Hey Joe

Hey Joe

I looked out the window as we drove past the Oakland Zoo, I was almost home. I've been sitting in this bus for over five hours, it was not much further to my home in Oakland where I could finally relax and once again see my wife Susie after six months.

I'm twenty-seven-year-old Senior Airman Joe Thomas, or I was an active-duty Senior Airman up until a few hours ago. I have just completed my four-year enlistment of active duty in the US Air Force as a Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics technician, basically the guy that keeps the electronics systems functioning for the aircraft.

I've just returned from my third and final six-month deployment overseas, this time it was again to the Ramstein Air Force Base in southwestern Germany. I landed a few hours ago in California at the Edwards Air Force base and decided to catch the bus home through the California countryside. After being on transports from Germany, I wanted to relax and watch the world go by as I headed home. Also, part of the reason was that I wanted some time to contemplate my future.

With my active service now over, I need to decide what my future career will be. My father, Bill Thomas, has been an electrical contractor for most of his life, running the family business in Oakland for many years. When I left high school both myself and my twin brother John did our apprenticeships under Dad. I then left to join the Air Force once I was a qualified electrician, with my brother staying behind to help Mom and Dad run the business.

I'm in two minds about going back to working there, I'm just thinking about doing something new, something different. I would have an open offer to work for the family business of course, and it would be good seeing Mom, Dad, Susie and John regularly again. However, the thought of going back to crawling through house ceilings and dealing with clueless homeowners again was something I would rather avoid.

Then there is my wife Susie, the girl I began dating whilst doing my apprenticeship, and got married a year after I joined the air force. Our marriage isn't what I'd hoped it would be, slowly going from good to bad. The six months prior to my current deployment started out fine, but I felt like we were slowly drifting apart during that period. Being away for the last six months after that has probably not helped either.

Perhaps I can put it down to the fact that we've been married for three years now, and together for over five. So maybe the newness of our relationship has begun to lose some of its excitement, the real question is how do I get that feeling back? Susie also works for the family business, basically she helps my Mom manage the business, doing the financials, arranging jobs, along with selling, ordering and stocking the electrical gear, while Dad, John, and the other electricians go do the jobs with the customers.

I'm not sure how she would feel about me choosing to not go back to the business, instead doing something new. I always thought that she only accepted the job just so she had family around while I was away, even if it was my family and not hers. Susie was originally from the Mid-West, moving to the Bay area for college doing a business degree. I'm not sure if Dad's business would be half as successful now without Susie, while Mom might officially be the Business Manager, we all know that it's Susie that now runs the show.

After catching a connecting bus that stopped a few blocks from my house, I decided to walk the rest of the way with my duffle bag in hand, arriving at my doorstep at 4pm. I'm not sure if Susie will be home as my planned transport into Travis Air Force Base meant I wasn't due home until about 7pm, with Susie to pick me up from Fairfield when I arrived. I was lucky enough to get an earlier transport to Edwards however, and that gave me the time to catch the bus across California this afternoon instead.

Entering the house, it looks much the same as when I had left six months ago. I walked into the bedroom to drop off my duffle bag, and noticed that the bed was a mess, sheets strewn across the floor. I could hear the shower running, so maybe Susie was home after all. I walked into the bathroom and could see her showering, in the middle of washing her hair. I stood there for a few moments, to enjoy the view of my naked wife in front of me. Susie is about 5'5 with brown eyes, a short brunette bob style haircut, smallish firm and lovely breasts, with nice legs and a round ass.

"Are you getting ready to come pick me up?"

Susie jumped letting out a small scream in the process.

"My god! You scared me half to death. What are you doing home already?"

"I got an early transport, and here I am."

"I'll be out shortly, okay."

"I was going to join you, I've spent the best part of the last twenty four hours travelling."

"I'll be done soon, then you can have the shower to yourself."

What, no 'welcome back', no 'welcome back' sex? It didn't even sound like Susie was happy to see me. I left the bathroom, collected my clothes out of my bag and took them to the laundry. By the time I started the washing machine and left the laundry room, Susie came walking out into the lounge room in a bath robe with her hair in a towel.

