30 comments/ 73563 views/ 18 favorites Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 03-04 By: coaster2 Chapter 3: Sunshine and Lollipops For the first two weeks in the Caribbean I was in paradise. Brilliant, hot sun, azure blue sea, cheap booze and fresh seafood. I acquired a straw hat, a pair of sandals and some Bermuda shorts that passed for dress wear on this island. It took me a couple of days to find a place to live. I had been advised that Sint Maarten was the cheaper place to reside. It made sense to live there anyway, since the airport and our construction site was on that side. I found a small, three-room flat above a trinket shop in Philipsburg and settled in. I didn't need much. I ate out every day and used the place only to sleep and occasionally to write my reports to Tom Yardley. Happily, the island had a high-speed wireless internet provider so document and drawing transfer weren't a problem. I had a portable office on the site that contained a computer, a printer and a plotter. It also had an air conditioner which was essential in what was otherwise a tin box. My job was to liaise with the construction crew at the airport. They were American so no language problem was expected. They were quite competent but some of their day workers were less than efficient. As a result, the job would take longer than I was accustomed to. I hated to think how long it would be if it were a local contractor. The temporary agent we employed had been on the job two months and had overseen the site location and footings before I arrived. We spent a half day discussing what was going on and what I should be on the look-out for. Shortcuts were common in this part of the world, especially if there was money to be gained from them. I had been on the island a little more than a week when I made contact with my son, Jon. He was living in Antofagasta, Chile, working almost eight thousand feet up in the Andes at a copper mine. He was only at his home on the weekends but we both had Skype and luckily the connection was good. "Hi Jon, how are you?" "Good Dad, but you've sure got everyone upset with you disappearing like you did." "Yeah ... I'm sure I have. What did your mother say about my reason for leaving?" "Nothing. She said she couldn't imagine why you'd run off like that. She sounds pretty upset, Dad. Why did you go?" "I'm disappointed that she couldn't bring herself to tell you the truth, Jon. She was having an affair with our financial advisor and planned to divorce me and take everything she could with her. I'll send you a couple of her e-mails to lover-boy and you'll get the drift pretty quick." "Why, Dad? What would make her want to do something like that? I don't understand it." "Neither do I, Jon. She's not at the stage where she's ready to face what she did so I guess we'll just wait until she can confess her deeds." "Where are you, Dad? Are you still in Vancouver?" "No ... I'm out of the country. If you promise not to tell anyone, I'm in the Caribbean. I have a job and I intend to stay here for some time. Please don't tell your mother or sister. I don't want to deal with your mother just now. I'm sure she hasn't told Merry what she did. Merry's pretty upset with me by the sound of her e-mails. I just quit responding to them. Have you heard from her?" "Yeah, sure. Several times. You're right, she's pretty pissed with you. Figures you've run off with some floozy and left them high and dry. I think she ought to know the truth, Dad." "Let's leave it for a while and see if your mother can come to terms with what she's done. I've sent the e-mails she was exchanging with her boyfriend to his wife. The guy's got five kids, for Christ sakes. Can you image what will happen when the courts get ahold of him?" "Maybe that's why Mom's not working at that office any more. I don't know if she quit or got fired but she's looking for another job." "Interesting. Sounds like things are getting a little hairy for her," I chuckled. "Dad ... is this the way it's going to be ... I mean ... you hating Mom? I know she did something very wrong but ... Merry and I ... we have to stay in touch with her. We can't just abandon her. It wouldn't be right even if she did what you said." "Yeah ... I guess I understand that. If you're talking to your sister have her call me on Skype, preferably when her mother isn't around. I'd like to talk to her and explain." "Sure, Dad, I can do that. Are we in the same time zone? It's just past eleven o'clock here." "We're an hour behind you. It's four hours difference to Vancouver from here." "Okay. I'll try and set something up with Merry and get her to call on the weekends like you do." "Thanks, Jon. Good to talk to you. I wish it was about something a little brighter but I'm afraid I don't see that happening for some time." "Take care, Dad. Bye." Well, at least we had a conversation that didn't end in recriminations over my actions. I think maybe Jon understood why I took off and I could understand why he would want to stay in touch with his mother. What a mess! Now I would have to explain myself to Merry. I wasn't looking forward to that. I e-mailed Jon four messages from Sandra's file that pretty well told the story of their plan. I found four that weren't too sexually explicit. I didn't think that kind would help smooth the waters for anyone. It didn't take me long to find a routine for my day-to-day work. It wasn't very demanding to be honest. I wandered about the site introducing myself to the various contractors and vendors as the opportunity arose. It was when I met the two people representing the prime lenders on this project that things got interesting. They were women, twins in fact, and they were quite a sight. They were in their mid thirties, I guessed. They were clearly identical twins and two more formidable women I had yet to meet. They were definitely sun worshipers if their bleach-blonde hair and tanned bodies were any indication. They were also physically fit despite their size. If I were to guess, they would be at least five-ten and possibly one-hundred-and-eighty pounds. But from what I could see they were not fat ... just big. "Good afternoon, ladies," I announced politely. "I am Dexter McLeod and I represent Pinecone Engineering. We are responsible for the design and plans for this project." "Hallo, Mister McLeod, nice to meet you," one of them said. "I am Adriaana de Groot and this is my sister, Katerina. We are with ABN Amro. We are financing this project for the government of Sint Maarten. We are here to see that our monies are correctly used." She had a big voice to go with her big body but the tone of her voice and her infectious