Retreat

"You sound very sure."

"Damn right, now where can I park this Gerry tank, I want some nosh."

They find a car park, just behind the row of shops were the chip shop is located. She makes her way through an alley and returns with two cod'n'chips with mushy peas. As they unwrap their food, she says, "There's a Mexican restaurant over the road from the chippy, I've never eaten real Mexican grub, you can take me there if you want."

"But you've just got some food."

"I meant, later, for dinner like, that's if you want to keep trying your luck, she teases"

They finish eating and she manages to coax him out of the car to walk to a pub she had seen near the chip shop and the Mexican restaurant. Two pints and almost two hours later, at her insistence, he drives the car away.

He knows he should be angry, normally even women that do not want to cheat easily fall for his charm, but Michelle is not playing the game he is used to. She is the one playing him and he has to admit, he is enjoying the challenge she is giving him. He is enjoying the chase so much, that he resolves to refrain from drugging her, he wants her to submit willingly and not because of a chemically induced relaxant feeding a need for a sexual high.

He drives her around to see the sights she has asked and they do not return to the car park until just before half past eight. The restaurant is busy, but they do get one of the remaining tables. It is late when they return to the manor and after a a cordial goodnight drink, she allows him a chaste kiss on her cheek and he takes the offering and then gently pulls her face around and begins to kiss her. She responds for a few seconds and then pushes him away, "You had to ruin it, didn't you. I told you you're not getting into my knickers and I meant it," sobbing she turns and runs to her room.

She may have been upset and only she knows whether she is upset with him for trying to take advantage, or herself for wanting and almost letting him. Either way as she lays waiting for sleep, she is not thinking about Michael, she is thinking about being out on a boat with Mark.

The following morning he again knocks on her door, his feet are still painful, but better than the day before. He has rehearsed his apology and is more than ready to continue his pursuit. He is surprised not only to find her awake, but getting ready to have a shower. Through the closed door, he apologises for his behaviour and assures her that he will not make that mistake again, blaming the incident on the alcohol he had consumed.

She makes noises that she accepts his apology. He thanks her, and offers to escort her to breakfast, she declines immediately. She senses there is more to his disappointment than just the prospect of eating alone and she almost agrees to go with him, but knowing that if he had waited a little while longer, she may not have slapped him. She is almost certain she would have kissed him back properly and she knows what that would have led to. She tells him she does not feel like eating and he leaves her to have her shower. Half an hour later, just as she is finishing drying herself, there is another knock on the bedroom door.

"Michelle, Mark tells me that you are unwell and did not wish to come for breakfast, that is a shame. I am just here to let you know that I am now going to have my first interview with your spouse, you may not see him, but you can listen, would you like that?"

The woman's voice startles her, interrupting her train of thought, "pardon, did you just say I can talk to Michael?"

"No dear, I said you may sit and listen to your spouse's first interview if you so wish."

Michelle looks at the time, 08:45 before answering, "I need to get dressed, how long have I got?"

"No rush, take your time, It will take me a quarter of an hour to get to our other facility, where he is staying we'll start ooh, say about half-nine." The woman answers, knowing full well that Michelle will not hear this interview live, only an edited recording.

Michelle sits down in the offered chair and takes the offered cup of tea from the woman. The woman assures Michelle that Michael is fine and missing her, but as she no doubt already knows, is a little angry. The woman warns her that he may say some things that she will not want to hear, but then goes on to say, reassuringly that men are simple creatures and that they all react in similar predictable ways. That the anger he will display is part of the process and that the words are meaningless, that he is just attacking the things he knows are safe to attack, with from his perspective, no need of reparation after all, he can shout at "his" woman with no consequences. She then takes her leave and Michelle spends her time looking around the room. There is a little to see, other than a small desk upon which the thing with the speaker sits, a mirror and a clock adorn one wall. The mirror is framed and appears to be sunken into the wall, the clock above it tells her it is Monday, the 27th May and 11:05.

