Take Me, Tom Pt. 52-54

"I just want to hold you, Chrissie. That's all. If anything happened, that would be cheating on Tom, and I won't do that. Not now, not ever. I'm serious. He would know just by looking at us, and he'd know, and everything would be ruined, and for what? It's not worth it. So...?" she asked, meaningfully.

"Get over here," I sighed, knowing that as much as we wanted each other, we wouldn't.

Em slid behind me, her arms curling around and me holding her tight. I felt her lips softly kiss my hair and smiled. We were out in minutes. The alarm I had set woke us at seven, enough time for dinner and still sleep and get our rhythms going.

We asked at the front desk for a nice restaurant and kindly called a few to find us a late reservation. He recommended Good Earth for the best Chinese food, so we asked to book a table. As he was calling from the Rembrandt, they could fit us in at eight. We went back upstairs and changed into something fresh. The evening was cooler than when Tom and I were here only weeks ago. We linked arms and had a wonderful evening together. The food surpassed our expectations! We talked more about the three of us, as it seemed to be the overriding topic!

"I still don't see what I can bring to this, Chrissie," she asked. "I've said this before. You both just seem so complete. And what if we try and it doesn't work, hmm? Then what?"

"Em, any relationship is fraught with the same questions, aren't they? We all bring something different. I think you just need to think if you are willing and able to share because that's what this is all about. Jealousy can be a huge problem, too. All these 'what ifs' we figure out as we go along. Believe me, Tom has thought of every angle, and at some point, he'll lay them out for us. I would never have dreamt of sharing Tom with anyone but you. After all, we've been through for these years, I just know you'd be perfect for us, and us for you," I said. "We listen to what Tom has found out and figure out the rest as we go along. It'll only work if you truly want this, though. We cannot go into this half-hearted."

We chatted about tomorrow, both of us were excited about the prospects. We were due there at eleven, so we had plenty of time in the morning to get ready. We finished our meal, had an extra glass of wine and strolled back to the hotel, hand in hand. We slipped into the room, both of us buzzing from the day. Em used the bathroom and walked out wearing her cotton pajamas. I giggled.

"I guess there's no seduction tonight, eh, sweetie?" I giggled.

"Behave, Chrissie. I brought these along specifically to ward you off!" she laughed.

"Hmm. Would you mind if I said you still look incredibly sexy in those?" I chuckled.

"I'll take the compliment, Chrissie. I only hope you don't walk out of the bathroom in any of Tom's special lingerie!" she laughed.l

I changed and rejoined her on the bed. We could have used the other room, but this was more comfortable.

I decided to FaceTime Tom to see if he was in. Chloe picked up, expecting us, I assumed. Em moved to my bed, and we cuddled up and caught up with everyone. Janet assured me everything was fine. We then had some alone time with Tom. We both thanked him again and told him about our day. He was so excited for us! There was a bit of subdued flirting but nothing too overt. Em did play with the buttons on my top, teasing Tom and me. He just shook his head, used to this by now. After forty-five minutes we were tired so said goodnight to everyone. I told him we'd call in the morning and blew him a kiss.

Em kissed me good night and moved to her bed. We both lay there, the noises from the street barely discernable. I was feeling a bit kittenish after talking with Tom.

"Did I tell you what we did with your panties, Em?" I asked, breathlessly.

"God, Chrissie. Must you?" she giggled.

"All depends on if you want to know. I can tell you if you'd like," I sighed.

After a moment's silence, Em whispered, "Not tonight, Chrissie. I don't think either one of us would behave! You're making nigh on impossible here. Another time, though? I feel there'll be plenty of time to tease each other, sweetie, okay?"

Chapter 54

The Interviews and Reuniting with Friends

The last two days have been among the most exciting in my life. We had our interviews all set up. We arrived at the V&A early and walked around, then asked for Matthew. I recognised him immediately.

"Good morning, Matthew! It's so good to see you again," I said, enthusiastically. This is our dear friend, Emily Foster. Emily, this is Matthew Garfield."

