Authors note: Thanks to Chief Hal for his proof-reading assistance!
There are all kinds of days, days that start bad, but get better as the day goes on. Days that start good and go to hell as the day goes on. Days that start bad and just stay that way. Seems there aren't a lot that start good and stay THAT way! That day was one of those that started good and went downhill. It actually really wasn't all that bad, until late in the afternoon, and then when it fell off a cliff.
The day hadn't been all that bad, until I had to go try to figure out what was wrong with a hydraulic punch press, that just refused to cycle properly, shutting down a portion of the assembly line. Of course, those kinds of things take priority. So, crawling around our fancy new punch press, the one that our maintenance technicians really didn't know much about, trying to figure out what was wrong, became MY top priority. Oh, I found the problem quickly enough. Fixing it would take a little more work. I suppose I could have let one of the mechanics replace the bad switch, but since I was already there, already wound around the numerous hoses and wires and cables under neath the machine, I decided to be nice and replace it myself. I got the switch installed quickly enough, but getting out... that didn't go quite as well as planned. Someway, somehow, a hydraulic line came loose while I was trying to get myself untangled. Well, loose isn't quite the right term. Completely, fucking broken off, puking hydraulic fluid all over like a fire hose, would be a much more accurate description.
By the time they got the hydraulic pump shut down I was practically saturated with hydraulic fluid. Thankfully I did have safety glasses on, otherwise I'd have probably had fluid in my eyes, then it would have been a much worse issue. As it was, I was literally dripping with hydraulic fluid. We got some rags, to wipe what I could off, but the reality was, that what I was wearing was going straight into the trash. It was still an hour until my normal quitting time, but that wasn't going to stop me from going home. I stripped off my shirt and pants, throwing them into a pile of hydraulic oil-soaked rags, after pulling out my car keys and wallet. I felt a little conspicuous walking across the plant in just my briefs, headed toward my office, but what was to be done? At least I still had those on, even though they too, were soaked with hydraulic fluid. I collected my laptop and other items and headed out the door to the parking lot, getting a wolf whistle from one of the secretaries as I walked past.
It wasn't like I was naked or anything. I mean I've seen men's swim suits that cover less than what I showing. Not that I wore any, that were that revealing, and you don't usually see that kind of outfit at a factory. I got to my car and opened the door, looking at the cloth seat and considering how much damage I'd do sitting there for half an hour, in hydraulic oil-soaked underwear. I carefully unfolded one of the rags I'd brought with me and laid it on the seat. I looked around and then quickly skimmed my briefs off, tossing them on the floormat before climbing into the car. I draped another rag over my lap and then put my seat belt on. It was probably the most uncomfortable drive home I'd ever made, but make it I did.
I turned the last corner toward home, only half a block away, thankful that I'd avoided any further embarrassment, but it was that time of day, the time of day when people started getting home from work. The subdivision was far from empty of people. All I had to do now was to figure out how to get into the house naked. I returned the wave of my thirty-eight-year-old, very good looking, neighbor, Diane, who was standing out in the yard watering her garden; still in her work clothes, in this case, a nice looking red and white summer weight dress. I sat for long seconds, trying to figure out how to get from my car to the garage door, naked, with her standing only a few dozen yards away. I thought about waiting for her to get done, but it seemed like she was working her way around the house in my direction, actually getting closer, not further away.
I sat, watching the breeze blowing some of the mist back at her, as she sprayed the plants, wondering how much of that water was being absorbed by the thin dress. WHY the hell my mind started thinking that, was beyond me. Maybe it was because I was sitting naked in the car, maybe it was because I've seen her in the past in her back yard, sunning herself in tiny, little bikinis. Whatever the reason it made the situation even worse. Now, not only was I naked, but I had a hardon that would be even harder to hide.
Like I said, some days start out good and then go down-hill fast. This Thursday had not only gone downhill; but looked to take an even worse turn than it already had. Diane turned the hose off and started walking over to my car, probably wondering why I was still sitting there, instead of getting out. I could see the look on her face grow more curious as she got closer, apparently seeing my lack of a shirt. I took a deep breath and rolled the window down, knowing I was going to have to talk to her.
"Don? Everything alright?" She asked, as she walked up to the car.
"Um. Uh. Pretty much." I answered her, as she walked right up to the car.
"You're not wearing a shirt. Ohhhh! You're not wearing a whole lot more than just a shirt." She said with a grin. "Been out flashing young girls again?"
"Uhhhh, Um, No. We had a little accident at work with some hydraulic oil." I stammered.
"And you...ohhhh, I see." She said, with her grin growing even wider. "So today it's my turn?"
"Your turn?" I asked quizzically.
"To get to see you strutting your stuff. Don't think I haven't noticed you looking at me when I'm tanning."
"Oh...well," I said blushing.
"It's alright, I don't mind you looking." She said, as she squatted down, resting her elbows on the window sill of the car, her head partly pushed into the car. "As long as you don't mind me looking back."
"Looking back?" I asked stupidly.