Out Of My Depth

This is my latest story, I'm putting up the first chapter to get some feedback just to see how everybody likes it; There is some "Straight" sex action in the first few chapters. All dates/locations of events are fictional for the story; Chapters will be up every couple of days rather than daily.

My body sore and stiff all over after an afternoon session in the pool, I wait for the lift to head back to my apartment that I’ve been living in with my wife for the past 4 years. I head back upstairs, knowing that she won’t be home yet so I pump up the tunes and take off my shirt revealing my silky-smooth body that even though I’ve retired from competitive swimming I like to keep smooth either through just looking hot or preference.

Although being just 28 at the time, I’d been competing at the highest level since I was 17, going to three Olympic Games, five world championships and that it was the be-all and end-all of my life for all that time. My retirement was something that I had been planning for a long time because I just needed a break from it all despite the media calling my retirement a sudden shock.

Fast forward until today and I’ve been working in the IT game for the past two years, having spent my college days earning a Degree in Business and IT management. I let the tunes pump as I start to organise dinner, usually, we plan what we’re going to cook for dinner the night before so that whoever gets home first can do the cooking. I start making the Vegetarian Stir-Fry that Courtney loves, I fry up all the ingredients as she comes through the door at about half-past six getting in from work. “Damn that smells good,” she says as she comes through the front door and into the kitchen, kissing me on the neck.

Smiling I feed her a bit and she enjoys it, clearly, something has got her beaming with delight and that’s got to be something more than just seeing me sweating shirtless in the kitchen. “I have some amazing news, Grove Media have offered me an interview with them to be the editor of their new Fashion platform,” she says beaming with delight.

Looking across at her I smile, “That’s fantastic babe, you've wanted this for so long” I say hugging her before quickly heading back to the food so it doesn’t burn. She stands there for a moment “The thing is, the interview is in Harrington Cove and the job will be based there as well”.

My first thought is ugh because it would mean having to leave my family here in town who I am finally only just getting to spend regular time with. “Well, that’s alright babe, this is a dream job of yours and you can’t say no to it because of where it is” deep inside I’d prefer not to move again having lived out of a suitcase for most of my adult life so far.
I don’t know whether Courtney can sense my hesitation in her potentially taking a job on the other side of the country but she doesn’t act as if we can. I dish up dinner and put on a T-shirt before pouring her a celebratory glass of wine.

“I haven’t got the job yet,” she says having just changed out of the work clothes. “I know, but the fact they know who you are and want you for an interview says everything you’ve done with your blogging” the ability to smile with genuine delight getting to be a struggle but after following me around, I’m happy that she can do what she wants.

“So, when’s the interview?” I ask more curious about the details of the job and the interview process. “Well, it’s on Friday morning so I’ll be flying out on Thursday afternoon and then come back home Sunday because there’s an event on Saturday that they want me to blog about,” she says excited as I look across at her smiling about it before her face drops slightly “You know that I can’t bring you right, they told me for the interview that it’s just me they’d cover”.
I sit there nodding “Yeah I wasn’t expecting to go with you, anyway I’ve got Dad’s birthday this weekend remember,”. Courtney nods “That’s right, you don’t want to miss that” we finish dinner and she puts the plates in the dishwasher and takes a shower as I jump on the couch watching the Sports news to catch up on things.

After her shower, we curl up together on the couch and watch a movie on Netflix which I let her choose from seeing as it’s her night to pick something. I don’t really follow the storyline because in all honesty I don’t really care about the Girls comedy she picked but I am the perfect husband and sit there watching it with her.

It’s about 10 pm when we head to bed, I put in my earbuds and listen to a Fantasy Football podcast that I occasionally appear on as their so-called celebrity expert whilst Court just listens to one of her audiobooks.

The next two days are just ordinary days for us as we both go through our normal routines other than Courtney trying to pack her bags to head across to Harrington Cove. “So tomorrow, I’ll drive you out to the airport so you can get there in plenty of time, I’ve rearranged my day so that I can get you there,” I say to her as she smiles and kisses me.

“Now how about we go out to dinner just you and me for date night?” trying to be the perfect husband, we head out and head to the Thai restaurant where we had our first proper date. The night feels amazing and we have dinner, talking all about everything that the job entails and how excited that she is about even having the interview. After finishing dinner, we go for a walk along the park looking up at the mountains, holding hands and just spending some rare time together with how jam-packed our lives were during the first days of our marriage.

We head home and snuggle up with each other through the night, with plenty of passion in the kisses that we share as her naked body goes up against mine and we spend the night together in hot passion. The next morning, I get up after an exciting night and head to the gym, working on my legs, enjoying the burn of the workout as my muscles work out.

Heading home, I see Courtney already up and dressed ready to head to the airport even though her flight isn’t until this afternoon. “Didn’t think that you’d be ready to go this early?” I say surprised that she is ready to go already given it takes her hours to get ready or packed to go anywhere. The eagerness in her wanting to go makes me smile but at the same time, leaves me feeling confused and indifferent about her potentially wanting to leave Broughton to move all the way to Harrington Cove.

