Turney Toys

It's amazing how a man's own name can conspire to set the course for his life. From an early age Nathan Turney was always asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. He never really knew. Of course there were always the usual things: policeman, fireman, doctor, lawyer, but he only spoke of these things because all the other kids else did.

It was in high school that Nathan discovered a love of woodworking. There was just something that felt right about being covered in sawdust, and before long if you needed to find him the first place you would look would be the wood shop.

But it was when one of his shop instructors jokingly said that he should specialize in lathe work because of his last name that he truly did find his niche. He could put almost any chunk of wood on a lathe, and without a pattern or even an idea of what he might make, he could tease out a masterpiece.

It was during college that he met Mandy, a cute little redhead with enormous eyes that swallowed him whole. She was a business major and they met as part of a student-led exhibition designed to let potential businessmen and women get real-world experience in marketing other students' products and ideas.

Mandy was impressed by Nathan's wood turning skills, but she knew that to really excel at the exhibition she would need more practical pieces than the artistic ones Nathan had been concentrating on. Art is great, but practicality sells! She agreed to represent his work at the exhibition but suggested that for the occasion he create a series of unique salt shakers with matching pepper mills.

The exhibition was an enormous success for both Nathan and Mandy, and before long they were dating. They were a natural pair, with his burgeoning artistic abilities, and her flair for knowing how to sell and market his work.

They married soon after college and through Mandy's research and connections they decided to open, of all things, a toy manufacturing operation. Nathan created wonderfully inventive wooden toys and Mandy had an innate talent for marketing them.

Several years went by and Turney Toys had become a significant player in the toy market. They built a small factory with about fifty employees reproducing Nathan's designs and distributing them all across North America and Europe. Business was good.

Unfortunately, what's good for business is not always good for the love life. It wasn't that Nathan and Mandy weren't in love, they were more so now than ever. Their three children were fortunate in this modern world to have parents who not only were still married, but loved each other very much.

The toy business can be a crazy thing. Deals for Christmas toys are brokered over a year in advance. Scheduling production for the various lines of toys was always like some complex chess match so although the business was one borne of fun, at times it could be anything but.

*****

It was February and Nathan was busy installing new mass-production CNC machines that would increase production and allow more pieces to be produced in less time. Mandy was attending a big trade show in New York, closing deals with large department stores, chain stores and mom-and-pop toy stores alike.

"Honey, it's a zoo here!" sighed Mandy into the phone. "But I closed the MacDougal's department store deal so we can start stepping up production on the Rocky-Rolly line for summer."

"That's fantastic, sweetie! Great job!" replied Nathan.

He was always proud of his wife's ability to sell. To land a deal with MacDougal's department stores was nothing short of miraculous. Dorothy MacDougal had a reputation for being an extraordinarily tough nut to crack, so for Mandy to have landed the deal gave Turney Toys a great deal of credibility with other major retailers as well.

"How are things at home?" asked Mandy.

"Well, it snowed here really hard last night, so Jason didn't get the parking lot cleared until nine thirty, and half the factory was late getting to work today. We'll catch up though."

He paused briefly. "Will I get to, um, 'talk to you' tonight?"

Even through the phone Mandy could hear that Nathan had put quotes around the phrase. It was hard enough to make time to be together when she was home, but when she was traveling it was nearly impossible. Whenever they could they tried to set up designated times where she could call after Nathan had gotten the kids to bed and they could at least have phone sex.

"Ohhhhh. Ummm. I'm afraid not. I have to have dinner with the MacDougal people to ink the deal. And then they want to give me a tour of their flagship store's toy department so we can discuss other marketing opportunities."

Nathan grumbled slightly. "It just seems like we can't get a break can we? I really, really miss you, and your hot body. I miss having my hands wrapped around you and pulling you close to-"

"Nathan, stop it!" Mandy whispered in an urgent tone. "I'm still with customers here at the show and the last thing I need is to have a heap of sexual frustration following me around for the rest of the day!"

"Sorry, honey," lamented Nathan. "I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Tell Dorothy MacDougal I say 'hi'. I love you, you know!"

"Love you too," chirped Mandy as she blew a kiss into the phone.

