Toxic Attraction Ch. 03

Tying a double Windsor knot used to be a challenge for Dan, but it had long become second nature to him. Standing in front of his apartment's bathroom mirror, he effortlessly finished with his tie while thinking back to that eventful evening a few weeks ago.

His mind all too often drifted to what had happened in his apartment's living room on the couch. Thoughts of that event had started to consume a lot of his work hours and had even begun to seep into his dreams at night.

The act of having sex with Sarah in front of someone had been such a turn-on for both of them. They'd talked about doing it in the past and even did some role-playing with the topic, but the real thing had felt like opening Pandora's box.

The fact that their watcher had been Dan's roommate, Lester, had led to some thought-provoking revelations about themselves. Dan didn't care for Lester, but he couldn't help but find the thought of him seeing Sarah incredibly erotic; someone so utterly beneath them seeing her, touching her -- fuck, even cumming on her...

Sarah and Dan had briefly discussed what had happened that night and the next morning, but it centered on how crazy things had gotten and reassuring one another that they were okay and that their marriage was still solid.

With Dan landing the new client at work and leading that project, while Sarah was busy back at home balancing her own work-life/mom-life with the kids, their life had quickly forced his fantasy to take a backseat. He yearned to talk to Sarah about it, but their conversations always consisted of daily updates without getting much deeper.

However, he was determined to talk to her about it this weekend. Heading back to Middleton tonight for the first time in what seemed like forever, Dan would finally be able to spend some time with Sarah and the kids.

Finishing with his tie, Dan undid his belt and lowered his zipper quickly to go pee.

"What the fuck, man." Dan looked down in disgust at the toilet.

Sprayed across the seat and onto the floor was a copious amount of urine. Even before Dan was domesticated by Sarah, he was never this bad.

Since that night in the living room, Dan's tolerance for Lester had continued to degrade. His roommate had put on a good act when they first met, but his true colors were slowly beginning to show.

"I'm not fucking cleaning this again." Dan relieved himself straight into the toilet without hitting the seat.

As he finished and was washing his hands, he heard his cell phone ring from the bedroom. He quickly ran over and saw that it was Sarah. He smiled and quickly accepted the call.

"Hey, baby! What's up?" Dan said as he began to look himself over in the bedroom mirror.

"Well, I just wanted to call and say I love you and to have a great day at work," Sarah said. "And I can't wait for you to finally come home tonight. I'm going to make use of that package you sent me."

Dan smiled. Last week he had ordered a black silk robe that ended mid-thigh for Sarah. He got the notification that it had arrived the night before.

"Oh, I can't wait to see you model it." Dan smiled. "I have lots of plans for you and that robe."

"Then hurry up and get home, big boy. I can't wait to --"

"Shit! Sorry, Dan, I have to take care of something here; text me updates on your way home, okay?" Sarah said.

"You got it, honey. I love you and I'll see you soon." Dan finished looking himself over, satisfied that he was ready to take on the day.

"I love you, too, boo." Sarah mimicked a kissing noise. "Bye."

"Bye, Sarah."

Dan grabbed his bag and headed to the kitchen to get his lunch. He looked sideways at the pile of Lester's dishes in the sink. I think I liked it better when he would just leave those in his room.

Ignoring the dishes for now, he grabbed his lunch from the fridge, put it in his bag and headed out the door.

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As soon as Lester heard the apartment door shut, he sprang into action.

He opened the messaging app on his phone and typed "Go time" to Ned, one of his DnD and WoW buddies who did whatever Lester needed him to.

Today, that involved making Ned take the day off from his board game store and helping Lester with the next part of his plan.

Checking his watch, Lester waited impatiently for Ned to arrive. He didn't invite people into his domain. Not ever. But sometimes new opportunities require evolution.

Lester heard a limp knock rattle gently on the door. He rolled his eyes and opened it.

"Come in, I need to get going," Lester said, annoyed. He took a second to glance over Ned. Disgust flashed across his face.

Lester looked and behaved the way he did by choice. Ned was the opposite; life just seemed to happen to him. Sure, he was more outgoing and friendly than Lester, but he looked like the ultimate man baby.

Ned was around his height and sported the quintessential dad body. He was probably close to his own age, but Lester didn't know for sure. He had never bothered nor cared to ask.

