Equal Opportunities
- 4 years ago
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It was Monday morning, the 14th of August. Sixty-one years ago, Japan had surrendered to the Allies. Stan knew exactly how they felt. His body was battered by lack of sleep and his eyes were terribly gritty. He needed a shave, coffee, a shower, coffee, breakfast, coffee, some painkillers and coffee — and not necessarily in that order.
So he forced himself into action, putting on his underwear and grabbing painkillers and a glass of water first, then putting a very strong pot of coffee on. He headed into the bathroom, took care of business and padded back into the bedroom where he got dressed before wandering into the kitchen.
There he downed the first of his cups of coffee and made breakfast. He'd consumed two cups of the strong black coffee by the time he'd finished eating. He poured another cup and walked with a little more security into the living room. He switched on the TV, more in order to keep track of time than to actually watch it.
As he sipped his third cup of the morning, he took stock of how he felt. The tears of last night had eventually stopped but he still felt a deeper sense of loss than he had for quite a while. On the other hand, he had felt worse before, so he was still, he supposed, making progress. 'Of a sort!' he thought.
Well, moping wouldn't cure it. "You have to get over this sometime," he reminded himself aloud. He switched off the TV, put his cup into the sink and took himself off to work.
Elaine took one look at him as he walked in and said "Stan, are you okay? You look terrible!"
"Yeah, Just a bad night, that's all. How're you?"
"Oh, I'm peachy keen, thank you very much!" she replied, bouncing slightly on her chair. Her enthusiasm and good humour were infectious. Stan asked "So why your good mood this morning?"
Elaine settled back into her chair and blushed slightly. "Well, I kinda got woken up the right way," she said with a self-satisfied grin. Stan couldn't help himself, he said, "I'm glad someone did!" and smiled a little wanly before turning and walking towards the office. He stopped and turned before reaching the door.
"Heard any more from Denise?" he asked.
"No, not yet," replied Elaine. "I'm sure she's fine Stan, having fun. You know, like young people do?" she teased.
Attempting to hold back a grin Stan tried to look severe as he said "Now just you look here you little whippersnapper, young people should give their elders some respect!" but he failed dismally, bursting into laughter. He almost forgot how tired he was.
Elizabeth was, of course, already at her desk when Stan got to his. She too looked at him and asked, "Are you all right, Stan?"
"I might as well put a notice out, 'Stan is feeling tired, very, very tired, today' and be done with it," he grumbled. But Elaine's contagious good mood had got to him. Plus he had something to look forward to.
He leaned forward and spoke quietly to Elizabeth, "You know it's my dance lesson tonight?"
Elizabeth nodded. He continued, "And, it looks like I'll have company. Anne wants to learn, too."
"How on earth did you manage that, Stan?" she asked him in surprise.
Stan shrugged. "I dunno, just did!" he said, eyes down in front of him at his desk.
"Well done, anyway!" Elizabeth told him, with a grin.
Later that morning, Anne came to see him. She took his 'visitor's chair' and pulled it up closer to him. She wasn't that close, but Stan still felt a slightly guilty thrill.
"What are you wearing tonight, Stan?" she asked him.
"What? Oh, er, well I expect it'll be the same as I wore Friday night. I don't have special clothes for dancing."
"Oh. Okay then. I just thought you might have something more, well... glitzy."
Stan couldn't help but smile.
"No, nothing more glitzy, or glamorous. We're not talking competitive dancing you know!"
"All right then, what colour tie?" was Anne's next question.
"I beg your pardon?" came Stan's bemused response.
Patiently, Anne repeated, "Tie colour?"
Stan realized she was serious and wanted to match his colouring. He thought for a moment and said, "Blue. Blue tie."
Anne smiled. "See? Not so hard, was it? You were taught well."
Stan thought for a moment, and then admitted, "It was Caron. She tried hard, but little of it stuck. I can't colour-coordinate to save my life, really. I've never understood why 'Blue and Green should never be seen', after all if you look out of the window, you'll see grass and sky, which look fine together to me!"
"That's OK, just let me sort out what will work with you. Men!"
Anne smiled and finished with, "See you tonight then. What time are you picking me up?"
"Just before seven o'clock. It's a half hour drive and starts at seven forty five, and we want to get there a little before the start to get the paperwork for you done."
