I woke at 5:30 to a text from Lillian, sent overnight.

“Hello, dear boy, are you available to speak on the phone at some stage this morning? I’m available from 11:00 until noon. Let me know if you can please, Lillian. X”

I replied that I could fit it in at 11:30, curious to know what she needed.

Aisling stirred beside me as I returned my phone to the charger beside the bed. I lay on my back gathering my thoughts, visualising what I had to accomplish during the day. It was the last Monday before I headed away to Galway, and the week ahead didn’t hold a lot of spare time.

Aisling’s hand found mine as I lay there. I turned my head to see her smiling at me, her eyes shining in the early morning light. I turned my body sideways to face her and kissed the hand that held mine.

“Good morning, Ash, Last night was amazing. You are amazing.”

“Only when I’m with you, Tony.”

Her arms went around my neck and she kissed me, turning me on my back as she rose above me. Her hands traveled over my chest and stomach and gently touched my hardening penis as her lips made me tingle. My hand touched one of her breasts and she breathed sharply inward. She liked me to squeeze her nipples, so I gave this one a little pinch. She squeezed my penis in response before travelling lower and cupping my scrotum in her soft tender hand.

“Oh, God, Aisling, that's so good. Don’t stop,” I whispered as my penis flexed independently of my body.

She watched my face and revelled in my responses to her. She began to stroke my penis slowly, squeezing it and then relaxing her hand, mimicking the pulsing of her vaginal muscles during orgasm.

She took me in her mouth, her lips moving agonizingly slowly as she brought me higher. Caressing the head with her tongue and lips, her hand directed the pace and strength of her oral pressure as she sought to inhale me.

She lifted off and stroked the tip with her thumb, holding it in position and covering the eye as her lips kissed down along the underside of my shaft. Her tongue slowly spread saliva on my scrotum before she took one of my testicles in her mouth and sucked it in quickly, driving me crazy with arousal and desire.

I felt myself close to a place of no return. My hands were in her hair.

“I’m gonna come, Aisling.”

She released my scrotum, slowly took my penis into her mouth, and tortuously brought me over the top with one of the most sensually performed oral stimulations I’d ever experienced. She held me inside her mouth, her lips surrounding the corona, and let her tongue work feverishly across the top of my penis until I felt like it exploded, pumping a river of semen into her beautiful mouth that she struggled to contain. Losing only a very small amount, she managed to swallow most of it down.

“Thank you for last night, Tony. You make me feel special.”

“You are special, Ash. That just blew my mind.”

“I’m happy.”

“Let me hold you for a while, please.”

I held her to me, wallowing in the sensation of her skin against mine. The world we inhabited was peaceful, slow, and gentle as my desire increased and my erection grew again.

“My God, Tony. You’re insatiable,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, Ash. It’s your fault, though.”

She playfully aimed a punch at me, so I grabbed her and pulled her on top of me. I held her flat against me, her legs astride mine. We kissed leisurely, allowing it to linger. While listening to each other breathe, our lips moved slowly together.

“Put me inside you, please,” I whispered.

She lifted herself to guide me inside. I pulled her back down and she lay flat against me again, my penis inside her.

“My God, Tony. This is so arousing. We aren’t even moving and I’m so turned on. Put your hands on my bum.”

I did as I was told; it was so soft. I kept one hand there, stroking her cleft and her lower back. The other was massaging her shoulder blade and the back of her neck, underneath her hair.

“Mmm,” she purred at my touch, and slid down to take the rest of me inside her. “I need to fuck you, Tony.”

“Give this a chance, Ash. In my head it should be beautiful.”

She kissed me deeply. I flexed my penis inside her. She jerked slightly and moaned as the sensation rippled through her. She lightly bit my lip, taking it into her mouth. I flexed again, stronger this time.

“Oh fuck, that’s so good,” she breathed.

I moved my hips slightly, stimulating her vagina with slight movements, all the while flexing my penis inside her.

“Oh Jesus Christ, Tony! I don’t believe this.”

Her lips attacked mine as she started her orgasm. Her hips began to gyrate against me as she sought her release. I held her tight until the strength of her climax forced her into a more upright position that enabled her to reach her plateau with a soft breath, followed by an agonized groan as her body shook and she fell, exhausted, onto my chest.

“I tingle all over,” she whispered.

“Was it good?”

“Can you not tell?”

“I see your happy face, Ash. I’m happy, too.”

“I need coffee and a shower in the worst possible way, but I don’t want this to end.”

“There’s no hurry, love, savour the moment,”

At 7:00 we extricated ourselves from her bed and sorted ourselves out for work. I gave her a lift there and she kissed me when I pulled up outside.

“Will I see you again before you leave for Galway?” she asked.

“I’ll try, love. My Mam wants me home more this week, so I’ll work from there a bit more. How about planning a weekend over there, just the two of us?”

“I was hoping you’d ask. Yes, let’s do it.”

“I’ll call you during the week in any case. We might be able to do lunch.”

“We’ll sort something, love. Now kiss me before I drag you into the back of this van.”

She left me with a wave and disappeared inside Grizzly Adams’s cave.

Ken Tierney was coming in at 10:00 to meet with Peter and me to discuss the HEFT project further. We were a bit concerned about the construction budget and needed his perspective on some ideas we had formulated to increase it with minimal impact on his bank account. I assembled the files and brought everything to our meeting room, while Peter completed his renderings for our proposal.

Ken arrived on time, and we adjourned to the meeting room on the ground floor of the building. It was Peter and Ken’s first time to meet and they, basically, circled each other as would two boxers meeting in a ring for the first time. I got the meeting started.

HEFT wanted a three-storey building with individual living accommodation included on each level, a medical centre/clinic for the needs of the occupants, parking and some curious little components that were vital to them but made little sense to us.

The ground floor would hold a number of one bedroom apartments, or ‘efficiencies’ as HEFT referred to them, a small clinic, a full-time security centre, porter station and reception area, janitor room and admin office and three lockable empty spaces.