Today he was wearing baggy cargo shorts and an oversized, faded t-shirt that read 'The Cake Is a Lie!' His eyebrows were just as bushy and unkept as his beard and his face was framed by thick, horn-rimmed glasses. He was also failing at masking the bald spot starting on the top of his head.

His shoulders were perennially hunched and his short neck gave him the appearance of a turtle staring down an 18-wheeler truck, unable to do anything but stare back as the headlights got closer.

"T-thanks for asking me to help Lester," Ned said excitedly. "I won't let you down."

"Of course you won't, Ned, a monkey could do this." Lester waved him to follow as the smile disappeared from Ned's face. Lester led Ned down the hallway to his bedroom.

"In the next 20 minutes the junk guys will be here. They are to take everything on the floor and the bed. Don't let them touch the chair or desk - got it?"

Lester eyed Ned.

Ned gulped, "Got it."

The floor of the bedroom was covered in filth. Dirty clothes and dishes piled everywhere. There were only a few spots open on the floor between the door, computer, and closet. It seemed like Lester had recently thrown more objects and clothing on the floor - almost like a dumping ground for unwanted things.

"Is there a problem, Ned?" Lester asked with a pointed look on his face.

"N-no, no problem. I just didn't know why I was coming here." Ned replied.

Lester had no intention of letting Ned in on his plans. He liked to keep his business and his social life completely separate. Still, he did feel the need to brag to Ned to ensure word got back to his group. "This is all for a woman, Ned."

Ned's eyes grew at the mention of a woman. This was a detail Lester had never shared before as members of their group were not usually in position to boast about the opposite sex.

"Now, they need to hurry up and clear all this shit out as fast as possible. At noon some house cleaners are coming to tackle this room and the rest of the apartment." Lester began to walk back to the door. "Make sure the guys take the bed and mattress, too. Another one and some furniture is coming that I'll need you to assemble."

Lester put on his shoes. "Oh, and all this furniture in the living room goes as well. Nothing stays. Got it?"

"Got it, Lester." Ned paused. "Is she hot?"

Lester smiled. "A total smoke show."

Ned gleamed "The guys won't believe this, I can't wait to hear what they say."

"Do a good job today, Ned, and maybe I'll show you a picture." Lester left to attend to his busy day.

----------------

"Dan, I just got off the phone with Marcus at the Lincoln Group," Walt shared as he paced back and forth in his office."They love the direction we're taking them in and they're confident we'll be able to deliver on our promises."

Walt stopped, looking at Dan, and smiled. "Great work son, you really outdid yourself."

"Thanks, Walt." Dan said, "It was really a group effort here. You've built a great team, and they pulled this all together just as much as I did."

Walt moved behind his desk and sat down "They are a great bunch, you're right about that. But none of them are willing to step up and lead an unknown account like you did, Dan. You're really the missing piece to the puzzle. I just wish we'd found you sooner..."

"Well, I'm glad to be here now. If there is anything else you need -- aside from the Lincoln Group -- just let me know. I'm eager to contribute." Dan said.

"No, you focus on them for now. I need this one to go well." Walt eyed the closed door. "Dan, can I tell you something in confidence? It stays here in this office."

"Yes, of course. I can be discreet." Dan was unsure what was coming next, but he didn't like the direction this conversation was heading. It was great that Walt would trust him with something like this, though.

"Some of our other clients haven't been overly enthusiastic with the work that has been delivered lately." Walt made a gesture with his open palms as if laying bare all his secrets to Dan. "A few of the other team members have dropped the ball, and it's hurt us."

Walt leaned forward, "I really need this project to go well." He removed his glasses and looked Dan right in the eyes, "The Lincoln Group can mean a lot of repeat business if we get this just right, followed by a lot of referrals to other firms. In our industry, one both lives and dies by those referrals."

Dan paused and thought about this revelation. It seems like Walt was looking at the Lincoln Group as a golden goose while some of their employees and -- by extension -- other clients were faltering. His gut twisted at that news.

Dan tapped down his emotions and smiled warmly, "I'll make sure this project exceeds their expectations, Walt. You don't have to worry about it."

