Three's a Crowd

"I'll be a good girl," she snarled. "I'll be good..." Raising her lips to his ear she whispered "Until I FUCK you... good and HARD!"

"Good luck with that," Jake whispered back.

*****

The next few weeks were not the worst of Dani's life; those dark days lying on the squalid cold concrete floor of an abandoned house in the southern dilapidated districts of Coytoss, a far cry from the glittering towers she walked amongst these days, were much worse than living with her asshole boyfriend, and Dani knew it would be hyperbole in most revolting degree to even claim it was remotely similar.

Yet that didn't make the days any less hellish. Every waking moment was spent pretending to be nice to Jake; whether it was eating with him at their dining table, or watching TV with him on the sofa; when he called her repeatedly at work, asking how she was and pretending to be the caring boyfriend, but Dani knew he was making sure she wasn't with Gareth.

Gareth was about to explode: Dani could tell from the way he would find opportunities to be at her desk, using the projects they were working together on as excuses to be near her, asking her questions about what Jake was doing, what she was going to do; questions Dani didn't have any answers to. He wanted to help, but what could he do?

Nothing was worse than the evenings Jake and she had sex: Dani hating every moment of the intense pleasures he could give her. Hating that it was Jake who was making her cum like no man had before. She would tell him this again and again, as she moaned with the pleasures he gave her even as she wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else.

What made it worse - what made the whole situation revolting - was that Dani found herself at work actually, genuinely looking forward to going home and having sex with her boyfriend, even as she doodled dozens of ways she could kill the man and get away with it. She hated that he had such a hold over her; she hated that she could see the chains; she hated that it was obvious that Jake could see them too, and that smug smile he always had when he fucked her on, against and beneath everything in their house told her that he was fully aware of how addicted she was to his sex. He knew that her niceness to him was an act, and she knew he knew, but neither of them had any intention of breaking this sordid act of theirs; because in some way it was making their fucking even hotter, even spicier, more orgasmic, more... *wrong*.

Dani knew the feeling well. She still recalled that same sense of need and revulsion from when she would hold the needle to her skin...

Jake had become her new drug.

It was fortunate that Blue Ball insisted on working at the offices, for Jake couldn't make her work from home; although he worked at the H&F offices most days Dani knew he was frustrated that he wasn't keeping an eye on her at work. She found it amusing that he obviously felt Gareth was a threat to him, but she couldn't tell Gareth that. It might give the young man ideas.

Dani didn't want him to risk himself riding into town to save the day, but her fear for his safety was partially drowned out by her desire to keep this unhealthy relationship going. She wanted to fuck Jake figeratively, but that was being constantly put on hold by her desire to fuck him...

"Literally," Dani said, sighing. She looked at her friend, who had been quiet throughout.

Zehra had her mouth partially open, and Dani could tell that the tanned woman was trying to figure out what to say to that admission. Eventually: "Well... fuck..."

"The idea is not to," Dani said.

"Jesus, Dee... is sex with him *that* good?" Zehra said. "Is it worth fucking your life up over?"

"My life isn't 'fucked up'!" Dani muttered. "It's just..."

"Not exactly 'unfucked' now, is it?"

"It's complicated."

"It's really not," said the new barmaid as she placed the refills down on the polished counter in front of the two women.

Dani wasn't sure what to think of PC's newest worker. Tonight was surprisingly busy, and her friend Rhian was elsewhere dealing with some cock-up with the latest delivery on Alexa's orders, leaving the assistant manager Terri Harding, Angelica Potts, and this newbie running the bar on such a packed night. Dani had been surprised when she had first seen the new girl: Haley Smith was a towering six feet and five inches. The only other woman Dani knew that tall was the doctor at the Health of Khan - Leona Hunt - who had been a tall nerdy boy before realising that she was in fact a tall, glamorous (but still nerdy) woman.

Haley didn't appear to be trans, and Dani was insanely jealous of not only the woman's height, but also her smooth, pale skin - untouched by ink or needle, it seemed - and a perfect hourglass figure with hips that Dani would literally kill to obtain, and a pair of tits that seemed revoltingly natural and larger than Zehra's (who had been, up to this point, Dani's main boob envy). Haley's hair was long and loose, and Dani wasn't sure if it was the lighting in this nightclub or she had had one too many cocktails already tonight, but Haley's dark hair seemed to have a purplish hue to it (maybe she dyed it?)

