but there was wariness there.

We got a big table for all of us. At first Scott was the life of the party again as usual, telling interesting stories. But then Jen asked my team about Sapphire. They were so excited they talked over each other. They talked about how Sapphire was a brilliant idea, how it would not only make a lot of money for us and our clients, but also make the market more transparent and predictable that the public would trust Wall Street again.

Scott looked bored. Jen squeezed my hand, proud of me.

"I'm sorry for the touchy-feely thing," Jen said when we were alone after lunch. "They didn't see did they?"

"I thought you were working on Google," I said.

"I did – he's on my team, remember?"

"You don't look dressed for work," I said looking at her short shorts and sexy boots.

"I dressed for you!" she said.

"Does he always touch you like that in public?"

"No – I guess he was frisky today."

"It's not like you stopped him," I accused her.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"Mike, stop," she said grabbing me. "We've both been so busy. Let's not fight okay?"

I took a deep breath. "You're right, I'm sorry." I hugged her. "I guess I'm stressed about work."

"Is everything alright?"

I thought of the anomaly. But I said, "Yeah, just a lot to do."

We had a nice day and we made love that night, but still everything wasn't right between us.

We hardly saw each other because of our jobs, and when we did it felt like we were both walking on egg shells. Each time I saw her I was afraid she'd say something like, "Mike, we need to talk, this isn't working for me, I'm not feeling it ..."

A week later Jen told me she had to go to Vegas that weekend. Google execs were at a big tradeshow at the Venetian and this was a good chance for networking. "Allie and Scott will be going with me," she said.

"Okay," I said, feeling my stomach tighten up.

Then she delivered the bombshell. "It's Scott's birthday this weekend. I'd like to ... hang out with him."

When had "hang out" become "fuck his brains out"?

"Okay," I said again, feeling numb. What else could I say? They'd be together all weekend, they'd do it no matter what I said.

She rubbed my arm. "Are you okay? I won't if you don't want me to, it's not a big deal."

I shrugged. "I'm okay with it," I lied. What was the point?

She eyed me. "You look upset. Good upset? Bad upset?"

I forced a smile. "I'm not upset at all," I said lying again.

That night she tried to seduce me. That's how I started thinking of it. Seduce me to make me feel better, so she wouldn't feel guilty being with Scott. Deep down I knew it was unfair, but I couldn't help thinking it, I was hurting too much.

I gave her the "I'm too tired excuse" again. In bed she rolled her way and I rolled mine.

Then on Thursday the shit hit the fan.

We got the latest performance data on Sapphire. Its return was lower than my projection. Not a lot, but moving down. It didn't make sense.

Then Brian, Steve and Elaine came into my office. Their faces looked like death. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"The brainiacs just called about the anomaly," Elaine said.

"Okay, what?" I asked.

Just then Eric burst in. "Mike, my office, now!" he practically shouted.

Eric closed the door as we walked into his office. Old man Jacob and three other powerful partners were there, Moe, Larry, and Curly (that wasn't really their names, but everyone called them that behind their back). The number crunchers were there via video conference. So were partners in Chicago and London. This did not look good.

"Have you seen the anomaly analysis?" Moe demanded.

I shook my head. "We just received it."

"Well let us enlighten you!" Larry yelled. "Sapphire doesn't fucking work!"

"This is a disaster," Curly said putting his head in his hands. "A fucking disaster."

The number crunchers said the fundamentals of Sapphire were all wrong. That was the reason for the anomaly. The brainiacs said the problem was with the alpha progression, it was all wrong, a major fuck up. But it was clear the brainiacs didn't know what they were talking about. They hadn't figure out what was wrong. I hadn't either so I couldn't defend myself.

"This is a fucking nightmare!" a Chicago partner yelled. "This is worse than Enron, worse than the home mortgage scam, worse than the auto bailout!"

A partner from London said "Sapphire is a farce. Our clients will lose everything – tens, hundreds of millions. Expect law suits gentlemen."

Always the pessimist, Curly nodded his head, resigned. "People are going to jail over this."

Jacob held up his hand, and everyone stopped talking. "Calm down," he said. "This can be managed, as long as we are proactive. Mike, who is in charge of the alpha progression?"

"It's a team effort," I said immediately.

Jacob frowned at my answer. One of the brainiacs said, "Brian is in charge of Alpha, and Steve assisted."

Larry knew where Jacob was going. "Fire Brian right now," Larry ordered me.

A Chicago partner said, "That won't be enough. Steve needs to go too."

"You're right," Larry said nodding. "Mike, fire Brian and Steve right now, today," he ordered me. "Fire that kid too, the blonde with the big tits, what's her name, Elaine?"

"I worked on Alpha too," I said.

"Mike, your job is safe," Eric said reassuringly. "Everyone still believes Sapphire was a brilliant idea. You still have a great future here."

All the partners nodded, agreeing with Eric. Old man Jacob nodded too, and said "It's not your fault. Your team let you down Mike. Brian, Steve and Elaine need to go."

I thought of Brian and Steve, guys I'd worked with for years. They were my friends. Their careers would be severely damaged if they were fired over this. I thought of Brain's 2 kids, his wife pregnant with their third. How would he support them? And Elaine was just starting out in her career. Could she recover from something like this?

I looked Jacob in the eye. "No sir," I said.

"What did you say?" Jacob said in a low dangerous voice.

"That's not the way to do it sir," I said. "I can fix Sapphire. But I need my entire team to do that."

"It can't be fixed," one of the brainiacs said.

"Fire them right now!" Larry growled.

I stared down the brainiac, somehow maintaining my cool. "You looked at Sapphire weeks ago and blessed it. You say Sapphire is broken but you can't explain why. Why aren't you being fired?"

Then I glared at Larry, but I still managed to keep my voice level. "I'm team leader. Fire me if you want. Only cowards look for scapegoats to save their own skin. "

There was a gasp in the room. No one talked to partners like that. I knew my career was over no matter what happened with Sapphire.

Old man Jacob eyed me, an amused interested look. He said "You have until Monday morning, before the markets open." Then he added "If Sapphire is not fixed by then there will be dire consequences." It wasn't a threat, more like a statement of fact.

