Carol's Christmas

Ray slept naked as well, saying he loved the way her soft skin felt against his as he cuddled with her. She held his pillow close and inhaled his fragrance.

"Why can't you be home with me?" she asked the pillow. "Don't you know how much I need you right now?" The pillow didn't answer, so she put it back on Ray's side of the bed. She thought back to what Jake had said earlier that day.

Yes, Ray is a good husband and father. But he's never here. It seems like lately, he's always gone. One week he's in Miami, the next in Kansas City, and now, Seattle. Where will he end up next? And for how long?

And yes, even though he makes a good salary, she makes far more than he does. It never bothered either her or Ray before, but now... As she reflected on Jake's words, her mind began to wander and for the first time in 12 years, she actually wondered what it might be like if she took Jake up on his offer.

She knew several women -- some within the company, even -- who had stepped out on their husbands. A few of them were in situations very similar to hers -- husbands married to their work, gone all the time, leaving them at home alone to keep the home fires burning.

But she wasn't exactly Suzy Homemaker, baking cookies while her husband brings home the bacon. If anything, SHE was the main breadwinner. In that regard, Jake was right. She had encouraged Ray to do more with his career in the past, to push for advancement. But he kept telling her that wasn't the way things were done in his field.

"It will happen when the time is right," he said the last time they discussed the issue, which was before his trip to Seattle.

"And when will that be?" she pressed.

"I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball," he said. "Look, things are different in my line of work. Guys like me can be at the same level for years before they get promoted. That's just the way it is. You don't understand. Things change all the time, and if you don't stay up with the changes, you can left behind so fast you're head spins."

Well, she thought, if things don't change for the better soon around here, they will. And it'll happen so fast, your head will be left spinning, Carol thought. I'm tired of waiting at home all the time. Tired of telling our little boy that his daddy will be gone for weeks at a time.

She thought about those other women and the way they talked about their extra-marital affairs. As long as their husbands didn't know, no one was hurt. Or so they said. She thought of Jake and wondered what it would be like to slip into his bed naked, what it would be like to offer herself to him the way she did with Ray.

It would be so easy to do, she thought. With Timmy gone and with Ray in Seattle, she could easily call Jake and spend the night at his place. No one would ever know.

Feeling a tingle between her legs, she pulled a vibrator from her nightstand drawer and turned it on. Spreading her legs, she ran the vibrator over her sensitive skin as she rubbed herself. She slipped the vibrator inside herself and began running it in and out, the way Ray usually ran his cock in and out of her pussy, teasing her to orgasm.

Except this time, she wasn't thinking about Ray the way she normally did. Her mind was on someone else -- Jake. The more she thought about having Jake's big cock inside her, the harder she drove the vibrator into her soaking wet pussy.

"Fuck me," she repeatedly moaned to the empty room. She threw her covers off, spread her legs wide and pummeled her pussy with the vibrator, imagining it was Jake's big hard cock fucking her. By now, all thoughts of her absent husband were gone. He wasn't here to see to her needs, but Jake was.

In her mind's eye, Jake's organ had grown to massive proportions, dwarfing her husband's. It was slick with her juices and kept hammering at her, stretching her out as it filled her channel. She imagined it flooding her pussy with hot cum as it exploded deep inside her.

"Oh, fuck," she cried out as her orgasm hit. She lifted her ass off the bed as her fluids gushed from her pussy, soaking her bed. She trembled for a while longer as her body collapsed on the bed. For now, she was sated, but she knew in her mind the time was coming when she would have to sample the real thing. That is, unless Ray stepped up to the plate first.

After she caught her breath, she put the vibrator away, and got up to change the sheets, which were now soaked. There was no way she could sleep in the wet spot she had just created. She quickly changed the bedding, putting the old sheets in the washing machine.

She made herself a cup of tea and sat in the front room wearing only her robe as she thought about her options. This was, after all, the first time she had ever even thought about cheating on her husband. Could she really bring herself to do it? There was another issue, however.

