Marital Stress. Part 1. Tennis Anyone? By GW A casual, husband/wife tennis match leads to a struggle for marital supremacy. This story contains violence and n/c sex and should only be read by mature adults. Tennis Anyone? After twelve years of marriage, Ellen had finally beat her husband at something. She had won an after dinner Tennis match, and pretty decisively too. She was elated. She knew it was a real accomplishment. She knew too, she owed it to her three years of dedication to strenuous exercise. As Don congratulated her as heartily as he seemed able, Ellen noticed he was perspiring and out of breath. He was only a year older than Ellen, and at thirty-two his tall, powerful body was in good shape. It occurred to Ellen though, that, while Don worked at keeping in good shape, even so, she was now exercising twice as much in a week as he did. Seeing his pride was ruffled by losing at a sports competition to his wife, Ellen challenged him. "Race you back to the house?" Don ran several times a week, and he'd gotten a College letter in track. Ellen figured a foot race would give him a chance to get even. "You're on!" Don replied. After a few minutes rest, they started off the half mile back home. Don started strongly, and pulled way into the lead, but about half way there he faltered. Ellen who'd been running about 20 yards back, soon closed the gap. She ran nearly even until they were almost there. Then Don picked up his pace for a big finish, but so did Ellen and it was her kick that was stronger. She passed Don who was putting everything he had into it. She kept right on gaining ground and got to the house 30 feet ahead of her husband. "I won! I won!" Ellen shouted gleefully. Don's face was red with exertion, and some embarrassment too. He knew he'd run his best race, yet his formerly pudgy, couch-potato wife had beaten him soundly. The tennis match was bad enough, but now to loose at running hurt. He tried to be a good sport but somehow it bothered him. In College Ellen had been a plump, pretty bookworm. She had idolized Don's athletic abilities. Now after twelve years of marriage her own abilities were suddenly outshining his. At first Don was excited when she'd slimmed down to an athletic 138 pounds. Her 5'6" height suddenly looked taller and her big, thirty-nine inch bust looked fabulous, contrasted with her new twenty-five inch waist. Now, Don wondered, if somehow, the exciting improvement in her body was an unmixed blessing. He'd always been happy with the way she looked before. Later that night, after a shower, they were watching T.V. in their bedroom. Ellen's parents had taken their ten-year-old, twin girls, Jill and Jerri on a cross-country trip. They'd left the evening before, and would be gone most of the summer. Ellen was looking forward to spending more time with Don while they were gone. Ellen started telling Don that some of the girls at her health club wrestled each other. "At first I didn't want to do it. I didn't think it was `ladylike'." Ellen said. "Then, when I tried it, I found out it was fun. At first, I lost every fall, but lately, I've been getting better. Yesterday, I even beat Myra, the head instructor, she's always beaten everyone else, up until now." "You're turning into a real `jock'! I suppose now you think you could beat me at that too!" Don retorted. Ellen saw now, how resentful Don was at her two victories, despite his nonchalant pose. "I don't know, I never thought of wrestling a man." Ellen answered in a teasing tone."It might be fun though, come to think of it." Ellen was surprised to realize, that the thought of wrestling Don, did excite her tremendously. Her excitement was manifold, she realized. First of all would be the heady sexual high of rolling around naked pressed against Don's powerfully muscled body. When they were first married, they'd played sexual games where Don would pretend to fordce Ellen. It had turned her on tremendously. They hadn't done anything like that in a long time. Ellen was hoping this summer respite from the kids would allow them to more time for spontaneous lovemaking. Perhaps, there was another motive, Ellen scarcely admitted to herself, an overwhelming curiosity to really see how she'd stack up against her husband in the ultimate contest. Ellen started to tease Don a little then. "You did lose at tennis, and then I beat you running. What makes you think I couldn't out-wrestle you, too?" Ellen's teasing challenge was the final straw. "O.K. You're on!" Don snapped. "Take your clothes off! I want you naked when I've finished with you." Don said half playfully. "That sounds fine to me." Ellen answered grinning. "One thing more though, lets make it two out of three falls or submissions, so I have a chance to get used to it." Ellen asked. "Sure O.K." Don said offhandedly, not paying much attention as he took off his pajamas. Stripped of their pajamas, they faced each other in the large