"Yes sir," I said. I turned and left. As I did Eric was shaking his head. I went into my office and closed the door. My hands were shaking and I found it hard to breath. I felt the world crashing down on me.

There was a knock, and my team walked in. "How it go?" Brian asked.

I needed to see Jen. She was flying to Vegas tonight. We'd kissed goodbye that morning, but she planned to stop by our apartment on the way to the airport.

"I'll be back in an hour," I told Brian. "Be here when I get back, all of you."

Jen was finishing packing when I got home. "This is a surprise," she said kissing me.

I hugged her. I had an urge to pack a bag and take her away, fly to Europe or something, away from Scott, away from Sapphire. But I had to stay. I had to fix Sapphire, if only for Brian, Steve and Elaine.

"Are you okay?" she said worried, looking into my face.

"Yeah," I lied. "I just wanted to see you before you left."

"I'm glad you did," she said smiling running her hand up my chest. Looking at my face she frowned again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied.

"You know, about Scott--"

I interrupted her. "It's okay, it's his birthday, I'm good with it."

She was about to say something when my cell rang. It was Eric. "Mike, where the hell are you?" he said sounding panicked.

"Jen's going to Vegas for work," I explained.

"Then give her a kiss goodbye and get your ass back here!" he said the panic rising.

"I've got to get back," I told her.

"Okay," she said. "It'll wait until I get back. I'll be home Sunday night." She looked at me concerned. "Is everything alright at work?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," I lied. I kissed her and then hugged her really tight. I didn't want to let her go. Then her taxi arrived and we broke way.

"See you Sunday baby," she said kissing me. "I'll call you okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, forcing a smile.

In the taxi back to the office, I imagined the next few days. I'd probably get fired no matter what happened with Sapphire. But hopefully I could save Steve, Brian and Elaine's jobs, and make back some of the money for our clients so they wouldn't be financially ruined.

Would Jen stay with me if I got fired? I'd have a hard time finding another job with the Sapphire fiasco. Why wouldn't she jump ship to Scott? She clearly had feelings for him. He was better looking, a better lover, and he'd have a good job and bright future, unlike me. I'd be damaged goods. Why would a girl as beautiful as Jen want to stay with a loser like me?

My team and I worked all evening, and then again Friday. It didn't make sense. Everything worked. We checked and re-checked. We couldn't find any bugs. Yes, the anomaly was there, and it seemed to be coming from the Alpha module, but we couldn't figure out why. I personally went through the Alpha software line by line and couldn't see any bugs. What the hell was going on?

Jen called Thursday night. She was surprised I was still at the office. I was still there when she called Friday morning. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," I lied. I didn't want to tell her what was going on. If she told Scott and Allie, they'd use this failure as another way to belittle me in her eyes. I'd wait to tell her when she was back home.

There was always a lot of background noise when she called, a lot of partying. It was Vegas after all. I heard Scott in the background, talking over me as I tried to talk to her. More than once Jen giggled and said on the phone to me, "I've got to go honey, call you later."

I imagined her tossing the phone into her purse, me already forgotten. She'd walk off laughing with him, looking into his eyes, his arm around her or holding his hand, getting closer and closer to him.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

We worked all day Friday but we still couldn't find the error. I sent my team home at 7pm. They promised to return the next morning. I continued to work Friday evening. I hadn't been home since seeing Jen off to Vegas.

I checked the demographics of our investors. They weren't all rich. Many were moms and dads getting ready to send their kids to college, or people about to retire. If I couldn't fix Sapphire a lot of them would be ruined.

By Saturday night I'd figured out a work around. Not a solution – the anomaly was still there – but a soft landing. A legal way to turn off Sapphire while preserving some of our clients' money.

Late Saturday night Eric came around. After explaining my workaround, I said "Our clients would get back about half their money."

Eric nodded. "It's something but still bad though," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed. Yes it was bad, but at least our clients wouldn't be completely financially ruined.

Eric looked at me. "Mike you're going to come out of this okay. I wasn't kidding, all the partners think you're brilliant; you have a very bright future. But I think your team is history."

"That's bullshit Eric. It's my fault, not theirs, you can't fire them," I insisted.

He shrugged. "You know how it works Mike. You're valuable. The firm doesn't give shit about them, they're a dime a dozen. Someone needs to go down for this, and it's going to be Brian, Steve and Elaine."

"Listen Eric," I said taking another tack. "Everyone blessed Sapphire. The number crunchers, the Chicago and London partners, old man Jacob, fuck Eric even you."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "What are you saying?" he said.

"I'll take the fall," I offered him. "The firm can say anything it wants about me, they can say I fucked up, that I went rogue, whatever. But Brian, Steve and Elaine get a clean slate."

"Why the fuck would you do that?!" Eric yelled amazed and frustrated, knowing my career would be in the toilet. "They didn't do their jobs, they didn't watch your back, you're the team leader, you can't do everything, they fucked up not you!"

"Eric, it was my idea, not theirs," I told him. "And admit it, this way is better, it shields the firm better than firing my team."

He shook his head like I was crazy. But he knew I was right. "I'll tell old man Jacob."

"If he agrees then my team is okay," I pushed him. "You swear," I said offering my hand to seal the deal.

He scowled at me, but took my hand. "You have my word," he said grudgingly.

I felt better. Our clients would get some of their money back. Brian, Steve and Elaine would keep their jobs, at least long enough to move somewhere else without any damage to their careers. My career on Wall Street was toast, but there were other things I could do. Maybe I'd teach somewhere. I could teach high college math or something. Things could still work out.

As long as I had Jen. She was the key to everything for me. As long as she stayed with me I'd be happy.

It was late Saturday. I called Jen but she didn't answer. Then I remembered, today was Scott's birthday. I didn't want to think about what they were doing together. I decided not to call anymore tonight. She'd be home tomorrow and I'd confess everything to her.

Again I worked through the night, hoping I'd figure out the anomaly. I fell asleep at my desk again. My team arrived Sunday morning and Steve woke me up. I checked my phone. Jen had called telling me she was boarding the flight home.

We worked but still we couldn't figure it out. There were no bugs, yet the anomaly would not go away. It made no sense!

