Carmen

The rest of the work day went well.

======X*X======

Brittany had texted me on my way home and explained that she had a Skype meeting with investors from overseas tonight and that she'd be home late. She apologized and promised that she'd be home as soon as she could.

I phoned in a pizza for carryout and stopped on my way home. I left half of it in the fridge for Brit, and ate the other half by myself as I watched tv.

I found myself bored with tv so I picked up my phone and began swiping through social media. It was mostly the same depressing doom and gloom that had come to fill our lives the last few years. I was just about ready to put it away when an idea struck me.

I opened Facebook and searched for Carmen's name. There were only a few profiles and none of them were her. I went to Twitter but found nothing there either. Instagram was next in my search. I entered her name and it brought back a longer list of results. Her account was the fifth one in the results but when I clicked on it, the account was set to private. I debated on requesting to follow her, but I chose not to. We'd only just met and it seemed weird to me to request to follow her. It seemed obvious that she kept her online life private, and I didn't want to intrude on her privacy.

Still, I couldn't help but look a little further. I typed her name into Google but found nothing specific there either. Of course, some sites supposedly offered all of her info for a fee, but that felt way too creepy and I assumed it was probably a scam.

What was I even doing anyway? I was engaged to be married and here I was scouring the internet for any morsel of information on a female coworker that I didn't know. The more I thought about it, the more shame I felt.

I locked my phone, tossed it onto the coffee table, and laid on the couch for a little while longer. I picked up one of the gossip magazines that Brittany often read, and flipped through the pages. Each page was filled with photos of celebrities at lavish events, on the set of a film, or out with their families.

I hadn't laid there long when my mind drifted towards Carmen again. Apparently, the shame hadn't dissuaded me enough. Seeing all these beautiful celebrities out enjoying their lives made me wonder what Carmen did in her personal time? She was easily as beautiful as any of the female celebrities people fawned over. She probably had some equally sexy man that worshipped her like the goddess she was. Nights out on the town, fancy dinners, shopping... certainly she wasn't spending her nights bored and alone.

I was feeling pathetic.

I wanted to stay up until Brit got home, but I wasn't going to spend that time on the couch feeling miserable. I cleaned up my stuff from dinner, straightened up the house a little, and took out the recycling. All of that took about an hour and I still hadn't heard from Brit. I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and crawled into bed. I read a few articles on the internet but the next thing I remember was rolling over and Brit was next to me. I had fallen asleep at some point and hadn't even noticed her crawling into bed. Knowing she was home safe comforted me, and I easily fell back to sleep.

======X*X======

The past few weeks had been rather mundane. We were preparing new marketing materials for our bulldozer line. In the near future, we'd be busy with photo shoots and video work and all kinds of fun, but we were only in the pre-planning stage, which wasn't that exciting. It was mostly meetings, emails, and reviews of ideas. There was still plenty to do though and it kept us busy, well, most of us anyway.

Brecklin had found another task that kept him occupied for a good portion of the day. That task? Trying to charm his way into Carmen's panties. Part of me found it entertaining but the other part found it absolutely infuriating.

I knew I had no right to be upset about it, but I was. Sure, the chances of him actually succeeding were very slim, but the way he was going about it is what really pissed me off. Anytime she left the purchasing department, Brecklin had a reason to leave our department too. His favorite tactic seemed to be "bumping" into her in the break room while getting coffee or snacks. He always had a cup in his hand when he left. I'm sure the amount of coffee he had started consuming was affecting his sleep. I felt like his actions were bordering on harassment. I had no reason to believe, other than my own annoyance though. Maybe Carmen liked the attention? Oh god, surely not. What self respecting woman would want attention from Brecklin? I couldn't believe how jealous I was sounding.

It was Friday afternoon and it was only a few hours away from quitting time. The atmosphere in the department was very laid back and there was a lot of laughter and joking going on.

I'd had a couple of nice conversations in the break room with Carmen since our initial introduction. We didn't chat about much in particular. We mostly talked about work, how Carmen was happy she was fitting in to her new job, and other stuff our department had going on. We talked a little about current trends though, but nothing real deep. I did notice that she didn't wear a ring, but it wasn't clear if she was seeing anyone or not.