Sure enough, at ten to seven Stan was outside Anne's house. She'd needed to give him directions as he didn't know where she lived, although it wasn't all that far from his place.
Anne lived in a small house, but it was in one of the nicer parts of a very nice little satellite village just outside the town. Actually, it was more like a cottage. Her small garden was well tended and full of flowers, Stan noted. 'How in heck does she make time for that?' he thought.
He rang the doorbell and after a moment Anne opened it. Given the fact that she was an inch taller than him to start with, the effect of the doorstep and the heels she was wearing put him face to face with something other than her face! He blushed.
Anne's apricot coloured dress was cut low in the front. Once Stan had stepped back he could see that the skirt was long but made with wide pleats, allowing her to move. She'd adorned it with a small but very nice sapphire brooch, which matched her dangly earrings. Her blonde hair was piled on top of her head. Finally getting himself together, Stan whistled.
Anne merely looked like she was anticipating something. "You look like a million dollars!" he finally managed. She smiled and coloured a little. "I thought a little effort was in order," she said. Stan's rejoinder was, "That's more than a little. You'll have the other ladies envious, and the men desperate to dance with you."
"Oh. It's not too much is it? I can change..."
"No you can't, we'll be late. Besides, why change? It's fantastic, Anne. Come on." Stan said, and took her hand. He opened the car door and closed it after she was seated, then went around to the driver's side, started the car, and drove off.
During the journey they chatted a little. Anne told a bit about her time at school in Bournemouth.
"It's called Talbot Heath School. They score very highly in the league tables for their exam results, and it's quite exclusive. I was lucky that I got a partial scholarship. Even so, my parents had to do without to send me there and I'm very grateful. How about you?"
Stan told about his school. Edward Driver School had been the former Grammar school in his town. Stan told her, "It was only single-sex because the headmaster there had stayed on after it lost Grammar school status. He didn't want 'distractions', so he found ways not to spend the money that would have been needed to go co-ed."
They were amused to find they'd both gone to single-sex schools. Anne had gone on to university at Imperial College in London. She'd got a "2:1" degree, which meant she'd just barely failed to get the highest class result. "I was so, so disappointed with that. I really wanted that 1st Class degree, but I'd not put in as much study as I should have. Then I tried to make it up at the end and it just wasn't enough. So since then I've put more effort into my work, and it's paid off."
Stan told her that he'd never attended university. "I went straight to work. The company I was with sent me off to college one full day a week, I got my diploma that way. Aside from some courses I've taken at home on-line, that's it."
"Do you think you lost or gained out of going to a single-sex school, Stan?" Anne asked.
"A bit of both. In the short term, I think I gained; the Head was right about the fewer distractions thing. Had I been thinking then of university and so on it might have made a difference as to which ones I could get in.
"In the long term, it didn't gain me much academically and it really constrained my development socially. I needed a clear 'come ahead' to get the get-up-and-go to ask Caron out. She told me later it was one of the things she liked about me, that I was shy but not so shy as to be a social cripple.
"As I got older, I got a little bolder. I found that I could, sometimes, talk to someone I didn't know at a meeting or sales pitch or whatever. But although I like company, I'm still not comfortable in crowds, and strangers in social settings are definitely intimidating. What about yourself?"
Anne replied, "Oh, it wasn't a problem for me. Besides, Linwood School was only a short way away, and it was mixed. We weren't supposed to have anything to do with them of course, but I found that the older boys certainly wanted something to do with me, well, at least once these two," she said, looking down, "started arriving. I was flat as a pancake until I was almost sixteen. They're still not big though, are they?"
Stan, his eyes firmly on the road, merely said, "Big enough."
Anne smiled. "It's okay, Stan, I don't mind you looking at them. Well, I do mind now, you're driving. It's different at work. People treat me in a different way just because I'm a bit pretty and I've got a nice figure. I want to be recognised for what I've done, and what I can do, not because I've a nice face, blonde hair and a cute butt."
"Hmmm, have you had Quality Control check out that butt of yours for cuteness?" Stan said, grinning while he drove.
"Not yet, but I'm sure you'll be doing that tonight, now!" laughed Anne.
