Chapter 1: A Career
December, 2003
Ted walked out onto the trading floor. The sense of crisis and anxiety seemed to blur the air but Ted controlled his nerves. He smiled and complimented the sweater of an admin as he strolled over to the central trading desk. Some salesmen and traders were screaming questions at him but he was calm and ignored them, smiling as if he couldn’t hear.
RXZ shares were up 15% rebounding hard from a week of aggressive short selling on a call Ted had made. RXZ was a midwestern bank that Ted’s investment bank had brought public several years ago. The bank had been founded by and run by a big time cattle rancher. While a colorful character, his bank’s results were always rock steady. Predictable to the penny. But Ted remembered a little fact about the bank that others had forgotten. During his due diligence meetings with the bank, he had asked about a somewhat inconsequential “other income” line. The CFO had given a dismissive answer about ancillary checking fees but Ted did a little back of the envelope math in his head and figured that checking fees wouldn’t come to enough. So he pressed and when he noticed the CFO shift in his chair, he sensed the CFO’s discomfort and knew there was something there. When he saw the CFO alone at the urinal a little later, he pressed his question. The CFO sighed and confessed. The founder is a brilliant rancher and knows cattle markets like no one else. So he trades cattle futures and makes a little extra earnings for the bank every quarter.
Over the past week, stories of “mad cow” disease in the US were dominating the headlines and Ted remembered that disclosure he had pressed for. He guessed that the brilliant rancher couldn’t have predicted a mad cow pandemic and the company’s perfect financial track record was in peril. He told his hedge fund clients the story and they had been shorting the shares all week. This morning, a competing analyst at a much bigger firm had reiterated his buy rating, calling the dip a great opportunity to buy a marquee stock cheap. His clients were getting squeezed.
Ted stepped up to the microphone which would broadcast his voice not only to this trading floor but to those in the firm’s offices in Boston, Dallas, London, Chicago and Los Angeles. He glanced at his image on the video. He was in his early thirties but looked boyish with a slight frame due to his marathon running hobby. His hair was still jet black. He wore a light grey suit, tailored to fit, and a bright red necktie.
He had the numbers in his head but he held his notebook to convey the sense of carrying lots of important numbers. He explained that by looking at the income created by “other income” over recent years and assuming a rate of return, he guessed the dollar amount of the bank’s assets that were exposed. Likely not enough to put the bank under any real financial stress, but certainly enough to spark regulator inquiry, and in the financial world, confidence in an institution was everything. RXZ could face a classic run on the bank. Ted told his traders and salesman that he was doubling down on his sell recommendation.
Almost immediately, the shares' upward momentum peaked and began to fall. At that moment, due to excessive volatility and volume, the shares were halted by the exchange. During the halt, Ted stayed out on the trading desk, taking calls with his firm's major clients. Assuring them of his call. He knew that at that moment, the NYSE was putting in frantic calls to the CEO and CFO of RXZ. There was panic. After twenty minutes, RXZ issued a hasty press release which acknowledged the cattle futures trading, disclosing the dollar amount of assets exposed while reassuring investors (and its customers) that the bank remained financially sound. The last statement a bank customer wants to hear is frantic reassurance that the institution is financially sound. The exchange re-opened trading with the shares down 40% and to the cheers of Ted’s traders, salesmen and customers.
2024, same bank
“The f’ing shares are plummeting! I need to talk to our clients! I got to go out to the trading desk!”
Ted’s face was flustered. He was on the edge of screaming. He could calmly handle the vicious volatility of wall street trading but bureaucratic bullshit sent him over the edge.
“You know there’s an ethics wall, you can’t go out there anymore,” said the compliance officer plainly.
“Ethics wall? Is that what we call it now? That doesn’t even make sense. Chinese Wall wasn’t racist. It just refers to a really big fucking wall in China.”
The in-house legal compliance officer sat there with the hint of smirk on her face. She seemed to be enjoying this. Ted wondered if she does not see that she’s killing her own golden goose or if she just didn’t care.
Ted wondered out loud.
“Can I ask you, incidentally, why I have to come into the office and not work-from-home if I’m not allowed to have face-to-face interactions with the people I work most closely with?”
“But you can talk with other analysts,” she replied, almost tauntingly.
“We work beside each other, not with each other. They cover totally un-related sectors. All we share is our frustrations about you. I need to speak with the traders and salespeople. They need to read my body language. See my confidence. I’m asking them to take a chance on my opinions. They need to feel it on a gut level.”
Silence.
“We put our clients in this stock and they’re losing money. A lot. We need to tell them to buy more or at least re-assure them. Or maybe we need to tell them to cut their losses and get out. We need to do something. Basic customer service. We can’t do nothing!”
“We can’t issue opinions intra-day. You can work on a note, we’ll have the committee review it and we promise a quick turn-around. You could have it published by 4:05 pm, minutes after the market closes.”
“Do you understand what ‘market close’ means? At that point, we may as well publish next week.”
“I’m sorry, these aren’t our rules. We’re just helping you, and our firm, stay within the boundaries of the regulations.”
“By saying nothing, you’re setting up our traders and sales people to fill that void. They’ll each have their own views. We’ll totally lose control of what our firm’s official view is.”
She shrugged. Ted noticed the jiggle of her breasts. A jiggle he didn’t remember and he realized that she’s had a boob job. He then noticed the expensive leather boots. Her body has been sculpted by the upper east side’s best plastic docs. Being in compliance and destroying the firm’s revenues paid her well.
“Ugh. This is why my job doesn’t pay anymore. We don’t provide a service that clients will pay for. And maybe you feel good over there, making more money than me for just being our in-house umpire but your paycheck needs to come from somewhere, too.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you expect me to do.”
A Lover of Beauty
-
JacobChapin
- Virgin
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:30 am
Re: A Lover of Beauty
Chapter 2-Home Life
Ted watched Penelope, his beautiful wife of 18 years deftly moving through her morning kitchen routine. Their son was sitting at the island, staring at his phone, silently eating, seemingly unaware of the symphony conductor in his midst. He knew she was juggling their schedules in her mind as she made breakfasts, lunches, arrange rides, practices and club meetings, dinner plans, dry cleaning, and let's not forget the intricacies of her own day in the office ahead.
She was 46 now and sexier than she ever had been. Ted grew up in white Vermont and when he first set his eyes on a latina, it was Penelope and a revelation. She was just 22 years old at the time and he had never seen anything like her. The natural tan, dark eyes, long dark hair and sensual lips and the curves…everywhere curves…her body was a playground. In those early days, she was so sexy that it was easy for him to confuse his lust with love. From the very start of their relationship, he was proud of having her beside him. He liked the lust in other men’s eyes.