But what was most unnerving where the tall girl's eyes: bright blue, with that same purple tint to them, but when Dani had looked too long and hard to see if that purple tint was a trick of the lights a strange sense of vertigo had came over her - despite being seated at the bar. It had been very much like that feeling she had had those nights in her bedroom looking across the valley at the distant Miller house. That light in the window.

Dani had avoided looking at Haley too much since that moment, and had managed it all night so far until now.

Still, she tried not to look the woman in the eye when she said "and why do you think that?"

Haley shrugged, taking the empty glasses. Spinning them between her fingers as she spoke: "I think it's obvious you enjoy the forbidden nature of sex with this man," she said. "You know it is not a healthy indulgence of lust, yet that sordid flavour tastes far too good to pass up."

"How about less eavesdropping into customer conversations and more serving?" Terri said as she hurried past Haley.

"Yeah, what she said," Zehra said, gesturing with a finger for Haley to go away.

The tall woman smiled as she did so; glasses still spinning between slender pale fingers.

"She's creepy," Zehra muttered.

Dani nodded in agreement, but what was most creepy was the feeling she had seen the woman before. However: "she's right, though. I don't want to leave Jake. I'm not afraid of him, I'm..."

"Addicted?"

Dani nodded again. "So much for four years clean..."

"Don't," Zehra said. "You're still going strong. This is... something else. I know you'll fight him. I know you're strong enough."

"What do I do? Chain him up?"

"Well, if you want..." Zehra reached into her handbag and pulled out a pair of grubby looking handcuffs. "Look what I found when I emptied my place the other day."

"Oh Jesus... are they what I think they are?" Dani said, taking the handcuffs from her friend. "I guess this means they're finally going to sort your place out?"

"Soon," Zehra said, sighing. "Landlord says he'll get the builders in over the next few weeks to fix the damage. In the meantime I'm kind of living with Adrian proper now... might not go back to the old flat, to be honest."

Dani looked at the handcuffs. "I can't believe you kept them!"

"Memento of our amazing escape from Derek Newell's clutches!" Zehra said, referring to the now Commissioner of the Eroshire Police Force, who had, years ago, arrested the two women on one eventful night. Having sex with him in the back of his police car had been one of Dani's high points in an otherwise crappy year of several mistakes (and several arrests). "Seriously though: I still laugh at the look on his face when you switched those cuffs around. How the fuck did you do that, anyway?"

"Trade secret," Dani said, smiling. She had become very adept at getting herself out of cuffs in all the times she had found herself in them; Derek Newell had discovered that when the woman he thought had been securely handcuffed in the back of his police car had - while he had been so very occupied pounding her into the back seat - casually slipped the handcuffs on him, leaving him attached to the car when Dani had run off (taking Zehra with her, after taking the cuffs off of her friend).

She had at least waited until Derek had cum before escaping, though. She wasn't that mean.

"Keep them," Zehra said. "As a reminder of how you can get yourself out of any situation."

Dani smiled at her friend, dropping the cuffs into her own handbag. "This is sweet... in a really weird way."

"Would I be any other way?" Zehra said, grinning.

Dani's phone interrupted any reply she would have made to her friend. Seeing the name on the screen (changed from 'Jakester' to 'Cuntster' a while back) she sighed. "I'm just having drinks."

"Bitching about me to your girlfriend?" Jake said. He sounded smug about something.

"You're not even worth talking about."

"You're so sweet, babe," he said. "You should come back home and I can show you how sweet you are in person."

Dani looked at Zehra; the other woman appeared frightened by something. It was certainly the look in Dani's eye. "I'm on my way," she said, mouthing 'I'm sorry' to her friend.

The look Zehra gave her still haunted Dani an hour later when she stepped off the train at the tiny Myle Hye station. She felt thoroughly disgusted with herself; the feeling still with her when Jake had finally stopped fucking her, and had flopped onto the bed and fallen asleep. It was the early hours of the morning, and Dani once again stood in front of the window, sleeping pills in her hand, regarding that distant light on an otherwise dark and abandoned-looking manor.

"What are YOU fucking looking at?" She growled before knocking back the pills.

The house was silent.

