23 comments/ 73861 views/ 13 favorites Appointment With A Stranger By: Denham_Forrest Copyright(c) 2008 by Denham Forrest (The Wanderer) The Wanderer's thanks go to LadyCibelle, and his friend SH for sorting the foul-ups and editing this tale for him. But I must add that this story has been slightly amended since they did proofread it, and it was posted elsewhere. RG There is no actual sex in this story. Appointment With A Stranger My flight had been delayed for over an hour by what the airline described as a slight technical problem. I have an aversion to flying anyway, so that hadn't done much for my confidence. To be honest, the news that the aeroplane I was about to spend more hours than I really wished to - flying mostly over water - had bleeding-well broken down before we'd even got on board the bloody thing, had made the journey a nightmare for me. Anyway at least it was a somewhat pleasant surprise to me that we had - after an inordinately bumpy flight - landed safely. It was with a big sigh of relief that I got out of the terminal building into the heat of a Florida afternoon and eventually climbed into the large air conditioned limousine that was waiting for me. Although the thought that I was going to have to make the return journey in just a day or two's time was kicking around in the back of my head somewhere; but for the moment, I had more important things on my mind. I was extremely nervous again, as I climbed out of the car outside the hotel. I was in a strange City, in a country I'd only ever seen on the films and TV; somewhat regretfully, mostly in crime type TV soap operas. Not the sort of programmes that give you confidence in your safety when visiting those places; especially, if like me, you don't travel very much. Anyway, on climbing out of the car, it was with some relief that I found myself immediately recognised and accosted by Paul and Della the people who'd arranged the evening. "Hi Mike, we weren't sure if you were going to make it on time. We'll take your bag and book you into the room. Now you'd better get going, she's waiting inside the lobby for you." Della had said. Paul, after giving me a quick nod in greeting, had headed for the rear of the car to retrieve my suitcase from the driver. "Thanks folks, sorry to keep you in suspense, but my bloody flight got delayed." I said and then - trying to look as confident as I could - I headed through the rotating door into the cool interior of the air-conditioned building. I must admit that I wasn't expecting the place to be so grand. The hotel's lobby was gigantic and there seemed to be several hundred people wandering around everywhere; in actual fact, there were probably no more than thirty or forty. "How the hell do they expect me to find a woman who I've never seen in my life before in this place, god alone knows?" I was asking myself; when suddenly an extremely attractive woman, just about clad in a little red – obviously designer - cocktail dress and holding a matching clutch bag in her left hand appeared before me. "Mike?" she enquired, with an enchanting smile. "Er, yes; Holly?" I spluttered in reply, somewhat taken aback by her unexpected beauty. Under the circumstances that we were meeting, Holly was not what I had expected at all. Holly smiled again, then, took me even more by surprise by wrapping her arms around me and kissing me on the cheek. Having got over the initial shock, I summoned up my courage and reciprocated in kind. When in Rome and all that, as father used to say! Sorry, it must be an English thing; we don't usually go around taking women into our arms whom we've never met before, well not often anyway. Although Holly and I had been in correspondence by email for several months by then and we had spoken to each other more than a few times on the telephone whilst setting up this little encounter. I really had not known what to expect. "Did you have a good flight?" She asked. "No, well, no flight's very good for me anymore Holly." I replied, then I explained. "I was involved in a very hard landing a few years back; not far short of a crash landing actually. Made a real mess of the aeroplane, but I should imagine the local scrap merchants were happy. Anyway, it kind-of buggered up my confidence in heavier than air transport. Mind you, if I'd known that I was going to be met by such a beautiful lady when I got over here. Plus, have the good fortune to spend a whole evening with her, then maybe the flight wouldn't have been so bad." "Thank you. You know, they say that Englishmen aren't romantic; you kind-a slipped that one in very subtly. I feel very flattered to have such a handsome gentleman pay me such a compliment." "It's not flattery Holly. Actually I find that you're so beautiful that I have to wonder how come we find ourselves in this situation in the first place." I'm not sure whether it was embarrassment or nervousness that made me waffle on as I did. Thinking back, I would never usually talk to a woman, or flirt with her, as I did with Holly for the next couple of hours. Mind you, looking back on what I actually did say, I have to admit that most of the time I was talking a load of absolute twaddle. "My mother always used to say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder Mike. Perhaps some people's eyes don't see what other peoples do." Holly