Kellie and Brad Ch. 07

In layman's terms, Anita lost another high profile curling match to Kellie's team. She couldn't handle it, so she lost her mind.

She got drunk, had unprotected sex with a stranger, and became pregnant. Her pattern of domineering behaviour cost her the support and presence of her teammates and friends. Her stubbornness led her to fight with her mother and sister, the only family she had left.

What's worse, her pride led her to not only shut her family out of her life and ignore any of their attempts at reconciliation, it also drove her to take everything she owned, pile it and Johnathan into her car and travel far away on some misguided effort to prove she could provide for them both on her own, without any help from anyone.

Not for the first time, she thought about how monumentally rash... and, well, stupid... that decision was turning out to be. Unfortunately, it wasn't occurring to her that if she simply reversed her decision, retraced her steps and went back home to apologize and make amends with her mother and sister, that all would be well. She genuinely thought they would not ever forgive her, and thus thought she was stuck here.

So, for all intents and purposes, she was.

After a long wait she finally made her way through the line and filled out the paperwork to apply for social assistance payments. It was humiliating to Anita to have to do this, but she didn't know how else to support her child. She didn't know anyone in this city she could trust who could babysit Johnathan while she worked, and whatever life savings she had were dwindling rapidly.

Concentrating on keeping hold of her squirming baby son, and thinking about her dark fate, Anita didn't see the man standing before her until she bumped right into him.

"Oh god, I'm sorry sir!" she exclaimed.

"No, don't you worry about it, this was totally my fault. Please excuse my clumsiness."

The man's voice was soothing to Anita, almost hypnotic. She got a good look at him for the first time. If any man met the proverbial description of tall, dark and handsome, she thought, it was this man. He towered over her, and his skin maintained the deep tan he obviously acquired during the summer, even as the calendar ticked ever closer to fall. He was also one of, if not the most, handsome men she could ever remember meeting. She could easily envision herself becoming lost in his emerald-green eyes.

Those very eyes seemed to be probing her very depths. Then he smiled and extended a hand to her. "You and your son... you're new around here, aren't you?" he asked.

Normally very confident and assertive, the events of the last several months, not to mention the magnetic personality this man was exuding, blunted those qualities that had served to define Anita's past. She could only nod in the affirmative.

"Your son is adorable. And, if I may be so bold, you are a very pretty woman."

Anita blushed but said nothing.

The man smiled and spoke again, his arm still extended to her. "You look like you could use a friend. My name is Paul."

'There's something about this man', she thought. 'What is it?' Whatever it was, it got her to lower her defenses. She reached out with her free arm and felt her small hand be enveloped within his. "I'm Anita," she said, "and this is my son Johnathan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Anita, the pleasure is all mine," Paul cooed. He took Anita's hand and gently kissed it, and she felt her heart flutter.

"If I could, I'd like to take you and Johnathan for dinner," Paul said. "I know a place that serves good comfort food, and would even have something appropriate for your son to eat. Please say yes."

Anita smiled. She definitely could use a friend. "Thank you Paul. I'd like that."

As Anita made sure she had everything together and ready to go, Paul took another look at the pretty blonde. The child was a bit of an unwelcome accessory, in his mind, but he thought there may be some instances when he could use him to his advantage.

Otherwise, this Anita, if that was her real name? She was perfect.

In every way.

***********

Her ears perked up at the sound.

Kellie was playing with E.J., trying to keep up with him as he crawled all over the place, when Brad returned home from work. She gave him a welcome-home kiss and asked, "How was work today, honey?"

It was, by now, a pat question that was usually returned by a pat answer. Not today, however.

"Something interesting happened today. We need to sit down and talk," he replied.

"Oh. OK. Is it bad?" she asked nervously.

His smile was reassuring and set her at ease. "No, it's not bad. At least, I'm pretty sure it's not."

Kellie retrieved E.J., who thankfully didn't complain about being held by his mother. She bounced him on her knee as she listened to Brad explain his meeting with Russ's brother Glenn and the subsequent job offer extended to him.

"Sounds very promising honey!" Kellie exclaimed. "How much do you know about the offer?"

