Change Partners

by Cathryn Cooper

  ‘Jamie’s left Mariana,’ Crystal explained, ‘but Josie saw Mariana earlier with Alex, her father-in-law, and she made no mention of Jamie leaving. Now we’ve found that the place is in a mess - as though there’s been a fight or something. We’re going to have to call the police.’

  ‘No we’re not,’ corrected Thomas. ‘We’re going to break in and make sure everything’s alright before we make ourselves look like fools and cause unnecessary problems for Mariana and Jamie. If they are off to try and construct new lives for themselves, the last thing they are going to need is the police nosing into their affairs. Can I borrow your jacket, Michael?’

  Michael, without looking Thomas in the eye, took off his jacket and handed it to his friend.

  Thomas wrapped it around his hand before punching it through the door.

  The sound of shattering glass sounded like a bomb going off to those standing next to it, and Crystal almost shrieked.

  ‘You’ll have all the neighbours round to find out what’s going on!’

  ‘They’re too far away,’ muttered Thomas as he put his hand through the broken glass and turned the handle from the inside.

  Soundlessly, the door opened. Their footsteps were less quiet as they trod over the broken glass and made their way into the matrimonial home of Mariana and Jamie - now parted.

  ‘It wasn’t like this when I was here earlier,’ murmured Josie, hardly daring to raise her voice much above the minimum.

  There was a table lamp lying on its side on the floor. It was lit.

  ‘Security light,’ explained Thomas. ‘Jamie had a few of them wired up to a timing device. Good system.’

  ‘We’ll check the bedrooms,’ said Josie, and jerked her head at Crystal to follow her.

  Michael followed Thomas around the ground-floor rooms. He never spoke. It was for Thomas to speak or act. For Thomas to warn him off his wife or turn round and bury his fist in Michael’s face. That’s what Michael was expecting.

  Any time, he thought to himself. Any time he’s going to spin round and break my jaw. This is all a farce, this business with Mariana and Jamie. All just a farce.

  Like Thomas, Michael stood open-mouthed when they opened the door on one certain room at the back of the house.

  ‘Good grief!’ he exclaimed at last.

  Thomas walked forward into the room. Almost with a trace of reverence, he touched the leather straps that had once bound the wrists of either Mariana or Jamie. Jamie, he decided when he saw the high leather boots and red velvet basque hung on a hanger in the corner.

  ‘I don’t think we should say too much about this room,’ said Michael. ‘It doesn’t seem right.’

  Their wives came up behind them. ‘There’s more of this stuff up in the wardrobe,’ Josie explained.

  Crystal stared. ‘So this was what he meant. Jamie said something about thinking Mariana liked the same things he liked, but she didn’t. Everything had changed. That’s why he said he was going to work for that Egyptian oil firm. By the sound of it he reckoned he could get what he wanted out there.’

  Thomas picked up some kind of iron chastity belt that had a hole at the front. He poked his finger through it. ‘Too big for a finger,’ said ruefully, a little sadly. ‘This, I presume, was for our friend Jamie to wear. His penis and his balls were meant to be trapped through here, I should imagine.’

  Crystal had hung back by the door. She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked around the room and shivered. ‘So that’s all there is to find. A load of kinky torture gear.’

  ‘Sad,’ said Thomas. ‘Though interesting. But it doesn’t explain anything. Still, we should be grateful for small mercies. There’s no blood here and no dead bodies.’

  ‘Is that what we’ve been looking for?’ asked Michael. ‘Blood and bodies? Whose bodies?’

  It was his wife who put him in the picture. Josie who explained things. ‘Michael, listen. Jamie said that Mariana had gone away with a friend. But I was with her this morning. She was here with Alex and made no mention of going away. We were suspicious.’

  Michael shrugged and looked awkward. ‘I still don’t see why we’re here.’

  ‘Michael’s right.’ It was Thomas. ‘Why don’t we go over to ask Jamie’s father if he knows any more than we do? We’ll fix the door first. There must be some hardboard or something in the tool shed or garage.’

  ‘Right,’ said Michael. ‘I’ll see what I can find.’

  Each of them glanced a last time around the room where Jamie had indulged in his sexual fantasies and Mariana had obliged - for whatever reason.

  The headlights of a car suddenly brightened the semi-darkness.

  ‘Mariana!’ Crystal ran out along the passageway. The others followed.

  Crystal stopped short at the front door. ‘Who are you?’ they heard her say.

  ‘I’m Sharaz. What are you doing here? Why have you broken the glass?’

  It was Thomas who explained.

  Once he’d finished, Sharaz burst out laughing.

  Her dark eyes flashed in the fall of light that came out of the doorway.

  ‘Are you her lover?’ Josie asked.

  Sharaz stopped laughing. ‘I thought I was, but I’m afraid that, like poor old Jamie, I was superseded.’

  They all stared silently at her as they awaited an explanation.

  Sharaz laughed again and shook her head. ‘There was a Turk she remembered. I believe he took her virginity. She may have told you about him. I was a substitute for that man. But he wasn’t the most important man in her life.’

  ‘Her father,’ said Josie suddenly. ‘Her father was the most important man in her life!’

  Sharaz nodded. ‘Yes.’

  Crystal frowned. ‘So where is she? Why the mess in here? Did she have a fight with someone?’

  Josie was shaking her head emphatically. She grabbed hold of Crystal’s shoulder in an effort to add emphasis to her understanding and explanation of the situation.

  ‘She’s with Alex - Jamie’s father. He’s the father she wanted - in whatever way she wants him. That’s what Sharaz is saying. Am I right?’

  She turned to Sharaz. The girl nodded. ‘Yes. That’s it exactly. I’ve just come here to tidy up for her. She went a bit scatty when she found out that Jamie was going at last. I’m not her lover any more, but I’m still her friend.’

  They stood aside to let Sharaz in. Silence hung over them as they watched her disappear down the passageway. Another change had happened and each of them was letting it sink in.

  Chapter 24

  After leaving the house where the glass in the back door had been broken and the contents were scattered over the floor, the four of them made their way to the country club.

  ‘So how do we see the way forward?’ asked Thomas once he’d set the drinks out on the table.

  Michael hummed and hawed and made an effort to clear his throat. ‘Well, Crystal and I thought—’

  ‘About a divorce,’ interrupted Crystal.

  ‘Just like that?’ said Thomas. ‘You and Michael moving in together, and me and Josie doing the same.’

  Michael nodded. ‘Yes. Yes. That’s right.’

  Crystal covered his hand with hers. Blinking a trifle nervously, he glanced at her and smiled before staring back at his drink.

  Josie had been sitting quietly.

  ‘What’s the point?’ she said suddenly. They all looked at her.

  She sat up straight and brushed her hair back from her eyes.

  ‘What’s the point? Does it matter where each of us live?

  Does it matter if one of us lives with one, and one with the other? Who’s to say we can’t interchange? You must admit, Crystal, that was a pretty good threesome we had.’

  Josie looked directly at her friend
. Crystal blushed and Michael frowned because he had no idea what anyone was talking about.

  ‘In fact,’ Josie added, ‘why can’t we make it a foursome on occasions? Just think of how exciting that would be.’ Michael stared.

  Crystal still blushed.

  A slow smile spread over Thomas’s face. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.

  ‘You didn’t mean it?’ Michael sounded confused.

  ‘Of course she means it!’ Thomas shook his head in disbelief. ‘Don’t you see? She’s right. Josie is absolutely right. Just think of the fun we can have. Sometimes Josie can be with me, and sometimes with you - especially useful in your business career. And the same with Crystal. Sometimes with you and sometimes with me.’

  ‘And other times, all four of us can share a house, a room, a bed,’ added Josie, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. ‘Come on. What do you think?’

  Michael, so masculine, so quick to boast of his conquests and outstanding virility, stammered as he fought to find the right words.

  Crystal, who had made a career out of being vivacious, sexual and highly desirable, licked at the dryness of her lips and felt a sudden moistness seeping between her legs.

  Michael looked at Crystal, and Crystal fluttered her eyelashes as the rationality of the situation became more clear.

  ‘Let’s do it!’ Crystal’s face was suddenly a picture of sexual intent. ‘Just imagine how it could be. Oh, Michael! You cannot believe how incredible it was with both Thomas and Josie. Really it was!’

  Michael stared. ‘You did it with both of them?’

  Eyes bright, Crystal nodded. ‘Yes. Both of them.’

  Michael gulped. ‘Yes!’ he exclaimed at last. ‘Yes! Why not!’ And he began to laugh.