smile weren't intimidating at all. Her English was very good, tinged as it was with a Dutch accent. "Well then," I said, "we should be seeing a great deal of each other over the next few months. I am here to see that this addition is built according to the plans. Like you, I'm here to protect the investors' dollars ... or should I say guilders." "Euros, Mr. McLeod," Katerina said quietly but with a similar smile and tone as her sister. "We can work well together I think." We had got off on the right foot and I was pleased with that. I liked their outlook and yet I could sense the no-nonsense attitude toward their responsibilities. I wondered how they had come to be chosen for this job and why both of them? "Have you done this type of work before?" I asked. "Yes, this is our third project. Our company has investments in Aruba that we needed to ... secure. Also, almost two years in Curacao building a bridge." "Well, sounds like you've really gotten to see a good part of the Caribbean and gained a lot of experience," I said. "Yes ... it has been very interesting but I think soon it is time to go home," Adriaana said. "Where do you call home?" "Utrecht. It is in the south from Amsterdam," she replied. I was getting the impression that she was the spokesperson for the two. Katerina seemed to be a little quieter ... more reserved. No matter, they were quite an impressive pair and I was pleased that we seemed to hit it off quite well. "And where is your home?" Adriaana asked. "Vancouver ... in Canada," I said, not wishing to complicate my answer. "Oh ... yes ... of course. We have many relatives living near Vancouver. Do you know the town, Pitt Meadows?" "Yes ... of course. It is right next door to where I live ... I mean ... used to live." "There are many Dutch people living in your town?" Katerina asked quietly. "Yes indeed, quite a few. They came after the Second World War and settled there. They taught us how to dike and reclaim the land that would flood each year. They have made good citizens," I said emphatically. "I am certain we have relatives living there now," Adriaana said with some confidence. "I wouldn't be surprised. De Groot is a common name. They might be greenhouse growers or dairy farmers." "Oh, we have so much to talk about," Adriaana enthused. "We must sometime have a nice conversation." "I'd like that. You ladies name the time and I'll try and be there." As I walked back to the engineering portable, I found it interesting that the two women would work as a pair. On top of that, they were on the site every day from what I could see. That was unusual for a financial overseer. I expected they would spend their time examining purchase orders, invoices and estimates. You didn't often see them in the field, close to the action. The two ladies arrived and left in an ancient hot pink Citroen 2CV, the iconic post-war mini-car designed by the French. While it looked ridiculous to many eyes, it had been in production for decades so it must have some redeeming features. Around here cars were a luxury with expensive gasoline, limited roads and the hopelessness of getting repairs. As a result, older cars were the norm for many of the residents. Merry called me on Skype just before noon on Saturday. She had obviously been talking to Jon because her tone of voice was a lot more civil than her previous e-mails. "Hello, Daddy. How are you? I miss you?" she said sadly. "I know. I miss you too, Sweetheart. I'm sorry things have turned out the way they have. Has your mother told you why I left?" "Yes. When Jon told me about the e-mails you sent him, I confronted her and she finally confessed. She's very ashamed of what she did ... especially since it was all for nothing." "Jon said she wasn't working at Teller's office any more. Is that true?" "Yes. There was some kind of problem. Auditors came in and were going through his records. They questioned Mom several times over a few days before they said she was okay. They never did say what it was about but Mom thinks there maybe something wrong with some of the accounts. Then she heard his wife was divorcing him. I guess I should have been more suspicious about them. I just couldn't believe Mom would do something like that." "Yeah. I know what you mean, Merry. I'm still wondering why. What did I do ... or not do ... that caused this?" "She's not opening up very much, Dad, but I got her to admit she knew why you left and who was involved. I don't know much more than that." "Well, that's enough for now. As long as you know the truth, I'm okay with it." "When are you coming home, Dad? When am I going to see you again?" "I've got a job and I can't get away until it's finished. I'm not in Canada as you've probably guessed. I promise we'll keep in touch just like today. Are you all right for money, dear?" "Yes. I have a job waiting for me when I graduate next month. I'm going to work with one of the big developers in town. I'm really excited about it. I'll just be an apprentice for a while but it sounds like a great opportunity and I'm really pleased I'm getting the chance." "That's great, Merry. I'm very proud of you. Congratulations. I want to hear all about it when you get settled." "I promise. Bye Daddy. I love you." I sat back in my chair, a few tears at the ready. I was happy that Merry and I had reconciled over the actions of her mother. It would have been very hurtful if she had gone on being angry and disappointed in me. The fact that she had to force the truth out of her mother didn't do anything to lessen my anger at Sandra. If I hadn't shed many tears it was because I was so angry at her deceit. I'd lost a lot of sleep in the last month or more thinking about what she'd done. Just the same, I missed the good parts of our marriage. Not just the sex but the companionship and closeness that we had shared. For almost all of our twenty-three years I had felt an attachment beyond just the formalities of marriage. It was an emotional bond and when that was broken, so too was I. Some things can't be fixed when they are damaged and our marriage was one of them. I purchased a used Vespa scooter from a local garage. It had originally been bought in Germany and brought to the island ten years ago. I had no idea what year it was, but it ran, started without too much fuss and smoked only a little. It sipped gasoline and that was important with the cost being what it was here. I developed a routine quite quickly. I would meet with the prime contractor's manager each morning to discuss any issues that might come up. I was not an engineer but over the twenty-three years I had spent designing various structures, I could converse