replied. "My father used to say that familiarity breeds contempt; perhaps that's where we're coming from. A change of country, a change of... bed partners. And there's another saying I remember as well, a change is as good as a rest!" "Oh you're depressing me now, Mike!" "Sorry, but I've found the last few months very depressing actually; except for my correspondence with you, that is." Holly smiled, "I would have thought that that would have really depressed you." "Oh make no mistake about it, it did in the first place, Holly. But then I got to enjoy our little emails and chats, it got so that I really looked forward to them. I'll be honest, for weeks now I've been impatient to get over here and meet you in person. And I'll add, that if I'd seen a picture of you, I'd have flown over to Canada weeks ago." "That might have spoilt our surprise, what if you'd been recognised?" "Holly," I looked her up and down, "If I'd known how beautiful you were... well bugger the bloody surprise. I can't understand why you chose me anyway?" "I thought it would be ironic I suppose. Anyway, who better than Mike Crosby, 34, married to Emma," - Holly pulled a long face. - "for ten years, they have no children; rumour is that's Emma's choice. Mike's the maintenance manager at the hospital near where they live; a job he hates, by the way. Mike has a handicap of three when he plays golf with his friends every Saturday morning, and he's a killer spin bowler, whatever that means, for his local amateur cricket club, who he practices with on Tuesday evenings and plays for on most Sundays during the summer." "God, thorough aren't you?" I exclaimed. "No not me Mike, the people I employ. I have several photographs of you in your whites," A questioning expression crossed Holly's face for a second, probably she was wondering if she had the name correct. "as well; you look very smart in them. It could be those pictures are the reason I chose you to be my secret lover this evening." She smiled at me, adding a little wink. "I think you're flattering me now, Holly!" I replied smiling. But I can also remember thinking. "I hope that she hasn't mistaken my Cricket Box for something it isn't?" Luckily we were interrupted at this point, when Paul and Della - the couple who'd met me outside the hotel - came over to join us. "The boy's taken your bag up to the suite Mike; now are you two ready for the big show?" Paul asked. "As I'll ever be; how about you Holly?" I asked, throwing the ball into her court. "Yeah, I think I'm ready." She replied. Looking somewhat reticent I thought, considering that we were going through this whole charade at her insistence. "Look, Holly; you don't have to do this you know. Once we get in there, you realise that there's no turning back. I could even go in there on my own if you like?" "Don't be silly Mike, that would defeat the object of the exercise wouldn't it? Do you really think I've come all this way from Montreal to miss out on all the fun? Come on, let's do it!" "Er... Mike, you got something for Paul?" Della asked. "Oh damn sorry, yeah here Paul." I said pulling the thick envelope from my pocket and handing it to Paul. Who added it to several other similar envelopes he'd produced from somewhere, then he sorted them into an order that seemed to please him, before he tucked them all into the inside pocket of his jacket. As he did so, I noted that he was carrying what I took to be a firearm, in a shoulder holster. I can remember thinking to myself. "A gun, Jesus these guys play for keeps over here!" "Okay let's go?" Holly said, taking hold of my arm; but then she looked at Paul and asked. "Intimate enough?" I suppose I should have felt uncomfortable, but for some reason I didn't. Come on guys, married or not, you all know what it feels like when a good looking woman gets a little closer than she should really do. We've all got instincts that can – if you let them – take over in circumstances like that. My base natural instincts were definitely taking the lead; although I was still very nervous, I could think of little reason for trying to control them. "No, a little more familiar I think, don't you Della?" Paul replied. "Yeah, come on guys. You're two people in love, having a secret tryst away from your spouses, make it look the part!" Della replied, sounding somewhat like a film director. Without a by your leave Holly pulled my left arm around her waist and placed her right around mine. Then she snuggled in real close to me. Usually I'd have thought embarrassingly close. "Yeah now, that's the ticket. Let's go for it and don't forget all the gooey-eyed stuff." Della giggled. "That won't be too difficult!" I replied. Looking down at Holly beside me. "Hey watch it Holly! Sounds like our Mike here, might be on the prowl." Della commented. Holly didn't, or rather couldn't reply, as I'd looked down at her she'd taken me by surprise again, and planted a kiss on my lips. "Sorry Mike!" she said, sensing my embarrassment, "I should have asked, but I've got to make sure that my lipstick is convincingly smudged." "Holly, anytime you want your lipstick smudged, don't bother asking. Maybe I should apply for a full time job as your lipstick smudger." I said and then I kissed her. Yeah well, it isn't every day that you get the chance to kiss a woman as beautiful as Holly. Married on