The first floor would feature slightly larger apartments, as would the second floor, which would also host a gym, crèche and full-scale laundry. There was also a requirement for three lockable empty spaces.

We ignored the accommodation requirement and the placement of everything and came up with a really cool design that would include everything they needed on the site.

“So,” Ken said, “where are we, gentlemen?”

“We have your accommodation requirements, Ken, but we can’t make it work in the budget the way it stands.”

“How much more do we need?”

“That’s not the issue, Ken,” Peter said, “the issue is the accommodation itself. It’s a mess. For example, all that should be included in the main building is accommodation. Everything else should be housed separately in an ancillary building. We’ve come up with this alternative layout that increases the use of space and focuses only on the inclusion of accommodation. You are using a short-term rental model for each unit, similar to Airbnb. We’d propose an extra floor to include five penthouse units, which will be sold to finance the extra budgetary requirement.”

“Interesting. What effect does this have on our planning application?” Ken asked.

“We’ve met with the Local Area Planner and he’s on board,” Peter said. “We sketched out what we’re proposing to you now and he is supportive, given that the risk of fire is minimised due to the inclusion of ancillary accommodation for core and non-domestic uses.”

I slid the folder of alternative sketches in front of Ken. He picked them up quickly and spread them out in front of him. Peter switched the projector on and placed a slide under the lens.

“If you take the page marked Alt 1A, you’ll see the site showing the placement of the main block, ancillary block, parking for seventy vehicles and access roads. It also includes a gated entrance since security appears to be important to you. All of which are in line with the Planners viewpoint."

“It’s impressive, lads, I’ll give you that," Ken said with a smile.

“Moving on, Alt 1B shows the main building in elevation. We’re using a less expensive but more thermally efficient cladding with a Monocouche finish, in natural white, for ease of maintenance and for sympathetic coexistence in a parkland setting. We’ve included actual photographic representations of existing buildings for your appraisal. You’ll see that it’s perfect from an aesthetic and practical point of view and is less than half the cost of what you wanted with none of the energy efficiency.”

“Will it not get dirty?" Ken asked.

“It’s over fifty metres away from the road, Ken, which lessens exposure to traffic pollution. Here’s a few photos of buildings in Poppintree and surrounding neighbourhoods, before and after being power washed. It took two days to clean forty houses at €70 each,” I said, and handed the photos over.

“Again, most impressive. How energy-efficient is it?”

“It exceeds the values required under Part L of the regulations by a factor of fifteen percent. If we use Air or Ground source heating, we can increase that further,” I explained, and handed him a complete breakdown on the Energy specifics.

“What are we looking at in overspend?” he asked tentatively.

“The entire job, we think, will come in at €8.5 million, if we include five penthouse units. They can be made available for sale at 500k, which is buttons for a penthouse. That takes us back to a net number of six mill,” I said, and slid that over to him also. “If we market them at a mill each, you can work that out yourself.”

Ken sat back and looked at us both. "It'd be under budget," he said. He shook his head. “I have to say, lads, I didn’t think you could do it. I had severe doubts about it when your names were broached for this project. This,” he waved his hand across the paperwork in front of him, “is an exceptional amount of work to put together in under two weeks. Thank you so much.”

“We just have to do the internal layouts once we agree on the floor areas and finishes. We’ll use a generic layout for now so we can get the Planners in gear. Once we get that in to them, it starts the clock ticking on the application,” I said.

“How long does that take?”

“All things being equal? Three months from submission,” I said.

“Excellent, so we might be ready for liftoff shortly before you get back from Galway, Tony?”

“All things being equal, Ken, but we play this with a straight bat from here,” I said.

“Do you need anything from us?” Ken said.

“Just get us the money, Ken,” Peter said,

“I’ll need a week, but it shouldn’t be an issue.”

Ken gathered up everything we gave him, and I gave him a Ziploc folder. I took a page of paper and put it in his hand. He looked at me,

“What’s this, Tony?”

“We need your John Hancock on that, please. It keeps us all honest, so to speak,” I said and smiled.

“I’ll sign that if you two sign these pages for me.”

We signed everything and shook hands. As Ken walked to the door, he turned and asked us to smile. Puzzled, we did it and he snapped a photo with his phone.

“I’ll be in touch. Thanks, lads, it was a pleasure.”

I sat down as Peter gathered everything up from the table. He paused, leaned on it and said, “What do you reckon, Tony?”

“I reckon we should get a watertight contract ready as soon as possible. If the undertaker gives us the green light on the money, we tie him down on that chair and make him sign it.”

He picked up his leather file folder, zipped it open, and pulled out a manila file. He threw it on the table. “You mean something like this?”

There was a single page document inside. I read it quickly. “You devious bastard. You’re the man, Peter. Are you reading my mind or what?”

“Devious bastard? That’s not very nice.”

“I meant it lovingly.”

“After me taking your part with Cadden this morning, defending you to the last.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He said you weren’t fit to eat with pigs.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him to fuck off, that you were.”

“You’re probably right. I have stuff to do; will I leave this with you?” I waved my hand over the table.

“Yes, of course. Do you want me to clean the fucking windows while I’m at it? Fuck’s sake.”

“Thanks, I’ve a call to make.”

“Ooh. That sounds interesting.”

“One wishes.”

I left him and shut myself into my office, took out my phone, and called Lillian.

“Good morning, dear boy,” she said.

“Hi Lillian, how are you?”

“I’m very well.”

“How can I help you?”

“Straight to the point as usual, my favourite way.”

“It’s a busy few days, I’m being sent to the west for six months, so I have to clear a lot of stuff this week.”

“Where in the west?”

“Galway, it’s a training thing.”

“I see. When do you go?”

“On the weekend. The course starts Monday.”

“That’ll be interesting for you.”

“It remains to be seen, Lillian. So what do you need?”

“I have something that I feel you could assist us with. Would you be open to it, Tony?”

“I’ll help in any way I can, Lillian. What is it?”

“A close friend of the family is having a difficult time and is close to destroying her life if we can’t do something to turn her around. We think that you would have the skills to help, Tony. Would you think about it for us?”