It was hard not to let the client see the nausea inducing fear that I felt at that moment as the courier interrupted our meeting to handed me the small pink envelope. I didn’t even need to open it right away, I just tucked it into my desk drawer and tried to keep my focus on the details of Mr. Robinson’s proposed business loan. I told him we would need to review his proposition in order to get the loan approved and would get in touch with him soon, but in reality I just wanted to get him out...
It was hard not to let the client see the nausea inducing fear that Ifelt at that moment as the courier interrupted our meeting to handed methe small pink envelope. I didn't even need to open it right away, Ijust tucked it into my desk drawer and tried to keep my focus on thedetails of Mr. Robinson's proposed business loan.I told him we would need to review his proposition in order to get theloan approved and would get in touch with him soon, but in reality Ijust wanted to get him out of my...
It was a beautiful afternoon in Paris. The autumnal air was still warm enough not to need a coat or anything over the top of his suit jacket, and Stan walked out onto the balcony of the hotel room. He breathed deeply. Life was good. He felt a hand in the small of his back, and another arm draped over his shoulder. He looked to his left, to see Anne, blonde hair up in a complicated looking knot, looking incredible in her ivory, flowing, strapless lace dress with a ribbon belt around her waist....
Where do I begin? Hmm. Good question. The beginning? My childhood growing up without my parents? How I went to live with my aunt and uncle and cousin after my folks died? My time in the Army? My time after the Army working for Red River Private Security? Getting married, and my wife telling me she wanted a Divorce a little over a year later? I guess I could start at any of those points in time. Tell ya what. I'll give you a quick little overview of my life before I became an...
Southern California, June, 2014 “Ok, why do you insist in listening to heavy metal while driving, baby?” Tabby asked me, as I smirked and bobbed my head to Armorclad’s latest CD, A Storm in Heaven, in my stereo. “Because I know the lead singer of this band,” I replied with a grin, giving my girlfriend a glance and a wink. “Besides, the music is great, sweetheart. It keeps me awake and focused on driving.” She just rolled her eyes, shook her head, and grinned in spite of herself. She...
Preface and Dedication This story could not have happened without the initial encouragement of Strickland83, who read a post I made on Nick Scipio’s forum and urged me to consider writing. Of course, that leads me to thank Nick, and also Frank Downey. Their Summer Camp and Dance of a Lifetime books, respectively, were truly inspirational. Cheers, guys. Other authors who contributed, unknowingly, include everyone that I read between the ages of around 8 (When I discovered Arthur Ransome’s...
Stan first had to take Anne back to her house so that she could change for work. Stan, in any case, normally arrived earlier than Anne, so they arranged to drive their own cars, for the time being at least. The first thing that happened to Stan as he walked into The Firm was a surprise. Elaine came from behind the reception desk and hugged him. ‘Thank you, Stan,’ she told him, ‘thank you for being so kind and understanding yesterday.’ Stan protested, ‘But I didn’t do anything!’ But Elaine...
Equal Opportunity an original story by CutePatti Billy had been looking forward to playing baseball all winter and could hardly wait for summer to arrive. He had just turned 13 and was eligible to play in a brand new league called the intermediate league. It was going to be so cool to get out of little league and he had heard that a lot of the rules were going to be different in the new league. He just knew that the new rules were going to be so much better than all the ...
Stan first had to take Anne back to her house so that she could change for work. Stan, in any case, normally arrived earlier than Anne, so they arranged to drive their own cars, for the time being at least. The first thing that happened to Stan as he walked into The Firm was a surprise. Elaine came from behind the reception desk and hugged him. "Thank you, Stan," she told him, "thank you for being so kind and understanding yesterday." Stan protested, "But I didn't do anything!" But...
Stan returned home, quivering. He felt full of energy and unable to be still, like he’d had several espressos, one after the other in quick succession. He bounced around from room to room, unable to settle into doing anything useful before he managed to bring himself to a halt. ‘Settle down, Stan,’ he told himself aloud, ‘Get a grip. It’s just a date, you’re not getting married!’ He forced himself to schedule things: shower, followed by a change of clothes, a quick snack, then listen to some...
Stan looked at Denise, totally bereft of ideas for what to say. Denise was right. He had said that, emphasised it even. He could see that from her point of view he’d been completely dishonest and hurtful. What had happened with Anne had been incredible, but it had all happened while Denise was away, and no-one had let her know – she’d found out the hard way. Stan hated that he’d hurt her. So he tried to tell her that. Before he could finish, Anne interrupted. ‘Denise, it’s not Stan’s fault....
