The Recruit

'Of course we are.'

She was silent, 'Alright, I'll stay, but we're not having sex, Tom, big dick or no big dick.'

I put my hands in the air, 'I never suggested we would, and besides, I don't mix work with pleasure.'

Helen managed a smile, 'What about your Rebecca then?'

'She's not a client any longer. And that's not the point.'

'Beryl told me you took her to a hotel while she was still married.'

'Her husband was sleeping around.'

'Two wrongs don't make a right, Tom.'

I grinned, 'They seemed to at the time! I took her hand, 'What would you do if you found your husband was cheating on you?'

'I don't know, Tom, I sit at home thinking that, a friend of mine found out her husband had been having an affair, with the woman next door would you believe, and she promptly went out and picked up the first man she could find and shagged herself silly, then filed for divorce.'

'They call that revenge sex.'

'I know, I don't think I could do that.' She shivered, 'Can we go in, Tom, I'm getting cold out here.'

I took her arm, noting that she didn't pull away, and she paused in the doorway. 'Actually, it was my sister, she told me, about your... you know, your...your...thickness.'

'Your sister? Kevin didn't tell me you had a sister?'

'Sheila Atkins, Dundee, that ring a bell?'

My mind whirled, 'I know a Sheila Ferguson, but she lives in Edinburgh.'

'She moved, and that was her married name. You slept with my sister, you randy bastard, and wrecked her marriage.' But there was no anger in her face.

'That's not true, and you probably know that.'

'Come on, let's go get a coffee and sit in the lounge.'

'Okay,' I said when we were seated, 'Let's get the facts right here. Yes, I did sleep with your sister, and it was by mutual agreement, in fact it was her suggestion.'

'At least you admit it.'

'I have nothing to hide, Helen. I'd just ended a meeting over lunch with a client at the Balmoral where as you probably know Sheila worked as a waitress. She was very friendly, almost to the point of flirting.'

Helen sighed, 'She was always doing that, even at school. It got her into a lot of trouble with boys.'

'You sound jealous.'

She grinned, 'I was at the time! So how did she work her charm on you?'

'I simply asked her what she was doing for the rest of the day, I promise there was no sign of a wedding ring, Helen.'

'Okay, I believe you, go on.'

'She simply said, "As long as it involves the use of a nice big bed, I don't care."'

'She actually said that?'

'Words to that effect. The rest you can leave to your imagination, at no stage did she say she had a husband, not until the next morning anyway. She wanted sex, Helen, who was I to refuse?'

'Did she say where Alistair was?'

'Her husband? She said they were separated, hence the lack of a ring.'

Helen sighed, 'Okay, I apologise. Actually, the time you slept with her they weren't together. Sheila was terribly promiscuous before she married Alistair, marriage didn't seem to change things very much either.' She stiffened. 'Shit!'

'What's wrong?'

'That man again!'

I just caught a glimpse, got up and ran after him. 'Excuse me?' I tapped him on the shoulder... gently... he was bigger than me, and bald. 'What's your interest in Helen Atkins?'

'Don't know what you're talking about mate, I don't know any Atkins. And who the fuck are you, my I ask?'

'I'm her employer. Tell me, which architectural association do you belong to?'

'I'm freelance, not that it's any of your fucking business.'

'In which case how did you get into this conference?'

'Fuck off!'

He stalked away.

'You're right,' I said when I returned, 'He doesn't belong here.'

'What are we going to about him, Tom?'

'Ignore him, he's not doing us any harm. and I am here to protect you.'

'I guess. Tom, I don't want to go to bed just yet, can we go for a walk again? I've warmed up now.'

Helen took my arm as we strolled along the river bank, passing other couples, some, mainly the elderly ones, out for a simple stroll, others lost in their own romantic world.

'Penny for them, Tom?'

'I was just wondering how many of these people will make love tonight.'

'God, don't you ever stop thinking about sex?'

'Only when I'm having it! Some men focus on war, I prefer to dwell on the nicer things, the world would be a sad place without sex.'

Helen grinned, 'And a lot less over populated. Tom, despite all that, I like you...'

'Thank God for that, I was getting a little worried!'

'...and deep down I think you are one of the good guys.'

'Thank you.'

'You deserve a good woman, Tom.'

'Even a bad one will do! Like your sister.'

'I'm being serious here.' She stopped and turned to face me. 'Tom, when you were married, were there times when you wished you weren't?'

'Of course, doesn't that happen to everyone?'