“Who is us, Lillian?”

“Ruth and I. We’re very concerned about her, and we can’t be too obvious about it for personal and family reasons.”

“When do you need this?”

“She’s coming to Dublin to see Ruth tonight. Ruth hoped to have an intervention of sorts, but that’s already been tried by her friends without success. You might be more successful. I can’t see any other way, Tony.”

“Ok, send me the details and I’ll have a look to see what, if anything, I can do. God loves a trier.”

“Thank you, dear boy. I’ll send it to your personal email.”

“Great. Keep your phone on, Lillian, in case I need you.”

I opened the email as soon as it came in. It had several attachments. The lady’s name was Helen McFadden, formerly Thompson. She was 30 years old and had married Patrick McFadden three years previously. They lived in Athlone, a large town in the middle of the country, roughly halfway between Dublin and Galway. Patrick owned a successful trucking company and had business interests in the Gulf. Helen was a “lady who lunched" that stayed home and took care of the large house they lived in. They had no children.

The attachments were several photos of them both. Wedding pictures, family functions and stuff like that. Helen was stunningly beautiful in them. She had beautiful, shoulder-length auburn hair set in a style from a hundred years ago. Her eyes and mouth smiled happily, and her aura jumped out of the picture as I looked at it. She was a foot shorter than him and was slim in build, and everything was in proportion. She looked as though she was a free spirit and hadn’t a care in the world. I could not take my eyes off her.

I opened the last couple of pictures. One was of Helen staring out into space, maybe a field or something like that. Her face was in profile, her hair tied back in a ponytail held in place by a rubber band. It was a stark difference. The other was one of her walking along a path, looking dowdy in an oversized brown cardigan, unwashed jeans and wellington boots. Her hands were in her pockets and she looked lost.

I called Lillian.

“I got these photos, Lillian. What’s happened to Helen?”

“We don’t know, we can only suspect.”

“What are your suspicions?”

“I’m not prepared to speculate. We hoped that you might be able to get to the heart of it. We can help her then, in the same way as we did with Emma Fagan.”

My heart jumped. I had banished Emma from my mind but it was difficult. I still loved her, how could I not?

“Tony?”

“Sorry, Lillian. You caught me a bit when you mentioned Emma.”

“You still love her, Tony?”

“Yes. I do, I can’t help it. How is she? Do you see her often?”

“She’s doing very well, Tony. You should be very proud of yourself. You’ll get over each other, time always helps.”

“So they say, Lillian, whoever the fuck they are. Excuse the language.”

“Understandable. If it’s any consolation, Emma is in a worse state, emotionally, than you at the moment. Just stay as you are, Tony. Think kindly of your time with her.”

“I try not to think at all. Maybe in time I will.”

“Ok. Helen will be at the Four Seasons for three nights. We need to maneuver a way for you two to meet. I’ll speak to Ruth and text you her thoughts.”

“The Four Seasons? Is that the only hotel in Dublin?”

“For some, it is.”

“Grand. Thanks, Lillian.”

Peter walked into my office just as I put my phone away. He sat across my desk from me.

“Problems?”

“No, it’s all good. Just thinking about things.”

“Emma?”

“How the fuck did you know that?”

“Your door was ajar. You should really be more careful around here. I told you before, little pigs have big ears.”

“Yeah. It came up in the call.”

“Give it time. Maybe let Cadden scratch your nipple again. You seemed to like that last week.”

I pissed myself laughing. “You’re a prick, Smithser.”

“What’s in the Four Seasons?”

“A woman.”

“Oh, do tell. Are you planning an assault on her person?”

“Possibly,” I smiled.

“You cheating bastard. Poor Emma, Aisling, Chloe, Natalie. Am I leaving anyone out?”

“I’m gonna give Clodagh a spin before I leave. Mam sent me her number.”

“Is she your agent now? Will you get her to send me a couple, too?”

“Fuck off.”

“While I think of it, I have an invite to a Net Jets soirée at the Four Seasons tomorrow night. I’m already good in the private jet department. It’d give you a reason to be there so you can stalk your prey.”

“Is it a plus one invite?”

“Aren’t they all?”

I texted Lillian. “Have Ruth take Helen to the Yacht in Clontarf this evening. They serve food. I’ll swing by at 6:30 and say hello to Ruth. I’d like to see her again in any case. We'll take it from there.”

She replied, “X”

At 5:45, I walked into the Yacht and sat at the bar. I ordered a pint and took a look around while it settled. The barman was an older man. His attention to detail while fussing over it was commendable, and we were rewarded with the perfect pint.

“It’s a sin to ruin this work of art,” I said to him.

“Enjoy!” he said and went to reward someone else.

I took my pint over to a glazed snug, which had been added at the front of the building, and sat in a comfortable chair. I could see whoever came in from the car park, and I was semi-hidden from view.

Ruth and Helen came in about fifteen minutes later, spent a few moments deciding where to sit, and then took a table in a conservatory directly opposite where I was sitting. They ordered drinks and were chatting away before they asked for food menus. They were engrossed in them when I approached the table.

“Ruth?” I asked.

“Tony Harris, my word, it’s great to see you. You look fantastic,” she said, and kissed me on the lips.

Helen looked on as we hugged warmly.

“This is Helen, a good friend of mine. She’s up from Athlone to see me. Helen, this is Tony, a very close friend of mine.”

I shook Helen’s hand, and she smiled. “Lovely to meet you, Tony.”

“You too, Helen. Are you on a flying visit or are you staying with Ruth in her huge house on the hill?”

“I’m in town for a couple of days, just a flying visit.”

“Would you like to join us for a catch up, Tony?”

I looked at my watch; it was still stopped. “I might as well spend some time in the company of two beautiful ladies. It’s not often I get those kind of offers.”

They both laughed and shushed me. I sat between them, and we chatted about all sorts of inane stuff. The waiter came over and took their orders. I demurred when asked if I wanted food and stood up to leave.