not, I'm only human! "Sorry to break this up folks, but are we doing this or not? Because if you like, we can cut straight to the bedroom scene." Della said laughing. "Maybe later!" Holly whispered to me with a giggle and then she urged me along in the direction of the hotel's lounge with a slight pull on my waist. For all her show of bravado, I could sense that Holly was almost as nervous as I was, so I took the comment as nervous twaddle. Entering the lounge was a bit of an anticlimax really. The place was reasonably crowded; but I'll add that I noticed more than a few guys taking a lot more than a slight interest in the stunning woman in the little red cocktail dress plastered against my side. Not that I could blame them, I was having one hell of a job stopping myself from staring down at the unbelievable cleavage that Holly was displaying in that dress. I do believe that I must have been strutting along like the cat that ate the canary. It had been a long time since I'd felt that proud about the woman I was escorting. Paul and Della had taken the lead and we followed them over to a table by the wall that - as if by magic - became vacant as we approached. The two couples who had been sitting there, moving to join parties on tables either side. I noted a certain amount of clandestine head nodding going on, as Della and Paul appeared to acknowledge everyone on them. Paul had insisted that he and Della sat with their backs to the wall itself, so that they could watch for anyone approaching us with what might be interpreted as malice aforethought. From the size of him, I figured that Paul could handle just about anyone. But from all the head nodding, I realised that he had still taken the precaution of having plenty of back up around. A waiter came over and we ordered drinks, I found sitting with my back towards the greater part of that room frustrating, because I could only legitimately look towards the stage where a small band was playing. Really I wanted to scrutinise everyone in the place, but that might have given the game away. Our drinks arrived and then the four of us made small talk, mostly about my delayed flight, during at least two of the band's sets. "It's no good, I think we'll have to up the ante!" Paul eventually said. "Haven't they seen us?" Holly asked. "Too into themselves, I don't think they've said a word to the rest of their own party since we came in. Go on you two, go do your Fred and Ginger routine." Della suggested. "Oh and watch where you look!" I held out my hand and Holly took hold of it as we both stood. "I'd better warn you that I ain't no Gene Kelly, Holly." I warned her. "I'm sure you'll do fine, lover." Holly replied with a grin. "Lover?" I asked. "Well that's what you're supposed to be this evening, aren't you?" "Oh yeah, damned nuisance we have to play these silly games isn't it?" "Who's playing?" Holly said with a wink as she put both her arms around the back of my neck and hauled me in close. "If only!" I thought to myself. "Jesus, if the guys in the office could see me now!" It was getting on for the end of the band's third set since we'd arrived, and they were playing a slower number. "Oh my, did I do that?" Holly asked as she ground herself into me. "Sorry about that, but desirable women tend to do that to me." I replied, blushing slightly. I can't say that we actually danced in the literal sense, we just kind-a swayed about on the same spot turning in slow circles. Mind you, I've got to say that it was one of the most enjoyable dances I'd had in years. Suddenly another couple bumped us slightly. "You've been spotted!" The guy whispered as they did so. When I looked at him, I saw that it was one of the couples who had vacated the table for us when we came in. A look the other way, showed that the other couple from the table were dancing on that side of us. "Be careful, you might look the wrong way. Concentrate on dancing with your partner; we'll handle anything that goes down." The first guy warned me. I returned to looking at Holly who was smiling back at me enchantingly. "Holly, you're one damned good actress!" I thought to myself. "You know, I hope the balloon doesn't go up too soon, I'm enjoying this." I said to her. "I can feel you are, lover." She said with a cheeky grin and then she ground her crotch into mine even harder." "I have to wonder whether you've got a sadistic streak in you, Holly?" I commented smiling. "I like to tease my men, Mike. This evening was the best tease I could come up with." I'm not sure what expression came over my face but it made Holly laugh out loud. I only wished, that I actually was the man that she was really teasing, but I knew that the good lord could never look that favourably on me. "Oh don't look so dejected, Mike; after all there's no real hurry for you to get back to the UK is there? We could always take a few days to enjoy the Florida sunshine. Now as we've been spotted, let's make this look really good." The next thing I know, Holly's head is on my shoulder and she's chewing away at the side of my neck and my ear lobe. "Hey take it easy girl, or I'm gonna have an accident!" I warned her. Holly giggled in reply, and what's more she didn't stop her ministrations. She redoubled them if anything! Much to my relief the band's set came to an end before I'd lost control, and the guy