I had also interrupted a few Brecklin's attempts at "brainwashing" Carmen and that made me very happy. I don't know why it mattered, since I wasn't going to be dating her. I definitely didn't get those kind of vibes from her. Besides, I was taken too, in addition to other things. Also, after getting to know Carmen a bit better, I don't think she'd be interested in Brecklin either.

All things considered, I was in a pretty good mood. It's funny though, how one thing can sour a good mood.

"Guess what, dude?!" I overheard Brecklin say to Todd, a fellow colleague.

"I don't know man, you got a negative std test?! Hahaha!" Todd joked.

"No, but would come in handy tomorrow night. Guess who has a date with Carmen?!" He boasted.

"No way?! Damn, Breck. She's so hot! How'd you pull that off?" He questioned.

"It's just my charming personality!" He gloated.

The news shouldn't have bothered me so much, but it did. It really did. I guess my idea of Carmen was wrong. At least now it was confirmed that she was straight, as if there was any alternative to that question. She also appeared to have bad taste in men. None of that should have mattered to me. I was engaged to someone else and I wasn't someone she'd be interested in.

"So, you think she'll...you know... on the first date?" Todd asked.

"Dude? No question. It happens all the time! First of all, it's me! Second, look at her?! You know women like that put out. We'll be back at my place right after dinner!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew Brecklin thought he was a little player, but he and Todd were talking about Carmen like she was nothing more than a piece of meat. It was disgusting. How could she not see through his flimsy nice guy persona? Unless she was ok with it? Was she really like that? No way, no way in hell. But he was so obviously a scummy little shit!

I had to get out of there. I wasn't one to leave early, even though it was perfectly acceptable to. Our schedule was fairly flexible and the only requirement was to at least try to get your 40 hours in. I quickly gathered my belongings, stuffed them into my bag, and bid everyone a quick goodnight. It was difficult resisting the urge to walk over and smack the shit-eating grin off of Brecklin's and Todd's faces.

As I briskly walked through the door, I glanced into the purchasing department, hoping to see Carmen, but had no such luck. I shook my head at the thought of her and Brecklin. I reached the elevator and smashed the down button several times. I could hear footsteps approaching behind me as I waited impatiently for the elevator. Great, I wasn't in the mood to make small talk right now. I just wanted to get out of here.

"Gracie, is everything ok?" Thank god it was Devra.

"I just couldn't take Brecklin and Todd anymore." I explained.

"Oh? I didn't notice anything wrong. Did they say something to you? Do I need to rip their nuts off?!" Devra asked defensively.

"No, it's just...it's nothing. It was just guy talk. Well, more like "boy" talk." I said.

"But they're like that all the time? What happened this time?" She asked.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. We both stepped in and Devra pressed the button for the 1st floor.

"It's just...it's stupid. Forget it." I told her.

"I won't think it's stupid. You've been kind of...not yourself lately. What's going on?" She asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Brit's been working weird hours and stuff. I'm fine, though." I tried assuring her.

"Want to go grab a drink and talk? It's been a while." She offered.

"Rain check? I should be home to see Brit." I hated brushing Devra off. She was right, it had been a long time since we'd gone out after work.

We arrived on the first floor and walked to the parking lot together. As usual, we'd parked close to each other. Devra gave me a hug before getting in her car. I got in mine and we headed our separate ways.

I had decided on my way home that I needed to quit focusing on Carmen, and instead, focus on things that mattered in my life, things that I had control of. Although, I wasn't really sure what I had control of lately. That would have to change. Tonight, all my attention would be focused on Brit. I didn't need to concern myself with anyone else, especially another woman who I had no business being concerned about and who was obviously a waste of time anyway.

======X*X======

Brittany's car was in the driveway when I arrived home. That was a nice little surprise to start the weekend! When I walked into the house, the first thing I noticed was lesbian porn playing on our tv, which surprised me. Occasionally we'd watch it together, for a fun primer to sex, but we both had said we didn't need to watch it any other time.

