by Amber Moon
They put the bunks up and replaced the table top. The bed disappeared, order and function restored to the small cabin.
Neither spoke as they dressed in silence. Knowing that soon they would have to return to the real world. To their respective families and this would be just another memory.
Before they returned home they sailed up the river to the sound of Al Jarreau again singing ,”the Music of Goodbye.” This was fast becoming their song.
The aroma of Olivia's perfume, Opium. Slowly penetrated the heat of a dying summer afternoon.
They were truly in the moment, nothing else existed, only each other wrapped up in a dream.
Driving back to Leeds there were sombre moments as they knew they would soon have to part.
Olivia appeared to be fine, if not a little quiet.
Stopping at a pub on the ring road Doug went to buy Olivia her usual gin and tonic. Carrying it and his pint of beer back to the table, he smiled.
They always stopped at this pub for the last drink to leave their day behind them and prepare to go back to their real lives.
Returning from the ladies room, Olivia was again wearing that wicked grin that Doug had come to love so much.
She was always laughing, it was part of who she was, she did not have a bad bone in her body.
Olivia loved, she played and she cried. At times when his conscience got the better of him and he would tell her they must stop meeting, her eyes would cry.
The fear that overcame that beautiful face at the thought of losing him, would make him feel worse than he already did.
Olivia was an innocent who loved him for who he was, she had no agendas.
He was married and he could never escape that fact. At times Doug wonder if he could perhaps escape the marriage to be with Olivia forever.
Doug had dreams of escaping his, sad and lonely life. He spent most of his time pretending that it was what he wanted. He spent his time telling himself that he was happy. He was not
Truth be known he would never leave his wife, married men seldom took that leap of faith into a life with the woman they really loved.
So Doug continued to think that all he wanted was to leave everything behind and start a new life with Olivia. Change can be so difficult.
Doug was tortured by his lust for Olivia, his love of her and his addiction to her, always got the better of him.
The sound of 'Music of Goodbye was replaced by Dillard and Johnson's, 'Here we go loving again', as they drove back to end the day with a sad parting kiss.
The final kiss of their clandestine meeting would linger on his lips as he always stood watching her drive away before he returned to his lie of a life with his chatty wife and his sullen, troubled mistress.
Doug realised that whilst Olivia was one in a long line of women he had affairs with, he loved her with a passion he had never felt before.
She reeled his heart in so tightly that in the chaos that was his life, she brought a wildness of spirit that was a contradiction of the peace that came, as she ran barefoot through his soul.
Olivia taught Doug to live in the moment, for that is all they had, those stolen moments in time that would remain forever in their history.
She taught him the true meaning of what love is and there were no words to describe it.
CHAPTER NINE
August of that year was one of the hottest. Doug was on his own as the rest of the family were abroad at a family wedding.
Doug really did not want to go. he could not stand the thought of sitting with Mary's noisy relatives and having to tell her that she looked lovely in the hideous orange silk dress that would actually make her look like an orange. He used the excuse that he had a large account to close, he had to stay. He told Mary he would try and make it. It was another lie to add to his long list of lies.
He felt that it would give him some time to spend with Gerry, who was becoming fractious and demanding.
Doug knew that he neglected Gerry. It was hard juggling three women. He was beginning to detest Gerry and could not see a way out. He was in such a dilemma.
Then there came a diversion to his dilemma when one night he got the surprise of his life.
'Brown eyes' was out with her friends that night celebrating a birthday and he was having a quiet night in.
Late into the night when Doug was feeling so lonely, the phone rang and he heard a drunken whisper.
Olivia was whispering to him and he gave her back the words that he knew would melt her resistance as he needed her so much.
As the sex laden innuendos passed between them, Doug found that his erection was beginning to dictate his thinking. How could he be rational?
He wanted her so badly, but it was the middle of the night.
Olivia lived far from him and she was drunk, very drunk.
It did not stop him telling her how much he wanted her, how much he wanted her body, how much he loved to play with those nipples in his mouth, how he loved to suck them hard to the point of pain. The pain that began the ecstasy.
Doug asked Olivia to come over to the house, knowing it would not happen, as they played cat and mouse over the network.
After much coaxing and many, “No I can't comes”, Olivia put the phone down on him.
Pouring himself a large brandy Doug smiled to himself and returned to watch the film he paused earlier.
Half hour later there was a large bang at the door.
Doug thought, “No , it can't be?”
It was.
There she stood, barefoot at his front door, a turquoise duster coat covered her from her neck to her ankles, tiny painted toe nails showing beneath.
The coat was way too big for her and he looked at her feet. Where were her shoes? His eyes slowly travelled up to her face.
Olivia was wearing a stupid grin as she swayed in the night air. Their eyes met, “Aren't you going to ask me in then?,” she slurred.
He had never seen her so inebriated. She had an excuse, it was her birthday. Doug knew how unhappy she was at home, she worked hard and deserved some fun.
He took hold of Olivia's hand and led her past the kitchen and into the lounge.