who'd spoken to us on the dance floor suggested that we returned to our table. I assumed so that the rest of Paul's back up was close at hand. Holly trooped off towards the table holding my hand and dragging me close behind. As we got close Paul signalled for us to sit with his hand, but his eyes were locked on something happening over the other side of the room. "Right he's on his way. When he gets here you can stand and argue with him but don't raise a hand to him, Mike, we'll handle any rough stuff, that's what we're paid for." Paul said leaning forward in his seat. "Is she coming?" I asked. "No, you know I don't think she's realised that it's you yet; that's assuming she saw you at all, she had her back to the dance floor. But she's watching him intently now, so she's sure to spot you the moment you stand up and turn around." "What the hell's going on here, Holly? What are you doing here and what the fuck did you think you were playing at out there with this prick? Who is he anyway?" An angry voice demanded from somewhere not far from my left shoulder. I stood and turned to face the guy, very conscious that Paul had stood at the same time. But out of the corner of my eye something else caught my eye as I turned. Later I realised I noticed that all the guys on the next table had suddenly developed gold shield shaped badges on the jackets' breast pockets. It wasn't until later that I discovered that these were the local police officers badges of office; but at the time I didn't understand their significance. "Holly was dancing with this prick, just as no doubt you've been dancing with my wife!" Yeah well, on the spur of the moment that was the best I could come up with; I hadn't worked out what I was intending to say when the confrontation started. Holly on the other hand, who had also stood, obviously had her little speech well rehearsed. "And he'll probably be fucking me later, whilst you fuck his wife in room 642. We've got 643 by the way, right opposite; but we'll try not to make as much noise as you two did last night." Holly said with a smile on her face and wrapping her arm around mine. I really could have done without Holly doing that at that particular moment because I thought that her husband - who was rather larger than I'd been lead to believe - could well have lashed out at me and Holly hanging on to me, kind-a limited my room to manoeuvre. But, I really shouldn't have been worried about him. Avril's arrival on the scene – I assume after having spotted me once I stood up – was far more... err, exciting. Honestly, Avril came from nowhere, and hit me head-on obviously at the run. Actually knocking Holly's husband completely off his feet as she barged him out of the way. Handy in a way, because that took some of the impetus out of Avril's charge. Holly's old man finished lying across some poor woman's lap before he fell to the floor. Mind, I didn't see that, I was on the floor myself looking up at my very angry wife. I think the fall to the floor that both Avril and I took, shook her up a little, as it did me. Anyway she finished up laying on top of me, staring into my face. "What the hell were you doing with that slut?" She demanded. "Dancing, what did it look like?" I replied, still no jazzy repartee. "It looked like you were trying to fuck the tart!" She retorted. "Oh come on, Avril, I only just got here, I haven't had the chance yet; you've been shagging her husband for the last two days at least." I was pleased with myself there; I got my first good dig in. "I... But... Don't be so silly, Mike! Where did you get that stupid notion from?" Avril said rolling off of me and sitting up. "How did you get here anyway, you don't fly?" Appointment With A Stranger Actually movement on my account of any description was extremely difficult, everywhere I looked, all I could see were people's legs and feet. "I do when it's to catch my wife with her lover." I replied. I was getting good at those comebacks. "That's rubbish Mike, you know I'm over here on a business trip!" "Avril, your business trip was to Houston, this is bleeding Florida! Neither you nor your company has any business here in Miami. You had your meeting in Houston and then you flew here with golden bollocks, wherever he's got to." There were so many of Paul's people milling around that I'd lost sight of Holly's husband for the moment. "And you've spent the last two nights doing the horizontal tango with the bugger in room 643." "642 lover, 643 is our room." Holly's voice corrected me from somewhere. "Yeah sorry, room 642, would you like to see the tapes, Avril?" I asked. I was pushing my luck here; I had no idea whether Holly had any tapes from this particular trip, but I knew that she had many of them from their previous trysts. I figured that Avril wouldn't actually want to see them. Avril just sat there on the floor staring back at me. I must admit that it was the first time I'd ever seen the woman speechless. No that's a lie, I remember the first time I bedded her, before we were married. By the time I'd finished with her, she was lying there speechless; I've always assumed that I'd shagged all the chat out of her. Well, it couldn't have been a disappointment to her, she came back for more the following evening and she married me eventually. More's the pity! Suddenly hands were helping us