But there was more than the sexy. Penelope was smart, very smart. Well-educated from a top liberal arts school and then had earned a PhD in fine arts. She was an intellectual. Then he met her family in a small dusty town in Mexico, south of Tucson, just south of the border. So warm and loving and funny. People on the edge of poverty but somehow full of gratefulness and joy. He couldn’t imagine a happier life than one he would share with her. The best call of his life. Many things in his life hadn’t gone as well as he had once hoped but his marriage proved to be a greater source of happiness than he ever imagined.
His son Jessie worried them. 17, a junior in high school, and extremely anti-social. He got average grades and didn’t cause problems at school but he had no friends. He joined no clubs and no sports. At their insistence that he do “something” with his time, he got a job at REI. His one interest was rock climbing or more specifically, bouldering, which allowed him to climb without the need of a partner to belay him. He was a good kid, too, but seemingly cold. He may have friends but he seemed to honestly not care. A born loner.
Ted reached across the table and warmly squeezed his son’s shoulder but Jessie shrugged it off and gave him a scowl. Ted frowned. He wasn’t one to force warmth but still wanted to let his son know that there was warmth there for him if he wanted it.
“So will you be home in time for dinner tonight? I was thinking of making something simple tonight. Chicken fajitas?” Penelope looked at him questioningly.
“Sounds great.” he said with a warm smile back. “I’m meeting Jerry for a long trail run after work but I’ll be home for dinner.”
“OK, I may be a little late myself. We’re opening the new Thomas Eakins retrospective Friday and we’re running behind.”
“Mom, how will I get home then?” asked Jesse.
“You take the car. Your dad will drive me in on his way to the office this morning and Derek, our summer hire, can give me a ride home.”
Jesse shrugged, happy to get the car.
Later, in the car ride into the city, Ted enjoyed the sight of his wife uncrossing and recrossing her legs, letting her skirt slide up above her knees. She had taken up yoga in recent years and her body may have lost its youthful softness, but she was now thin, firm and muscular.
“How’s Derek been? Did he get into that graduate school program?”
“He did.” Penelope said with a sigh. “He actually starts at the end of the summer. I’m going to miss him. He’s been such a huge help.”
Penelope was a curator at the Museum of American Art in the city. Her dream job. Even Ted thought it was a much cooler job than his own. He had always been a numbers and math guy but he was fascinated with what these artists could express with paints. He was more traditional in his tastes, he didn’t understand the modern abstract works but he felt deep emotion from early American artists. Thomas Eakins was one of his personal favorites.
He noticed Penelope touching up her make up as Ted neared the museum. She adjusted her front button sweater. It was tight and showed off her still attractive form and eye popping chest. He got turned on when she adjusted her button to reveal a slight hint of cleavage. She knew her sexiness and enjoyed it still. He pulled up in front of the museum.
“Have a wonderful day,” they said together and laughed. They leaned towards each other to kiss and as they did, Ted surreptitiously reached over and undid one more button on her sweater. He really did enjoy her sexiness and the thought of others lusting for her.
Ted watched Penelope, his beautiful wife of 18 years deftly moving through her morning kitchen routine. Their son was sitting at the island, staring at his phone, silently eating, seemingly unaware of the symphony conductor in his midst. He knew she was juggling their schedules in her mind as she made breakfasts, lunches, arrange rides, practices and club meetings, dinner plans, dry cleaning, and let's not forget the intricacies of her own day in the office ahead.
She was 46 now and sexier than she ever had been. Ted grew up in white Vermont and when he first set his eyes on a latina, it was Penelope and a revelation. She was just 22 years old at the time and he had never seen anything like her. The natural tan, dark eyes, long dark hair and sensual lips and the curves…everywhere curves…her body was a playground. In those early days, she was so sexy that it was easy for him to confuse his lust with love. From the very start of their relationship, he was proud of having her beside him. He liked the lust in other men’s eyes.
But there was more than the sexy. Penelope was smart, very smart. Well-educated from a top liberal arts school and then had earned a PhD in fine arts. She was an intellectual. Then he met her family in a small dusty town in Mexico, south of Tucson, just south of the border. So warm and loving and funny. People on the edge of poverty but somehow full of gratefulness and joy. He couldn’t imagine a happier life than one he would share with her. The best call of his life. Many things in his life hadn’t gone as well as he had once hoped but his marriage proved to be a greater source of happiness than he ever imagined.
His son Jessie worried them. 17, a junior in high school, and extremely anti-social. He got average grades and didn’t cause problems at school but he had no friends. He joined no clubs and no sports. At their insistence that he do “something” with his time, he got a job at REI. His one interest was rock climbing or more specifically, bouldering, which allowed him to climb without the need of a partner to belay him. He was a good kid, too, but seemingly cold. He may have friends but he seemed to honestly not care. A born loner.
Ted reached across the table and warmly squeezed his son’s shoulder but Jessie shrugged it off and gave him a scowl. Ted frowned. He wasn’t one to force warmth but still wanted to let his son know that there was warmth there for him if he wanted it.
“So will you be home in time for dinner tonight? I was thinking of making something simple tonight. Chicken fajitas?” Penelope looked at him questioningly.
“Sounds great.” he said with a warm smile back. “I’m meeting Jerry for a long trail run after work but I’ll be home for dinner.”
“OK, I may be a little late myself. We’re opening the new Thomas Eakins retrospective Friday and we’re running behind.”
“Mom, how will I get home then?” asked Jesse.
“You take the car. Your dad will drive me in on his way to the office this morning and Derek, our summer hire, can give me a ride home.”
Jesse shrugged, happy to get the car.
Later, in the car ride into the city, Ted enjoyed the sight of his wife uncrossing and recrossing her legs, letting her skirt slide up above her knees. She had taken up yoga in recent years and her body may have lost its youthful softness, but she was now thin, firm and muscular.
“How’s Derek been? Did he get into that graduate school program?”
“He did.” Penelope said with a sigh. “He actually starts at the end of the summer. I’m going to miss him. He’s been such a huge help.”
Penelope was a curator at the Museum of American Art in the city. Her dream job. Even Ted thought it was a much cooler job than his own. He had always been a numbers and math guy but he was fascinated with what these artists could express with paints. He was more traditional in his tastes, he didn’t understand the modern abstract works but he felt deep emotion from early American artists. Thomas Eakins was one of his personal favorites.
He noticed Penelope touching up her make up as Ted neared the museum. She adjusted her front button sweater. It was tight and showed off her still attractive form and eye popping chest. He got turned on when she adjusted her button to reveal a slight hint of cleavage. She knew her sexiness and enjoyed it still. He pulled up in front of the museum.