intelligently with them and forward any issues to the office via e-mail for review. I was not expected to revise designs on the spot. I saw the twins often over the next two months and I had taken to calling them the "dynamic duo," a compliment in my mind. We had begun socializing on occasion, stopping at one of the local cafés for a coffee and a pastry. "Do they always call you Dexter?" Adriaana asked one morning. "No, my friends call me Dex," I replied. "I am Adi to my friends and of course my sister is Kat. You may call us by those names," she smiled. "Thank you, and feel free to call me Dex. So ... we've become Adi, Kat, and Dex then." "Wonderful!" Adi said, clapping her hands together. "We must have dinner together this weekend. Please say you will." "I'd like that. Where would you like to go?" "Oh, no. You do not understand. You would be our guest at our home. We insist. Kat is a very good cook." "How can I refuse then," I grinned, looking at Kat and seeing her pleasure at my acceptance. Friday evening I rode my little Vespa up the hill on the northeast side of Phillipsburg, following the directions the twins had given me. They lived in a very nice flat-roofed, one-level house off Guana Bay Road, with a wonderful view out to the east and south. I wondered how they could afford to stay here. "Hello, ladies, here I am," I announced myself as I knocked on the already open front door. "Come in, Dex," I heard from the back of the house. As I entered, I immediately smelled something wonderful wafting though the large living area. I simply followed that aroma and quickly found a big, fully tiled kitchen with the two ladies bustling about, preparing the meal. "My, my. Whatever it is smells terrific," I enthused. "Thank you," Kat said somewhat shyly. She definitely had a different personality from her sister. All the windows and doors were open, so I assumed there was no air conditioning in the house. Just the same, a slightly cooling breeze was evident as the sun had begun to set and the breeze off the sea had picked up. It would be almost nine before we ate but that was traditional in this climate. Both women were dressed in loose fitting full body gowns, not unlike a Muumuu in Hawaii. Adi's was decorated in a variety of leaf patterns, varying from pastel, to leaf, to forest green in colour. It was very attractive. Kat's was a seashell pattern in blues, purples, and greys. It took me a minute to realize the ladies weren't wearing brassieres as the sway of their full breasts moved freely under the light fabric. "Cold beer is in the cooler, Dex. Please take one," Adi said. "Thank you, I will," I replied, opening the little refrigerator door and taking out a Heineken. The twins already had drinks on the counter but were busy with the meal at present. As I watched them I wondered if they knew just how enticing they were. Perhaps it was just me and my self-imposed hiatus from women but they appealed to me in a very visceral way. Adi finished up what she was doing and joined me at the entrance to the kitchen. "You have a lovely home here, Adi. Is it yours?" "No ... it is rented by our company for this project. We don't know who owns it but they are not from this island. We think they are from Holland. We are very happy to have it. It is very nice and quite big for the two of us. Would you like to see it?" "Yes, please." She took me through a portal to the rear of the house. There was an area I would call a laundry and mud room, with a door to the back yard. A bedroom with a double bed, a large bathroom, all tiled like the kitchen and another room that looked like it had been set up as an office. I looked out the window into the back yard and saw nothing but shrubs and trees. It didn't look like there was a yard but I did see a concrete patio area with a large, rectangular umbrella. Altogether it was a very nice home for the ladies. The master suite was large and dominating it was a very big king-size bed. There were a couple of wardrobe cupboards, two dressers and two night tables. I took it from that that both women slept in the same bed. I was about to say something but thought better of it. A small but complete ensuite bathroom was included as well. As I looked back at the bed before leaving, I thought what a great playground that would make. "This looks like a very nice place to live," I remarked. "Yes," Adi agreed. "A big room for guests, but we have not yet taken a chance to do that. Perhaps we will have visitors in the winter season." She took my empty beer bottle and quickly replaced it with a fresh one. I thanked her and again admired just how attractive she and her sister were. I think she might have noticed my gaze but said nothing, turning back to the kitchen to help Kat. I wondered how I would tell them apart when they weren't speaking. It was the only discernable difference between them. I had been around them long enough to recognize a slight difference in their speech and certainly in their tone of voice. Adi was the established leader and Kat was the quiet, reserved follower. It occurred to me that they might be lesbians but if they were, they didn't give off any hints to that possibility. I preferred to believe they were straight. It suited my growing fantasies much better. The twins represented a total opposite from Sandra in sexual attraction. Their deeply tanned and toned bodies, despite their size, were becoming an obsession with me. I found myself staring at them when I thought they wouldn't notice. Like that works, right! "Dex, you are looking at us with hungry eyes. Perhaps it is time to eat, yes?" Adi said slyly. Busted! Caught red-handed while I daydreamed. "Uhhm ... yeah ... sure ... sorry," was about all I could manage as I scrambled to hide my embarrassment. "You should not apologize. Women want to know they are attractive to a man. It makes us feel very ... warm." That didn't help. I was a complete amateur at flirting and I was up against an expert in Adi. I glanced at Kat and saw her trying to hide her giggles behind her hand. She wasn't very good at it. I wasn't sure where this was going but as long as they didn't throw me out I would try and make something out of this little game. "I have a question that's been bothering me," I said. "How can I tell you two apart ... I mean visually? I know there's a difference when you speak but I can't see any difference. So until one of you says something, I'm never sure who I'm talking to." Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 03-04 Adi laughed heartily turning to her twin. Kat's laughter was more of a tinkling, little-girl sound. Adi turned back to me, unbuttoning the top two buttons on her smock and pulling back the left side. Just above her left breast was a modest tattoo of the letter A in a stylish script. She turned to Kat. Kat seemed a bit shy but followed Adi's lead and showed me her tattoo, the letter K in the same script. "Now you know how to tell who you are with," Adi said with delight. She was having fun teasing me and to be honest, I didn't mind a bit. "Well, ladies, unless you go around in some very revealing tops or very small bikinis, not many people are going to see those initials." "Which do you prefer?" Adi asked with a raised eyebrow. "Or perhaps you would like to be surprised." "I'll have to give that some thought," I said, ducking the question and hoping the meal would be served soon. Katerina saved the day. "It is time to eat. We can talk about tattoos later if you like." Even she was getting in on the teasing. Adi was right, Kat was a very fine cook and the fish dish was something I hadn't experienced before. Beautifully prepared and served, I really enjoyed the meal and of course the company. The light banter had kept up but without the teasing that had preceded it. "This fish is wonderful, Kat. What is it?" "Tilefish," she smiled, pleased with the compliment. "It is one of the most popular, like grouper and swordfish. When I go to market I never know what they will have. Today it was this." "I like it. Very nice. Thank you," I smiled sincerely. She had served it on a bed of coarse, brown rice, with a light salad on the side. It really was excellent. I helped the ladies with what few dishes needed to be washed. With the three of us in the kitchen, body contact was inevitable. Adi made sure to rub me several times as she went by, using her breasts and butt to make contact. She was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. I kept my eye on Kat who was trying to suppress her giggles as Adi shamelessly taunted me. As this little game continued, I decided to participate and at the first opportunity I lightly slapped Adi's butt as she passed by. "Oh my goodness that was naughty, Mr. McLeod," she said, once again displaying the raised eyebrow. "You, young lady, are a tease," I replied. "You are tempting me to misbehave, Ms. de Groot." "Am I so? Tell me about this misbehaviour," she said as she stepped toward me. "You are tempting me to lay my hands on your lovely body. It would be quite rude of me to do that when you have been such kind hostesses." "And just where would those hands be on this lovely body," she smirked, now only inches from me. "I'm not sure there is any place that would be safe." "Oh, am I in danger?" she asked. "Will you help me, Kat?" she said, never taking her eyes off me. I hadn't noticed Kat standing just to my side, watching this little play between Adi and myself. A quick look told me she was fascinated by what was happening. Was this something new for her or both of them? Only one way to find out. "Please excuse my forwardness but I believe I should personally thank you both for your hospitality this evening," I said as I reached for Adi and pulled her to me. I looked into her eyes and then slowly closed the gap, kissing her firmly on the lips. When we broke, I could see the surprise in Adi's eyes and wondered if I'd gone too far. My unspoken question was quickly answered when she pulled me to her and pressed her mouth on mine, her tongue probing as she did. My hands dropped to her lovely, big ass cheeks and began to stroke them. After a few moments we broke the kiss. "I think I should properly thank the cook, don't you?" I grinned. I moved to Kat and took her in my arms. She willing submitted to my kiss but didn't offer any tongue. She wasn't uncomfortable but wasn't as aggressive as her sister. My suspicions about her were correct. She was a bit shy but not painfully so. "You are very kind with your praise, Dex," Kat said, now showing a slight smile. "I meant every word of it." This little play had gone a great deal further than I expected and now I wasn't sure where it would go from here. I know what I wanted to have happen but I could ruin everything if I presumed too much and Adi called a halt to the game. Best to let her and Kat decide what next. They both moved in on me and the next thing I knew the two of them were holding me captive in their embrace. I placed my arms around their shoulders and the three of us were immobile in the centre of the kitchen. I leaned to Kat first, kissing her lightly then moving to Adi and repeating the gesture. I knew things were going to progress from there when I felt and hand slide down the front of my shorts and trace the outline of my rising erection. The three of us were busy kissing and nibbling as we stood there. I squeezed a butt cheek on each of them and got a squeeze from Adi on my cock. There wasn't much doubt any more about where this was going to end up. Adi undid the belt on my shorts, opened them and let them drop to my ankles. She slipped her hand inside my briefs and grasped my cock, stroking then squeezing it gently. A moment later I felt a second hand softly close over my scrotum, rolling the contents back and forth in her hand. It turned out Kat wasn't shy at all when it came to participating. Adi stepped back and with a single movement, pulled her gown up over her head and discarded it. She was naked except for a thong covering only the barest essentials of her womanhood and she confirmed my suspicions that she was tanned everywhere. She moved back to me and began unbuttoning my shirt and with Kat's help had me naked except for my briefs. I was so damned hard that I could barely stand it. Both women were running their hands over me and somewhere along the way Kat had lost her gown. I could feel the big, soft breasts of Kat rubbing my back as her hands once again slipped down into my briefs. Adi was holding my head as she buried her tongue into my mouth while I had both hands on her breasts, my thumbs stroking her nipples to their own prominent erection. I couldn't recall being in a more erotic situation than this. I wasn't going anywhere other than to the bedroom with these gorgeous females. I had never been involved in a threesome and while I knew about them, I had no idea how to react. My first thought was how could I satisfy both these women? I had a feeling I was going to be called upon to perform beyond anything I had ever attempted and I hoped I wouldn't embarrass myself. My two beautiful hostesses led me to their pleasure palace and within seconds, all three of us were naked. I could see the two tattoos and could easily tell which of the sisters I was with. But there was another difference. While Adi had a completely shaven