(I have to torture you some more, to make sense of part two, you have to have read the original in all its torturous glory. I hope you enjoy the story, but then I'm the author so I would hope that.)
*
The gym was the only place Josh allowed us clothes, although we must have looked an odd sight in a sports bra, trainers and our collars. We had set each other stiff competition in the gym, no matter how hard we tried to outdo each other, we were equally matched. Although my mind was still full of questions. The woman on in Josh's bed said what she had to say and said very little afterwards, even though I tried to prize more out of her, I knew she had more to say but I kept getting stone walled, Paula was in no condition to talk once Josh had returned her to our room, it was a restless night indeed.
We showered and I suddenly remembered Paula's remark, so she was going to punch me huh. On the way out of the showers we dried ourselves off and I just couldn't resist it, I slapped her ass, Paula squealed and I made a dash for the basement stairs, reaching the safety of the kitchen just before she did. Josh was there just putting breakfast on the table.
I looked at him and said "when?" I sounded almost pleading.
"After breakfast you can both have all the time you need."
Paula looked at both of us, there was something going on and she felt like an outsider, I held her arm and smiled, "it's ok were going to have a talk after breakfast,"
Josh was the first to finish and said he would meet us in the day room when we were done, I felt Paula looking hard at me, I looked at her and felt a twinge of guilt, perhaps I should have insisted that we talked last night. Yet how could I, when Josh had returned her she had such a glow about her I didn't want her to lose it.
All I could do is repeat what Josh had told us yesterday, "we've done nothing wrong."
There was an uneasy silence between us both in the day room as we waited for Josh, I was just about to explain everything when Josh came in. He sat across from us, looking at both of us he seemed to have a troubled mind, something was going on and we didn't know what it was.
"Ok you have my undivided attention," he said
I sat forward so I could watch both Paula and Josh as I recounted what the woman in Josh's room had said to me, I told Paula that the woman from yesterday was one of Josh's first, she wouldn't go into numbers, there didn't seem any point. But she came to Josh the same time as one other, although Josh had warned them they must stay apart, both women had known each other before Josh, so continued to see each other, she got careless and her husband found out she had a lover at first her husband suspected another man, but the woman put herself in the firing line and claimed she was the lover, a bitter divorce followed.
+++++++
As Mary told Paula what had happened my minds eye relived those days, Cassie had called me she was hysterical, when I had calmed her down she told me Beth's husband suspected she had a lover, he had found my number on speed dial, the number didn't mean much on it's own the girls were the only ones that had that number, unless it came from a number I recognized I never answered the call. Cassie found out from Beth that he was going to hire a detective to get proof.
It was then Cassie placed her whole budding career in jeopardy, she told the husband she was the lover. Cassie lost almost everything, she was sideways promoted into oblivion and to this day even though she now has a loving husband, she is still thought of as 'the dyke' to those men with whom Cassie has yet to deal with. Cassie took it well, she resigned her job and with a little help from a couple of friends of mine started her own business, much to the fear of those who had taunted her. The rumor was that she had a list of men who she took vengeance on, taking everything they owned, more so when she turned her now most powerful attention to Beth's ex husband first his business and eventually his pride. Cassie was a satisfied woman, but at such a great cost to her.
"You moved, and your number changed"
My thoughts were jolted back to our conversation, it was Paula who was looking at me.
"Just after I met you, you moved. It was then wasn't it.?"
I looked at both of them, then I went on to explain what had happened from the divorce onwards. With the plea's of Cassie and Beth ringing in my ears, I had moved across town, out of the line of fire, Cassie was now a social outcast but took it all in her stride. I also told them how I dealt with Beth for disobeying me. When I had finished talking I looked at the girls, they were ashen, they were holding each others hands in a form of mutual hope that what I was saying simply wasn't true.
I then went on the offensive, telling the girls the reasons why I do what I do, say what I say and expect what I say to be listened to, I didn't threaten them I didn't need to, none of us were shouting at each other, we were all adults and we were holding an adult conversation.
It was Mary who said, "do you know were she is now."
I wasn't going to lie I saw no point, the divorce left Beth a broken woman, one simple warning from me that she had ignored had left her with nothing, I told the girls how I had turned up with a U-Haul one morning, we spent the day together packing and then Beth and I went on a road trip, she has an aunt in Canada. We both knew this road trip was the end of the relationship as we knew it, so we made the most of it.
When I had finished I looked at the girls, both were in tears as the realization dawned on them of why I had let them into so much of my world.
"So you see, I don't sit in judgment of you both, I have seen you have bonded. I must make you see the dangers of that, to accept that you want to continue to know each other will simply mean you listen to what I tell you to do, nothing more, nothing less,"
