Ann: The Married Years Ch. 19

I'm sorry that you'll have to park outside for a while, but I'm sure you understand. And again, I'm also sorry that I upset you this morning. I hope this helps make up for it. See you tonight.

I love you,

Neil

Her hand was covering her mouth as she finished the note. "I can't believe he did this," she whispered under her breath as she sat on the lid. She didn't have to go, but somehow, she felt closer to him just be sitting on what he must have spent most of his day working on. She read the note a second time, still completely glossing over his comment about their roles being reversed and the other veiled references the it contained. She was only focused on the final part, where he said he'd see her later that night.

Stripping off her clothes, she decided to take a nap, wanting to be rested for him when he came home. She was certainly tired enough. She wanted to give him what she didn't several times during the long day.

She woke up around eleven, taking a long steamy bath, wanting to be ready for him. She was, waiting naked in the living room a little after midnight, excited knowing he'd be home within the next half-hour. Or not.

There'd been a big problem at the plant and he had to stay late to help straighten it out. Derrick, the supervisor that followed him, was very good but he was still green. There was no way he'd be able to solve the problem on his own without some help. Instead of getting home at half past midnight, Neil found himself leaving the plant over two hours later, parking his car in front of the house at a quarter to three.

He walked inside and quietly made his way to their room, exhausted from his day. Stripping, he pulled down the sheets to climb in, surprised to find that Ann wasn't there. He checked the guest bedroom, just in case. It too was empty. Tracking back to the living room, he found her curled up on the loveseat in a little ball, her head resting on a pillow, her naked body cold from the air conditioning. Lifting her up, he carried her to bed like a little girl. She never awakened and he fell asleep pressing his body against hers, trying to warm her under the covers.

With him coming home so late, he didn't wake up early like he had the day before. She left him a note, telling him she missed him and that she was worried. He found it on the island hours later when he finally got up, calling her at the store to tell her why he'd been so late.

It was a short conversation. She was busy with a customer and he had things to do, most notably among them was to make the trip to the home improvement center to pick up things for the second surprise he was creating for her. While he was disappointed that they hadn't connected like they needed to the night before, he was excited about his secret project. He just hoped he wasn't setting himself up for a bigger disappointment down the line. There was no putting Annabelle out of his mind now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Things returned to normal by the weekend, at least in Ann's eyes.

They finally had sex late Friday night, making love until almost three in the morning. Waking up Saturday afternoon, they continued their sweet sensual dance between the sheets; then they spent the day together catching up. Sunday was their day, set aside to make sure they always connected at least once a week. It wasn't much different than Saturday, or Friday night. Their lovemaking continued, because that's the mood she was in.

It was starkly different from how Neil had been feeling during the week. It was like he'd turned off some switch, the need for what he'd been thinking about for so long set aside for the sake of their relationship. He didn't want to ruin the weekend by insisting they fuck. He had a bigger goal in mind so he controlled his inner desires, satiated by the closeness they shared during the weekend. He knew he needed to be patient.

They agreed at the door when he kissed her goodbye that they both needed to relax. It was only going to be two more weeks and if they ended up with a weekend like they'd just had, what they endured in between shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Ann was being philosophical, beaming from the way he'd made her cum with his mouth just an hour before. "If we go a week without sex, we'll have a week's worth next weekend, baby. I don't want to be stressed like I was this past week."

"Me either. I've got a lot of work to do to get the bathroom done anyway. If we can find a way to be together, great... but if not..."

"...I promise, Anna will make up for it next weekend," she smiled, finishing his sentence for him.

The feeling returned as soon as he watched her drive out of site. "Unless I can make Annabelle show up first," he grinned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next weekend turned out to be a lost cause. Ann started her period in the middle of the week and it was a horrendous one. The cramping became so bad she actually called in sick on both Friday and Monday. It had been a long time since she'd had one that severe but it wasn't unprecedented; she usually had one like that once a year or so. Not only did it put a halt to any fun they might have been able to have together, it also meant Neil lost two days he was able to work in both the bathroom and the crawlspace. She needed to rest and any noise he made was making things worse. So instead of working on the projects, he took care of her.

Losing those two days was now a concern. He was disappointed that they weren't able to have sex, but he understood. The bigger impact of her being ill meant he was now under a deadline. He'd spent a couple of nice days playing golf, figuring he had plenty of time to complete everything. That now seemed foolish. As it was, he was almost done with the bathroom. It was the secret project underneath the house that was suddenly in jeopardy.

In truth he had actually been stalling doing the grout on the tile in the shower and around the sink, trying to time everything so he finished that last task at the same time he was buttoning up the work in the crawlspace. He figured he had half a day of work left to complete her dream bathroom. But he had several days left on the fantasy play room she didn't know about.

Still he had time, even with her being home unexpectedly. It just meant that instead of being able to cruise to the finish line like he intended, he would be busting his ass. He felt confident he'd make it work, but there was always some doubt in the back of his mind.