‘Where, Anne?’ asked Stan, mildly. But he was anxious, twisted up inside. ‘Is it far?’ ‘No, Stan, not far. I’ll commute. It’s about an hour each way, about sixty miles or so up the motorway.’ ‘So you’re going to stay with us?’ asked Denise, looking and sounding troubled. ‘Yes, of course!’ Anne answered, sitting up straight. ‘Thank God!’ muttered Stan, and Anne took his hand in both of hers. ‘I wouldn’t leave you, silly!’ she told him. ‘Good! ‘Cuz we’re not planning on letting you go!’...
Chapter 15 It was Friday. Denise was waiting by the phone. She’d been there all day, with only short trips into the kitchen to grab snacks. Jim had promised to ring her today. Ibiza was an hour ahead, so when it was ten o’clock in the morning here, it was eleven a.m. over there. Surely Jim would have woken early today, he was going to ring her. While she waited, she ran back over her holiday in Ibiza in her mind, savouring the memories… – – – – – – – – – – On that second day of her break,...
Chapter 22 Denise and Elizabeth were out shopping. Elizabeth was enjoying herself. She could no longer wear the provocative outfits that she’d enjoyed as a young woman, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t get a vicarious thrill out of persuading others to do so. She’d had to rein her daughter Kelly back, she’d willingly have gone too outrageous even for Elizabeth, but Denise was inclined to baulk. So Elizabeth was cajoling, encouraging, persuading Denise to try some flimsier, sexier...
On Thursday morning, Elizabeth took one look at Stan as he walked into the office and knew that her plan for him had worked, albeit not in the way she’d expected. He had a spring in his step, his face was open and content and he was whistling some tune or other. She couldn’t help smiling at Stan when he sat down, the same beatific look still on his face. ‘You had a good night and all went well, I see,’ she told him. ‘I had a great time, thanks, Elizabeth!’ he replied. He told her about the...
It was Friday. Denise was waiting by the phone. She'd been there all day, with only short trips into the kitchen to grab snacks. Jim had promised to ring her today. Ibiza was an hour ahead, so when it was ten o'clock in the morning here, it was eleven a.m. over there. Surely Jim would have woken early today, he was going to ring her. While she waited, she ran back over her holiday in Ibiza in her mind, savouring the memories... On that second day of her break, she had sunbathed near...
Anne said nothing about her new personal insight that night. She still wanted to allow time to pass to make sure that it wasn't just the heat of the moment. For heat there was, undoubtedly. Stan dropped Denise off at her house and waited to be sure she got indoors safely, and then he drove on. As soon as Denise was out of sight he felt Anne's hand on his thigh, heightening his own response. It was difficult to drive with her hand there and a burgeoning erection, plus whenever he had to...
"Where, Anne?" asked Stan, mildly. But he was anxious, twisted up inside. "Is it far?" "No, Stan, not far. I'll commute. It's about an hour each way, about sixty miles or so up the motorway." "So you're going to stay with us?" asked Denise, looking and sounding troubled. "Yes, of course!" Anne answered, sitting up straight. "Thank God!" muttered Stan, and Anne took his hand in both of hers. "I wouldn't leave you, silly!" she told him. "Good! 'Cuz we're not planning...
It was a beautiful afternoon in Paris. The autumnal air was still warm enough not to need a coat or anything over the top of his suit jacket, and Stan walked out onto the balcony of the hotel room. He breathed deeply. Life was good. He felt a hand in the small of his back, and another arm draped over his shoulder. He looked to his left, to see Anne, blonde hair up in a complicated looking knot, looking incredible in her ivory, flowing, strapless lace dress with a ribbon belt around her...
"Unequal gifts" by Jennifer Brock Sibling rivalry is a powerful thing. Sixteen years of his twin sister receiving obviously superior presents sends a boy into an unusual battle of wills with his father. How far is he willing to go to prove a point? Reagan had been living all his life knowing that his sister was their father's favorite, but the car was the last straw. The day after he threw her a massive Sweet Sixteen party, (technically it was Reagan's birthday party too, but...