Excited at the thought of hearing her husband she is almost squirming with anticipation and shortly after the woman had spoken to her through the speaker, Michelle hears... "Hello Mister Simons, or may I call you Michael?" The woman sounds friendly and reassuring "You are no doubt wondering what this is all about." There is a pause, Michelle imagines him sitting quietly, trying to appear nonchalant, she knows he will wait for the woman to speak first. She does, she begins to explain, "Your wife first contacted us four months ago as she felt the spark had gone from your relationship."

There is a brief pause and she continues, "She relayed to us of her love for you and voiced her concern that you not only had lost interest in her physically, but that you no longer loved her... This was something that pulled at my heartstrings for personal reasons I will not go in to."

"We are here to facilitate you both into a new, far more loving relationship, one in which you both will be fully satisfied, both emotionally and physically. To do this your behaviours will need to be adjusted, don't look so alarmed its nothing drastic. To help you with this we have access to a number of specialist professionals we can use to aid you to see why your wife has concerns and likewise to address any concerns you may have. Now before we begin, I will need you to fill in this questionnaire."

Another long silence, Michelle can see in her mind's eye, Michael reading through the questions and then filling in the form.

She hears the woman speak again, "This is just the first of several questionnaires we will be requiring you fill out during your stay here. "Now read each question fully before you answer."

The sound of subdued laughter comes from the speaker.

"What is so funny Michael?"

Michael's voice comes from the speaker, "I just read the questions, if I had been given this when I got home from work on Friday, my answers would be entirely different to what they are now, but I'll save us both some time I will say this now and I mean it. Fuck you, fuck your stupid questions and you can wrap your fucking questionnaire around your water bottle and stick it up your arse... sideways."

Michelle gasps, it is rare that Michael is angry and she has never heard him as angry as she is now hearing.

The woman speaks again, sounding as if she is trying to regain control of the situation, "Michael, as you have already been informed, we are only trying to help you and Michelle see where the problems lie, so you can work together to improve your relationship, inject a new passion into a partnership that has over time become a little stale. Shouting at me and trying to blame me for what has been happening to you both, will not help matters. I know that you may feel that Michelle should have discussed matters with you and you probably would rather be anywhere but here. But you are here, and you are here because your wife loves you, surely you can see that? So please, for her, calm yourself down and begin answering the questions?"

There is a short pause and the words "Fuck you," come from the speaker, followed by the sound of tearing paper.

Another short silence is followed by a chair scraping on the floor and a rattle of a doorknob, a repetition of the "Fuck you" followed by a bang of a door slamming.

Then the woman speaks, through the speaker to Michelle, her voice quivering, "Sorry Michelle, give me a moment to..." There is a noise that could be a sob, cut short by a click, Michelle knows the intercom has been turned off.

Several minutes pass before Michelle hears another clock from the box in front of her, "Michelle, are you still there? Ife you press the green button on the front of the box my voice is coming from we will be able to talk."

Michelle pushes the button, "Do I have to press it to talk?"

"No, just the once is fine. Now Michelle, I was not prepared for that, is he often angry like that?"

"No, never, I mean, yes he can be a little testy sometimes, but I have never heard that much venom, I really didn't expect it either."

"Mmmmm,, having seen the display just now that surprises me. It may or may not surprise you but over the years the retreat has been in operation there have been on occasion, times I have felt threatened, but... and I feel I should be honest here. In all the time I have been counselling here, I have never felt as afraid by a display of anger. Are you sure you have never... I mean, many abused spouses do not feel comfortable..."

Michelle suddenly understands just what the woman is implying and exclaims, "God no! He has never and I do mean never shouted at me like that, I really don't know what could have got into him. Let me talk to him, I will get him straightened out."

"Will you? Are you sure? Have we just found something you have omitted about your behaviour Michelle, could it be that you are the one that, shall we say... the one that wears the trousers? I have to ask Michelle, have you misled us, are you the one that perhaps is trying to manipulate and control and not as you have led us to believe, the victim?"

