I was awoken by the soft touch of a beautiful woman's lips. I opened my eyes.

“Hi Helen, that's not fair," I whispered.

"What isn't?"

"You wake up and still look like a fashion model."

"You're very good for me, Tony," she whispered, and kissed me tenderly.

"Did you enjoy last night?"

"Oh my, it was another world. It was everything, Tony. Romantic, sensual, intimate, so intimate. I never would have even imagined it."

"Would you like to do it again"

"Yes. When?"

"Let me check my diary."

She looked confused, until I took her in my arms and kissed her.

"You take the lead, Helen. I'll guide you along."

"Thanks. You're so special, would you like me to shower first?"

"That's purely up to you, you're in charge this time."

"I'll do that, if you don't mind, I also want to experience walking around in front of you, naked."

"Oh Jesus. Hurry back, you're not that dirty, yet"

She disappeared into the bathroom so I joined her in the shower. She smiled when I stepped into the huge stall.

“It’s better if we’re both clean, Helen,” I said, as I squirted some soap on to my hand.

We lathered each other up and dried each other off and I left her to do her thing while I got back in bed. I checked the time on my phone. 1:17. We’d slept for under two hours. She joined me a few minutes later.

“Hi gorgeous,” I said.

“Hold me, Tony.”

I lay on my back as we cuddled. Her hand wandered around over my chest and stomach, gently making large circles. She lifted her head slightly to see into my eyes.

“Can I touch you down there?”

“You mean my penis?”

“Yes.”

“Of course.”

Her hand moved lower and stroked me gently.

“What are you planning to do with that, Helen?”

“Just stroke it like this.”

“You do know that you’re driving me crazy?”

“Show me what to do.”

“Would you like to take it in your mouth?”

“Oh, I’m not sure. Is that what you like?”

“Most men do, Helen. Try it and see if you like it first and if not, then I’ll show you more.”

She moved her head lower and slowly enveloped the head of my penis in her mouth. I whispered directions to her and she followed them implicitly. I lifted her away and pulled her to me. We kissed deeply and intimately.

“Was it no good?” she asked,

“It was very good. I was about to come, I didn’t want to finish for fear it made you feel uncomfortable.”

“I’d like to try it. I really enjoyed taking it in my mouth, I felt a special connection to you.”

“Ok, you can take me all the way, Helen. You can decide whether to have me come in your mouth or not. I won’t mind either way. All I’ll say is that it’s very low in fat and doesn’t taste bad. I’ll tell you when I’m about to come, but you’ll probably know in any case.”

“Is there anything else I could do that you like?”

“Men sometimes like it when you cup their scrotum with your hand or take a testicle in your mouth,”

Her hand took my scrotum and held it gently, as though testing its weight. I groaned in pleasure.

“Oh God, Helen, that feels fantastic.”

Her lips surrounded the tip and slid over it to envelop the head. She was on her knees as she began gentle motions taking me in and out between her lips. She held me inside and cupped my scrotum as her tongue explored the head of my penis, driving me wild. She moved lower, taking more of me in her mouth until it was completely full.

I was in heaven as I felt my climax approach.

“I’m gonna come, love.”

She closed her lips tightly around me and held my shaft in her hand as my semen released into her delicious mouth. She lost most of it but swallowed some, the remainder finding a home on my stomach.

“Sorry, Helen.”

“I liked it, Tony. It doesn’t have a bad taste. Can I lick it off your stomach for you?”

“Of course, you’re in charge at the moment.”

She cleaned me up with her tongue and then did the same with my penis.

“I could get to like that, Tony.”

“I think that, with a little practice, you’ll be world class at that, Helen.”

She was delighted.

“Really? Is it not a very sluttish thing to do?”

“Do you feel sluttish?”

“Actually, no. Amazingly enough, it feels right. Intimate. Do I have to swallow it every time?”

“No. What did they do in those movies you watched?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t watch all the way through.”

“Well you can keep tissues by the bed and let him come in that, with proper timing, or you can just spit it out.”

“Do you want to try something else along the same theme?” I asked.

“Yes. What is it!”

“It’s called a 69. Have you heard of it?”

“Yes, I haven’t exactly lived under a bush, Tony.”

“Ok, bring your hips to me and straddle my face. You can take me in your mouth from there and I’ll reciprocate.”

She positioned herself over me and I eased her hips to a place where my tongue could reach her vulva. She bent forward, took my penis in her hand and slid it between her lips. It felt fantastic.

