The Fundraiser
Ken was making his way up an aisle of canned goods. In search of tomato paste for his family-famous spaghetti and meat sauce, he was lost in his thoughts when he was startled by someone calling his name.
"Ken? Ken!" said a woman in a puffy, blue Canada Goose parka.
Looking up, a smile quickly over-took his look of bewilderment.
"Oh, hey Ellie, how are you?" asked Ken.
"Chilled, but what can you do? It's another cold March. How about yourself? Sorry if I startled you there."
"Yeah, it's staying cold. Looks like there is more snow coming, too. I'm doing good. Just in search of some tomato paste for spaghetti."
Ellie looked into the cart.
"Looks like you have all the fixings for a family feast," she observed.
"Are you looking forward to the parish fundraiser next weekend? I hope you're going to be on the auction block," she said enthusiastically with a wink.
"Ha-ha, yes. I'm making myself available again this year. Hopefully, I can raise more money than last year. I'd like to go for more than Dan Hansen. He's been the big winner two years running!"
Ellie nodded in agreement.
"That's because he's a general contractor. Everyone wants him to fix something their husband can't."
"I'm handy," said Ken. "Maybe I need to do more promotion on my skills."
Ellie gave Ken a scandalous look, "Oh Ken, I bet there are all kinds of skills you have that would interest the other wives."
"Whoa, ha-ha, thanks Ellie, but I'm not sure if you and I are thinking of the same auction benefits!"
Ken and Ellie laughed together for a few seconds. When the laughs died out, Ellie stood quietly, smiling at Ken. The silence continued to grow until the awkwardness prompted Ken to speak up.
Ken cleared his throat and said, "well, I better get my remaining things, and get to cooking supper. I'll see you at the auction."
"Ok," said Ellie, "I'll see you there."
Looking into his eyes, Ellie put her hand on his forearm for a second before she squeezed it and walked away pushing her cart. Ken watched her go for a minute, smiling. He noted the slight hint of her perfume. Was that berries?
Later that evening, Ken looked to relax a little after a great meal. He poured some wine for his wife and himself, and headed into the family room. His wife sat on the sofa scrolling on her phone.
"Here," he offered the glass of wine.
"Thanks," said, Belle, taking the glass from him.
Ken sat in his easy chair in the corner.
"I think that turned out ok," said Ken.
"Mmmm-hmm," responded Belle, still scrolling.
Ken sat quietly for a few minutes enjoying the taste of the wine, and thinking back on the day's activities.
"I ran into Ellie at the grocery store today. She's going to the fundraising auction next weekend. She thinks I can get more money this year than Dan."
Belle looked up. "Oh, really? Why does she think that?"
"She just thinks I have skills that the other wives would be interested in..."
He took a drink of his wine without looking at his wife.
"What kinds of skills was Ellie referring to," asked Belle. She discarded her phone on the table next to the sofa. Ken had her full attention.
"She wasn't specific, and I wouldn't presume to speculate," said Ken, a slight smirk on his face.
Belle put her wine on the coffee table and stood up. She was a beautiful forty-five year old woman with an athletic build. Though she wasn't wearing anything more revealing than comfort clothes, Ken held his breath thinking of her body as she strode across the room to where he sat. They had been high school sweethearts, and even after nineteen years of marriage, she still gave him pause every time she walked towards him.
Belle took Ken's glass from his hand and placed it on the end table next to his chair. Then she sat across his lap wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders.
Starring into his eyes, she said, "Ken Garrett, are you flirting with other women?"
Ken put a look of fake shock on his face.
"Oh, Belle, you're my dream girl. There isn't another woman who could catch my eye!"
"Is that true?" countered Belle.
"Of course," he responded. "You're the only girl for me," he said leaning in for a kiss.
Belle kept him to a short peck on the lips, pulling her head back.
"That's right. I am your only girl. You need to remember that when Ellie Charleston makes a pass at you at the grocery store. Because if you forget who your girl is, you'll lose this."
She took his hand and placed it on one of her breasts, letting him squeeze it.
"And I won't be playing with this," she said as she squeezed his already hardening penis.
Ken moaned quietly, and pulled her close into a deep kiss. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and Belle reciprocated. Their hands continued to grope and squeeze, and their breathing became shallower, faster breaths.
Belle broke off the kiss, stood up and smiled down at him.
"Are you gonna be a good boy, now," she teased.
"I suppose," said Ken.
"I suppose? Maybe I need to give you a more thorough reminder, later."
"Re-enforcement is never a bad plan," said Ken with a wink.
Ken and Belle's daughter, Tera, came into the room. She eyed her parents suspiciously.
"What's going on in here? Do you two need a chaperone?"
Belle turned around to face her daughter.
"Excuse me, young lady, but I hardly think you're qualified to chaperone. Didn't I catch you and that hockey player guy in here last week after school? You were playing Russian hands and Roman fingers, I believe?"
"Well, doesn't that make me qualified to sus out shenanigans?" asked Tera.
Belle raised an eyebrow, then changed the subject.
"Are the dishes taken care of?" she asked.
"Travis is putting on the dishwasher. Everything else is taken care of."
"Do you have plans tonight? Seeing your hockey player boy, maybe?"
