Choosing Her Lover

*****

‘An Illusion of Happiness’

A Tale of BDSM Erotic Romance

And the Meeting of Strangers

Part Two

An Illusion of Happiness

As I stroll across the sands, a familiar figure jogs towards me, a small dog trotting alongside; a terrier that looks as though it has been assembled from a junkyard of other dogs.

As the runner approaches, he angles my way. Drawing close, he pulls to a stop, huffing.

“Hi, Kirstie,” he says, “I was hoping I’d run into you. How are you?”

His face is severe. Ben is not an unhandsome man, but his natural expression is unsmiling, which detracts from his looks, making him appear austere, perhaps even puritanical.

And is that just an appearance….? Or is that really the man?

“Hi, Ben. I’m good. You?”

“Yeah, I’m great. Mind if we join you for a bit?”

“We?”

He nods down toward his dog. “Scruffy wants to make friends….”

True enough, Scruffy is making moves on my Meg, who rumbling low, curls up a lip, unimpressed by this rag-tag terrier.

“…. and he’s not the only one.”

“I’d love you and Scruffy to join us. I was about to have some coffee actually.” I hold up my flask. “Want a cup?”

“Great idea.”

Sitting on the dune, close to each other, we sip coffee. The wind blowing into our faces sends my hair streaming over my shoulders. It feels very comfortable, very natural.

staring out to sea, not speaking. Then

him. He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to

air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch

my eyes, then he leans into me once more, but this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding me at the waist, drawing me

then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be moving

know what to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a quick fuck. This man

my excuse to break away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand.

leap up. God knows I don’t want the car to smell of that on the way home.

roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and chaos breaks

up. “Scruffy.

time we have retrieved the fish, tossing it as far out into the waves as Ben’s long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of the

I suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat. I owe you

suggests that

he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes

I juggle change in my

sure. What

a bitter chocolate and

for me.” He sniffs.

Of course you will….

but I think you’ll always choose the

you. You want something you’re never

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what

along the beach again, eating cornets, licking away

what is it you do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean? If you don’t mind me

mind at all. I was a pastry chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it. I’m starting a new job in a couple

“Something different?”

a concierge in one of the office

a change.

one that went up so quickly after the

sister-in-law works there. What made you

on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company

the sis said something about that too.

Well, maybe I’ll get to