by S M Mala
On 27th she had arranged for her mother to look after Daisy, who was still working through her Christmas presents.
‘Sylvie, why do you need to go to work?’ her mother said, shaking her head as she took off her oversized coat. ‘They work you too hard and you should say ‘no’.’
Sylvie nodded knowing her mother had no idea of her share of the company. On the occasion when her mother would ask if she could get her some bras, Sylvie would often go out and buy some making out she got them at a discount. Luckily, her mother liked her bras to last ten years each time.
‘I’ll only be out until lunchtime and then we can go to Nandos,’ she said.
‘Hoorah!’ shouted Daisy from the living room as her mum went to put on the kettle.
‘And Daisy didn’t receive a present from those people?’ her mum whispered and she knew she was talking about Rupert’s family. ‘Not even a card?’
‘It doesn’t matter mum, she’s got us and that’s what counts.’ Sylvie kissed her mum’s sunken cheeks. ‘There’s lots of cake and I’ll meet you inside the place at noon.’
‘Unless it gets too cold then we’ll stay in,’ her mother sighed. ‘It’s so cold. Is your heater on?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, turning up the thermostat before heading out into the cold breeze.
The only other person due in was Marianne and that would be later on. From her link to the website, she realised there’d been a few complaints from customers as well as the New Year sale orders which had started to come through. She was prepared to get as much done as possible.
Opening the door and locking it from the inside, she placed her laptop on the side and took off her coat. The place was freezing and there was no point turning on the heating but Samina had a fan heater hidden in the corner, so she switched that on and waited to heat up.
Then Marianne called, sounding very ill, and Sylvie knew she wasn’t going to come in, but proceeded to carry on with the packaging and responding to the complaints, advising they would get a full refund depending on the condition of the products.
By ten she was nearly finished when there was knocking on the door. She hadn’t received a text to say anyone else was coming in but checked the security camera before smiling, her heart beating faster.
Sylvie opened up and Finlay was standing outside before coming in. She closed the door, flinging her arms around him and placing a massive kiss on his lips.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked as he grinned and pushed her back towards the packing table.
‘Wanted to see you,’ he sighed and kissed her again. ‘And I’m flying out later on today so I want you to know I’m doing it because you asked.’
‘Kiss me,’ she sighed and they did for ages. She felt somersaults in her tummy and lust between her thighs. ‘I missed you.’
‘And I missed you,’ he laughed. ‘Have we got time to go to the room?’
‘Finlay!’ she said, slapping him gently. ‘I’ve got to get this to the post office and meet mother and child at noon.’
‘Post it later. I’ll even give you a lift to the Royal Mail,’ he said, holding her tightly. ‘Come on, it’s Christmas.’
The sex was frantic, hot and sweaty. She felt pent up as they flung each other around the bed, going to as many positions as they could until, eventually, Sylvie was straddling Finlay, moving up and down his shaft. She started to laugh as he smiled and suddenly she was filled with happiness as well as his cock.
‘Oh, this is amazing!’ he said, putting his arms over his head as she placed her palms on his smooth chest. ‘You’re amazing.’
‘You too,’ Sylvie grinned as he looked at her and the gentleness in his face made her lose her stroke for a moment.
‘Come here,’ he said, pulling her down so he went on top, before he kissed her passionately and started moving with long, slow thrusts.
Sylvie felt something stir, that feeling of old, butterflies in her gut when she looked up at him, knowing not to focus too hard on his eyes as she closed hers. His breath was against her face and she held onto his shoulders, hearing her own moans and his little pants.
‘Sly,’ he whispered as she didn’t want to let him go, knowing this might be the last time, so she held on tight, trying to remember everything that was happening. ‘Oh god Sly!’
Opening her eyes, she looked at him as he kissed her gently, she wondered if he had any idea how she was feeling about him, if he’d get mad with her for over stepping the mark.