“Have a wonderful day,” they said together and laughed. They leaned towards each other to kiss and as they did, Ted surreptitiously reached over and undid one more button on her sweater. He really did enjoy her sexiness and the thought of others lusting for her.
-
JacobChapin
- Virgin
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:30 am
Re: A Lover of Beauty
Chapter 3-Friendship
Ted was feeling relaxed running beside a straining Jerry through the Mt. Tam trails.
Ted was no longer the 3:58 miler of his college years or even the 2:35 marathoner of his thirties. He felt fat and sluggish. He had once been a runner of “perfect” form weighing just 140 pounds on his 5’ 10 frame. He could run thousands of hard miles on pavement and his only suffering was exhaustion from hundred mile weeks. But after he hit forty, he had been stunned by a series of injuries. One seemed to lead to the next. Now in his early fifties, he had learned to stretch and cross train with yoga. He’d put on an embarrassing belly, a softness round the face and he checked in now at 175. Still, those thousands of miles had built a foundation of running strength so that he could still comfortably run with nearly any “amatuer”.
“So how's that sexy wife of yours doing? Man, what I would give...” joked Jerry.
“She’s doing great. Working on a new exhibition. Thomas Eakins, know him? And what would you give? You know...exactly?” Ted always appreciated that both men spoke and behaved as if nothing had ever happened between Jerry and Penelope.
Jerry replied.
“Penelope might be worth losing your friendship over but I still need your financial advice. Can’t go there. And yeah, I’m an Eakins fan. I’d love to have something of his in my collection but that classic shit doesn’t come up for sale.”
The two entered a winding uphill path that wasn’t wide enough for two people. Ted let Jerry run first so he wouldn't leave him behind unintentionally. While Ted had a natural runner’s build, Jerry played basketball when he was younger and had a large, muscular frame. He’d begun losing his hair years ago and opted to shave it all off. Still, he was in good overall fitness and liked to run road races, but he wasn’t a runner like Ted.
They had met years ago when they were both young analysts at the same firm. They had been friends but Ted had risen faster, earning increasingly senior roles and money and had at one point become Jerry’s manager. But Jerry quit the position and took his shot at the hedge fund business and had done fabulously well. Eventually he started his own small fund which became a big fund. The fund had eventually crashed spectacularly but not due to performance. The SEC wasn’t keen on some of Jerry’s more aggressive business practices and effectively shut him down. Still, even after legal bills and fines, Jerry was enormously wealthy.
Now, Jerry spent his time doing the typical rich asshole things. He paid others to carry him up big mountains in the Himalayas. He gave money to museums and environmental causes. He had affairs, although that led to predictable divorces. He also invested in an art collection.
One of Penelope’s life regrets was the brief affair she had with Jerry, early in her marriage to Ted, although Ted had been supportive. Penelope had come to personally dislike Jerry intensely, she thought him a terrible scum bag, but she never missed a chance to go over to his gargantuan home to drool over his art collection.
Ted and Jerry had remained friends, but their divergent fortunes had caused a distancing in their relationship. Ted envied Jerry’s wealth and lifestyle. People would want Ted to introduce them to Jerry. People who wanted to somehow access Jerry’s money. People somehow thought Jerry must be deeply intelligent, even brilliant, simply because he had wealth. Ted knew that Jerry’s good luck and high appetite for risk were the secrets to his fortune, not intelligence, but still, Ted felt like a highly paid worker bee. Sure, he had a nice home and a nice family, and by any reasonable standard, Ted was a successful one percenter. But the gap between one percent and zero-point-one percent was an unfathomable gulf.
Ted spoke between breaths.
“I’ve always enjoyed those early American painters, too. They’re going to have that self-portrait where he's rowing in the Schuylkill River and staring out towards you, the viewer.”
“You like that one?”
“Yeah. Something in his expression. He’s been rowing. He’s tired. He seems uncertain about why he’s doing it. He’s looking out to you for affirmation. Has he been wasting his time? His life?”
“Yeah, that’s a cool interpretation. Now that really is something I would give something for.”
“Yeah? What's something like that worth to you? What would you pay?”
“In an auction, that would go for $100 million plus. That’s above my means.”
“What would you pay black market?”
Jerry laughed. “Are you and Penelope going to rob the museum?”
“No, just me. I’d borrow her access card.”
The two slowed down as they reached the trail head where they had parked. By their cars, they took sips from water bottles and stretched.
Jerry squinted and looked at Ted a little curiously.
“A painting like that. I’d have to hide it. That’d be international news to get something like that. But I’d get off on it. Maybe keep in the bathroom up at the Tahoe camp. Something like that. It’d be a fucking dream.”
“So what would you pay?”
“I could go as high as $15 million.”
“Good to know. If it falls off the wall into my car trunk, I’ll stop by.”
“You do that buddy.” Jerry smiled and hopped into his Maserati. “And tell that wife of yours that I’m single again.”
Ted was feeling relaxed running beside a straining Jerry through the Mt. Tam trails.
Ted was no longer the 3:58 miler of his college years or even the 2:35 marathoner of his thirties. He felt fat and sluggish. He had once been a runner of “perfect” form weighing just 140 pounds on his 5’ 10 frame. He could run thousands of hard miles on pavement and his only suffering was exhaustion from hundred mile weeks. But after he hit forty, he had been stunned by a series of injuries. One seemed to lead to the next. Now in his early fifties, he had learned to stretch and cross train with yoga. He’d put on an embarrassing belly, a softness round the face and he checked in now at 175. Still, those thousands of miles had built a foundation of running strength so that he could still comfortably run with nearly any “amatuer”.
“So how's that sexy wife of yours doing? Man, what I would give...” joked Jerry.
“She’s doing great. Working on a new exhibition. Thomas Eakins, know him? And what would you give? You know...exactly?” Ted always appreciated that both men spoke and behaved as if nothing had ever happened between Jerry and Penelope.
Jerry replied.
“Penelope might be worth losing your friendship over but I still need your financial advice. Can’t go there. And yeah, I’m an Eakins fan. I’d love to have something of his in my collection but that classic shit doesn’t come up for sale.”
The two entered a winding uphill path that wasn’t wide enough for two people. Ted let Jerry run first so he wouldn't leave him behind unintentionally. While Ted had a natural runner’s build, Jerry played basketball when he was younger and had a large, muscular frame. He’d begun losing his hair years ago and opted to shave it all off. Still, he was in good overall fitness and liked to run road races, but he wasn’t a runner like Ted.