"No, no, no. How can you say that?

"Because it is true. Look to yourself Michelle and ask yourself how easily, how willing you were to take charge and bring your spouse here. How natural and good it felt to tell him what he should be doing? How right is it that you should decide what is acceptable with your body, your life?" Who should be the one to be in control of your happiness?

"No no, I didn't, I didn't, it was you. You told me I was not to tell him, you told me that was best."

"Exactly Michelle, we suggested and you decided that you would take charge, that you would bring him and not give him a choice. This tells me you want to be the one in charge, this tells me tha..."

"Stop it stop it, stop it, that's not what I wanted, you know that's not what I wanted."

"You say that... but is it really what you are asking for? Is it really what you want? Remember, you brought him without any discussion, you ordered him to bring your bags and follow you. I think you should think about this, think about what is best for you and Michael. I also think you should consider the benefits he will reap if you make the right choice."

"No, stop, you're confusing me, I don't want that, I want to have the love, the togetherness and the passion we had, not start some new life with a lap dog instead of a husband."

She looks at the box on the desk, awaiting the next vile accusation but it does not come. She stares at the box, trying to will the person to speak again. She thinks about what the woman had said, had accused her of. Shaking her head in denial she mumbles, "no no no, it isn't true, it was her not me. Where is he? I need to talk to him tell him that they manipulated me, I didn't want what she is saying, I never wanted that."

The box stays silent, Michelle stares at it with a look of horror on her face. She does not move from that position until she hears a gentle knock on the door.

"Michelle, Michelle are you alright?" Marks voice is as gentle as his knock.

"Go away," she sobs.

The door opens and he steps uninvited into the room, he walks to her and compassionately touches her shoulder. "M... Mark, she said... she said horrible things, she said I... i wanted to make Mike do things, that I was a bad wife."

He crouches down, kneeling on one knee beside her and envelopes her in a comforting and protective embrace. "Michelle, Michelle, she is only playing Devil's advocate, you know telling you what you know is not true, to make you look within yourself, they were not accusations, but questions you need to ask yourself."

Reassured by his embrace she sniffs back her sobs, and asks, "Is that what Michael thinks? Is that why he is so angry?

Michelle, you know I am not supposed to talk about Michael. Look," he reaches to touch the teapot and nods, "here, the teas still warm, let me pour you another cup, you know what they say about a good cup of tea fixing problems.

He pours her a cup, she adds milk and sugar and sips it.

He looks at her and says, with his voice almost a whisper, "I can't say too much here, but we can speak more freely once we are in the car."

Trembling, Michelle nods and drains her second cup of tea, she cannot fathom why he is so angry. She is certain that he will have been given the same questionnaire as she, and while she will admit it was more than a little intrusive, she could not see how he could be that upset by it. As Mark knows, the tea has a calming effect and soon she is feeling much better.

By the time they are in the car, Michael's apparent anger seems a little less important. She begins to talk to Mark about her concerns, her questions of why he is so angry. His answers are long and complex, but as he speaks, she calms and soon she is content that she now knows he is in good health, apart from being a little pissed off which gives her a boost. She does talk about what the woman had said to her and finds Marks explanations, reassuring and comforting and an hour into the journey she relaxes and begins enjoying the scenery and Marks company.

Two hours after listening to Michael's interview, she and Mark are at a boat hire office at the side of Ullswater Lake and she is arguing with a girl over the hire price, an hour after that they are gliding along the length of the lake.

"I've missed this, I've not been sailing since me and Mike got together."

Mark replies, "Does he not let you sail then?"

"No, no, don't get the wrong idea, he doesn't stop me doing anything, it's just something he's not interested in, so it just doesn't happen. I can see his point, I mean if you're used to weaving in and out of traffic at stupid speeds like he does, sailing along at a couple knots just don't do it, does it?"

