The Other Family

by Linda A. Hardy

  “I don’t think I will be doing this again”

  “is that what you think, um we’ll see”

  Pippa promised to come and see me next week with the money and I left to make the journey home, I got home about 11am and sent her a text saying:

  Made it home safely, thanks for letting me stay the night. L x

  Pippa texted straight back: your welcome darling, it was a pleasure having you. P xx

  Chapter 33

  I did not go to Uncle Bill’s on Sunday like I normally do, I phoned Nat telling her I was not feeling well, she asked how Kevin was and I told her that we had an argument, and that she was right, he was nothing but a user, she asked what happened but I did not want to elaborate, in the end I told her our age difference was the issue, we liked different things and she accepted that. I think she sounded relieved.

  During the week Pippa came up to see me, and gave me another envelope with two thousand pounds in it, I asked her how does a person afford this sort of thing and she explained how the online streaming sessions worked.

  “Think of it like a ring, that is what I call it, The Ring, many of those in The Ring are high calibre people, lawyers, policemen or women, judges, politicians, not your average everyday Joe, they are high earners with high profiles but willing to pay for discretion and privacy, the Manager of The Ring organises the online streaming sessions, he or she gets paid from each member of The Ring, have no idea how much that is but it is probably a high figure, the participants in the streaming session, meaning me, negotiates with the Manager of The Ring for a cut of the profit, this is all done through the website that I use, but there may be other websites that are similar, the website allows you to use a general email address on the site and we all have a username, mine is Sassy, so the Manager can contact the participants and visa versa, you can also advertise your services on there as well, some people specialise in certain sexual acts shall I say, no one knows each other’s real names, or where each other lives, its all done through a webcam in the participants homes or wherever they may be, we are in a safe environment in our home, and The Ring members are in a safe environment which may be their home or wherever they may be watching from, there could be anywhere from one person watching to hundreds watching, there is a service for every kind of sexual fetish, and darling it is all safe” said Pippa.

  “so in other words, it is nothing but a high rollers pimp service” I said

  “well darling I like to think of it as something a lot more upmarket than that, we are not out prostituting on the streets are we, we are not running a brothel, we are not having men or women wandering into our homes coming in for a quick shag, I have a couple of regulars who I have sex with, I entertain and perform with them in my bedroom or living room or wherever The Ring wants me, it pays fantastically well as you can see”.

  “and these regulars, are they all women too? Or you have men as well?”

  “only women darling”

  “and how does The Ring pay you?”

  “they send me the money to my post office box address in the form of several money orders, I just take them to a post office and cash them in”

  “and how did you get involved in something like this in the first place?”

  “after the lost of my son and my marriage failing, I felt numb, I felt dead myself, I was crying all the time, I did not know what I wanted, I was browsing online and somehow I spotted an Ad advertising for discreet sexual encounters or to be an escort, I brought myself a wig, the blonde one, and tried it, the first time I was petrified, but it has got easier, with the wig on I felt like I had changed into someone else, I was alive again, I gained more confidence and it just went on from there”

  “don’t you worry about someone recognising you?”

  “no darling, I have the wig, that is what it is for, don’t look so worried, it is only sex, sex makes the world go round, sex sells, sex pays big money, you want to slave away in your dull job for the rest of your life, I know I don’t want that, with this, I get lots of leisure time, lots of time to go shopping, be pampered at the hairdressers or go for a massage, buy lots of new clothes and it pays the bills and anyway high profile people are not going to shout out to the world what they get up to behind closed doors”

  I felt like I had lived a very sheltered life compared to Pippa, I must look like Miss Dullsville to her. I asked Pippa about her other sex partners, she refused to talk about them, “confidentiality darling”, I actually felt a twinge of jealousy I think it was knowing she was having sex with other women, I felt I wanted to know who they were, but knew she would not tell me.

  Before Pippa left to head home, we made love on my living room floor, I was very willing, Pippa’s hands just had this natural ability to fulfil me in every way, we are not lovers but I had come to realise we were both insecure and just two people reaching out for some affection, I certainly am not a lesbian but I am bisexual I realise that now, it has only taken me all my life to know that about myself. I kind of feel sorry for Pip, she has lost her mother, her son, has two failed marriages and is now on her own trying to give her father a comfortable life in his remaining years, it no longer surprises me what she does for a living, I realise it is the only fun she has.

  Pippa and I began to text each other every day, just friendly banter, once a week I travelled to her place or she travelled to mine, we always ended up making love, with no camera’s in attendance, I felt liked someone loved me. I had not seen or heard from Kevin, and then one day I noticed it looked like he was moving out, I did not go and see him and he left without coming to see me, I did not even get my website set up, I would have to try and do that myself or pay someone else to do it, it still saddens me the way our friendship ended but I only have myself to blame for that, I still thought it was my fault.