bedroom. The carpets were softly padded and it was as good a place as any. Seeing Don's 6'1", 190 pounds of muscle fiercely naked, Ellen thought of all that brute power overwhelming her, dominating her, then taking her forcefully. That was an exciting possibility. "It's great!" Ellen thought. "Wrestling with a hunk like that, even if he is my husband, can't be all bad, no matter what happens. There's no way I can lose in this." Don circled warily. He was having second thoughts and was suddenly shy and reluctant to grapple with his own wife. Despite her trim, well-toned figure, she looked fragile and vulnerable. He was afraid he'd hurt her. With some shyness on both sides, they reached out and grabbed hands overhead, testing strength. Don was amazed at the subtle strength in Ellen's arms and in her compact yet sturdy body. He strained hard to force her arms down. Gradually he prevailed, but he had to fight every inch of the way. By the time he forced Ellen to her knees, his arms were quivering at the effort. He pushed her further, almost over on her back, when suddenly she purposely rolled backwards, pulling him down on top of her. Don tried for a solid pin, but it was like trying to hold down a slippery, steel-muscled eel. Once, Ellen almost got a scissors around his neck. Don quickly gave up his hopes for an early pin. He jumped up, grabbed Ellen by the arm, jerked her to her feet, and picked her up in an airplane spin. Don spun her around quickly. Ellen squealed in fright. Then Don changed his mind. He lifted Ellen in both hands high above his head and bounced her there. Her squeals grew louder. Don found spinning around so violently, made him as dizzy, as it was supposed to make Ellen. Holding her solid, hefty body high above his head was more effort than he'd bargained for. He panted for breath. Don pretended to throw Ellen to the floor. Her squeals reached a crescendo, but Don held onto her as she went down and broke her fall. Ellen landed on her back. Don was bent over, still grasping her body. Thinking Ellen was ready to be pinned, Don was careless. Dizzy and scared as she was, Ellen grabbed him by the neck. She caught him off balance, and to his immense surprise, somersaulted him, over on his back. Don was already winded and a little dizzy from lifting and spinning Ellen, but he was more so after the little minx flipped him so neatly. Ellen quickly scampered on top of Don's chest. He struggled hard, but it was surprisingly difficult to dislodge her. She was all over him. Playfully she grabbed his penis, which she noticed was excitingly erect. She gave it a little twist, and this time, it was Don who squealed in shock. Don squirmed like crazy to throw Ellen off. From astride his mid- section, she leaned over and let her blond hair hang down and tickle his face. When she did that, Don grabbed her waist and threw her to one side. They both scrambled to their feet. Don looked at Ellen in amazement. She looked fresh as a daisy, yet he could hardly get his breath, and was sweating freely. Don made a swipe for her, but Ellen sidestepped nimbly, and grabbed his wrist. With a quick strong twist, she shoved his arm behind his back in a hammerlock. He had trouble breaking loose. When he did, Ellen gave him a swat across the behind. "Oh that's so cute, I can't keep my hands off it." She teased, and slapped his hard muscular butt a second time. "O.K. Honey. You asked for it!" Don threatened, and jumped on his wife. They fell in a heap. Ellen landed on the bottom, and Don came down hard on her trim middle. That winded the blond, and it was fairly easy for Don to straddle her and pin her for the three-count. He gave her a long lingering kiss at the count of three. Don found himself really turned on by the bout, and the thrill of pinning Ellen really got to him. He couldn't wait to jump into bed and make love to her. "Oh, but Honey, remember? You agreed to two out of three falls. Unless you want to concede the other two falls to me, of course." Ellen reminded him. Don vaguely remembered agreeing to three falls, now. The idea of jumping quickly into the sack with his hot, naked, sexy wife right this second, was so tempting, Don thought about conceding the other two falls. Somehow, he knew though, if he did that he'd never hear the last of it. "Oh, all-right, but I'm going to pin you quick, so I can hop into bed with you." "Try it, Big Boy." Ellen challenged, laughingly. Despite his boast Don moved slowly as they circled each other. He made a grab for Ellen, but she deftly eluded him. "You're too slow to catch me." Ellen teased and danced around him. Don tried to grab her, but Ellen was as quick as a rabbit. Suddenly the pursued became the pursuer; Ellen rushed forward. She ducked down and grabbed Don just below both knees. She jerked with sudden fierce strength. His arms wind milling, Don fell over backwards with a thud. He didn't jump right up either, but stayed there, shaking his head to clear it. Ellen was afraid that she'd hurt him, and she didn't follow up her advantage. She knelt beside him and asked with concern; "Are you O.K. Hon? I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." "I'm all right." Don retorted and gave her a half playful but hard shove away from him. "O.K. for you!" Ellen said, as she got up. Just before Don was solidly on his feet, Ellen put a headlock on him. Her arms squeezed so tight, they nearly strangled him. Don gasped in amazement. Compared to his own powerfully developed arm muscles, Ellen's limbs were silky smooth and delicately slim. Yet they were amazingly strong. For the first time, Don really noticed how well developed Ellen's biceps muscles wee. As she squeezed, they bulged out like oranges. Don struggled mightily to get free, but the harder he fought, the tighter, Ellen squeezed. She gave his neck hard, painful, little twists every time he tried to "bull" his way loose. He slapped at her back and kidneys, hard. That hurt, and Ellen retaliated. She gave Don's head an extra hard twist and hip tossed him over on his back again. It didn't hurt as much as the last fall, but it was still a jolt. Ellen straddled Don's middle before he could move. It was a real effort for Don to roll her off. Ellen slyly got her legs wrapped around his waist in a scissors. She turned on her side, just out of Don's reach. Wrestling at the gym had taught her, to lock her ankles together, and squeeze for all she was worth. Before he knew what happened, Don was on his back, trapped between his wife's sleek legs. He was dismayed by their power. Ellen squeezed him, tighter and tighter. He felt like a tube of tooth paste. Don panted and gasped for breath. He could only reach Ellen with one hand, and he slapped at her body, but she grabbed his wrist with both her hands, and bent his fingers backwards until he thought she'd break them. He moaned at the sharp pain in his hand. Don tensed his body to force his way free from the dismaying grip of Ellen's voluptuous legs. He paused first to catch his breath, but catching his breath was more difficult than he'd imagined. He strained every muscle from his neck to his groin, to suck even a little air past Ellen's formidable legs. Each breath increased the tension on Don's powerful trunk muscles. He paused longer and longer between breaths. The effort was exhausting him. Streams of perspiration ran down his face. His mouth gaped open. He started to see spots in front of his eyes. All Ellen's concentration was bent on maintaining the hold, and she was oblivious to the damage she was doing to her powerful husband. It never entered her mind, that she could actually hurt Don badly. Mischievously, she began to work her legs back and forth around Don's middle, rolling his body between her thighs. The pressure on Don's gut seemed to increase five-fold. It was like being squeezed in an old-fashioned, iron clothes wringer. Don couldn't inhale at all now. Every thing was going around in circles. He stopped struggling. In surprise Ellen felt Don go limp. Looking close, she saw his eyes glaze. That worried her and she relaxed her legs. Don lay flat unable to move or get his bearings. Ellen still didn't realize how much damage she had done, and she nonchalantly straddled Don's unmoving body. He struggled a little, but this time he couldn't even budge Ellen. He couldn't stop her from grabbing his wrists, and pinning them to the floor above his head. Ellen smiled triumphantly down into her husband's handsome face, her curly blond hair and big naked boobs hanging over it. Ellen was amazed to see sick fear in Don's eyes. She began to realize how much it humiliated a big, strong, athletic, man for his pretty, demure, little, wife to squeeze him nearly unconscious with her thighs, and then pin him helplessly to the floor in a schoolboy press, or maybe it was a schoolgirl press? Ellen's first thought was to let Don struggle loose, and pretend to let him beat her. But she couldn't do that. "I want to win." Ellen realized. "If I truly beat Don he'll have to learn to live with a wife who's his physical equal or maybe more." There was an even stronger, deeper urge. Ellen wanted to dominate her husband for once, to make him see her as the powerful, mature, determined woman she'd become. She'd make him squirm, and even hurt him a little to do it, if she must. "O.K. Lover, I'm going to pin you now. It's time to count you out." Don struggled madly to throw Ellen off, but he just couldn't muster the strength. Ellen began to count. As she yelled, "One," she teasingly, slapped her big boobs across Don's face. "How do you like being boob whipped?" She laughed, unable to resist teasing him. Don turned his head away, as she slapped her formidable bosom across his face for a second time and shouted; "Two!" Don gave a desperate heave, and bridged up. Ellen kept her balance. Her supple body rode his middle masterfully. As Don's back hit the floor again, she bounced her firm bottom on his belly with enough force to weaken him more. He panted hard at the effort to dislodge her. Don's eyes reminded Ellen of a frightened animal in a trap. She couldn't help feeling sorry for him. She nearly relented again, but something made her go on. "Two and one half!" She cried, and slapped her breasts across her husband's face, even harder this time. Don kicked his legs frantically, but it didn't do him any good. "Three." Ellen yelled slamming her boobs into his face with all her might. Ellen jumped up and capered about the room, happy as a child. Totally humiliated, Don couldn't get off his back, even to prevent Ellen from planting her foot on his chest. Then she shouted, at the top of her lungs. "The Winner!" "Ready for the final fall?" Ellen chortled. She leaned over and helped her defeated husband to his feet. As she did, she whispered in his ear: "Maybe this time you'll get pussy whipped instead of boob whipped." Don actually cringed at her teasing threat. Ellen shut up, realizing this was no joking matter for Don. It had become deadly serious. Ellen tried to hide her jubilance behind a noncommittal expression. She just couldn't wipe the cocky grin completely off her face though, hard as she tried. When Don faced his grinning wife for the third and final fall, he felt sick and drained, and though he hated to admit it, scared. Then he clenched his hands, to suppress a near uncontrollable desire to wipe that haughty smirk off the bitch's face, with his fists if need be. "My God! What am I thinking? That's Ellen there!" Don's savage reaction scared him almost as much as the thought of losing the third fall. He must play by the rules, wrestling only. If he ever really hurt Ellen, he'd never forgive himself. If he lost this fall though, he didn't know how he could live with that either. It was a deadly battle for his pride and self-respect. Don circled warily, reluctant to start. Ellen was still fresh as a daisy and eager to come to grips. Aggressively, she locked hands with her taller, stronger husband as they had done in the first round. There was no question, Don was normally stronger, but the two falls of wrestling had drained a lot out of him. He was much taller too, and had the longer reach, but this time no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bend Ellen an inch. What was worse, after the first minute or so, it took all his strength to keep Ellen from bending his arms. Then in horror, despite his utmost efforts, Don felt his back bend the tiniest bit. Desperately, Don tensed, resisting with everything he had in him. The veins stood out on his forehead. Every muscle in his body quivered in concentration. Ellen was just as determined to win. She sensed this critical power struggle was decisive. The feeling that she was succeeding, filled her with an elation that made her irresistible. Don's worst nightmare was realized! Inch by horrifying inch, Ellen forced him to his knees. Exultantly, Ellen held her husband helplessly captive. She had an uncontrollable urge to reinforce his helplessness. She didn't want him ever to forget the night his wife forced him to his knees by sheer feminine strength. She held him there, and he couldn't escape. Kneeling at Ellen's feet, hands trapped in her steely grip, Don learned how strong his voluptuous little blond had grown. Then, with almost contemptuous ease, Ellen threw Don on his back. Guiltily, Ellen knew she was enjoying her mastery over her husband so much, she wanted to make it last. She stretched lazily while Don tried to stand up. When he succeeded, she pounced like a cat. She grabbed him around the waist, and threw him down again. Don rolled over on his hands and knees, and Ellen couldn't resist a kick to his naked backside with her bare foot. "Come on Lover, lets get going, I'm waiting." She challenged. Furious, Don jumped up and rushed the taunting, little blond. Ellen pivoted. She seized his leg and his arm, and slid her shoulders and back under his belly. He was still dizzy, and before he knew it, Ellen had lifted him up off the floor. Don couldn't believe his senses. Ellen hoisted him up off the floor. Where did she pack so much power in that opulently slim body? She whirled him in an airplane spin. Don yelped in fright as Ellen threw him. She had the compassion to throw him on the bed, instead of the floor. Awkwardly, Don climbed off the bed, his pride about crushed. He wanted to run and hide. He couldn't back out now, though. Don stalked his wife in a purposeful crouch, slow and menacing. It didn't faze Ellen any. Nonchalantly, she pivoted again, caught Don's arm and twisted it behind him in a hammerlock. His arm felt like over-cooked spaghetti. Ellen easily forced his wrist nearly to up his neck. Don resisted but Ellen forced him down on his knees again. It gave her a heady feeling of power to force her naked husband to his knees. Ellen gave Don's arm a vicious twist. He yelled at the pain. She freed his arm, and threw him down on his back by the hair. Don grasped at Ellen's ankle, but she agilely avoided his grip. Instead she snatched his ankle. She pulled his leg in the air and twisted it into a step over toe-hold. She wrenched his leg mercilessly. Don hollered in pain. He couldn't get loose, and beat the floor with his hands. Once more, Ellen voluntarily let Don up. His leg hurt and he limped painfully. "She's toying with me, the little Bitch!" He thought miserably. Don couldn't stop Ellen from twisting his body away from her, and pulling him backwards with a choke hold around his neck. She could control his big body with only one arm now. Ellen patted Don's hard, manly buttocks, and whispered: "Want to give up, Big Guy?" "No damn it I don't want to give up." Don shouted unable to hide his anger. "O.K. you asked for it!" Ellen replied almost sorrowfully. Roughly Ellen flung her big, powerfully muscled husband down on his hands and knees. She straddled him, and grabbed his thick, dark hair with her left hand. "Ride 'em Cow Girl!" She yelled, locking her thighs around his middle, and her calves around his thighs in a grapevine. She slapped his buttocks with her right hand to force him to carry her piggy back. Instead, Don collapsed on the floor in exhaustion. As Ellen rode his body to the floor, Don knew he was a beaten man. Ellen leaned over and kissed the nape of his neck. It wasn't a tender kiss, but more a token of possession. She reached under his body and played with his nipples. Don hated her toying with his body. Ellen knew he would. She couldn't resist humiliating and dominating her husband, even though part of her deplored what she was doing. Don struggled as hard as he could. It wasn't enough for Ellen to take notice of. Her thoughts were elsewhere. She was getting really horny. Her sexy feelings were generated by acting out long latent sadistic urges, nonetheless they generated a wave of tenderness for her defeated husband. "Come on Honey." She invited tenderly. "You've had it, lets get in bed and screw each others brains out?" She blew seductively in his ear. She couldn't resist adding with a good natured snicker, "If I didn't already knock yours out, of course." Don at last found the strength to rollover, upsetting Ellen as he did. "Bitch!" He yelled, as he rolled over. "You didn't beat me yet!" Ellen heard real hatred in Don's voice, for the first time, in twelve years of marriage. She was hurt and dismayed. "Oh come on Don, we were just having fun. So what, if I can out-wrestle you sometimes. It's no big deal. I just used a few tricks, I learned. I can teach them to you. Don't be like that, please? You know I think you're the greatest, no matter what." Don tried to bound to his feet, but he stumbled on his injured leg. "Come on." He snarled. "O.K. Honey. If that's what you want, you got it." Ellen answered sadly. She really loved Don, and could tell what this one-sided beating from his own wife, must be doing to his masculine pride. She'd do almost anything, to spare his feelings, but there was only one way Ellen could finish this fight now. The contest had released a tigress inside her, a savage she-cat eager to defeat her mate in battle, to hurt him and rub his nose in defeat. With a purring feline growl, Ellen sprang at Don. Her big, erect breasts slapped into his chest with a vengeance. Her onslaught hurled him backwards. As she backpedaled away from her, she grabbed his wrist. She stretched and twisted his arm away from his body. She flung him on his back with a savage, intimidating display of strength. She straddled his waist, and jumped on his abdomen. Don's breath whooshed away as Ellen's solid behind, crushed his belly. Before Don knew what hit him, Ellen's strong thighs locked around his waist in another scissors, and her strong arms wrapped his upper chest in a bear hug. Ellen's arms wedged tightly under his armpits, forcing his arms up, so he couldn't reach any vulnerable spot or exert any leverage. Don couldn't budge his small, beautiful wife. He tried to flip over on top, but Ellen's legs gripped his waist and buttocks too tight. He fearfully doubted he had the strength left to do it anyway. He bridged up, desperately. Ellen loosened her relentless grip, just long enough to slam her abdomen against his belly. The power in Ellen's belly muscles scared Don. He felt like he'd been hit with a sack of cement. Don collapsed again, locked helplessly in Ellen's unbelievably strong arms and legs. Even her soft, seductive breasts were offensive weapons of domination. They drilled into his hard-muscled, male chest, and crushed the breath from his lungs. Don saw spots in front of his eyes. The breathless, claustrophobic nightmare made Don panicky. He slammed his forehead into Ellen's face. He hit her nose, and brought tears of