And with that, Corey came. And came hard.
+++++
While his frail penis pumped cum over Lauren’s hand, something made her pause and look deeply in his eyes. For the first time, she saw it. She really saw it. In that singular, omnipresent moment, Lauren Miller simply understood what made her incipient husband tick. Everything was there, swirling around; it just had to be dissected. The cocktail of conflicted emotions that created a pleasure that most men could not understand, but an indulged few craved. The kindling that fueled a combustible stew of feelings which inexplicitly turned jealousy and humiliation into exquisite ecstasy. A short-circuiting of her husband’s brain and those like him that seemed to be the ignition point for all sorts of gratification. This in turn resulted in explosive orgasms serving not only as conventional releases but a purging, as if the body was trying rid itself of the shame and stigma associated with the kink. Ask him to explain it and he’d be at a loss for words. And always will be.
Lauren let Corey tremble in her arms as the last few spurts of translucent semen pumped through his shaft and onto the hotel carpet below. For him, it marked a return to normalcy, where his mind was clear and void of all venereal thoughts. Until the pressure began to build again.
“Wait,” the project manager grabbed her hand as she began to roll off the bed. “I have to know. Was it Sean? Toby?”
Lauren laughed and pulled away. “You’re way too easy.”
Choking back relieved laughter, Corey managed a feeble grin. “I could say the same about you.”
Giggling, Lauren flipped him the bird and went to the bathroom. “C’mon. It’s Christmas Eve! Let’s shower and get out of here. We need to get to the grocery store before they close. You’ll just love what I’m cooking up.”
To that, the senior Iowan had no doubt.
+++++
Although it began rather unconventionally, the rest of Christmas Eve proved one of the most ordinary days Corey and Lauren Miller had spent together in a long time. Between a lazy day poolside, a bite to eat at the deli across the street, and a satisfying afternoon nap, it could not have been more vanilla. And that could not have made them happier.
Late in the evening, while Corey worked on a resignation letter, Lauren ran to the market and pharmacy, The couple had every intention on staying in, grilling some salmon, and chilling with a movie. This proved to be a wise choice, seeing both were asleep on the couch way before the final credits rolled.
+++++
Christmas Day.
Corey stood on the balcony of the 23rd floor apartment and surveyed Miami’s beautiful downtown district, marveling at the 65-degree weather. With Des Moines barely getting into the 20s, he dreaded returning to that frigid weather the next day. Lauren cheerly joined him with a cup of coffee in each hand, and they basked in the morning sun.
During a long video conference with their daughters, Caroline expressed excitement at visiting her mom later that week, and Amelia apologized for not being able to join them due to a massive system conversion at her company. Lauren assured the older sibling that Florida had plenty of lobster and sunshine. After hanging up, the couple exchanged gifts. Corey loved his new camcorder but had to say his favorite present was a special edition Cyclones jersey, updated with new team colors. Lauren received nice things too, including some traditional silver and gold jewelry, perfect for the office. Jokingly, she feigned hoping for another anklet, which got a chuckle. He did apologize for not having more gifts for her, citing the long distance and work. To make it right, he scribbled an I.O.U. she could cash in later for pretty much anything. All in all, it was a good morning.
Eventually, they made their way to the local mission and spent a few hours prepping and serving food to the city’s less fortunate. Corey helped roast chicken in the kitchen, while Lauren took her place in the production line, handing out dinners. It was something they’d done as a family for decades and promised to keep the tradition going. Two hours in, Corey stuck his head through the kitchen door to gauge the line and happened to see Lauren chatting with two roughneck Latino guys. All three seemed to know one another, although the men didn’t at all seem to be the type of people she’d be friends with. It wasn’t until one of them referred to her as “Iowa” that he knew for certain they weren’t strangers. Oddly, there was some uneasiness about her as she talked quietly, even casting furtive glances back towards the kitchen to see if anyone was watching. There was.
+++++
“Please, guys, go way. I’m working.”
“This your daytime job, puta?” Juan sneered. “When you’re not sucking dick?”
Hector laughed like a hyena.
Lauren’s stomach knotted. “Seriously, leave me alone.”
The men noticed her eyes shifting towards the kitchen.
“What’s wrong, senora? That absent husband of yours back there? Perhaps we should go wish him a happy holiday.”
Her eyes widened. “No, please.”
One of the other volunteers stepped in Juan’s way as he tried to go behind the counter. A burly veteran with a long beard, he looked like he could wrest a tire from a gorilla.
“Everyone okay here?”
Juan held up his hands and smiled. “No trouble here, acere.” He turned to Lauren. “You want to holla again, pretty girl, you come find us.”
Grabbing a couple apples, the Cubans sauntered out of the mission and disappeared, leaving Lauren’s hand shaking.
+++++
“Friends of yours?” Corey asked later that evening as he began packing his bags for the morning flight.
“Who’s that?” Lauren responded while folding clothes fresh from the dryer. She’d all but forgotten about the Latinos.
“Those boys…from the mission. You all seemed to know each other.”
Her brow furrowed, remembering the encounter. “N-n-no,” she stuttered, “not really.”
“Ah-k. I mean, one of him called you Iowa, so I just thought…oh hey, have you seen my deodorant?”
“I-i-t’s under the sink.” Lauren’s voice was cracking. Doing things with Corey’s knowledge was one thing, but cheating was something entirely different. It’d been a mistake not to tell him about turning back-alley tricks with those guys, and the whole of it had weighed heavily on her. She just couldn’t do it anymore.
Walking to where her husband was rummaging through toiletry drawers, she leaned against the counter and folded her arms. Corey was startled to see such a dead serious expression on her face.
“What?”
“We need to talk.”
+++++
“Jesus Christ, babe,” Corey barked, his blood pressure through the roof. “That was incredibly stupid.”
“I know, I know. Look, I was drunk. You weren’t here…”
He slammed a shoe into the suitcase. “Goddamnit, Lauren, you could have been killed!”
There was little she could say. Everyone was right. There was no defense, it was just a bonehead move.
Corey was pacing now. “Why? You could walk into any bar in this city and…”
“Please calm down. I…I…I guess you have your thing and I have mine.”
He stopped and stared at her.
“Selling yourself? I thought that was just a fantasy.”