Spouse Swap

My New Wife

Taylor

I regretted this experiment as soon as I opened the front door. I was floored by my new "wife." Tanya failed to mention that my partner would be a beautiful black woman. From the way Charlie reacted to my appearance, I'd say she wasn't forewarned either. I willed my eyes to not linger on Charlie's curvy figure, but they betrayed me. Her thick dark hair was pulled in a seductively high ponytail that rested at the nape of her neck. Her skin was the color of velvety milk chocolate, and she had a pair of matching almond-shaped eyes encased behind thick, long dark lashes that I wouldn't mind getting lost in. Last but not least, Charlie had the most kissable set of lips I've ever seen. 

Damn...why do we have to sleep in the same bed? Don't get me wrong, I love my wife, but I'm still a man at the end of the day, and Sarah hasn't touched me in almost a year despite my advances. I'm not gonna break my wedding vows, but Charlie's like the forbidden apple in the Garden of Eden.

My work cell phone rang, jarring me out of my thoughts. "It's work, excuse me," I said, stepping into the kitchen. My partner and best friend, Travis, greeted me excitedly.

"Is she there yet? What she look like? Oh, I bet she looks like a stray dog," he rambled.

"Uh, far from it, but we can discuss that later. You're calling my work phone, so I'm guessing you're calling for work purposes?" I questioned.

"Right. We were called in for two more jobs. I know you wanted the day off to get acquainted with the missus, but we gotta make this money, yo."

As much as I hated to leave Charlie so soon, Travis was right. Money was tight right now with the new baby, and we can't afford for me to turn down any jobs. The $10,000.00 from the project will be nothing short of a blessing. "Alright, send me the address, and I'll be there as soon as I can."

I went back to the living room, expecting Charlie to be there still, but she wasn't. The baby monitor chirped on the coffee table. I heard Connor cooing through the monitor while Charlie laughed with him. I made it to the nursery and watched Charlie expertly change Connor. She hadn't noticed me as she blew raspberries on his stomach, making him squeal with laughter.

I cleared my throat, saddened to ruin such an endearing moment. "Sorry Charlotte, b-"

"Call me, Charlie. All my good friends do."

I nodded my head in understanding. "Sorry to do this, but I was called into work last minute. Will you be okay here alone?"

She waved me off. "It's not a problem. Duty calls. Plus, I'll have my hands full while you're gone."

Charlie placed Connor on her shoulder, making her way to the kitchen with me in tow. Already her delicate rose-scented perfume was permeating through every nook and cranny of the house.

"How many ounces does Connor drink at one time?" she asked, preparing a bottle.

"About eight at a time. Sometimes more if he's being greedy."

Charlie nodded her head and concentrated on preparing the bottle, mixing it as if she was a mad scientist in a laboratory.

"I took a peek in the fridge. I hope you don't mind, but I'll have to go to the grocery store. Do you mind if I take Connor with me?"

"Absolutely not. I'll strap the car seat in for you."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it," Charlie said, beaming up at me with a magnetic smile.

"Oh, and a few more questions. What's the weekly budget for groceries? I also need to know your family's food preferences and if anyone's allergic to anything."

Damn, she's so thoughtful and considerate.

"I'd like to stay close to $250.00 a week in groceries, and that includes toiletries, diapers, and formula."

I could hear Charlie suck in a sharp breath.

"Sor-"

"Stop, don't apologize," she said, placing a delicate hand on my chest.

Her touch blazed through me like a raging fire. I figured she felt it too by the way she quickly dropped her hand.

"Don't worry, I can make it happen. You never finished answering; Likes? Dislikes? Allergies?"

"Jordan will eat anything except for brussel sprouts, and Kaylynn is allergic to squash."

She shot me a look of disbelief.

"Yeah, I know, it's the weirdest thing, but her face will break out in hives."

"And what about you?"

"I hate beets and lima beans," I sheepishly answered, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Great!" Charlie excitedly exclaimed.

I swear her gorgeous smile almost blinded me. God, it's been less than an hour, and I already can't get enough of her.

"Do I need to pick up the kids?"

Damn, I knew I forgot something. "No, not today. Kaylynn is spending the night at a friend's house, and Jordan will get a ride home from his friend."

"What about when school starts?"

"I'll have to take you to the office to put you on the emergency contact and pick up list."

"When does school start again?"

"Two weeks from now." She nodded her head while tapping away at her phone.

"What're you doing?"

Charlie stopped fiddling with her phone and slid it into her back pocket where my hand longed to be. "I was adding notes to my calendar. I've never been responsible for multiple children at one time, and it would suck to forget one of them at practice or something," she teased.

"Trust me...they'll find their way back home," I joked, handing her the debit card before leaving to strap the car seat in her Escalade.

"One more thing before you go," Charlie called out, crowding behind me as I finished strapping in the seat.

"What's up?"

"Can we discuss later tonight me working part-time?"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't taken aback. "Um, sure, but why do you want to work?" I asked, c*****g my head to the side like a confused puppy.

She c****d her head in the opposite direction peering at me through squinted eyes.