Her vulva was soaked as my fingers touched her softly. She made a slight moaning sound as my tongue lapped at her vaginal opening, increasing in volume and eroticism as it entered her vagina. My hands caressed her bum and held her to me as my tongue found her aroused clitoris and stimulated her with soft and hard flicks and soft massage.

Her oral motions increased in pace, keeping time with her hip movements as she groaned constantly, her arousal heightening moment by moment, quickly taking her to her peak. She lifted her head as her body shook and she attempted to break free but I held her tightly, needing her to reach her zenith. A slow stream of viscous fluid dripped onto my tongue just before a larger deluge covered my face in a musky emission. She breathed in gasps and eventually she lost all control as she sat right up and screamed, before falling forward on top of me.

I rolled her on her back. She had a look of shock on her face, needing succour in my arms, requiring the reassurance of my touch. We held each other until her senses returned. She kissed me ravenously, her tongue demanding mine.

“I want you inside me, Tony. Please, I need you.”

I slipped between her legs and she brought me inside. I kept my movements slow and long, she moved against me, seeking something more. I increased my tempo and the strength of my thrusts. Her hips moved in time with mine as our longing and desire build to a crescendo of ecstasy, joined in a precisely simultaneous peak of orgasm which drained us of everything but the fulfilment of a shared intimacy.

As she settled, she was like a sexy little kitten curled up against me.

“I hate having to leave today, Tony.”

“I know what you mean, let’s not think about that, Helen.”

“You consume my thoughts.”

“This is the beginning of a voyage of discovery for you. You will refine your techniques to suit your husband’s, Helen. I suggest you let him do what he does and then subtly move him in your direction if it doesn’t quite work for you.”

“I think I can manage that.”

“Despite what your priest said, you two need to communicate more. If you want him to tease your vagina with his tongue or fingers, you have to use the words. You have a beautiful vagina and he has a penis. Those are the words to use.”

“I can see that now.”

“I’ll leave here this morning with my heart full and safe in the knowledge that you’ve got the capacity to turn your marriage around on your terms. That’s a huge achievement for you, Helen.”

“Thank you, Tony. Is it wrong to say that I love you?”

“No, Helen, I love you too. Very much. I always will.”

“Will we meet again?”

“If things go as I expect, we won’t need to.”

“Will I send you updates?”

“It’s wiser not to, but please do send them to Ruth and ask her to keep me appraised.”

“I will. I’ll never be able to repay you.”

“Seeing you like this is worth its weight in gold, Helen. I’m so happy to have spent this time with you.”

I looked at the time, it was 4:30 exactly. We kissed and dozed off in each other’s arms and when she awoke, I was gone.

At 8:00 I parked outside the house and met my mother as she was going to catch a bus. She winked at me and I started to laugh,

“What’s with this winking business?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s impossible to keep up with you, so I’m just enjoying the show,” she said.

“Ok. Where are you off to?”

“Out.”

“Out where?”

“You don’t like it when I do it, do you, Anthony?”

“Oh, I see. You’re being a brat.”

“Charming.”

“I’ll see you later then.”

“No work today?”

“Yes, I’m going out to Blanchardstown to check out a site on my way in.”

“Will you be honouring us with your presence tonight?”

“At some point.”

“Ah, Jesus, Anthony. How many do you have on the go at the same time?”

“Just a couple, it’s the modern way, Mam.”

I showered and changed. For breakfast, I had a slice of toast and a cup of tea with a cigarette for company. The house was silent and my head was full with thoughts of Helen. I was drinking tea and playing with my phone when a text came in. I opened it. Clodagh.

"Hey, what time tonight?"

"Early, 6:30 / 7:00"

"Grand. See you then."

I finished my tea and drove out to the HEFT site. On the way, Peter called,

"Hi, Peter."

"Aw, did you not get your end away last night?"

"Several times actually and a couple this morning."

"No wonder you sound tired."

"It's been a hard week."

"Come over to the house tonight and we'll kick back a bit."

"I'm off out to HEFT central, I'll take it easy out here. Tonight is Clodagh."

"Cold Hag herself. Will you be toasting it to warm it up?"

"Hopefully I won't have to."

"What are you doing out at HEFT?"

"I'm GPSing it for you. before I go away."

"You're a wise and thoughtful young man."

"I'll get it to IT in the morning, if you can organise a pick up."