mound, Kat had a neatly trimmed small triangle almost pointing to her target. So there was another way to tell them apart. We spent a lot of time with foreplay which helped me control myself. I hadn't had sex in over two months and even then it wasn't enjoyable. I was faking it with Sandra at the time and there was no pleasure involved. This would be completely different. I had no second thoughts about whether I was doing the right thing. If there was a surprise that night it was Kat. She may have been the quieter of the two twins but she was sexually hotter than a furnace. I lost track of the number of times I would switch partners and provide either oral sex or slide my cock into one or the other of these wanton women. Every now and then I would look for the tattoo to see which of them I was involved with but, after a while, I really didn't care. I substituted my mouth and fingers when I was sure I couldn't raise an erection one more time but I received no complaints and in fact one or the other of them would use their mouths, tongues and fingers to try and bring me back to life. How I survived as long as I did was a big surprise to me. Maybe it was because I had been without for a while but more likely it was due to the sexual attention paid to me by these two incredible women. There was never a question that I would leave and go back to my little apartment. I didn't have the strength anyway. We slept in a tangled mass of bodies and wet sheets, but none of us seemed to care. When I awoke in the morning, I was alone. As I lay there I pondered why I didn't feel guilty. I was still married to Sandra so technically this was adultery on my part, just as she had committed with Teller. Yet, I really didn't have any regrets. Odd? I was still angry with my wife but ... but what? Was this the beginning of whoever I was to become in the future? Forget the past, live for today ... and then tomorrow? I could hear activity in the kitchen so I rose, pulled on my briefs and shorts and padded toward the sounds. "Good morning, Dex," Kat said with a big smile. I knew it was her because her tattooed initial was showing along with her magnificent breasts and most of the rest of her body. She was wearing a waist-high apron and little more. As she turned, I could see the thin straps of a thong disappearing into her ass crack. She was no longer the shy one. "Good morning my lovely ladies," I said. Kat came over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a soul-scorching kiss. "Go and brush your teeth," she said, her finger poking me in the chest. "Yes, ma'am." I knew when I had been dismissed. I was back in a couple of minutes. I didn't want to miss the show. "Did you sleep well," Adi asked. "I must have. I have no memory of when we ended our time together until I woke just a few minutes ago. I hope I didn't disappoint you," I said, fishing for some kind of feedback. Adi came to me and gave me the same mouth-to-mouth treatment as Kat had earlier. "You were very good, Dex. Very strong and most satisfying. We will have to do this much more in the future. Kat ... do you agree?" She turned and smiled. "Oh yes, many more times I am hoping." I breathed a sigh of relief. If they were happy I was delirious. I felt like I'd just been awarded a lifetime membership in the Playboy club with all the benefits and some they didn't offer. Kat was making pannekoeks, she said. Dutch pancakes. They were very good, sprinkled with fresh lime juice and a bit of sugar. No syrup was needed. With some fresh fruit juice and coffee, it was the perfect start to the day. After breakfast I discovered that my lovely ladies had the day all planned out for us. Kat handed me a clean white t-shirt with something written in Dutch on it. She had hand-washed my shirt from yesterday, hung it on a line in the laundry area, telling me it would dry by evening. The ladies wore a loose, coarse cotton blouse which at first I though would be too warm for them. However, they had decided to go without their brassieres again and the heavier material would prevent any embarrassment. Their skin-tight shorts and sandals completed their skimpy wardrobe. We were off to spend another fine day on our island in the sun. Chapter 4 Fools Paradise? In the beginning, my relationship with Adi and Kat was confined to the weekends, usually Friday evening, Saturday and returning back to my little place on Sunday noon. During the week each of us was dedicated to our responsibilities and confined our relationship to the occasional morning coffee and conversation if we were in the same vicinity. I have to confess that I was as happy as hell with what had happened. I was involved with two very amazing women, amazons I suppose you could call them. They filled my dreams at night and made them all come true on the weekends. European women have very liberal ideas about relationships. I had some time to think about where my two ladies and I were headed in the future. Our project would last another fourteen months unless unforeseen problems arose. What then? The more time I spent with Adi and Kat, the more I wanted to spend. It wasn't just the sex, although that part of our time together was incredible. We were so compatible in other ways. We enjoyed being around each other, whether it was a trip to Marigot for a little French cuisine and shopping or just relaxing on the back patio, getting some sun and talking about anything that came to mind. Strangely, I continued to feel no guilt about being intimate with them despite the fact that I was still married. That was uncharacteristic for the "old me." It took me a while to tell the ladies about the disastrous end to my marriage. They were suitably shocked when I told them of Sandra's plot but not totally surprised that a woman of her age might take a lover. We had been sitting on the back patio one Saturday evening and after one more beer than I should have had I opened up to them. "Dex," Adi began as I finished my story, "ladies ... as we get older ... we are afraid if we can attract a man. Look at us. To be sure we are not beautiful Paris models. We are the fat girls from school. The boys made fun of us. We had no lovers to catch us. Someday we might marry a farmer or such who was lonely but there would be no prince to come for us. "Kat had dreams. I had dreams. We wanted a handsome man like you, Dex. But he did not come. We learned we were not beautiful but still we looked for a man who might love us. As we got older it was hard. Not so many men to find for us. Sometimes, a man would tell us nice things about how we looked and we might take him to our bed. We would want to believe him but it was not