In the afternoon I went home. I planned to pick Jen up at the airport, and I wanted to shower, shave and put on new clothes. My team promised to keep working, and I'd join them later that night.

At home I checked my email. I hadn't looked at it all weekend. There was an email from Scott. Why the fuck would he email me?

There was a big file. It was a video. Preparing for the worse, I double clicked it.

The video began playing. The date stamp said last night. Scott was grinning looking smug and arrogate. "Hey bro, you're gonna love what Jen's giving me for my birthday." Then the picture moved like he was setting it up on a tripod.

Jen and Allie walked into the room. They both looked hot wearing slinky black dresses and high heels. Jen was wearing the Chanel dress. They were giggling and holding hands, the way girls do. Clearly they were both drunk.

They both got on the bed. Then Scott joined them, reclining on his arm and watching them. He had a big grin on his face. "Okay, let's get the show started," he said.

"I can't believe I said I'd do this!" Jen giggled putting her head in her hands.

"No backing out now, it's my birthday," Scott said. Then he said with an arrogant grin, "Would you do this for Mike?"

"No freaking way!" she said laughing.

Scott put his hand behind Allie's head and pulled her to him, kissing her. They made out for a while. Scott's hands explored Allie's body, fondling her big breasts over her dress. He was rough, but she seemed to like it that way. "You know how long I've wanted to feel these?" he asked cupping and squeezing her big tits.

"Yeah?" Allie moaned. She reached down and cupped his cock. "You know who long I've wanted to feel this?" she breathed. She stroked him through his pants and said, "God Jen he's so fucking big."

Jen was beside them in bed, on her knees. She watched them fondle and kiss each other, and I could tell she was getting hot. "He fucks so good too Allie," she said. Hearing her, Scott pulled Jen to him. He made out with Jen while he fondled Allie's tits.

He pulled away from both of them. They were all panting. Jen had her cum face on. "You two kiss now," Scott said. He leaned back to watch.

Allie and Jen both looked hesitant. Allie got close to Jen so their faces almost touched. "Ready for this?" Allie said.

"I'm not sure," Jen said.

Then Allie pressed her lips against Jen's. They kissed awkwardly, two straight girls kissing each other. But they got more comfortable at it, and started getting into it. After a few minutes they broke apart, both gasping.

Scott lit a joint. He took a long drag then gave it to Jen. Jen welcomed it and took a long drag. Allie did the same thing. They passed the joint around and then did another. Jen and Allie both looked buzzed.

"Kiss again," Scott urged them. This time there was less awkwardness. They made out for a while.

"Touch each other," Scott said. "Jen, take off Allie's dress."

Jen reached behind Allie and unzipped her dress. Allie helped her pull it off. Allie wasn't wearing anything underneath. All she had on now were her high heels.

For the first time I saw Allie's nude body. She was magnificent. Her natural breasts were large and perfect, her stomach flat and her legs long and shapely. Her pussy was completely bare, unlike Jen who kept a small patch above her clit.

"Jen, suck Allie's tits," Scott ordered. Jen did, lowering her head. She cupped and fondled Allie's big breasts and sucked her nipples. Scott kissed and made out with Allie as Jen worked on her tits.

"Allie, take off Jen's dress," Scott ordered. Jen turned and held up her hair while Allie unzipped the dress. Jen pulled the dress over her head and threw it on the floor, next to Allie's. Jen was naked underneath too, except for thigh high stockings and high heels.

Not waiting for Scott's order, Allie kissed and fondled Jen's breasts. Jen's breathing became labored, even while she reached down and cupped and fondled Allie's much larger breasts.

"Don't you wish yours were as big as Allie's?" Scott asked her.

Jen nodded fondling Allie's big breasts. She had her cum face on. "Someday I want to feel a big cock fucking my tits," Jen said.

"Mike's?" Scott asked.

"No, yours," Jen said reaching for Scott's crotch and they kissed and made out.

Then Scott broke away from Jen and the two girls kissed again. They broke away and Allie kissed and sucked Jen's nipples. Jen moaned, her head rolling back.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"Would you put on this show for Mike?" Scott asked Jen with a smug smile.

"No," Jen said, her eyes closed as Allie worked on her nipples. "I don't want to think about him okay?"

Scott smiled and briefly looked in the direction of the camera. He grabbed Jen's blonde hair and she opened her eyes, although they were heavy lidded with lust. "Open your mouth," he ordered. She did and he spit into her mouth. Jen looked surprised but she didn't object, and she swallowed his spit. Then he pressed his lips against hers and they made out and tongued each other.

The girls undressed him. Allie ran her hands over his body. "Isn't he gorgeous?" Jen gushed to her friend.

They pushed Scott onto his bank and then both went down on him. It was like a porno flick. Jen would swallow his shaft while Allie sucked his balls, and then they would trade places. "Allie have you ever sucked Mike?" he asked.

"Yeah right," Allie said rolling her eyes. Scott laughed again.

Jen was sideways to the camera, sucking Scott. She shifted to suck his balls, so her back came into view. My heart froze. There was a tattoo on her back! It was black a few inches across, a tribal design, right above her ass. I couldn't believe it. She'd gotten herself tattooed without even talking to me about it!

"I wanna fuck this body," Scott said running his hands over Allie.

"Yeah Scott fuck her," Jen said her lips and chin moist from sucking him.

Allie rolled over and Scott got between her legs. He pressed his big cock between Allie's pussy lips. "Kiss Allie," Scott told Jen.

Jen leaned over and kissed her friend. "You're gonna so fucking love this," she breathed into Allie's mouth.

Allie gasped as Scott entered her. "Oh my fucking god!" she cried as he pushed himself into her. He put Allie's long legs on his shoulders and fucked her hard and fast. "Oh god fuck me fuck me fuck me!" she cried as he pounded her. Then she came on his cock, her body tensing and shuddering so much her heels fell off her feet.

He pulled out and lay back on his back. He grabbed Jen's hair and pulled her head to his crotch. "Lick Allie's juices off me," he commanded. Jen licked and suck him.

As Jen went down on him, he asked Allie, "Has Mike ever fucked you?"