"It's done, I'm gonna send you a draft of the ground floor plan. Take a look and see what you think."

"I will, what are you thinking?"

"I don't know what to think. Should we voice our concerns?"

"I don't particularly care either way, Peter. It's their problem, not ours. We can only do what they request."

"I know."

"What's in them now?"

"I'm guessing a bedroom, a kind of kitchen cum sitting / reception room, bathroom and a small room that would just about hold a small bed."

I reached the site entrance and was about to end the call when I spotted Ken Tierney standing in the centre of the site beside a black Golf GTI. He was leaning into the driver's window and holding a conversation with the driver.

"I just got here, Peter. You'll never guess, The Undertaker is in the middle of the site talking to a Golf GTI."

"He's a man outstanding in his field, Tony. If he can't, nobody can."

I clicked the call off and drove in through the gate. Ken spotted me and said something to the driver of the Golf and it took off like a bat out of hell, around the perimeter of the site and out through the gate in a cloud of smoke, dust and gravel.

I pulled up beside Ken.

“Michael Schumacher was in an awful hurry to avoid me there, Ken.”

He laughed.

“You’re early, Tony. Couldn’t sleep?”

“Too much stuff in my head, Ken, so I thought I’d get out early and get these GPS coordinates plotted so Peter can get working on the next phase.”

“Which phase is that, Tony?”

“The ‘grabbing the contractors by the balls’ phase.”

“I have some stuff in the car for you, Tony. Do you want to walk with me?”

We headed over to his car where he leaned in and took out a large brown envelope and handed it to me.

“What’s this, Ken?”

“Keys to the apartment in Galway and all of the local contacts you need in case of emergency. You can also call me directly if you need to.”

“Thanks, Ken.”

“I’ll also need some way of getting a float to you for emergency incidentals. Do you have Revolut?”

“Yes.”

“Great, that makes it easy. I’ll have accounts send you a €1,000 float, make sure you get receipts for anything you spend, we’ll top it up as you use it.”

“Great.”

“There’s also a fuel card and rental documents for the car. You're insured as the named driver on a comprehensive policy. All of the relevant documents are included. I think we’ve covered everything, if not just give me a nudge.”

“I will. I’ll stay in touch with base and keep an eye on everything. How’s the extra funding coming along?”

“We’re talking to a couple of sources, but we’re considering divesting ourselves of some property assets to lessen the facility required. We’ll get it without difficulty.”

“That’s great, so can we get the contract signed before I get away? I’d like to have that tidied up as soon as possible.”

“Tomorrow at 10:00?”

“Perfect. I’ll get the wheels moving on our end.”

Ken left me alone and I set up the first of our GPS markers. It was a long process, simply because of the scale of the development but it was enjoyable, nonetheless. When I was finished I took a whack of photos and stood back to admire my work. I smiled, we had got this design and layout nailed. I could visualise traffic and access points in relation to my stakes and I was loathe to leave it but I had no choice. I was packing the tools away in the van when my phone rang. It was Chloe.

"Hey there, gorgeous," I said, "I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Are you serious? I have to stop myself calling you every five minutes in case I annoy you."

"What do you need?"

"You. Now. Yesterday. Tomorrow."

"So you're not too sure."

"Ha ha funny. When are you off to Galway?"

"Saturday morning."

"Can I come with you? I'll get the train back with my student pass."

"Do you get free travel on your student pass?"

"Duh! Of course."

"That'd be quite nice, Chloe. Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"How will you slide it past your parents?"

"Tony, I'm twenty now, they can't stop me. I can even drive to Galway if I want. I have my own car."

"Ok, if you're up for it. It might be fun. You can help me to move in."

"Oh yeah, good one, Tony."

"I'm serious, Chloe."

"Well maybe I'll leave it until next week. I can get the train down and back."

I laughed, she was a lazy little cow.

"Ok, princess. Keep in touch and let me know what you're doing."

"I will. I'll text you the train times, will you meet me at the station?"

"I can't wait."

We hung up. The phone rang again. Cadden.

"Tony, are you still on site?"

"I'm just packing up now."

"Good. Will you do me a huge favour please?"

"I'll try, what do you need?"

"I sent a land works contractor out to Ruth James' house last week. He was supposed to dig a drain across the junction of where the planned new house is going and the near side of the driveway on that side. Can you go out there on your way in tomorrow and take a few pictures for me please? Will you also check that it's in the correct place? I'll send you a sketch to your phone for comparison."

