by S M Mala
I walk into his bedroom wearing his dressing gown and he’s under the covers waiting.
‘Come here,’ he says patting as space next to him. ‘Let’s talk.’
‘I don’t want to,’ I say full of misery as I throw off the dressing gown and go into the bed, pulling the covers up and turning my back to him. ‘I can’t see why you won’t let me sleep in one of the spare rooms?’
‘I’d prefer it if you were close by,’ he says trying to stroke my shoulder as I push him off.
‘What did you expect Josh to do when he saw me? I told you what happened when I saw him in the pub,’ I say feeling upset again. ‘Did you want to upset him?’
‘Why would I do that?’ he anxiously asks.
‘You could secretly hate him and his bloody trollop wife,’ I say still reeling from it all.
‘I think the word trollop is a bit strong, don’t you?’ he says gently moving closer to me and stroking my back.
‘I’ll save that word for you, shall I?’
‘Oh baby,’ he says and puts his arms around me. I can feel his breath on the back of my neck.
‘You didn’t want to know months ago and now your dick’s at a loose end,’ I say as he kisses my neck and I pull away from him before I turn around. ‘Can’t you see how you’ve upset me?’
Hal moves his face closer to mine.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think you’d react this way.’
‘Why would you want me to see Josh again? I stupidly thought you might have a little bit of friendship and respect for me.’
‘I wasn’t thinking,’ he says glumly and gently touches my face. ‘You know I’d never hurt you intentionally.’
‘You have,’ I honestly reply and look at him.
‘I don’t see what all the fuss is about Josh to be honest,’ he says now stroking my shoulder. ‘Women fighting over him.’
‘I’m not fighting over him,’ I reply and shrug him off. ‘I’m sure people say the same thing about you.’
‘That’s different,’ Hal says seriously.
‘Why’s that?’
‘I don’t play with anyone’s emotions.’
‘You’re such a liar!’ I say in utter disbelief and from his expression I know he’s fibbing.
‘Maybe a little but not like Josh is doing to Meg and you,’ he says earnestly. ‘He doesn’t know who he wants.’
‘How do you know?’ I watch as Hal’s eyes dart around.
‘It’s just observation,’ he eventually says and kisses me on the lips. I wipe my mouth and he frowns at me.
‘Or is it competition from a young buck you don’t like?’ I say and Hal’s expression changes.
‘He’s not competition, okay,’ he eventually replies after ticking something over.
‘I didn’t mean directly to you, for goodness sake,’ I gently placate knowing his ego is involved. ‘That would imply you were after his missus of even me.’
‘Belle, can you stop talking?’ he gently says and leans closer to me. ‘I would really like to make love to you tonight. I’ve not stopped thinking about you.’ My tummy does an impromptu flip. He’s got me at a vulnerable moment but now I know his tactic.
‘I suppose you’re still a little bit in love with me while you’re thinking of screwing me too?’ I say sarcastically.
‘You’re not being nice.’
‘And I’m not having sex with you,’ I bluntly reply.
‘I said ‘love’ not ‘sex’.’
‘Think about Joan’s feelings,’ I reply.
‘We don’t have to tell her,’ he says kissing my face.
‘And how is that going to help?’ I say pushing him away.
‘I’ll make you feel wonderful.’
‘I’d rather sleep,’ I say exhausted from cooking and crying.
‘Okay,’ he says looking offended.
‘And don’t touch me, okay?’
‘If that’s what you want,’ he says. I turn around and start to cry again. ‘Belle?’
‘And don’t tell me to stop crying because I can’t!
I’m slightly startled when I feel something on my face it makes me jump. I open my eyes and I see Hal’s stroking my cheek.
‘I didn’t mean to wake you,’ he quietly says and his eyes are wide open.
‘What time is it?’
‘About two,’ he says leaning closer to me. ‘I’m really sorry. You cried yourself to sleep.’
‘I’m unhappy,’ I reply trying not to cry again as my eye lids feel like sandpaper. ‘It’s over. Whatever I thought could happen between us is truly gone.’
‘Over?’ he says looking puzzled.
‘I’ve wasted a lot of time thinking about someone who doesn’t care for me as much as I care for him. It’s developing into a pattern.’ I close my eyes then feel Hal’s lips on mine. I open up my eyes and he’s looking at me.
‘I stopped seeing you because Joan was getting really upset about it. She thought I’d stop after a few weeks, she didn’t think we’d go on for months,’ he whispers. ‘I told her I didn’t want to stop seeing you at first then I started to really like you as much as you liked me.’
‘And that’s how you show it, is it?’
He gently kisses me. It puts me in a quandary.
Shall I say no and punish him?
Shall I say yes and make him work for it?
What to do?
‘Let me,’ he says gently and I kiss him back. I want to immerse myself in him, even if it is for one night only. A drop of even Hal’s human kindness is better than nothing.
He pushes me back and kisses down my body, squeezing and sucking all the way down as he throws off the duvet.
I look at the top of his head and he placed his mouth between my legs and his tongue is working well.
‘I bit slower please,’ I say as I look down into his eyes then he suddenly stops. ‘Don’t you like me telling you what to do?’
‘I need a favour,’ he asks and holds my thighs back.
‘What?’ I sigh now desperate for some sexual relief.
‘I want to surprise Joan next week,’ he starts. He’s always up to something. I try to push my thighs together and he holds fast.
‘This is why you woke me up?’ I snap.
‘I woke you up because I want to make love to you but as I have your attention,’ he says as his fingers tease me and I really want him to get stuck in. ‘Will you help me and I’ll give you the best night’s loving you’ve ever had.’
‘The best,’ I say enjoying his touch. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Better than Josh,’ he says and I wonder why he’s suddenly got a bee in his bonnet about him. Men and their egos!
Hal kisses my inner thigh and his licks and sucks are working like a treat. I could easily crush his head between his thighs for setting me up tonight but I let it wash.
‘Yes,’ I groan and I know I’m on the verge. The orgasm is building up and the fire is starting in my body. I grab his hair and I can’t help it, I’m going to moan loudly because he’s so good but he deserves a little bit of pain.
‘Josh!’ I say out loudly and groan. ‘Josh you’re the best.’ I look down at him. ‘OH shit, sorry Hal, I meant you.’
I’ve definitely wiped the smile off his face.
Good!
Twenty Five
It has been five days since Hal decided to try to enter every orifice I’d let him by being a sex god. I know he wasn’t happy with my impromptu announcement at the start of our session, though it did make me snigger and him improve his already stellar performance.
I was also a little perturbed by what he was saying. He was being incredibly loving and at one point told me he loved me, but I’m not falling for his crap again. He only says that when he wants something and now he wants something from me.
He sort of made a point to make sure it would be a night I’d never forget. And at the moment I haven’t. I had to put Vaseline on my bits because I was so sore!
‘Rec
overed yet,’ he says over the phone while I admire my decoration of a neighbour’s birthday cake.
‘I moan out someone else’s name and suddenly you’re trying to screw me every which way it comes as if no man could ever dare be mentioned in your presence,’ I say, half laughing and quite enjoying the fact his Achilles heel hangs between his legs. ‘Isn’t that so?’
‘Have you always thought about him when we were having sex?’ he sniffs.
‘Why do you care?’
‘I don’t.’
‘Then I won’t answer your question,’ I smile knowing he’s wound up. ‘It cheered me up no end.’
‘I know you did it on purpose,’ Hal says and I can hear he has taken a deep breath and is waiting for some reassurance.
‘If that’s what you think? Anyway you and I are not having sex ever again,’ I point out. ‘I have resolved never to shag someone who is not worthy of my love and attention.’
‘Are you prepared for a life of celibacy?’ Hal laughs.
‘I’m going to take out shares in Ann Summers,’ I cleverly reply and he’s still laughing then I stop. ‘Have you spoken to Josh?’
‘I did speak to him,’ his friendly tone now changing.
