Three's a Crowd

Dani felt the heat rise to her face. "I just think he's funny," she muttered, and quickly changed the topic; her friends loved to challenge her on her relationship with Gareth. Dani was tired of insisting that there wasn't anything going on between them! "Speaking of people doing their jobs: I'll have an apple spritzer, thanks."

Rhian rolled her eyes as she made off to find ingredients for Dani's order.

"What does Jake think of all of this?" Zehra asked, supporting her head with one hand.

Dani didn't like that smirk on her friend's face. "We're just friends!" She insisted.

"Well at least you're 'just friends'," Zehra muttered. "Meanwhile Logan's been making it very clear he can't stand the sight of me."

Logan Evans was the best friend of Zehra's current boyfriend, Adrian Foster; Dani had grown used to Zehra complaining about him (Logan). Apparently neither of them liked each other; she hadn't been able to figure out who started it, only having Zehra's side of the story, of course, but Dani's friend was always complaining about this man, to the point that Dani had suspicions...

If a guy was living rent-free in her friend's head this badly it normally meant one thing.

(She was right, but that's another story.)

"You sound disappointed," Dani observed dryly. Oh yeah... she had suspicions...

Not that her friend would ever cheat: Zehra had always been a faithful woman to the men she dated (even the assholes). Dani had cheated once, and had immediately regretted it; destroying a decent relationship with a decent guy. She wouldn't do that to Jake.

"I just think we could be good friends..."

"Just good friends?" Dani teased. She really shouldn't.

"Just good friends," Zehra insisted.

Dani left it at that. The conversation moved away from Zehra's man problems, and the two had a lengthy talk about the current state of the city (endless maintenance on the water works, future strike action from TFE, and the ongoing encampment by environmental activists on land for the proposed second sexual health clinic to be operated by Yusuf "Cold Hands" Khan - a name given to him by his patients due to the cold way he would probe a vagina, as well as terrible circulation issues that made his hands literally cold to the touch; having endured a few examinations by him in the past Dani felt sorry for his bombshell of a wife).

Then, when they had finished laughing about the leader of the activists being the eldest child of their old friend from the force - Commissioner Newell himself - Zehra had to go and spoil the mood by asking "so how's life out in the sticks working out for you?"

Dani sighed. She'd known Zehra too long to bullshit the woman. "It's not. It's too quiet."

"See... I told you it would be a mistake," Zehra said. Catching Rhian's eye she added "didn't we tell her it would be a mistake?"

"What? The tat?" Rhian said loudly; being several metres away from the women mixing a fresh cocktail for the customer sitting next to Zehra; a tall man with a messy mop of brown hair still in a smart suit he'd probably been wearing all day. Drinking alone, which was always bad news for a girl like Dani, in a relationship (which tended to encourage Coytoss men further), and so she had been trying not to catch his eye when looking at her friend.

"No! Moving to Myle Hye!"

"That was a mistake, Dee!" Rhian said, finishing the cocktail.

After taking it from the barmaid, the man half-turned to catch Dani's eyes, revealing his own to be a most brilliant shade of green. "My condolences," he said. Raising his glass.

"Oh it's not that bad!" Dani said, annoyed with both of her friends and this stranger; as hot as he was. "It's just quiet, that's all."

"You mean dead," Zehra said, glancing at the man as if seeking his agreement.

Which he gave: "That's an insult to dead towns," he said, then he looked at Dani. "Is it true you all have to be in by eight? That there's only one convenience store and all it sells is marmite and baked beans? Have you lived there long enough now to have forgotten all sex positions except missionary?"

"What? No!" Dani said. "My sex like is fucking incredible right now! How about you shut the fuck up... er... who the *fuck* are you, anyway?"

Before he could answer, Rhian slid into Dani's view, dramatically gesturing with one hand as she wore a right cuntish smile. "Ladies, may I present the esteemed Theodore Miller, descendent of the great Maximillian Miller himself, and inheritor to the Throne of Sordid Delights."

Dani's eyebrows rose. Said Throne wasn't a seat, but rather one of the most expensive houses in Eroshire: a colossal thirty-bedroom affair set amongst six hundred acres of private land, built over two hundred years ago and modified extensively throughout the years as it passed from one Miller to another, until its current owner, the reclusive Evangeline Miller; who no one had seen in the public eye since the death of her husband some twenty years ago. 'The Throne of Sordid Delights' was a nickname given to it since the days of Maximillian Miller's infamous orgies; what the house was actually called no one could remember.

