Chapter 49

Michael

Surrounded by heaps and piles of folders, files and ageing paperwork, I put the previous file on the pile on my left and take the next from the pile on the right.

The lighting's not bad, even here in the depths of the archives, but I have to hold it up to the light to make out the faded label, written by some long-ago biro.

…M…ng Per…n R…. rt …an…. …nn. rs…

I take a long slurp from a mug of coffee I should have finished an hour ago, then flip open up the file….

Bingo!

*****

Richard

James taps on my door. "Got a minute?"

"Of course. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted a quick word, while…." He looks back over his shoulder. "…. while Francis is on her lunch break."

Doesn't want her listening in?

Personal business then….

"Take a seat." I wave him to the couch. "Coffee?"

"Thanks, yes."

James waits while I pour two cups then, "That conversation we had the other day, about Charlotte never having had a real Christmas before…."

"Yes?"

"I have a couple of thoughts. The first is that, traditionally, Christmas is when families gather together…."

"And you don't much fancy the idea of Ben calling by?" I keep my voice dry.

He raises eyes to the ceiling. "God save me. No, I don't. But… I had a lot of Christmases alone after my divorce and I entirely understand why Charlotte is looking forward so much to this one, with her family."

"You and Michael…."

"Of course. However, Michael and myself aside, the closest that Charlotte has to family is actually you and Beth..." I glow inside. "… I was wondering, if you don't already have other plans, perhaps the two of you might like to join us for Christmas Day dinner?"

"James, I think that's a splendid idea. Yes, I'd love to. I'll call Elizabeth now…." I reach for the phone, but he raises a hand, forestalling me.

"Before you do that, you might want to hear my second set of thoughts."

"Which are?"

He pauses a moment, rolling words around his mouth. "You recall Beth's last birthday…. Which I think was a memorable one for her…."

I begin to see where this is going….

"I'm not likely to forget it."

"At the end of that, you hinted, and so did she, that you might like to do it again sometime?"

He waits, head tilted, his eyes creasing at the corners.

The delectable Charlotte….

Naked….

Kneeling….

Her mouth open for me….

Elizabeth watching…. Michael on her….

James watching….

"Ahhhh…. Now there's a tempting thought." James sucks in his cheeks. "Do I take it you haven't mentioned this to Michael or Charlotte?"

"You take it correctly, yes. I thought if you and I discussed it first, we might give the Season of Goodwill a special gloss this year."

Can't argue with that….

"Sounds good to me. Christmas Day it is…. And we keep it as a surprise?"

"Oh, yes. I'd rather like to spring it on Charlotte."

"Michael too?"

He looks away, plucking at an earlobe then, mouth twitching, his eyes flash to mine. "I think so, yes. Tell me, did you and Beth discuss the subject after her birthday? You were both comfortable with the way things went? She with Michael. You with Charlotte."

"Oh, yes, we discussed it. And at some length. She enjoyed herself immensely."

His head tilts. "I think you did too."

"James, I was quite unprepared for…. for how rewarding I found the experience. Since I…. committed to Elizabeth, I've never strayed, but when she gave me her blessing that evening, with Charlotte…. It was quite an eye-opener." He nods, slowly. "James, may I ask you something?"

His lids lower. "You can ask."

"I am assuming it is the same scenario as last time; that Michael is with Beth and you give me Charlotte for the evening…. But you….?"

He places his coffee cup on the table. "I mean no offence, Richard. She's a lovely woman and the perfect wife for you…. The perfect sub for you. But I'm not interested in Beth. However…." He holds up a finger…. "I do want to give Charlotte freedom to express what is inside her." He snorts. "Really, it's only fair, since it was me that introduced her to ménage in the first place..."

That must have set some high standards for her…

He gives me a dry look. "Don't worry, she's quite able to handle the two of us."

I noticed….

Then he turns serious again. "Charlotte has given me everything. She gave me my life back at a time when I didn't even know I was lonely because I'd forgotten how it felt to be any other way. I want to do the same for her."

Personal revelations from James?

Wonder if he's had a drink?

"That's an interesting remark," I say.

He inclines his head. "In what way, interesting?"

"In the way that Charlotte once said exactly the same to me about you." He blinks. "That you had given her everything."

He plucks at a lip, absorbing that.

"And Michael?" I say. "I realise that I caused some upset in your Triad when I first asked Charlotte about the possibility of Michael being Elizabeth's birthday present. I'll admit, I'm surprised, although very pleased, that you have approached me about it again."

James stares into space for a moment then, "Michael loves women. Always has. That's how he and I first met, all those years ago. Once I got past the shock of him telling me about his agreeing to being Beth's birthday present, I thought long and hard about the whole thing…."

Where's this going?

He stands, stares out of the window. "As you know, I engineered the marriage between Michael and Charlotte. At the time I was only thinking of my own long-term goals of keeping Charlotte with me despite the age difference between us. And of fixing Charlotte's affections on Michael. Of trying to make our Triad work…." He looks back toward me, but I simply wait for him to continue.

"What I didn't consider," he says, "was what a change of life it was for Michael to go from a life of, um…. bachelor free to married man."

"It was a change for you too."

"Much less so. I'd been married before…." He grimaces…. "however unsuccessfully. And I'd never had the plain inclination to have one woman after another…."

"The clubs…."

"Yes, Michael and I used the clubs. A lot. But my kick was always…." He raises eyes to the ceiling….

Embarrassment territory?

One Dom to another?

He meets my eye again. "We're cut from the same cloth, you and I, in that respect. For me, the kick was that I'm a Dom. The fact that it was with a lot of different women was a bonus. With Michael, the kick was in variety. For him, the domination-submission aspect of it all was the bonus."

"All right, I get that. So, what's your point?"

"When I thought about it, I realised that in fact, this a way of giving Michael an outlet. Long-term fidelity could be a tall order for him."

Christ!

"Even when he loves Charlotte?"

He cocks a look at me. "Oh, he loves her. Don't doubt that."

"You think he would be unfaithful to her?"

"No, I don't. But I don't want there to be anything there that might strain the relationship between the two of them." He clicks his tongue. "Some occasional partying would, I think, be the answer to that."

"And you?"

"It's not an issue for me. I have Charlotte." He cuts off. I'm not being invited to pursue the subject any further.

"James, you gave me a whistle-stop tour of your play-room once before, I'd like to take a better look. Would you mind?"

"Not at all." He flashes brows. "You can tell me if there's anything you would like me to have in place for after Christmas dinner."

*****