  I enquired at my workplace if there were any office spaces available to rent in Croydon, I wanted to set up my own office where I could research and be a Genealogist, and Penny at work said she knew the perfect place, I had decided if anyone in the family asked how I got the money for the lease then I would tell them that I had been saving like mad, they know I hardly ever go out so I am not out spending my money on unnecessary things, and working in a real estate office I was given a discount, my family would not know any better.

  A week later I got a note in my door from the Letting Agent saying the top flat had been let out, I wondered who my new neighbour would be, and the following week they moved in, it was a couple in their forties by the looks of them, just the two of them, she knocked on my door and asked if I had any spare milk so I invited them both in for a cup of tea, she went upstairs to get her husband and introduced herself as Madelaine Rafferty, she then introduced her husband Gareth.

  “Pleasure to meet you Lindsay” he said in his deep gravely voice, and in that moment I think I froze, I recognised his voice, he was the man watching Pippa and I play doctors and nurses, he was the man instructing us what to do, did he know it was me?, did he know I was the red head?, how could he know?, surely not, I tried to stay calm and I turned and said “come in, I’ll just put the kettle on”.

  I chatted away with Madelaine and Gareth, all the time thinking there could be no way he would know who I was, feeling like I was panicking inside.

  “have we met somewhere before Lindsay” Gareth said

  “I don’t think so”

  “you look very familiar”

  “I work in a real estate office in Croydon so maybe you have seen me there”

  “yes maybe, we have been in a lot of real estate offices lately”

  Gareth took out his phone and appeared to be texting or checking for messages, whilst Madelaine told me she worked as a Teacher, I did not find out what Gareth did for a living. Just as we all stood up and they were about to leave, I heard my phone beep, which was sitting on the table in front of us, it is where I always leave my phone when I am at home, sitting on the dining table, a text message was displayed on the screen

&nbs
p; Wednesday, 8pm, gravel voice has asked for the red head, see you then darling P x

  I quickly grabbed the phone and put it in my pocket, and hoped that they had not seen the message. When they left I phoned Pippa

  “Pip you won’t believe this”

  “what is that darling?”

  “you know gravely voice, I think he is my new neighbour”

  “Oh your joking” she laughed, “what makes you think that?”

  “I just met them, he sounds just like the man that night we played doctors and nurses, I’m sure it is him”

  “and who is them?”

  “he has a wife”

  “does he now, naughty boy, but you will find most of them are usually married anyway”

  “Pip what should I do?”

  “do nothing darling, he does not know it is you, and anyway it might not even be him”

  “I could feel myself panicking the whole time I was talking to him, my god, scared the life out of me, supposing it is him?”

  “Lindsay darling, there is no way he could know it is you, so relax, look what if I come up and stay the night, have not shagged you for nearly a week and I am having withdrawal symptoms, and I can have a look at him myself as well? You can do the introductions”

  “do you ever think of anything that does not involve sex? What happens if he recognises you?”

  “darling I always think of s-e-x, now will you stop panicking, he won’t recognise me either, look I will come up and stay the night ok”

  “ok, I just need to calm down a bit”

  “yes you do, see you later” and with that Pippa was gone and I was left trying to calm myself down, I needed a drink. A few hours later Pippa was knocking on my door and I let her in, we discussed the next session when I get to play Red Dixie, the nickname Pippa had given me.

  “darling you do worry so, just go with the flow, worrying will kill you one day” said Pippa, it appeared nothing ruffled her feathers. A little while later there was a knock on my door and when I opened it, my neighbour Madelaine was standing there, “I just wanted to thank you for making us feel welcome, I thought as your on your own you might like to come up and join us for dinner” said Madelaine.

  “oh thanks, that’s real kind, but I have a friend visiting so maybe some other time”

  “sure no worries”

  Ten minutes later there was another knock on my door and this time Gareth was standing on my doorstep.

  “Hi Lindsay, sorry to disturb you but just wondered do you ever have any problems with the water pipes in this building?”

  “um no I don’t think so, never had any problems”

  “mind if I come in and just take a look at your boiler?” and before I had the chance to object he walked almost straight through me, “oh sorry did not realise you had company”, oh yes you did your wife probably just told you, I was thinking to myself.

  “this is a friend of mine”

  “really how nice, pleasure to meet you Ms…”

  “its Mrs Andrews” said Pippa

  “you have lovely big brown eyes Mrs Andrews, very striking, think I may of seen eyes like those before somewhere”

  “lots of people have brown eyes Mr…”

  “oh sorry this is Gareth Rafferty, he and his wife Madelaine have just moved into the flat on the top floor” I said

  “anyway I best get back to Maddie, she is cooking us a wonderful stroganoff tonight, maybe you would like to both join us, we could have ourselves a foursome”

  “some other time perhaps Mr Rafferty” Pippa said very coolly, with that Gareth left and went back to his flat, and then I realised he did not even look at the boiler.