He didn't really know if all the work he'd put in would pay off. He knew she'd be thrilled with the bathroom. But what about the changes he was making underneath the house? Not only was he unsure of how she'd react, he didn't really know how he'd even approach her with them. There was a distinct possibility the whole thing might blow up in his face. He needed an idea on how to spark her interest without making her angry. He could have just asked her, but that approach had some inherent risk.

On the positive side, they communicated well most of the time. The downside was the length of time since they'd done anything like that and the realization that it was ultimately up to her. There was a fear that all the work he'd done could be construed as him pushing her into doing it, which could lead to an argument or worse, actually damage their relationship.

In the back of his mind was the fact that she'd never said they weren't going to do it again. He found that he was talking himself into and out of many different ways to approach her. There was even a thought in one moment of despair that he should just scrap the project altogether. He pushed that notion aside quickly. He had to believe she trusted him, and would understand when it was all said and done.

He was able accomplish a few things over the weekend while she was sleeping off the severe cramps she was having. She'd taken some pain medicine that basically made her a zombie. She spent most of the weekend sleeping and that gave him the opportunity to complete the major one, which was to clean the crawlspace. And part of cleaning meant eliminating insects, and webs of the cob and spider variety.

On Saturday he set off a couple of environmentally safe bug bombs he'd gotten from an exterminator friend, waiting until she was sound asleep on the couch in the living room at the other end of the house. He followed the directions carefully, including airing out the space afterward with a couple of fans. On Sunday he went in and cleaned it thoroughly, making sure everything was as antiseptic as possible. Other than that, he took care of her, hoping she'd begin to feel better soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Come Tuesday she was, and she returned to work. That meant he was able to begin the final stretch on his home improvement projects. He got a lot accomplished, working up to the last minute he could before heading off to work himself.

By Wednesday Ann was back to her usual bubbly self, her period finally over. The first Leather Humpday had proved so successful they were having another one. Only this time, the fliers she had designed and sent out to their mailing list called it a Bondage Workshop. They were even going to be giving pointers by offering a couple of How To clinics during the day. Yet the interesting thing about how she dressed this time was that she left in what appeared to be a more submissive outfit.

It started with her makeup, which was softer and more feminine. The outfit itself was red instead of black; her top a different bustier, the lacy part over her breasts having flaps held in place with silk black ribbons tied into bows. The flaps permitted the covering of her breasts to be opened to expose her nipples.

She wore a red leather miniskirt with silver zippers up the sides, allowing more of her thighs and hips to be seen if she so desired. Her thong matched the material of her skirt, and included a silver zipper that would open the crotch. She went without stockings, and chose a pair of 5-inch red stilettos that had silver spiked heels. The red leather collar, complete with a silver ring on the front, went perfectly with the rest of her ensemble. To complete the look, she was wearing her blonde wig; the one she got from Dawn as a naughty wedding gift.

Ann had talked to Neil about the workshop when she came up with the idea the week before. She asked if he had a problem if she taught a class, so to speak. At the time he assumed it would be from a dominant perspective, because that's how she'd been acting when she broached the subject.

As it turned out, she'd answered a lot of those questions the week before because of what she wore. The people that were asking were of a dominate mind. They were confident in what they wanted to do, they just wanted some guidance; a point in the right direction.

Ann was smart enough to realize that there were going to be just as many questions about the other side of that kind of relationship, but those people were likely going to be much shier about it. That meant the questions might never actually be asked. Her belief was that by doing it in a group setting, where they'd see they weren't alone in their desires, it might make it easier for them to open up and ask them.

It was just the stroke of luck Neil had been looking for. The fact that she was going to work dressed as she was and she was literally going to be teaching women what it was like and what to expect if they submitted to their significant other was almost too coincidental for him to believe. When he got a look at her outfit, he had to control his excitement. But she didn't see his throbbing erection. She was too busy being concerned about her appearance again and what he thought of what she was about to do. As she stood next to the door to the garage, she wanted to make absolutely sure he was really okay with the classes she was going to be teaching.

"I'm going to be showing them things, babe... for real."

"No guys?"

"Not today. I suppose we could think about doing one for men someday if there's enough interest. Today it's going to be for women only. But if they want to see how a set of nipple clamps work, well, there's only one real way for me to teach that. I promise I won't get too carried away, but I also want them to know there's nothing wrong with what they want to try."

"Then show them, babe. Teach them what it's like to be Annabelle," he nodded, daring to actually say the name, trying to fight the urge to leap out of his skin. It was the chance to broach the subject he'd been looking for. Now all he needed to do was to find a way to capitalize on it.

Unfortunately, it was only Wednesday. He still had a lot of things to do under the house in order to finish her forbidden playground. And he had yet to work out how he'd even approach asking her to go down there. She might have been dressed like Annabelle. She might even be teaching other women what that experience would be like. But getting her to want to do it herself? That was another thing altogether. With it being Wednesday, it was entirely possible the window would pass him by before the weekend came. He found himself wishing for another stroke of luck.

He actually got it, coming in the form of a ringing doorbell. He was just finishing the last part of the bathroom project, the backsplash of the sink. He was applying some grout around a black tile when he heard the distinctive chime.

He walked around the corner wearing just his pair of grey gym shorts, his hard, tan body sweating even in the cool air of the house. Behind the window in the door was a surprised set of eyes staring back at him.