"I'll do that, do you need to tell Mrs. James that I'm heading out there?"

"No, we can't be doing that at every hand's turn. She's just going to have to get used to someone dropping by occasionally. While I have you, I also need you to drop into a job in Cabra today."

"Ok. What is it?"

"Our tender for the City Council work was decided at the City Council meeting last night and we were number one."

"Excellent. That's a huge win."

"Yes, it is, Tony. You did some great work in the background on that."

"I didn't do that much, really. Just a few little arguments with idiots."

"Maybe so. The official start date is in eight week's time but they need us, or you, to be more precise, to kick a few arses in the contractor's office. This is the first job and it's not part of the tender so we’re on full rate scale."

"Ok. Who's the contractor?"

"Dennison Civil Engineering in Tallaght, I've never heard of them. I'll text you the number and a contact name."

"Great, anything else?"

"I might need you to work on a bit of this stuff while your in Galway. I'm not kidding, Tony, this is coming at the worst possible time for us."

"I didn't ask for it, Mr. Cadden."

"I know but, what's done is done."

"Ok, text me that information and I'll get my own arse in gear."

I heard the text ding as I pulled out onto the Snugborough Road. I called the number and was greeted by a lively young female voice. My contact was a chap called, Alan Smullen.

"Hi," I said, "my name is Tony Harris from Cadden Architectural. Are you Alan Smullen?"

"No, I'm Lisa, good afternoon. Do I sound like a man?"

"What does someone who likes a man sound like, Lisa?"

"No, I said ..."

"Yes, I'm just yanking your chain."

"Alan is not in the office at the moment, can I have him call you?"

"No, it's urgent. Can you give me his mobile number?"

"I could, if you know the code word."

A girl with a bit of spirit. I immediately liked her.

"How many questions am I allowed?"

"None."

"That's not fair."

"I know. It's the only bit of power I have around here."

"I'd imagine you have more power than you think, Lisa."

"How?"

"I'll have to tell you another time. I'm about to hit the Ratoath Road and I'll be at the site in two minutes."

"Alan is over there meeting the subcontractor for the job."

"Thanks. I hope to speak with you again, Lisa, you're good fun."

"I have your number now, so you probably will soon enough, Tony."

"I look forward to it."

I pulled up outside the entrance to the site. It was three blocks of studio apartments for senior citizens that were being upgraded to perform better on energy loss. The man I assumed was Alan was remonstrating with a gormless looking bloke out in front of the building, in plain sight of every passer by. The site was an absolute mess, with materials strewn everywhere and the lawns torn up with tyre tracks caused by excavators and other construction vehicles. I walked in, having changed my footwear, and approached the two lads.

"Hi lads, I'm looking for Alan Smullen from Dennison Civil."

"I'm, Alan," the shorter of the two said, and held out his hand.

I shook it.

"Tony Harris from Cadden Architectural," I said, "and who is this?"

"Joey Navan, our subbie on the job."

"How do you mean, subbie?"

"We subcontract out most of our work, Tony,” he said, “Joey, here, is one of them."

"Oh, ok. I wasn't aware that was a thing in the Council."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me."

"Sorry, it's allowed. There's so much work that no one contractor can't handle it all."

"True, but there's a tender framework with over fourteen other contractors who could share the burden, as outlined in the framework procurement document. No disrespect to you, or Joey here, but as I look around from outside the fence it looks like a five year old spilled his porridge, threw half at the wall and then shat in it."

"We had a week of rain, Tony."

"When?"

"Just last week."

"With the greatest respect, Alan, I've never seen a site in such a mess in my life. My first call when I leave here is to our HSA consultant. When this dries out those ruts would break a fellow's ankle."

"I'll sort it out, Tony. Don't worry."

"Is it not Joey's job to sort out?"

"Technically, yes. But it falls on my shoulders too."

"Ok. Would it be ok if I walked the job with Joey, to get some sense of where we are?"

"Of course, but why?

"Oh, did I not say? We're assuming control of the completion of this project. Something must have happened internally, so we were brought in to oversee it."

"We don't work that way around here, Tony." Joey piped up, in a broad middle Ireland knacker accent.

"You don't seem to work in any way that is described in the Construction Industry Manual, Joey, no offence. The site is a bomb site not a building site."

"Ah, I've seen worse."

"Well, luckily, I'm here now to help you. Now take me around the job."