Theo Miller smiled a polite smile that suggested to Dani he disliked being introduced like that.

"Nice suit," Zehra said. "What fancy office do you work at?"

"Only the fanciest," Theo said, his smile becoming genuine as the topic moved to something he was obviously proud of; possibly because he had earned it rather than inherited it. "H&F."

Dani's brain connected two dots: "Theo, right? Do you know Jake Cook?"

"Jake? Yeah I know that wank-" Theo suddenly frowned, then his expression softened to what Dani could only interpret as sympathy. "Huh... guess you must be Dani."

"Yeah... does Jake talk about me?"

"No... at least not as much as most of the guys talk about their other halves," Theo said. He was still regarding Dani with that odd sympathetic expression, which was beginning to annoy her. "I think Jake's mentioned you... twice... maybe? How long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Three years."

"And you moved to Myle Hye with him?" Theo said, frowning. "That's a big step for only three years."

"Thank you!" Zehra said, gesturing wildly. Turning to Dani she said: "I said it was too big of a step for just three years!"

"How long do I have to be sleeping with a guy before moving in with him?" Dani said, raising an eyebrow. "I mean haven't you just moved in with Adrian?"

Zehra gave her friend a look. "That's not the same! My situation is one of necessity," she said, referring to the property damage that had currently rendered Zehra's flat uninhabitable. "Yours was lovesick infatuation."

Dani felt herself blush: her friend wasn't wrong. In the beginning Dani had been sickeningly in love with Jake; like a schoolgirl with a new crush. He had been everything previous boyfriends had not, except one: John, whose heart Dani had broken when she had cheated on him. Like her ex John, Jake had been kind, compassionate, a good listener, insisted on paying for their meals out (handy because Dani had not been in a great financial position), shared her tastes in music, films and TV, and encouraged her art; eventually helping her land her current place at Blue Ball.

His name also began with 'J', which Dani saw as providence that this was a second chance with a man like John, and she was not going to fuck it up this time.

Which made her feel guilty about all the time she was spending with Gareth lately.

"With Jake, huh?" Theo looked at Dani like she was putting on a show. "Guess he must be a different man outside work."

"Most of us are," Dani said, feeling compelled to defend her boyfriend against someone that Jake apparently didn't like. She wasn't sure why: Theo seemed harmless enough, although she was probably being distracted by his handsome looks and those eyes of his... "Jake's a wonderful boyfriend. I moved in with him because I need some stability in my life." She glanced at Zehra, and felt a stab of guilt when Zehra's expression betrayed the guilt her friend apparently still had even after all these years for the shit they both went through when they had been younger. "Zee, I didn't mean-"

"Nah, it's cool," Zehra said. Her sudden smile obviously a guard. "You're right. You need a guy like Jake in your life. Doesn't matter what the rest of us think, does it? So long as you're happy." Her expression softened; dark green eyes searching Dani's face. "You *are* happy, right?"

"Course I am," Dani said, a little too fast even for her own liking. She *was* happy, right? Sure there was the problem with sleep, but that was just getting used to how *quiet* it was there. She just needed more time to get adjusted to Myle Hye's lack of nighttime ambience.

With sleep would come inspiration, and Dani would get in touch with her art once more.

She just needed to be patient, like Jake kept saying.

Her friend didn't seem too convinced, but Zehra mercifully changed the topic. The two talked for a half-hour more before Dani's phone rang. "Hey babe," she said, bracing herself. Dani knew she had stayed out longer than she should have.

Sure enough: "Babe, you said you wouldn't be out too late." Jake had a knack for making her feel guilty. "It's almost nine. By the time you get back it will be too late for food."

A part of her wondered why: she was a grown-ass woman, right? She could snack late. Yet she nodded, despite knowing Jake wouldn't see her chastised expression. "I'm so sorry Jake," Dani said into her phone. "I'll head out now. Sorry for making you worry about me, babe."

"Really? It's not even nine," Zehra muttered after Dani had hung up and was sorting herself for a walk to the nearest station - Coytoss Main Street.

