This month’s first chapter comes from my story
in the ‘Men for Hire’ anthology
Marital Duties
Jennifer
Denys
Chapter One
Jennifer Archer smiled as she ticked the completed box on
the job form and put it aside with the other concluded files. She paused for a
moment and her smile widened, pleased with the success of her business offering
men for hire that she had started six years ago.
This was before she was married. She was friends with lots
of men who had skills of various sorts, so the idea had grown to start her own
business setting up the friends with people who needed their talents.
“And then I met Rob.”
Rob Fletcher actually needed someone to change a fuse.
Jennifer had been rather startled by this most basic of jobs and decided to do
it herself as his voice over the phone was so sexy. She could have completed
the contract in thirty seconds, but they got talking and she stayed…
It had been hard in the beginning, juggling a new business
and a relationship. Thankfully, the take-up had been very high, as people
needed men for a variety of jobs whether it be house repairs, assembling kits,
or painting and decorating. She’d even had pet sitters, chauffeurs and, in one
case, a model for a housebound lady who knitted men’s jumpers.
She chuckled. Just like with her and Rob, some of the
people she hired out ended up falling in love with their employers. That had
been an unexpected consequence of her business!
Then her smile faded. At least the others were having sex.
Here was she with a husband and she couldn’t get him to do that most basic of
husbandly tasks, being incredibly busy as he was working as a doctor at one of
the big London hospitals.
Jennifer sighed. It was amazing that they had ever had time
to date; although the wedding had been a spur-of-the-moment decision while on
holiday in Las Vegas. These days he was just too tired when he came home from
work to do more than mumble goodnight and fall into bed. He was fast asleep as
soon as his head hit the pillow, while she remained wide awake wearing whatever
sexy nightie she’d tried to tempt him with that night.
She was getting very frustrated. Besides which, she missed
the intimacy, the times when they had curled up together on the sofa watching a
film, gently caressing each other, hands fondling, sometimes more arousing
until they ended up making love right then and there.
Almost without thinking, she found herself rubbing her
pelvic area. Her laugh turned derisive and she raised her hand before her
assistant came in. Instead, she leaned forward clutching her head in both hands
in despair. “Maybe I should hire him to give me sex!”
Jennifer’s eyes widened, and she suddenly sat upright as an
idea came to her. She smoothed down her tangled chestnut brown hair.
“That isn’t a bad idea, even if I do say so myself.”
She ruminated on it all afternoon, and on some occasions
pulled a new job form toward her, and then hurriedly pushed it away again.
Finally, the day came to an end. It had been a long, tiring
day, emotionally, if not necessarily physically.
At 5:58 p.m. just as she was reaching for her bag she
suddenly threw it down again to grab the form and fill it in before she changed
her mind.
Name and address of client:
Mrs. J
Fletcher, Glebe House, Rosevine Road, Raynes Park, SW20.
She might run her Men for Hire
agency under her maiden name, but it was her married persona that needed help.
Job required: …
Jennifer paused, tapping her pen against her lips as she
considered what to put down and then continued to write…
Job required: Marital duties.
When will this job commence?: Straight away.
Oh yes. In fact, immediately!
How long with this job last for?: Until it is completed.
Where will the job take place?: At the above address,
preferably, but not limited to, the bedroom.
Jennifer chuckled remembering some of the places they had
made love. Just none of them recently. She sighed and continued.
Will the client be in residence during the period of work?: Most definitely.
Is there a particular employee you would prefer to undertake these
duties?: Yes, Mr. R Fletcher, of the above address, email below.
In the event of this employee not being available will you
consider an alternative?
She stopped and made a face. “Well, in the event of Mr.
Fletcher refusing his husbandly duties I will consider divorce and then I may
well need an alternative.” Laughing at her joke, Jennifer mused—but not someone
from her firm as she wasn’t running an escort agency.
Jennifer signed the sheet with a flourish and put her pen
down, chuckling. Shaking her head at the imp that had got into her, she stood up
and walked out. There would be time in the morning to throw the sheet away, but
for now she felt a sense of satisfaction.
* * * *
When she arrived at work the next day, her first task was
to take the job form and put it in the shredder. Only the form wasn’t where she
had left it!
“Gemma,’ she called out to her assistant. “Where’s the new
job form I left on my desk last night?”
A voice shouted from the other room, “I saw it there this
morning so I typed it up and emailed out the request. I have to say, I worry
about any marriage where the wife has to pay her husband for sex!”
Jennifer’s jaw dropped.
Oh shit!
Gemma stuck her fair curly head around the corner. She had
a big grin on her face. “I thought we weren’t selling sex at this agency.
Ha-ha!! I’d love to have seen that man’s face when he reads his email. We’ve
had some funny requests lately, but that one’s the best.”
The phone rang in the other room and before Jennifer got
the chance to berate her, Gemma left the room. Her assistant was on a three-month
trial and Jennifer wasn’t sure it was working out, but she knew she could
hardly tell her off for something that was actually her own fault.
She stood there debating whether to phone her husband and
tell him it was all a joke or send him a text. Or would he actually be in his
office? Chances are he would never see the email.
“There’s an urgent call,” shouted Gemma.
Jennifer jumped.
Dammit! He’s read it already. How dare
he read his emails? Her heart beat furiously as she picked up the receiver,
her hand shaking as she furiously thought how she could get out of that one.
She deliberately put on her professional voice. “Hello,
Jennifer Archer speaking. How may I help you?”
Thankfully, it was a client instead and she breathed a huge
sigh of relief, slumping back into her seat. Her calmness didn’t last long. The
man they had hired for this customer had not turned up and a torrent of abuse
came down the phone. Mrs. Glenn had four dogs that needed walking. Quite why
she didn’t do it herself, Jennifer had no idea. The woman wasn’t housebound or
anything like that. But that was the nature of her business.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Glenn. I’ll sort something out. Yes,
I’ll get on to it immediately.”
She put the phone down and yelled for Gemma to bring in the
list of available men.
Jennifer never got the chance to contact her husband that
day.
Title: Theirs for the Taking