"So, are you really done with the air force? They didn't get you to sign back up again?"

"They tried, but no, my active duty is done."

"Can they bring you back in?"

"If there's a war they can, for the next four years anyway."

Susie nodded at me then turned and made her way towards the bedroom. I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. This wasn't the sort of homecoming from Susie I was hoping for, I was hoping for at least a hug, a kiss, something. She was acting as if I had just returned from the store, not a six-month deployment overseas. This wasn't like Susie at all.

I followed her to our bedroom, standing in the doorway watching her hastily collecting the sheets off the floor and tidying the bedroom. Susie eventually noticed me standing there.

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to help me?"

"I didn't make the mess, just how did the room end up looking like a tornado hit it? Have you been sleeping restlessly? And in the middle of the day?"

Susie glared at me for a few moments.

"I was running late for work this morning. I got home early so I could get ready for you to come home."

"And yet you're not excited at all to see me."

Susie didn't respond to that as she continued to make up the bed, so I turned and walked back out to the lounge, sitting down on the couch.

I'm not saying I suspect Susie of fooling around on me while I was away, our relationship seemed to be getting cooler already before I went to Germany. But to have her act like she didn't care that I was home after six months was worrying. I decided to lay back on the couch and not think about it, within moments I drifted off to sleep.

"Joe. Joe! Dinner will be ready shortly. Go and have a shower."

I woke from my slumber, it was already dark outside so I must have slept for a few hours. I got up and made my way to the bathroom and started the shower. I undressed and then stood under the hot water, it made me feel fresh and relaxed.

When I walked back out to the dining room, Susie had set out the table and was placing our meals down. It was porterhouse steaks with mash, my favorite.

"Mmmm, that smells good."

"Welcome home Joe."

"Thanks."

"We've got some ice cream for dessert as well."

I looked up at Susie with a smile on my face as I began to enjoy my meal.

"Why didn't you call me from Fairfield, I would've picked you up?"

"I didn't fly into Travis, I landed this morning at Edwards instead, so I got the bus all the way here. I figured you'd be at work still."

"Did you come straight home, or did you stop in to see your Mom and Dad?"

"No, straight home to the warm embrace of my loving wife."

"I'm sorry, I had all these plans for tonight and you surprised me. I didn't mean to not say hello properly."

"That's okay, we can make up for it after dinner. I have six months of missing you to catch up on."

Susie continued eating her meal, she rarely looked me in the eyes though and seemed deep in thought.

"Are you still enjoying working with my family? You don't have to anymore now that I'm done with the air force."

"No, I like working there, I would've told you if I wasn't. Don't you want me to stay there?"

"I don't mind you working there, I just thought that maybe you wanted to work there while I was away all the time. But now that I'm back, you can choose whatever you want to do."

"I'm fine where I am. Your Mom's great to work with."

"And Dad and John? They still look after you as well?"

"Yes, of course. Your Dad relies on Betty and me totally. John is always just as sweet as ever too. The other guys know I'm the boss, so they treat me well, or else."

We finished our meal, then sat in the lounge room eating our ice cream. I was sitting back on the couch, with Susie taking the recliner rather than sitting beside me. Why was I getting the feeling she was avoiding me? After finishing our ice cream, Susie reached for the TV remote.

"Susie, can you leave it off? Come and sit with me, please. I want us to share some quality time together."

Susie hesitantly walked over and sat beside me on the couch, but instead of sitting back and snuggling in with me, she sat near the edge of the couch forcing me to pull her in towards me. I leaned in for a kiss and she turned her head so that she could hug me instead. Even that felt like I was hugging my sister rather than my wife of three years.

"What's going on Susie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, I know when you're giving me the cold shoulder. I've been away for six months and you haven't kissed me once since I've been home, I even tried to guilt trip you into even giving me a hug earlier, and now you don't want to sit with me, or cuddle or kiss. So, what's going on?"

"I just need time to get used to having you home again I guess."