to our feet and the next thing I was really aware of – besides Holly having wrapped her arm around my waist again – was Paul saying, "Morgan Ardent you are served." And he handed Holly's rather dishevelled looking husband, an envelope. I wondered what I'd missed for Morgan to have become that dishevelled looking. Then Paul promptly did the same to Avril. Although our British divorce petitions don't really have to be presented as formally as the Yanks do it, I could have sent it by registered post I believe. Holly and I just thought it would add to the occasion a little, to have it done formally and at the same time as papers were served on her husband. Then the two guys with Holly and Morgan – who along with the rest of their party had followed the two lovers over - were served with papers. Holly had taken care of all that, Avril and Morgan worked for an American Company so we were both suing them in the US courts for turning a blind eye to the couple's goings on. Mind, as their bosses who the papers were served on had their girlfriends with them as well; I think the bloody company must have turned a blind eye to everything. Finally Paul served Morgan Ardent with an alienation of affection suite, Holly's legal people had filed in the American courts on my behalf. It has been years since anyone successfully pulled one of those off in the UK. Just as suddenly as the whole thing had started, it was over. I really have no idea where - or when - Avril disappeared. Holly said she had been lead away crying by one of her boss's bits of stuff, but I never saw the going of her. I did watch Holly's husband being led away by the two guys though. Mind, not before he gave me a look that I believe was suppose to turn me to stone. "So what happens now?" I asked Holly. "We dance!" She replied with a grin and dragged me off towards the dance floor again. The rest of the evening turned into a bit of a party. When we returned to the table Paul and Della sort-of introduced us to all their police friends, but didn't really go into details; they all knew who we were anyway. Della explained to me when I was dancing with her, that as they had hoped, all those police badges had prevented Holly's old man from taking a swing at anyone. Mind you, from the state he was in when I last saw him, I had to wonder if he took a swing at anyone else whilst I was on the floor with Avril. Some of the women in the party were police officers as well and I had a fascinating conversation with one of them when I danced with her later. She told me that she'd been shot sorting out a domestic dispute a few years before. "I blew his bleeding balls off!" she replied when I asked her what had happened. "We're taught that once you are forced to fire your weapon, you empty the chamber. No point in risking them getting a second shot off. "Where did he shoot you?" I asked. "Would you believe in the tit, I've had to have my nipple rebuilt." "Christ, lucky it never killed you." I commented. Thinking that if the bullet hit her breast it had to have been very near her heart. "Damn thing hit my badge first and got deflected across my breast. I'm not sure if the damned badge saved my life or made things worse." "Christ what did your husband say about it?" "Not much, he got shot in the ass himself a few years back, still got the bullet in him; they retired him on the strength of it." "I bet he weren't happy about that." "No, Paul's happy enough, he's qualified as an attorney now, but he has more fun doing all this PI stuff." "Paul's your husband, then who's Della?" I had assumed that Della was Paul's wife; I have no idea why. "My sister. She's an ex-cop as well, threw it in when she had her first child." I never did get up the courage to ask, under what circumstances Paul got shot in the jacksie. I discovered that American cops like a bevvy or two. A bit disconcerting when they all seemed to have their guns with them. Not that they waved them around or anything. I have no idea what time the party broke up, I'm afraid I'd had a bevvy or two too many myself. But I do remember a disappointing conversation we overheard in the lift though. One of the hotel staff was telling a couple how lucky they were, the hotel had been full, but for some reason the couple in 642 suddenly checked out. The cleaning staff were still in room 642 when Holly, Paul, Della and I went into 643. "Well that takes the rest of the fun out of the evening." Holly said. "I was looking forward to seeing their faces when we walked out of this suite together in the morning." "Maybe not such a bad thing really, it might have given their lawyers a lever in court." Paul commented. "Paul, I've got enough on what those two have been getting up to in the last six months to get two divorces. Besides I've got the pre-nup that my father insisted on. He never did think much of Morgan." "Yeah but what about Mike here, they don't have pre-nuptial agreements over in the UK." "I'm screwed anyway, Paul. My solicitor reckons it'll be a fifty-fifty split. The only light in the sky is that Avril earns more than I do." I told them. "She did, I think some heads are going to roll in that company, and Morgan and Avril will be at the top of the list; my uncle's a big share holder and he's on the case already." Holly informed us. "I had trouble stopping him from jumping the gun or