Allie laughed derisively and looked at Jen. "In a million years I'd never fuck Mike." Scott laughed.

Allie joined Jen at Scott's cock. "I could so get used to this thing," Allie said in awe.

"Isn't it incredible?" Jen gushed. They kissed again, and then went back to pleasing Scott with their mouths and tongues.

Scott looked like he was getting close to blow. He pushed Jen onto her back. "Allie, I want to see you eat Jen out." Allie got between Jen's legs. She tentatively extended her tongue. Clearly she'd never done this before to a girl. But as with the kissing, she got into it and Jen was soon moaning.

Scott stroked Jen's clit as Allie ate her. Jen moaned and writhed under their combined touch. Scott fingered the small trimmed patch Jen kept over her clit. "Why don't you go bare like Allie, it's so hot," he asked.

"She keeps it that way for Mike, to prove she's a natural blonde," Allie said, rolling her eyes. Then she went back to eating out Jen. I could tell Jen was close to cumming.

"I'm gonna shave it off," Scott said reaching for his shave kit. He poured some oil on Jen's bush and got his razer. "Okay Jen?"

"Yeah yeah, go ahead, shave it off, make me bare like Allie," she moaned writhing under Allie's tongue.

"What about Mike?" he asked fingering her clit.

Jen arched her back at his touch. "I don't care, just do it," she groaned so closed to cumming.

It took 2 swipes of the razer and then Jen's natural blonde bush was gone.

Then Scott pushed Allie away. "I want to taste that pussy," he said stroking between Jen's lips with his finger. "Allie, sit on Jen's face, I want to see her eat you out."

Allie straddled Jen's head and then lowered her pussy onto her pretty face. Like Allie, Jen licked awkwardly at first, but then got into it. Scott watched Jen eat out Allie, and then he went down on Jen, making Jen moan into Allie's pussy.

Then Scott got on his knees between Jen's spread legs. Jen was into eating out Allie, and Allie's head was rolled back, moaning.

It was like seeing it in slow motion. Scott was rock hard, his cock long and thick. He hadn't cum yet. He wasn't wearing a condom (Allie apparently didn't mind bareback).

He moved up between Jen's legs and then he pushed in. He penetrated her pussy with his bare cock.

Jen grunted at the sudden penetration. Scott fucked her hard and fast. He made out with Allie and fondled her big breasts as he fucked my wife bareback.

Then he pushed Allie off Jen's face. He leaned down and Jen wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed and tongued each other as they fucked.

Allie got close and fondled Jen's tits. "Does he fuck you good Jen?" Allie said.

"Oh god he feels so good inside me," Jen moaned. They kissed and made out as Scott fucked Jen.

Scott pulled out and moved Jen to her hands and knees. He pushed back in balls deep and fucked her doggy style. Now though he was taking slow and deep strokes. "God yeah that feels so good!" Jen said.

As he fucked her Scott caressed her new tat. "Your new bullseye is so fucking sexy," he admired tracing the pattern with his fingers.

"You better like it, you picked it out," Jen giggled.

He moved her back onto her back, and fucked her missionary again. He put her stockinged legs on his shoulders, getting in real deep that way. He kissed her and she moaned into his mouth. "Oh god this feels so good!" Jen cried. She was close to cumming.

"You know I'm not wearing a condom, right?" Scott said his face close to hers.

"Yeah I know it feels so fucking good!" Jen cried.

"You've wanted it this way, huh?" Scott said with a smug smile.

"Yes! God! I've always wanted you this way!" Jen screamed as her orgasm hit, her body shuttering with pleasure.

"I'm cumming too babe where do you want it?" Scott growled.

"God cum inside me baby! I want to feel you cum inside me!" Jen cried urgently, her arms and legs wrapping around him and hugging him close.

Scott grunted and lunged once, twice and then three times into Jen's pussy. I knew he was shooting his sperm into her with each powerful lunge. Jen kept her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, making sure he came inside her, and I think she had another mini-orgasm as she felt his sperm hit her inner walls.

They held each other as they recovered from their orgasms. Scott pulled out and I had a clear view of Jen's pussy. Her pussy looked thoroughly used, and milky thick sperm seeped between her pussy lips.

"That was so good!" Scott said caressing Jen's stockinged leg.

"The best ever!" Jen gushed, a big delighted smile on her face.

Then the video went dark. I thought it was over, but then Scott came back onto the screen. The room was empty so he must have added this after the girls had left.

He had a smug triumphant smile on his face. "Hey asshole," he said to me on the video. "So you don't want me fucking her bareback, huh? Well, guess what? Your pretty wife took my load and loved it! Think she'll ever make me use a condom again? Maybe I even knocked her up tonight. She'll get fat with my baby. What do you think of that shit head?"

Then the video ended, the picture freezing on Scott's face. He wore a smug arrogant smile.

I couldn't move. I just sat in the chair and kept looking at the frozen picture of Scott. Feeling the world crashing down on me.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

All In My Head Ch. 07

It was dark outside when I heard the door open. I hadn't moved, still sitting in the chair, looking at the frozen picture of Scott.

Jen walked in with her suitcase. She looked at me and smiled. "Weren't you gonna meet me at the airport?" she asked.

She saw my face and how my eyes were focused on the computer screen. "What?" she asked moving to see. I got up and she sat down.

She stared at the screen for a moment, not understanding what it was. She clicked "play" and the video started again with Scott saying "Hey bro, you're gonna love what Jen's giving me for my birthday," and then she watched as she and Allie walked into the picture.

"Oh shit," she said and hit "stop."

She looked at me. "Mike, I didn't know he made this," she said. She moved towards me. "Let me explain."

What was there to explain? She'd gotten tattooed for him. She'd given him a threesome with Allie. She'd let him fuck her bareback, and let him shoot his cum inside her.

I felt empty, tired, defeated. Yeah, it was a game. Yeah, I was part of it. She said she loved me. But if she did – if she really did – how could she treat me this way?

And how could we stay together now? How could I stay with her, having seen what I'd seen, knowing what she'd done, what she'd said? There were limits. Everyone has limits.

"Baby, I'm sorry, let me explain," she said putting her arms around me.