“I’ll leave you two beauties to frustrate the male population of Clontarf. I’m away to Galway for six months on Friday for my sins.”

“Galway, Tony?” Helen said.

“Yes, I believe it’s a town or village of some sort over in the west.”

“It’s a big city, Tony.”

“Do you know it well, Helen?”

“I’ve been there many times. It’s a very busy place.”

“Someone told me that, but I didn’t believe them.”

“Are you going on your own?”

“Yes, why, are you offering to give me the tour?”

She smiled and looked away. A hair had fallen onto her forehead, and she collected it in her delicate fingers and brushed it back in place.

“Well, if you’re alone and you’re stuck, yes, I’d give you a tour.”

“Of Galway, you mean,” I said with a grin.

“Yes, of…” she began and faltered. Her eyes were unsure; she went to speak but nothing clicked.

“Forgive me, Helen, I couldn’t resist that,” I said.

Understanding appeared in her eyes, and she smiled in embarrassment. Ruth laughed and held her hand as the realisation of what I’d said dawned on her.

“Oh, you,” she said and joined in.

“Tony is an awful tease, Helen. You have to be on your toes around him,” Ruth said.

Helen smiled and looked at me appraisingly.

“Where are you staying, Helen?”

“I’m at the Four Seasons, Tony. Do you know it?”

“I know it well. In fact, I think I’m going over there tomorrow evening for a launch of some sort.”

“Really? How coincidental. What are they launching?”

“I don’t know if...” I patted my jacket and paused. “Ah, yes, here it is.” I pulled out the Net Jets invite. “It’s a company called Net Jets and it’s a plus one if you’d care to join. You wouldn’t leave me over there on my own with all those high fliers, Helen, would you?”

“That might be nice, Tony. Yes, I’d like that.”

“Ruth has my number, if you wouldn’t mind texting me. It’s an 8:00 start. Maybe we could have a light supper beforehand, say 7:00?”

“Why yes, ok, that might be nice, Tony, thank you.”

Ruth took her phone and texted mine with it. “There, you have each other’s number now.” She winked at me and smiled.

“I have to leave you ladies, things to see, people to do. Until tomorrow, Helen. I look forward to seeing you,” I said.

“You’re not leaving me without a kiss, Tony Harris,” Ruth said, and she stood to kiss me on the lips.

“I never refuse the lips of beauty, Ruth,” I said as we kissed and embraced.

“Your turn, Helen. I won’t sleep if you spurn my lips,” I said with a grin.

She stood and took a step towards me. She touched my shoulder as our lips met in a soft light kiss. I patted my heart and they all laughed. As Helen sat back down, I indicated the car park to Ruth.

I left the pub and waited until Ruth joined me.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“I can sort this out, Ruth, but you need to do something tomorrow.”

“Yes, anything.”

“Take Helen shopping, buy her a few modern outfits. Dress her from top to bottom and from the skin out. Those clothes she's wearing should be burned. And get her hair done. A manicure wouldn’t hurt, either.”

“Do you mean a makeover?”

“Yes. Makeover, Spa Day. Dress it up any way you want. She needs that little boost of self-esteem, and hopefully I can make it happen. There’s a spark in her eyes, Ruth. Let’s make it burn.”

“I know exactly what to do, Tony. Thank you so much for this.”

“Thank you for saving me, Ruth. I’ll never repay that debt.”

“Good luck tomorrow evening.”

“You too.”

We kissed again and I left for home. I had a sandwich and a cup of tea and, at the behest of my mother, started assembling what I needed for the trip to Galway. I had already booked a Mazda 626 for collection on Friday at the Hertz Garage in Santry, so it was mostly personal stuff that I had left to complete. I had just sat down to smoke a cigarette and watch my mother fussing around when the phone rang. It was Lillian.

"Hello?" I said, not wishing to alert my mother to the caller's identity.

"Hello, Tony. Apologies for interrupting your evening."

"That's ok, I'm just packing for Galway."

"Good, well I won't keep you for long. Ruth called and updated me on everything. It seems that you made an impression on Helen. She thought you were a lot of fun and is looking forward to tomorrow evening. I admire the advice you gave Ruth. She and Helen will be out early in the morning on a shopping and spa day tomorrow. Ruth said that she hadn't seen Helen as animated in quite a while. Why did you mention that to Ruth, Tony? I'm intrigued by that."

I left the room to continue the call upstairs, alone.

"I chatted with them for a while and, eventually, I felt that Helen warmed to me, even to the point of letting me kiss and hug them both when I left. I always find that is the best way of determining if the ice is melting. I noticed that she was dressed very frumpily, if you'll pardon the expression. She's a beautiful woman, Lillian, she has means. She should be swinging her arms and dressed a lot better. She had a pair of those Converse things on her feet. Navy Blue! Her jeans looked a couple of sizes too big for her. She wore men's socks under the Converse atrocities and a Tommy Hilfiger wind cheater with a hood. She was akin to a bag lady, Lillian, and it saddened me. Also, her hair was a disaster, unwashed, tied back in a bun. She looked about twenty years older. It was frustrating to see, so I put it to Ruth and Ruth agreed with me."

"You got that in the twenty minutes you were with them?"

"Lillian, I got that as they walked through the door."

"How do you see this panning out?"

"I need to get to the bottom of why she's feeling so low, but I also need her to feel alive again. I think I can make one hand wash the other, so to speak."

"It might work, Tony. It’s our only shot at this stage, so you have my best wishes on it."

"Thanks, we’ll have a bit of fun tomorrow night and see how it goes from there."

"I agree. One more thing, Helen asked Ruth a couple of times what age you were. Ruth said she had no idea but that she felt you might be around the thirty mark. I'm not asking you to tell a fib but a bit of obfuscation might work if it comes up. As you are incurring expenses, I have set up a Revolut account for you online, and I opened it with €300 transfer. I've overnighted the card and paperwork to your work address. It works from an App on your phone; I'm sure you know how to do that."

"Yes, I do, all of my colleagues at work have Revolut. I can get them to assist if need be."

"Good. We’ll talk soon, Tony. Good luck tomorrow evening."