‘Did he mention the other night?’ I ask, trying not to sound desperate.
‘He did.’
‘What did he say?’ I eagerly ask.
‘He said your pasta was hard,’ he laughs. ‘He said he was sorry for being rude to me.’
‘That’s it. He didn’t mention me?’ I’m slightly gutted.
‘You said it was over and I didn’t ask. I admit you mentioning Josh wasn’t very nice you know,’ Hal persists. ‘I never mention Joan, do I?’
‘Yes you do.’
‘When?’
‘The same night when you wanted a favour from me, remember? When your head was between my wobbly thighs.’
‘That was a one off but thinking about it is making me horny,’ he sighs. ‘Do you want to come round tonight and-.’
‘No thanks.’
‘Are you sure?’ he gently says down the phone. ‘I want you.’
‘That’s nice,’ I say, quite chuffed he’s interested in me all of a sudden and even more so because I’m not falling for his crap. ‘Why did you call?’
‘It’s about Joan,’ he continues.
‘A nice surprise for the mother in law,’ I sigh momentarily distracted from my happy mood. ‘You tell her what happened after your dinner party and I’m sure she’ll give you a major surprise in the nether regions.’
‘I want you to take her out for a drink,’ Hal calmly says ignoring my comment. ‘You can do that for me, can’t you?’
‘Depends if you send me money to do the honours because she doesn’t come cheap,’ I reply not keen on helping him with her.
‘I’ll have a tab set up. Anyway I owe you cash for last week but considering I paid you in kind, we’ll call that even.’
‘We bloody well won’t and I think you owe me for the pleasure,’ I snap. ‘You made me buy all that organic stuff. It doesn’t come cheap and if I knew Meg was going to eat my food I wouldn’t have made an effort.’
‘She didn’t touch it and the pasta was hard.’
‘Hard my arse!’
‘No your arse is smooth and sexy,’ he whispers.
‘Don’t try and flatter me to get what you want.’
‘Now would I?’ he laughs.
‘Okay where and when?’ I know I’m being softened up.
‘I’ll send you a text and Belle?’
‘Yes,’ I sigh, waiting for another little dig.
‘Don’t let me down.’
‘When have I ever done that?’ I reply and hear him laugh loudly before hanging up.
Less than a week later I’m looking at Joan who is, once again, turned out beautifully while admiring the bar.
‘Why did you pick here?’ she asks. ‘It’s a bit upmarket for you, isn’t it?’
‘I’m paying,’ I lie. ‘I thought after your stakeout you’d enjoy a nice place to relax in.’
‘No one died then?’ she smirks and sips her glass of champagne which costs more than two bottles of own brand champagne from my regular supermarket.
‘No,’ I sigh. ‘So what did you learn from your detective work round Hal’s?’
‘He invited Josh and Meg,’ she sniped and stared at me. ‘I don’t know why I wasn’t included?’
‘Did you see the waitresses? My goodness I bet he had a threesome with them?’ I smile and feel her burning glare.
‘Did you speak to Josh? I’m surprised Meg didn’t break your neck,’ she grins with delight. ‘Or push you down the stairs but you’d only bounce back up.
‘You can say what you like but I don’t care,’ I sigh trying to exude confidence with the help of expensive wine. ‘I’m a curvy size 14 with great tits.’ I glance smugly at her sunken fried eggs.
‘What did Josh say?’ she persists and leans forward flicking her hair away from her face.
‘For your information, Meg didn’t know I was there because I stayed in the kitchen.’ She lets out a big laugh then looks at me with a big grin. ‘And Josh was very polite and said he enjoyed the meal.’
‘And that was it? No recriminations about seeing you again?’
‘He was the perfect gentleman,’ I lie and sip my drink glancing at her.
‘And was Hal the perfect gentleman? Did you squeal like a pig when he humped your brains out?’
‘Joan!’ I say seeing if anyone heard her.
