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.”

pick you

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

Staring into traffic, my mouth dry, I give it another go:

about? We’re discussing a man

think

my her to make

views are amazing, but I

and Beauty’. It’s rather beautiful

don’t want them to see me arrive. Follow me. It’s this

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

mid-renovation, a mixture of old and new, dilapidated and restored. Standing over high meadows overlooking a lake, the position is incredible. In any other

pointing, “the

I try to hang back, but he ignores me, walking quietly to the

Oh, please be locked….

turns, and

turning to me on the

shake my head.

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