xxx stories: Frank & Elyse – Chapter 7
by Burnt Redstone
Knocking on Beverly and Rick’s door just a little before 7PM, Frank took another quick glance at his ‘dressy casual’ outfit. A nice pair of dark grey slacks and a blue pinstripe dress shirt open at the collar with the sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms. Black loafers and a black leather belt completed the outfit. It was all he had that could be considered dressy casual.
After a few moments the door was opened by Rick. Once more Frank was surprised to see how much older he appeared than Beverly. Rick was maybe a little shorter than him, thirty pounds heavier, and balding with just a ring of grey hair.
“Yes?” the man said with a raspy voice.
“Good evening Rick.”
“Do I know you?” the man said peering at him.
“Frank Dunn. Your neighbor from two doors down. Beverly invited me to dinner?” Frank explained but was beginning to feel uncomfortable due to the blank look on Rick’s face.
“Oh for heaven’s sake Rick, invite our guest in.” Beverly’s voice gasped from further down the hall. “I told you about our dinner plans at breakfast!”
Rick’s eyebrows went up a little. “Oh. Christ woman, you know I don’t listen to half of what you say.” He turned back to Frank. “Well come on in. Seems we have dinner plans.” He stopped when he saw Frank was carrying a bottle of wine and his face lit up. “Is that for us?”
Frank smiled with a nod and handed him the bottle. “I wasn’t sure what was being served, if I should get a red or a white wine, so I got a bottle of rosé. I hope that’s ok.”
“It’s very ok! It’s French! Ooo la la!” Rick said, practically chuckling. Beverly stuck her head out into the hallway and scowled at her husband who ignored her.
“Good evening Beverly,” Frank said and her smile returned.
“Thank you very much for the wine Frank. You didn’t have to.”
“My parents taught me never to arrive for a dinner invitation empty handed.”
“Well, bless their hearts!” Rick grinned.
“Put that on the table and show Frank into the living room. Dinner will be in a few minutes.” Beverly instructed her husband.
Rick pouted a little having to put the bottle down but he did as he was told.
Frank just got seated when there was another knock on the door. Rick looked at him and he just looked back. Rick left the room and moments later arrived with another guest. Frank stood and felt a jolt pass through his body. White blond hair, knock out figure in a lovely flowered dress… and a frown on her lovely lips. He felt a familiar pain pass through his heart and he struggled to get his breathing started again. He unconsciously rubbed at his chest.
“Elyse! Welcome!” Beverly said as she came down the hall to meet the woman at the entrance to the living room.
Frank saw the woman was feeling about as uncomfortable as he was. This definitely felt like an ambush.
Rick was looking at their faces and picked up the clues pretty quickly. “You two didn’t know the other had been invited did you?”
Frank and Elyse both shook their heads. Rick scowled at his wife. “And you wonder why you don’t get invited out more by the neighborhood wives?”
“What? I invited them over for dinner? What’s the harm in that?” Beverly barked at her husband but Frank saw Rick had struck a sensitive spot with his comment. He instinctively moved forward to defuse the situation.
“It’s ok. It was just a surprise.” He turned to the tall blond. That was one difference this woman had to Stephanie who was two inches shorter than him. Up close there were several other differences, each of which he was grateful for as the more she differed from his ex the better. He held out his hand. “Hello, I’m Frank Dunn.”
He saw the woman collect herself and take his hand in hers. “Elyse Cabrella. I mean Elyse Williams. I’m changing it.”
“Frank is also divorced but I suppose it is simpler for men who don’t have to change their surnames.” Beverly said. She was almost bubbly now that she’d been ‘forgiven’. Rick was still glaring at her.
Frank looked at Beverly and winced. Simpler? “Divorce is anything but simple for anyone involved.”
“Maybe I’ll ask you for some pointers after dinner,” Rick grumbled and moved into the living room.
“Of course, I meant no offence Frank!” Beverly said and placed her hand on his arm again.