We walked inside the first block of twelve units, six on each floor. Alan was worried so he tagged along. I walked in to the end unit on the ground floor. It was an absolute disgrace. I walked out again and stood looking at it for a while. The two morons watched me as I did so. I shook my head and looked down at my feet.

"Ok, lads. I don't know very much about this job because it was literally just dropped on me. Joey, as the contractor of note, I need all of your credentials, safety files and indemnity cover notes on my desk by this time tomorrow. Alan, I want all of Dennison's indemnity cover and safety files too. Joey, I need a full breakdown of employee numbers, subcontractors that you employ, along with their paperwork, insurance and maintenance logs for all of this machinery and a full list of hand and power tools and their voltages. I'll also need a full medical report from the accident log along with the actual accident log itself."

"Tony, we'll never get that to you by tomorrow. That's a week of work alone."

"Let me put it this way, Alan. If I don't have it on my desk at 4.00 tomorrow, I'll shut you down at 5:00 and I'll put the lock on the gate myself. Now I'm going to get my camera and take a few pictures, the lads in the office won't believe this mess."

I turned around to walk away and saw a scaffolding hire truck reversing in. Joey excused himself and shouted at the driver from twenty feet away that he wanted it just inside the gate. I walked over to him and stood beside him.

"What's wrong now?" he sneered.

I decided, then and there, to fuck him.

"You didn't ask for his engineering certificate. You're supposed to get that every time a scaffold is delivered. You also need the names of the operatives who are erecting it and their certificates of training. You also need an ambient thermometer, along with a current calibration certificate, and a safety tag signed by the safety officer that you designated for this job. You haven't done that, so go and do it now."

"Ah for fuck's sake," he muttered under his breath.

"One other thing, Joey," I said with a smile.

"What?"

"I don't see any ladders or planks on the truck. That's an incomplete scaffold so it has to go away until it's complete. I don't make the rules, Joey, I just make sure they're observed to the fucking letter."

"Will you give us a break? They probably don't fit on the truck, Tony."

"Get a bigger truck then."

I changed my footwear and got into the van. I called Cadden.

“Hi, Mr. Cadden, I’m just leaving the Cabra job now.”

“How did it look?”

“It’s a disaster, to put it mildly,” I laid it out for him.

“How do you want to handle it?”

“I think we need a quick, sharp follow up to focus their minds. They think they can get the finishing deadline pushed back but we have to let them know that there’s a penalty clause in place.”

“What do you suggest?”

“I think we need to notify all concerned that a full site inspection will take place on Friday at 8:00, the place must be cleaned and made safe for access and egress and all relevant personnel must be present at the risk of penalty.”

“Who’s taking this meeting?”

“Me.”

“On your own?”

“I might drag Peter into it.”

He laughed.

“I feel sorry for them. I’ll notify everyone in the most serious terms possible. I’ll put you down as the contact.”

“Fine by me.”

I drove away from the gate and aimed the van at the road to home. I was tired and hungry so I stopped off at a café in Cabra, not far from the site I’d just left. My intention was to get a coffee and a sandwich and consume it as I drove home. The café was a nice little place, not long in business by the looks of it. Parking outside was plentiful and it was easy. I parked outside and went inside.

“Hi, good afternoon,” a young Asian girl greeted me, “do you need a table?”

I decided that I’d take advantage of the relative peace and took her up on the offer. She told me to sit wherever I liked, I chose a table for two in the middle of a row against the wall. I placed my phone on the table and noticed a few messages. They were mostly work related so I scanned them quickly. There were a few other, more personal, messages that I chose to read recreationally. One that intrigued me was from Aisling,

"Am I coming in Galway on Saturday, or on the way down?"

I laughed silently as, Marie, the waitress arrived at the table. I quickly put the phone down and looked at the menu she had left a few minutes beforehand.

"Sorry, I was distracted there for a sec, Marie," I said, and quickly scanned the menu.

"That's grand," she said, and nodded at the phone screen, "that makes two of us then."

"Oh, don't mind her, she's winding me up. Can I get a coffee and a chicken salad sandwich please?"

"Thanks, I'll be a few minutes."

I replied to Aisling,

"Why limit yourself?"

The phone rang just as I sent the text. It was Ruth,

"Hi Ruth, you might save me a trip."

"Hi, Tony, how so?" she said.

