Choosing Her Lover

*****

And I think, that is that….

Until, at six pm, just as I am about finish for the day, Ben marches in again. “Come on,” he says. “I want you to come with me.”

“Come with you? Where?”

“Up to Mike’s place.”

“What? You want me to go there? What for? I barely know them.”

“Mike’s not at home. He’s working late. I want to catch James and Charlotte in the act, and I want a witness, so the bastard, and the bitch can’t deny it when I confront them.”

“Ben, you can’t do this. And haven’t you forgotten something? James Alexanders is my boss. I could lose my job…”

He stands, arms akimbo. “Fuck you, then. I’m going anyway. If you won’t come with me, I’ll go by myself. I’ll take a camera.”

Jeez…. I’d better go with him. See if I can stop him doing anything too stupid….

“Alright. I’ll come with you. Let me get my stuff and clear up my desk.”

I’ll fetch the car and pick you

on the internal phone, trying to get an answer. First James.… No reply…. Then Charlotte…. No reply…. Francis maybe? Still no

up at the front and I get in. Staring into traffic, my mouth dry, I give it another go: “Ben, this isn’t right. You can’t just barge into someone else’s house to check up on

a man fucking my brother’s wife. Of course, I’m

think

to face me, his face flushing. “I suppose you think it’s okay for my her to make a fool of my brother?” Then he

City and up the mountain. The views are amazing, but I can’t enjoy them, my stomach churning in anticipation of what’s

a spa hotel, ‘Life and Beauty’. It’s rather beautiful and very expensive

the back,” says Ben. “But I don’t

a mixture of well-kept and maintained, and hopelessly overgrown. The whole has the

there is a beautiful old house which also looks to be in mid-renovation, a mixture of old and new, dilapidated and restored. Standing over high meadows overlooking a lake, the position is incredible. In any

“the bedroom curtains are

can’t.” I try to hang back, but he ignores

Oh, please be locked….

and the

the threshold. “Are you

shake my

glowers at me. “I know where you stand, don’t