"Maybe, but if you were mine, I'd make sure you went whenever you wanted to."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," she grins, "he'd take me if I asked, but there isn't really many places to go near us and I've got to admit I'd done them to death before Col, growing up with my family and that."

When he asks to return for lunch, she refuses, telling him that she'll drop him off at the jetty, but she's staying in the boat and complaining about the "extortionate price."

Although hungry, he stays with her and continues flirting, and she continues bantering. They see many other boats returning to the shore, but even knowing the boats are supposed to be returned at five o'clock, she turns away from the boat hire's dock and sails for the furthest point from it.

"I thought we should be back for five," he reminds her.

"Sod 'em, if they've got the audacity to charge over a hundred quid a day for this little thing then they can come and get us," she says with determination, "and can you feel that wind now, they're gonna have their work cut out.

Five o'clock, comes and goes, and soon a small motor boat is heading toward them, as it nears, she, turns and tightens the sheets (ropes connected to sails) and the little dingy picks up speed in the other direction. She manages to avoid the other boat for over ten minutes before they catch them and they tow the errant crew back to their base.

As soon as they have docked he begins making noises about returning to the retreat, but she insists he promised her some "pub grub," and he acquiesces to her demands.

The pub they choose is nearby and therefore very busy with many others having spent their day on the lake and so it is some time before the food they order arrives at the table. He drinks slowly, limiting himself to three bottles of Budweiser, she quaffs four pints of "Cockermouth Pride," in the same time and he again gets her a digestif of a large port.

The clock in the car lets her know it is a little after nine when they return, he offers her a nightcap and she cautiously agrees, insisting she cleans up and changes first and that he promises "no funny business when she returns."

Refreshed and changed, she meets Mark in the lounge, he is drinking a Glenlivet, and she again has a port. Mark continues his flirting and Michelle continues to fend him off with her banter. They are chatting easily until Mark leans forwards and kisses her again.

If he had kissed her outside, the sound of the slap would have been heard three fields away, before he has recovered enough to apologise, she is out of the room and halfway up the first flight of stairs. He stays sitting on the sofa, gingerly rubbing his stinging cheek

She returns to her room cursing him for being an inconsiderate pig and begins to pack her suitcase, determined that she and Michael are leaving and if they won't have it, as soon as she can get to a phone she will call the police.

She is just placing her shoes on top of her clothes when there is another knock on the door, "If that's you Mark, just piss off and leave me alone."

The door opens and instead of Mark, she is surprised to see a man she has not seen before confidently striding in.

"Hi Michelle, the names James, me 'ere to raise da bar, soon you know how lucky you are," it sounds as if he is trying to "rap" his words and finding his manner, words and speech ridiculous, she bursts into laughter. Her laughter does not faze him and he starts to attempt to rap at her more. I know da munch at lunch was a winner and tonight, you is my dinner."

Laughing, not only at the stupidity of the white man's attempt to sound black, but also wary of the blatant threat. She reaches toward the line of her shoes in the top of her case and formulates a reply, "No you're here to try your luck, thinking that I am some dumb fuck, no lunch, no munch, no dinner no winner, no date, no plate, no steak nor stroganoff, so take a hike, now go, piss off."

He does not try to hide his anger, not only has she refused, he knows that not only that her rapping was spontaneous, it was better. One hand clenching into a fist, the other reaching for her, he takes a step toward her, "You little bitch, you'll be laughing on the other side of your face by the time I've finished with y..."

The heel of the walking boot hits him square on the nose, it stops his threat, but not his attack and his hand makes contact with her sweater, as his hand closes he feels a sudden pain shoot from his groin to his stomach. Her kick may have been accurate, but it is not hard enough to stop him and he lashes out and punches her hard in the face.

The force from the blow and the strength of his grip tears her sweater and screaming, she pulls herself from the torn garment revealing her near nakedness. Her breasts are now bare, as she had been expecting no more than only having a quick drink before saying goodnight, so she had not bothered to put on a bra.

"That's what I want to see, now you've got your tits out I know you're up for it... urrrkk!"