"Mr. Cadden wants me to take a look at some excavations that were to have been completed at your house. Are they completed? Or even started?"

"Oh, I wasn't going to have that machine ruining my gardens until the New Year. I told them to go away until further notice."

"Wise move. Thanks for that, now what can I do for you?"

"You've done more than enough for me, Tony. The purpose of my call was to thank you for taking an interest in Helen. She told me everything and, honestly, you've worked a minor miracle. She has regained her effervescence and her drive. I just hope that her husband embraces the new Helen. So thank you, so much. I knew we had chosen well."

"I'm delighted to hear that, Ruth, but it really was a pleasure. Helen is a fantastic lady."

"We know, but I must make haste. I assume well talk in the New Year."

We hung up just as Marie returned with my food.

"Thanks, Marie, it looks like you're having a slow afternoon."

"It was very busy this morning, so I'll take the easy afternoon any time."

A text dinged my phone. Marie smiled and folded her arms. I looked at her curiously.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm interested in the next installment," she said nodding in the direction of my phone.

"It's probably just more filth, Marie. A nice girl like you shouldn't be contaminated by stuff like that. I should really delete it before it infects my brain."

"I bet you wont."

"I know, I'm a sad example of the stereotypical male, unfortunately."

"Do you want me to hold your hand while you open it?" she asked, a smirk forming around her mouth.

"Unless there's something else you'd prefer to hold," I said, copying her smirk.

"What are the options?"

"You can use your imagination, Marie."

"I'll go with your hand. If you tell me your name."

"Sorry, it's Tony, Tony Harris."

She shook my hand and didn't let go.

"I like to think myself a chivalrous person, who observes the proprieties of the male / female relationship dynamic, Marie. In polite company when we are properly introduced a welcome kiss should be exchanged, do you not agree?" She was a very pretty girl, so I figured it was worth a shot.

She thought about it as she stared right at me, calculating her response. She looked over her shoulder, leaned over and kissed me on the lips.

"Thank you, Marie. That was wonderful. You've made my day."

"Your turn to make my day," she said, "open that text, for God's sake!"

I smiled at her as I picked up my phone. She came and stood over my shoulder. I opened the text. It was from Chloe, a picture of her messed up bed from our first night together.

"When are we going to do this again, loverrrr," it read.

"Jesus Christ!," Marie said.

"Soon, my dear. Real soon," I replied.

An emoji of an aubergine was her reply. Marie wasn't, in fairness to her, the least bit phased. She smiled and then laughed.

"One of you must be very lucky, Tony."

"Oh I'm the lucky one, Marie."

"I sincerely doubt that. Will you be back this way again?"

"We're starting a job down the road soon, so I most likely will be."

"I'll keep an eye out for you, unless you drink around here?"

"I don't think I've ever been on a pub around here, Marie. We usually drink in the Baggot Inn."

"Are you from over that side?"

"No, I'm from Kilmore West, I work over that way."

"We usually drink in The Brian Boru on a Friday night. If you're ever there look out for me."

"I will, Marie. Same if you ever venture over to The Baggot Inn of a Saturday night."

She touched my shoulder and smiled before walking away slowly. I had some paperwork to catch up on so I chose to bring it home with me and work from there for the evening. At 5:30 I took a shower and changed clothes, I arrived at Clodagh's apartment after stopping to pick up a bottle of wine and some Lir chocolates, at close to 6:30. I parked outside and knocked on the door. She opened the door with a smile on her face that was infectious and welcoming.

She looked fantastic in a teal linen shirt dress, buttoned down the front and tied with a soft belt across her middle. Her blonde hair was fluffed out and untamed but it was just perfect as it blended with her entire look. She wore little makeup and her lips beckoned me, highlighted in a dark red, almost wine colour. she reached for me and I took her hand with a smile and a nervous stomach. I stepped through the door and she embraced me.

"Hi," she whispered, and offered her lips to mine.

We kissed sweetly, a reminder of our previous moment together. She held my hand and led me to her sitting room. I handed her the wine and chocolate and she held them to her breast.

“You’re so nice, Tony. Thank you,” she whispered, almost shyly.

“You look beautiful, Clodagh, your dress is perfect on you.”

“This old thing? I have it a while but don’t get much chance to wear it.”

She looked at the wine.

“This must be expensive, I’ve never heard of it before,” she said.

“It wasn’t cheap, that’s for sure, Clodagh. It was nearly €5 a litre.”

She laughed and slapped my upper arm.