"Got you dancing to his tune," Theo said; the first thing he had said to either of the women in a while. At first Dani had thought he was planning to hit on either of them - and she was prepped with ways to shoot down his advances - but when it became obvious Theo had no plans further than just sitting there at the bar beside them drinking and watching the closest TV, Dani found him to be kind of creepy, and had started to think her boyfriend was onto something with regard to Theodore Miller, inheritor of big homes out in the countryside.

"What the fuck did you say about my boyfriend?" Dani snapped. She wasn't entirely sure why she was suddenly so angry; maybe it was Theo's comment and demeanour, maybe it was the lack of sleep (even with the pills), or maybe it was Jake's insistence on ending her night out with her friend, but whatever it was Dani was not in a good mood; and she was not normally angry. That was Zehra's scene, not hers.

Theo looked at her. Those brilliant green eyes of his filled with so much concern Dani found all of her anger draining away. "Look after yourself, OK?" Theo said. "Jake's... he's got a nasty side, that's all I'm saying."

If he was talking about Jake's moods, then yes: Dani knew Jake had a dark side. Yet she didn't think that was what Theo was talking about, and with a little hesitancy she answered "sure..."

As she left the Paradiso Costiero she looked over her shoulder to see Zehra and Theo in deep conversation. A part of her wanted to storm over and demand to know what they were talking about, but the rest of her didn't want to keep Jake waiting any longer. Sighing at how her friend and some random stranger seemed to be so full of suspicion about her life, Dani walked out into the cold night air.

*****

"Hey babe," Jake said, kissing her on the cheek after she closed the front door behind her. "No trouble on the train, I take it?"

"None," Dani said, hanging up her coat and regarding her boyfriend wearily.

Jake seemed to be in a good mood: there was a smile on his face and the smell of his cooking still permeated the air of their house. Had he been cooking for himself? Dani felt a little guilty at how she had stayed out with her friend and colleague so late, instead of coming home for Jake to cook for her. It was almost half-ten!

"That smells nice," she said.

"Sorry babe, I didn't save anything," Jake said. "Just made some curry for myself. It doesn't keep well, I'm afraid, so I didn't see the point in putting aside anything for you."

"No, that's fine..." Dani lied: that smell was too good, and was making her hungry. She felt bad about missing out on Jake's great food. "I'll get something for myself."

"Don't be too long," he said, kissing her on the cheek. His lips moved across to meet hers, and for a good moment they locked their lips in the passionate kiss of lovers. "It's been a long day: I might fall asleep if you keep me waiting upstairs."

"I won't... don't worry," Dani whispered back.

She didn't keep him waiting: after shoving a quick sandwich down her gob Dani hurried up to their bedroom. She'd barely made it through the door before Jake had gathered her in his arms and thrown her to the bed.

Dani loved a good hard fuck like any decent Eroshire girl, and sex with Jake was that: hard. He dominated her in the bedroom; folding her legs up to meet her ears as he hammered his big ten inch dick into her like a fucking piston, until Dani was practically seeing stars as she came hard. Not only was Jake big but he also had incredible stamina; and after an hour of his relentless pace he pulled out. Knowing how he liked to finish, Dani got down on her knees on the bed and took his whole length into her mouth. Early on in their relationship Dani discovered that Jake loved to look down on her when she had him in her mouth; and as she sucked and throat-fucked him to orgasm his dark brown eyes were regarding hers with pride.

Thick hot jets of gunk splashed around inside her mouth; Jake came a lot, and he quickly filled her mouth to bursting, but Dani was a good girl, as Jake liked her to be, and swallowed each hot blast of cum until his cock stopped erupting.

"So tell me," he said, stroking her hair as she licked his cock and balls clean of cum. "What did you and Zee talk about for four hours?"

"Oh we weren't talking for..." Dani blinked. Shit. She had walked right into that one. "I mean-"

"You were hanging out with that guy from work again, weren't you?" Jake said.

Was it her imagination or had his grip on her hair just got tighter?

"He's just a friend," Dani said. Looking up at him with her pale grey eyes. "It was just work."

"Couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" Jake said. He hadn't let go of her hair.