"Not much other than what Glenn told me," Brad replied, "but he did give me a draft copy of the employment contract and some other stuff to read over. I just haven't had a chance to look at it yet."

He pulled out the folder Glenn had provided him so they could go over the material together. Brad pored through the employment contract. His eyes widened when he read the compensation section of the letter. Kellie peeked over his shoulder to see what caused his reaction, and she immediately understood why.

"Wow, honey, that's a big raise!"

"Yes, it would be. Of course, Kellie, cost of living is higher in the city..."

"... but this raise will help us cover those costs and put money away for savings and a college fund for E.J."

Brad couldn't help but agree. They finished reading all the documents, and Kellie asked questions of Brad to help fill in any blanks. It became clear to Kellie that this was an incredible opportunity that her husband should jump at.

"Oh honey, I'm so proud of you! This is what you've wanted, isn't it? You've worked so hard for this, and you deserve it!" Kellie was gushing with pride and happiness over her man's achievements.

But whether he was just playing devil's advocate or still really needed some convincing, Brad seemed less enthused than Kellie thought he would be.

"Are you OK with moving to the city?" he asked.

"Why not? I used to live there, remember?"

"I know that. I remember you telling me it wasn't a good experience."

"I was just a kid then. It will be different with you and E.J."

Brad nodded. "OK. What about your team?"

"No problem. Jennifer, Heather and Amber moved up there already, don't forget. And Sandra has told me her company has offered to transfer her to their city location a couple of times now."

"OK." Brad nodded again, mentally checking off another point on his list. "I know this may not come up for a while yet. But if I get good at ice making, I might well be asked to travel to set up some tournaments. What will we do if one of those chances conflicts with your competition schedule? How would we work that out and ensure at least one of us is here for E.J.?"

Kellie understood the logic behind the questions, but part of her was a little exasperated that he didn't seem to be as excited as she was. "Well, honey, we'll figure that out when the time comes. I'm sure we'll be able to talk and plan our schedules so everything works out and we all get what we want."

She ended her answer with a penetrating look in her eyes that Brad couldn't quite read. "What?" he asked.

"I don't get it," Kellie replied. "You're being offered a great opportunity here, yet all you seem focused on is the downside. Aren't you happy?"

Brad shrugged. "I just want to make sure that everything is looked after, especially with E.J. And I want to be sure that you're OK with all this."

"Why wouldn't I be OK with it, Brad? So far, it's been you that stays back to take care of things at home while I get to travel and do what I want and get the glory for it. What about you? I say it's OK for you to be a little selfish and look after your own needs this time."

"I won't lie, Kellie. Part of me is really nervous about this. It's the unknown of it all, you know? I enjoy what I do now, it's comfortable and I'm good at it. And I love living in this town. If we leave, I'll really miss it."

"That's understandable. But... what does the other part of you say?"

Brad thought for a few moments. The more he thought, the more he realized Kellie was trying to get him focused on the positives of the move. And they were many.

He curled a little smile on his lips and said, "It's an exciting challenge, isn't it? I think I really want to do this."

Kellie squealed. "That's great, honey!"

"Thanks. I still want to talk to my parents, your aunt and uncle and everyone else, too, just because I'd like to hear their input. But, yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going to tell Russ on Monday that I'm going to accept Glenn's offer."

"Oh, Brad, I'm so... hey, look."

The last part of what Kellie said came out in a whisper. Brad looked closer and saw why. Little E.J. had fallen asleep on his mommy's knee.

Very carefully, they got up and placed E.J. in his crib. Satisfied he was still asleep, they quietly backed out of the baby's room. Brad was on his way back to the living room until he felt Kellie divert him to their bedroom. She sat him on the edge of their bed.

"What are you doing?" he quietly asked.

Instead of speaking, Kellie knelt down before her husband and wordlessly unbuckled his belt. She tugged down at his pants and boxers, and he unconsciously raised his hips to ease her task. She pushed both pieces of clothing down around his ankles. Licking her lips, she eyed his cock. Taking it into her hand, she licked it up and down, and before long it was hardening rapidly under her touch. He gasped when she started sucking him, bobbing her head slowly up and down.

"Kellie..." Brad said breathlessly.