  “a foursome, what the hell? You notice he did not even look at the boiler, what do you think Pip? I’m sure it’s him”

  “he is very interesting, could be him, still, it might not be him, however there is something rather shifty about him, I would not trust him”

  “precisely my feeling, he gives me the creeps”

  “just as well I am here, I think he wanted to get you upstairs for a threesome darling, then wifey told him I was here and he decided to come downstairs and ask you himself, sounded like more than just stroganoff was on the menu, be careful of him my sweet“

  “yes I will be careful“

  “lets make sure next Wednesday we listen very carefully to his voice, now you stop this panicking, will not do you any good, I got something to show you, let’s go into the bedroom I have a new toy to play with” said Pippa with a big smile.

  “ah is that the only reason you came up here?”

  “of course darling, you know how much I love it when you play a lesbian so come on indulge me and I will make you feel better”

  I checked I had locked the front door and took Pippa’s hand and led her into my bedroom.

  Chapter 34

  The following morning after breakfast Pippa left to head home and I pondered what I could do next in regards to my ever so quiet genealogy business, I really needed to set up that website and get advertising, Penny at work gave me the details for a possible office space, but I did not want to commit to that just yet, what I really needed was a bigger flat with an office attached, a two bedroom flat with a study or room big enough for an office, with a separate entrance to my living accommodation would be ideal, but even with four thousand pounds sitting in my flat, I made sure I hid it somewhere good, and no not under the mattress, I had not put it in the bank incase they asked questions on where it came from, I was not sure I could afford a larger flat, especially when rentals were at least one thousand pounds per month just for a one bedroom flat some of which were smaller than the flat I am living in now.

  I wrote out a possible advertisement to put in the local newspaper again, last time it got Dorothy to ring me, so maybe I had a chance of another old dear ringing me, though not everyone who wants to research their family history is old, with a few programs on the television now showing different celebrities family histories, genealogy was becoming more and more popular amongst people of any age. As I was heading out to walk into town to post my letter to the paper, who should I bump into but Gareth, oh no I thought to myself.

  “I see your lady friend stayed all night”

  “yes my friend does that sometimes”

  “so she doesn’t live local then?”

  “just a short train ride away, not too far”, I am not telling you where she lives, I was thinking to myself.

  “you only have one bedroom”

  “yes my flat only has one bedroom”, what is he trying to imply here I’m thinking, nosy bugger, sod off.

  “must have been very cosy”, I was starting to feel the hairs on my skin rise, and he was starting to annoy me, and he continued “do you have a boyfriend?, or maybe you prefer a girlfriend?, you never know these days do you?” he said with a chuckle

  “if you’ll excuse me I have a few errands to do in town” and with that I walked away, the bloody nerve of the man, excuse swearing, but honestly, who does he think he is.

  A couple of hours spent in Croydon wandering around the town centre and in the Whitgift Centre did me wonders, nothing like a bit of retail therapy, when I returned home there was an envelope sitting on the floor when I opened my door, it had no stamp so must of been hand delivered, I put my shopping and handbag down on the table and opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were two red ribbons with a typed note saying

  Red Ribbons for your pretty hair, love Red Ed xx

  “Oh my god” I said out loud, I stood their shaking, this could only be one person, I thought, him upstairs, Gareth Rafferty, who else could it be, at that moment there was a knock at my door and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I did not want to open the door incase it was him upstairs, then a voice called out “Lindsay are you there?, its Madelaine from upstairs”, you know those scary movies that you hate to watch and you see the girl on her own and you think “no don’t open the door”, that’s me right now except I cannot not open
the door to my neighbour now can I?.

  “Hi Madelaine” I said as I opened the door, “sorry I’ve just come in and…”

  “yes I’ve been watching out for you”

  “is everything alright?”

  “I’ve only gone and locked myself out of my flat, silly me”

  “oh come on in then, excuse me a minute while I move this shopping out of the way”, I quickly grabbed the ribbons and envelope and stuffed it into one of the shopping bags.

  “have you called the Letting Agent, they might have a spare key”

  “their number is inside my flat, along with my phone, can I borrow your phone to call them?”

  “yes of course, let me find their number for you, hang on”

  I gave the number to Madelaine and she called the agent and they told her they would send someone round in the next half an hour.

  “would you like a cup of tea while your waiting Madelaine”

  “sure that would be great, thankfully I have only been locked out half an hour, went to take the rubbish to the bins in the back garden, thought I’d left the door ajar a bit but when I got back upstairs the door was shut, I won’t be doing that again”

  “Gareth at work then is he?”

  “yes, he works up London”

  “oh, what does he do there?”

  “he is a Manager”

  “oh really, what does he manage?” maybe he manages The Ring I was thinking.

  “he is a manager at the Savoy Hotel in London, have you ever been in there?, I’ll tell you it is very plush and very posh, Gareth works shifts so that is why you might see come and go at odd times”

  “no I have never been in there, must be very interesting, he must get to meet a lot of celebrities or the likes” I said with a smile

  “sometimes he sees the odd celebrity, but most of the time it is usually businessmen or women who normally want a room for a night or a few days, people like us wouldn‘t go there to stay for a holiday now would we?” she said with a laugh