08

We walked into the restaurant at eight. I had worn my usual black suit. Bella had worn a black dress that ended right above her knee, revealing her smooth legs. We looked like a young couple who were celebrating their anniversary together over a romantic dinner.

We put in a word to the receptionist about our arrival and she led us to our dining table. I pulled out the chair for Bella and glanced around to notice Derry and Cathy on the other side of the room. After taking a seat, I picked up the menu and began to browse through. After a while, a waitress appeared and asked us if we were ready with our order.

"Risotto for this lovely lady and steak for me, please-medium rare, garden salad on the side. We'll try the Merlot too. Thank you."

Bella was looking at me the whole time. Once the waitress had left, I looked at her face and smiled. She smiled back at me and looked around. She noticed Cathy and Derry sitting on the other side of the room. Looking at me in the eye, she said, "Get him, big boy."

I smiled at Bella and stood up. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the couple. As soon as Derry saw me his eyes widened in horror. I approached them with a smile.

"Am I interrupting you two?" I asked as I stood beside their table smiling.

Cathy turned to me and, giving me a confused look, said, "How can we help?"

"Oh. Your date over here and I have been good friends since college. I am sure Derry must have told you about me," I replied to Cathy.

It was obvious that Derry was stunned by my presence. His facial expression spoke a lot more than his words. Finally getting hold of himself he said, "Sorry, honey, this is Noel. Noel, this is... um... my wife."

"Man! You never told me that you had a wife," I said, trying act surprised.

"Oh yes. Derry and I have been married for five years. Today is our wedding anniversary and we decided to spend some time together," Cathy replied with a formal smile.

"Yea... Yes. We have been married for five years now." Derry repeated whatever Cathy had said, which made me conclude that his rationality was on hold.

"Why... Nice to meet you, Cathy. I must say that Derry is lucky to have a beautiful wife like you," I said with a smile on my face.

"Thank you, sir. Nice to meet you too. I never knew Derry had a friend like you," Cathy replied, with a smile.

"Neither did he tell me that he had a wife like you," I replied immediately. We both laughed as Derry forced a smile on his face.

"I don't want to interrupt your lovely evening together. I am on a date myself and I don't like to keep my lady waiting," I said as I looked at Derry.

"Oh. What a pity. I wish Derry and you had some more time together," Cathy spoke.

Derry, who was silent for a while, trying to figure out what was going on, finally spoke, "It's all right, honey." Turning to me he said, "You know what... um... I'll meet you tomorrow at your office."

"Or maybe... you can join us on Sunday for lunch. You know our place, right?" Cathy interjected.

"That will be great, Cathy. I would love to join you two. So I'll see you two on Sunday," I replied with a smile.

I turned to walk to my table but stopped mid-way. Turning around, I returned to their table and said to Derry, "I think I'll see you tomorrow in my office. Maybe we can grab a beer or something, just like the good old days."

I could see a drop of sweat trickling down Derry's cheek and coming down his neck. Looking at me nervously he spoke, "Sure, Noel. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Perfect." Turning towards Cathy, I spoke, "And I'll see this wonderful lady on Sunday."

I made my way to my table and took my seat. I looked at Bella and smiled. She smiled back and sipped the wine, which had arrived in my absence.

"So, big boy. How did it go?" she asked.

"As planned. Cathy did create an opening for me," I replied.

"Oh. She is determined to make Derry pay. I wonder if she wants revenge or wants a fuck?"

"Maybe. Enough about her. Let's talk about ourselves."

"Fair enough. So what do you want to ask?"

"Tell me. If I were to propose to you, would you say yes?"

Bella's eyes widened. She put down the glass of wine and stared at me.

"Hey... I don't intend on doing that. But it's only my curiosity. Do I have a chance?" I added immediately.

"Well, as long as you don't mind me fucking other men."

There was a brief silence and then we both laughed heartily.

"So what are we now? Friends with benefits?" I joked.

"That's what it is. You give me sex and I'll return the favour."

"Oh... you are such a slut," I teased.

