I waved as Amy's Mini turned the corner out of sight, then went back into the house.
As I closed the door, the phone rang. I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hi, Tim," I heard Laura's voice at the other end of the phone. In the background I heard Beth whispering, "Go on, Laura -- ask him."
"I will," Laura said, muffled as she put her hand over the mouthpiece.
She spoke again. "Tim, do you want to come round here tonight, seeing as you're on your own? Beth and I will cook."
I thought for a moment. "Sure. What time?"
"Give us an hour?"
"OK -- see you about seven then."
I put the phone down, and went upstairs to the bedroom. I undressed, then went into the en-suite to shower and shave.
As I towelled myself dry, I thought back over the last few months. Beth and Laura's performance in their disciplines had improved steadily, and they were on track to be ready for the European championships. Amy had gone to meet with the Olympic committee to discuss the qualifying criteria for the next Games in Rio.
I dressed casually, and on impulse used the aftershave that the girls had bought me the previous Christmas.
I put on my jacket and left the house, walking the few minutes to Beth and Laura's.
Laura opened the door, and as she hugged me I caught a hint of her perfume, light and floral. I stepped back and looked at her. She wore a knee-length skirt and a sleeveless top, her hair in a ponytail, and simple gold stud earrings.
Beth appeared from the kitchen. She wore an elegant black dress, and her scent as she kissed my cheek was deep and woody, almost hypnotic.
"Glad you could join us," she said. She poured wine for me and for Laura, then took her own glass.
"What shall we drink to?" I asked casually.
"To Rio, of course," she said.
"Rio," Laura and I echoed.
We went through to the dining room and sat down. Melon starters were at each place, and as I took a spoonful I glanced up at Beth.
"Kirsch?"
She smiled. "Well spotted."
The girls started, but I noticed that they kept glancing across at me.
I finished my starter, and put my spoon down. Laura stood, and took our plates, going out to the kitchen.
"More wine?" offered Beth.
"Great," I nodded.
She topped up my glass, and Laura returned with plates.
"My speciality," she said, grinning. "Spaghetti bolognese."
I took a mouthful of the rich sauce. "This is delicious."
Beth chipped in, "I made the dessert."
As we ate, I glanced across at Laura. She smiled, and the tip of her tongue flicked across her lips, catching a stray drop of sauce. Finally I put my knife and fork down. "Really good, Laura. Give me a minute before dessert?"
Beth grinned. "Actually it takes a few minutes to be ready."
I raised my eyebrows. "I'm intrigued."
She went through to the kitchen, and I heard what I thought was the sound of a whisk, then the oven door.
She came back in. "OK -- when the kitchen timer pings."
"You guys get to take some time off after the championships," I said. "Are you planning to go anywhere?"
Laura nodded. "Two whole weeks off -- don't worry, we'll still manage a run every day, but we're trying to come up with our ideal destination."
"You've travelled, haven't you, Tim?" asked Beth.
"Sure -- but most of the places weren't in the best of shape when I was there," I said wryly. "But I hear Beirut is really amazing now."
"What was the most dramatic thing that happened to you?" asked Laura.
I thought for a moment. "Being in Kosovo when they tried to take out Milosevic the first time. You know in those Clancy novels where they use a laser to guide in a smart bomb?"
Beth nodded.
"Well, believe me, when you're crouching outside the headquarters of a regime that's been condemned by the rest of the world, and you hear the sound of a stealthed helicopter and see a tiny bright dot appear on the wall of the building, it really focuses the mind."
I rolled up one sleeve. "I didn't run quite fast enough." Laura traced the length of the jagged scar with one finger, and looked like she was about to say something. At that moment the timer pinged, and Beth dashed back to the kitchen and opened the oven door. She returned with three dishes on a tray.
"Careful," she said, "the dishes are hot."
She used a cloth to put the dishes in front of us. "Eat it before it sinks."
I picked up my spoon, and took a mouthful. "Oh, wow, Beth. That's amazing. What is it?"
She grinned at my response. "It's Austrian -- a sweet soufflé."
The fluffy dessert was quickly gone, and I looked up at the girls.
"That was an amazing meal," I said.
"Glad you enjoyed it," said Laura. "Coffee?"
"Sure," I said. Beth and I went through into the living room, and Laura fetched the coffee from the kitchen.
Beth sat down at one end of the sofa, and I sat in the middle. Laura poured, then sat down on the other side of me.
I picked up my coffee and sipped. "So what places are you considering for your trip?"
"I want to spend some time on the beach," said Laura, "but we'd both like to see some cultural stuff too."
I thought for a while. "I have an idea, though it's a bit far."
"Go on," said Beth, leaning closer.
"Well, one place that fits your description is Goa -- you know, the part of India that used to be Portuguese."
"Wow," said Laura. "That sounds really interesting."
"We can have a look online tomorrow," said Beth.
"Now," said Laura, her voice somehow lower, richer in tone, "time to start with the rest of this evening's plan."
Before I quite realised what was happening, she leaned closer to me, and kissed me softly on the mouth.
She moved back a little, and I looked into her face, momentarily lost for words.
"My turn," prompted Beth, and Laura moved aside. Beth leaned over, closing her eyes and turning her face up a little, and I couldn't resist the implied invitation, kissing her gently.
I took a deep breath and leaned back. "So, suppose you two tell me what's going on?"
Laura looked across at Beth. "Didn't we think he was smarter than that?"
Beth grinned. "You can't blame him for being a little surprised."
She turned to me. "Laura and I have really focused on training for the last few months -- I know we haven't discussed it with you, but we kind of assumed that boyfriends were off the agenda in the run-up to the Games. It's great that we're getting to go on holiday, but, well, we need something else too..."
Laura continued the explanation. "We absolutely don't want to break in on your relationship with Amy -- you two are great together -- but we couldn't think of another way to deal with how we're feeling."
My eyebrows rose higher as they spoke. I paused for a moment, then said, "Well, girls, you wouldn't believe me if I said I'd never noticed you two in that way. You're sure about this?"
Beth nodded. "Definitely." I grinned. "OK, it's a deal. But before we go any further, I want a proper kiss from both of you. Laura, I think it's your turn?"
She smiled, closing her eyes and parting her lips, tilting her face up. I bent to kiss her, and as our lips met I heard her give a quiet moan, no more than a murmur. I put my hand gently behind her head, twining my fingers in her hair, and our kiss deepened, Laura sliding the tip of her tongue between my lips.
After a few more moments, I reluctantly broke the kiss. Laura's face wore a dreamy expression, and she watched as I turned to Beth, stroking her hair and kissing the corner of her mouth. She pulled my lips to hers, her hands on either side of my head, and kissed me urgently, almost desperately. Then she pulled away.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go upstairs, before one of us tears your clothes off right here in the living room."
She reached out her hands to me and pulled me to my feet, then did the same for Laura. Beth was first up the stairs, then Laura, and I followed, watching their hips swaying invitingly as they climbed.
We reached the master bedroom -- still with the king-size bed that I'd put in when I'd been living in the house by myself -- and Laura sprawled playfully on the bed. "Tell Tim what we imagined, Beth."
Beth began. "Well, Laura and I were lying in bed the other day -- we share this room, it seems silly to sleep apart when we always have so much to talk about. We got to thinking about what we'd do if we could persuade you to be with us."
"So we'd heard a radio program about how if you don't use one of your senses, the others get more acute. We wondered what it would be like if you weren't allowed to look -- if we blindfolded you -- so you could only know what was happening by hearing, or touch..."