we'd have missed out on the fun tonight." "Not that much happened really, there wasn't much in the way of fireworks. Rather a lot of expense on your part Holly, for something that could have been done at home." I said, voicing my thoughts. "Ah now, Mike, the look on Morgan's face when you said he'd been bedding your wife was a classic. He had no idea who you were." "Did I say that?" "No, not in so many words, you're too much of a gentleman. But I did, the look on Morgan's face when he realised that he hadn't caught me, I, or rather we, had caught them, was something to behold. And then Avril came crashing through like a line backer on a home run. Funniest thing I've seen in a long time." Holly said and laughed out loud. "Holly, I'm not much up on American sports, but I thought line backers played American Football and they score home runs in Baseball." I pointed out. "Ah, we have something else in common, I've never been a sports fan either." Holly replied. "I think we've all noticed, Holly." Della commented. We all chatted on about nothing in particular for god knows how long, but eventually we got to bed. Oh, I'd better point out that room 643 was a suite, I had one bedroom and Holly had the other. When we went to bed, Paul and Della were sitting in the lounge; when we got up in the morning Mona – Paul's wife - had replaced Della; who I assume had gone home to her children. Apparently Paul was an officer of the court – I have no idea what that means. But I gathered that his word would be taken almost as gospel by the American courts. I.e. he could swear that Holly and I had not spent the night in the same bed together. The original plan was for us to confront Morgan and Avril again in the morning when they left their hotel room. Them doing a runner had kicked that one into touch. "So Mike what's your plan now?" Holly asked over breakfast. "Not sure, go home and lick my wounds, I suppose." I replied. "Well the lovers have flown the coop, why don't you and I fly out to Vegas for a few days before you go home." "Nice idea, Holly, but I'm not looking forward to the flight back to the UK as it is. I'm sorry, but adding another flight to Los Vegas isn't my idea of a good time." Holly sat there quite obviously thinking for a few moments, "Flying upsets you that much does it? Okay, alternative idea; a close friend of mine has a house on the Bahamas, why don't we go over there for a few days? Don't worry we can go by boat and you won't even have to risk my driving." I had to think about that one, but not for very long. After having travelled all the way across the Atlantic, it would be silly of me to fly straight back to the UK; considering I had almost two weeks of my summer holiday left. I'd have to get home before too long because there was sure to be a real old ding-dong with Avril when she got home. The house was already up for sale and I'd moved cash around all over the place to prevent her draining all the joint accounts. Mind you, my solicitor had overseen all the changes I'd made; I was going to get screwed anyway, his job was to stop me finishing up broke. "Yeah why not? A nice cruise on a ferry should be fun. But can you just do that, turn up at your friends place without an invite?" "Sure, I've got a standing invitation there. I don't visit them as much as I should really." "But what about dragging me along?" "Oh they're bound to like you more than they did Morgan; they never did think much of him." Holly replied with a grin. Ferry did I say? The taxi dropped us off at what I thought was a rather swish Cabin cruiser or even a private yacht. It turned out to be some kind of a charter fishing boat and she had an impressive turn of speed on her. During the trip over to the Bahamas Holly spent most of her time sun bathing on the foredeck in a tiny bikini. I spent most of my time on the flying bridge with the captain supposedly showing me how to drive the boat, whilst in fact we were ogling Holly's shapely body along with the other crewmember. "Daddy!" Holly said as she threw her arms around an old guy who met us at the quay. "This is Mike, it was his wife Morgan has been playing with." Holly said introducing us. "Hi son." He said shaking my hand, and then to Holly. "I told you, you could never trust that little shit in the first place. But no, you always did think you knew best. Right come on, Mike, let's get you back to the house and into some appropriate attire." I gathered that my business suit wasn't considered appropriate clothing for the Bahamas. At the house – read large rambling structure that had little resemblance to any house I'd been in before - I met Holly's mother, who greeted me like a long lost son. Embarrassing for my restrained English nature. Although things got a little formal when I was shown to my room by Holly's father. Let's just say he made sure that I understood where my room was! And it was there he and his wife expected me to sleep. You get the idea! The next four days were really enjoyable. When Holly and I weren't sun bathing or swimming in her father's pool, I was either fishing from the same boat that had ferried us over along with Holly's father. Or we were at numerous cocktail parties in the evenings. At a couple of these, Holly danced with me, but she was somewhat more chaste than she had been that first night in that Miami