Chapter 18 Stan sat in the booth and Anne took a seat next to him, opposite Elaine. The cute receptionist looked up and Stan could see she was close to tears. Gently, he asked her, ‘Elaine, whatever’s the matter? Is there anything I can do?’ Elaine barely managed ‘Su-Su-Sus-Susan!’ and came to a halt, sobbing. Stan looked at Anne, for permission before he went around the table and sat next to Elaine with his arm around her. ‘Ssshhh, it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m sure we can sort it out,’ he...
Anne woke up at a quarter past five in the morning. ‘Oh, God I must be mad!’ she thought, as she picked her way foggily through her early morning routine. Downstairs she found Denise, wearing a bathrobe, with coffee ready to pour. ‘Good morning, Anne,’ she said quietly. ‘Stan’s gone back to sleep. He’ll wait up for you tonight. I’ll sleep in the spare room, but I’ll stay up as well – I want to hear how your first day went!’ Anne almost fell into a chair at the table. ‘Monday, the 15th of...
‘She’s inconsolable,’ Anne told him. Stan looked up. He was in his kitchen, filling the kettle. Tea all around seemed to be the best answer. ‘God, I’m so English!’ he thought, irrelevantly. Anne stood in the doorway of the kitchen, leaning tiredly against the doorframe. Her white blouse was stained with what Stan assumed were tears and makeup. She looked exhausted. Stan put the kettle on and went to her. He gathered the tall blonde figure into his arms and kissed her, softly, tenderly. ‘I...
It was Monday morning, the 14th of August. Sixty-one years ago, Japan had surrendered to the Allies. Stan knew exactly how they felt. His body was battered by lack of sleep and his eyes were terribly gritty. He needed a shave, coffee, a shower, coffee, breakfast, coffee, some painkillers and coffee – and not necessarily in that order. So he forced himself into action, putting on his underwear and grabbing painkillers and a glass of water first, then putting a very strong pot of coffee on. He...
Stan woke up, and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. ‘I’m sorry, love, what was I thinking?’ he softly told the beautiful dark eyes that only he could see. Arriving at work, he said ‘Hi!’ to Elaine, who replied, ‘Good morning! Did you enjoy yourself last night?’ Stan walked almost to the door from reception to his office area, stopped, half turned to Elaine and said quietly, ‘Yes, thank you, Elaine.’ Before she could ask any more he opened the door and walked through. Elizabeth...
Denise woke up. It was Sunday morning. She, Elaine and Susan had spent the whole of Saturday together, just simply enjoying each other’s company. Susan’s bed was crowded with the three of them, and Denise wondered idly for a moment whether she should broach the subject of getting a bigger bed. She twisted over and met the twinkling eyes of Susan. They both heard a soft snore from Elaine, and smiled at one another. Susan mouthed ‘Coffee?’ at Denise, who nodded, so they carefully got out of...
Stan twisted on the sofa. Anne had invited him in, but not for coffee. There was only one plausible explanation… was he ready? His erection felt like a log in his underwear… That part of him felt ready, at least. Anne had opened her door and gestured him inside. She’d told him, ‘Sit there while I fix us a drink. What would you like?’ Stan asked for a scotch, but asked for a glass of water too. Anne was now in the kitchen, fixing things. ‘Glenmorangie?’ she called, and Stan replied,...
The morning after the night before was not nice, but copious amounts of water and painkillers helped, along with several cups of coffee. All three gathered in Stan’s kitchen, listlessly going through the motions of making breakfast. Finally, Stan said ‘Hey, we ought to go to Iorio’s for breakfast. Getting out of the house would do us good, anyway.’ ‘I never thought I’d hear you advocating fresh air, Stan!’ grumbled Anne, though she had a slight smile on her face. ‘He’s probably right,...
Chapter 11 After a fitful night, Stan got up in the morning feeling tired and somehow unkempt. A shower and a shave later it was only tiredness, but Stan couldn’t get the grittiness out of his eyes. His 20-20 hindsight was telling him that there were all sorts of things he could have said last night, the most important of which would have been ‘Can I take you out for a drink next week?’ or something similar. In his wildest fantasies Anne invited him in for ‘coffee’- an invitation that would...
Denise woke up. She immediately wished she hadn’t. True, this wasn’t the first hangover she’d woken up with on this holiday, but that didn’t make it any better. ‘I’ll have to get up and get some water down me, oh and some painkillers,’ she thought. She put an arm down to help lever herself out of bed. When her hand fell on something she wasn’t expecting, she remembered, ‘Oh, God! Jim!’ She looked across to her left, where he was still asleep. In the diffused light coming through the curtains...