As he poured her a brandy he chastised her for driving over in such a state.
Olivia never said a word and an awkward silence fell between them .
Doug did not like the silence as he never knew what Olivia was thinking and sometimes silence came before she did something and he never knew what that might be either.
They had done some mad things together and she never failed to surprise him.
Doug loved Olivia for her spontaneity and wondered why he had avoided her in the previous weeks.
He was busy and trying to keep Gerry sweet.
Olivia asked Doug to put some music on.
He chose George Benson as it was past midnight and the time called for some mood music. he thought it might calm Olivia down but was not sure if he wanted her to calm down or not.
'Loving on borrowed time' began and George Benson's voice entered the room. Doug sat down beside Olivia and asked her why she had not taken her coat off, as it was very hot. He also chastised her for driving whilst drunk, a very stupid thing to do.
Olivia turned her head, slowly, to the side and looked at him from under her thick, dark lashes.
For a split second he saw the wickedness in those eyes that were now burning into his, accelerating the rising heat in his groin.
“I will take it off when I am ready”, she said.
He wondered what she meant.
He knew her well enough to understand that she thrived on the theatrical, so he waited.
Doug watched Olivia slowly take the last sip from her glass and put it down on the floor.
She rose from the sofa and began to slowly move in time to the music, turning towards him.
Doug sank back into the sofa, deep into the softness of the crimson cushions, savouring the moment.
Olivia ran her fingers through her hair and peere
d at him from under the lashes that framed those pods of beauty.
Oh wow! she was going to do a lap dance or just a strip?
Olivia's hand reached for the top button of her coat. In a very controlled way Olivia began to unbutton her coat, her eyes never leaving Doug's face.
She reached the last button making sure that the coat never opened and stood up straight.
In a flash the coat was thrown across the room and there she stood in all her glory, her naked body shining in the lamp light.
Doug was absolutely mesmerised, never had he thought she would be unclothed under that big coat.
Not even when he saw her bare feet at the door.
The moment seemed to last forever and as his eyes left hers to travel down the magnificent body that had lain with him many times before.
Doug felt as though his manhood would explode.
Olivia smiled, never loosing the wickedness that masked her face.
She fell to her knees and slowly ran her hands up the inside of Doug's thighs until she found what she was looking for.
The belt on his dressing gown came loose and he was now exposed and at her mercy.
Her hand reached for his shaft and she leant forward taking him into her mouth.
Doug gasped and let out a loud moan.
He felt that if his manhood did not explode his brain might or his heart may burst. He loved it when she sucked him hard and milked his shaft.
She knew what she was good at and performed well.
Just as Doug was about to orgasm, Olivia stopped and pulled back and straddled him as she slowly lowered herself down onto his throbbing penis.
Doug went slowly and deeply into her cavern, closing his eyes in pure ecstasy as he searched for her womanhood, the spot that would make her scream.
Olivia leant forward, her tummy resting on his and he began stroke her breasts gently, as if they might break were he not careful.
The nipples stood to attention waiting in anticipation for his mouth.
Olivia began to sway backwards and forwards , her hips moving up and down, up and down.
All Doug had to do was feast on her breasts, lie back and enjoy. As she began to move faster he felt her buttocks banging against his legs.
Doug felt Olivia's wetness as it began to pour forth, lubricating in order to open her more and more to his hard throbbing love stick.
Then the world ended, one almighty thrust and he filled her with his juices and they lay together, his arms around her, never wanting to let go.
The floating sensation soon left him as he realise they were leaking all over the velvet sofa.
Doug ran to the kitchen to get a cloth as the juices would play havoc with the pile and probably leave a stain.
He was good at lying but wasn't sure how he would explain that one to Mary on her return.
When Doug came from the kitchen, he met Olivia's gaze above the collar of the coat that was now firmly buttoned up again and hiding the love machine that was she.
Olivia grinned and winked as she said, ”Well, you won't ever be able to sit the same again on there, will you? Knowing that I shagged you on it”.
She was right, they had christened the sofa, she had marked his space, come into his house and had her way with him.
Olivia stood on tip toe, kissed him and suddenly she was gone.
Doug sat down, stunned, had he just woken up from a dream? Was this real? Was this the rainbow he had chased? It was real, he could still smell her perfume, he stared at the large wet mark on the sofa, when Olivia had her orgasm, it was like turning on a tap, she went on and on.
The faint odour of sex permeated the room as he lost himself in the foggy meanderings of the nights events, only to be roused by the phone ringing.
Doug knew who it would be. “Hello Mary,” he said as he came back down to reality very quickly.
CHAPTER TEN
Doug was on Ilkley Moor, the heather in bloom, purple and mauve, softening the harshness of the surroundings.
The breeze still holding the warmth of a receding summer.
There she was, his Olivia running towards him in a gathered multi coloured skirt and white gypsy blouse. Her hair flowing freely in the breeze and her face only carrying a hint of mascara and some neutral lip shine.
Had Emily Bronte been alive she might have commented, “There are my Catherine and Heathcliffe”.