What a life, she thought. We built the business we always wanted and it's doing quite well. But we seem to be losing 'us' along the way. This is going to have to change.

Nathan sat back in his office chair. This is ridiculous! We're doing more business than ever before, the factory is producing well, but I feel like I'm losing the 'living' part of life as we go. Something has to change,

His thoughts settled on Mandy. Specifically, he thought of her naked. He groaned quietly to himself before getting up to shut the office door. Turney Toys always had an 'open door' philosophy so that employees knew they could see and talk with anyone whenever they needed. But if someone's door was closed you simply knew not to knock unless absolutely necessary.

Nathan pressed the intercom button on his phone "Tina, would you please hold all my calls for awhile? I need to do some brainstorming here."

"Sure thing, Nathan," Tina's voice crackled back."How long do you need?"

"Better give me the rest of the morning. Just buzz me at noon, please."

Nathan closed his eyes and turned on some music. He just needed to clear his mind. Unfortunately the only thing he could think of was Mandy standing naked before him. Her fiery red hair had been a turn on for him since college, and had never diminished in its appeal. And whenever he looked at her curvy figure it would just drive him wild. She was blessed with a very narrow waist that gave a vaguely "corseted" look to her body, and Nathan ached to touch her at that moment.

Seeking momentary relief he swiveled his chair away from the office door, just in case someone were to barge in. He unfastened his trousers and unzipped his fly, allowing his throbbing cock to spring out. He imagined Mandy kneeling before him and running her hands up and down his thighs.

The thought forced him to grip himself tightly and stroke up and down a couple of times. His eyes fell to look upon his state of arousal. He paused his stroking and was struck by a sudden thought.

As much as he was ready to bring himself to release, he knew he'd better act quickly on this new idea in order to get it done in time.

He rushed through the factory, making his way through the resaw room, the turning area, the painting department, the packaging and warehousing departments. Employees in every department were quick to offer 'hellos' and high-fives, and a couple stopped him to ask some production questions.

At last he arrived at his private workshop. This is where he came up with all his ideas for new toys, all crafted from wood. It was here that he had come up with the Rocky-Rollys pull toys that featured figures of colorful, cartoony rock-and-roll musicians who would flail and gyrate on their little wooden wheeled stages. The Rocky-Rollys were enormously popular.

Today, however, Nathan had a different inspiration for a toy. He set about choosing just the right kind of wood and set it into the chuck of his favorite lathe. Soon the wood was turning and the shavings were flying about, coating Nathan's strong forearms. He shook off the bits and continued his work, shaping and sanding.

Before too long he was giving the new toy a glass-like final finish, enhancing the wood's natural beauty. Most, but not all, of Turney's Toys were finished in brightly colored paints, but this one cried out to be left alone to show off its natural hickory grain.

Nathan slipped the new creation into a box, sealed it up with tape and rushed it to the shipping department.

"Hey, Ken!" hollered Nathan above the factory's din. "Do you still have Mrs. Turney's New York address for the trade show?"

"Sure do, boss. You need something sent?"

"Yeah, I need to try to get this to her hotel tomorrow. Can you send this to her, overnight priority?" Nathan found himself a bit more out of breath than he should have. He smiled to himself hoping his plan would work.

*****

Early the following morning Mandy was sitting in the exhibit hall's lounge, poring over the show directory to make sure there wasn't an important dealer she had missed. Her phone buzzed announcing a text message. It was from Nathan.

Good morning, honey! I've sent a package to your hotel with a new toy in it. DON'T TAKE IT TO THE SHOW. I want to talk it over with you so don't show it to ANYONE! Call me when you can.

Was he kidding? She couldn't believe that Nathan wanted to introduce a new product at this late date. It would be exceedingly difficult to bring out something new now, without marketing materials, pricing information, etcetera.

She tried to call Nathan several times throughout the day but he never answered. She called the company line, but either Nathan wasn't in his office or didn't hear his pages. Perhaps he was outside, clearing snow from the parking lot or doing other maintenance, as he often did.