Anne watched Stan and Denise climb the stairs. Stan turned to look at her and she blew him a kiss, smiling at him. They bounded up the stairs out of sight and Anne fell back into her chair. Watching Stan kiss Denise had been hard, very hard. Anne had thought it out beforehand, considered that Stan and Denise would be kissing and much, much more — but as she’d told them, actually seeing it was something else. Now they’d be upstairs, undressing. Denise had those wonderful large breasts, things...
Chapter 5 The following morning Stan woke up, did the painkillers-and-water routine, and he slowly put himself together. He’d been very tired when he returned home the previous night and had fallen asleep the instant he hit the bed. This morning his thoughts kept replaying Denise’s parting comment. His best friend was telling him, ‘You’ve got to get over it sometime… why not now?’ ‘Doesn’t she know the pain I’ve been going through? Doesn’t she understand that I can’t do that to Caron?’ he...
Chapter 9 Stan woke up late Saturday morning. At first he lay still while he put his scattered mind back together. Then he rolled onto his back, whispered, ‘Good morning, love,’ and went over what had happened last night. With the morning sunlight flickering through the curtains, last night’s events didn’t seem so momentous. Last night he’d thought the evening was incredible. He’d spoken to Anne in a non-work setting, it had been almost as if they’d been to a dinner date on their own. Now,...
Chapter 17: Anne & Stan On Saturday morning Stan had woken with Anne, each feeling very slightly awkward with the other, not knowing what to say, and then a smile, a touch and all was well again. Anne had looked coyly at Stan, who’d given her a long, lustful, lingering kiss. The kiss turned into a more extended make-out session, before Stan broke it off. He was a little embarrassed: he ought to have been physically aroused, but nothing was happening. ‘Tempus fugit,’ he thought ruefully while...
It was a bright, refreshing Christmas morning. Stan and Anne had agreed to meet at Denise’s cottage since she was going to be cooking the first real holiday meal for their unorthodox family. Anne insisted on getting there early for breakfast so that they could all open their presents… as soon as possible! There was, of course, no snow, but it was chilly. Stan rang Anne to ask if she wanted a lift. She gratefully accepted, so he drove around to pick her up. Anne was ready and waiting when he...
The first day back to work at The Firm was Wednesday, the 3rd of January. Anne immediately went to see Percy and handed in her notice. ‘I’m very sorry, but I really have to leave on the twelfth,’ she told her manager. ‘But that’s only just over a week away!’ he exclaimed, obviously annoyed. ‘My new firm, Boundless Waves, will pay compensation for the short notice. But I’m really very sorry, the date’s non-negotiable, it’s either then or no deal. In the meantime I’ll get my project as tidy as...
On the way home from Boundless Waves on Friday evening, Anne was sitting next to Denise on the train. They were alone in that part of the carriage. She turned to Denise and thanked her, saying, ‘You made a big difference to the outcome, first by setting up and running the computers, then by making sure I wasn’t disturbed by ‘support calls’ from Ken and Sid. You stayed late with me those nights when we were running those tests – which worked, thank God! – and finally, perhaps most importantly,...
On Wednesday morning two things were delivered to The Firm. One was a printout of a picture e-card, sent from her hotel on Ibiza, from Denise to ‘All at The Firm’. Denise had written, ‘Having a great time, nightlife is wonderful!’ and signed it with a kiss. Elaine pinned it up on the notice board, as was usual for holiday postcards. Stan noticed it as he went for a coffee that morning. He read the card and smiled, thinking, ‘So much for spending the nights in bed!’ He just hoped Denise was...
It was early in the next week when Anne’s patience finally blew. Ken poked his head out of his office and called to her, ‘Anne! Got a minute?’ Anne was jolted out from deep in concentration. She answered, ‘What is it, Ken?’ ‘Could you sort out my PC? I’m getting weird messages from it, and I have to go out.’ Anne whirled her chair to face him, exploding, ‘Well Ken, I’m trying to design the product that you’re betting a lot of money on! I haven’t got time to nursemaid your PC right now – ask...