They had met years ago when they were both young analysts at the same firm. They had been friends but Ted had risen faster, earning increasingly senior roles and money and had at one point become Jerry’s manager. But Jerry quit the position and took his shot at the hedge fund business and had done fabulously well. Eventually he started his own small fund which became a big fund. The fund had eventually crashed spectacularly but not due to performance. The SEC wasn’t keen on some of Jerry’s more aggressive business practices and effectively shut him down. Still, even after legal bills and fines, Jerry was enormously wealthy.
Now, Jerry spent his time doing the typical rich asshole things. He paid others to carry him up big mountains in the Himalayas. He gave money to museums and environmental causes. He had affairs, although that led to predictable divorces. He also invested in an art collection.
One of Penelope’s life regrets was the brief affair she had with Jerry, early in her marriage to Ted, although Ted had been supportive. Penelope had come to personally dislike Jerry intensely, she thought him a terrible scum bag, but she never missed a chance to go over to his gargantuan home to drool over his art collection.
Ted and Jerry had remained friends, but their divergent fortunes had caused a distancing in their relationship. Ted envied Jerry’s wealth and lifestyle. People would want Ted to introduce them to Jerry. People who wanted to somehow access Jerry’s money. People somehow thought Jerry must be deeply intelligent, even brilliant, simply because he had wealth. Ted knew that Jerry’s good luck and high appetite for risk were the secrets to his fortune, not intelligence, but still, Ted felt like a highly paid worker bee. Sure, he had a nice home and a nice family, and by any reasonable standard, Ted was a successful one percenter. But the gap between one percent and zero-point-one percent was an unfathomable gulf.
Ted spoke between breaths.
“I’ve always enjoyed those early American painters, too. They’re going to have that self-portrait where he's rowing in the Schuylkill River and staring out towards you, the viewer.”
“You like that one?”
“Yeah. Something in his expression. He’s been rowing. He’s tired. He seems uncertain about why he’s doing it. He’s looking out to you for affirmation. Has he been wasting his time? His life?”
“Yeah, that’s a cool interpretation. Now that really is something I would give something for.”
“Yeah? What's something like that worth to you? What would you pay?”
“In an auction, that would go for $100 million plus. That’s above my means.”
“What would you pay black market?”
Jerry laughed. “Are you and Penelope going to rob the museum?”
“No, just me. I’d borrow her access card.”
The two slowed down as they reached the trail head where they had parked. By their cars, they took sips from water bottles and stretched.
Jerry squinted and looked at Ted a little curiously.
“A painting like that. I’d have to hide it. That’d be international news to get something like that. But I’d get off on it. Maybe keep in the bathroom up at the Tahoe camp. Something like that. It’d be a fucking dream.”
“So what would you pay?”
“I could go as high as $15 million.”
“Good to know. If it falls off the wall into my car trunk, I’ll stop by.”
“You do that buddy.” Jerry smiled and hopped into his Maserati. “And tell that wife of yours that I’m single again.”
-
JacobChapin
- Virgin
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:30 am
Re: A Lover of Beauty
Chapter 4: Dreams of Youth and Dreams Passed
Jessie seemed excited about his future for the first time in a long time.
He had just come home from a climbing club trip that went through central Washington and Oregon. Ted and Penelope had forced him into joining a school group and climbing club was it. While Jesse complained about the practices, Ted and Penelope noticed higher energy whenever he left the group. Jesse’s body seemed to be built to climb. He had Ted’s wiry, thin muscular frame but he was much taller with long arms.
While the team had been on their trip, they had visited a small college in Walla, Walla, Oregon. A former climbing club member was a student at the school and offered to host the club overnight for free on his dorm’s living room floor for a night. Jesse had been staunchly against the idea of college but now, after this visit, his imagination was alert to new possibilities.
“The place is just perfect. Small and in a little town. Not pretentious. Liberal arts with a fantastic arts department and friggin amazing climbing facilities. That little school plays div one level climbing!” said an eager Jesse.
Ted traded glances with Penelope, both were excited by Jesse’s new academic interest.
“Not an easy school to get into Jesse but your grades are good. Liberal arts? Is that useful?”
“Sure dad. I’ve been thinking about an art school and they have a great department plus a well rounded other curriculum.”
“That could be amazing for you. But like I said, not a cake walk. Why don’t you explore what it takes to get in?”
“I already have and my grades are good enough and they could use another climber.”
“Well, you should go for it then.”
Jessie smiled-something they rarely saw nowadays-and retreated back to his room where he spent most of his non-school waking hours.
Ted did some quick math. The school wasn’t cheap and they weren’t going to qualify for financial aid. Nearly $100,000 a year for four years. Ted liked the idea of liberal arts but he also wanted to see his son feed himself. He tried to hide the worry from his face but Penelope saw it but they both said nothing. They didn’t want to present any roadblocks to any of Jessie’s college ambitions.
Thoughts of money brought Ted’s thoughts back to the meeting with his boss the previous day. It was annual bonus time. Ted remembered the days when his cash bonuses used to push him into seven figure territory but that was many years ago.
“Well you had a good year Ted.”
“Thanks Steve.”
“We see that your CRM report shows that your outbound call volume surpassed target by 30%.”
“Yeah. I should have been a telemarketer.”
“Oh you should feel good, we usually see, usually, a strong correlation between outbound call volume and customer votes.”
“Usually?”
“Well, you know the reports. You’re leaving voicemails and talking to your old network of friends but the new analysts don’t seem to respond.”
“These kids don’t want stock picks or industry background or even basic research. They want a travel agent to arrange their trips to cool locations with a CEO visit in the middle to justify the expense.”
“That’s not accurate.”
“Sure it is and I don’t blame them. Our policies-and I know we’re responding to regulation-take the teeth out of the research. I wouldn’t buy it either. What advantage do they get by being high up on my call list if I’m not allowed to say anything to them that I haven’t already shared online?”
“Well, you’re going to have to find a way to break the code and get those votes. Take them on golf outings. The dinners at the places no one can get a reservation to.”
“Jesus.”
“Look, I’m sorry Ted but the short of it is that you’re below the vote totals we need to see to justify a bonus for you.”
Ted knew that his bonus wouldn’t be what it used to be, but was he getting goose-egged?
“What are you talking about? Yeah, my votes might be low but I brought in several new clients this year. What about Peach Tree funds? They’re paying us six figures. Where’s my share of that?”
“That’s not how we do this Ted.”
“What do you mean? This is still a business right? I bring in revenues and get a cut?”
“No. Research is a cost center. A necessary cost center but a cost center nonetheless. Corporate allocates a budget pool and I split it up. I’m paying you what I think I need to in reflection of your contributions and what I think is required to keep you here.”
“That’s it isn’t it? You figure I won’t leave no matter what.”
Steve looked Ted in the eyes.