She removed her mouth from his now fully erect missile with an audible popping sound. "I'm so very proud of you, Brad," she spoke with affection and reverence. "Let me show you just how proud I am."

Kellie dove back on to Brad's hard cock, taking almost all of it into her mouth. He groaned in pleasure and through hooded eyes watched his gorgeous wife act out the love and pride she felt inside.

***********

After the weekend, Brad's decision was made.

He figured he was about 99% sure he was going to accept Glenn's job offer to move to the Blue Granite by the time he fell asleep on Friday night, not long after Kellie made sweet love to him. 'If that's how proud she is of me from getting a promotion', he thought as he showered the next morning, 'I'm going to have to do that more often!'

He still wanted to speak to the other people he trusted before the weekend was out. He had always loved and trusted his parents, and he had grown closer to Kellie's Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic as well. He trusted their counsel very much. When he invited all four of them over on Saturday afternoon, they all expressed their great pride and happiness for his achievements, and impressed upon him that, in essence, he'd be crazy to turn the job down. They did admit they'd miss having Brad, Kellie and E.J. in the same town as them, but promised to make the relatively short drive to visit them as often as possible, as long as they reciprocated in turn, which Brad and Kellie readily agreed to.

Kellie broke the news to Sandra later that evening. She came by their house with a celebratory bottle of wine. "Congratulations, Brad!" she exclaimed as she gave him a big hug. Sandra also admitted some relief, because her bosses were putting more pressure on her to transfer to the city due to personnel requirements at that location.

"Now that you guys are moving," she announced, "I don't really have much reason to stay back. So, I'm going to move too!"

She and Kellie jumped up and down and hugged in excitement. They called Jennifer, Heather and Amber and celebrated all over again when they learned they'd all be reunited, living in the same city once again.

Brad was holding E.J. at this point. He whispered in his baby boy's ear. "Women are crazy sometimes; don't let them tell you any differently. But you know what? They are sooooo worth it. Trust your dad on this one." He sealed his words with a kiss on E.J.'s forehead.

He knew he would be sad to leave this small town, the only home he'd ever known. He knew he'd miss the easy camaraderie he had with his co-workers at the town's curling club, and he especially knew he'd miss his good friend Russ. But he also knew he was making the right decision, for his future and that of his family. Secure in this knowledge, Brad entered Russ's office first thing Monday morning.

"I've made my decision, Russ," he said. "I'm accepting Glenn's offer."

"Congratulations, Brad," Russ replied, shaking his hand. The two friends then embraced in a big hug and shed a couple of tears. They knew they would still be friends for the rest of their lives, but Brad leaving meant things would never quite be the same.

Using the phone in Russ's office, Brad called Glenn to inform him of his decision. Glenn was understandably very pleased. He pledged to drive down later in the week for Brad to sign and finalize all the arrangements and paperwork. Russ gathered all the staff together to announce Brad's decision, and he accepted the well wishes of all his other friends and co-workers.

The next few weeks went by in a hurry. Instead of driving down, Glenn had someone pick Brad up one day to drive him to the city. After signing all the documents, Glenn took Brad for a tour of the facilities and surrounding areas, which Brad found to be very impressive. They enjoyed dinner and more than a few cocktails at a fancy restaurant, and Brad was pleasantly buzzing when the driver chauffeured him home.

A couple of weekends were spent by Brad and Kellie looking for accommodations in which to move. They felt fortunate to find a nice townhome at a reasonable price that was also large enough for their and E.J.'s needs. Most of the rest of the time was spent packing, getting things ready for their new digs and tying up loose ends for their affairs in the small town in which they called home for so long.

During their last week in town, Brad and Kellie held goodbye gatherings before their move the next Monday morning. Wednesday they hosted Sandra, who was making her own move to the city on Saturday. Thursday saw his parents and her aunt and uncle visit. For good measure, his parents offered to babysit E.J. on Saturday night and Sunday morning to give them either a chance to finish packing or a night to spend together doing whatever they desired.

On Friday, it was Russ's turn.

**********

He was practically shaking with fear.