"Honey, you have no idea what I am," she replied as she winked at me and sipped her wine.

~~~~~

I stopped the vehicle outside Bella's house and waited for Bella to leave. She remained seated. I looked at her intently, studying her face, trying to decipher what she was thinking.

"Would you like to come in?" she spoke.

"Do you want me to?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should call it a night," she replied with disappointment in her voice.

"Okay, then. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

She got out of the vehicle and, closing the door behind her, made her way to the door. I wondered why there was a sudden change in her emotion. I had had a wonderful time with her, and she appeared to have enjoyed it. Was I using her as a means?

I got out of the vehicle and closed the door. The noise of closing the door caught Bella's attention. She turned around in surprise. As I approached her I said, "Is it okay if I sleep here? I will use the couch if you don't mind."

She smiled and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and placed a kiss on her forehead. We made our way into the house. It was just like a date, wherein the girl invites the boy for a coffee. But there was no coffee here.

I made it to the bedroom and she made her way to the bathroom. I unbuttoned my shirt and removed it. Folding it neatly, I kept it on the side table. I unbuckled my trousers and removing them, folded them and kept them beside my shirt. Finally, I settled down on the bed.

After a while, I saw Bella entering the room with a towel wrapped around her body. She saw me and stood there admiring my semi-naked body. Smiling, she unwrapped the towel and let it fall to the ground. Her wet and naked body was visible to me. I smiled and motioned her to come near me.

She climbed on the bed and crawled up to me. Coming close, she kissed me on the lips. I didn't waste a moment to return the kiss. After breaking the kiss I motioned for her to sleep beside me. She gave me a puzzled look but did what I had told her. I pulled the blanket over us and covered ourselves.

Under the quilt, I could feel her chilled, wet and bare body touching me. I slipped my arms around her waist and pulled her over to me. She reached down to my boxers and began to pull them down. After a little effort, we were naked under the quilt. I allowed her to feel the warmth of my body as we pulled ourselves closer.

"Come on now, fuck me," Bella said.

I positioned her in a way that her back was resting against my chest and my dick, against her waist. The feeling of her naked body rubbing against mine gave me a hard-on. I was tempted to fuck her then and there, but I restrained myself from giving in to the temptation. With my arm around her abdomen, I pulled her closer to me, dispelling any gap which stood between us. I held her there for a while until I was accustomed to her naked skin.

After a while, she spoke, "You aren't going to fuck me tonight, are you?"

"No. Not today."

"Why? Do I not turn you on?"

I snorted. Grabbing her hand I brought it behind her and placed it on my hard dick.

"Do you need more evidence?"

She paused.

"Why are you not fucking me?" she spoke.

"Let's enjoy this warm cuddle for tonight, Bels."

With that, I brushed aside the hair and kissed her neck. I laid my head gently on the pillow and breathed deeply. The sweet cherry aroma from her hair filled my nostrils. I gently closed my eyes and let sleep take control of me.

~~~~~

My sleep was broken by the sound of gentle sobs. As I opened my eyes, I became aware of Bella's presence. The sound of her soft sobs immediately caught my attention again.

"You all right, Bels?"

"Uh huh. Yes, I am," she said as she continued sobbing.

I tapped on her shoulder and she turned around. As she faced me, I saw tears in her eyes. Her wet eyes spoke about the love which she was longing for. A love which was far beyond physical intimacy. I kissed her forehead and looked at her lovingly.

"What is it, sweetheart?" I said softly.

"Nothing... I'm enjoying this warm feeling. Never experienced this before," she said as she sobbed.

I moved my arms around her back and pulled her closer to me. She placed her head on my chest while I rested my hand on her shoulder, gently caressing her.

"Do you still remember them?" Bella asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Kate and Sarah. Do you remember them?"

I began to run my fingers through her hair, taking my time to ponder on her question. Did I remember Kate? Yes, I did! Did I remember Sarah? Yes, I did! Why wouldn't I? I lived with them for six years.

They had been a part of my being. Not a single night passed by without having recalled the fond memory of Kate and Sarah. For the past thirteen months, I was tempted to go back and give her another chance. But now, it was too late. I recall the day I almost dropped by the house to confront her again. I was tormented by the nightmares of Derry making love to my wife and taking control of my family. Even the divorce could not stop me from thinking about Kate and Sarah.

