Two Three One Ch. 08

"I can't lie like that to Vicky."

"It wouldn't be an outright lie." he suggested. "Half of it is coming from your monetary investments, and the rest ... well, you have invested a lot in me this past year."

She smiled, and his heart soared. And she knew that he was right about Victoria who would be none too happy about this transaction. But she wanted it so badly, and they would pay Sam back.

"Okay Sam, it will be our secret for the time being. But I promise you that she is going to know what you've done for us eventually, and we won't be able to thank you enough."

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Victoria was most definitely taken aback as she was presented with the news upon her own arrival home that night. But she was so instantly excited, given the guilt that she felt, that she didn't think to question it all too closely other than to comment that Sam's investment prowess was apparently greater than she could have ever imagined, and that he had proven to be more of an asset that she would have ever believed. After those compliments he fell completely from her consciousness as she turned her attention fully to Keri as they planned their next steps. They first called the couple immediately to accept their offer, and then set out to begin arranging for the house inspection, appraisal, and applying for the mortgage, of which they now had no doubts of getting.

Events moved swiftly from that point, aided significantly by Victoria's experience as a lawyer, and within three weeks their mortgage had been approved with a closing date set for the following month. Through it all, Sam watched silently in the background, quietly elated over his Mistresses' obvious joy. One night, after he had left for his own apartment, Keri and Victoria settled into bed and happily began making plans for their new home now that all of the preparatory work to purchase it was out of the way. Victoria just took it all in dreamily as her lover rattled on.

"We'll take the big room upstairs as the master bedroom of course," Keri expounded, "and maybe even put a Jacuzzi in the bathroom upstairs eventually. There's enough space for it, I think. We'll make the room across the hall into your office and computer room." she continued. "And Sam can have the bedroom downstairs."

"SAM!!!" Victoria exclaimed, followed by several moments of shocked silence. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" True disbelief, yet mixed with a sudden sense of time and opportunity. As well as emotion and fear. "Keri, love, this has got to stop NOW. It may have been interesting in a weird sort of way for a while, but it's more than run its course." She shuddered. "Don't you understand that I realize what's been happening here between you two, and how much it's hurt me? How much it's hurt us. I've put up with it because of how much I love you." She paused as her eyes began to glisten. "I love you so much, and I can't stand for anyone to come between us, and he IS coming between us. Every moment you give to him is a moment that he's taken from me, and I just feel that I'm losing more and more of you every day." Real tears began to leak from Victoria's eyes. In all the time that they had been together Keri had never seen Victoria cry. "We CAN'T let him come with us, Keri. It just CAN'T be. This is our dream house. For us. Alone. Please, PLEASE don't turn it into a nightmare."

Keri had remained in stunned silence throughout the entire tirade. How could Vicky have gotten it so wrong? Her One and Only Love just didn't understand, just didn't see what was really going on. But now was not the time for words or explanation. That could come later. Now was the time for comforting and consoling. She leaned over and put her arms around her now quietly sobbing mate and pulled her head onto her shoulder and held her ever so tight.

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Sam had tried to be as quiet as possible as he had re-entered the apartment. He didn't want to disturb them while they were in bed, but he had left his jacket in the living room, and he would need it in the morning when he went out to get them the fresh muffins and bagels and lox that they loved so much for Saturday breakfast. He had just retrieved it when he heard Miss Victoria call out his name, and he thought that she had heard him and was calling for him to come. As he made his way toward their bedroom to answer her summons he realized his mistake as he heard the rest of the 'conversation' she was obviously directing to Keri. As it ended, and he heard not a word in response from Keri, he knew it most definitely as the truth. Horror stricken, his jacket fell to the floor from his numbed fingers as he made his way unsteadily to the front door. As he silently opened it and backed through he didn't know what he was going to do. But he was never more sure of anything in his life as he was of one thing. That he would never cross this threshold again.