"Please don't touch me," I said pulling away. There was no anger in my voice. No emotion. There was nothing there. She pulled back hearing how empty I was.

"Mike ..." she began, trying to figure out what to say. "I was drunk. And then we smoked pot and I got high. I'm sorry. I let it get out of control."

"You say that a lot," I said. No anger, no bitterness, no sadness. Just a statement of fact. I was empty inside, dead. I got up.

"Where are you going?" she said looking scared.

"It's not your fault," I said. "But I need to go. I'm too ... obsessed with you. But I can't take it anymore. It's too much."

As I left our apartment she was crying and calling my name.

I walked around. Not really thinking or feeling anything. My body was still alive I guess, but there was nothing inside.

At some point I stood in front of my office building. I don't know how I got there.

I went into my office. Immediately Elaine, Brian and Steve came in. They looked scared and anxious.

"Mike, Eric told us about the deal you made," Steve said. "We won't agree to it, we're together on this, a team."

"I fucked up Mike, not you," Brian said. "I should be fired, no one else." Steve and Elaine quickly disagreed.

I cut them off. "It doesn't matter anymore," I said.

"What do you mean?" Steve said.

"Can you give me a minute?" I told them. I didn't want them there, I didn't want anyone there, I wanted to be alone.

Maybe because she's a girl, Elaine read me. She said, "Mike, is everything alright with you and Jen?"

A long pause. "No," I said simply. "Give me a minute guys, okay?" I closed the door. Sat in my chair. Looked at my computer.

And then it came to me. Why Sapphire was broken and how to fix it. I shook my head. How stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

We'd put boundaries into Sapphire. Not intentionally. But the boundaries were acting like a dam. And when you put up a dam to hold back water, you better make sure the water doesn't do bad things like flood adjacent land.

Some of our code was acting like a dam on Sapphire. It was holding her back and bad things were happening. It was like a Y2K thing.

I removed the dams from Sapphire. I increased max values, changed integer variables to real, modified limiting functions, stuff like that. It took about 15 minutes. Then I re-ran it. The anomaly was gone.

For shits and giggles – because I didn't care anymore – I ran a new performance projection. I shook my head and chuckled. Sapphire's new performance – her true performance – was way better than before. Way way better. Like exponential better.

I emailed my fixes to all the partners. I attached the new performance numbers. At the end of the email I wrote "I respectfully resign." I was done.

I looked around my office. I'd never be back, and wondered if I should take anything. I saw the picture Jen gave me on my birthday. The one of us in Cabo, the one where she changed the Springsteen lyrics. Impulsively I put it into my pocket.

When I opened the door, Brian, Steve and Elaine were there. I'd cc'd them on the email. They looked relieved but unsure. I gave them a smile and shook Brian and Steve's hands and gave Elaine a hug but didn't say anything to them.

As I waited for the elevator, I turned and saw old man Jacob. The old geezer was in the office this late on Sunday. For a moment we looked into the other's eyes. He had that amused interested look again. The elevator doors opened and I stepped in.

The next days were a blur. If asked where I went, what I did, where I slept, I wouldn't be able to say.

Eventually the numbness went away and the feelings returned. You know how you stub your toe and you don't feel anything at first, and then the pain hits? That's how it was. It was – I guess I'd say – debilitating. That's how bad the pain was.

I called Claire and Sam. I didn't have my iphone – I didn't know where it was – so I used a pay phone. "I'm all fucked up," I told them.

"Mike, honey, Jen is worried sick, everyone is looking for you," Claire said. "You need to go home, okay?"

"Where are you buddy?" Sam said. "We'll send a cab for you."

"I can't be with her anymore Sam," I told him. It came out as a sob. I hung up the phone.

I'm a math geek. One to two, two to three, that stuff. When I thought of Jen I couldn't figure it out. I didn't have a solution. I couldn't get from one to two or two to three.

She'd known I didn't want him bareback inside her. She let him do that.

She'd known I didn't want him to cum inside her. She let him do that.

She'd known I didn't want her to get a tattoo. She got one. For him. He'd picked it out.

She'd known I hated Scott. But she kept going with him. She even let him shave her.

I thought about what I was going to do next. The more I thought about a high college math job, the more I liked it. I wanted out of the fast lane, out of the high expectations that go with an "upwardly mobile" job.

I thought about moving west. Mostly to get far away from NYC. San Francisco didn't appeal to me (the number crunchers were there). Neither did LA. Seattle sounded good. I'd never been there, but it was on the water and they had a good football team with a young exciting quarterback. What the hell. I made a few phone calls, and was surprised at the response.

I knew I couldn't leave without seeing Jen. We both needed some closure. I called her at work but she wasn't there. I called her at home. Her voice was just as unemotional as mine. We agreed to meet that evening at the Soho bistro we go to.

That evening as I approached the bistro I closed my heart to Jen. I'd be like Sapphire, with dams in my heart, not letting anything in. It was over. We both had some things to say. We both had some questions to get answered. We'd do that and then it would be done. Time to move on. Maybe I'd get season tickets, get satellite and Sunday Ticket. Things were looking up.

She was already there. She was gorgeous as usual, but I closed my heart to her. Her eyes looked red from crying, but I closed my heart to her. She looked fragile, but I closed my heart to her. For a while we didn't talk, like 2 boxers sitting in opposite corners, wary of each other.

She reached into her bag and pulled out 2 envelopes, one green the other blue. "Mr. Jacob came by and gave you these."

"He came to the apartment?" I asked surprised.

"Yes," she said. She pointed to the green one. "He said that's for Sapphire." Then she pointed to the blue one. "He said that's for not letting them fire Steve, Brian and Elaine."

I took the envelopes but didn't open them.

"I wish you'd told me what was going on at work," she said softly, regret in her voice. "I never would have gone to Vegas."

I didn't say anything. I closed my heart to her.

After a few moments, when it was clear I wasn't going to say anything, she said, "I talked to Steve. Brian too. They got promotions."

I looked up at that one, and couldn't help a grin. "They did?"

"Yeah," Jen said. "They really think a lot of you." She paused looking at me. "They told me the deal you made with the partners." She reached over and squeezed my hand.