“I’m going to level with you. You’d done this job for nearly three decades for the same firm. We like you and you’re an institution here. But no other firm is going to pay to get you now. Not at your age. Not at your energy level. Especially not with your bitterness. You got a job here. Be thankful for that and if you can find it in yourself, maybe think about new ways of approaching your job.”
Ted’s first thought had been that he’d never tried the approach of workplace violence but maybe he’d start with that. But instead of punching Steve, he had just stood up, said nothing and marched back to his office.
Jessie seemed excited about his future for the first time in a long time.
He had just come home from a climbing club trip that went through central Washington and Oregon. Ted and Penelope had forced him into joining a school group and climbing club was it. While Jesse complained about the practices, Ted and Penelope noticed higher energy whenever he left the group. Jesse’s body seemed to be built to climb. He had Ted’s wiry, thin muscular frame but he was much taller with long arms.
While the team had been on their trip, they had visited a small college in Walla, Walla, Oregon. A former climbing club member was a student at the school and offered to host the club overnight for free on his dorm’s living room floor for a night. Jesse had been staunchly against the idea of college but now, after this visit, his imagination was alert to new possibilities.
“The place is just perfect. Small and in a little town. Not pretentious. Liberal arts with a fantastic arts department and friggin amazing climbing facilities. That little school plays div one level climbing!” said an eager Jesse.
Ted traded glances with Penelope, both were excited by Jesse’s new academic interest.
“Not an easy school to get into Jesse but your grades are good. Liberal arts? Is that useful?”
“Sure dad. I’ve been thinking about an art school and they have a great department plus a well rounded other curriculum.”
“That could be amazing for you. But like I said, not a cake walk. Why don’t you explore what it takes to get in?”
“I already have and my grades are good enough and they could use another climber.”
“Well, you should go for it then.”
Jessie smiled-something they rarely saw nowadays-and retreated back to his room where he spent most of his non-school waking hours.
Ted did some quick math. The school wasn’t cheap and they weren’t going to qualify for financial aid. Nearly $100,000 a year for four years. Ted liked the idea of liberal arts but he also wanted to see his son feed himself. He tried to hide the worry from his face but Penelope saw it but they both said nothing. They didn’t want to present any roadblocks to any of Jessie’s college ambitions.
Thoughts of money brought Ted’s thoughts back to the meeting with his boss the previous day. It was annual bonus time. Ted remembered the days when his cash bonuses used to push him into seven figure territory but that was many years ago.
“Well you had a good year Ted.”
“Thanks Steve.”
“We see that your CRM report shows that your outbound call volume surpassed target by 30%.”
“Yeah. I should have been a telemarketer.”
“Oh you should feel good, we usually see, usually, a strong correlation between outbound call volume and customer votes.”
“Usually?”
“Well, you know the reports. You’re leaving voicemails and talking to your old network of friends but the new analysts don’t seem to respond.”
“These kids don’t want stock picks or industry background or even basic research. They want a travel agent to arrange their trips to cool locations with a CEO visit in the middle to justify the expense.”
“That’s not accurate.”
“Sure it is and I don’t blame them. Our policies-and I know we’re responding to regulation-take the teeth out of the research. I wouldn’t buy it either. What advantage do they get by being high up on my call list if I’m not allowed to say anything to them that I haven’t already shared online?”
“Well, you’re going to have to find a way to break the code and get those votes. Take them on golf outings. The dinners at the places no one can get a reservation to.”
“Jesus.”
“Look, I’m sorry Ted but the short of it is that you’re below the vote totals we need to see to justify a bonus for you.”
Ted knew that his bonus wouldn’t be what it used to be, but was he getting goose-egged?
“What are you talking about? Yeah, my votes might be low but I brought in several new clients this year. What about Peach Tree funds? They’re paying us six figures. Where’s my share of that?”
“That’s not how we do this Ted.”
“What do you mean? This is still a business right? I bring in revenues and get a cut?”
“No. Research is a cost center. A necessary cost center but a cost center nonetheless. Corporate allocates a budget pool and I split it up. I’m paying you what I think I need to in reflection of your contributions and what I think is required to keep you here.”
“That’s it isn’t it? You figure I won’t leave no matter what.”
Steve looked Ted in the eyes.
“I’m going to level with you. You’d done this job for nearly three decades for the same firm. We like you and you’re an institution here. But no other firm is going to pay to get you now. Not at your age. Not at your energy level. Especially not with your bitterness. You got a job here. Be thankful for that and if you can find it in yourself, maybe think about new ways of approaching your job.”
Ted’s first thought had been that he’d never tried the approach of workplace violence but maybe he’d start with that. But instead of punching Steve, he had just stood up, said nothing and marched back to his office.
-
JacobChapin
- Virgin
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2025 10:30 am
Re: A Lover of Beauty
Chapter 5-Youthful Indiscretions
Although it was a subject Penelope never wanted to discuss, Ted thought about her affair with Jerry often. He had been there that first night. He was the instigator. So he felt that he could never be jealous or upset about what happened that night or even what came after.
Ted and Jerry had started at the firm together and become good buddies. They drank together, worked out together and went on a couple of vacations together. In London, before Ted had met Penelope, they had picked up two American women in a hotel bar and brought them up to their shared two bed room and halfway through the night, they switched girls. That was the night Ted learned that Jerry had a huge cock. It was clear that the two women enjoyed their turns with Jerry immensely. Much more than with Ted. Ted would never forget their screams of delight although neither had seemed to have been able to fully please Jerry-he was too big to fit. In the morning, Jerry was a bit of a jerk to the ladies, refusing to even roll out of bed to acknowledge them when they needed to leave but Ted had been the gentleman who had seen them home.
Ted partied less after marrying Penelope and even less after getting promoted to being Jerry’s boss but one night, after the company Christmas party, Jerry goaded him into staying out late. Penelope gave him her look of disapproval but reluctantly agreed to come. As they waited outside for a taxi, Jerry pulled out a large chocolate chip cookie with a smile.
“Anyone hungry?”
“Actually, yes, I love chocolate chip,” said Ted as he took the cookie from Jerry. At that moment, a taxi pulled up and the three climbed in.
“Ted, where’s the rest of the cookie?”
“I ate it. I thought you gave it to me.”
“Uhm, you were only supposed to take a bite or two. It's a space cookie. Pot infused. It's strong. You ate the whole thing?”
“Fuck..” is all Ted could say and both Penelope and Jerry broke out into laughter.
Ted felt fine as they arrived at a club and the three danced but when the high started to come on, he sat down at a table and watched.