*****

It was Thursday. All the worst shit seemed to happen on Thursdays. The morning was marked only by crowds at the ticket booth when Dani exited the train at Coytoss Main Street; as she walked past she heard enough to understand people were nervously asking if the strike was still called off; the station staff calmly assuring people that yes, the pay talks were going well and the strike was definitely not happening today.

For some reason this made Dani feel worse, for reasons she couldn't explain to herself.

Somehow she managed to drag herself through the morning, despite Gareth being nowhere to be seen. She had grown to be afraid of when he was around, for fear (completely irrational fear) that Jake was watching her, but now, with him mysteriously absent, and no one in the office had any idea why, Dani realised she missed him. Deeply.

She needed Gareth. Somehow, slowly, over the course of many months, he had become kind of a rock for her. Something she had been using to keep herself afloat even while Jake had tried to drown her in the mundanity of Myle Hye.

Now he was the lifeline that kept her from drowning in Jake. Zehra was too volatile: she would only exacerbate the situation. Gareth was keeping his distance, but he was also there for her; his support a much needed island of peace in the sea of shame and guilt that had become her life.

"Are you sure you don't know where he's gone?" Dani asked Amanda, who again shrugged.

"He's not answering his phone," she said. Obviously concerned for Dani. "I'm sure he's fine."

Dani could only nod and try and concentrate on her work, but it felt like she was back in Myle Hye, drowning beneath all that silence. She loved coming into the office; for she could feel all the inspiration of the city, but now it was missing something. She couldn't quite touch it. All the city around her - all the noise and turbulence and activity and life - and she couldn't feel it.

It was Gareth. He was her muse. His smile, his laughter, his very presence was needed for her to feel connected with her art.

She needed him.

She needed to take a fucking walk.

Getting up from her voluminous cushion, Dani trudged to the staff room to pour herself some fresh coffee, when she practically collided with him.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late, my-"

Gareth stopped talking when Dani pressed her lips to his. He felt so warm. Comforting. Dani heard her mug hit the floor as her hands wrapped around Gareth. She felt his hands on her back, pulling her close until her tits, barely held back by the shirt she was wearing, pressed tightly to his chest; it felt hard, but she knew he worked out.

"About time," Amanda muttered as she walked past the two. Smirking when she noticed Dani push her tongue into Gareth's mouth.

Their tongues entwined, Dani and Gareth kissed in the hallway. Ignoring the looks from their colleagues as people passed them; ignoring the few 'get a room' comments flung their way; they kissed like two lovers who hadn't seen each other for an age, not like two work colleagues who'd only known each other for a few months.

Eventually Dani broke the kiss. She felt no shame for what she had done: if anything it felt... it felt *right*. "Sorry," she said, smirking like she had just had her first kiss. "You were saying?"

It took a moment for Gareth to restart his brain: even in his wildest dreams he had never, ever thought Dani would do something like that. He was very aware that his jeans were straining; his cock desperate to break free. Maybe tonight... "I forgot to charge my phone," he said calmly, his heart beating thunderously. "Have you guys been trying to call me?"

Feeling a little sheepish now, Dani nodded. "Sorry..."

"Stop apologising," Gareth said. "I'm happy to see you too." He frowned. "Does this mean-"

"No... I'm sorry..." Dani sighed. "I just... I was worried about you..."

"You're really not leaving him?" Gareth was confused. What was it this man had over her?

"I'm... it's difficult to explain... I-" Dani was saved from having to explain her vile connection to Jake by her phone. Seeing 'Cuntster' on the screen her heart leapt into her mouth. "Oh shit it's him..."

"Don't answer it!"

"I have to!"

"Why?" Gareth said. "He's not good for you!"

"No... no he's not," Dani said, feeling the tears build up. "But I can't escape, Gareth..."

"Come back with me," Gareth said, holding her arms. "I'll protect you."

"How can you protect me from myself?"

He didn't have an answer to that.

Dani kissed him again. More gently this time. Less tongue. "I can't help it," she said. "I always make the worst mistakes in my life."

"No you don't," Gareth said. "Kissing me wasn't a mistake."

Dani was about to answer when her phone rang again. It was Jake. Again. She gave Gareth an apologetic look; his expression in reply almost hurt her, physically. "What do you want, Jake?"

"Just want to check up on you, babe," he said. "How's your day going?"

"Fine."

"No problems getting in?"

"No. Everything's fine."

"How's Gareth?"

