Take It Farther

by Mithras, Laran

  I was shocked. Had the woman had some spy or something in our bedroom? But no, otherwise she wouldn't be asking. I wasn't sure if this was a test or not. The safest thing would be to deny it. "Goodness no, of course not." I said it too quickly.

  Her head moved a little, tilting as she looked me in the eye. She laid a hand on my thigh.

  I froze. This was not a move Jacqueline ever put on anyone in my sight. But as flirty as the move was, I didn't feel as if she was being flirty with it. Suggestive maybe.

  She said, "Maybe it's something you could discuss with your wife?"

  "Her flirting?"

  She sat back up and removed her hand. "Walter. A few drinks in him and who knows what he might say. Or do. You might prepare her to expect his attention."

  "Oh. Um, this doesn't bother you?"

  She twirled her glass. It was nearly empty. The ice cubes went round and around. "He's devoted to me. But…"

  "But?"

  "He has his little fancies." She wriggled her fingers dismissively.

  I knew nothing to say in response. I just nodded as if realizing what she was implying.

  Walter talked to her for hours.

  ~ ~ ~

  I hung my jacket in the bedroom closet. I was feeling a little tipsy. "You liked the party?"

  Jolene was giggly. "Mmhmm."

  "Was Walter that good a talker?"

  She came out of the open bathroom door, detaching her earrings. Her smile was broad. "He had some funny banker jokes."

  I grunted. "I wonder if Jacqueline thinks they're funny?"

  "Did you really talk business all night?"

  I frowned. "What? Me? No." After washing in the bathroom, I climbed into bed. "We talked about you, actually."

  Jolene seemed surprised. "Me? Whatever for? Did I do something wrong?"

  I snuggled up to her. "No, not at all. Did he flirt with you?"

  She smiled, wriggling in the bed. "Oh, in the mood, hmm?"

  "I meant it. Did he flirt?"

  She seemed unsure. "Well, I don't think so. He told a lot of jokes. What's the matter?"

  "Nothing. But that's what we talked about. Apparently he has a thing for women with black hair."

  She giggled. "Get out."

  "How many blondes did he talk to?"

  "Well, not many, he was keeping me busy while you two talked—"

  "About you."

  She settled back. "Are you serious?"

  I nodded. I was unsure how to proceed. Fantasy talk was one thing, but now I was suddenly at a loss. Would she become angry? "Did you think he was handsome?"

  "Well… sure. He was. I didn't think much of it, though."

  I reached a hand down to her panties. She was warm, about like usual.

  She said, "Nothing happened."

  "Jacqueline said that he liked to flirt. I was just asking is all."

  She shook her head. "Well… I don't mean to disappoint you." She suddenly sat up straight. "You didn't tell her about our fantasy-play, did you?"

  "Goodness no. I told her those thoughts never crossed my mind."

  She eased back down.

  I said, "So he didn't try any kind of flirting?"

  She shifted to her side, towards me. She reached out and touched my cock. "No, though he did spend a lot of time talking to me. He seemed like the perfect gentleman."

  I swelled in her hand. I always got hard when she was talking about some man and stroked me. It seemed so taboo. "Maybe he was waiting to see what was decided between me and Jacqueline."

  She gave me an eye. "And what was supposedly decided? Anything I should know?"

  "No, I meant that he couldn't have known how the conversation went. Maybe he didn't want to try anything until he had talked to her. About what I thought and all that."

  "Hmm."

  I was hard.

  She said, "I think you wanted him to flirt."

  "I did not."

  She gave me a squeeze. "Something else is telling me otherwise."

  "I was just asking if he did."

  "What if he had looked down my dress?"

  I opened my mouth in a pant. "You dirty woman."

  She laughed and stroked me.

  I said, "Would it have made you mad if he had?"

  "Flirted? Or looked down my top?"

  "Either."

  She stroked a little slower, thinking. "No, I don't suppose I would've been mad."

  I panted more. Her slower strokes were tortuous. "So he could have and you would've been alright with it?"

  "I don't know. Depends. Might have been fun."

  My eyes bulged and so did my cock. I gasped, trying to get it out of her hand. I pulsed in strong convulsions and sperm erupted from the tip in jetting squirts.

  Jolene's eyes went big. "Oh, wow."

  CHAPTER 3

  I looked over the balance sheet of a local one hundred and five year old bank. The properties on the books were worth over three hundred million even considering the crash in real estate. The loans to property values had sunk the bank. Doors were closing next week. I estimated we could bail out the bank and keep the doors open for just twenty-seven million dollars.

  A drop in the bucket. The bad loans could be bundled and sold off for the three hundred million they were worth.

  I added a few notes to the sheet and slid it into my briefcase.

  The phone chimed. "Mister Franklin?"

  It was Carla.

  "Yes, Carla?"

  "Mrs. Preston would like you to take lunch with her."

  I checked my watch. "What time?"

  "Forty minutes. Is that enough time?"

  "Of course. Where at?"

  "Parking garage. Her limo."

  "I'll be there." I clicked off the com-button and settled back. Was this about business? Did she normally take lunch with executives? I wouldn't know if she did.

  ~ ~ ~

  I followed Jacqueline into the swanky café. It had a less than pretentious name: Talbot's. But I knew that a lot of these twenty dollar cup of coffee places thought names like this justified outrageous prices.

  However, outrageous prices kept out the common man.

  We sat and accepted the one page menu.

  She said, "The crab here is fantastic."

  "Oh, I won't touch seafood."

  She furrowed her brow. "Why not?"

  "Fukushima. The radiation is over ten million times worse than is being reported."

  She gave me a searching look. "I'll have to look into that."

  I ordered chicken salad when the time came. She followed suit.

  I said, "So is this business…?"

  She toyed with her glass of water, watching the lemon slice swirl. "Actually, I was wondering if you talked to your wife about the party last week?"

  "I did. I don't keep things from her."

  "Good, you shouldn't. How did she react?"

  "She didn't seem to think he was flirting."

  "Walter always behaves until he knows what the husband thinks. He doesn't want to make trouble."

  "I think maybe he should look somewhere else." There.

  She sipped her water. "How did you like Morgan and Sons?"

  I sat back. She was talking about the bank I had been reviewing. "You…?"

  She nodded.

  I said, "I wondered how I got so lucky."

  She shrugged. "More of those can come your way. Or not. Your salary won't change but it could mean bigger bonuses."

  "Why do I feel I'm being maneuvered into—"

  Her gaze sharpened. "You have a choice in the matter, Richard Franklin. I'm not holding anything over you. Your job isn't on the line. I would not be so crass." She accepted her plate from the waiter.

  I didn't even glance at him.

  She said, "Someone will get better accounts. It may be you. It might be Roger Zellman. Or Mariah Katz. Or any of the others. Someone is going to get those better accounts and often in a random fashion. Even if you don't agree to Walter's flirtation, you
might see some of these accounts when I hand them out as they come in. Then again, I could show appreciation by directing them to someone personally."

  I forked a mouth of chicken salad and chewed. It really was very good, even at fifty dollars per plate. Finally, I said, "How far does this flirtation go?"

  She watched me carefully. "He's been known to hug and kiss…"

  "And you're okay with this?"

  "He's devoted to me." She put down her fork and leaned a bit closer – her eyes on me the whole time. "I will admit that his behavior is something of a turn-on for me. For us."

  My eyes widened a little. "Ah, I see."

  "Do you?"

  Nodding, I said, "I think I do."

  A trace of a smile flashed across her face, then it was gone.

  ~ ~ ~

  I was in bed first, waiting. She was still in the bathroom. What would she think?

  Jolene climbed into bed and settled in.

  I turned to her, running my hand down her side.

  She gave me an eyebrow and a small smile. "More unscheduled fun?"

  I touched her panties and ran my fingers over her mound and down. "I hope it doesn't seem to require a schedule."

  "No. So what's into you tonight?"