They held each other as they both came and he didn’t move off, just looked at her while trying to catch his breath. She felt his heart pound against hers, the sweat of their body intermingling. Finlay smiled and pushed her hair away from her face.
‘I really like you,’ she whispered, wanting to say something. ‘But I don’t want you to miss your plane.’
‘While I have you in this position, do you want me to go back because you know Piers wants me to cover for him for a few more months and you’re hoping I won’t return?’ he asked with a wry smile. ‘You can tell me.’
‘I thought I wouldn’t be seeing you again after Christmas and when he told me I was a little confused. I want you to stay, I really do but it makes things more complicated.’
‘How?’
‘You’re still effectively married with a kid on the way,’ she sighed. ‘And morally, what I’m doing is wrong. If anyone told me they were doing the same thing I’d tell them it wasn’t very kind to themselves or the person they were with.’
Then she noticed his face saddened for a moment as she stroked it and he grinned again.
‘You know this isn’t going anywhere, don’t you?’ he said gently. ‘Me and you.’
There was that awful twisting of her stomach, freezing of her smile to cover what she suspected, but it still hurt.
‘I know.’ Sylvie wrapped her arms around him. ‘Don’t worry I’m not pinning my hopes on you,’ she lied.
‘Okay as long as you know.’
‘What made you want to tell me?’ Sylvie smiled, masking the intense disappointment she was feeling by examining his very pink full lips from too much kissing.
‘Don’t know, just thought I better say.’
‘It’s good to be reminded.’
Finlay nodded and grinned before slowly getting out of bed, heading towards the shower.
Soon as the door closed, she let her face and her heart slump knowing a slap down if ever she heard one.
Finlay forced his happy face on Sylvie which she seemed to accept but as soon as he had a moment to think, he was disgruntled at her acceptance of their relationship being nothing. Something in him wanted her to shout and say she didn’t want to be used.
A nodding and agreeable Sylvie was the last thing he expected. This hurt him but he put it down to the confusion of going back to Juliette.
After arriving in France, he sat in a taxi taking him back to his empty apartment which gave him a chance to try and gauge how he was actually feeling. After months of being pissed off with Juliette, he felt nothing. He wasn’t quite sure what he was doing back in France other than Sylvie telling him he should visit and wanting to dig a little deeper into ‘Le Font’.
Throwing his bag in the corner, he headed towards the offices in town. The regular security guard was there and they greeted each other politely but the man was discreet enough not to ask where he’d been these past months.
His office was pretty much how he left it with the two photographs on his desk. One with Juliette. The other with his mother, Piers and Toby. Opening his laptop he plugged it in and looked around.
Nothing much had changed and he logged into the main files of ‘Le Font’. Finlay knew he hadn’t done anything as per his mother’s request, leaving it to the accountants but he realised if something strange had been going on, it happened under his nose and he’d have been none the wiser.
Trying to go into the accounts, he found he wasn’t allowed access and tried again. Immediately he knew Juliette was p
laying games as he emailed the company, who looked after the servers, telling them to give him access.
As soon as he opened up the accounts for the year, he realised something was up.
The profit was literally falling every month and then he noticed they had been making a loss since January. Finlay emailed the company accountants and asked why they hadn’t told him. Suddenly he broke out into a cold sweat thinking he’d let that company slip through his grasp and he needed to find out before his mother got wind of it. Transferring as many documents he could into his laptop, he left.
It was the first time he had been alone in the apartment for months. Juliette, her friends or family were always around and he realised how beautiful the place was.
Finlay missed his home.
Then his phone rang.
It was his wife.
‘Hello,’ she said brightly. ‘How are you?’
‘Well,’ he sighed, happy to hear her voice.
‘When are you getting back to the apartment? I can’t wait to see you. Finlay, I’ve missed you.’
‘Me too,’ he replied, knowing it wasn’t totally the case as his mind flickered back to Sylvie. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow night.’
