Caroline Ch. 13.02

"Don't be. When you go to bed with him tonight," she looked at me in surprise, "when you go to bed with him tonight," I reiterated, "he will love you and you will love him and, when you've both had your fill of each other, then you'll come and cuddle me. We'll all go to sleep together and everything will be all right. I'm certain Gianna, certain!"

She'd made up her mind, I could tell. "Yes," she said softly savouring the words and the idea, "when I go to bed with him tonight . . . How will he know?"

"He'll know because you will tell him. After dinner just kiss him and tell him you want him. You won't need to do anything else." I smiled naughtily at her, "But don't eat too much dinner will you!"

She smiled, "No. And he mustn't drink too much either!"

We both laughed together. She seemed so much happier now as we made dinner. Mike came out to get some wine and he swept me up in his arms, "What are you two chuckling about, I could hear you laughing?"

"Nothing," I said, "aren't you going to hug Gianna as well. You can't leave her out." He looked a bit uncertain but he did go over to her and hold her to him, not very tightly mind, he didn't seem to want her to get too close. Well, she was having none of this.

She pulled him to her and said, "That's better," and laughed: something I hadn't seen her do that much.

He looked a bit surprised and flummoxed really, as if he didn't know how to react. I though I'd better save him until after dinner. "Come on you," I said, "out. We've got a dinner to cook," and I hustled him out of the kitchen, much to his relief I might add.

Dinner went well, three courses with Gianna cooking most of it to be truthful. She was a good cook. We sat finishing the wine afterwards and just chatting. Gianna was looking at him openly now and quite brazenly. He noticed and seemed to be responding, looking at her longingly every now and again. He was conscious of this however, because he kept on holding me tightly, as if he was scared to let me go. He must have been having such a conflict of feelings then.

After a while I thought it time to settle everything one way or the other. I didn't think he'd refuse Gianna but I wasn't certain. I knew how strong his love for me was and it might make him react strangely but it had to be tried.

"Come on Mike, time for you to make coffee. We made dinner, it's your turn." That got him out of the room. As he left I said to Gianna, "When he comes back. Are you OK?" She looked confident now, certain of her decision.

"Yes," she said, "now?"

"Yes, when he comes back. Don't worry, it'll be all right."

He walked back in the lounge with the coffee and put the tray down on the table. Before he could sit down Gianna stood in front of him, put her arms around his neck, pulled his head down and kissed him; just like she'd done a thousand times before, I thought.

His reaction was funny, like in slow motion. He was surprised but her kiss began to awaken those feelings he was burying. He didn't pull away and slowly, oh so slowly, his arms came up to hold her. Then he began to return her kiss and to hold her tightly. Their kiss broke and they continued to hold each other close. He buried his head in her hair, his eyes closed. The emotional tension was almost palpable. I could feel the apprehension this kiss had provoked. Mike seemed to be having trouble controlling his feelings. He is a very emotional man, particularly these type of feelings, and it was difficult for him I think.

At that moment Gianna pulled away from him slightly and looked into his eyes, "I want you and Lena says I can. Do you want me again?"

He turned his head and looked at me. He looked desperate, scared, excited, surprised all at the same time. I smiled at him and nodded, 'Yes', to let him know how I felt. That seemed to ease his tension.

He looked at Gianna now, fixing her eyes with his, "Want you, want you, oh my love, deep down I've never stopped wanting you, loving you," and he crushed her to him and began to cry softly, his eyes tightly shut. The floodgates had opened now, his love for her had been freed; the emotional tension released but now replaced with a sense of fear. He didn't seem to want to look at me and I guessed why. Did he still feel the same about me? Could he hold these feelings for two women.

I got up and crossed over to them. Now, you won't believe this but I had now fear whatsoever. I knew he still loved me. I knew he could hold these feelings for two women, for me and for Gianna, so I wasn't worried. He hadn't let her go yet and I could hear her crying as well.

I stroked his cheek, "Mike, Mike," I said softly, "look at me." He seemed reluctant, "Don't be frightened, everything will be OK."