always the truth. "Your wife ... Sandra ... perhaps she was afraid that she was not so pretty to the men. If a man like this Randall would tell her of her beauty she could believe it because she wanted it to be so. She was foolish. She did not remember what a good man she had already. She will learn. It will hurt her but ... she will learn." I sat for a while, digesting Adi's words. Was it as simple as that? Did she get distracted by a man who complimented her on her looks when all along I knew just how beautiful she was? Was it that easy for Randall to seduce her? I hoped not but it had happened. I was remembering a story from my great-grandfather on my father's side. He recalled having an old Model T Ford in the early thirties. Many of the roads where he lived in northern Ontario were still gravel or even dirt and over time and with the effect of rain, deep ruts would form in the roads and the tires would naturally follow whatever direction the ruts went. When it came time to turn off the road, it took a great deal of effort to slowly climb out of the ruts to go in another direction. My life had been like that, I realized. I had created my own rut. My routine, which satisfied me in so many ways, was the rut. I was predictable. I took Sandra for granted even though I admired her beauty. I must have forgotten to tell her often enough. My family and friends could count on me because I was predictable. I offered them little in the way of surprise because I was predictable. And then, when Randall came along, he used that against me. When I discovered Sandra's affair I did something completely unpredictable. I had extracted whatever measure of revenge and salvaged what I could, something no one would have expected. I had disappeared, leaving no hint where I had gone. I had climbed out of the rut and gone off in another direction and in doing so had found these two extraordinary women. "Adi, Kat, I will not have you talking about yourselves that way. You are beautiful to me. You are not fat and you are not without admirers. I see the way men look at you and I see the way they look at me with envy. I don't have just one lovely woman on my arm, I have two. I think of myself as a very, very, lucky man." My little speech brought smiles to their faces and we gather each other into our arms and kissed while we hugged. I had a feeling of contentment and satisfaction that I hadn't felt in a long time. But it didn't answer the question. When the project was done, what would become of us?" Whatever we had set in motion that afternoon, it produced a change in our relationship. It didn't take very much convincing on their part when the twins suggested I move in with them. I hesitated at first, wondering if that would produce a problem but they were so persuasive that it was the right thing for the three of us that I put my doubts aside and agreed. I packed up what little I had from my apartment, loaded it into their Citroen and left for the de Groot residence the next day. There wasn't any question about where I would sleep. I was to be with them in the big bed. I would use the wardrobe in the spare bedroom for my clothes but I would sleep with the ladies. I had no intention of arguing against that. On Monday morning I was reminded that these ladies were all business on a business day. They rose at six, did their bathroom duties, made breakfast and sat with their morning coffee, discussing what needed to be done on the job that day. It was interesting to me that they too had their routine. Perhaps we are all creatures of habit. What followed was fourteen months of blissful existence in my temporary paradise. The project moved steadily forward, although at a painfully slow pace. There were no problems with the engineering drawings or calculations and I found I wasn't working very hard on behalf of Pinecone. I kept in touch with Tom and he was satisfied with my reports, letting me know he hadn't heard from Sandra or anyone else for quite some time. I felt secure in my exile. As the time of completion came nearer, I could sense the change in the twins. I suppose they could sense a change in me too. It was on my mind but I still hadn't come to terms with what I would do after this project was finished. It was Adi who broached the subject. "Dex, what will you do when this work is done? Where will you go?" "I don't know, Adi. I know I have to decide. I just don't know," I admitted. "You might come with us," Kat said softly. "Where?" I asked. "Holland. We have a nice home. You would be welcome there." "Perhaps first you need to mend your life in Vancouver, Dex," Adi suggested. "That's probably what I'll have to do ... sooner or later. I need to deal with my marriage and then maybe I can decide what to do." Our last two weeks in Sint Maarten was filled with signing off on the completion of the project. The girls would be staying behind for another few days to attend the official opening of the airport addition, since they were the bank's representatives. I met with the general contractor and he thanked me for my cooperation and assistance. My work was done. I had sent Tom an e-mail a couple of weeks earlier that I was coming back to Vancouver to "face the music" as I put it. In fact, I had decided I needed to formalize the end of my relationship with Sandra. I would file for divorce but I would set the terms. If they were unacceptable I would simply disappear again. I had already proven that it wasn't that hard. The twins and I had a tearful goodbye at the airport on a Monday afternoon as I boarded a commuter flight to Puerto Rico, then Miami, Chicago and finally, Vancouver. It would be a long journey but with my mind settled, I was almost looking forward to it. Adi and Kat were doing their best to smile but I knew they were thinking they would never see me again. I was either in the air or sitting in some airport lounge over the next thirty seven hours and it gave me plenty of time to think. I hadn't used much of my cash. Living costs with the ladies were almost nothing aside from food and drink. Their employers paid for their accommodation. I sold the scooter for almost what I had paid for it and a cheap suitcase looked after the clothes I had purchased. Tom would have set aside whatever my salary was for this job. I had passed my anniversary date two months earlier and I could now think about what I wanted to do with my shares. Dexter's Renaissance Ch. 03-04 I prepared a written list of what I was willing to offer Sandra in the divorce. It was generous in my mind, considering her betrayal. It would be a take-it-or-leave-it offer with no negotiations. I wouldn't be hiring a lawyer until