pain to her eyes, but Ellen's hold didn't loosen for a moment. She retaliated by pressing her ripe, pink lips down on his mouth, forcing his head to the floor. Holding Don's head harmlessly trapped with her possessive, dominating lips, Ellen slid her tongue inside his mouth. She pushed his tongue aside and boldly explored his mouth as though she owned it. Don couldn't dispute her ownership. She sucked the breath from his lungs, while she dominated him physically, with her now undeniably greater strength. For beautiful, submissive Ellen to turn aggressor and boldly kiss him against his will, while she clutched him inescapably in her dominant embrace, completely unmanned Don. He nearly swooned in helplessness. Ellen knew her husband was ready to pass out. "I've really beaten him!" She thought exultantly. She was incredibly excited. She had fought her own husband in a knock-down, drag-out fight, and he was the one ready to be dragged out. Ellen's belly pressed against Don, so that her buttocks rested against his sexual organs. His huge penis was fully erect, and pulsing powerfully against her thighs. Ellen was startled to realize Don was as excited as she was. "He must really like me, to hurt him, and beat him up, and show him who's boss." She thought. For the first time in her life, Ellen felt a little contemptuous of her husband. "I always thought he was too much man to like being dominated like this." She mused. "He'll never admit it though I bet, even to himself. His precious male ego won't let him." "Give up yet, Sweetie?" She asked pausing in her kiss, long enough to ask the question. "No!" Don gasped, but he knew it was no use. Ellen knew it too. Don was helpless, only seconds from unconsciousness. Ellen shook her head sadly at his stubbornness, and planted a final tender little kiss on his lips. In a way she was saying "good-by" to the man she thought she'd known for twelve years. Then unbelievably Ellen tightened her arms and legs with a powerful, almost convulsive jerk. Don's overtaxed abdominal muscles caved in. His whole body went limp. Ellen's legs just about cut him in half. "O.K." Don squeaked in a choked, nearly inaudible voice. Ellen didn't let go. Holding her powerful, masterful husband, trapped helplessly beneath her, was the most exciting thing she'd ever done. "Does that mean you quit?" She asked. "You've got to give up and concede." She told him. Weakly Don shook his head "No." Ellen gave another amazonian squeeze, and Don thought his back would snap. "I give, I give." He gasped in an agonized whimper. The desperate agony in Don's voice scared Ellen. She jumped to her feet, leaving her big, handsome, muscular husband, helpless at her feet. He turned his head away and closed his eyes in shame, the picture of the defeated, humiliated male. Now that she had beaten him into surrender, it roused a warm tenderness in Ellen, to see Don so hurt and helpless. She wistfully wanted to hug and comfort him. She was possessed by another overpowering need first. Don's huge penis, stiffly engorged, larger than she could ever remember it, was the only thing Ellen could focus on. Almost in a trance, she lowered herself down on top of her beaten husband once more. Her soaking pussy readily engulfed his huge erection. Don opened his eyes fearfully when Ellen climbed back on top of him. When he felt what she was doing, he was filled with furious resentment. "No, stop it. I don't want to do it. Not like this. Get off me! GET OFF ME!" Ellen was too overcome with passion to listen. She couldn't control herself. She scarcely heard Don's whimpering protests. With eager abandon she rode him up and down, in complete control. She totally dominated him sexually for the first time in her life, just as she had dominated him in battle. She was so exhilarated she couldn't contain herself. Don learned what it was like to be raped. He struggled to throw Ellen off, but he was too weak, and Ellen was too aroused to be denied. His resistance only added to her excitement. Despite Don's resentment, he came at the same time Ellen did, and just as explosively. Ellen collapsed on his chest, caressing him with renewed tenderness, oblivious to his resentful humiliation. Finally, Ellen rose languidly and sauntered over to the bed like a sleek, satiated cat. Don lay on the floor nearly weeping in impotent shame. At last he too crept to the bed and crawled in. When Ellen woke up next morning, Don was gone. Later that morning she called his office. After a delay, Tracey, his secretary told her he was in conference, and too busy to talk right then. Things went on like that for a week. Don left early and came home late. He ate out, and slept in the guest room. He buried himself in his work trying to forget his traumatic humiliation. He tried to get over it and forget it, but he was obsessed by it. He couldn't get it out of his mind for more than a few minutes at a time. To be continued...