'I'm talking about you.'

'Every time Francesca had a headache!'

'Tom, please?'

I sighed, 'Yes, of course there were, maybe an argument, worrying about finances, the lack of sex, the sight of a pretty ass, especially one like yours. Why do you ask, have you had those moments?'

I barely heard her reply, 'Yes.'

'Go on.'

'When we do find the time to go out, Bill is always looking at other women.'

'It's what we men do, Helen.'

'I know that, but not when he says, and forgive my French, 'I could fuck the ass off that.'

'Shit! He said that to you?'

'Not directly, I heard him say it to my brother, he was referring to my best friend Sally, and it's not even as though she is the slightest bit sexy. And I know he used to masturbate after I had gone to sleep. God, I still can't believe I'm telling you all this.'

'So, doesn't everybody do that? Don't you?'

She froze, then looked away, 'That's personal, Tom.'

I grinned, 'So you do. Who fucking cares? It's the most natural thing in the world...'

'Tom, please don't swear.'

'...and I bet you had a good old rub down there after you kissed me that time.'

Helen glared at me, even in the dark I could see her face colouring up, 'That's none of your fucking business...you see, you have got me swearing now... and as I keep telling you, you kissed me.'

'And do I assume that was another of the occasions you regretted being married?'

She gave me a sheepish look, 'It might have been.'

'Come on, Helen, you know that if Bill hadn't been in the house we would have hit the nearest bed and shagged our brains out, you were just as horny as I was that night.'

'You do have a high opinion of yourself mister! I think it's time we said good night.'

I followed her back into the hotel and saw her to her door and kissed her on the cheek. For a moment I thought she was going to invite me in, I sensed she was craving the intimacy that I was almost certain she was not receiving at home, but was too shy to say so.

I was halfway down the corridor when she called me back. My heart leapt! I punched an imaginary fist in the air.

'Tom, I think we both know what we want here, and I make no secret of the fact that I am attracted to you...'

'Helen...'

She grabbed my arm, 'Ssh, let me finish, this is very hard for me...'

An elderly couple emerged from the stairs and came our way.

'Look, come in for a moment, Tom, I want to tell you something.'

Full of expectation, and a stirring in my jeans, I followed her and softly closed the door behind me.

Helen's room was the mirror image of my own, but the similarity stopped at the bed, mine wasn't adorned with rejected underwear. She saw the focus of my gaze.

'Sorry about the mess.'

I grinned, 'No problem. You have good taste.'

'Tom, please, this is serious.'

'Sorry, go on.'

She sat on a corner of the bed, I remained standing, I knew from a year attempting to sell interior design not to sit on a woman's bed unless invited, let alone get in it!

Helen took a deep breath, 'I really shouldn't be telling you this, especially in my own bedroom ... and you are in here for all the wrong reasons, Tom. That party...'

'What about it?'

'Do you know the real reason I let you kiss me?'

'Like your sister, you found me totally irresistible?'

'Please?'

'Sorry, go on.'

'I've never told anyone this, I had just been upstairs to the toilet, when I heard giggling coming from my bedroom.'

'Bill with somebody else?'

'Yes. Liz from across the road. They weren't doing anything, but I know now that if I hadn't walked in they probably would have. Bill had an erection, see.'

'So you thought you would come back downstairs and feel mine?'

Helen shook her head slowly from side to side, 'You men, you think the world revolves around your cocks... dicks... whatever.'

I put my hands in the air, 'I can't help it if you women are attracted to them...mine.' I looked down pointedly at my pants, 'And if I don't go soon, you will have another one to contend with.'

'Tom, I didn't invite you in here to have sex, and I think you know that. It's not as though I don't fancy you, because I do, but my hands are tied and until I know for sure about Bill they are going to remain that way. I'm sorry if I've given you a false impression, I'm just totally confused, that's all.'

Tears welled up in her eyes. 'It's not fair, I want sex, but I can't have sex, does that make sense?'

I moved towards her and she buried her face in my chest. Feeling my erection growing in close proximity, I pulled back.

But she had already noticed.

'Sorry, Tom.'

'It's okay, Helen.' I ran my fingers through her hair. 'Look, it's pretty obvious I fancy you...'

'I can see that!' she grinned, her eyes focused on my groin. 'Tom, I am so tempted to say to hell with my marriage, pull down my pants and ask you to join me on this bed, but I can't, not yet anyway, do you understand?'