"It wasn't a big deal," I said under my breath looking away from her. I pulled my hand away. I closed my heart. It was done, over.

She winced when I pulled my hand away. Her eyes watered. After a few moments she said "I think it's a real big deal. So does Eric."

"You talked to Eric?"

"He came to our apartment looking for you," she said. "He said you resigned?"

I shrugged. "I'm thinking of teaching high college math or something."

She nodded. "You always liked teaching." I'd been a TA in grad college.

"I got an offer from West High college," I said. "It's in Seattle."

She slowly nodded but didn't say anything, as if processing what I'd just said. We went to our separate corners.

"It must've been terrible going through it alone," she said breaking the silence, regret in her voice again. "I wish you'd told me. I wouldn't have gone to Vegas. I would've been here for you Mike. You know that right?"

Yeah right, I thought. Like you were there when we launched Sapphire. Or in the Hamptons. Or on the video. Or even on fucking karaoke night, when I disappointed you. But I didn't say anything. My heart was closed to her.

"I know you don't believe me. I don't blame you," she said softly, eyes downcast. "It's true though," she insisted.

I couldn't take anymore. The hurt and anger and bitterness came out. "Seriously Jen?" I said derisively. "Remember, I saw the video."

She looked away like my words were a physical blow. Tears rolled down her cheeks. The waiter came by. I ordered something, just to get rid of him. He saw the intensity of our conversation and quickly left.

"You probably won't believe me," she began, "but I'd already decided to end it with Scott. I told him, and he said it was his birthday in Vegas and asked me to hook up one more time with him."

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"So you wanted to fuck him one more time, is that it?" I said scathingly.

She winced at my words. "I mean, by now you've figured out I'm a slut, right?" she said with a self-deprecating laugh, her eyes and cheeks wet with tears.

Silence. Our two corners.

"How'd Allie get involved?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

She shrugged. "He wanted her, she wanted him." She shrugged again.

"So that's why you broke it off with him," I said, the pieces coming together. "Because he wanted Allie."

"No Mike," she said as if pleading with me to understand and believe her. "I don't care what he does." She squeezed my hand. "You're the only one I care about."

"On the video," she continued, "That's why I said I wouldn't do those things with you. The thought of you with another girl ... I know it's unfair."

She laughed, but it was without any humor. "You know, that's why Allie calls you bubble boy."

I looked up, giving her a questioning look.

"You know me, I get jealous," she said. "Allie says I put you in a bubble."

So that's why ...

Maybe Jen saw a crack in my resolve. She said "I said terrible things. I didn't mean them. You know how crazy I get during sex."

"It not just what you said Jen," I said. The walls came back up. My heart was closed to her.

"I know," she said shamed faced, tears in her eyes. "I didn't make him use a condom. I swear it was the only time. It was the last time I was gonna be with him. I guess ..." She looked even more ashamed. "I wanted to experience it that way with him once. I'm a slut, you know?" Another self-deprecating laugh. "I was going to tell you. I knew you'd be mad. But I thought since it was the last time ..." She stopped seeing the anger and glare in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, it was wrong," she said regretfully. "I thought, maybe ... I thought it might even excite you."

"Excite me?" I snapped.

"You remember?" she said pleadingly. "Your fantasy about another man getting me pregnant."

"That's a fantasy!" I hissed.

"You know I'm on the pill!" she cried. "I was playing the game!"

We paused, a break from the turmoil. Retreating to our corners.

I shook my head. It didn't make sense. "If you were breaking it off with him, why'd you get a tattoo for him?" I asked bitterly.

"It wasn't for him!"

"He picked it!" I snapped back.

"He was just there!"

"He was just there?" I said incredulously. "That's your excuse? Really Jen?"

"It was stupid," she admitted scrunching up her face at the memory. "I've talked about getting one. I thought I'd get it and see what you thought. I was drunk, I know, it was really stupid."

"Ya think?" I said sarcastically, my anger boiling. "Permanently marking your body and not talking to me about it first?"

"Permanently?" Jen said frowning. "Baby, it was a henna tattoo. It's already gone."

Then she added "You don't believe me?" She got up and moved to me. With her back to me, she lifted her top a couple of inches. "See?" she said.

My eyes looked at her lower back. The tat was gone. My eyes focused on her perfect ass in the tight jeans. Delicate red lace of her thong peaked up over the low rise jeans.

She inched back so her firm ass touched my arm. "See, it's gone," she said looking at me over her shoulder.

"Yeah, it's gone," I agreed, my eyes still on her ass and the red lace, her tight ass pressing against my arm. I found it hard to breathe.

But no.

Not this time.

"No Jen," I said pulling my arm away.

Panic flashed through her eyes. Her pretty face and sexy body had always gotten her out of trouble. Men couldn't resist her. I couldn't resist her. But not this time. She'd gone too far this time.

She realized how upset I was, realized how serious this was, realized her beauty wasn't enough this time. She sank back into the chair, the seriousness of the situation sinking in. She hugged her legs to her chest like a little girl, looking scared.

"Are you leaving me then?" she asked sounding small and frightened and insecure, like a little girl asking her father if he was going away forever.

I knew there was history between Jen and her father, how he'd let her down, how a lot of guys in her life had let her down. You think of a pretty bubbly girl like Jen as having the best family, the best childhood, the best boyfriends ... but it wasn't always like that.

"I don't blame you," she said looking down. "I'm terrible." She wiped a tear from her cheek. She pressed her palms against her eyes, in frustration. "I don't know why I do what I do, why I can't control myself," she said the last part coming out like a sob, like a plea for help. She laughed belittling herself. "You know my mom thinks I'm a fuck up. I guess she's right."

I wanted to hug her, kiss her, comfort her, assure her she was anything but a fuck up, that she was the most wonderful precious thing in the world. But not this time. I couldn't. I willed myself to keep my heart closed to her. "I better be going," I said motioning to get up.

"I messed up with Calvin too. I should have stood up for him," she said looking at me. "The way you did for your team."

"You were project lead, you can't do everything," I insisted.

"He was my friend," she said, more tears coming down. "I let him down ... just like I let you down."