"Wouldn't know. Haven't seen him all day."

There was a pause. Dani felt her heart beating.

"Don't fucking lie to me!" He snarled.

"I'm not fucking lying!" Dani lied. "I haven't seen him all day! No one here has been able to get in contact with him!" She stared at Gareth as she spoke; he was looking at her as if he wanted to snatch the phone from her hand and tell Jake exactly what he thought of him. Just in case, Dani turned her body away from him so as to put herself between Gareth and the phone. "Did you call just because you don't believe I don't feel anything more for Gareth than as a colleague?"

"Don't take me for a fucking idiot, Danielle," Jake said. "I've seen your face when you mention him."

"You're just paranoid... Jacob."

"Am I?"

Another long pause. "Is there anything else I can do for you... *babe*?!?"

"Yes. I'm in town today."

A pit opened up in her stomach. "I thought you were working from home today?"

"Needed to come to the office for a meeting," Jake replied. "I think we should meet up after to have a drink. I think it would be good for us."

"When I finish up here."

"Of course. Meet you outside your office around five?"

Dani could feel her teeth grinding. "Sure... meet you at five." She hung up before he could give her a response; or maybe he would have hung up anyway in some sort of sick power play.

"He's in town, I take it?" Gareth said. When she nodded he pulled her close, hugging her. "You told me once you were four years clean?"

"Yeah..." Dani frowned.

"Dani... I think you just swapped one drug for another."

She pulled away. Regarded him with both anger and embarrassment: Gareth was right. Dani had realised it a while back. It hadn't been too long after attending addicts anonymous that Jake had entered her life, giving all the life-affirming, comforting benefits she had once taken drugs to chase. He had wormed his way underneath her skin until it felt she would die if she removed him from her. She kept going back to him even now, knowing what a piece of shit he was.

He was her drug. The way he made her feel... even knowing how bad he was for her Dani couldn't let go of him. Even after all these years she was still an addict.

"Dani, I didn't mean-"

"No, you're right," she said. "I'm sorry, Gareth. I'm just a fucking mess."

It was why they had taken Chloe from her, after all...

"Dani, I-"

"Please, Gareth... just... I need some time... not today..." Knowing how he must feel, knowing it was *her* who had kissed him first, Dani felt like an awful human being just leaving him there in the corridor - confused and hurt - but she couldn't face him at the moment. She felt so disgusted with herself. She didn't deserve a guy like Gareth. She deserved a guy like Jake.

A part of her was disappointed that Gareth didn't chase after her; Dani returned to her desk alone, and tried her best to concentrate on her work.

*****

Five hours later she had done sweet fuck-all. Staring at the screen in despair - the project had to be finished by the end of next week! - Dani looked at the time and, with a heavy feeling inside her, gathered her things and headed out to meet with her dear, loving, boyfriend (who was not a piece of shit who enjoyed tormenting her!)

Jake was leaning against the sculpture as she exited the building. Smiling like someone who had everything in the palm of his hand. "Looking beautiful today," he said.

She knew she looked a mess. Knew he saw it too. "Fuck you," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek for anyone watching them. "Where the fuck are going?"

"Home," Jake said.

She frowned. "I thought you wanted a drink?"

"Haven't you been paying any attention to the news?" Jake said, grabbing her by the arm and quickly marching her in the direction of Coytoss Main Street station. "The talks fell through one minute to midnight! The union stormed out! The strike is back on!"

"What? Can they do it so quickly?" Dani was shocked. She was trying to keep up with Jake and his faster pace - his legs were longer than hers, after all.

"They're sending everyone home," Jake said. His face was thunderous. "They've already closed several stations. Fuck! I'm not getting stuck in this shithole tonight!"

"Can that happen?"

"The buses don't run this late, Dani! Fucking Mayor killed off most of the routes!"

She voted for the other guy.

Jake was practically carrying her down the street towards the station; even at a distance Dani could see hundreds of people crowding around the entrance. As they approached the sounds of desperate commuters rose to a cacophony of angry demands "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"; desperate pleas "I JUST NEED TO GET HOME!"; and verbal aggression "FUCK YOU! FUCKING UNIONS!"

Dani was dragged through the crowds by Jake, as he barged between people on his way to the platform they normally used to travel to Myle Hye; only to almost collide with his broad back as Jake came to an abrupt stop.