It was a little before 9:00 when my phone rang again.

“Hey babe. Do you miss me?”

“Who am I speaking with, please?”

“I know you have my number in your phone, you fucker.”

“Hi Natalie, just pulling your leg.”

“Metaphorically, unfortunately.”

“Is that something that the ladies enjoy these days?”

“I’d never say never.”

“You just said it twice.”

“Well, I’ll say this only once. I want you in the worst possible way.”

“Can you wait twenty minutes?”

“For what?”

“For me to drive over.”

“Can you do it in nineteen?”

“I can do it three times in twenty.”

“You’re on. I’ll see you then.”

I jumped in the van and raced over to Natalie’s apartment, arriving a little after the twenty minutes. She opened the door wearing just a white, see-through thong. I barely made it through before she threw herself at me and clung to me. Her lips devoured mine, and I carried her to her bedroom.

“I want you so bad. Feel how badly I want you.” She brought my hand to feel her soaked, lace-covered vagina. “I’m ready and I need it now. Please, Tony.”

I undressed quickly, taking her in with my eyes. Her hugely extended nipples were a sign of her arousal. Her eyes were half closed. I pulled her to the edge of the bed and pulled her thong down her legs and over her feet. She opened them to me, her vulva fully exposed to my tongue. She pulled my mouth to her vagina and groaned in arousal. I knelt on the floor and slid my tongue inside her as my hands held her breasts and massaged them delicately.

“Jesus, Tony. Fuck me please.”

She was overstimulated and becoming frustrated, so I acceded to her cries. I stood and turned her over.

“Oh God, yes, that way.”

I slid my finger inside her vagina from behind as she opened herself fully. Her head was buried in a pillow as she reached back and pulled me forward with a death grip on my penis. She placed the head just inside the lips of her vagina and pushed back against me.

I reached around and found her aroused and swollen clitoris, cradling it between my fingers and stroking it with my thumb. She screamed in desire, and we began to move against each other, thrusting against each other, my penis deep inside her as she moved quickly against me while my fingers brought her to a state of high arousal. She lasted only seconds as she shuddered slightly. Her vaginal muscles clamped me inside her as her orgasm tore through us both, causing my penis to release my pent-up store of semen and triggering a second climax for her.

I slipped out of her and held her to me, my fingers toying with her shaved mons. I slipped my finger between the lips of her labia and just rested it there, experiencing a part of her that was often ignored. She sighed, brought her hand down to mine, and pressed gently on my finger, encouraging it to touch her clitoris.

She shivered involuntarily as I touched her there. She pressed harder and writhed against me, teasing both of us to further arousal. My penis reacted in the anticipated manner and rose to lie in the cleft of her bum. She wriggled it against me, filling her cleft with my hardness. Her breathing deepened. She lifted her hips slightly and brought me to the entrance of her vagina. The tip slipped just a little inside her. I moved it just a touch, causing her to stroke along the shaft that was still exposed.

A silence of anticipation surrounded us as we focused entirely on ourselves and each other. My finger gained speed and motion. She bent at the waist to take more of me inside her. She sighed as I reached my full depth and began to move in slow shallow thrusts, angling my penis to touch her G-spot.

“Oh fuck, Tony. That’s so good.”

I quickly slipped out of her and rolled her on to her back beneath me. She looked at me with wide eyes, questioning me as I lowered my mouth to her vulva, opened like a flower and shining with moist expectation. Using my thumbs, I opened her fully and my tongue hungrily devoured her. I needed that connection, that feeling. She hit a swift orgasm and pushed me away, but I needed her in that moment. Another one followed quickly, this one larger, enticing her hips high off the bed.

“Tony, I need you now. I’m gonna explode.”

I slipped my penis inside her and was entirely there in one swift thrust. She took a sharp intake of breath before pulling me close and moving aggressively against me. I had never known her to be so aroused, and I increased my tempo to match hers. She shrieked in my ear as another huge orgasm rolled through her. I wasn’t quite there, but I was getting close. She joined me as we both got there together in a tangle of skin and limbs.

Becalmed and satisfied, she lay back and stroked my penis with the palm of her hand in a slow, gentle rhythm. As my senses returned, I held her hand as it moved slowly along my softening organ.

“Jesus, Natalie. Where did that come from?”

She kissed me. “I don’t want you to forget me when you go away.”

“I’ll never forget you, eh, what’s your name again?”

She burst out laughing and slapped my penis. “You bastard, Tony Harris.”

I hated doing it, but I had to leave. We kissed and cuddled for the longest time, but my promise to my mother took precedence. I drove home with a contented smile on my face and slept the sleep of the just.

Next morning, I sat at the kitchen table with Sinéad. “Where’s mam?” I asked.

“Next door. Someone was taken off in the ambulance.”

“Who?”

“Do I look like a newspaper?”

“Nice. If you don’t know, just say so.”

“I don’t know. Ok?”

I looked out the window and saw she was chatting to Mrs. Kelly next door. I went to my room and grabbed a jacket and a small brown paper package. I was coming down the stairs, and I met her as she walked back into the house.

“Mr. Kelly was taken to hospital, Anthony.”

“Something serious, I hope?” I hated that lazy little bollox.

“Don’t be like that.”

“He’s a moocher, Mam. A waste of space.”

“I know, but he’s Mag’s husband.”

“That’s not a job description, that’s an unfortunate accident, or a punishment.”

She patted my hand as I held onto it. She looked at me. “What’s wrong, love?”

I handed her the package.

“What’s this?”

“It’s five grand in cash. The cheque for my back pay cleared. I want you to have it.”

“No. This is your hard-earned money.”

“Take it, say thank you, son, and shut up.”

She gave me a hug and kissed me.

“Now don’t spend it all on beer and women, or do, it’s all yours.”

“Oh, you. Get out to work. Will you be home tonight?”

“I’ll be home early, but I have a thing tonight. Don’t make dinner for me.”

“What’s this ‘thing's’ name?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, woman.”

I walked quickly to my car and started it up. I was about to take off when Clodagh Murray appeared in front of me, looking spectacular. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out. “Hey, gorgeous, you look nice today.”

“I’ve an appointment in town, I have to look my best, you know.”

“Do you want a lift in?”

“You don’t think I came around here just to see you, do you?”

“A man can only hope, Clodagh. Hop in.”

She jumped in and I took off out of the estate. She was foostering about in the seat, trying to get the seatbelt to operate, wriggling her bum around in the process. I was getting a semi watching her. She finally settled.

“Did you enjoy that?

“What?”

“Looking at my arse?”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

She reached across and felt my crotch. “You were.”

“It’s a lovely arse, though, Clodagh, you have to agree.”

“I’ll take your word for it. I’ve never seen it.”

“I could take a photo of it and email it to you if you like.”

“Would you do that for little ol' me?”

“I’d do anything for you, Clodagh.”

“Stop here and give me a kiss then.”

“I thought you had an appointment.”

“I do.”

“We don’t have time. How about we go for a drink tomorrow night.”

“How about you come to mine and take that picture au naturel?”

“If I must. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it, I suppose. Will you have something to eat or will I bring something?”

“Yes, I have something to eat, but you can bring some food, too. We might get hungry.”

“Fuck you, Clodagh.”

“What?”

I took her hand and placed it on my erection. She laughed out loud.

“This is fucking brilliant. Tony Harris has the hots for Clodagh Murray.”

We laughed all the way into town. She kissed me as she got out of the car. I touched her breast as she opened the door. She smiled and whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“I’ll be early. Can’t wait.”

“So I see.”

“Do me a favour.”

“What.”

“Let me sit here and watch your arse walk through that gate.”

“You’re obsessed, but it doesn't operate independently of my body. I'll see you tomorrow night.”

I sat and watched her fantastic bum disappear through the gate, then happily made my way to work. I had just turned onto Holles Street and was waiting for the lights to change when the phone rang.

“Story, Peter?”

“Where would you be?”

“Stuck in Holles Street.”

“Lucky you. I need a favour.”

“Shoot.”

“There’s a little job going on down at the Gasometer. Apartment 12 on the ground floor.”

“I hadn’t heard about that? Whose is it?”

“Shut the fuck up. It’s my own thing.”

“A nixer?”

“No, it’s not a nixer. It’s on the south side, it's a project.”

“Excuse me!”

“I left a set of worktop swatches in the kitchen. Will you swing in and pick them up for me? I need them for the HEFT job?”

“I’m on it. I’ll turn down by Lansdowne Road.”

“Good. Dessie Ennis is there, he’ll let you in.”

“Fuck's sake, Peter.”

“He’s ok.”

I parked outside The Gasometer, an apartment building built inside the Victorian framework of a huge disused and decommissioned gas tank. I found the apartment; it was all quiet but the door was open. I walked inside and found the kitchen. The swatches were on the kitchen counter, so I picked them up and turned to leave. Dessie Ennis was bent over, pouring water on the floor at the corner of a radiator.

“What are you doing, Des?”

“Ah howaya, Tony. How’s it goin’?”

“Dessie. What the fuck?” I pointed at the water on the floor.

“Yeah, you caught me. That fuckin’ plumber that Smithser uses is a prick.”

“What did he do?”

“He comes in when it suits him and fuck everyone else. Now we’re all getting grief from your mate because it’s past the due date.”

“So what’s with the water on the floor?”

He laughed. “Oh that? I put a little dribble of water under the radiator valves and the plumber thinks they’re leaking. Drives him batty. He’ll be here in a few minutes, if you want to stay and watch the show.”

“You’re a prick! I’ll sit over here.”

“Make yourself useful, kiddo. Put the kettle on.”

“I can’t, it’s in your hand.”

“Ah listen, if you’re gonna be a prick too, you can fuck off out of here.”

So I did.

That evening I was just finished dressing to go to The Four Seasons when my mother walked into my bedroom.

“Ooh, a tie. She must be special.”

“Yeah. She has two heads.”

“Don’t tell me, then.”

“Ok.”

“At least tell me her name.”

“B. Oliver Shagnasty.”

She threw a wet towel at me and walked away. I threw it back at her as I left the house and headed out, arriving at the Simmonscourt Road at 6:50. I parked outside the hotel and walked inside. It was quiet except for a few people loitering about, so I decided on a quick trip to the bar. I took two steps and a voice said, “Tony?”

I looked at a woman who waved shyly at me. I didn’t know her for a second, and then it kicked in. “Jesus, Helen. You look absolutely stunning.”

“Oh, thank you. Ruth gave me a kick up the backside this morning, and we had a day in town.”

“That bitch!” I said, and she laughed. “Seriously, though, I definitely would. Come here and give me a hug.”

She smiled and almost danced over to me. I sneaked a kiss as we embraced. She felt wonderful in my arms, soft and strong. She wore a white A-line summer dress with a floral theme. It stopped about three inches above the knee and exposed her shoulders completely. Soft silver and gold highlights in her hair lifted her visage and softened the face I had seen the previous evening, and a pair of black, low-rise patent leather shoes completed the look and added definition to her posture. Two spaghetti shoulder strings held her dress in place, and she was an absolute vision. She kissed me on the cheek and put her lips to my ear.

“I know this was your idea, Tony. Thank you, I needed it.”

“Would you like a drink or a cocktail, Helen?”

“No alcohol, thanks. I’m on medication.”

“For foxiness?”

She slapped my shoulder. “Stop, you’ll turn my head.”

“You’re turning mine. Fair’s fair.”

“I’ll have a mocktail, please.”

“I’ll join you, I’m driving.”

I took her hand and placed it on my arm as we went to the bar. She had booked a table in the restaurant, and we were ushered over to a corner overlooking the gardens. It was a lovely little quiet spot where we could talk and get to know each other better. A waiter delivered our drinks, and I toasted her.

“So tell me about you, Helen.”

“There’s not much to tell, Tony. I married three years ago and life is just boring.”

“How so?”