  "Jacqueline took me to lunch today at Talbot's."

  She raised her eyebrows. "Pricey. Was this business or pleasure?" Her tone was carefully neutral.

  I shook my head. "You needn't worry. The talk was about you."

  "Me?"

  "And Walter."

  Her mouth quirked to the side. "Again?"

  "She was wondering what you thought of him. Wanted to know how we reacted."

  "Really?"

  I nodded.

  She settled her head back, thinking.

  I toyed with her folds through her panties and said, "She said that her husband has been known to hug and kiss and that it's exciting for both of them."

  "Both of them?"

  "That's what she said."

  Jolene parted her legs a little and opened her mouth. "Mmm, that feels nice."

  "Hugging him wouldn't be bad, would it?"

  Her breath caught a little. "I don't know. I wasn't looking at him like that at the party."

  "He was handsome?"

  "Yeah." Her hips moved a little against my fingers.

  I moved my hand into her panties. She was warm and slightly wet. "Would it have been fun if he had flirted with you at the party?"

  Her mouth was still open, breathing. She licked her lips. "I don't know. Like what?"

  I dipped a finger inside her. "Maybe looking at you. Your body. How beautiful you are."

  She let out an audible breath. "That would have been okay."

  I moved my finger in and out. "So he could have looked at you?"

  "Mmm. If it didn't make you mad." She reached over and groped for me. Her fingers found me half-hard.

  "I wouldn't have been mad. He'd have to be braindead or gay not to appreciate you."

  "I guess it would've been nice, then. Flattering, I suppose." She moved her hips more. Her hand stroked me.

  "He could have hugged you?"

  She stopped for a second, but resumed. "Hugs are always nice from the right people. Now that fat lush at the bar—"

  "Gabriel?"

  She shuddered. "I'd slit my own wrists before touching that disgusting blob."

  "He's VP of Corporate Finance."

  She shook her head. "His title doesn't impress me."

  I chuckled. "No, I didn't mean it to. Was just commenting. So a hug from someone like Walter would've been fun?"

  She smiled. "Sure, I suppose. Hugs aren't much; they're always over so fast."

  "What if it was a long hug?" I felt myself hardening fully.

  "Oh… someone likes the idea of me in a long hug."

  "If he had hugged you?"

  "Walter? Okay. Gabriel? No."

  I laughed.

  "I'm serious. No way am I going to hug someone so disgusting."

  "I'll make sure to run some interference if he ever tries to jiggle his way over to you for a hug."

  "Ugh."

  I laughed harder. "I bet Walter wanted to hug you."

  "You think so?" She moved her hand faster.

  I knew this was getting serious, fast. I could feel vibrations up and down the soles of my feet that told me she would make me have another accident if I didn't stop her. So I scooted down and slid back the covers.

  Her smile brightened.

  I licked at her clit and toyed with her folds using my fingers.

  She arched her back slightly and then laid back. Her fingers ran through my hair. "Would you have been okay if he had hugged me?"

  I wasn't thinking too much about it; I was a little busy. "Sure. Seeing you pressed up against him would've been nice."

  She gasped and her body shook. "Oh, you naughty man." Her body continued quivering, shaking harder.

  I jabbed two fingers in and she exploded in orgasm.

  CHAPTER 4

  I flipped the stapled page back and considered the next loan. Some could be kept. Most needed to be sold. The Morgan family would take what we offered gratefully and slink away into obscurity – their name forgotten.

  I used to be bothered by it. Now? It's just business.

  My door opened.

  I frowned at the interruption; my secretary had not phoned me a message of anyone coming.

  "I hope I'm not disturbing you." Jacqueline.

  "Mrs. Preston." I stood quickly.

  She waved at me. "Please, sit back down." She took a chair in front of my desk.

  "Is anything the matter?" I said.

  "Heavens no. Your work is exemplary. I came down for a more personal reason."

  "Oh?"

  "Walter and I would like to invite you and Jolene to our cabin next weekend."

  "For Valentines?"