He leaned back slightly in his chair, "And you also don't need to worry about me. I won't say anything about the other projects. My job is to make sure we shine with the Lincoln Group so you can keep an eye on other issues."

"That's a relief to hear, Dan." Walt had a faint smile but looked exhausted. "I know they are in good hands with you."

Walt paused with his eyes on the office door, seemingly lost in thought. Looking back at Dan, he let out a breath he had obviously been holding. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor."

Dan groaned internally. Alright, what did I accidentally set myself up for now?

"Sure, Walt, name it," Dan answered.

"Some of the other issues we've been having..." Walt let the words sit there in the air for a moment. "There have been some assumptions and missteps by one of our junior team members, Jesse. I know you haven't worked with him directly, but he was in the meeting on Saturday a few weeks ago and sat next to you, I think."

He knew exactly who he was. Dan was pretty sure Jesse had seen the sexy pictures on his phone that Sarah had taken for him in Lester's room. He never did get the chance to bring that up with him, and it seemed like the time for that confrontation had passed.

Walt sat back down and continued, obviously a little uncomfortable. "Jesse's made some mistakes, and it cost us. I'm not sure how many people even know what I'm about to tell you, so I'd like to ask for your discretion here as well. You see...Jesse is the son of a family friend who I'd promised to help out, and I really feel like I will be failing them if I have to terminate him. I was hoping you could take him under your wing and help mentor him."

Dan was flabbergasted. If he had asked him to do this a few months ago it wouldn't be a problem, but Jesse had obviously been avoiding Dan and the unresolved issue of the pictures still sat over his head like a storm cloud.

"Yeah, Walt, that's no problem." Dan tried to figure out a way out of this. "But are you sure you want him working with me on the Lincoln Group project? If he messed up other accounts and this one is so important..."

"I know, I know." Walt put his hands up defensively "But he'll have you to look after him and double-check things. I'm confident you can handle this."

Dan shrugged, pretending nothing was wrong. "I got this, Walt. Don't worry about it."

"Good. Great!" Walt stood, extending his hand to Dan. Dan rose and shook it. "Now, Dan, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to. Oh, and have a great weekend with the family."

"Thanks, Walt. If I don't see you again before 5:00, have a great weekend." Dan left Walt's office, closing the door behind him.

Dan's thoughts were all over the place. He had been happy to avoid Jesse and pretend like nothing ever happened, but now he was going to have to work directly with him. Better put that pin code on my phone soon.

More disconcerting, though, was the news that some clients were unhappy with the firm's work. That was a red flag that Dan would need to delve into further. If there was a chance of layoffs, he wouldn't be caught off guard again.

It was getting close to noon and, needing a breather, Dan headed to the break room.

The room was empty, so it looked like he was the first one there. On Friday, most of his colleagues went out for lunch, a luxury Dan couldn't afford at the moment.

He retrieved his lunch pail from the fridge and got ready to microwave some Chinese leftovers from the night before. "What the hell?" he murmured.

The Tupperware containing his Chinese leftovers was missing. Dan now vaguely remembered seeing the container in the sink filled with dirty dishes this morning. "That fucking guy..."

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"Arrrggghh, FUCK!" Lester bellowed as the wax was ripped from his nostrils, extracting his nose hairs with them. "That fucking hurt."

"Shall I do your ears as well?" the polite, little woman asked.

"Do it." He gripped the arms of the chair, bracing for pain.

Ten minutes later, Lester exited the waxing parlor and strode across the mall floor. His nose involuntarily twitched and his eyes watered as he made his way to the barber across the hall. It was time to update his appearance and remove barriers that could dissuade Dan or Sarah from succumbing to his machinations.

------

"Honey, I'm home!" Dan called out as he dropped his bag by the front door. Seconds later his daughters ran up and hugged him. Since he didn't have any lunch to eat, he worked through the lunch hour, managing to duck out and head home early.

"I've missed you guys." Dan embraced his girls. He couldn't get used to not seeing them every day. As such, once he finally held them, he really didn't want to let them go.

"We missed you too, Mr. Chicago." Sarah was leaning against the door frame to the kitchen. Her hair was pulled up in a bun, likely because she was busy cooking dinner. Her tight-fitting, white t-shirt with the plunging v-neck was tucked into her jeans.