“I sit around doing nothing except cleaning all day, even though we have a housekeeper.”

“Can you not go to work?”

“He doesn’t want me to.”

“But you’re allowed come to Dublin for three days in the middle of the week?”

“He’s in Oman this week. He doesn’t know.”

“Will he get a clue from the credit card statements?”

“For what?”

“The hotel exes, for a start. Pamela Scott summer dresses don’t come cheap, either.”

“How do you know it’s Pamela Scott?”

“It’s her patented design, and nobody else uses that red floral pattern. Besides, the quality of the fabric just screams Pamela Scott.”

“It might be a copy,” she teased.

“It could. But it’s not, Helen. It fits you like a glove, and I cannot take my eyes off you. I’ll have to keep my hands in my pockets in case he dusts you for fingerprints later.”

She laughed loudly. “I’d throw it away first,” she said, dipping her eyes slightly.

I took her hand and squeezed it. “I tried to make a reservation for dinner but they’re only taking walk-ins. Are you hungry?”

“A little,” she said. "Are you?”

“I’d eat the leg of the lamb of God, to be honest.”

She laughed again. Her eyes began to shine. “Well let’s not tarry, we can’t have you being hungry, Tony.”

“Let’s finish this first. I’m enjoying your company, and the view from where I sit is spectacular.”

She blushed and smiled at me. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

She took my hand, squeezed it and didn’t let go. We chatted about her life and mine for a bit as we sipped on our drinks. The waiter came over and asked if we needed more and she demurred, so I suggested we go into the restaurant. On our way, I finally noticed what was missing. “Did you leave your bag in the bar, Helen?”

“Oh, shit,” she said, and ran back in.

“It’s not there. Did I have it when we met earlier?”

“I don’t recall. Maybe someone picked it up?”

“It’s only been a few seconds, literally. I may have left it in my room.”

“I’ll hang on here if you want to run up real quick.”

“What if it’s not there, Tony?”

“We’ll do something about it. Do you want me to come with you?”

“Would you mind?”

“Not at all.”

I waited outside in the corridor while she went in to search for the bag. She was smiling with happiness and relief when she reappeared with it clutched in her hands.

"Thank you, Tony. You're quite the gentleman," she said with a smile.

"I try, Helen, but it's difficult."

"All these women throwing themselves at you, I suppose," she said as we walked to the lift.

"Ruth would have everybody think that, but the reality is different."

"She did leave me with that impression. You're a good-looking guy, so it's easy to buy into the legend."

"It's something that makes me uncomfortable, Helen. I like having fun as much as the next bloke, don't get me wrong, but it's not half as exciting as people would think."

We got into the lift, and she stood right beside me. She held her bag up. "I can relax and enjoy my dinner now. I don't know how I forgot to take it with me."

"You were probably excited to meet a legend. It's an easy thing to do," I said, looking at my nails.

She grabbed my arms and held on while we laughed. She held on and turned her face upwards to my face as our lips were drawn to each other's. We kissed softly, without hurry or demand. A quiet and gentle kiss, a light but lingering touch of our lips. Testing each other, hoping for an indication of an intention or ambition, interrupted on the first floor as the doors opened and two other couples joined us on the journey down. I hated those four people for a few moments.

We spent a lovely hour over dinner and retired to the Whiskey Bar for coffee and digestifs. It was a comfortable little snug, harking back to an older time in Ireland of gentleman’s clubs, cigar and pipe tobacco and leather-bound seating. We spent the time testing each others tolerances, and there were a lot of laughs, smiles and even some tears. Helen had relaxed and spoke more than previously. I felt it was time to broaden the conversation. I excused myself and walked to the bathroom. I washed my hands and splashed my face. I returned and sat right by her. I looked into her eyes. We had been talking about marriage as an institution so I asked, “What about your marriage, Helen?”

A cloud passed through her eyes.

“It’s not what I hoped it would be, Tony.”

“In what way?”

“I’m not his princess.”

I took her hand. She looked down at them sitting in her lap.

“Is he your prince?”

“I thought he was, in the beginning.”

“What changed?”

“Me, him, everything. Nothing was good enough.”

“How did it change so quickly, Helen? How long into the marriage was it when you noticed it?”

“The first day, Tony. We had a wonderful wedding. It was everything I’ve wanted since I was a little girl. My prince had come and taken me off on his white steed.”

“It sounds magical, Helen.”

“It was, Tony. Flowers and petals everywhere we walked, champagne, two choirs at the service, a white Cinderella carriage, drawn by two white horses, brought us from the church to the hotel for the wedding banquet. It was the wedding of the year, if not the decade, in Athlone.”

“It sounds expensive.”

“I’m sure it was, Tony, but it was planned that way from the time I could read.”

“Did you wear glass slippers?” I asked as a joke.

“Yes, I had them made specifically for me. He smashed them into smithereens on our wedding night. I never knew he could be so angry.”

“Did you love him then?” I asked.

“After the wedding?”

“In general. Yes, on the morning of your wedding. Did you love him then?”

“I idolised him.”

“That’s not what I asked, Helen.”

“Yes. I did.”

“Do you love him now?”

“Yes, in my heart.”

“Why did he smash your glass slippers?”

“He was in a rage.”

“What happened to put him in that state?”

“It’s embarrassing, Tony.”

“There’s just me here, Helen,” I said as I wiped a single tear from her eye.

“I couldn’t let him see me naked. I was too nervous or shy. I feared that I couldn’t do it.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t realise the complexity of it, Tony. I had made sure that I was a virgin on my wedding night. I’d never been with another man. I was overwhelmed and I panicked.”

“I see. Did you carry it through?”

“Yes, but it was a horrible experience. I cried for hours and words begat words. It drove him into a rage and he smashed the room up, tore my wedding gown apart and smashed my glass slippers.”

“What was it like the next morning when you woke up beside him?”

“I was alone, Tony. I’ve been alone ever since.”

“You don’t sleep in the same bed?”