Nathan felt bad every time his phone rang and he saw his wife's number on the display. He wasn't ignoring her, oh, heavens no! But he was building a sense of curiosity, which was exactly what he wanted to do. He sent her another text imploring her to not make any evening plans with clients, but to go straight to the hotel and collect the package. He would call her at six o'clock her time and explain to her then.

She did as she was asked, and at precisely six o'clock she sat on the bed with the box perched on her knees. Suddenly her phone rang startling her with Nathan's familiar ringtone, Toyland.

"There you are!" she practically hollered into her phone. "I can't wait. What is this all about?"

Nathan chuckled at her agitation. He could just imagine her twitching nervously, which was exactly what he'd wanted.

"OK," he exclaimed. "It's just that right after we talked yesterday I came up with an idea for a new toy and I couldn't wait. I had to get it to you right away."

"But how can we possibly-"

"This is NOT for the customers to see. I'll need you to do some ... field testing to see if it's even a good idea. Now open the box and let me know when you have."

Mandy's small hands worked to slit the tape from the box and open it up. She waded through the packing foam and bubble wrap before she came to the toy which fell into her lap with a plop.

"Nathan-!" she squealed. "What have you made?"

He just remained silent, waiting for Mandy to process the new toy. She held it up before her in wonder and chuckled slightly.

"Do you like it?" asked Nathan in a lowered voice.

"Where are the kids?" asked Mandy with an renewed sense of urgency. Nathan just laughed out loud.

"Don't worry about the kids, honey. They're at your sister's house for the night. I knew I couldn't afford any distractions while we go over this new toy's features."

The toy was clearly not intended for a children's market. It was about 7 inches long and cylindrical in shape. It tapered slightly from one end to the other flaring out again about an inch from the tip which was rounded.

Mandy hesitated slightly. "Is it ... usable?" she asked sounding slightly embarrassed.

"Most definitely, my dear," whispered Nathan. "Now, I want you to do exactly as I say. The toy will need to warm up a bit. So put it in a glass and fill it with water. Heat it up in the microwave. While it's heating see if you can find something to use as lube."

"I think I might have some in my purse!" Mandy practically shouted.

As she followed his instructions Nathan could almost see what he was hearing; the plastic wrap being removed from a glass, the toy clinking into it, the water running and the beeps of the microwave as it was being set for 'beverage'.

He resumed his instructions."Now take a minute to take off all of your clothes, but try to hurry 'cause I'm getting impatient!"

For the next little while all Nathan could hear was slight ruffling as Mandy complied with his request. He could hear her lift the phone from the bed and his breath caught slightly as he could hear how aroused she had become.

"OK, I'm naked. Now what?" she purred.

Nathan's voice was becoming more commanding by the moment as his own tension built along with Mandy's. "Take the toy, and lie back on the bed.

"Now spread those luscious legs that I love so much, but don't touch yet. I want you to take the toy and get a good sense of how it feels. Start by tracing a circle with the tip around your left nipple."

Nathan knew that Mandy's left nipple was the more sensitive of the two. He was torturing her deliberately, but her soft, nearly inaudible sighs let him know he was on the right track.

"That's it, baby. Press it firmly against that creamy skin of yours," Nathan directed. "Now I want you to put it right between your tits. Got it? Now wrap them around it and just rub lightly up and down. You know. Just like you do when my cock is nestled in there. Mmmmmmmmm, yeah."

Nathan's own breathing was growing deeper, but he could hear through the phone that Mandy's arousal was also increasing, even though she had not said a word. He resisted his own urges long enough to listen as intently as he could to hear her reactions to having this new toy against her body. When he sensed she was getting the hang of it he resumed his instructions.

"Grab it by the base, " he said insistently, "and very, very slowly glide it down your tummy until the head is near your clit. Don't rush, because I can hear you and I'll know if you cheat."

Mandy's whimper told Nathan that his new creation was having exactly the effect he had intended. He smiled as he imagined the natural wood finish approaching his wife's delectable pussy. He knew it had arrived at the prescribed destination when he heard a very soft, "ooooooh, yeah."

"Now tilt it up so just the tip is touching you, and tease out that beautiful little clit I love so much."

For the next full minute or more Nathan just listened intensely while Mandy lost herself to this directive. Each little moan and pant and sigh increased the firmness of his cock until he felt the need to release it into his waiting hand. He squeezed it tightly.