"I..." Dani realised she didn't have an answer to that. Gareth and her could have waited until tomorrow, but they hadn't wanted to; she enjoyed his company, and she suspected Gareth did as well. Perhaps there was something there. Looking up at her boyfriend, Dani realised that what was buzzing through her head must be obvious to him, for Jake's eyes were flaring with anger. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting... I'm sorry babe... we're just friends... we're just-"

"That's great!" Jake said, his whole mannerisms switching to a bright smile so quickly that she wondered if she had seen that anger in his eyes to begin with. Maybe she was just projecting her own guilt about how much time she seemed to be spending with another man. "I'm glad you've got friends at work. They sound like better people than who I have to work with."

For a brief second Dani thought about mentioning her chance encounter with Theo earlier that evening, but decided against it: better not try her luck with Jake tonight. She could always bring it up at a later date, when Jake was in a better mood.

"It would just be nice if you'd join me for dinner," Jake said, gently stroking her cheek. "I love hearing about your day. So much more interesting than what I get up to."

Dani would love to hear Jake talk about his work; but he never did, and she didn't want to say that with him in this odd mood of his; so she smiled at him, held his hand to her cheek, and said "I'm sorry, Jake. I'll try not to stay too long at the office in future."

His smile took on a slight edge to it; like he felt he had won an argument, although Dani didn't feel they had been arguing. He kissed her lips. Gently at first. Then more passionately. Tongues entwined as Dani felt him push her back down.

Jake did love being on top.

It was almost midnight when he finally finished. Pumping thick globs of his hot cum into her, until Dani was practically overflowing with Jake's potent seed. Even though she was on the pill Dani sometimes wondered if Jake would still get her pregnant; his talk about starting a family here in Myle Hye made her wonder if he were hedging his bets that his virile cum would get her knocked up soon. So she made sure not to forget a day when taking her pill.

Speaking of pills... as she heard Jake fall asleep - he was always quick to begin snoring - Dani got up and quietly headed into the bathroom. Retrieving the bottle of sleeping pills she kept at the back of the bathroom cupboard, Dani poured out two pills (the recommended dosage), and returned the bottle to its inconspicuous hiding place.

She didn't want Jake to know she was having difficulty sleeping in the quiet of Myle Hye. Dani didn't want her boyfriend to know how difficult she was finding it here. Moving to this town had meant so much to Jake; she didn't want to hurt him.

Yet as she looked at her sleeping boyfriend - his large, muscular form illuminated by the pale moonlight coming in through the open curtains - Dani wondered if she was really keeping these pills hidden from him to protect Jake's feelings...

...but what else was there to it?

Looking away from her sleeping boyfriend and the conflicted and confusing feelings Jake kept causing in her, Dani stood by the window and focused on the dark countryside that surrounded Myle Hye. As she knocked back the pills and swallowed them dry, her eyes searched the miles of unkempt fields and hedges that dominated the north-western Eroshire countryside; the distant lights of Kreenpye on the horizon, where Dani grew up in a household she'd rather forget; and in contrast on the horizon shone the towers of central Coytoss, where the Blue Ball offices resided; a way down the valley between her and Coytoss the lights of the university campus were still on, no doubt students of all ages were enjoying another night of debauchery. A life Dani would have loved to have lived.

And there, between those lights and the single road leading into Myle Hye from further down the valley, where the university sprawled like a drunken teen after blowing their load, Dani saw the great house partially hidden by surrounding forest. The Throne of Sordid Delights.

To think she'd sat next to its inheritor. A girl like her. Danielle Cohen from the block.

As the drugs began to take hold and Dni started to feel drowsy she noticed something...

A single light was on in a room on the first floor.

Dani frowned.

It had to have been her imagination: the distance from her window here to that window on the first floor of the old house had to be some five miles or so. The light was barely a dot. Yet she felt as if someone had just passed by the open window, and, for one brief moment, paused beside it.

Paused to look through that window.

Right at her.

And for the briefest moment Dani felt a sense of vertigo; like standing on the edge of the abyss, a vast dark infinite abyss, with the knowledge that one step forward and she would fall forever...

Reaching up she pulled the curtains shut.

*****

"Did you close the curtains last night?"

Dani nodded as she finished her cereal.

Jake sighed. "Babe, you know I love the night sky out here," he said. "It's so peaceful to look at the stars. Don't you think?"

"Sorry," she said. There was absolutely no reason to mention how she had felt last night, when she saw the light in that room in a house five miles away. In broad daylight it sounded insane; as crazy as a ghost story. Perhaps the quiet of this town was finally driving her insane.