“We tried a few times but couldn’t follow through. It wasn’t how I expected it to be. It was tawdry, vulgar, everything the opposite to how my prince would treat me. So I made myself unattractive to him, and now he leaves me alone. I think he has other women to service him, but I’m not sure.”

“Did nobody ever talk to either of you about what it would be like?”

“Oh, yes. Our priest gave us hours of guidance beforehand.”

“Priests are celibate, Helen. What would they know about a couple’s intimate physical relationship?”

“They’d know more than I would. I thought it would be romantic, Tony. It wasn’t.”

“Did he know how you dreamt it would be?”

“I told him enough times.”

“What about before the wedding, did you guys never take the opportunity to try anything intimate?”

“Oh, he did, but it was crude, Tony. We never spoke about it. We thought that everything would be fine after the wedding.”

“Did you ever find yourself in an intimate situation with anyone else before or after the wedding?”

“Once or twice before. They just wanted to maul me. It was revolting.”

“Have you ever thought of seeking counselling?”

“He refused that, said it would reflect badly on him.”

She looked straight into my eyes. “Now I’m at my wits end. I don’t know where to go from here.”

“I think you need to educate yourself on the physical side of the relationship.”

“I’ve watched blue movies, I’ve read hundreds of books. Nothing about them are real or romantic. They’re vulgar, crude and the complete opposite of romantic, Tony.”

“Real life isn’t a movie or a fairytale, Helen. Intimacy is a shared experience; both participants must play an active part. Problems arise if one or the other hasn’t gained an understanding of their own or their partner’s needs and desires.”

“But how does one gain that?”

“It can be self-exploration or a shared, candid conversation where the truth is spoken. Then it could thrive or die. It’s worth the time to try, I feel. Do you?”

“Yes. I do.”

“First, though, you need to acquaint yourself with the mechanics of your body and his. How to give each other pleasure and love. You haven’t known that. You haven’t experienced it.”

“I know, it’s probably too late now.”

“It’s not, Helen. You’re a vibrant, romantic, beautiful woman. Any man would fall for you. One man did, he gave you everything, but you don’t know how to return that. I can show you, if you wish.”

“How?”

I took her hand and stood before her. “Let’s go to your room. We can learn together.”

She took her bag in her hand, and we went to her room. She was nervous as we ascended in the lift. She shook slightly and held her arm with her hand to lessen the impact. I took that hand and kissed it, reached around her waist and held her close, resting her head on my shoulder.

In the room, she busied herself hanging clothes and tidying a spotless table. I stopped her and stroked her face. She relaxed somewhat, closing her eyes as my lips touched hers, opening them and softly moving with them, creating an intimacy of shared solitude. I stepped back and looked at her beautiful face.

“Was that ok, Helen?”

“Yes,” she said, and reached for me.

We kissed again. I slowly introduced my tongue to hers, and she reciprocated. Eventually, I allowed her to control the kiss, which she embraced thoroughly. My hands brushed along her exposed shoulders, and she sighed into my mouth.

“Tony, that’s so lovely.”

I kissed along the soft skin of her throat, the warm air from my mouth giving her sensations she had never had previously. Her hands were alive in my hair as I unzipped her dress and slipped it off, leaving her with a white lace strapless bra and white thong with a little pink bow at the waistband. She opened her bra and slipped it from her, exposing her beautiful soft breasts to me. I began to undress as she tried to cover herself with her hands. I held them.

“Don’t hide such magnificent beauty, Helen. Celebrate it, flaunt it. No man can refuse you.”

She smiled and unbuckled my belt. I wasn’t expecting that, but it was a sign of acceptance and need. I stood naked before her and took her in my arms.

“Your skin feel so good against mine, Tony.”

We kissed again, a deeper, longer kiss. She was breathless when we broke it. I pulled the cover back, and she looked into my eyes briefly before removing her thong and sitting on the side of the bed, throwing the cover away and lying down as I joined her.

“Do you want the light off?”

“No, I want to see everything. Don’t hurt me, Tony.”

“I’m just going to love you, Helen.”

I touched her nipple and she jumped a little. My hand brushed her stomach as it sought the touch of her trimmed bush. She purred as I stroked inside her thigh. A soft moan escaped her as my fingers brushed the lips of her labia. I kissed her stomach, and my tongue made a damp trail along it. Her legs parted, and she held onto my hair as I moved my tongue slowly to her vulva. I could sense her nervousness as her legs trembled slightly, unsure what I was about to do. I reassured her by looking into her eyes and offering a little smile before moving my tongue slowly along her exposed pink inner lips. Her hips moved against me, and I heard her groan in pleasure.

I knelt on the floor beside the bed and moved her with me, searching for her clitoris and finding it hard and unexposed. My tongue closed around it and gently encircled it at first, until she felt something that she’d never felt before, the beginning of her first journey to orgasm. I sped up the movement of my tongue over her clitoris and felt her excitement build in the rolling of her hips. A small emission of hot, salty fluid escaped her, and she cried out. Her legs began to shake, and she held onto my head for dear life as she began to approach her limit.

A second, larger, release of fluid accompanied a low scream as her body shook tremulously, giving her an understanding of the power of her own emotions and sexuality. She was in a zone of ecstasy as I inserted my penis slowly inside her. She watched me with open eyes, her lips moving silently against mine, her tongue deep inside my mouth. Her eyes closed as she shook again, holding on to me, her arms keeping me captive as I moved inside her.

“I’m gonna come, Helen.”

“Please don’t stop, Tony.”

I couldn’t help myself as I reached my limit and hit my climax, filling her with my semen as her orgasm triggered once more and we moved together until we were replete.

Still inside her, I stroked her face. “How was that, Helen?”

“My God, it was wonderful, Tony. I never knew it could be like this.”

I slipped out of her and lay beside her, cradling her in my arms. She fell asleep and she was peaceful. I regretted that she belonged to someone else but, for now, she was with me. I’d take care of her and make her better. She snuggled into me, a little lost princess who would become a sensual woman. I felt that she was going to be fine. I kissed her neck, just under her hair, and slowly drifted off.

TBC