What if Ray found out? What would he do? Would he divorce her? Or would he understand her needs and let her have her trysts with Jake when he was gone? It's not like they had ever directly discussed the issue before. It wasn't by design -- it just never came up and they each had simply assumed the other would remain faithful. She really didn't know how he would react. She ultimately decided to take it slow and easy, and see what happened after the holiday.

When the wash cycle finished, she put the sheets in the dryer and went back upstairs. She got back into her bed and fell asleep, wondering if she really could pull it off.

The next two days were basically repeats of that Monday. She got up early, took a shower, dressed, wolfed down a bagel and a cup of coffee, went to work, stayed late, came home, brought herself off with her vibrator, then went to sleep.

She spoke with Timmy, Ray and his parents every day. On Wednesday, she went to George and Alice's house and had dinner with them so she could spend time with Timmy, who was very happy to see her. During those two days, she tried to avoid Jake as much as possible. He offered to take her to lunch both days, but she refused, using her workload as an excuse.

After she got home from seeing Timmy that Wednesday, her phone rang -- it was Ray, so she answered.

"Are you really at home?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "Actually, I just got home. I had dinner with your folks and Timmy tonight."

"That's what they told me. So, I take it you got all your year-end stuff finished, then?" he asked.

"Pretty much. I just have some last-minute formatting stuff to do, then I'm finished," she said. "So, how are things with you up in Seattle?"

"Going very well, actually," he said. "We got everything in place, and plan to make the switch-over tomorrow afternoon. If all goes well, we'll be finished tomorrow evening."

"So, when do you plan to come home?" she asked.

"The earliest I can get outta here is 2:00 pm on the 24^th. There's a two-hour layover in Denver so it might be fairly late by the time I get home from DFW," he said. "But at least I'll be home for Christmas."

"Promise me?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "God willing and the river don't rise," he added in a bad John Wayne impersonation. She laughed at that.

"Well, you'd better be home, buckaroo," she said. "There's a little boy here who misses you something fierce. And I miss you too."

"I miss you guys too," he said. "More than you know."

"I love you, Ray," she said quietly.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he said. "Are you going to the party tomorrow?"

"Yes, you know they expect me to be there for the whole thing," she said.

"You planning to spend the night there?" he asked.

"Maybe, depends on how I feel," she said.

"Well, you be careful. I'd hate to see you in an accident," he said. They ended the call and Carol went to bed, her mind going in all directions. She loved Ray deeply but a part of her still wanted Jake.

She finished her reports by noon the next day, printed them out and hand-delivered them to Jake. He took them from her and glanced through them quietly.

"As always, Carol, you have impressed me with the detail of your reports. I'm sure the Board will agree," he said. "Good job. Why don't you call it a day, give your people a little break for all the work they've done. You are going to the party this evening, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'll be there," she said.

"Your husband coming with you?" he asked.

"He's still in Seattle. He won't be able to leave until tomorrow afternoon," she told him. Jake nodded his head and handed her a card. "I've taken the liberty of reserving a room for you just in case. I'd hate to see you get nailed for a DUI. You can check in any time this afternoon." This wasn't unusual -- executives and Board members were generally expected to stay for the whole event, and they usually got together for a short meeting after the party.

"Thank you for thinking of me," she said. "I take it you reserved the penthouse suite as usual."

"Yes, I did. Comes complete with a hot tub and has a wonderful view of the city," he said. "Maybe after the meeting you and I could, you know, take advantage of the hot tub. Feel free to bring a swim suit if you wish. Or not. I'll leave that up to you."

"Why, Jake Callahan, are you trying to seduce me?" she asked with a smile. He smiled back.

"Would I do that?" he asked. She smiled as she shook her head.

"Your incorrigible, you know that?" she asked.

"I've been told that a time or two," he said. "I'll see you tonight."

"I'll see you then," she said. Taking the card key, she left the office, sent her people home and left to get ready for the party. After having her hair and nails done, she went home and packed a few things for the night, including a tiny bikini she bought last summer and a pair of pajamas. She normally didn't wear pajamas, but she felt compelled to bring them anyway.