You doing OK, baby?" Nathan asked, trying to gauge her readiness to continue.

"Mmmm-hmmmm" she managed to sigh, rough and ragged.

"Good. Now take it off your clit-"

"Nooo!" she cried.

"Come on, baby. You have to do as I say. Take it off and put some lube on it. Be quick!"

Like he needed to tell her to be quick!

It's amazing the nuances one can hear in the sounds through a phone. Nathan could hear not just the snapping open of the lube bottle, but frantic snapping. He could hear the blurping sound of fluid being dispensed and he could even hear it being slathered onto Mandy's new favorite plaything. Nathan did not wait for confirmation from her because he could tell she was ready.

"Now," he said, "I want you to place the head right at the entrance to your pussy. Put it in just Like I do with my cock."

Though slight, Nathan could hear the wetness of her flesh yielding to the tip being inserted.

"Good, honey, good. How you doing?"

Again all she could eke out was a feeble "Mmmmm-hmmmm".

Nathan smiled as he continued his bidding.

"OK. Yes. Mmmmmm," Nathan said, desperately trying to maintain his own focus as his hand prepared to match his next instruction.

"Now, push it all the way in, nice and slow, like I love to do," he said in a low and firm voice, his fingers gliding down his rigid cock as he did so.

They both moaned simultaneously at the sensations of being so together while being a thousand miles apart.

"Ohhhhh, yeah, baby" purred Mandy, clearly lost in the moment. "Take me. Fuck me"

For the next several minutes no words were exchanged, but plenty of moaning, sighing, and murmuring urged one another on. Nathan could tell that Mandy was getting close.

That's it, baby!" he coaxed. "Come for me! Come with me! Ooooh, yeah!"

He heard the unmistakable sounds of his wife's climax, and in his mind's eye he could see every writhe, buck and spasm as she cooed, squealed, and sighed. It sent him over his own precipice and his own cum erupted a few seconds later.

For the next couple of minutes the only sounds were those of labored breathing slowly returning to a normal cadence. Nathan had kept his phone clasped tightly to his ear the entire time, but he could tell that Mandy had let hers drop some time ago. He heard her phone rustle across the sheets as she drew it to her ear.

"Oh, sweetie," she said, "that was incredible. Thank you so much! I think this is the best toy you've ever created."

"Anything for my Mandy!" beamed Nathan. "I love you so much and I miss you terribly! I'm glad you'll be home in a few days.

"Me too!" replied Mandy. She sighed heavily. "Now I know why you didn't want me to show this to the clients! Especially Mrs. MacDougal! Can you imagine what she would have thought?"

Nathan laughed heartily. "Oh, man! That would have lost us the account for sure!"

They chatted for awhile, simply reconnecting over the many things that tend to get pushed aside, whether together or apart. They reflected on how blessed they were to have one another, and how they managed to keep their relationship solid, despite the many challenges that face every couple. Eventually they "kissed" good-night and went to their respective beds, happy and content.

After Mandy returned home from the trade show she and Nathan enjoyed a fresh vitality to their lives, not the least of which occurred in the bedroom, with and without the new toy.

*****

During Mandy's trip she had made many sales to customers new and old alike. The MacDougal's Department Store contract was the most lucrative by far and it became clear that they would even have to hire additional workers to meet the higher demands.

During the following two months Nathan managed to find and hire four new skilled workers to augment the production workforce. Mandy was finally able to justify hiring a marketing assistant to aid her in the efforts to keep Turney Toys at the forefront of the highly competitive market.

As might be expected, the business' growth spurt required a lot of attention to bring everyone up to speed, and it kind of caught Mandy off-guard when she realized that already she would have to travel to another trade show, this time in Germany.

She was about three weeks away from her departure date when she and Nathan had their usual pre-show meeting to go over preparations and objectives.

"I'm thinking that this year we might want to emphasize more of our classic toys for the European market," said Mandy. "Lately there's been a return to fundamental styles and designs, so I think we can take advantage of that without really having to introduce anything new. Maybe we can create some 'classic sets' by combining existing products."