Not only was Olivia like Catherine Earnshaw, she was also like Scarlett o'Hara. Neither of them ever stopped to think about the consequences of their actions, they were manipulators of the men they loved in order to get what they thought they wanted.
Doug knew that Olivia, in time, might get what she needed.
Doug and Olivia both manipulated each other, both had needs that they were able to meet.
They made love amongst the heather, under the Celtic Cross, neither caring who saw them. They abandoned themselves to the elements and the harshness of the moor. The moor left them with scratches on their bottoms and legs. It did not matter it was a sign of the wild abandon in which they took each other to new heights of passion.
Not long after their day on Ilkley Moor, Doug met Olivia after work in their usual place, the quick ten minutes behind his office was to be a surprise for them both.
Olivia looked so sweet and innocent that day when he realised it was all getting too much for him.
“We can't go on like this,” he said as he looked away from her out of the window. “It is best we end it now, I am so sorry”.
The silence was deafening and he slowly turned to look at her. As she looked up at him, the little girl innocence on her face changed to one of shock horror, as her eyes widened and darkened into deep pools of tears that he knew she would not let spill.
He was taking away her lollipop, she sat in silence staring at him.
“I better go, I am sorry Olivia truly I am”, he choked.
Doug went on to say it was not easy for him and he would never forget her and the time they had together, no one could ever take the memories from them.
He stepped out of the car and without a word Olivia sped out of the car park.
That was it, she was gone forever.
Doug slowly trod back to the office wondering if he had done the right thing, questioning why he had just said what he said.
As days turned into weeks, Doug found himself staring across the street to the office where Olivia worked, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
He never did. He never saw her. He would look to see her in the car park after work but he never saw her. He began to wonder what she was doing? How she was?
One rainy afternoon his curiosity got the better of him.
He was missing her so much that he picked up the phone, not knowing the type of reception he was about to get.
A tiny “Hello” greeted him. Doug said, “ I miss you”, the silence was endless, “Olivia are you there?” he whispered.
A small “Yes” returned.
He repeated, “I miss you”.
This was as unnerving as the day in the restaurant when he confessed his love for her, all those months ago.
Doug went on to say, “Can you forgive me? I made a mistake, can we meet?”
He could hear her breathing and he just wanted her to speak, to say something, to tell him he was a bastard for what he did to her, to shout and say go to hell.
Instead he heard the words, “I miss you too” and the click of the phone, as she disconnected the call.
Doug needed a coffee and as he walked over to the machine Gerry looked up at him and smiled.
It was Thursday, the day he went to tea at Gerry's and bedded her, before he went back home to Mary.
Doug didn't return Gerry's smile. He didn't want to be there. Gerry was another mess he couldn't get out of. There was no escape.
Doug closed his office door behind him and put the coffee down. He sat at his desk with his head in his hands. What a mess!
Doug could not bear to think about w
hat he had thrown away after such a perfect summer.
He was close to tears when he was roused from his sombre thoughts by the ringing of the phone.
It was the receptionist downstairs.
She said, “ I am sorry to bother you but there is someone here to see you and I can't find it in the appointment book?”
Doug forgot to ask who it was before he replaced the receiver. He was quite forgetful these days , things were slipping from his mind.
He was too preoccupied in his grief, that reminded him daily how much he hurt someone, he should have kept in his life.
As he looked in the mirror Doug put his jacket on. He was still extremely handsome with no grey in his dark hair showing through.
He looked down at the small tie pin he kept on his desk. It was a small gold anchor that Olivia bought him for his 40th birthday.
The card beside it was written in French, he did not know any French and had to ring her to ask her what it said.
The anchor was symbolic as she called him her 'anchor man' and she was his 'brown eyes'. Oh well, he thought, "C'est la vie", Doug knew what that meant as Olivia used it often.
Doug left the office, he knew he would have to go down and do some grovelling to the forgotten client.
As he came down the stairs the receptionist smiled at him and nodded across to the closed door of the interview room.
“In there” , she said as she returned to the crossword, hidden out of sight. Brushing himself down Doug walked across to the door thinking, “Well here goes” as he opened the door he turned on his charm.
He was oozing executive confidence. He closed the door behind him and turned to greet the client, his speech well rehearsed.
The words never came as his eyes beheld the enigma that was 'Brown eyes'. Doug's heart bounded over hurdles as he looked at the colourful rainbow before him.
She was sitting behind the table and as she looked up she smiled. The smile turned into a grin as she said, “Hello Doug, how are you?” .
CHAPTER ELEVEN
George was running away, again. Running away from the demons that were always following him. The biggest demon was his alcoholic wife. He never saw it coming. Even as teenagers, she began to show signs of a drink problem. Alice never knew when to stop, she always had to have another. It got to the point when she began to lie about her drinking and it was not long after that their social life became nonexistent, as she became a total embarrassment, making a fool of herself in front of their family and friends. Never mind the social life, their physical life ended after the birth of their daughter.