After the friendly introductions, he led us to one of the conference rooms and settled in. He thanked us for making the effort to attend, and we both thanked him for arranging the rooms for us. He then laid out how the interviews would go. We would be interviewed separately by a panel, and then we would be re-interviewed by the other board. When these two were finished, we'd have a break for lunch then Em and I would have a final interview together. This was pretty intense, but I understood why.

I hugged Em, and she walked with an assistant to another room and started hers. I was with Matthew and two of their board. It was daunting, but I felt I was in control. They were obviously interested and delved into my CV, background and what I was ideally looking for. As I imagined, they had feedback from our latest exhibit. We talked for almost two hours, me questioning them as much as they interviewed me. As we shook hands and took a short break before Em and I changed rooms, I felt confident.

The second interview was all about what I could bring to the museum. What changes, where I saw the museum in five, ten and twenty years. I was aware of the new V&A that was a work in progress in the East End of London. This was an informal but professional talk. I think they liked what I brought up and the answers I gave them. I was excited about the changes they were going through and hoped to be a part of it.We took a break afterwards, most of us having a lavish lunch together. The talk was easy and relaxed, but Em and I knew this was part of the interview, too. I was so

impressed with her, and she handled herself beautifully.

Lunch over, we walked with Matthew back to the original room where we sat with a few other curators and talked about, yes, their and our visions. I knew how Tom hated that word, but it's an important one. Matthew then asked if we had our passports with us. We did and handed them to him for him to make copies. This bode well. He asked to keep all the paperwork we had brought in. I was expecting this, too. He then talked about work visas and how they, if we were successful, would handle everything for us. We talked about our timeline for moving to London. It didn't seem to be a stumbling block. I had the feeling they were looking into the future, not short term.

Em and I would catch each other's eyes every so often, and I knew we were thinking the same thing! We all shook hands enthusiastically. Matthew asked one of the curators if she would take us around the back rooms and show us around. She was more than happy to, so we said our goodbyes to Matthew and thanked him for his time and help. He said he would be in touch shortly, either way.

The woman who was to be our 'guide' was Charlotte. She seemed to be Head Curator. She took us through several rooms where there was different work going on. I was interested in the paper conservation room. I think they were impressed with my knowledge, as I seemed to catch them off-guard several times with precise questions We walked and chatted with her for another two hours. We finally shook hands and actually hugged, a common bond established. Em wrapped her arm through mine, and we walked out into the London sun.

We barely said a word, both of us excited beyond words. We found an outdoor cafe', ordered two wines and shrieked at each other, hugging and kissing each other. We exchanged notes. I felt we had this, as did she. We were both shattered. It's not often one has an interview lasting six hours! We both knew that even the walk with Charlotte was part of the process. We could only hold our breath!

I messaged Tom with the news! We were so excited, so it would be a real letdown if this didn't come through. Tom didn't reply right away, not that I expected that. We relaxed and smiled, knowing we had both given it our all. We made it back to the room shortly. Ben and Eloise were coming by for drinks and dinner. We didn't know where but I had a feeling they did! We collapsed on the bed, our hearts still beating too fast. We lay together, our faces mere inches from each other, our arms wrapped firmly around one another.

"So. If he offers us the positions, what will you say, Em?" I asked.

"Yes," she sighed, and kissed me.

"Oh, Em," I sighed, and returned her soft, urgent kisses with my own.

I wanted her. We wanted each other. I felt her hand on my silk blouse, tenderly fondling my breasts. We were moaning together, our breath hot and insistent. I held her close, my fingers sliding through her hair. I felt her hands on a button, deftly undoing one. I pulled away and looked at her.

"We can't, darling. God....I want you SO bad right now, but...we can't," I groaned with frustration. "We said 'no' until...."

"Ohh, Chrissie. I...I need you. I need to touch you, taste you, cum with you, darling," Em almost cried.

I slipped my fingers through her hair, and tenderly said, "We can't, sweetie. But...we could watch each other?" I said by way of a compromise.

I unbuttoned my linen trousers, my hand sinking into them as I slid a finger along my wet gash.

"Do it, baby. Touch yourself...and kiss me," I hissed to her.