"Hi," he said as he opened it.

'Uh, hi. Package for Ann Thomas."

"Sure. I'm her husband. Where do I sign?"

"Line twenty-two. Sign and then print your name please."

"Sure thing," he said, flashing a broad smile. As he looked at the clipboard, he couldn't help himself. "So, it's Douglas, right?"

"Uh, yes. Why?"

"No real reason, really. Other than I like knowing a name to go with the face of the guys my wife has sucked off." Handing him the paperwork back, he stuck out his hand. "I'm Neil."

"Hi Neil," he replied nervously, which was fairly evident.

"Relax. It's cool. I told her she could do it, although that was a onetime thing, so I hope you enjoyed it."

"She was incredible," he sighed, his exhale letting out most of his tension.

"That she is. I'm surprised you're here. What did she order?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really look at the packages. I just deliver them."

"Bullshit. You can't tell me you don't know where the packages you're delivering are from, especially if you're going to the house of a hot babe that's sucked your cock before."

He grinned and said, "It's from Black Rose Photography or something like that... in San Francisco."

"Oh... our pictures!"

"You get your pictures from California?" he laughed.

"Not every one-hour photo place will develop X-rated photos, Douglas my boy," he grinned, patting him on the shoulder.

Thinking of what treasures the small box might hold inside, he groaned. "I guess not."

"So, are you heading next door to see Felicia?"

"Uh...maybe?"

"Well, if you are, have a good time. And tell her I said hello."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hello indeed!" Neil yelled as he casually leafed through the photos, finding one of Felicia tied up on the barstool, her ass covered with dark red stripes from where the branch had struck her.

He'd been going through the pictures, recounting a day he knew almost nothing about other than what he saw in his mind from behind the blindfold. He had some ideas of what had happened, at least from his perspective. The photos he was looking at allowed him to decipher the bigger picture, so to speak.

There were also pictures of their entire week with Tina but he'd lived through that and remembered it all. While those pictures were incredible, he was drawn to the ones that captured what happened the day she arrived. And when he got to the ones showing Felicia being bound and disciplined, he became excited.

He loved the ones of Carol fucking him, and of Heather. He was also enthralled by the ones of Olivia and Beth sucking his cock while he ate them. And then there were some of Beth riding his thick shaft like she'd never been fucked before. The look on her face was priceless; the pure ecstasy in her half-closed eyes showing when she came. And there were dozens and dozens of ones of all the girls on the deck, which he knew nothing about. It was the ones of Felicia that had him mesmerized.

First it was how she'd been tied. And frankly who'd done the tying, although he didn't know that for sure. Then there was the way the branch struck her ass. There were several amazing pictures in that set, but one stood out. It was taken at that perfect moment, where the instrument being used for discipline had just struck Felicia's reddened backside, her flesh indented as the stick pressed into it. You could even see her reacting as the pain registered. He knew the instant he saw it that it was that picture he would use. He was going to use all of them actually, but that would be the centerpiece.

He continued to flip through them, stopping a second time when he saw one of Felicia riding his cock, Carol behind her fucking her hard in the ass with a strap-on. "God, I thought that was Olivia," he said in shock, realizing at that moment that she wasn't in any of the pictures. "So... I fucked Felicia!"

He found himself turning toward the front windows, looking through them to the house next door; the UPS truck out front. Douglas was undoubtedly inside receiving a blowjob. Neil looked at the pictures again, his own shaft rising in his shorts. He knew the relationship she and Jason had and he obviously thought of her as very attractive, he'd never viewed her in a sexual way. He couldn't, because he didn't want to ruin his friendship, with her... and more importantly, with Jason. But Jason had to know that she'd fucked him. Knowing what he knew about how their marriage worked, Jason would have had to approve for her to do it.

He couldn't help but think of her differently as he stood in the kitchen, the evidence in his hand of what happened between them. Yes, she'd obviously been forced in some way to fuck him, but the look on her face told the real story. There was one of her resting on his body, his cock already buried inside what her recalled to be a surprisingly tight pussy. She was waiting for Carol to finish putting on the harness, adjusting a strap in the background of the photo. And the expression on Felicia's face was one of sexual bliss.

It was hard to look at the image he held in his hand and not think of her sexually. He wondered how that would change the way they interacted. Then again, he wondered why anything would change. He'd been in the company of both Jason and Felicia since that day and nothing had changed at all. Perhaps that was because they thought he didn't know, but that was unlikely. They were used to being around people she'd slept with in social settings. It was part of their... well, whatever they shared when it came to the sexual part of their marriage. When he looked at it through that prism, was it really any different than how he interacted with Carol's boyfriend, Barry?

He gathered all the pictures, trying to decide whether or not he should use them that night. He decided to wait thinking that she might already be in the frame of mind after basically teaching others how to be comfortable with being submissive. If he used the pictures now, she might change her mind by Friday. But if he used them Friday, it could be yet another clue. And that's how he was looking at his hints now; clues in order to spring a surprise. The only concern was that it was a fifty-fifty proposition that could just as easily blow up in his face.