Stan had found that the loosely fixed ‘alternate days’ arrangement that they had come to was actually very loose. This last week, with Anne now finally free from the enormous pressure she’d been under, it had been the spectacular blonde who had spent most evenings with him. Saturday night Denise stayed with him, then on Sunday Anne again claimed her turn. ‘Anne, not that I mind, but how come you’re with me so much at the moment? I don’t want Denise to feel left out.’ Anne, snuggled up...
Eventually, Stan and Denise were both informed that they would be able to leave The Firm at the end of the first week in April. Their final weeks flew by in a rush as they tasked themselves to tidy up their projects and hand them over to others. Stan thought it significant that no thought was given to hiring replacements. As the time for their departure grew closer, Stan and Denise gave thought to saying goodbye to people. Denise wasn’t looking forward to saying it to Elaine, and Stan had no...
Susan’s place turned out to be a small two-bedroom apartment in a popular estate near the town centre. Denise pulled up outside and shut down the Streetka, letting out the two girls in the back. Susan walked to her front door and opened it, gesturing for Denise to go in. ‘Your room’s at the far end, on the right. Ours is opposite, on the left. D’you want a coffee or anything before we go to bed?’ ‘No thanks, Susan. Not coffee, I’ll have enough trouble sleeping.’ ‘I don’t think we’ve got...
Denise woke. She felt… odd. She rolled over, feeling stiff and sore. ‘Oh!’ She remembered why she felt a bit sore, there and smiled, remembering the feeling of Stan being deep inside her ass, the stretching being a little uncomfortable, but the sensation of being filled was soooo good! She looked down. Stan was still asleep, bless him. She loved the sex, of course, but it was the emotional connection that she had with Stan that made it so special, so breathtaking. She knew Stan wasn’t the...
At The Firm, a couple of days later, Anne sat at her desk, leaning back, eyes unfocussed, forehead scrunched up, deep in thought. It was a pose that everyone in her area knew, but in this case they’d have been surprised at what she was thinking of. Anne was still unsure about Denise and Stan. ‘Just how would I react if Stan and Denise wanted some private time together? No, erase that. If Stan and Denise had sex together? Made love together? How would I feel?’ What Anne was imagining was Stan...
Denise sat in her living room, trying to collect herself. Tom. He’d made love to her — no, he’d fucked her, skilfully, but it wasn’t making love. So he’d fucked her and then he’d left. Denise walked slowly, a little carefully, up the stairs to her room. She put on her bathrobe, and sat on the edge of the bed. Denise began to cry, softly at first, then with increasingly loud and violent sobs, as she threw herself onto her bed, grabbing a pillow and howling into it. Her mother hadn’t raised...
Chapter 6 On Monday morning, Denise found Stan early, before he’d even taken his jacket off. ‘Stan, I think we need to talk. C’mon,’ she said, beckoning him. ‘Now?’ he said. ‘Yes, Stan, now.’ Stan looked at Denise and said, ‘Yes, you’re probably right.’ The Manufacturing Meeting Room was on the opposite side of the office from the main windows where morning sunlight streamed in. They went into the room and closed the door. ‘Denise,’ began Stan, but Denise interrupted him, saying, ‘Stan....
Anne said nothing about her new personal insight that night. She still wanted to allow time to pass to make sure that it wasn’t just the heat of the moment. For heat there was, undoubtedly. Stan dropped Denise off at her house and waited to be sure she got indoors safely, and then he drove on. As soon as Denise was out of sight he felt Anne’s hand on his thigh, heightening his own response. It was difficult to drive with her hand there and a burgeoning erection, plus whenever he had to change...
‘So, Stan, you think you’re up to looking after two women’s needs, again?’ Stan snorted. ‘Not if it’s going to be like last night all the time, Denise. I’ll have to hire in help!’ ‘Yeah, right. Try it and see where it gets you. Although…’ Stan stuck his tongue out at Denise, who blew a raspberry in return. They both laughed at one another. They were sitting at Stan’s breakfast bar drinking coffee. Denise had brought in some cereal, and they were both eating a bowlful. Last night had been,...
Monday night. Stan was late – he’d been pulled into a ‘five to five’ meeting with Percy, much to his annoyance – and didn’t get home until well after his normal time. He hurried, but Anne still rang his doorbell before he’d finished getting dressed. ‘Come in, Anne!’ he called, and Anne used her key to open the door. She found Stan sitting at the bottom of the stairs, bare-chested, with one sock on and trying to get the other one on his still-damp foot. She couldn’t help but laugh, and Stan saw...