"Bullshit. You never needed time before. What's different?

Susie didn't answer, looking away from me.

"Have you been seeing someone?"

Susie gave me an angry stare and got to her feet. I thought she was going to talk, but instead bit her tongue and walked off towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going? Can't you even answer that simple question?"

I heard our bedroom door slam shut. I took a few deep breaths and then followed her to the bedroom, not sure if I should apologize or ask her to answer the damn question. I found that she had locked the bedroom door.

"Susie, what are you doing? Can you open the door so we can talk about this?"

All I got back was silence.

I walked back out into the lounge and laid on the couch. I wasn't sure what to think. Was Susie pissed with me because I asked her if she was cheating, or was she pissed because I'm right and I called her on it? Either way this conversation is definitely not over. I turned on the TV to take my mind away from her, watching the news for a while before drifting off to sleep again.

As I woke up with the morning sun streaming into the lounge room, I stretched and then made my way to the kitchen to make myself a coffee. I figured I should at least ask Susie if she'd like one as well, so I wandered down the hallway to the bedroom. The door was open at least, but there was no Susie. I checked the bathroom, then went back out to the lounge. I looked out the window to see that her car was gone, has she left for work already?

I checked my phone to see that it was almost 8am, by my standards that was sleeping in. I made my coffee but decided I would go out for breakfast before going to see Mom and Dad at the family business downtown.

I went into the garage to find my pick-up covered in dust. I had asked Susie to drive it once in a while when I was overseas, but it didn't look like she had done that. I crossed my fingers and hit the ignition...nothing. I'm going to need a jump start. Luckily where my house is the road has a slight decline heading away from the intersection, so I pushed my pick-up out onto the road, then began pushing downhill. When I got enough speed up I jumped in, threw it into second gear and dropped the clutch. She fired up, thank god. I figured I better head to a garage to check it over, and they could help if I need another start.

After the garage I got a syrup waffle at a café near my parent's business, then parked out front of Thomas Electrical. As I walked in there was a young guy behind the counter, he must be one of the new employees they brought on.

"Can I help you sir?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." I responded as I headed to the service door to go out back to the storeroom, workshop and office area.

"Sorry, you can't go back there, that's for staff only."

"It's okay, I'm Joe, Joe Thomas."

"You're Bill's son, from the air force?"

"Yeah, are my family out back?"

"Yep. I think they're all here right now."

"Thanks."

I stepped through the door and looked around the large workshop and storeroom area, I could see a few of the guys that have worked here for a while collecting gear off the racks. At the end of the storeroom I saw Susie, in a discussion with my twin brother John. While John and I are twins, we're not identical twins. That is we are from different eggs, so more like regular brother's than like identical twins. We don't even look the same. I'm 6'3 with a solid build, sandy colored hair with blueish grey eyes. I got Dad's build but my Mom's hair and eyes. John on the other hand is about 5'9, a leaner build with dark brown hair and eyes. So, his build is more like Mom's but his hair and eyes he got from Dad.

What was interesting is that it didn't seem like they were talking shop, it looked like a private conversation, and I noticed that John would occasionally rub Susie's arm or shoulder as they spoke. As I was about to head into the office, I saw Susie and John hug each other, maybe he was consoling her from my questioning her loyalty last night. When I entered the office, my Mom looked happy when she saw me and came over to give me a hug.

"It's so good to have you home sweetheart. So, is it true, are you done with the air force now?"

"Yeah, I didn't renew. How are you Mom? Are you keeping Dad and everyone else in line?"

Mom laughed at that question.

"You know your Dad will do whatever he wants, you're just like him."

As I let go of Mom, my Dad stepped up and hugged me as well. Now hugs from Dad are pretty rare so I knew he was happy to have me home.

"Good to see you boy, welcome home."

"Good to be home for good, Dad."

"How was Germany this time? Did you enjoy it or was it becoming a bit too routine for you?"

"It was good, the guys there were great too. I missed all you guys though for sure."

"What are you going to do now? No regrets or will you think about re-enlisting again later?"