"Why wouldn't I? Who wants to sit at home all day? I need to contribute to the household too. It'll make me feel better about myself. Plus, I love doing what I do."

"Remind me, what is it that you do for a living, Charlie?"

"Did you not read my file?" she asked, glaring at me in annoyance.

I ran my hand through my hair to hide my embarrassment.

"No," I sheepishly admitted. "I wanted to get to know you on a personal level. I didn't want to just rely on the words on paper in a manila folder."

Charlie nodded her head in understanding. "Fair enough. But to answer your question, I'm a divorce attorney".

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't expecting that at all. "That's awesome, Charlie. We'll talk about it later. Thanks for consulting with me before deciding on your own."

"No problemo. Don't you have somewhere to be? I believe I've held you up long enough. What time should I be expecting you back home?"

"Close to 6:30, I suppose."

"Alright, cool. I'll put Connor down for a nap, unpack, and hit the store once he wakes. Let's exchange phone numbers, oh, and how about a selfie to commemorate Day 1?"

"Sure, why not?" I chuckled.

I took the picture because I was taller and could capture all three of us in the frame comfortably. I handed the phone back to Charlie and watched her grin from ear to ear.

"Perfect," she breathed out.

"I couldn't agree more myself."

"Be safe and have a good day at work," Charlie called out as I backed the vehicle out of the driveway.

I watched her wave at me from the rearview mirror, thinking that Mr. Davis is one lucky son of a b***h to have a woman like Charlie. We're gonna get along just fine...I have no doubt about that.

Charlotte

I barely managed to burp Connor before he passed out and laid him gently in his crib. I decided to unpack and transfer my belongings from the guest room to the master bedroom. The master bedroom was surprisingly beautifully decorated in various shades of blue, white, and gray. A king-sized bed sat in the middle of the room, pushed against the wall. Blue and gray pillows adorned the bed with a matching duvet on top of crisp white linen sheets. Two nightstands sat adjacent to the bed, and a large dresser with an intricately handcrafted mirror sat opposite the bed. The walk-in closet was spacious, and thankfully, Mrs. Scott took the majority of her clothes with her, leaving behind a multitude of colorful plastic hangers. I strolled over to the dresser and found two empty drawers I could use. I inspected the master bathroom next and was not disappointed. My favorite part was the intimate clawfoot bathtub that sat in front of the window, overlooking the spacious backyard. I found it odd that while my luxurious home featured the most modern designs and came with all the bells and whistles, I strangely felt more at home here than at my own home. I'll definitely be giving my interior designer a ring when I return.

I spent the next hour unpacking my bags and changed the bedding. The sounds of Connor's soft cries echoed through the baby monitor.

"Right on time," I mumbled, checking my watch. It was close to noon, and the shopping and cooking still needed to be done. I changed Connor and placed him in his playpen with a pacifier and some toys to distract him. I turned on a children's educational program to keep him occupied for the time being while I visited various websites to clip virtual coupons. It's been a hot minute since I had to pinch pennies and shop on a budget, but that didn't mean I don't know how. Back in the day, Tanya and I used to be coupon-cutting fools. Not even toe-curling s*x can replace the rush you get from seeing how much money you saved compared to the loads of stuff you purchased. I used to cackle to myself when I unloaded my haul; tickled pink I made it out the store like a bandit.

I returned three hours later, utterly exhausted from my shopping excursion. I did the damn thing, though—all for $210.87, with a savings of almost $400.00. I was relieved to be back. While I expected the curious stares directed towards Connor and me, I hadn't prepared myself for the numerous people of all races, mind you, approaching me asking so many abrasive questions.

"Where's the mother? Are you the nanny? Did you adopt him? Can I hold him?" I chose to ignore all of the questions with a tight-lipped smile, trying to contain my outrage. One woman had the balls to try and touch Connor's face, earning her a swift swat to the hand. What really ground my gears was that she had the nerves to look at me like I was a monster. I didn't know that woman or where she had been, and I was not about to have Connor's face broken out. From the ammonia smell emanating from her, one could deduce she had cats...multiple cats.

I strapped little man into his swinging chair with a bottle and went to put the groceries away. I pulled out the crockpot and poured in a large bag of meatballs, spicy bbq sauce, and grape jelly, and set the temperature to high. Tanya showed me this recipe years ago, and the meatballs come out so sweet and spicy, tempting me to make the meal weekly. With all the couponing I did, I was able to get an abundance of toiletries, household products, and baby items for nearly nothing. Feeling festive and proud of myself, I decided to whip up a Fruity Pebble cheesecake.

It was close to 4:30 in the evening, and the excitement of the day began to catch up with me. I hadn't realized I was running on fumes, and a well-deserved nap was warranted. I scooped Connor up, burping him on the way to the bedroom. I pulled back the duvet and placed him in the center of the bed, surrounded by pillows on both sides so he wouldn't roll off the bed. I changed into a t-shirt and shorts, not wanting to get in the bed with my street clothes on, and snuggled up to the lightly snoring baby. I set the alarm on my phone for 6:00, giving me ample time to cook the rice and broccoli before everyone gets home. Not even a minute later, and it was lights out for me.