In the early evening of Valentine’s day, Sid had hustled Anne out of the door of Boundless Waves. Stan had rung him to make arrangements earlier. Downstairs, in the vestibule of the building, she was surprised to find Denise and Stan waiting for her. Stan, Anne and Denise all went in to Covent Garden, and had dinner at ‘Trotters’ cafe in Covent Garden. They didn’t make a huge thing of it as Anne would have to be back in work the next morning, but a loving, relaxed meal was enjoyed by all three...
Chapter 4 The notice had gone on the board weeks ago – the company barbeque would be held on the grounds on Friday, the 21st of July in the afternoon. The Firm had a long-standing tradition of a ‘summer do.’ It had varied in the past from boat trips to a picnic in a park with a jazz band playing, but for the past several years it had been a barbeque, complete with spit-roast pig etc. Also laid on was entertainment – this year there was a live band – and drinks. Taxis would be available to...
When Denise walked into The Firm’s reception, she gave Elaine a peck on the cheek and went off to make coffee. It was still a good fifteen minutes before most of the staff would arrive, and before Denise would normally have started, herself. She brought the coffee through to Elaine, and soon the two were sipping coffee, just contemplating the events of the previous night, and what they would mean. Again. ‘You know Laney, when we were together I’d thought of a threesome, fantasized about it I...
‘So, Stan, how did things go last night?’ asked Elizabeth on Tuesday morning. ‘What’s this, a progress report, Elizabeth?’ asked Stan with a grin. ‘I have to say, it’s pleasant to be giving one instead of being the subject of one!’ Elizabeth looked slightly embarrassed, but pressed on, ‘Well… How did things go?’ ‘Hmm. Things were a little tense in the car…Oh! You wouldn’t know… Anne asked if I minded giving Denise a lift there. Well… No! Of course I didn’t mind, and the two of them looked...
Chapter 34 On the way home Stan had dropped into an off-licence and bought some Dom Perignon. Now the ladies were sat in his living room with champagne flutes in their hands, glasses that Stan was filling. After filling his own glass, Stan once again lifted his own. ‘To us.’ He said, simply, and the three drank a toast to their new relationship with one another. Once they’d drunk the glasses down, Stan refilled them and then sat back. ‘Now, that’s better. We can talk without having to lower...
Chapter 3 It was a month later. Denise and Stan had been on six dates now and were firmly established as real friends and not just as work colleagues. Denise chuckled in her mind about being ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’, but they both didn’t really think of it that way. At least, Stan didn’t. Denise found that she was thinking more and more about the way Stan held his chin in his hand sometimes, or his strange habit of whistling some unknown tune, often out of key, when he was thinking. Her...
Elizabeth was, of course, all over him on Tuesday morning, wanting to know how the dance lesson had gone. ‘Well, thank you, Elizabeth. I actually enjoyed it.’ ‘Good. So, what’s it like? What did you do?’ So, Stan briefly described the hall, and told her that they’d begun learning the Foxtrot. ‘Ah, yes. My mum and dad used to do all of those. She tried to teach me once, but I never really got it. I was more into rock’n’roll,’ she said. Then, ‘Did you meet anyone?’ she asked ‘Well, I met...
On Monday morning, Stan saw Denise walk into the office. He sat back in his chair and watched as the young redhead walked up to him. Denise was wearing some tight tan-coloured trousers, a navy blue cashmere sweater with a white button-down blouse layered underneath it, traditional enough but the top two buttons of the blouse were open, and the trousers were just tight enough to enhance her figure rather than just display any bulges there were. ‘I won’t be needing a lift, I’ll drive myself to...
The following morning, the first into work at The Firm was, as usual, Elizabeth. An unusual visitor interrupted her normal routine of coffee, skimming the newspaper while checking some overnight testing and watering Bob’s plants. Well, unusual at that time of the morning, anyway. ‘Good morning, Elizabeth.’ Elizabeth turned to see Denise standing in Bob’s office doorway. ‘Oh! You startled me!’ She looked tired but functional, Elizabeth decided, after studying the young woman for a moment....