Hotel. On the last evening before we left, somehow Holly and I finished up taking a late moonlight walk along the shore. We weren't in each other's arms or anything, but she was holding my arm. We had been talking about how upset I was that the divorce was going to cost me the house that I'd spent so many years redesigning to my... well Avril's and my idea of what a home should be. Although Avril had always allowed me to do what I wished with the place, Avril just choosing the colour schemes and that sort of thing. The extension and even the kitchen and bathrooms had always been to my plan, as was my garage come workshop; boy was I going to miss that workshop. "Mike, I want to apologise?" Holly suddenly said. "Apologise for what, Holly?" "Well, that first evening in Miami; I was a little forward." "Holly, we were both very nervous about what was going to happen. I think we both drank a little more than we should have and said things we shouldn't have done. It served to cover our nervousness that's all we have to worry about." "I know, but I wouldn't like for you to think I'd flirt with anyone like that." "Damn, don't be silly, girl, I understand exactly. I should apologise to you, I didn't really have myself under the control I should have had." "So I noticed, big boy." She replied, with another of those little enchanting giggles of hers. "Anyway, we aren't the sort of people who would give into our base instincts like Morgan and Avril did, are we?" "Quite definitely not, Holly. We've spent almost five days together and since that first evening we haven't so much as kissed each other." "Why do you think that is?" "I'm not sure really. You're a very attractive woman and I enjoyed being your official lipstick smudger the other night. But, we have to take into account, that in a way we are both on what you might call the rebound. How many relationships have you ever known that have lasted when they started under those circumstances?" "Yeah I've got to admit that usually they do lead to heartache for everyone in the end." Holly said quietly. "Besides we are still both married Holly, even if our spouses seem to have overlooked that fact." "Yeah you're right, we're above that kind of behaviour aren't we?" "Regretfully!" I replied. "Does that mean you can't smudge my lipstick just once before you go?" "Holly, I'm damned sure I told you, that I'd gladly apply for the full time position as your lipstick smudger. Okay I spent the next half hour or so seeing how smudged I could make Holly's lipstick. Only I think Holly was trying to find out whether I still had my tonsils, using her tongue as a probe. By the time we joined her parents back at the house though, we were on best good friends' behaviour. The following day the same boat took us back to the mainland at what seemed an even faster speed than it had transported us out at. Then Holly came with me to the airport and saw me off on my return flight to the UK. Yeah okay, I smudged Holly's lipstick again before I boarded the flight. Avril was waiting for me when I eventually got back to the house. Surprisingly there wasn't very much in the way of fireworks. "Hi, I'm sorry, Mike; I've made a real mess of things haven't I?" A very subdued looking Avril said, when I found her sitting in the kitchen. "I just can't understand why, Avril. I thought we had a good thing going here." "We did, Mike, I just got carried away with my job. I'm sorry, it all went to my head. I really didn't intend to cheat on you or anything. Christ Mike, I'm still in love with you." "You are; so what sort of feelings do you have for him then?" "Shit, please don't ask, he flattered and seduced me; I behaved like a silly little schoolgirl. Did you... you know, with his wife?" "Avril!" was all I needed to say. "Shit, I might have guessed you wouldn't. Now you're going to tell me that there's no chance for us, aren't you?" "You know me better than I know myself, Avril." "When do you want me to move out, or are you going?" "Providing you don't bring any of your lovers back here Avril, we can both live here until the house is sold; that should give us both time to find somewhere half decent to live." "The divorce?" "I'm prepared to change the grounds to irreconcilable differences, providing we can come to an amicable agreement on the finances. That should allow us to get a quickie divorce." "Get the papers and show me where to sign, Mike. I messed it all up so I wont give you any more hassle." Avril said with a resigned tone to her voice. That was it really; the divorce went through in a matter of months. The house didn't take that long to sell, it had been on the market for nearly two months when an estate agent guy turned up and bought it on behalf of a client of his. Weird fellow never struck me as the estate agent type. Anyway we never even saw the buyers or learnt their name. After a lot of negotiation he even bought almost all of the furniture. I was moving into a rented furnished place and Avril, after getting the sack from her employer, suddenly found herself being head hunted by another American company. She left England for California before the divorce was final. I don't know, maybe two months after the decree nisi, I received a telephone call from the agent of the people who'd bought our house. "It seems my client is having some trouble understanding