Em lifted her dress, her manicured fingers suddenly hidden under her dress. From her moans and face, I could tell that she was touching herself where I was. We kissed wildly, our tongues licking each other, our mouths a mess of sticky saliva. I humped my fingers, imaging they were Em's.

"I can't wait for you to fuck me, Em," I hissed as I took my fingers, sliding all around my oozing vulva. "Say you'll fuck me, Em."

"Ohh, Chrissie. Yes, sweetie. I'm going to fuck you, make love to you, cum all over you, darling," she groaned.

"Ohhh, Em!" I screamed, trying to put off my creeping orgasm. "I...I want Tom to take you, Em. Let him, sweetie. I need him to take you," we both groaned loudly.

"I'm yours, Chrissie. Both of yours!" she murmured.

We were both lost in our own fantasies. We could smell each other, feel each other as

we brought ourselves off. Our lips never left one another, tender one moment, demanding the next. I rubbed my hard clit, our wet sounds excited me beyond belief.

"I'm going to watch you, Em, as my brother makes love to you. Would you like that, sweetie? Hmm? I'm going to kiss you and suck your glorious breasts, his hard, naked cock taking you, sweetie," I teased, her eyes closed, and her mouth contorted in that delicious pre-orgasmic contortion.

"Yessss....watch me, Chrissie," she cried, and we came together. We tried to kiss but bit and licked each other when our mouths wouldn't connect. I could feel my panties sopping with my cum, the smell of us intoxicating. It took all my reserve to not crawl under Em's dress and suck her.

Our eyes were locked as we gushed over our insistent fingers, the lack of touch from each other only added to the eroticism. We were both coming down from our exertions, still kissing. I lifted her hand from beneath her dress and brought it to my mouth, slowly sucking her sap. Em did the same for me, slowly licking my fingers off my cum and finally cleaning them.

She took me in her sweet arms and held me.

"Say yes, Em," I whispered.

"Shhhh. We'll get there.

We lay in the bed, talking and touching each other. Oh, how I wished my Tom was here to share this. I wanted to share everything with him...and Em. We finally decided to ready ourselves for a night out. I'm glad she'd be meeting two of our friends tonight. We showered together, just like we used to. It was softer than when Tom and I showered, but no less enhancing. We did keep our touches chaste-like, much to our chagrin, but a promise is a promise.

We dried each other off, her touches were so affirming and sweet. Our chat turned to all the different permutations of us a throuple. All the 'what ifs' that would have to be crossed off our individual lists. If she was to do this, we'd have to address all of them and ours.

We dressed casual, not knowing where we'd be going. We both wore our Liberty's scarves, a small homage to our missing partner. We met Ben and Eloise downstairs in the bar. It was wonderful to see them again. They both embraced me warmly, making

me feel secure and welcome. I introduced Em to them, and they all hugged easily.

"So. Tell us about the interview? I have a feeling you both did well?" Ben asked, ordering another round of drinks. We found a comfortable table and relaxed.

"It was better than we could have expected. We were there for five, almost six hours, Ben! I doubt everyone they interview has such an intense session! We both had extremely in-depth talks, covering darn near everything!" I chuckled. Em, and I gave them the highlights. They both seemed impressed.

"So, what's it like being back, Chrissie?" Eloise asked.

"I...I love it!" I gushed. "This has certainly thrown us, but I'm optimistic. If it does come through, who knows, we may be neighbours!" I laughed.

"Nothing would make us happier, Chrissie. Will you all be living together, or are you looking for your own place, Emily?" she asked.

"I'll be staying with them if they will have me," Em smiled at me. "I'll wait for the job acceptance and then give it a lot of thought. It'll be a massive move for me, but I'm feeling better about it all the time!"

"You'll love it here, Emily!" Eloise gushed. "We may even get you hooked up with some finance guy. You know anyone, Ben?" she asked, laughing.

"If you don't mind me saying, I know a few men who would be interested in meeting you, Emily," Ben smiled.

Em stumbled on her words and just thanked them, saying she'd think about that, too.

