Choosing Her Lover

Part Three Of‘Choosing Her Lover’

The Gathering of Storm Clouds

Michael charges up the stairs, two at a time. From upstairs comes the sound of uproar: the shriek of a woman’s voice, a male roar of rage, banging and thumping, a crashing noise…. perhaps furniture being overturned?

I hesitate, then follow Michael upstairs. Perhaps I can help to calm down the irate Ben.

Michael bursts through the door at the top of the stairs, sounds of chaos beyond as it swings open. After a hesitation, I follow him.

Charlotte is standing in the far corner of the room, a sheet wrapped around her but obviously naked underneath. Red-haired and demon-green-eyed, her face is livid with rage. She shrieks at Ben who is in his turn, screaming incoherently at James.

James, wrath writ across his features, is naked, his erection still at full mast. Clearly Ben caught the two very much ‘in the moment’. Not that I haven’t seen James in this condition before, at the Club, but right now I feel very inappropriate.

What do I say? James and Charlotte weren’t doing anything they shouldn’t. The three of them have got it arranged between them….

I’ve come into the room behind Michael, but now…. what on earth am I doing here? I retreat into a corner, trying not to be noticed.

Michael, striding up behind his brother, grabs him by the shoulders. “What the fuck do you think you’re playing at, Ben?”

Ben swings back to him, his expression amazed. “What am I doing? What about them? I’ve caught your wife and your so-called best mate in the act, and you ask what I’m doing?”

Michael is clearly trying to keep a lid on his fury, but his voice is strained. “As my brother,” he says, “you have many privileges, but bursting into the bedroom on my wife is not one of them.”

Ben’s jaw drops. “You can see what they were doing!” he shouts, waving a hand at James and Charlotte, “And yet it’s me you’re angry at?”

“If you believed there was a problem, perhaps you might have talked with me first? Let me handle it?” asks Michael, his words icy. “This is your answer? To barge in, interfering in my family life?”

Ben gapes at him. “Michael, your wife and…. and …. him, have been fucking behind your back. Why are you angry with me?”

hand through his hair…. His indecision clear. He doesn’t know how to explain

interrupt. “Ben, not everyone lives

Is this wise?

murder in his eyes. “What? What the fuck’s it to do with you, Kirstie? It’s

me here, very much against both my advice and wishes. You made it my

Michael start to protest my words, then apparently think better of it. James is pulling on his

do, or the way you think

talking about?” Ben is red-faced and sweating, the whites of his

haven’t you noticed the rings they all

What

of rings; one set like Michael’s and the other

white gold spirals; then at James, who also holds up his left hand, displaying a

forehead, I see Ben dismiss the evidence of what he is seeing. He stalks towards me, his face no longer red. I’ve heard the phrase

snarls. “That my own brother would ignore it when another man fucks his wife? He’s only

I’m suggesting that what you think

what else could it be? One man making out with another

the hell do I

the emotional

hand on his arm. “Ben…”

his eyes fixed

have stayed out

could

against the wall. Flustered, I look away. “I don’t know

can’t say something like that and then just pretend you didn’t. What

ring because it…. it…. it binds you to that person. Look

me with sheer loathing. “That’s disgusting. How dare you talk about my family like

to interrupt again, “Ben…,”