Penelope looked particularly sexy that night in a backless dress that seemed to only stay on her body by hanging on to her breasts. Ted could see that she turned heads, both men and women. Jerry was aware of it too and when they were done dancing, he used Penelope as a wingman to meet other women in the club. He eventually convinced a woman to come back to his hotel suite with him “to see the view” and assured her that his friends would be there, too, so now Ted and Penelope were roped into going to his suite, at least until he “closed”.
In the room, Ted was very high but still marveled that Jerry really had sprung for a spectacular suite. A huge room, a bigger than king size bed and a balcony overlooking the city. Ted would never have spent that kind of money on a hotel room, especially in a city where he lived just a few miles away. But Jerry lived big. Up in the room, Jerry had taken his date onto the balcony leaving Ted alone with Penelope. They opened a bottle of champagne, drank directly from the bottle and began to kiss and make out on the bed. Ted’s high made him especially turned on. The lights were off and things started to get intense as Penelope’s dress began to slip off.
Suddenly, Jerry’s lady stormed in from the balcony and grabbed her purse and left the suite muttering angrily. Knowing Jerry, Ted wasn’t that surprised and he didn’t bother asking what happened when Jerry walked in looking sheepish and shrugging. Ted just offered the bottle of champagne.
Jerry sat on the bed, Penelope between them and took a big swig of the champagne. That’s when Jerry noticed that Penelope’s forearm was holding up the front of her dress.
“Oh sorry guys. I didn’t realize that I was interrupting something.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Penelope said as she began to reattach the dress.
That’s when Ted made his fateful move. It was just an impulse but an overwhelming one. That night in London came back to him. He was here in a dark hotel room with Jerry again. A beautiful woman and they were drunk and he was high and hormones were running. Ted lifted his hand and stopped her, kissed her deeply and quietly pulled the front of the dress down, exposing her bare breasts.
When the kiss broke, he pulled back and saw Jerry salivating as he stared at her firm pert breasts in the night glow of the city. Ted experienced the drug driven sensation of time lapse, like he had been sitting and admiring her chest for blissful hours.
Penelope interrupted his reverie and whispered.
“What are you doing?”
He shrugged and leaned in and kissed her again.
“Let's have some fun…” he whispered.
Penelope didn’t say yes or no. She looked nervous but she also was turned on. Her firm nipples didn’t lie.
Ted reached and felt the breast closest to him. Then he reached across her, took Jerry’s hand and pulled it to her other breast.
“Aren’t they amazing?” he said to Jerry as Jerry began to squeeze.
Ted leaned down and began to suck as Jerry slid closer and Penelope turned to him and they began to kiss above him. He looked up and saw their tongues exploring each other’s mouths.
Jerry moved down and kissed her neck, her collarbone and then took her other breast in his mouth. Ted looked up and saw her expression of ecstasy as she looked from one to the other. Jerry’s hands began exploring her body more fully, pulling her dress off completely. When his fingers touched her down below he muttered.
“My god she’s soaking…”
Ted looked up and saw a flash of helpless embarrassment on his wife’s face but then in a sudden movement, Jerry pulled down her panties and pushed onto her onto her back and buried his face into her.
Ted removed his clothes and then lay beside his wife and kissed her mouth and chest as Jerry’s mouth repeatedly brought her to the edge of ecstasy but he wouldn’t let her cum. He would pause and suck on her thighs or belly when she seemed to be getting close. Then he said,
“OK, she’s ready. Get on your hands and knees,” he commanded.
Then to Ted he said, “Do you want to go first?”
Ted nodded dumbly.
Ted got behind his naked wife and slid in. She was wetter than he had ever experienced and she made a huge sigh of relief as he penetrated her. Jerry undressed in the dark beside the bed, then got onto the bed and kneeled before Penelope’s face.
“Dear God…” Ted heard his wife gasp. From behind, he couldn’t see what was happening but realized that his wife had just seen Jerry’s monster.
Ted realized he was about to cum but held back. Trying to think about anything else but his pot-filled brain had trouble not focusing on what was happening.
“That’s it baby. You do that real good. I always knew you would be a good cocksucker,” he heard Jerry say.
Then, Ted came. He couldn’t help it. Penelope looked back and smiled at him.
“You done there partner? Good, move out of the way,” Jerry said.
That’s when Ted first saw it. Jerry’s cock was like its own being. More than ten inches in length, possibly twelve, with a massive head and thick as a tennis ball can. He looked to Penelope. Was she in trouble? Did he need to protect her? But he didn’t see fear in her face. No. He saw wide eyed anticipation like she was on a roller coaster on the edge of plunge.
“It works better this way,” Jerry said as he turned her onto her back and got between her legs and lifted her legs onto shoulders. Her long tan legs looked so sexy stretched like that.
Jerry pushed the head inside.
“You're good and wet. Ted got you stretched out. Good.”
Ted knew Jerry was trying to be nice but it embarrassed him. He got her ready for that massive thing no more than he could get Mike Tyson ready for a fight.
Jerry was patient. He knew he had to be. Penelope arched her back and Jerry got more in. He would move back and forth, pushing it in a little more each time.
“My God she's gonna take it. The first time. She’s wonderful.” exclaimed Jerry.
Penelope said nothing but the occasional groan of pleasure. Her eyes were closed. She was focused on it.
Jerry was moving it faster, a little harder, now really forcing to get those last few inches in her.
“There ya go!” yelled Jerry as he made a hard slam which forced the full length of it inside. He stopped there, not moving.
“I think I love you,” said Jerry. Penelope opened her eyes, put her hand around Jerry’s head and pulled him close and they kissed a long, passionate kiss.
Then Jerry started to move. Fucking her. When he had been giving her oral, he had purposefully not let her orgasm but now he seemed to not care what she did. She came repeatedly. Jerry kept slamming it into her. Over and over.
“Oh fucking God. I’m going to fill you up.”
It wasn’t until this moment that Ted’s pot-clouded brain realized that Jerry wasn’t wearing a condom. Penelope was fertile, they had begun trying for a baby for a few months now. He was about to speak when Jerry came. It was too late to say anything now.
He saw his wife scream in ecstasy and her nails dug into Jerry’s back.
“Oh God, you’re squeezing it so tight inside you. How are you doing that!?” said Jerry.
Ted knew that Penelope had amazing control over the muscles in her vagina. Now his friend knew, too.
Ted passed out as Jerry pulled out. He expected to see a flood of cum ooze out but there wasn't so much. Maybe it was deposited too deep.
Ted woke up a few times in the night as his body processed the booze and pot. He had hazy memories of seeing Penelope riding Jerry. On top of him and screaming. Jerry yelling at her. Telling her she was his cowgirl. And later, of Jerry lifting her and fucking her against the wall. Calling her a whore. Calling her the boss’s slut wife. Then, as they fucked, he carried her out onto the balcony and fucked her in the night air over the city. Jerry commanded her to tell him that she loved him. Ted heard her yell that she did.
