Part 03
Carl woke in the morning, on his own, as usual.
He laid in for a good while catching up with the week's news on the iPad. When he eventually came down it was almost eleven and there was no sign of Sarah. Carl looked out the window and noticed her BMW was gone from the driveway. He went to the kitchen and, sure enough, she'd left a note.
"Morning Darling.
"Forgot to mention I'm meeting Susie for lunch today and we're off for some retail therapy after. See you Later xx."
"She'll be cutting it a bit fine." he thought.
Carl had plenty of things to occupy himself with today. The pool company would be fitting a new jacuzzi this afternoon and a landscape garden company we're coming for a chat about the new terrace. It would fill his afternoon until at least five o'clock but he'd have more than enough time to finish and get ready for tonight.
As the afternoon wore on he couldn't help but wonder about the events of tonight. He was still sure it was all about the excitement of pulling back from the cliff edge. After Sarah had flirted with Matt and he'd thanked us for the meal, they were going to have some amazing fantasy sex. He couldn't wait.
The jacuzzi install went fine but the meeting with the landscaping company over ran by an hour!
Carl had entered the rear doors of the house and was walking through the dining room when he heard Sarah's voice talking to someone ahead. As he rounded the corner of the link corridor to the entrance hallway, there in the hall just inside the front door, was Sarah, talking with Matt.
What was going on here? Carl thought.
Matt was helping Sarah in with her shopping bags.
"Matt" Carl exclaimed.
"Hi, Carl. How are you this fine day."
"Er...yeah.. yeah I'm fine!"
"I met this waif and stray on your doorstep." Matt chuckled.
Carl looked across at Sarah. She was crimson with embarrassment or furious with rage. He couldn't tell.
Little did he know it was neither. It was pure shock.
Carl knew he'd heard Matt correctly when he said eight pm. There was no doubt in his mind. He couldn't comprehend what had happened or how Matt could have made such a mistake.
They all stood in the hallway, Sarah holding a bag in each hand and Matt with four or five in his arms. Carl couldn't find anything to say.
Sarah decided to fall on her sword and assume responsibility.
"I'm so sorry Matt. It's my fault. I'm just running so late. I was out with one of my close girlfriends and completely lost track of time. Please forgive me."
"Sarah, don't worry about a thing. You take your time sweetness."
"We have all night!"
Just then there was a knock on the door. Carl stepped forward and opened it. It was the chauffeur. He was holding a large pink flat box, tied with a ribbon, and by his feet was a case of Cristal Champagne.
"Ah...The box is for you Sarah, but you can't open it yet."
Sarah put down her two bags as the chauffeur offered her the box.
"Oh. Erm. Thank you, Matt, you shouldn't have."
Her rosy red cheeks became even deeper.
"And the champagne is for the fridge if you don't mind Carl."
"Oh wow thank you Matt. I'll get that taken care of."
Carl was impressed with the Cristal Champaign and knew it was over £250.00 a bottle.
Good evening the chauffeur said backing away from the doorway. And pulled the door closed behind him.
Now Matt turned back to Sarah.
"You take your time Sarah. If I may steal your husband away for a while I just have a small bit of work to go through with him"
"Sure..sure, you guys go right ahead."
She was only too pleased to escape the situation she found herself in. Sarah almost ran up the stairs moving quickly.
"I'll just pop this champagne in the fridge," Carl said.
Matt put down the bags on the hall table and followed Carl into the kitchen.
"It's a lovely home you have here Carl."
"Thank you. We've had it for about 3 years now. We've done a lot of work on it in that time."
"Must be what, almost three and half million I'd guess?"
Carl was at first surprised how accurate Matt was with his valuation, but remember the mortgage to buy it was funded by the company. All the top executives were able to use the preferential company mortgage system. He knew Matt would have access to that info.
"Yes that's about right"
"Let's take a walk outside Carl, it was dark the night of the party and I'd like to see the gardens whilst we chat."
"Sure. Through this way." and he led them outside from the side door of the kitchen.
Carl wanted to ask why the fuck he'd turned up 2 hours early but decided against it. They strolled out onto the top lawns.
"I admire you, Carl."
"Admire me," Carl thought?
Says the billionaire businessman who he was sure had everything in life he wished for.
"Oh really," said Carl.
"Why's that."
"You have a lovely house, a beautiful wife, and a lovely daughter, I hear."
"Cathrine isn't it."
"Yes"
He'd never talked to Matt about their daughter.
"And a very open relationship with your wife which is fantastic."
"What did he mean by open." Carl thought.
There was a pause. Carl didn't know quite what to say.
"Erm. I guess," he said.
"No guess about it, Carl"
"It's a fantastic thing that you make sure your wife has a expansive and fulfilled life. It's important in a marriage to keep things moving forward and interesting don't you think?"
Carl was completely poleaxed by his comments. He must have talked to Sarah. How else could he know? Had she told him about their fantasies?
Carl was completely speechless. He felt a wave of embarrassment filling his face.
"You know most men can't embrace the thought of allowing their wives to have a complete life of their own. She must have worked hard over the years and these women deserve more than they get. I admire you and your wife."
He didn't know how to respond. He felt undermined and a little betrayed by his wife. He also felt a sickness in the pit of his stomach.
"Let's go inside and get a drink," Matt said.
They returned to the kitchen and Carl opened a bottle of the Crystal and poured them both a glass. Carl almost necked the first glass in one. He needed it.
"Maybe he'd read too much into Matt's comments". he thought, trying to calm himself.
Still holding the bottle he topped up his glass again. His mind wandered in thought.
"Was this really going to happen? He couldn't possibly allow it, could he? Maybe he didn't have a choice! It's clearly what his wife wanted, or was it?"
At that moment Sarah walked into the kitchen.
"Ah! I see you've started without me."
"Oh yes, sorry Sarah," said Matt.
"Yes sorry, let me get you a glass," Carl added.
They finished another bottle before dinner. The Champagne was delightful and helped take the edge off Carl's nerves.
.
Sarah had cooked a simple lasagna for dinner. It seemed a little bland and uncreative for someone of Sarah's skill set. She was a very talented cook in the kitchen and always blew people away with her menus. Not that Carl was hungry. He couldn't eat and his stomach was in knots. They opened another bottle with the meal.
As they finished Sarah rose to clear the plates and Carl suddenly realised that Sarah wasn't wearing the new designer dress!
"Strange," he thought.
To spend all that money for her big night and then not wear it. Still, he Wasn't sure of anything tonight.
His mind started drifting back to how excited Sarah had become in their fantasy about Matt. Their sex life hadn't been this good for years and he loved his wife very much. If this truly made her happy, should he be the one to stand in her way? If he did stop it at this point how would Sarah react and what would happen to their marriage.
He found his thoughts rambling in all directions as the champagne started taking its effect on his mind. Carl opened another bottle.