Consequences 11
Part A:
Facing reality and catching up, and a school reunion.
Cast of Characters at the end
Tags: Reunion; Coupling, Marital Conflict, Relationships,
I invite readers to make constructive comments by email. Suggestions of escapades for the characters are very welcome.
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Plans for the future become something more
It wasn't going to be many weeks before we eventually moved into The Retreat as we called the new ex-farm buildings, it was finished first and the remaining buildings followed soon after. The Golf Club and Hotel, although later starting, had matched pace with The Retreat and many of us became entrenched in the completion of the Conference Centre, the Hotel and The Clubhouse. The whole was given a grand opening with lots of dignitaries present on a freebee but it had the required effect and the place never looked back. The wedding as planned was the first event after the opening but that story is a tale all of itself and there was much that could happen in between time. My thoughts drifted back to all that had happened during the weeks before....
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Bree eventually colluded with the others to get her way and she brought her man home and I found him pleasant, however I made it clear that it had to end before the wedding. Despite references to Ana also having a relationship I stuck by my guns and refused to give on the issue, I did however ban her from our bed after his visits.
Notwithstanding, Roger certainly seemed to be dedicated to pleasing Bree and when he left Bree always shined, I began to be worried but it never became too heavy. The guy came fairly regularly and Bree was always excited for hours leading up to his arrival. She has never yet let anyone else but me into her bedroom at the same time. I bit the bullet after Bree persistently pleaded with me as she had dreamed of us taking her at the same time. No one else was trusted with her rosebud but me, she said, and after the second time my brain began to accept that it could be part of my life, short term. Bree didn't seem to want to give that part of her up to him anytime soon and I began to realise it was her way of staying true to me; for what it was worth. But I wasn't happy and refused to show any great pleasure in what I was doing just for her. From time to time Jane wanted to go out flirting and Bree always went with her and got herself into scrapes just as often.
But I get well ahead of myself. I allowed a week to pass after Ana's presumed break-up before I lost patience. Ana was mooning around like a heartbroken school girl so I dragged Zoe's business details from her and headed there from our office. I bent a few rules to get to her personal office so that when I dropped into her chair opposite she nearly jumped into the air, the perfect effect I was hoping for.
So I said, "What have you got against me?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Well you seem to have thrown the love of a wonderful woman out the door because of me and yet you don't even know who I am, we have even had dinner together. Are you really that stupid?"
She glared at me "How dare you come into my office and start having a go at me."
"How dare you wreck the life of someone who loves you?"
"But she loves you not me, she told me so."
"She told you no such thing because it isn't true, she loves you dearly, you are breaking her heart, probably for the first time in her life."
"But she loves you too."
"Yes so? Are you going to tell me that you have only ever loved one person?"
At least I made her think for a moment, and I allowed the time before continuing.
"How much did you listen to what she told you about where she lives and why and what our place is all about?"
She shook her head, still mad but becoming sad, 'she must miss Ana too,' I thought. "Do I have your undivided attention now then?" I was trying to make her cross and concentrate on what I had to say.
"I am David Thurlow, and with my wife we own the Thurlow Architectural and Design Company and you may have heard of the name in connection with my family's Development Company." I saw her eyes widen slightly suggesting she did. I went on for some time explaining how The Retreat came to be through Ana's efforts to connect with my wife and the happy accidents that took place thereafter. At the end of my speech she sat thinking for a while, trying to get her thoughts in order.
"How many women did you say live in your retreat?"
"Twelve including my estranged wife"
"And how many of them do you love?"
"Pretty much all of them, including two of them who are insatiable."
"You poor man!" she tormented sarcastically.
"You don't know the half of it." I was about to say that some of them were pregnant then thought better of it.
We batted question and answers back and forth for ages then I thought it was time to turn the screw, I started with a shock question. "So have you always been a lesbian?"
Her eyes blazed. "Who said I was, Ana?"