She put on a pair of blue jeans and a sweater, grabbed the dress she had dry-cleaned for the party and a pair of high heels and packed everything up. She loaded everything into her car and headed for the hotel downtown where the party would take place. Carrying her things, she walked into the lobby and was headed for the front desk when she heard a man's voice behind her.

"Excuse me, miss, I think you dropped your keys," the man said. She turned to see an attractive man with the strangest set of eyes she had ever seen. They were a piercing sky blue and had a gold speck on the outboard side of the pupils. The specks seemed to pulsate. He held a set of keys out to her. Sure enough, they were hers. She took them from the man and she felt a shock as their hands touched.

"Sorry about that," the man said. "Must be static."

"Must be," she said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Merry Christmas," he said with a smile before walking away.

"Yeah," she said. "You too." She checked in and headed to her room on the fifth floor. Once there, she put her things away and soaked in the tub, being careful to not get her hair wet. She looked at her fully-nude figure in the mirror after she dried herself off and smiled.

Not bad for a 35-year-old wife and mother, she thought. Thanks to her time working out in the gym over the last few years, she had managed to maintain her figure without any signs of sag. Her C-cup breasts still stood out proud, her nipples erect. Raymond loved fondling and kissing her breasts -- the same breasts that fed little Timmy when he was a baby.

Looking down, she noticed the hair between her legs. She normally kept that shaved, since Ray loved going down on her hairless pussy. But it had been more than a week since she and Ray had been intimate, and in that time, she had let it go. She grabbed her razor and shaved herself clean, wondering if Jake would also like it.

When she finished, she admired her work, and slid a couple fingers inside herself, slowly working her way to a much-needed orgasm. Dammit, Ray, why couldn't you be here, she asked herself. Don't you know how much I NEED you right now? Don't you know how badly I need your cock fucking me right now?

When she finished, she had another thought. Tonight, she would probably cheat on her husband -- for the first time since they had become exclusive over 12 years ago. For a moment, she felt guilty. But her guilt soon turned to anger. If Ray was here, she wouldn't even be having these thoughts. But he's not here, she said to herself. And Jake is.

She looked at her face in the mirror and was instantly taken aback. For a moment, it appeared that her mother's face had somehow transposed itself over hers. She let out a yelp and jumped back, but her mother's face disappeared as quickly as it appeared. What the hell is going on here, she asked herself. She shook her head and splashed some water on her face to clear her mind.

She collected her wits, then fixed her makeup. She began to get dressed and seriously considered not wearing panties. She chose to put them on anyway, not wanting to give herself away. She might become a cheating whore tonight, but she wasn't going to advertise it. She put her dress on, not bothering with a bra, since the dress had one built in. She looked at herself again and liked what she saw.

The dress screamed "sexy executive." It had a slit up one side, left one shoulder bare and hugged her curves nicely. It was sexy but not slutty. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. Eat your heart out, Ray, she thought. If you were here, THIS is what you'd be escorting tonight. She slipped on her heels and looked at her watch.

Showtime. By now, the room would be filling up with employees and their guests, so she decided to head down and make her presence known. The first person she saw when she got to the room reserved for the company dinner was Philip Carson, the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

"Why, Mrs. Beck, you look lovely tonight," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Carson," she said.

"You've met my wife, Camille, haven't you?" he asked, indicating the attractive woman with him.

"Yes, of course," Carol said, extending her hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Carson."

"Please, call me Camille," the older woman said. "Where is your husband? Isn't he here with you tonight?"

"No, Ray got stuck on a project up in Seattle. He's set to fly back home tomorrow afternoon," Carol said.

"I certainly hope he doesn't run into any bad weather," Philip said. "I hear there's some snow storms coming through Denver over the next 24 to 48 hours."

"I hope so too," Carol said.

"By the way, I looked over your executive year-end summary. Good job, by the way," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Carson," she said.

"You're very welcome," he said. "I guess we'd better go and mingle. It's good seeing you again, Mrs. Beck. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you as well," Carol said through gritted teeth. She grabbed a drink and walked around the room, saying hello to the employees and their guests, and finally ran into Jake. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he took her in.