Breaking from the train of thought, I spoke, "Go to sleep, Bels. We'll talk about that some other time."

~~~~~

Promotion to the post of Regional Superior came with numerous benefits. I had less work, no more sales calls, and I had plenty of spare time. The pay was enough for me, to be envied by my co-workers, and the position was suitable for me, as I knew the branch for fifteen long years.

I had begun my day at the office by signing the paperwork and examining the accounts when my phone rang. The receptionist informed me that I had a visitor. I smiled to myself and told her to allow the known stranger to my office. I reached out to my phone and began to browse through the video section, attempting to find a specific video. I was aware of my door being pushed aside with gusto as a familiar figure walked in.

"Stay the fuck away from Cathy. If you come closer to her, I'll make you pay," Derry spoke furiously as he walked in.

"Catch your breath and have a seat, Derry. And you might want to watch your tone," I spoke with calm authority.

For a moment, Derry stood there motionless as he stared at me. I didn't pay any attention to him, nor did I make any effort to look up to him. Upon finding the video I played it and handed over the phone to Derry.

Derry's eyes widened as he saw his own naked self in bed with Kate. The look on his face gave me immense pleasure of pure revenge. I sat back and looked at his face as it was filled with horror.

"That's nothing. I have the entire sex session between you and my wife. Sorry... My ex-wife," I spoke stressing the word 'ex.'

"So what are you planning to do? Show this to my wife?"

"Oh no. If you behave yourself and do what I tell you to, I might delete the video," I spoke convincingly.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Cathy is a wonderful lady. 'Wonderful' might not be an apt word. How about we use the word 'sexy'?"

Derry gave me a stunned look as if he was not expecting me to say those words. Clutching my phone tightly, he said, "Don't you dare... "

"Only once! I want to fuck Cathy just once," I spoke without letting him finish.

"That's not happening. I won't let it happen."

I reached down to my drawer and picked up a file. I handed over the test reports to Derry and watched his eyes widen. It was empirically evident that Derry knew what the file was all about.

"I think you know what this file is all about. If this file reaches your wife, you won't have a roof over your head... But I wouldn't do that. We are friends, aren't we?" I spoke sarcastically.

The room fell silent. I had made up my mind not to utter a syllable. I returned to my work and allowed Derry to come up with an answer.

"Just once!" Derry answered.

I stopped my work and looked up at Derry and said, "Pardon me?"

"You heard me. Just once," Derry spoke grinding his teeth in anger. "You can sleep with her."

"Sorry. I am not going to seduce her. You are going to convince her to sleep with me," I replied with a command in my voice.

"That's impossible. That will never happen," Derry protested

"Then you are wasting my time and yours. You can leave. On Sunday, when I pay you two a visit..."

"Okay... Okay. I'll see what I can do," Derry replied with total surrender.

"That's that way I like it. Now, you can leave. I am a busy man and don't have all day."

Derry looked at me with utter contempt. The feelings and the turmoil on his face was something that I wanted to see for a long time. I realised that I was playing a dirty game in which the winner was already known. Derry was on the receiving end and the view was something that I couldn't miss.

As I saw Derry walking out with a clenched fist, I called Cathy from my phone.

"Sweetie... Your husband dropped in... "

~~~~~

I arrived home from work only to find Bella and Kevin, her son, in the living room talking to my mom. My mom seemed to be happily engrossed in conversation with Bella, while Kevin was sipping his juice. As I entered the room, I was greeted with smiles. I smiled back politely, and keeping my bag on the table, I sat on the couch to join them.

"When did you arrive, Bels?" I asked casually. Looking at Kevin I asked, "So, Kevin, how was school today?"

"It was good, Uncle Noel. I learnt a new lesson today," Kevin replied as he sipped his juice.

"Tell Uncle Noel about your new friend," Bella said teasingly.

"Yes. I became friends with Betty. She is pretty. I like her," Kevin replied innocently.

"Good for you, young man." Turning to Bella I enquired, "So, Bels... no gym today?"

"I wanted to, but decided to take a break and came here to pay a visit to Aunt Mary, here," Bella replied as she smiled at my mom.

"That is very sweet of you, dear. Not many people want to visit an old lady like me," my mom spoke. "I am glad that you come here to give Noel some company. He needs someone to look after him."

"Come on, Mom, I am not a kid anymore," I replied with a tone of embarrassment.

With that, my mom chuckled while Bella winked at me.

"So, Noel, you were about to show me that file of yours. Would you mind if we see it now?" Bella spoke as she winked at me again.

"Sure. It's in my cupboard," I replied.