“Is Jamie not around tonight?” I asked.

“No, he’s at my Mams. She’s taking him to see a movie. I told her that I met you in the Sheaf. She thought you had emigrated. Did you go away for a while?”

“No, I don’t know where she’d have got that idea from. I haven’t been around the area much since I started working on the south side. It’s an odd reaction to see when I go to the Sheaf, it makes me understand why lepers feel self-conscious.”

“It’s not that bad, surely.”

“Maybe not, but odd nonetheless”

The doorbell rang and she jumped out of her chair.

“I ordered a Chinese. I won’t be a second.”

There was a round dining table in an alcove off the room I was in. It had a candle, the same colour as her lipstick, in a glass holder, in the centre and was set for two people. I noticed that her place was spotless. She rushed back in carrying a bag of food.

“Sorry about all this, Tony. He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.”

I walked over and took the bag out of her hands. I placed it on the table and took her in my arms.

“Relax, love, calm down. We’ve all night.”

“I want everything to be right, Tony.”

“Everything is perfect, Clodagh. Here, you sit and I’ll dish this up. You’ve done enough for tonight.”

We didn’t sit across the table from each other, I pulled our chairs together and we chatted away about stuff and people we knew. We fed each other slowly and I discovered that she had a sexy way of eating off a fork that made her laugh when I mentioned it. After dinner I sat on the couch and she lay down with her head in my lap.

My fingers played with her hair and stroked under her throat and her cheek. She closed her eyes and held my hand as I touched her skin.

“Remember when we were kids, Tony, you used make up little stories all the time.”

“Yes. I had little else to do all day.”

“No, they were lovely. I remember one about a fairy squirrel.”

“Yes, I recall that. Cyril the squirrel. I called him after Mr. Carey, the science teacher.”

“Yeah, he had a ginger wig.”

“Probably had ginger pubes too,”

“Pubes are overrated,” Clodagh said.

“Yours aren’t.”

“How can you say that without kissing me?”

“Do you want me to kiss you?”

“More than nearly anything.”

“Nearly?”

“Oh there’s quite a bit more I’d rather, but kissing me is what I’d like right now.”

I bent to kiss her.

“Hang on there Ms. Murray. What did you mean by overrated.”

“You’ll find out,” she giggled.

“Whisper it in my ear.”

“I’ll whisper it in your mouth.”

Our lips hovered closer together as she whispered, “You’ll have to wait.”

“You’ll have to wait for your kiss then.”

“I can wait.”

“Can I guess?”

“You can, but there’s no law that says I have to answer.”

“You shaved, didn’t you?”

“I had to.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve got new lingerie and shaving became necessary. I quite like the feeling of freedom actually.”

“Don’t go off on a tangent. Rewind that.”

“I got new lingerie,” she whispered, as she rose up from my lap, “just for you, Tony Harris.”

“Jesus. Can I see it?”

“You were always a closet upskirter, weren’t you?”

“Don’t change the subject,” I said, as my hand slid along her inner thigh.

She sat astride my lap. Her lips found mine and she brought them on a trip to Venus. Our tongues were enmeshed, her hands ran through my hair and down the back of my head as the kiss became deeper with more longing and desire. I opened the top three buttons of her dress. She sat up with an air of aroused grogginess about her.

“Not here, Tony.”

She dismounted me and took me by the hand to her bedroom, lit entirely by unscented candles in glass jars. She opened the rest of the buttons on her dress and told me to undress. She then looked into my eyes and placed one end of the belt, that held her dress closed, in my hand.

I kissed her then. It was a romantic kiss, subtle in its gentle caress. Her sigh told me everything, her response spoke every word she was thinking. I eased the belt open and her dress slipped from her of its own volition. Her skin was an overpowering and sensual feeling. Soft and smooth and beautiful as it attached itself to mine. We became lost in the feeling, forgetting everything but that which mattered to us at that exact moment.

My hands dropped to her bum, there was a wispy piece of soft lace under my fingers as I held her buttocks in my hands and rhythmically kneaded them as softly as I could. I was shaking with arousal as she took a brief step backwards to reveal a lace bra and frilly thong that matched her lips in colour.

“Jesus, Clodagh. That’s unbelievably sexy.”

She reached behind her and opened her bra. It fell seductively from her body.

“You’ll have to do the rest yourself, Tony. I bought them for you.”