Dan smiled up at her. "Get over here."

She smiled back brightly and almost skipped across the floor before giving him a bear hug, sandwiching one of their daughters between them. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." He planted a long kiss on her lips.

"Hmmm...and I've missed that." She whispered.

Sarah stood back and looked him over. "Well, I've got dinner on the stove, chicken cacciatore. The girls have some stuff they want to show you. I'll call you when dinner is ready, boo."

"Mmmm chicken cacciatore, my favorite," Dan said.

"Why do you think I'm making it, Mister?" Sarah smiled playfully.

Dan let his daughters guide him over to the living room where they showed him all the things they had been up to in his absence. He was shown their schoolwork, new art they had worked on, and the games they'd been playing. Each one was talking over the other, excited to get as much of their father's attention as possible.

Dinner arrived quickly and Dan savored every bite of his chicken cacciatore. As he was enthusiastically scarfing down mouthfuls of his favorite dish, he'd occasionally catch Sarah watching him with an amused smirk.

After dinner, he spent more time with Sarah and the kids before getting them ready for bed. Reading the girls several more story books than usual, he then tucked them in for the night, turned out their light and closed their bedroom door.

With their daughters safely sound asleep, he made his way back downstairs to the living room where Sarah was waiting for him with some red wine. Her glass was already half empty.

Taking the wine, he sat down next to her and sighed, "God, you don't know how much I've missed this."

She sipped her wine and looked at him. "Me too, baby. I've missed just sitting here talking with you so much."

She stretched her legs over his lap and leaned back. "We'll figure this all out soon, but for now we just need to get through it. As long as you keep crushing it with that new client, I'm sure things will turn around."

"Ugh, yeah," Dan replied.

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

Dan laid out that conversation he had earlier with his boss. She was glad that Walt was impressed with him and was now relying on him to strike it big with the Lincoln group, but she became worried as he also told her about mentoring Jesse and some of the issues he'd caused with their other clients.

"Well, that doesn't sound great." Sarah paused, mulling over the news. "Do you think things are okay for the company? Financially, I mean."

"I'm not sure, but I am definitely going to find out." He replied as he studied the wine in his glass.

"What about this Jesse guy? What's he like? He better not mess up your project." Sarah asked.

Dan took a long sip of wine in order to delay his answer. He hadn't told Sarah about Jesse probably seeing her pictures -- he wasn't even sure he wanted her to know. A part of him wanted to tell her, but it had been so many weeks now that it might appear as if he was keeping such an exposure a secret from her, which, in fact, he was. Having just gotten home after a relatively long time away, though, he didn't want to risk any kind of fight. "I don't know, really. I haven't worked too closely with him. He kind of seems like a weasel, though."

Dan noticed a look of concern on Sarah's face. "A harmless weasel, who is apparently incompetent. I can handle it."

"I have no doubts, my love." Sarah smiled. "What else is new in Chicago? Things are pretty boring here."

Dan sighed. "Nothing much. I really just go to work and then come back to the apartment each day. Rinse and repeat. The only highlights are when I get to talk to you on the phone."

"Awww, that's sweet." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips and then sat back. "So nothing else new, then? No good restaurants or anything?"

This could be the opening Dan had been waiting for to work the conversation back to that night. "Nope, no new restaurants. There has been some weird stuff going on at the apartment, though..."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Weird stuff? Like what?"

"It's Lester..." Dan trailed off, trying to gauge Sarah's reaction.

To her credit, her face showed no emotions at hearing Lester's name. Sipping her wine, she asked, "What weird thing is going on with him?"

"I don't know. It just seems like ever since the last time you visited..." Dan paused to look at Sarah again. "He seems to have become more of a shitty roommate than before."

"How so?" Sarah asked.

"Just annoying things, like leaving dirty dishes in the kitchen for days. He certainly hasn't been helping clean or taking care of the place...and I'm pretty sure he ate my lunch today." Dan breathed out in a huff.

"What a dick." She eyed her wine glass, which was now getting dangerously empty.

Dan didn't respond. He was momentarily stunned by Sarah saying the word dick in reference to Lester. Last time she called it a cock.

She finished her drink and then gestured to her empty wine glass, holding it out to Dan, "Could you top me up?"