she had agreed to the proposal. Then it would be a matter of formalizing the agreement. The only cool weather clothes I had taken with me were a breathable shell for rain and a sweat shirt for cool weather. I think I might have worn the sweatshirt three or four times, no more. When I landed in Vancouver it was 5˚C (41˚F) with a foggy drizzle. Exactly what I expected in late January. I hailed a cab and made for the downtown hotel I had reserved. It seemed strange as I travelled the familiar, dark, rain-soaked streets of my home town. Not much appeared to have changed in the last year-and-a-half. There was no point in going out to Maple Ridge. I was sure Sandra would have thrown out all my clothes. I was also sure I would have to meet with her at least once in the next while and I had to wonder what kind of reception I would get. Anger? Sorrow? Regret? And what about Randall? What had become of him? The package of e-mails I had sent to Mrs. Teller must have precipitated the divorce action Merry told me about. I had extracted my RRSP from Randall's clutches and transferred it to another firm located in downtown Vancouver. Tom had vouched for them as responsible and honest so I left my affairs in their hands. I would need an update from them and I made a note to get an appointment this week. I checked into the hotel, then phoned Tom at his home to let him know I had arrived and would see him at the office in the morning. He was glad to have me back, he said. He had plans he needed to discuss with me. I wondered what that would be about. I was tired. I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours since I'd gotten up Monday morning in Sint Maarten. With the four hour time change, the clock radio in my room might have said eight-fifteen Tuesday evening but my body thought it was quarter past midnight. I stripped, had a shower and fell into bed, asleep in no more than a minute. Tom wasn't expecting me early on Wednesday morning so I had breakfast in the restaurant before going back up to my room to read the paper and catch up on the news. At nine-thirty I left my room and walked the two blocks to Pinecone's office and took the elevator up to the fifth floor. I walked into the familiar offices just before ten and startled Jenny, the receptionist. "What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise. "I thought you were gone." "I was ... and now I'm back," I grinned. "Tom's expecting me." She was still a bit flustered but buzzed my boss and quickly told me to go to his office. "Welcome back, Dex," Tom said enthusiastically, rising to greet me. "Good to see you. My god, man, you look like a million bucks. You've lost some weight too. Sint Maarten agreed with you," he smiled. "It certainly did. In more ways than one." Over the next hour I filled him in on both the project and my personal life. I showed him a picture of the twins and myself that I carried around with me. He was impressed and said he envied me. He handed me a statement with my 2500 shares and their current value as of last year's audit. He also gave me a statement on my reserved salary over the time I was in the Caribbean. It surprised me. He had not reduced it to what he would normally pay a site engineer. "Tom, this is very generous but I can't accept it. I didn't earn it so I'd feel guilty taking this from you. I didn't spend much while I was down there so I'm not out of pocket for anything. Just adjust it to what you would pay normally." "Dex, you did a hell of job down there and Wolf and I have a plan that you are going to be a big part of if you want to. That salary will seem small compared to what we have planned. Interested?" "Of course. I'd be crazy not to be," I said, confused about what he might have in mind. "What do you plan to do about your personal life, Dex?" Tom asked later that afternoon. "Well I won't be reconciling with Sandra, that's for sure. I'll file for divorce but on my own terms. I'm still not willing to reward her for her deceit. I won't leave her with nothing but I'm not in a very generous mood to be honest. I'll sign the house over to her and I'll make some other gestures to keep her from being penniless, but that's it." "I'm still dumbfounded at what she did," Tom said. "It went so completely against who I thought she was." "I feel the same way. The only thing I can think of is that she got bored with me and decided she needed someone more exciting. According to my friends, the twins, women can get that way if they aren't feeling good about how they look, or if they're afraid of getting old. If that's what it was then she couldn't have been looking in the mirror. Sandra was, and I'm sure still is, a very attractive woman." "Well, I'm just glad Toni doesn't feel that way," Tom said of his wife. "I guess some women are a little more secure than others." I nodded, wondering if Sandra would tell me what precipitated her affair. It wouldn't change anything but at least I'd know. "So I take it you want me to hang onto the shares until the divorce settlement is done?" "Yes please, Tom. I don't know what to expect from her so let's just leave things as they are until everything is finalized and signed off." We parted company just before four that afternoon and I walked back to the hotel feeling fatigued. It had been an intense but exciting day and I wanted to think about what it might mean. The late lunch meant I wasn't hungry and after a nap in my room, I headed across to a department store and started putting together a new wardrobe. Tom was right, I had lost weight so I might as well start from scratch and get new clothes. Two hours later I had a good supply of casual wear, underwear and socks. Tomorrow, I would hit the men's shops in the Granville Mall and find some suits, jackets, slacks and shoes. I didn't know how to contact Sandra so I tried Merry's number. It had changed and the person answering didn't know her new number. Then my brain kicked in. If she couldn't sell the house then it was likely she was still living there. I punched in our old home phone number and it was picked up after two rings. "Hello?" There wasn't much doubt it was Sandra. "Hello, Sandra, it's Dex." "Oh ... this is a surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you again." She sounded cool ... not flustered at all. "Yes, I'm back in Vancouver. I think we should get together and talk." "Yes, I guess we should. When? Where?" "I assume you are working so will Saturday be all right?" "Yes. Where do you want to meet?" "Are you living in the new house?" "Yes. Merry and I live here now. What time?" "Tomorrow afternoon. Say, two o'clock?" "Yes. Two o'clock. That's fine." There was