We were both silent for long moments. Had she really let me down? Hadn't she done exactly what I wanted her to do, what I'd asked her to do? Didn't I lose control as much as her, in my own way? Had she really done anything behind my back?

There was something sticking into my leg. Then I remembered the picture. I took it out of my pocket and put it on the table.

She smiled seeing it. "Remember, I promised you a better birthday next year," she joked, her eyes and cheeks wet with tears.

I forced a smile. "I might need a rain check."

"Yeah ...," she said looking down, both of us uncertain about tomorrow much less next year.

I pressed the button. The frame was almost out of batteries. The opening chords of Thunder Road played before it went silent.

Jen wiped away a tear and gave me a crooked smile. "You said you listed to Thunder Road a 100 times?" she asked. "Did you like it?"

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "Especially the beginning where Mary dances across the porch." I thought of Jen as Mary.

She smiled nodding. "He's a great poet."

"Yeah," I agreed. I didn't worship Springsteen like Jen, but I liked him a lot.

I pressed the button again. The battery had a little life left. Jen's beautiful voice came through the frame: "Don't turn away again, I can't face life without you again".

It was too much. I couldn't help it. My eyes watered and tears fell down my cheeks.

Jen cried again too. Suddenly she threw herself into my arms. She hugged me hard, her head buried in my neck. I felt her tears on my skin. She wept uncontrollably.

"Are you really going to leave me all alone Mike?" she sobbed.

No ... despite everything, I couldn't ...

I wouldn't leave her all alone.

~~ Epilogue One ~~

A few days later Jen and I were sitting on the sofa. We were still mending, but I was starting to think we'd make it.

I felt something in my coat pocket. Reaching in I pulled out the green and blue envelopes. We'd forgotten about them. I chuckled inside. I couldn't help thinking of that scene from the Matrix.

I opened the green envelope, the one about Sapphire. I suspected what would be in it, and I was right. A check. The amount surprised me though. "Wow, that's a lot of zeros," Jen said her eyes wide. I nodded just as surprised.

Then I opened the blue envelope. I had no idea what might be in that one.

Jen and I read it together, both of us shocked. It was an offer from the firm to become a full partner.

~~ Epilogue Two ~~

(About six years ago at Penn State)

Allie bopped into Jen's room in the sorority. "Why aren't you dressed bitch?!" Allie jeered. "The party's started."

"I might not go," Jen said shrugging. It was their sorority's big mixer of the semester.

Allie knew her friend too well. "Colin call you again?"

Jen nodded.

"That asshole!" Allie hissed. "Why can't he leave you alone? I hope you told him to go to hell!"

Allie saw the shamed look on her friend's face. "Oh my god Jenny, you didn't fuck him did you?" Allie knew the answer by Jen's silence. "Jenny! He's using you!"

"I know," Jen said pressing her palms into her eyes, distraught. Tears came to her eyes. "What's wrong with me Allie, I can't control myself! I mean, I don't even like Colin anymore!"

"It's not your fault honey," Allie said hugging her friend. "Colin's a hunk. Any girl would go ga-ga over him," She laughed. "You know me, my goal is to kiss every boy on campus. But Jenny honey, Colin isn't good for you."

"The story of my life," Jen said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Yeah," Allie said with a commiserating laugh back, knowing her friend's history. She pulled Jen up. "Come on, you'll feel better after a few beers."

"I'm not dressed, I don't have any makeup on," Jen protested.

Allie laughed. "Believe me honey, you don't need it."

Jen shrugged. "You go, I'll be there in a little while," she promised.

After Allie left Jen collapsed back on the bed. Her life was going nowhere. Why couldn't she control herself? Why was she so attracted to the Colins of the world? Why couldn't she resist them even though she knew they weren't good for her? There just didn't seem to be any hope for her. No hope.

Not knowing what else to do, she got up and wiped the tears from her face. She put on a little lipstick but otherwise didn't change out of her loose blouse, jeans and flats. She went downstairs to the party.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

"What's up Jenny girl?" Antonio said eying Jen up and down. "You're looking hot."

"Thanks," Jen said, sipping her beer and looking the other way. Antonio was gorgeous and normally she'd flirt with him, but she didn't feel like it tonight. Where had Allie gone? The least she could do is run interference.

Antonio put his hand on Jen's back, running his hand from her bra strap to just above her ass. "Heard you and Colin broke up," he said looking down her blouse. "Wanna go out sometime?"

"Um ... I'm kinda working on my grades this semester," Jen said.

"Yeah right," Antonio smirked. "The party girl, working on her grades." He laughed at the idea.

"Where'd you go?" Jen snapped later at Allie.

"Saw you talking to Tony-Tony," Allie grinned lecherously. "You bitch, you know I'm hot for him."

"Take him then," Jen said dismissively.

"Come on Jenny, go fuck him," Allie urged her. "It'll get Colin out of your system."

The idea of sex with Antonio was tempting. Tony-Tony – their nickname for him – was gorgeous and had an incredible body. And rumors said he sported twice the normal package, hence his nickname. But ...

"He's just another Colin," Jen said dismissing the idea. She'd already had too many Colins in her life.

Later, Jen was heading back to her room when a guy she didn't know approached her.

"Beer?" Mike asked nervously. He'd been waiting for over an hour for a chance to talk to her.

"Already got one," she said holding up the red Solo cup.

"Oh," he said. He looked uncertain, like he didn't know what to say next. Finally he blurted out, "Don't you think Emerson and Thoreau at some point became conformists by both being so non-conformist?"

"I guess so," Jen said with a shrug. "Do you always talk about French literature at parties?"

"Uh ... well ..." Mike stammered, red faced.

Just then Allie appeared. "Where have you been?" Allie said to Jen, pulling her away.

Across the room Allie whispered into Jen's ear, "Why are you talking to that geek?"

"Who is he?" Jen said.

"Mike something, he's the TA in my math class," Allie said dismissively.

Jen looked back. She smiled seeing Mike muttering as if chastising himself for not having a better pick up line. "He's sorta cute," she said.

Allie looked at him as if for the first time. "I guess he's kinda hot, in a geeky sorta way. I'd do him."

"Jeez Allie do you have to screw every guy on campus?!" Jen snapped.