We finished our drinks and walked to the restaurant not far from the hotel. It was called the Buddha Bar. They had a wonderful mix of Pan-Asian food. It was expensive as hell but fantastic. I smirked to myself, thinking this was Tom's world, the best of everything. They had some beautiful ambient music floating throughout. The food, the company and the atmosphere were terrific. I could get used to this, I thought. Em and I casually touched throughout the evening, nothing too overt, just a way of connecting every now and then. It felt right.

I could see why Ben was Tom's friend, and they both had this laid-back style that belied an intensity underneath. Eloise was chatty, refined, and so much fun! She

could be a good friend to us.

"So, when do you leave tomorrow?" Ben asked.

"Flights at three, so need to be at Heathrow by one at the latest. I was hoping to show Em Portobello Road Market, but not sure if it's too ambitious!" I chuckled. "I still need to check out the tube lines and all."

"It's not too far, actually. Tell you what, what time were you thinking of going?" Ben asked.

"Well, Tom and I were there for nine before the crowds arrived, so, yeah, nine or so," I replied.

"How about if we come by and go with you? It's been ages since we've been there, and it's only a twenty-minute drive. If you'd like, we'd love to come with you?" Ben said.

I looked at Em, her eyes saying 'yes, please'. "Ben, that would be wonderful. We're not messing up your Sunday, are we?" I asked.

"Hardly. It'll be great! We'll pick you up outside your hotel at eight-thirty, okay?" he replied.

We finished the evening around eleven, our bodies giving in to the jet lag at last. They walked us back to our hotel, Em and I linking arms on the way. Eloise crept beside us and wrapped her arm through my free one. Ben linked with Em, the four us compadres-in-crime!

We hugged as we returned, small chaste kisses all around and saying we'd see them in the morning. We FaceTimed Tom and the kids when we got in. We were all so excited. After chatting with the kids, who were obviously on their best behaviour, we told Tom all about the interviews. He was speechless, too, and I could see the pride in his eyes. We told him about the dinner with Ben and Eloise, which he loved. He appreciated the effort Ben had made in showing us around. I told him they were taking us to Portobello Road in the morning and asked if he wanted anything.

"Only you two home safe, all right?" he replied.

We talked for another half hour, then logged off. Em, and I readied ourselves and fell

asleep in each other's arms.

We had room-service breakfast in the suite part, devouring our salmon, eggs and

croissants hungrily. We laid out our travelling clothes and packed everything, not wanting to rush around too much after the market. Em didn't have her camera, which was a shame. I silently hoped there would be a next time, though.

Ben and Eloise picked us up precisely at eight-thirty. No surprises there! They knew a few out of the way places, so they took us there to begin with. Of course, I pointed out the 'Notting Hill' house. Ben and Eloise jokingly rolled their eyes, but Em was thrilled. I spotted the antiquity shop Tom had mentioned, so we all went in. I saw a delicate but handsome Levant period vase. It was hard to believe it was 3500 years old. Tom would love it, I thought. Everyone agreed it was a simple but exquisite piece, so we bought it for him. We wandered into the jewelery shop, where we found Janet's and Em's pieces. Em gave me a dirty look when she saw the prices. Too bad, I thought! She grabbed my arm, hooked hers through, and said, "You shouldn't have!" she admonished me.

"It was Tom's idea, Em. Anyway...we love you," I sighed, kissing chastely.

It was invigorating just being here again. We picked up a few trinkets but just enjoyed each other's company. We didn't have time for lunch, so headed back. It was sad to leave them both. We all hugged and kissed, saying we'd see them in a few months, all being well, that is! We watched them pull away, tears suddenly overwhelming me. We headed to the lift and to the room, both of us at the large window overlooking a beautiful part of the city. We hugged each other tightly, Em's head on my shoulder. We said goodbye.

The flight back was comfortable but not quick. Tom had booked us Economy Plus, as we didn't need to sleep. This was still a superb way to travel, though! That guy is no slouch! Our seats were next to each other, so we could comfortably hold hands when we wanted to. I messaged Tom that we were on the plane, ready to come home to him. I'm sure I took too many photos, sending them to him, much to his chagrin!