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 up at the front

out of sight, I stab buttons on the internal phone, trying to get an answer. First James.… No reply…. Then Charlotte…. No reply…. Francis maybe? Still no reply. It’s too late in the day. No-one’s here.

traffic, my mouth dry, I give it another go: “Ben, this isn’t right. You can’t just barge

you talking about? We’re discussing a man fucking my brother’s wife. Of

think

her to make a fool of my brother?” Then

out of the City and up the mountain. The views are amazing, but I can’t

and Beauty’. It’s rather beautiful

the back,” says Ben. “But I don’t want them to see me arrive.

and through gardens which are a mixture of well-kept and maintained, and hopelessly overgrown. The whole has the look of

Standing over high meadows overlooking a lake, the position

pointing, “the bedroom

you can’t.” I try to hang back, but he ignores me, walking quietly to the front

Oh, please be locked….

and the

me on the threshold.

my head.

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