‘Come on,’ she says waving her hand in that familiar manner. ‘I know what he’s like and I suspect he needed a bit of rough to end the evening off. Let’s be honest, he was paying for it.’
The bitch! I glare at her and wish I could say something but nothing comes to mind. I know Hal will kill me if I upset her before his little surprise.
‘And handsomely he did pay. In cash,’ I lie feeling sore and trying to hide it. I smile as her face turns to stone.
‘You better not have slept with him,’ she smiles through gritted teeth. ’Who’s your next victim?’
‘I’m going to stay single and be a good mother.’
‘Isn’t that a little late?’ she sneers.
‘I am many things in your eyes but I know I’m a good mother so shove it, okay?’
‘It’s only because Beth is a loving and caring child you can make out you’ve contributed to her upbringing,’ she sighs. ‘And if my son was here, who knows, maybe she’d have had a step mother worthy of her.’
‘He’s dead, okay,’ I snap. ‘You’re left with her and I, unfortunately, come with the package. If you don’t like it you know what you can do, don’t you?’
‘Listen lady,’ she says sitting the edge of her seat and hisses. ‘You constantly muck up my life and I continually forgive you.’
‘Ditto,’ I snap.
‘I put up with you for the sake of my grandchild.’
‘You stopped Josh being with me!’ I hiss. ‘We should have been together.’
‘Tough shit, you’re not,’ she sits back and glares. ‘And you will never be.’
‘What does Hal see in you? How can he put up with your evilness?’
‘He loves me,’ she shrugs in delight and sighs loudly.
‘He’s not the brightest then, is he?’
We sit there in silence and glare at each other for a moment before she sits up straight then looks at me squarely in the eyes.
‘I know you don’t believe me but I love Hal and I’d do anything for him. I know he sleeps around but that’s changing. You were the last one and we agreed that after you, there would be no one else,’ she says authoritatively. ‘I blame myself because I told him to talk to you but I didn’t expect, well I did on hindsight considering your behaviour over-.’
‘Expect what?’
‘Hal to have sex with you and decide that he’d like a piece of your fat arse on a regular basis,’ she says full of disappointment. ‘I let it carry o
n then he dumped you.’
‘You told him to dump me,’ I smile. ‘Afraid of the competition?’
‘What competition,’ she says dismissively. ‘He dumped you because you’re boring and too needy.’
‘I’m not needy.’ You notice I don’t mention the boring comment because I have been told this by my daughter on several occasions so she might have a point.
We sit there in silence and I examine my mother in law. She’s still such a beauty with a figure anyone would kill for but why does she look so unhappy? Must be me?
‘Joan,’ I say breaking her out of a trance. ‘Doesn’t it hurt you to know he wants other women?’
‘He says-.’
‘He says one thing then does the next,’ I say and notice the flicker of concern over her face. ‘This is how your life is going to be. Why can’t you find a good man who’ll treat you right?’
‘So you can get your mucky paws on Hal?’ she guffaws.
‘I don’t want him. And I’ll be honest with you-.’
‘Spare me the details.’
‘I fell a little in love with him but, you know, it’s not real,’ I shrug and look at my half-filled glass.
‘Really?’ she says not surprised.
‘I thought I’d rock the boat to see what happened but after a while,’ I look at her and wonder if I should continue. ‘You let him treat you like a door mat not the goddess you deserve to be treated as.’
Joan double blinks at me and for a moment she doesn’t know what to say as I sit there knowing she’s going to say something about me being lower than a doormat? Doorstep?
But nothing.
My mobile vibrates and Hal has sent me a text.
Tell her to go to room 512 in fifteen minutes. Don’t follow her up. Please go straight home.
‘Whose that?’ she asks now relaxing in her chair and staring at me.
‘We have time for another drink. Same again?’
At the allotted time I escort her to the lift and she looks at me with a confused expression.
‘Where are we going? You’re not taking me to the top of the building to push me off?’ she laughs and I can see there’s some concern on her face which makes me smile.
‘No,’ I reply firmly. ‘Your lover has requested I make sure you get to the lifts.’