"No regrets, not yet anyway. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Might take a few days to think about it."

"Well, you know you have a job here whenever you want it."

"Don't push him Bill, he doesn't need to come back to work here. We talked about this."

"This is his business too Betty, it's not just for John."

It seems that this conversation has stumbled into something that has been brewing between Mom and Dad previously. I hadn't mentioned to anyone that I wasn't planning on working here, so I'm not sure why they would've been discussing it.

"It's okay, we can talk about what I'm going to do later. I'm just happy to be home right now."

The office door opened and John stepped inside, with Susie following him.

"Hey Joe, good to see you home." John walked over and gave me a quick hug.

"Hey little Bro, how have you been? Got yourself a good woman yet?"

John gave an uncomfortable laugh to that question, he always had trouble picking up girls ever since we were in high school. He always relied on me to meet a girl, then he would try to get with their friends while they hung out with us. But since I got with Susie and stopped providing him with opportunities, his love life has dried up over the last few years.

He was more reserved than I was, and rarely liked to try anything new. The friends we had growing up were always my friends first, and John would then be friends with them by default. Whatever sport I chose, classes I picked, John would follow. I think a big part of why I joined the Air Force was because I knew that was something John would not do. He would never be posted with me, so what would be the point? For once I was able to be my own person without having my brother dragging along behind me.

"So, are you going to re-sign with the air force or are you thinking about coming back to work with us?"

"Neither. I might do something different, I haven't decided yet."

John nodded at that response, before Dad interjected.

"Hey Joe, what have you got planned for today?"

"Nothing yet, why?"

"Well, how about you come and spend the day with me, I got a job on I could use your help with, and we can catch up too."

"Sure Dad, why not."

"Just give me ten minutes to collect the gear together and I'll meet you at the back loading bay."

"Sure thing."

As Dad went out to the storeroom, John also followed. Susie and Mom went over to sit at their desks when I realized that Susie still had not said anything to me yet this morning, in fact she had not said anything to me since I asked her if she was cheating on me last night.

I walked over to Susie's desk and crouched down beside her and spoke with a quiet voice.

"Can we talk? Or are you going to pretend I'm not here?"

"I'm not sure if we have anything to talk about."

"Oh, we have lots to talk about. I just think you don't want to talk is all."

Susie gave me a cold determined stare.

"Not until you apologize."

"I'm happy to apologize, as long as you can answer the question and explain why you've acted this way since I got home. Hell, I saw you having a deeper and more affectionate conversation with John just before than you have with me since I returned. Do you still even want to be my wife?"

Again, she gave me a stare before answering.

"Just because I didn't rush you into the bedroom for sex doesn't mean I'm cheating on you."

"But you didn't want to give me any affection at all either, like we aren't even married. Care to explain why?"

"I said I need some time to re-adjust."

"Re-adjust from what? So, I'll ask again, what's going on Susie?"

"Nothing. Bill will be waiting for you and I've got work to do, please just go."

I stood up, knowing I wasn't about to get an answer from her right now. I made my way outside to the truck as Dad was putting the last of the gear in the back.

"You ready Joe?"

"Yeah, let's go."

We got to the job site, it was a renovation but the house had basically been gutted. Dad was there to install all new wiring throughout. We got the tools and gear out and headed in. There were carpenters and laborer's onsite as well, and the foreman greeted us on the way in. At least we weren't having to deal with the homeowners. Dad had already started work here yesterday so we were part way done. I started wiring for the outlets while Dad continued with the wiring for the lights.

After a about two hours we took a break for lunch, sitting on the back tray of Dad's truck.

"Here, have half of my sandwiches, your Mom always makes too much for me."

"Thanks."

We sat there eating our food watching the other guys walk in and out of the house.

"This morning Mom said something about me not coming back to work here, that you guys had been discussing it. What was all that about?"

My Dad looked over at me, then shook his head a little.

"Your Mom thinks it might be better if you weren't working with us, that it's John's best opportunity to do well. I disagreed, this is as much your business as it is John's."