I have a shower and get changed before grabbing my phone and wallet and wheeling Courtney’s bag down to the car and loading it in the back. We jump in the car and drive to the airport; I try to be excited for her but she gets the sense that I’m feeling worried about it.

“Brax, there’s something bugging you I can tell” shaking my head I pat Courtney’s leg “Nothing is bugging me other than being away from you again because I hate that we’re apart,” I say with my charming smile which always melts, Courtney. “Yeah, I know but it’s only a couple of days apart, we’ve spent longer,” she says smiling obviously taking my lie about being ok with it.

We get to the airport and have Coffee, watching all the people saying goodbye to their loved ones remembering all the times that had to be me when that was leaving at the airport having to travel around the globe for the various events or around the country for various training camps. It feels weird being the one to send someone off but that’s how it is as it gets time for Courtney to board her flight.

I kiss her goodbye and watch her head towards the business class lounge before her flight, I watch her leave going up the escalator. Wandering back to the car, I keep thinking about whether I’m being selfish or not about Courtney getting the job and the likelihood of us moving across to Harrington Cove.

Getting to the car, I send a text out “Hey Nath, you busy tonight, wanna catch up for a drink?”, I know that if I talk things through then I might be in a better place mentally to deal with everything going on and uprooting my life after only just settling down.

My phone buzzes instantly “Of course I wanna catch up with my brother” Nathan replies so quickly that he must have had his phone out at the time. “Where do you wanna catch up? The Pub?” I start driving home and stopping at the Traffic Lights I check my phone. “The pub is good at about 7” Nath has texted back. I wait until I’m home until I reply so that I don’t get pulled up again for using my phone whilst driving.

I work through the afternoon, letting the tunes pump until it’s about 4 pm and I head down to the pool for another swimming session. I get through the laps, the drilled intensity still there inside me as I try to beat times in my head. The pace I go would still put me up in the top few in the world but for all the effort it takes I just can’t be bothered to put in the effort of being up at 3 am every morning.

Getting out of the pool, dripping wet I stand there just in my printed speedos as one of my ex-teammates Shea Bartlett wonders up to me. “Damn man, you’re still looking fast,” he says standing there as he’s about to get into the pool. “Cheers man, don’t want to let the talent go to waste you know even though I’ve retired”.

Shea looks at me “Sure you don’t want to come back, you’d still dominate the world” I laugh knowing that it would probably be true. “Nah, I’m good and enjoying retired life because I appreciate being able to sleep in until 7 am and 8 on a weekend” he laughs we shake hands before I head back into the locker room to get changed after having a shower. I look at the time and just get changed and head straight to the pub and wait for Nathan to turn up ordering both of us a beer.

Nathan is my younger brother by about 2 years but he’s always been the inspiration in my life because of everything that he has been through and he has come through it with a smile on his face. I sit in our usual spot waiting for him as I see him come through the doors and out into the section “Sup wheels” Nath laughs as he wheels himself up to the table where the beer is already sitting with him.

“Cheers man, I need this,” he says grabbing the beer and taking a drink “How’s work going?” asking Nathan as he sits there enjoying his beer looking through the menu. “Yeah, it’s really good man, enjoying being back in design and graphics it’s really good”. Sitting at the table Nath looks at me “What’s up with you, something is bothering you” clearly, I’m thinking about the whole potential move to Harrington Cove.

“Court got an interview to be the new Grove Media Fashion editor out in Harrington Cove,” I say as Nath gets excited “That’s amazing man but something has you bothered about it doesn’t it. My brother has always been my biggest supporter and best friend. “Well kinda, I wasn’t able to spend much time with you after your accident and travelling around I never got to spend time with Mum and Dad either and if we move to Harrington Cove then I’m not going to have these moments with you”.

Nath looks at me “Bro, you were always there for everyone, you pulled out of a World Championship mid-event to fly back halfway around the world to be here for me after my accident and I know that you didn’t leave my room for weeks while I was in the induced coma” I nod because I did, I only went to training and the hospital when Nath had his accident. Sitting there Nathan looks at me with the look like I’m being stupid, “Do you love Courtney?” Nathan asks me with a stern tone.

“Of course, I do, then do what you do for her and nobody will hate you for it, opportunities like this don’t come up every day and this could be once in a lifetime opportunity for her,” he says to me as I realise that he’s right and that I’m probably being selfish. The rest of the night, we just catch up talking and having fun like brothers tend to do. At about 9:30 I walk with Nath back to his place which he lives with his girlfriend Naomi who has been by his side the whole time.
Before heading off, he looks at me and just smiles “Just go with the flow remember bro, if she does get that job then nobody will be angry if you move again” I hug him and walk back to the pub and drive back to my apartment reflecting on his words.