The lie felt good as it would give him more time to relax and pull himself together before seeing her, plan what he had to say, even if he had no idea what that was going to be.
‘I’ll be back then so we can talk. We need to talk my darling as I don’t want our marriage to end. You know how much I love you, you must know,’ she said quietly.
‘I’ll see you then.’
The following morning he heard a sound but couldn’t make it out. It was after seven and it was like panting.
‘Je t’adore!’ a very low voice said and he thought he’d left the television on as a woman groaned.
Getting out of bed slowly, he realised the sounds were coming from the living room and he stood rooted to the spot seeing his wife being screwed by the chef.
‘Oui!’ screamed his wife. ‘J’adore! J’adore! Oui! Oui! Tu es mon meilleur amant jamais!’
Finlay couldn’t speak as her legs were spread and balanced on the man’s shoulder while he pumped away. His wife had just told this man she loved him and he was her best lover… ever.
Immediately he walked back into his room, his hands shaking as he picked up his phone and returned to video what he was witnessing.
Juliette was moaning in French how much she loved being fucked by Marc-Philippe again and again as he pushed in harder and Finlay’s stood there… filming it. Then she looked over, realising he was in the room and screamed out as the man stopped and stood up, Juliette’s bottom half exposed to the world as she was spread wide open.
Finlay noticed how well-endowed the man was and wanted to scream out himself
‘What are you doing here?’ she shouted, immediately coming towards him and trying to take the phone.
‘You lying slut!’ he hissed before stepping back, putting the phone behind his back. ‘Get out of my house now!’
‘Finlay!’ she screamed. ‘It’s not what you think!’
‘And you!’ he said, stepping forward, realising Marc-Philippe was a rather large man in stature as well. ‘You better get out of my house or I’ll go round to your wife and tell her what you’ve been fucking this morning!’
‘Pardon!’ the man said apologetically, before rushing out.
Finlay turned to Juliette, who was now defiantly looking at him.
‘Take your things and go,’ he said quietly, realising he was more shocked than angry. She tried to touch his arm but he backed away. ‘Leave now!’
‘It’s my home too!’
‘Let’s see what the lawyers say when I divorce you for adultery!’ he snapped and she had her regular sneer.
‘I’m carrying your baby.’
‘I don’t care if you’re carrying fucking Jesus Christ, get out now or I will send this to all your friends!’
‘I’ll say you-.’
‘What? Watched? Wanted to film you being fucked? Didn’t you just tell him that was the best fuck ever! Get out Juliette now!’
She straightened herself up, picking up her bags and walked out.
Finlay’s hands were shaking violently.
It was awful what he’d just seen and he didn’t know what to do.
Quickly he pulled himself together and called for a locksmith, starting to think logically about how to handle this turn of events.
‘No?’ Sylvie said when Finlay rang her the next day. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Oh just amazing!’ he replied and she knew he wasn’t. ‘She can go fuck herself for all I care.’
‘Thing is she was being fucked,’ whispered Sylvie, aware Daisy was downstairs.
‘And I blame you for this, telling me to go because you’re sick to the back teeth of seeing me.’
‘I’ve been rumbled,’ she smiled, not wanting to reveal she was happy his wife was continuing to be a slutty bitch. Sylvie had really missed him. ‘Where are you?’
‘Packing my things and leaving.’
‘Finlay, just stop for a moment,’ she said, sitting on the bed and staring out the window up at the sky. ‘Are you sure you’ve been the doting husband recently? Haven’t you been doing the same thing with someone closer to home?’
‘That’s different because I left her for being unfaithful!’
‘It’s not.’
‘Sylvie, if that man had his cock inside you, well, you’d just split!’ he said, as she burst out laughing and he joined in. ‘I just want to come home and see you.’
‘I’m your rebound, helping you to avoid the pain you’re really feeling.’
‘Bladdy blah!’ he replied, making her laugh again before hearing Daisy’s footsteps coming up the stairs.