the central heating system's controls Mr Crosby. We were wondering whether you could kindly call round this evening and explain how to set it to them." He asked. "I can't see why they're having any problems, it is a fairly standard system. But then again, that damned electronic timer is a bit of a sod to get your head around. Yeah, tell them I'll call round on my way home from work this evening and see if I can help. What's their name by the way?" I asked. "Thanks Mr Crosby, I'll tell them to expect you around half six then, goodbye!" He replied, then the line went dead. "That's odd!" I can remember thinking, "How the hell did he know I'd get there at half past six. That was the time I had always got home from work when I lived there. And the bugger had hung-up without giving me their name. The garden looked almost the same when I swung into the drive. That's if you ignored the little sign proudly telling everyone that the new householder used a certain local gardening company to mow the lawns etc. There were no cars in the drive so I parked in my old spot. It was with a heavy heart that I walked up to the front door and pressed the bell. It's very strange you know, returning to a house where you used to live and finding yourself ringing the doorbell instead of just putting your key in the lock and letting yourself in. "Who is it?" A voice called from behind the closed door. "Mike Crosby." I called back. "I've come to explain the heating system." "I heard all the locks and bolts I'd fitted to that door with my own hands being slid back and undone. Crike's, most of them were for when we went to bed or left the house empty, I'd never expected anyone would use them all the time. "Eventually the door opened and a young woman of about eighteen, with a very thick East European accent opened the door and bid me enter. "The mistress is waiting in the lounge." The young woman said very precisely, almost as if she'd been rehearsing the line. Then she started giggling and ran off towards the Kitchen. Appointment With A Stranger After knocking on it, I opened the lounge door to let myself into the room. "I'm Mike Crosby, I believe you're having some trouble with the central heating?" I said to the woman standing with her back to me, looking out into the rear garden. "No, the heating is working fine Mike; what I'm really looking for, is someone to smudge my lipstick for me." She said, as she turned and walked into my arms. ----------------------------------------------------------- Epilogue Funny how things can turn out, I never did get to spend another night alone at my flat; Holly and I were married less than two months later. I no longer work for the hospital anymore either. I'm now Holly's father's joint representative – along with Holly – in the UK and Europe; that guy's got his fingers into just about everything you can think of. To be honest, I'm a little out of my depth most of the time, although I'm picking things up - from Holly - as I go along; not that there's much to do really, other then showing the flag that is. I kind-a get the feeling that Holly's old man, is just making sure I can afford to keep Holly in the manner to which she has become accustomed. Whatever, I've got to pull my socks up pretty quickly and get it all off pat. In a few months Holly will have to stop chasing around all over Europe with me. Well, you can't drag a baby around like that, can you? No, I still don't fly, if I can help it! To be honest, life since we've been married has been like one long motoring holiday really; very enjoyable in a brand new Beemer. What do folks call it? Oh yeah, I think I've fallen on my feet as well as having fallen for one of the most beautiful women in the world. We spend most nights when we are away in luxury hotels; I found the nights more tiring than the driving to start with, Holly can be insatiable sometimes. God knows how Morgan ever found the energy to shag Avril. But then, Holly insists that I'm far better in that department than Morgan ever was; perhaps he had never paid as much attention to Holly – and her needs - as she deserved. Mind you, sometimes I think that my new wife has a really twisted sense of humour. I was coming out of our en-suit at home the other morning, and I caught Holly saying "Thank you!" to a picture she had hidden in one of her dresser drawers. She then looked quite embarrassed, when she realised I'd seen her. I of course asked who the picture was of. "Would you believe that it's of your ex-wife Avril." Holly replied, with a smile. "Well Mike, you've got to admit that if Avril hadn't let Morgan talk her into his bed, then I would never have found you, would I? I'm always going to have a soft spot for her, you know?" Now you've got to admit, that is a different way of looking at things. I went over to Holly's dresser and picked up the picture. "Thanks Avril! I never would have imagined, that you running around and cheating on me could eventually lead to me being so happy." I said. Then I put the picture back in the drawer and turned my attention back to the woman who really mattered to me. It must have been nearly lunchtime before we came up for air again, and went downstairs for breakfast. Christ, was I knackered? Life Goes on. This story has been posted on Literotica.com with Denham Forrest's (aka The Wanderer) consent