'Of course I do, but I'm only human, you are a very desirable woman, we both have our needs, we are two grown adults that want to rip off each other's clothes and fu...'

'Tom, I...'

I held up a hand. 'Let me finish, it's my turn now. I understand where you are at, and I'm prepared to wait, and believe you me, when we do go for it you will wonder why we waited, I've been there.'

Helen blew her nose on a tissue, 'Don't you think I don't know that, Tom, the hours dreaming of having a man between my legs, someone who cares about me, not someone who is fucking someone else?'

She stood up and made an effort to compose herself, 'I think you'd better go, Tom, I'm sorry if I made you hard.'

I made towards the door, 'And I'm sorry if you made yourself wet. Needlessly,' I muttered under my breath.

'Tom, I'm not...shit! Just go please.'

I turned in the doorway, 'Do I get at least a kiss?'

Helen made to move towards me, then halted, 'I think not, Tom.'

'Why not?'

'Because the last time you kissed me, I wanted you to fuck me. There, I've said it. Good night Tom.'

'Good night, Helen, sweet dreams.'

But she had already closed the door. I wondered what my dream would be, the recurring one of a certain long-haired blonde? Or removing from Helen's delightful tight ass one of those pairs of panties I saw on her bed? At least I had a chance of turning the latter into reality.

I headed for my room a few doors away and took a quick shower. For a while I laid in bed, hopeful of hearing that gentle tap on the door which would be the answer to the erection I held in my hand. But it would be that same hand and not Helen's pussy that would give some compensatory relief that night.

**

ONE DAY AGO

Swans Nest Hotel Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. Tuesday 9^th October, 2012, 12:10 p.m.

As predicted, today's lengthy lecture on Building Regulations was boring to the extreme and by mid afternoon even I'd had enough, and I was relieved when Helen asked if we could take a breather. Collecting a bottle of water we headed down to the riverbank where we found a vacant bench. With a tissue I wiped away a deposit of duck shit.

'What's going on?' I asked her, she had been uncharacteristically quiet since lunch. 'Is this about last night?'

Helen sighed, 'No, Tom, it's not, but if you must know I hardly slept a wink.' She dipped her hand into her trendily oversized handbag. 'It's this!'

In her hand she held a box of condoms, chocolate flavoured ones!

I grinned, 'You've changed your mind already? I'm not sure we will need all those though, even though I have been referred to as a bit of a stud.'

'You should be so lucky! Last night was the wine talking, Tom.'

'Then we better make it two bottles tonight then, let's get speechless!'

'Tom, are you ever serious?'

'Yes, I am. How's this for serious? And I don't apologise for my French, I want to take you to bed, and fuck you. So there.'

Instead of being outraged, Helen simply sighed, 'Oh, Tom, it's been ages since anyone said that to me, it sounds so deliciously dirty.'

'So?'

'I really want that, but not yet, Tom, but with what I have to tell you, it might be sooner than I thought.'

'I shall look forward to that.'

'I was right, I think my husband really is having an affair. You know when I went out to the car to get that hand-cream?' I nodded. 'Bill keeps it down behind the driver's seat, that's where I found these.'

A young couple walked past and grinned at each other when they saw what Helen had in her hand. Ignoring them, she opened the packet. 'This is a box of ten, there's three missing. He's having sex with someone, Tom, and I reckon it's still that fucking Liz across the road.'

She stood up, hurled the packet into a nearby trash can, returned to me and burst into tears. I hugged her, smelling almonds in her hair, and pulled back before I got aroused, now was not the time. But I knew it would be soon, the signs were all there.

'He might not be, Helen.'

'What?'

'Throughout the latter part of my marriage, I always kept one condom on me, for emergencies, just in case, I didn't want any accidents, but it didn't mean I was having sex with someone.'

'Ten is a damn sight more than one. Have you used yours?'

'No.' I didn't tell her that Rebecca is allergic to rubber.

'Well, Bill certainly has, three times, and who knows if that's even the first packet?'

I put my arm around her, and she leaned into me, a green-headed duck looked on attentively.

'Condoms do have other uses you know. Does Bill play golf?'

'Not that I know of, but then I didn't know he was seeing another woman, did I? And anyway what does that have to do with condoms?'

'Golfers put them over the head of their clubs to protect them...'

'Yeah sure, I think I know which head he has been protecting!'

'...and I have heard of guys masturbating with them on to see how much they've done, if you get the gist.'

Helen screwed up her face, 'That's disgusting!'