He just nodded and glanced at the blond. She was still looking uncomfortable. “Shall we sit?” That got a nod from her. They all moved into the living room and found seats. Rick had already claimed his favorite spot, an old leather Lazy Boy recliner, so Beverly sat on the couch next to Frank and Elyse sat in a lovely old high back chair facing the couch.
“Are you all unpacked yet?” Beverly asked the woman.
“No, I have a ways to go,” she said with a guarded smile.
“Frank arrived with only a few boxes and his clothes,” Beverly offered and Frank nodded uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure what kind of impression that fact made.
“As I was coming from the other side of the country the less I brought the simpler it was. It’s like a new start for me too,” he said and glanced at Elyse who was giving him a funny look. Time to go on the offensive. “How about you? Where did you move from?”
“Los Angeles. I still have a job there but I’ll be working remotely… once I have my internet hooked up.” Elyse told them.
“So, the installer didn’t come back?” Frank asked. He saw the blonde’s pretty green eyes open wide as she stared at him.
“What do you mean ‘come back’? He never showed for my scheduled appointment!”
Frank was a little taken aback as her voice was becoming rather sharp. “The van arrived shortly after you drove out of your driveway this morning. He knocked but you obviously weren’t there. He asked if I’d seen you and I told him you’d just left.”
“WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?” the woman barked. Her face was red and her eyes held so much pent up anger.
Frank flashed back to the torture of dealing with his ex in the lawyer’s conference room day after day and his hands began to shake. Suddenly he didn’t really feel up to a social evening tonight. He stood up and faced Beverly who looked up at him in surprise.
“I’m sorry. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I’ll see myself out. Have a good evening.” With that he strode from the room and stepped outside, closing the front door behind himself.
He felt the shakes building so he trotted back to his house and got inside before it got out of hand. He went into his bedroom and undressed. Then he dropped and began to do push ups. This helped him burn off the excess adrenaline. He didn’t stop until his arms could no longer lift his body. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling.
This was the last present Stephanie ever gave him. A year of psychological abuse leading to this.
And now he had a neighbor who could trigger it.
Great.
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xxx stories: Frank & Elyse – Chapter 8
by Burnt Redstone
Elyse watched Frank stand and say his goodnights as her burst of anger quickly drained away. She opened her mouth to stop him but he was gone. When her frayed nerves had finally exploded she’d seen him freeze in place. Except for his big hands. They were trembling. What had she done?
Her afternoon had left her feeling more than a little frustrated. She’d picked up groceries once she found the store but the cashier was just back from her break and had just broken up with her boyfriend. She proceeded to have an emotional breakdown after Elyse put all her groceries onto the belt. It took thirty minutes to get through the checkout process as they were short staffed. She was almost home when she remembered she needed tools as well so she had no tools to assemble her bed.
By this point it was time to get ready for dinner at Beverly’s so she took a quick shower and put on her favorite summer dress and sandals.
Even the dress hadn’t improved her outlook. Truthfully she was in no mood to attend the dinner but she’d already said she would and she didn’t have Beverly’s phone number to call and cancel. Besides she needed to borrow a phone book as well so this was a good opportunity.
Then ambush and her nerves went on high alert. The news of missing the installer had been the final straw, pushing her beyond her control and she lashed out.
Now she sat in the living room with two stunned strangers after hurting a man who had done her no real harm. She felt terrible!
“Oh my god, I’m sorry! It’s been such an awful day. I didn’t mean to snap at him like that.” Elyse said to her hosts.
Beverly and Rick just blinked back at her. She couldn’t do this. Not tonight.
She stood. “I’m sorry. We should reschedule this. I’m obviously not very good company at the moment. I’ll let myself out.” She turned and hastily made her way outside and walked back to her house. She stopped as she reached her driveway and looked across the street at Frank’s home. An image of how his big strong hands had trembled flashed in her mind and she wondered what had happened to him. Something that had driven him across the country!
She felt terrible! She turned to cross the road but something stopped her. Her nerves were still too jittery. She’d probably say something else stupid. With a final sad look across the street she turned and went home.
Then she realized she didn’t get the phone book from Beverly.
Shit. What a perfect ending for the day.
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