Wounds tended, Chad and Michael take seats on opposite sides of the kitchen table. I sip wine and help myself to a morsel of cheese. Charlotte, Sebastian and Beth have formed some kind of gossip group and appear to be exchanging notes...I don't want to know...Richard presses a cracker to the plate, mopping up crumbs. "Do you have any more of that excellent Brie, James?""No, that's the last of it, but there's a Camembert? Or I have a Stilton in the larder I was thinking of opening up.""Excellent idea. But don't you think that Tempranillo would be overwhelmed by Stilton?""Good point. I'll fetch a bottle of port."After a while, Michael says, "Do you feel as stupid as I do?""I'd say so. Probably, yes." Chad looks around at the audience. "You got it out of your system?"Michael clasps hands on the table. "Yeah...." Then he looks around too. A smile cracks over his face and he winces as his upper lip begins to bleed again. "Maybe if we talk to each other, they'll talk

RICHARDSitting by me at the conference table, James runs a finger along the outline of a plan for D-Site. "So, if we complete the groundworks on sectors three and four here... by next week, we can move the heavy machinery on to sector five here and start laying the infrastructure for..."Outside the office, Francis' phone rings but neither of us takes much notice. James continues speaking... "... the electricity and the water supply..."Francis taps in perfunctory manner on the door then pokes her head round. "James..." She flicks a warning glance to me...Worried?James looks up. "Yes, Francis?""Kirstie is on the line. She says you have a visitor downstairs."Not his ex again..?It upset him enough the first time...James' straightens up in his chair, his chin tilting. "Who is it?""She says she's called Georgie and that you would know who she is."James rises from his seat as though he is on strings. "Tell her I'm on my way down."He looks as close to fluste

RICHARDI click off the video connection and almost immediately, there's a tap at my door.James?Waiting for me to finish?"May I come in?"Yes... James...He looks terrible..."I wanted to apologise."I gather the sheaf of papers I was working with, injecting a business-like tone into my voice. "There's nothing to apologise for my friend."Sounding unconvinced, "No?""No. We all have low points in our lives and I'd say you had one of those yesterday." I regard the man standing in my doorway...Face sallow...Pupils like pin-holes...Eyes like piss-holes in snow..."How's the hangover?""About what I deserve... Thank you for looking after Charlotte last night.""I wouldn't have had it any other way, James."He stands, head lowered, seeming lost for words. This isn't the James I know.You're not right yet, are you... Not by a long way...I stand, walk across to him and am about to slap him on the shoulder....Hangover...Splitting headache...

MICHAELTime to step in...I rise, striding across to stand behind her. Reaching around I hold her wrists tugging them, none too gently, behind her back, then in a voice loud enough for James to hear. "Your Master expects you to be on your knees, not crawling up near his face."Her breath catches. James' eyes meet mine and his mouth twitches...Pupils dilating...That's doing it...One palm on her shoulder, I press. "Down, madam." As she drops, James' gaze follows her. "That's better," I say, backing off a step or two, giving him room to move. He circuits her as, head bowed, she submits."You should be naked, Charlotte," I say, "before your Master."Head still bowed, she nods, her hair swinging, hands moving from the flat of her thighs to the hem of her pullover. I beat her to it. Fisting one hand into her hair, I tug, raising her head, lifting her to kneel upright. "Take it off then."She lifts from the hem, up and over her head. She's not wearing a bra and her skirt

KLEMPNERMitch stands, a hand on one hip, head tilted back. "All right, so I can just accept all this..." She sweeps an arm around the room and to the door... "... and then tell you to get out of my life. Is that one of my choices?""No... Don't do that. Mitch, I only want...""I'm going now," she says. "This has gotten thoroughly out of hand. I can't imagine what you thought you were doing." She turns, heading for the door. "You'd better make arrangements to reclaim your property.""I can't. I told you. I've put it in your name. Like it or not, legally it's yours."She halts. "Really? You actually did that?""Yes. I don't know what I have to say to convince you. It's yours. Legally. A gift. To you. From me. If you did throw me out of your life, it would still be your property."Her head falls, her throat bobbing."Won't you at least try it?" I say. "Stay here a few days? I'm going to be away for the next couple of weeks. I wouldn't be here." Her eyes shift to mine. "Yo