Russ had thought of many different ways he could get out of his dinner date with Brad and his family that Friday night. Multiple times, he almost picked up his phone to call and cancel. But he found it impossible to come up with a valid reason to no-show without looking like a complete jerk.

No, this would be the last time he saw Brad, Kellie and E.J. together before their move. He had to do the right thing and properly see them off and wish them well. What kind of a friend would he be if he didn't do at least that?

He then thought what kind of a friend he really was seeing that he lusted so badly after his friend's wife, and he shuddered.

Russ decided to walk to Brad and Kellie's place. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets as he moved through the brisk air. As he reached his destination, he paused, breathed in and out, and knocked at the door.

A smiling Kellie answered. "Hi Russ!" she said brightly.

Even though she was wearing a simple black turtleneck and a worn pair of blue jeans, to Russ she looked like an angel descended from above. His breath momentarily caught in his throat. Just then E.J. wailed loudly enough to distract Kellie. She looked back quickly and said, "Well, don't just stand there, come on in!" He did so, glad for the momentary reprieve.

Brad welcomed him in. Russ got a chance to hold E.J. before Brad and Kellie put the baby to bed, for it was already fairly late in the evening. When that was done, Brad and Russ sat down and had a beer while Kellie prepared dinner. Russ relaxed and enjoyed himself. Dinner was delicious, the beer and the wine flowed and he found himself feeling very mellow, if also a little wistful, considering that it might be a long time before they could be together again to enjoy each other's company.

Then the phone rang. Brad answered it and talked for a moment before covering the receiver. "It's just my parents. They want to confirm what time they should pick up E.J. and other stuff like that. It'll just take me a couple of minutes."

"OK, honey," replied Kellie.

Brad stepped into the bedroom to finish fielding the phone call, leaving a now suddenly nervous Russ alone with Kellie. After a few awkward moments of silence, Kellie asked, "Russ, are you OK? What's on your mind?"

'God, please, please let me control myself', Russ prayed. He answered Kellie's question by saying, "Uh... just thinking about how it won't be the same without you, Brad and E.J. still in town."

"Awww, that's sweet!"

He blushed at Kellie's compliment. His heart was racing a million miles an hour. "Are... are you looking forward to the move?" he asked, hoping that some friendly, innocuous conversation would somehow distract him from her radiant beauty.

"I am, absolutely! I look at it as another adventure, the next chapter of our lives together. I've really come to love this town, Russ, but I am originally a city girl, so part of me is definitely happy to go back. I'm looking forward to the experience!"

"That's great, but I hope you also know how much you will all be missed. E.J. is a wonderful baby boy and he has great parents. You are lucky to be able to watch him grow up and mature. Brad's been my best friend for a long time so it will be difficult to not have him around. And as for you... you know everyone in town is proud of you, don't you? Proud of your accomplishments and how well you've represented us."

Kellie's face turned red and she looked almost embarrassed. "Oh, stop it!" she said with a smile. "You're going to give me a big ego with all these nice things you're saying about me!"

Fuck, she's so beautiful when she blushes like that, Russ thought. He briefly shook his head and tried to clear images from his head, images of a naked Kellie begging for his cock. It was a battle he was slowly losing.

"Kellie, I'm sure you won't let your ego go crazy!" he stated, still trying to focus on their chat. "Even so, everything I've said is true! You're going to get even better and more successful and famous, and it will be all deserved because I know you're going to keep being the same genuinely good person. That part of you will never change. I just hope you don't forget about us little people when you're living it up in the big city!"

Kellie laughed; it was like the sound of an angels' choir to Russ. "No way!" she answered. "You've done so much and have been such a great friend to both of us. We'll never forget you. We'll keep in touch and visit often. I bet Brad's already planning the first road trip to see you again!"

"You know you'll always be welcome here."

"I know. Thank you Russ."

Kellie stood up to give Russ a hug. Again he was momentarily breathless at her touch. He told himself it was only going to be a brief, friendly hug, nothing more.

But as he melted into her body, the dark, twisted part of him noted the softness of her skin, the feel of her wonderful breasts pressed to his own chest, and her smell... oh god, her heavenly, womanly scent. And at that moment, he disengaged from the rational part of his mind and acted on pure desire and needful lust.