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.

speaking. Then he turns to me. “Can

leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to

vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine

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

away out to sea. “I wanted to do that

say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a

Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding,

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

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

up. “Scruffy.

can manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of the smell, we are

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

replies, with the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just

face transforms. He becomes an

juggle change in my

not sure. What

do a bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s to

for me.”

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll always choose the

you. You want something you’re never going to

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what I

beach again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

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

of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it. I’m

“Something different?”

I’m being taken on as a concierge in one

a change.

the one that went up so quickly after the

“My sister-in-law works there. What made you pick that

seeing people all the

about that too. She’s going through their training program

maybe I’ll get to