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.

Then he turns

leans to me, finishing the movement,

tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in a gentle, almost chaste

my eyes, then he leans into me once more, but this time, his mouth opens

wanted to do that the other night, but I thought

time since anyone kissed me

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

car to smell of that on the

start to roll too, competing for the stinking thing,

up.

manage, and persuaded the dogs to play

along the beach. “My treat. I owe you a coffee at

good,” he replies, with the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just an excuse for hanging around

his face transforms. He

bar, I juggle change in my

sure. What

chocolate and sour cherry

a bit powerful for me.” He sniffs. “I’ll

Of course you will….

I think you’ll always choose

not being fair to you. You want something you’re never going to

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what

wander along the beach again, eating cornets,

a living, I mean? If you don’t

one of those dream jobs for a lot of people,

“Something different?”

a concierge in one of the office blocks

a change.

Building. You know, the one that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got burned

works there. What made you pick

on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation for training,

sis said something about that too. She’s going through their

I’ll get to meet