  She nodded. "Say you'll come. We have six bedrooms and four baths. There's an indoor Jacuzzi and skiing close by if you're into that."

  "I… I'll have to ask my wife."

  "Please do. We'd love to have you as our guests." She rose and left as quickly as she'd come.

  I pulled my cell and hit Jolene's number.

  She answered, surprised. "Richard?"

  "Yeah, I know. We usually text. Jacqueline just came in and said she and Walter wanted us to be their guests at their cabin. Next weekend."

  "Valentines?"

  "Mm hmm."

  "I don't know…"

  "You busy?"

  "Me? No. Just going over enrollment figures district-wide."

  "They have a half dozen bedrooms and four baths. Indoor Jacuzzi."

  "Sounds like a vacation spot."

  "I think it would be nice."

  She hesitated. "I…" She trailed off.

  "She came down to my office to ask. I get the impression they would really enjoy having us there."

  "You want to go?"

  "I think it would be fun. Relaxing. A bit of snow, some Jacuzzi. Yeah."

  "Alright then. Yes, it does sound fun."

  "I'll tell her we'll go then?"

  "Sure. We'll need to get some clothes for the cold, though."

  I could tell she was compiling a mental list. "Alright, see you later tonight."

  "Love you."

  I smiled into the phone. "I love you, too." I pocketed the cell and hit the com-button and punched two-two-zero.

  Carla's voice sounded. "Mrs. Preston's office?"

  "Carla, Richard Franklin. Please tell Mrs. Preston that my wife and I accept."

  "I'll let her know."

  "Thank you." I clicked off.

  ~ ~ ~

  Their cabin was an odd one. Converted from a lodge, the structure had been reworked and refurbished into a home in the snow. It was almost as big as our own McMansion.

  It was snowing very lightly, big flakes coming down with a grace reminiscent of my wife's sexiness.

  She shook her head. "Has it really
been two months?"

  "Since my promotion? Yes. Time flies by so fast now. Blink twice and the year's gone."

  She was looking out the window. "How much do we miss when we blink?"

  I pulled to a stop behind their Mercedes SUV. They had the G-Class.

  Walter was out while Jacqueline remained in the vehicle. He gave me a grin when I joined him. "Nice, isn't it?" He motioned to the former lodge.

  "Spectacular, really. I love that deep roof."

  He nodded vigorously. "That's what caught my eye, too. Let's get the ladies in before the snow gets thick."

  The interior looked modern. In fact, it looked like our offices. Wood paneling and recessed lighting. There were even live plants with automated drip systems. The place looked and smelled fresh.

  I said to Jacqueline, "You have people come out here and keep the place?"

  "Once a month. Walter handles it. This place was his idea and money. But it's sort of grown on me."

  It was late enough on a Friday that dinner came next. I chopped up a salad while Walter grilled steaks. He seemed to know his way around the kitchen.

  I said, "You do the cooking in your house?"

  "Mm, hmm." It was hummed with finality. "She likes my cooking better than she likes her own. She doesn't like to bother with it now."

  "Jolene loves to cook – she's a wiz with spices."

  He shot me a wondering glance, then tensed perhaps the very slightest. "Yes…" His tone seemed exploratory. "An intriguing woman. Quite talented?"

  Feeling awkward, knowing he was meaning additional things about my wife, I faced the quandary of not knowing what was appropriate. How does one talk about his wife in ways suggestively intimate? Was it proper? Crude? Done with a secret handshake? "She's everything to me."

  He bounced the spatula on the steaks. "I imagine it would be hard not to appreciate her."

  I grunted. I just wasn't sure what should be said.

  He said, "I hope you don't mind if I pay her some compliments?"

  "Not at all. She deserves them."

  He half turned to me, still keeping an eye on the steaks. He flipped one. "Some women can't be appreciated enough."

  I was silent. Was it so bad if someone else also appreciated my wife? Considered her worthy of admiration? Compliments? Didn't Jolene deserve that? Didn't she deserve to be treated with respect for who she was? I said, "And respected."