He opened his eyes and looked into mine. Despair was the first thing is saw there followed by surprise, then joy as he released Gianna with one arm and swept me up next to her. His embrace was so tight but I didn't mind, I knew then that he did love us both, he could hold both of us in his heart at the same time. I started crying gently as well so all three of us, standing then in the lounge holding each other, were crying gently. Not a cry of sadness but of happiness, happiness at the realisation he loved both of us and we loved him. Finally we had to sit down. It was funny, he wouldn't let us go. He held on to us as if letting us go would bring disaster. He was kissing us both, first me then Gianna, then back again, then he started laughing.

Tearfully I said, "Oh Mike, Mike, what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," he said, "I didn't realise I could feel this happy so I felt like laughing. God you're lovely, both of you." Then he was serious, "Lena, Lena, what can I say. Hell, I love you." He turned to Gianna, "I love you both. Oh God what have I done to deserve this," and he squeezed us tightly to him.

Time to calm things down, I thought, deliriously happy that things had worked out well this far. He loved her again and she looked radiant, no, not well fucked, just radiant. Back in love I suppose, well able to show it after all these years.

"Come on, coffee's going to waste." So I poured the coffee and calmed everyone down. Words were difficult to come by for a while. Intense emotions had been exposed and it was important to just let things cool. It was difficult for Mike. He had two women he loved, how was he to behave. How could he show he loved us both. If he kissed one of us he couldn't kiss the other, if he stroked one cheek, and so on. I felt sorry for him just then, oh and a great love of course.

I kissed his cheek, "Silly man," I said, "there's only one of you and two of us. Don't worry, we know you love us both. Anyway, you concentrate on Gianna, she's missed you." I thought, now the real crunch, "You can show her how much you love her in bed tonight!"

I felt the tension in him and his heart start to race. He looked at Gianna and she returned his gaze with an obvious invitation. She didn't have to say anything, her eyes and her face said it all: she wanted him.

"Yes I can," he said in a surprised voice, "Lena, Lena!"

"Yes you can," I said to him softly, "and afterwards you can both come and cuddle me.

So we sat quietly for a while, each of us, I suppose, taking in the momentous event that had occurred. Mike was almost shivering in anticipation and the tension in his body was obvious. I don't know why he was so tense, he'd slept with her before, but anyway he was and I wanted to calm him down a bit. He had one arm around Gianna, who was resting her head on his shoulder with one hand on his leg. I sensed she couldn't wait to get him to bed although I knew she was tense as well. It had been a long time after all and they both must have wondered how much they had changed.

I whispered softly in his ear, "Relax Mike darling. Be good for her, she needs you, you know, needs you to be kind and loving. I don't think she's had that from Silvio." His tension seemed to lessen and he sighed.

I leant over to Gianna and said, "Bed time?"

She smiled and kissed him, "Bedtime?" she asked him.

He took a very deep breath, controlling himself I think. "Yes," he said in a voice loaded with emotion, "yes darling, bedtime."

"I'm going to get ready caro mio, I'll be waiting for you" she said, "will you come Lena?"

"In a mo'," I said smiling, "I'll join you in a minute."

She gave him one last look, full of love, desire, and passion, and left for the shower room.

He held me tight, "I love you," he said, "oh Lena, are you sure about this. I'm still scared you know, scared of my feelings."

I cuddled him back, "Everything will be perfect," I said, "love her Mike, make her feel loved again. I know you won't forget me."

"No, never," he said passionately, "Never." Then he lightened somewhat, "I don't think I'm going to last very long though," he smiled, "it feels like a dam about to burst."

"I wouldn't worry," I said smiling back, "you've got all next week haven't you?" He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "She won't go home now," I said laughing gently at him, "she'll stay until we go back, you see."

He looked shocked, "You think she'll stay here with us?"

"Oh yes," I said, "with YOU. Now I'm going to her to try to calm her down. You know you are both very difficult!" I ended with a smile then left to join Gianna.

I asked Mike to write down his feelings and his experience with Gianna over this fortnight so I'm going to hand over to him now.

Well, I told you! A word of explanation here. As I wrote Mike and Caroline's story it seemed to me that he had to get back with Gianna but how? I don't like my characters to act without reason so I had to figure out a way for it to happen. I'm still not sure whether it works! The next chapter deals with the same sequence of events from Mike's point of view and explains a few things. I'd be interested to know whether you, dear reader, think it works – or not!

To be continued: