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Chapter 23: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 5, The Open Day
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Charlotte's Search Chapter 24: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 6, Demonstration
MICHAELCharlotte's wearing loose joggers and a vest and moves like a cat. Normally I admire her movement. While Beth sashays, Charlotte strides, moving with a fluid grace that says 'Damn the world. This is what I am'. Her pony-tail swings behind with her movement, emphasising her long lovely neck.But right now, it occurs to me that her expression is predatory."I'll put some mats down," I say, "then no-one gets hurt.""Fine." There's a glint at her mouth, her teeth showing.I gesture the audience to back off while I lay out a good large area of mats. Charlotte watches me, almost imperceptibly stretching muscles; arms, legs, spine; and winding her head in a circle.She knows I'm going to have to pull my punches....Does she think that rule applies to her too???Why should she have all the fun?"Perhaps," I suggest, "we should start with a demonstration of what can happen when a woman is assaulted. Who's going to volunteer?"Not a man moves, but abruptly, two
Charlotte's Search Chapter 25: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 7, Waiter
JAMESI pass through the guests, offering champagne. I've never been a waiter in my life before today, but find I'm rather enjoying myself.Not that I'd want to do it every day....I pass out my first tray of drinks, then head back for a refill. A fresh supply on my tray, I return to the guests to find a general drift out of the lounge and towards the gym.Some display Michael's arranged perhaps...?In the gym, groups of the glitterati mill and chatter. Then I see....It's Richard and Beth, both intent on some sight out of my view, leaning into each other and murmuring something I can't hear.Trying hard to keep my face straight, I move to come up from slightly behind them, offering the tray. "Champagne, sir? Madam?"Richard reaches for two glasses, passing one to Beth, then double-takes as he sees my face at the top of the waiter's uniform, and almost spills his drink."James!" His voice is startled and Beth's jaw drops. Richard lowers his voice. "James? What the hel
Charlotte's Search Chapter 26: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 8, Cave Man
JAMESI follow them towards the house, to see Michael looking back........ Checking they're out of sight of the guests...?.... then turn and make a grab for Charlotte. She shrieks as he hauls her in by the waist and slings her over his shoulder."Michael! Charlotte?"He turns, his expression somewhere between severity and laughter.... "Madam here has a debt to settle." Then he spins back to march away through the house, Charlotte dangling upside-down and ponytail swinging down his back, Christ, is she alright?He looks like he's really going to lay into her....But as I follow, she looks up to me with a happy little smile and a wriggly wave of the fingers.Michael turns back to me again from the bottom of the stairs. "Hold the fort back there will you. This won't take long."And what can I do but laugh?Thirty seconds later there is a wumph - the kind of noise that might be made by - to take a purely hypothetical example - a body being dumped unceremoniously on
Charlotte's Search Chapter 27: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 9, Checking the Facts
MICHAEL"Sally, you got a minute?""Sure Mr Summerford, so long as it's only a minute." She waves back at the sea of activity in the kitchen. "I've got seventy covers to get out in the next hour or so." She turns from her counter, dips into a roiling pot with what is apparently an asbestos finger, sucking at some kind of liquid. She nods to a young lad in a white apron, "That's fine, Billy. Now poach the fish in the stock. Six minutes. No more." Then she turns her attention to me."Yes, only a minute. Um, somewhere quiet if you don't mind."She puckers brows but follows me to the outer corridor. "Is something wrong?""Um, not sure.... Look, this is kind of embarrassing, but I received a report that James had been.... er.... bothering you.... Is there any truth to that?"Her face clears. "James? Mr Alexanders, you mean? No, not at all. He's a perfect gentleman. And he was such a lot of help the other day in the kitchen.""Really? My brother thought...."Her face clouds o
Charlotte's Search Chapter 28: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 10, Richard's Question
RICHARDMy mouth is dry....Come on man. You're not scared of one little girl....Liar....I suck around my teeth and gums trying, fruitlessly, to work up some saliva, then settle for popping a mint and sucking it for a minute before knocking on the door."Come in."She's there, looking out of the window. It's a view worth looking at, a vast cityscape, over old and new, demolished and rebuilt, my vision and James' for the new City.This isn't the average trainee's office. Charlotte has earned, more than earned her privileges, and I made sure that in our new office building, built after the last one was gutted by fire, that she was given an appropriate working space.She reacts as I enter....Not expected the Boss to drop by...."Hello, Richard. I didn't expect to see you here." She shifts from one foot to the other. "Um, is there something I can do for you?""Hello, Charlotte...."Oh, God... Where to start...?My nerve fails. "You like your new office?""Yes
Charlotte's Search Chapter 29: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 11, James' Reaction
JAMESCharlotte is in stitches, wagging a finger at Michael. "Oh, the look on your face.""What's going on?"Michael looks bemused. "You are sure about this? I'll ask you again, now, while it's just us.""Yes, I'm sure. It's fine. It was worth it just to see your face.""Charlotte? Michael? What's happening?"Michael flushes brilliant red. "Charlotte has something to tell you."Her face swings gaping to his, then she cracks out laughing again.She's not pregnant?"Charlotte, are you.... You're not...." I nod down to the general area of her midriff. Her face goes slack, quite blank for a moment, then she curls up with laughter again, giggling helplessly. After a good minute of unfettered mirth, she gets the words out. "No, Master, I'm not."She's not a giggler....One of her virtues...."So?""Michael is helping Richard out with his birthday present to Beth."What are they talking about...?"Sorry, I'm not getting this. What's happening for Beth's birthday?
Charlotte's Search Chapter 30: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 12, You're Sure?
JAMESThe wee small hours of the morning........ and I lie awake, staring into the darkness.Charlotte lies nestled against me, but from her breathing, I don't think she is asleep either. Beyond her, Michael's breathing is slow and steady.The sleep of the virtuous?Charlotte stirs in my arms. My face close to hers I murmur, "Are you alright?"Her voice is muffled against my chest, but I can hear the tears in her words. "I don't want you to be angry.""I'm not angry with you.""I don't want you to be angry with Michael either. He really did do nothing wrong.""Are you sure of that?""Yes, I'm sure. Richard asked me first. He was so nervous So embarrassed. He said if I was upset or offended to just forget he'd ever said anything. Michael wasn't there. By the time he arrived, I'd already told Richard I was happy with it so long as Michael was too. Master.... at first, he refused. He said all the same things that you did, about having just got married and being faithf
Charlotte's Search Chapter 31: Her Lovers' Touch, Part 13, James' Playroom
RICHARD"Lovely stonework."It seems a facile thing to say, but when I see what he and Michael have built between them in the cellars of their mountain home, I am momentarily lost for words.And it all looks strangely familiar....James grins. He knows exactly what I'm thinking. "When I saw what you had in your basement, I couldn't resist it.""Yes...." I circle, admiring the chamber. ".... but I simply built into rooms that were already there. The old kitchen and storage rooms under the house. You must have built this from scratch."He nods. "In fairness, I designed it. Michael did most of the actual building, along with quite a team of stonemasons and other workers of course.""What on earth did he tell them they were building?"He flashes brows. "Wine-cellars I believe. Let me give you a tour...."He shows me around like a kid showing off his train set. And I can hardly blame him. I couldn't have done better myself. In fact, I didn't do better myself. I stroll past
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