no warmth or emotion in her voice. It was like talking to someone I had never met before. "I'll see you then, Sandra. Good night." I hung up without waiting for a reply. I wasn't going to leave her thinking that everything was going to be all right. It wasn't. I wasn't looking forward to tomorrow afternoon but it was something that had to be done and the sooner the better. I didn't sleep very well that night. I imagine it was because I was dreading the meeting with my soon-to-be ex-wife. And if Meredith was there, would that complicate things, making them more difficult. It was a factor I hadn't counted on. At least I knew her mother had told her the truth about our separation. I rented a car on Saturday morning and drove out to Maple Ridge. The new bridge had just been completed across the Fraser River and the new Pitt River crossing was well underway. The town was still growing, and signs of new construction and redevelopment were everywhere. It wasn't the sleepy little village in the country that it once was. I had lunch at the pub we used to frequent but I saw no one I knew. Just as well. I was killing time until I would drive to the "new house" we had bought just before I left. I was still worrying over what kind of reception I would get. I walked up the steps and rang the doorbell a few minutes before two. It was a habit of mine to be a bit early for appointments. The door opened immediately and I saw a different Sandra standing there, uncertainty in her eyes and actions. "Hello, Sandra. May I come in?" "Of course," she said, stepping aside. There was no attempt to embrace me and certainly no warmth in her voice. I walked past her into the living room and found a chair to sit on. Sandra moved to a nearby chair and not the sofa as I had expected. "You've been gone quite a while. By the look of you it was somewhere sunny," she said. Her voice was unemotional and it matched her appearance. Neither a smile nor a frown, expressionless eyes, rigid posture, still hands and a flat tone of voice. She looked older, much older than her forty-five years. Whatever she had been going through in the past eighteen months hadn't been good for her. "I'm back but I'm not sure for how long," I said. "I had no intention of staying around here and going through the agony of a divorce and watching my life destroyed before my eyes." "Just leaving and running away didn't solve anything," she said. "You're wrong. It was extremely good for my health, both mental and physical. I completely forgot about you and Randall and what you did to me." "You really hate me, don't you," she said sadly. "I certainly don't love you. What was I supposed to think when I read those e-mails? You didn't just commit adultery, you planned to take every dollar you could from me. How would you expect me to feel when I discovered that?" She didn't answer. "I have a proposal for you. I'm willing to grant you a divorce but on my terms. Under the circumstances, I think my offer is fair. I'd like you to look it over and if you agree, I'll have it drawn up by a lawyer and you can sign it and it will be all over." I passed her the typed sheet and she looked at it. "I'm entitled to half our assets. This doesn't give me half," she said, still showing little emotion. "I have several e-mails that describe your conspiring with Randall to extract more than fifty percent from me. How do you think a judge would view that? And what about Randall abandoning his family. Do you think a judge would reward you for that? "As I said, I think my offer is fair but it's your choice. Turn it down and the situation stays as it is. You live in this house because I allow it. It's in my name, not yours. You might want to think about that. I'll call you next week for an answer. I suggest you think carefully before you make a decision." I sat quietly as she continued to look at the paper in her hand but I sensed she wasn't reading the words any longer. "Can you tell me why?" I asked finally. She looked up and again I was struck by just how much her appearance had changed. "I don't really know," she said at length. "I suppose I was at an age when I wasn't sure of myself. How I looked. Was I desirable any more? I don't remember you saying I was. When Randall began to ... seduce me ... I was flattered. It felt good. I guess I let my emotions overrule my brain. I knew it was wrong but I was excited and he was a powerful lover. It all seemed so simple after a while. We would get a divorce from our spouses and live happily ever after. I had no idea that it was all a scam." "A scam?" "Yes. He had no intention of marrying me. Apparently he was skimming money from the accounts of elderly clients thinking they wouldn't realize what was happening. Unfortunately, one of the clients' sons realized what was going on and blew the whistle. I don't know how many hours I spent answering questions about what I knew and where the money was. "They were going to charge me with conspiracy to defraud but the Crown Prosecutor decided not to because they weren't sure of a conviction. That was after I agreed to tell them everything I knew ... which wasn't much. Randall kept all of this to himself. I had no idea he was stealing money from those people." "So I take it Randall is being charged?" I said. "Yes but I don't know what with. Something about breach of fiduciary duty and theft I think. I probably won't be called as a witness at his trial they said. Just the same, it hasn't done my reputation any good." "A pretty high price for sex don't you think?" "Yes ... a very high price. My husband, my self respect, my job," she said, looking at me once again. "I'm sorry, Dex. I wish I had it to do all over again ... but I don't. All I can say is ... I'm sorry." "I'll call you Wednesday," I repeated as I rose and walked to the door, letting myself out. It was a much shorter meeting than I had planned but Sandra had been so defeated that I didn't feel brow-beating her into a confession was necessary. She understood what she had done wrong and it at least elicited an apology. As I drove back to the city, I tried to understand what might have caused our marriage to dissolve the way it had. Was she bored and needed some excitement? Was I lacking in bed in some way? The twins didn't think so. I went around and around on the subject and came to no conclusion. Whatever the reason, it had happened and I had made a decision I didn't intend to change. I would live my life without Sandra no matter what she decided about the divorce. To be continued... Edited by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their helpful suggestions and skillful editing. Any errors are mine alone.