Allie gave Jen a WTF look. "Whatever, fine, he'll be your bubble boy." Earlier that week in their sophomore film class they'd watched "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" about a boy no one was allowed to touch.

Mike already forgotten, Allie tugged Jen's arm. "Tony-Tony and I are going to the Crypts. Come with us. Victor's going too, it'll be a double date." Victor was Antonio's buddy and was just as good looking. But he was another Colin too.

Jen shook her head. "I think I'll hang here."

Jen wanted to go upstairs to bed but she kept getting stuck talking to people. From time to time she glanced over at Mike. He was hanging out drinking a beer, mostly by himself. He kept looking at a painting on the wall. She kinda felt sorry for him, but not enough to go over and talk to him.

At one point Maureen joined the group she was with. "You're a math major right?" Jen asked Maureen. She motioned towards Mike. "Do you know him?"

"What's he doing here?" Maureen asked surprised. "That's Mike Andrews, I've never seen him out of the math lab. He's really smart, he just won the Barnes award."

"What's that?" Jen asked.

"It's like the Nobel prize for college students."

"Oh, wow," Jen said impressed.

Jen got stuck talking to Tony-Tony and Victor. They were talking non-stop about the club football game they played that afternoon. She tried to look interested, but really she just wanted to go to bed.

Then they tried talking her into going to the Crypts, a local bar just outside campus. Jen shook her head. "I'm not feeling it tonight," she said.

She made her way to the stairs, to go to her room. She had to pass Mike on the way. "Why do you keep looking at that picture?" she asked.

Mike looked startled at seeing her. "Uh, well, it's kinda interesting." He pointed to the painting, a work of abstract art. "This is an arithmetic progression." Then he pointed to another place. "It switches to a geometric progression here. Do you know who did it? It'd look cool in my office."

Then Mike realized he'd drifted into geeksville. He expected Jen to look bored or smirk at him for being such a geek, but to his surprise she smiled and laughed. "You can have it. I didn't know I was putting that stuff into it."

Mike's eyes widened. "You painted this? I thought you were a marketing major."

"How do you know my major?"

"Oh um – I think someone mentioned it," Mike stammered. He obviously couldn't reveal he'd hacked into the Penn State computer while stalking her.

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Jen shrugged. "I did it in freshman art," she said. She looked at her painting. "I don't think it has all that math stuff in it though, I'm lousy at math, I have to work hard just to get Cs."

Mike looked at the painting again. "You must be really smart. I think you have a natural talent for math," he said honestly.

Jen couldn't help smiling at the compliment. No one ever said she was smart. Was this guy for real? French literature and now math? That's how he hits on a girl?

"I heard you won a big math award?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Mike said embarrassed. "It was no big deal."

"No big deal huh?" Jen said eyeing him. Tony-Tony and Victor would brag forever about intramural football, and this boy was too modest to talk about winning the freaking Nobel prize?

"You know, I could help you with your math class," Mike offered, stammering out the offer.

Jen titled her head. "Maybe ..." she said.

Mike decided it was now or never. Summoning all his courage he asked "I've got tickets for the Springsteen concert, would you like to go with me?"

"You've got tickets for Bruce?" she said amazed. She'd been trying to get tickets – everyone had been trying to get tickets – for months!

"Well – yeah," Mike said. It hadn't been easy to get them. He'd had to work double shifts at the record store and drive to Philly to buy them from a ticket scalper.

"I'm definitely in!" Jen said excitedly. Allie would be soooooo jelly. She tilted her head at Mike. "You don't even know my name."

"Sure I do Jen," Mike said. "I'm Mike."

Jen smiled. She liked that. "Jen." More grown up than Jenny.

"What's your favorite Bruce song?" she asked. If he was taking her to the concert the least she could do is talk to him for a little while. She expected him to say "Dancing in the Dark" or "Born to Run," most people did.

Mike was tempted to say Thunder Road. After all, he knew that was her favorite. He'd listened to every Springsteen song by that point, and honesty said "I think Sandy."

"Really?" Jen asked surprised. That song was one of her favorites, but no one ever said Sandy. Intrigued, she said "Why?"

"My family used to go to the Jersey shore," Mike explained. "Bruce sings about a fortune teller there –."

"Madame Marie," Jen said.

"Yeah," Mike said. "She's real life you know. I've talked to her."

"Me too!" Jen said excitedly. But then she saw the melancholy on Mike's face. "What happened?"

Mike got choked up remembering. "Sorry," he said.

"No that's okay," Jen said. "Tell me."

This was something Mike definitely hadn't wanted to get into. A real buzz kill. But he had no choice now. "When I was younger my older brother got really sick. Cancer. So we went to the shore because he liked the ocean. It's okay, he got better."

"Oh that's good!" Jen said squeezing Mike's arm.

"I got a fortune from Madame Marie. We talked for a long time. It sounds crazy, but I've always felt that was part of why Aaron got better."

Jen smiled. "I'm surprised a math major believes in fortune telling and mystical stuff like that," she teased.

Mike shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "I guess everyone needs hope," he said.

Jen stared into his face, startled by his words. "Yeah ...," she agreed in a soft uncertain voice.

Who was this guy? She'd agreed to go to the concert because she wanted to see the Boss, not because she was interested in him. But now ...

From across the room, Allie, Tony-Tony and Victor looked at Jen talking to the math geek. "Let's save Jenny from that geek," Victor said.

"Yeah, come on," Tony-Tony said.

Allie watched her best friend talking to the math major. "Hold it guys," she said grabbing their arms. "Give her some space, okay?" She inwardly shrugged. Who knew, maybe it was true opposites attract.

Jen and Mike talked and laughed a long time, way past when the party ended. They were surprised when they saw the first rays of the sun, that's how long they'd talked. They went outside and sat on the porch, carrying a blanket because it was chilly. Mike put the blanket around them.

As the sun rose, Mike gathered all his courage and put his arm around Jen, the prettiest and most popular girl on campus.

Jen welcomed his arm, and leaned into him. His arm felt really good. It felt right.

~~ The End ~~

(Mike and Jen's story continues in "Making It Work")

[guessmecon]

done was good