When he woke in the early morning light, she was in Jerry’s arms and passed out. He left them alone and made his way to the bathroom where he got sick. On his knees in front of the toilet, he wasn’t sure what was making him so sick. Was it just the alcohol? Was it the memory of what he had seen? Was it his own role? Was he sick of himself?
He cleaned himself up and quietly went back to the bed to find them awake. Penelope was leaning over Jerry’s cock and sucking.
“Good girl. You’re so good at this.” Jerry said, pulling her hair back and feeling her smooth back and tight ass. Ted got hard and watched. They didn’t seem to notice him when he started to masturbate. When Jerry came, Penelople took him deep in her mouth, sucking hard. Ted came in his hand as he watched her greedily swallow every drop.
Over the course of the next several weeks, Jerry had her several times. Ted would come home from work to discover that his friend and employee had left work early and was in his bedroom with his wife. One night, Ted came home to a note saying that they had gone out for the night. He talked it over with Penelope. She told him it was hot and fun and she was glad Ted was open to exploring. Ted felt at that point, he couldn’t do anything but act like he wasn’t bothered at all. That he was cool with everything. And he was, sort of. He stayed home and masturbated. It was erotic even though he felt he was losing her.
Then she told him that Jerry had rented a place on the coast for the weekend and would it be okay if the two of them went, just the two of them. Ted said yes, of course. Over that weekend, he knew it had gone too far. He cried and cried. He loved her. She was the most beautiful woman he would ever know and he had been careless with her. What had he done? She now loved someone else.
But then, she came home early. On Saturday night instead of Sunday afternoon. She was in tears. Ted never really got the details but there had been a fight. She thought Jerry was an asshole. She apologized for how far she had taken things and Ted said he was sorry for getting it all started. They re-affirmed their love for one another. They pledged themselves to each other once again. They made love. Ted saw marks all over her body. He thought possibly rope burns and whip marks. What had they done?
Not long after, she was pregnant and that kind of sexual adventure went out of their lives. Just a part of their wild youth. Of course, Ted had wondered about his son’s paternity and while she was still pregnant, he had inquired. Penelope had assured him that she knew the timing and that he was definitely the father. After Jesse was born, he loved him so much that he didn’t care to get a paternity test.
Although it was a subject Penelope never wanted to discuss, Ted thought about her affair with Jerry often. He had been there that first night. He was the instigator. So he felt that he could never be jealous or upset about what happened that night or even what came after.
Ted and Jerry had started at the firm together and become good buddies. They drank together, worked out together and went on a couple of vacations together. In London, before Ted had met Penelope, they had picked up two American women in a hotel bar and brought them up to their shared two bed room and halfway through the night, they switched girls. That was the night Ted learned that Jerry had a huge cock. It was clear that the two women enjoyed their turns with Jerry immensely. Much more than with Ted. Ted would never forget their screams of delight although neither had seemed to have been able to fully please Jerry-he was too big to fit. In the morning, Jerry was a bit of a jerk to the ladies, refusing to even roll out of bed to acknowledge them when they needed to leave but Ted had been the gentleman who had seen them home.
Ted partied less after marrying Penelope and even less after getting promoted to being Jerry’s boss but one night, after the company Christmas party, Jerry goaded him into staying out late. Penelope gave him her look of disapproval but reluctantly agreed to come. As they waited outside for a taxi, Jerry pulled out a large chocolate chip cookie with a smile.
“Anyone hungry?”
“Actually, yes, I love chocolate chip,” said Ted as he took the cookie from Jerry. At that moment, a taxi pulled up and the three climbed in.
“Ted, where’s the rest of the cookie?”
“I ate it. I thought you gave it to me.”
“Uhm, you were only supposed to take a bite or two. It's a space cookie. Pot infused. It's strong. You ate the whole thing?”
“Fuck..” is all Ted could say and both Penelope and Jerry broke out into laughter.
Ted felt fine as they arrived at a club and the three danced but when the high started to come on, he sat down at a table and watched.
Penelope looked particularly sexy that night in a backless dress that seemed to only stay on her body by hanging on to her breasts. Ted could see that she turned heads, both men and women. Jerry was aware of it too and when they were done dancing, he used Penelope as a wingman to meet other women in the club. He eventually convinced a woman to come back to his hotel suite with him “to see the view” and assured her that his friends would be there, too, so now Ted and Penelope were roped into going to his suite, at least until he “closed”.
In the room, Ted was very high but still marveled that Jerry really had sprung for a spectacular suite. A huge room, a bigger than king size bed and a balcony overlooking the city. Ted would never have spent that kind of money on a hotel room, especially in a city where he lived just a few miles away. But Jerry lived big. Up in the room, Jerry had taken his date onto the balcony leaving Ted alone with Penelope. They opened a bottle of champagne, drank directly from the bottle and began to kiss and make out on the bed. Ted’s high made him especially turned on. The lights were off and things started to get intense as Penelope’s dress began to slip off.
Suddenly, Jerry’s lady stormed in from the balcony and grabbed her purse and left the suite muttering angrily. Knowing Jerry, Ted wasn’t that surprised and he didn’t bother asking what happened when Jerry walked in looking sheepish and shrugging. Ted just offered the bottle of champagne.
Jerry sat on the bed, Penelope between them and took a big swig of the champagne. That’s when Jerry noticed that Penelope’s forearm was holding up the front of her dress.
“Oh sorry guys. I didn’t realize that I was interrupting something.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Penelope said as she began to reattach the dress.
That’s when Ted made his fateful move. It was just an impulse but an overwhelming one. That night in London came back to him. He was here in a dark hotel room with Jerry again. A beautiful woman and they were drunk and he was high and hormones were running. Ted lifted his hand and stopped her, kissed her deeply and quietly pulled the front of the dress down, exposing her bare breasts.
When the kiss broke, he pulled back and saw Jerry salivating as he stared at her firm pert breasts in the night glow of the city. Ted experienced the drug driven sensation of time lapse, like he had been sitting and admiring her chest for blissful hours.
Penelope interrupted his reverie and whispered.
“What are you doing?”
He shrugged and leaned in and kissed her again.
“Let's have some fun…” he whispered.
Penelope didn’t say yes or no. She looked nervous but she also was turned on. Her firm nipples didn’t lie.
Ted reached and felt the breast closest to him. Then he reached across her, took Jerry’s hand and pulled it to her other breast.
“Aren’t they amazing?” he said to Jerry as Jerry began to squeeze.