I set my stuff on the table by the front door and walked into the front room. That was when I saw Brittany laying on the couch. She was asleep, hand inside her leggings and between her legs. There were fast food wrappers on the coffee table and there was a bottle of whiskey on the floor that had a good amount of its contents missing.

I had no clue how long she had been home, but apparently, it was long enough to eat, get drunk, masturbate, and pass out. I was consumed by a range of emotions, the greatest of those being anger. I turned and grabbed my stuff as I headed out the door. Once in my car, I called Devra.

"Yes, my dear?" She answered.

"Are you still up for that drink?" I asked.

======X*X======

I met Devra at one of our favorite places; a little Mexican bar and restaurant. There was a margarita waiting for me when I approached the table.

"I'm so glad you're here, but I know there is some shit going on. Spill it!" She demanded.

"I don't know where to begin...let me get some of this in me first." I said, taking a gulp of the margarita.

We made small talk while we downed our margaritas, and I could feel myself loosening up as time went on. I could also tell that Devra was getting antsy to hear about what had me down.

"Ok, so...here's what's going on...nah, I might need another one!" I joked.

"Bullshit! You'd better start talking, now!" Devra demanded as she laughed.

"Listen, my dear. I'm here for you. You haven't been yourself for a while. If I can help, I'll do whatever I can. If you just need me to listen, I'm all ears. You need to get this shit off your chest." She said.

"Alright...uhm, I'm having some issues at home. It's been going on for a while now. It's Brittany. She's... all she does is work, then comes home and drinks. A lot. Like, "pass out" a lot. She's at home right now, passed out on the couch. I came in the house and... she'd kill me for telling you this, but I found her with her hand down her pants, passed out, with porn playing on the tv. We haven't had sex in I don't know how long, and it's not from lack of effort on my part." I confessed.

I spilled the story of everything that was happening between Brittany and I. To hear myself say it out loud, it sounded much worse than it did in my head. Devra sat and listened as I let it all out.

"Holy shit. I'm so sorry, Gracie." She reached across and held my hand.

"What's going to happen? Have you talked to her about it?" Devra asked.

"I've tried a few times and it just leads to an argument. There's not even any makeup sex! I know her job has been really stressful lately, but she's out of control. She swears she doesn't have a problem either." I explained.

She might need an intervention. Have her other friends noticed too?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really talk to them. We spend our nights at home. We haven't been out with anyone in a long time. I guess I should reach out to them though."

"You could also tell her you're taking her out and drop her ass off at rehab."

"Yeah. I had better flee the state right after. She'd be so pissed!"

We both laughed about that. Devra was right though, something had to be done.

So explain why you got so upset about Todd and Brecklin's conversation earlier at work?" She asked.

"It's stupid. I've got bigger problems than them."

But I mean...can you believe Carmen is going out with Brecklin tomorrow night?! My god, what woman would subject themselves to...him?!" I questioned.

"Holy shit? I had no idea. Maybe she's into guys like him? He isn't bad looking. He's really full of himself, but maybe he's different away from work?" She debated.

"It was the way those two were talking about her. Todd was asking if he thought she'd have sex on the first date? It's like they just saw her as a fuck toy or a piece of meat." I replied.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a woman wanting to go out for a nice dinner and a good fucking afterward." She reminded me.

"Yeah, but...she's so much more than that! She's sweet, and polite, smart, funny and so pretty..."

"...And she wants some dick. Although..."

"Shh. Stop it, Devs."

"Sorry. Why does it matter what she does? It's not like... oh shit!!" Devra exclaimed.

"What?" I asked, looking around to see what caused her outburst.

"Oh shit. You like her, don't you?" Her face lit up at the realization.

"What?! Get real! I'm engaged, in case you forgot?" I argued.

"Uh-huh. You sound rather defensive. Besides, you just rattled off issue after issue you and your fiancée are having. I've seen you talking to Carmen. And trust me, I might be straight, but I know when a woman is smoking fuckin' hot, and she definitely is." Devra explained.

"You are so wrong." I asserted.

"Am I?" She replied skeptically.

"Yes! Of course." I told her.

"Ok. I'm not so sure, but if you say so..." she said.

"I do say so." I stated.