"My God, Carol, you look good enough to eat," he said.

"Thank you, kind sir," she said with a smile. "And may I say you look quite dapper yourself."

"Well, thank you," he said. "I've been told I clean up fairly well. Maybe after we eat, we can enjoy a dance or two."

"Perhaps," she said with a smile.

"We'd better take our seats. They're beginning to start things up," he said. Carol took her reserved spot, and found herself sitting next to a couple of the girls from her office. Jake took his place at the head table, next to Philip and his wife. The other board members were also at the head table with their dates. Jake stood and tapped his glass with a spoon, getting everyone's attention.

"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the annual Callahan and Son Christmas party," he said. "Philip asked me to keep this short and sweet so we can get right to the filet mignon, so here goes. After reading the year-end report provided by Mrs. Carol Beck, our esteemed CFO, I am relieved to announce that your bonus checks won't bounce," he said, prompting laughter throughout the venue.

"All kidding aside, it has been a challenging year, not just for us, but for everyone in this economy. Nevertheless, this has been a banner year for our company, and that's all because of your hard work, dedication and attention to detail. On behalf of the executive team, the Board and our shareholders, I want to personally thank each and every one of you," he said to applause.

"And I know next year will be even better. So once again, thank you. Merry Christmas to all. Enjoy!" He looked at Philip before continuing. "How was that?" he asked. Philip smiled and gave a thumbs-up to even more laughter.

Carol turned to her dinner and engaged in small talk with the others around her. More than one asked about Ray, having noticed his conspicuous absence. After dinner, she noticed the others were already heading for the open bar and the dancing floor. She got up just as Jake approached her.

"Nice speech," she said.

"Well, thank you, little lady," he said. "Since it seems we're the only ones here without a date, would you care to dance?"

"Sure," she said, taking a swallow of her wine. She let him lead her to the dance floor and noticed the eyes watching them. Jake held her, but not too close and not too tight. Even though everyone knew they were friends, they didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression.

They danced with various partners over the course of the night, stopping only for a drink from the open bar. Eventually, though, they found themselves dancing together more often, looking into each other's eyes as they moved across the dance floor. More than once, she felt Jake's manhood pressed against her, causing her to get excited.

"You are so beautiful, Carol," Jake whispered in her ear as they danced to a nice slow song. She looked up into his eyes and was about to suggest they find someplace more private. But something happened. Her head suddenly felt like it was about to explode and she collapsed to the floor, screaming, all thoughts of sex with Jake -- or anyone else -- leaving her mind.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her, concerned. Jake knelt down next to her and held her head. Putting one hand on her forehead, he noticed she had a slight fever.

"Maybe we should call an ambulance," Philip said. Carol shook her head.

"No," she said weakly. "I'm sure it's just a migraine. Just get me to my room so I can lay down, please."

"She's been working a lot of hours lately, so maybe she just needs some rest and something for her head," Jake said. He motioned to one of the attendants, who brought a glass of water and a packet of Tylenol. Jake opened the packet and gave her the pills, holding the glass so she could take a drink of water.

"Why don't you let us take her to her room, Mr. Callahan," Jennie, one of Carol's female employees said. Jake nodded his head and let Jennie and Connie, another of her employees, take her upstairs. He watched, concerned, as they guided her to the elevator. A half-hour or so later, they came back down and reported that they had put her to bed.

"Is she okay? Do you think we should call a doctor?" Jake asked.

"I think she'll be okay," Connie said. "Her fever seems to be easing up and she's sleeping now. I think she's just exhausted. She's been working herself to the bone every night this last week."

"Okay," Jake said. "Thanks. I'll check on her in the morning. Maybe she just needs a good night's sleep."

...

Carol woke up in a dark unfamiliar room and wondered where she was. She looked down and saw that someone had put her into her pajamas. Then she remembered Jennie and Connie helping her into the hotel room. They also helped her change into her pajamas and put her into the bed. She looked at the clock -- 12:30 am.