‘Mummy can we go to the park?’ she asked and Sylvie could see her child was bored.
‘Yes, give me five minutes and we’ll go.’
‘Is that Sylvie junior?’ he asked gently. ‘Is she more sympathetic and nicer than you?’
‘Of course,’ she sighed. ‘Look I have to go.’
‘When can I see you?’
‘Not until 2nd.’
‘What about tomorrow?’
‘I can’t just leave my child and it’s New Year’s Eve,’ she sighed, hearing his little groan down the other end of the phone.
‘Who are you talking to?’ shouted Daisy from the other room.
‘Toby’s brother.’
‘Is he coming to lunch tomorrow?’
‘What did she say? Are you seeing Toby tomorrow and you don’t want to see me?’ he said, sounding pissed off. ‘Why wasn’t I invited?’
‘Because Toby asked me and you’re in French land,’ she said, shaking her head from side to side as Daisy came back in the room.
‘Is he coming as well?’ her daughter asked seriously. ‘Toby might like him to.’
‘He’s in France at the moment.’
‘That’s a shame.’
Daisy shrugged and walked out.
‘See, even your child thinks it’s a shame I’m not coming to lunch,’ Finlay said, then let out a little laugh. ‘She sounds cute, like you.’
‘You’re saying I speak like a child?’
‘I’m saying every time I hear your voice I smile, realising how much I miss you and it’s pretty confusing right now.’ There was a heavy silence. ‘This is an odd time for me.’
‘I know Finlay. It’s a very odd time for the pair of us.’
She was watching Daisy scooter off towards Pizza Express and then noticed she walked straight into the restaurant. Just as Sylvie arrived, she turned to look at the window and saw Finlay sitting back in his chair, wearing a baggy shirt and jeans, looking very relaxed and extremely handsome. He got up when Daisy walked in and her child was holding Toby’s hand.
Her heart melted for her screwed up lover and she held her breath for one moment, before stepping into the warm smell of garlic bread.
‘H
ello,’ she said and realised Finlay was sitting down looking at his menu, ignoring her. ‘So you’ve met Toby’s brother.’
‘I have met Finlay,’ replied Daisy still holding Toby’s hand.
‘You sit there,’ said Toby, putting a wet kiss on Sylvie’s face as she sat in between the brothers.
‘Hello,’ Finlay said, looking up and gave her a dazzling smile. ‘I came for lunch.’
‘Seems a long way to get some pizza,’ she replied and kissed him on the cheek. ‘It’s Christmas, I’m being nice.’
‘I’m starving!’ announced Toby as Sylvie tried not too hard to look at Finlay whose attention was focussed on her daughter.
It was a lovely lunch, plenty of laughter and attention on Daisy and not forgetting Toby. As Daisy went to the toilet Toby turned and looked mournfully at Sylvie.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, seeing the pain in his eyes.
‘I got off with Wanda, I was really drunk and I’ve been hiding ever since. I didn’t go in the days I said I would and worked from home. You have to help me,’ he said, quickly looking to see if Daisy was going to come back. ‘She says she’s always liked me… well, I think that’s what she said as she has an accent.’
‘She’s from Liverpool and she speaks perfectly well,’ sighed Finlay. ‘Go out with her and see if you get on.’
‘Sylvie, you know I still adore you and I don’t want this to come in between us,’ he said seriously as she shook her head from side to side. ‘What?’
‘Do you like her? I mean, you got off together and I don’t know what that means nowadays. Did you have sex with her?’
‘Not in front of the child, for god’s sake!’ hissed Toby going bright red.
‘That means ‘yes’?’ she smiled and grabbed his hand. ‘Ask her out. Finlay’s right, see if you can get on, that’s really important. And ignore the ‘no cavorting with work colleagues and third party’ ban. Your brother was trying to get himself out of seeing Della and used us as an excuse.’