'Don't you think it's a bit odd he left them where you would find them?'

'I don't drive his car very much, and he is very forgetful, Tom. And there is something else which has been niggling my mind.'

We both took a sip of water, the duck, seemingly bored with the conversation, or lack of food offerings, waddled off. 'Go on.'

'A few weeks ago, Bill phoned me from his office to say he would be working late again, an emergency meeting or something.'

'Where have I heard that one before!'

'Exactly, but as he was always working overtime, I thought nothing of it. But that Tube train has made me think again.'

'What Tube train? I don't understand.'

'You know that whistle they have?' I nodded. 'Well, I overheard one while he was talking. Where he works in the City, the Tube is underground. Get it? He wasn't in his office.'

'That doesn't mean he was fuck..., sleeping with someone.'

'Shit, whose side are you on?'

Helen stood up and stalked away, I caught up with her. 'Hey, I'm not defending him, I'm just examining the alternatives, that's all.'

'Tom, get real, my husband is cheating on me, and I am having one of those wishing-I-wasn't-married moments we talked about.'

I turned her to face me and wiped a tear from her cheek, 'Would a kiss help?'

'Will it be like last time?'

'Even better if you want.'

'That doesn't mean I will want to have sex with you.'

'Fine by me,' I lied.

I pulled her to me and we kissed for what seemed an eternity but was perhaps only a minute or so, the first thirty seconds with closed lips, the second thirty with my tongue in her mouth and finally with hers in mine. Helen groaned. It was impossible to avoid a stirring in my pants.

Helen sprang back, breathing heavily, 'Tom!'

'Sorry, natural reaction.'

Her eyes darted down momentarily to the front of my pants, 'Whatever were you thinking of?'

'I think you know that. Nothing's changed for me since last night.'

Her face softened, 'Me neither. I knew if we had kissed then, I would never have let you leave my room. I'm sorry, Tom.'

'Sorry you asked me in, or sorry you asked me to leave?'

'I think you know the answer to that. You must have been very annoyed.'

'Not really,' I lied.

'Tell me what crossed your mind.'

'Believe me, you don't want to know.'

'Yes, I do, in case you hadn't noticed, I am a big girl now.'

And a very fuckable one, I thought.

'Alright, I was thinking how well you kiss, and how much nicer it would have been if we had been doing it naked, on that bed of yours, in amongst all those panties.'

She grinned, 'I think you have a panty fetish.'

'I only have a fetish for the woman that's wearing them. You, Helen. I thought of you lying there, me kissing you down there with them still on, blowing softly into them.'

'Oh my God, that would be so ni...Tom, please don't talk like that, do I have to keep reminding you that I'm a married woman?'

'As long as I keep getting hard-ons for you, yes.'

Helen was silent as we stood there looking at the dark water of the Avon, it was flowing faster than earlier, two swans glided by.

'I laid awake for hours after you had gone, Tom.'

'Me too.'

Helen gripped my arm,' Did you...you know...I can't say the word.'

'Yes, I did. What about you?'

'Oh God, I shouldn't be telling you this...yes, I did too, is that bad of me or what?'

I grinned, 'No worse than the dirty thoughts I had about you, what were you thinking about?'

'That, I am not telling you, but you can probably guess after what you said about my panties.'

'I want you, Helen. I want to go to bed with you at night, wake up in the morning with you, and in between do all the things a normal couple do.'

'God, I've missed that so much, the feel of a naked body holding my own, wanting me.' Helen looked into my eyes, 'Will you do that with me, Tom, want me first thing in the morning?'

'It's my favourite time, wake-up sex is the best.'

'I haven't experienced that in ten years, I've almost forgotten what it's like.'

I kissed her neck and she shuddered, 'Care to go upstairs for a refresher course? We can pretend it's morning.'

She took both my hands in hers, and gave me a strange look, 'Please don't tempt me...not yet, anyway. Just be satisfied with the knowledge that I want you too, more than you can possibly imagine. Last night I thought about nothing else but your...'

'Cock?'

She nodded.

'You did the tempting, the way you kissed just now, and rubbed against it.'

'I did not rub...and you kissed me!' We both laughed. 'Okay, it was a bit of both, and for the record you do kiss rather well, Tom, and...and...I don't know how to say this...'

'Then don't tell me.'

She drew away from me and stared into my eyes. 'Alright, I will. Your cock felt good too...there, I've said it!'

'Want another feel?'