I requested Mom keep an eye on Kevin, while Bella and I excused ourselves to go to my room.

As soon as we entered the room, Bella latched the door. The sound of the door being latched caught my attention, and I turned around only to find Bella unbuckling her jeans and sliding them down her thighs. Kicking aside her jeans, she came to me and pushed me on the bed as she knelt in front of me. Looking in my eyes, she began to rub my crotch and then proceeded to unzip my trousers.

"Bels, what are you up to?" I asked.

"I want an answer from you," she replied as she put her hands into my trousers and began her hunt for my dick. Upon finding it, she grabbed it and squeezed it gently. My soft dick immediately responded to the familiar sensation, as it began its transformation from soft limp dick to a hard cock.

Bella then unbuckled my trousers and helped me to slide them down along with my boxers. She then straddled me and directed my dick into her warm pussy. As she lowered herself onto my dick, she closed her eyes, letting herself drown in pure pleasure. She put her hands behind my back and I responded by grabbing her waist. She pulled me closer to her face and I could feel her breath as she breathed in and out heavily.

"Mmm... Tell me, Noel. Do you still love Kate?"

I was caught off-guard. With a feeling of pure bliss as Bella rode me, my feelings for Kate hit me hard. I did not respond. I closed my eyes as I allowed Bella to ride me. She began to bounce on my dick faster and moaned in pleasure. She continued to ride me, as her hands reached out to my head and grabbed my hair.

"Will you fuck me, like you would fuck Kate?"

I remained silent. Grabbing her by her waist, I turned her around and placed her on the bed. Bending down, I repositioned my dick at the entrance of her pussy and pushed it in. Our fingers were intertwined and I continued to thrust in and out, slowly and passionately.

"You do love Kate, don't you?"

"Yes, I do! Damn it," I replied with frustration and pleasure as I continued to fuck her frantically.

"Then fuck me, and show me how much you love her," Bella said, still gasping for breath.

That command of Bella really got the better of me. I grabbed her waist and began to fuck her harder and faster. I realised that my emotions had taken over my body, as I began to thrust in her deeper than before.

"Don't stop, Noel. Fuck me hard."

At this point, my mind had no control over my body. The mere command of Bella only made me go wilder as if my animalistic instinct was let loose. As I fucked her hard and fast, her breasts were moving to and fro under her t-shirt. I continued this action until I became aware of the way I was fucking her. My balls were hitting her butt, and the pleasure only aggravated my animalistic nature.

"You can stop now, Noel," Bella said, tapping my back.

Her voice brought me back to reality. I reduced my thrusting and slowly let my hard dick out of her pussy. Turning around, I sat on the edge of the bed and began to ponder on what had just happened. Bella was still catching her breath as she lay down on the bed. The silence of reality was deafening. I realized that there was a lot of raw emotion inside me, which needed to be looked into.

"You need to confront her again, Noel. And maybe this time, you listen to her."

Chapter Eight

I walked by the swimming pool, as the glittering rays over the waters fell in my eyes. As I approached the door of the magnificent bungalow, I inhaled the air, mixed with the fragrance of wild orchid. I rang the doorbell and waited for a response from within. I turned around to admire the blue pool and the colourful garden, which beautified the house even more. As I admired the beauty in front of me, the sound of the latch and the opening of the door caught my attention. I turned around to see Derry standing with a cold face. I looked at him and smiled. Knowing my intention, it was natural for him to react that way.

I pushed Derry aside with my right hand and made my way into the living room. I paused halfway and said, "Am I getting laid today?"

There was no response. I chuckled and made my way into the living room.

The living room was spacious. The blue couch on top of a rug and a glass table gave it an elegant look. The abstract art hanging on the wall made the room look sophisticated. The delightful design gave an insight into Cathy's mind. Such a dignified lady, falling for a demeaning person like Derry. Love is not just blind. It's colour blind.

My train of thought was broken by a cheerful greeting from Cathy herself. I walked towards her and shook her hand warmly. Before letting go of her hand, I winked at her. Her formal smile led me to infer the presence of Derry behind me. "Anything special today?" I asked as I looked at Derry.

Forcing a smile, Derry replied, "Well, she is the cook. I am surprised myself because she seldom cooks for us."

Turning towards Cathy I mocked, "Is it? Am I someone special or something?"