"Fine. You've definitely got a lot to think about. If you and Brittany are already having problems, what's it going to be like when you're married?" Devra asked.

"Hopefully better." Was my reply.

"I hope you're right." Devra warned.

"How about one more drink?" She suggested.

"One more, but that's it. I do have to drive home, you know!" I reminded her.

"Me too, so we'd better get some food too." She said.

======X*X======

I quietly unlocked the front door and eased my way into the house. The tv was still on but the screensaver was up. I walked to the couch and Brittany was still out. I got a blanket out and covered her up. I turned the tv off before retiring to the bedroom.

I stripped off my clothes, washed up, and slid under the sheets. I laid my head on the pillows and closed my eyes. I couldn't find a comfortable position to save my life. I rolled over on both sides, adjusted the pillow, and peeled back the sheets a bit. Once I finally settled on something that I deemed comfortable enough, I couldn't stop my mind from racing. Devra was right, I had a lot of things to think about.

Did I really think that getting married would make all of mine and Brit's problems go away? I was hoping it would. Also, what was this crazy talk about Carmen and me? I didn't even know her that well. Besides, she was going out with Brecklin, ugh. She had no interest in me.

I held my hand up and looked at my engagement ring. I loved how it sparkled. I thought back to the night that Brit proposed. It was this past Christmas Eve. We had returned home from a small get-together with some friends, her friends actually. We'd both gotten a little tipsy, but not totally hammered. We had planned ahead and taken an Uber to the party and on the ride back home, had given our driver a show he probably wouldn't soon forget.

Brit had straddled my lap in the back seat, her skirt hiked up around her hips, exposing her bare ass. She had my tits pulled out and was sucking on my nipples while I reached up under her and sunk my fingers into her pussy. She was so wet and the sound of my fingers moving in and out of her filled the cabin of the Uber sedan.

I had watched our driver adjust his mirror to see us better, but between Brit's mouth and the alcohol, I couldn't have cared less about who saw us.

When we arrived home, Brit leaned back between the front seats and slid a tip to our driver. Her entire backside was on display as she exited the car. I thanked him as I put my breasts back into my top and joined Brit at the front door. We stumbled into the house and had each other's clothes off before the car was probably gone.

Brit asked me to turn on some music so I did. When I turned back towards her, she was down on her knees, holding a present out to me. It was my ring.

That was 5 months ago. We'd been together for 7 months at the time she'd proposed to me. That got me thinking...our one-year anniversary was in a few days. I should probably get her something. Then I wondered if she'd even remember.

How had things gotten to where they were now? Our relationship had been a whirlwind from the moment we'd met. A mutual friend introduced us at a party and we hit it off instantly. We went out on our first date a few days later. She took me out dancing at one of her favorite clubs. We partied hard that night. It was a week later that I was naked in her bed. After a few months, when my lease was about up, she suggested that I move in with her, so I did.

It was apparent from the start that Brittany's lifestyle was a bit more wild than I was used to. I had gotten my partying out of my system during college. Once I found my job and really started my career, I had given it up. Sure, I'd meet up with Devra and a few others on occasion, but it was still pretty tame. I guess initially, I got swept back into the scene when we first got together, but it didn't take long for it to take its toll on me. I just wasn't able to handle the fast-paced party lifestyle anymore. There were several times that I resisted going out for a second or third night in the same week after work.

Eventually, we found ourselves at home more and more, which gave us more time for...other activities. Let me tell you, we used that time wisely. Instead of meeting up after work to drink, we'd now greet each other at home, sometimes in sexy lingerie, other times wearing nothing but a smile. The sex was incredible, not that I'd had much to compare it to though. I was so in love and life felt like it couldn't get any better.

Brittany's job was stressful. She was an accountant for a large software company. There were talks of a merger with another company, and the numbers had to be gone through with a fine tooth comb. It had started out with just a little drink a night or two after work and it had snowballed quickly into where it was now. It wasn't only at home, as she was back to going out after work. She claimed it was just a quick drink after a meeting, but now I'm not sure there was always a meeting or if there was, that they lasted as long as she claimed. As the drinking ramped up, the sex started to become less and less frequent.