Ted leaned down and began to suck as Jerry slid closer and Penelope turned to him and they began to kiss above him. He looked up and saw their tongues exploring each other’s mouths.
Jerry moved down and kissed her neck, her collarbone and then took her other breast in his mouth. Ted looked up and saw her expression of ecstasy as she looked from one to the other. Jerry’s hands began exploring her body more fully, pulling her dress off completely. When his fingers touched her down below he muttered.
“My god she’s soaking…”
Ted looked up and saw a flash of helpless embarrassment on his wife’s face but then in a sudden movement, Jerry pulled down her panties and pushed onto her onto her back and buried his face into her.
Ted removed his clothes and then lay beside his wife and kissed her mouth and chest as Jerry’s mouth repeatedly brought her to the edge of ecstasy but he wouldn’t let her cum. He would pause and suck on her thighs or belly when she seemed to be getting close. Then he said,
“OK, she’s ready. Get on your hands and knees,” he commanded.
Then to Ted he said, “Do you want to go first?”
Ted nodded dumbly.
Ted got behind his naked wife and slid in. She was wetter than he had ever experienced and she made a huge sigh of relief as he penetrated her. Jerry undressed in the dark beside the bed, then got onto the bed and kneeled before Penelope’s face.
“Dear God…” Ted heard his wife gasp. From behind, he couldn’t see what was happening but realized that his wife had just seen Jerry’s monster.
Ted realized he was about to cum but held back. Trying to think about anything else but his pot-filled brain had trouble not focusing on what was happening.
“That’s it baby. You do that real good. I always knew you would be a good cocksucker,” he heard Jerry say.
Then, Ted came. He couldn’t help it. Penelope looked back and smiled at him.
“You done there partner? Good, move out of the way,” Jerry said.
That’s when Ted first saw it. Jerry’s cock was like its own being. More than ten inches in length, possibly twelve, with a massive head and thick as a tennis ball can. He looked to Penelope. Was she in trouble? Did he need to protect her? But he didn’t see fear in her face. No. He saw wide eyed anticipation like she was on a roller coaster on the edge of plunge.
“It works better this way,” Jerry said as he turned her onto her back and got between her legs and lifted her legs onto shoulders. Her long tan legs looked so sexy stretched like that.
Jerry pushed the head inside.
“You're good and wet. Ted got you stretched out. Good.”
Ted knew Jerry was trying to be nice but it embarrassed him. He got her ready for that massive thing no more than he could get Mike Tyson ready for a fight.
Jerry was patient. He knew he had to be. Penelope arched her back and Jerry got more in. He would move back and forth, pushing it in a little more each time.
“My God she's gonna take it. The first time. She’s wonderful.” exclaimed Jerry.
Penelope said nothing but the occasional groan of pleasure. Her eyes were closed. She was focused on it.
Jerry was moving it faster, a little harder, now really forcing to get those last few inches in her.
“There ya go!” yelled Jerry as he made a hard slam which forced the full length of it inside. He stopped there, not moving.
“I think I love you,” said Jerry. Penelope opened her eyes, put her hand around Jerry’s head and pulled him close and they kissed a long, passionate kiss.
Then Jerry started to move. Fucking her. When he had been giving her oral, he had purposefully not let her orgasm but now he seemed to not care what she did. She came repeatedly. Jerry kept slamming it into her. Over and over.
“Oh fucking God. I’m going to fill you up.”
It wasn’t until this moment that Ted’s pot-clouded brain realized that Jerry wasn’t wearing a condom. Penelope was fertile, they had begun trying for a baby for a few months now. He was about to speak when Jerry came. It was too late to say anything now.
He saw his wife scream in ecstasy and her nails dug into Jerry’s back.
“Oh God, you’re squeezing it so tight inside you. How are you doing that!?” said Jerry.
Ted knew that Penelope had amazing control over the muscles in her vagina. Now his friend knew, too.
Ted passed out as Jerry pulled out. He expected to see a flood of cum ooze out but there wasn't so much. Maybe it was deposited too deep.
Ted woke up a few times in the night as his body processed the booze and pot. He had hazy memories of seeing Penelope riding Jerry. On top of him and screaming. Jerry yelling at her. Telling her she was his cowgirl. And later, of Jerry lifting her and fucking her against the wall. Calling her a whore. Calling her the boss’s slut wife. Then, as they fucked, he carried her out onto the balcony and fucked her in the night air over the city. Jerry commanded her to tell him that she loved him. Ted heard her yell that she did.
When he woke in the early morning light, she was in Jerry’s arms and passed out. He left them alone and made his way to the bathroom where he got sick. On his knees in front of the toilet, he wasn’t sure what was making him so sick. Was it just the alcohol? Was it the memory of what he had seen? Was it his own role? Was he sick of himself?
He cleaned himself up and quietly went back to the bed to find them awake. Penelope was leaning over Jerry’s cock and sucking.
“Good girl. You’re so good at this.” Jerry said, pulling her hair back and feeling her smooth back and tight ass. Ted got hard and watched. They didn’t seem to notice him when he started to masturbate. When Jerry came, Penelople took him deep in her mouth, sucking hard. Ted came in his hand as he watched her greedily swallow every drop.
Over the course of the next several weeks, Jerry had her several times. Ted would come home from work to discover that his friend and employee had left work early and was in his bedroom with his wife. One night, Ted came home to a note saying that they had gone out for the night. He talked it over with Penelope. She told him it was hot and fun and she was glad Ted was open to exploring. Ted felt at that point, he couldn’t do anything but act like he wasn’t bothered at all. That he was cool with everything. And he was, sort of. He stayed home and masturbated. It was erotic even though he felt he was losing her.
Then she told him that Jerry had rented a place on the coast for the weekend and would it be okay if the two of them went, just the two of them. Ted said yes, of course. Over that weekend, he knew it had gone too far. He cried and cried. He loved her. She was the most beautiful woman he would ever know and he had been careless with her. What had he done? She now loved someone else.
But then, she came home early. On Saturday night instead of Sunday afternoon. She was in tears. Ted never really got the details but there had been a fight. She thought Jerry was an asshole. She apologized for how far she had taken things and Ted said he was sorry for getting it all started. They re-affirmed their love for one another. They pledged themselves to each other once again. They made love. Ted saw marks all over her body. He thought possibly rope burns and whip marks. What had they done?
Not long after, she was pregnant and that kind of sexual adventure went out of their lives. Just a part of their wild youth. Of course, Ted had wondered about his son’s paternity and while she was still pregnant, he had inquired. Penelope had assured him that she knew the timing and that he was definitely the father. After Jesse was born, he loved him so much that he didn’t care to get a paternity test.