She slipped into bed and I followed her quickly. It was almost impossible to restrain myself but I wanted to make this last. We kissed and, as we kissed, my hand floated over her beautiful breasts, tweaking her nipples and rolling them between my thumb and forefinger. She was moaning deep within her chest as my hand slid downward, lower and lower, stopping along the way to touch her navel and a little bump at the bottom of her stomach, just above her Mons Veneris.

I flirted with the frills along the waistband of her thong, slowly sliding my fingers under it and along her skin. I took it away and slid it under the side of the front triangle, testing the shaved skin for the first time. She groaned as my little finger dipped between the lips of her labia, lips that had been covered with soft pubic hair until recently. I could sense her arousal as I gently separated her thong from her vulva, Slowly easing it away from her skin, down over her hips and off her body completely.

“Oh my God,” she whispered breathlessly, “I think I just came.”

My hand slid between her thighs, avoiding the touch of her vulva as her hips sought its presence. I slid my shoulders between her thighs, opening her legs wider. My hands held the back of her legs as my thumps separated the lips of her labia, opening her up to me completely. Her body squirmed and jerked as she screamed for completion, for contact and intimacy.

Her hips rose and fell at a greater pace as her vulva sought my tongue. A clear viscous fluid oozed from her vagina and my tongue couldn’t resist it. At the first touch she shrieked and released a deluge of warm salty, musky liquid from her vagina. It was delicious to taste, heavenly to inhale. Her thighs shook violently as her stomach muscles clenched, slamming shut and holding me in a death grip, allowing me no further movement.

I had never experienced such a strong orgasm from a woman, the sheer force of it, as it rocketed through her, caused me concern. It broke in waves through her body and she undulated in ecstatic eroticism through its entirety.

She eventually calmed enough for me to take her in my arms and hold her as she settled back down. Her lips took mine and she pulled me in to her with her arms around my neck. She took my tongue into her mouth and kept a strong suction to hold it there. She eventually broke with a huge sigh and rolled on her back, pulling me with her.

“I’m very tender, Tony, but I need to feel you inside me. Please take it slow,” she almost begged.

“Give it some time, Clodagh.”

“I can’t. You’ve got me so aroused I can’t think straight.”

“Let’s try something first.”

She looked at me through suspicious eyes, knowing that the last thing I’d do is hurt her. She trusted me enough to go with me as I rolled on my back and let her ease herself down on to my penis. When I was as deep inside her as I could get she placed her head on my chest and we just lay there in the candlelight, our breath mingling and our hearts beating in time.

“You’re in control, Clodagh.”

She kissed my chest, my throat and my lips.

“You’re the best lover I’ve ever had, Tony.”

“You’re the sexiest, most sensual woman I’ve ever been with, Clodagh. How are you doing now?”

She slid her vagina along my penis, paused and slid it back again.

“I’m tingling, Tony. It’s not as strong, though.”

“Take your time.”

“Tell me one of your stories, remember the way we all listened to them at the back of the Five Star?”

“I’ll try. I don’t know if I still can.”

“Give it a go, Tony. There’s only us here.”

“Ok, but don’t judge me.”

“Oh I’ll fucking judge you if you pull another Cyril the Squirrel stunt.”

“What about his sister, Meryl.”

“A bit of a reach.”

“Says the woman who is impaled upon my penis.”

“Very nice it is too.”

“I’m happy to be of service.”

“And why wouldn’t you be? If this got around….”

“Are you gonna tell everyone?”

“Fucking sure I am. Tony Harris’ cock was inside me for a whole two hours? It’s my right of passage.”

“It’s nowhere near two hours, Clodagh.”

“It’ll be four by the time I’m finished telling it.”

We tittered childishly.

“Now tell me a story, baby.”

She laid her head back on my chest.

“Ok. A long time ago there was a group of children living in a forest on the edge of a town. They had no parents or siblings and nobody knew where they came from, yet they were self supporting and kept their compound in the forest clean and tidy.

They foraged for food behind the markets in the town, often eating rotting fruit and vegetables. For entertainment, they sat around the fire and told tales of valour, romance, love and war. These tales became their folklore and their dreams or nightmares.

One shy little boy sat at the back and listened. He watched as the seanchaíche breathed life into their stories with subtle hand and face movements and expressions. He longed to have the dexterity and strength to speak in public, the stories that swam through his head. His favourite seanchaí was the fair-haired maiden of his dreams. She spoke lyrically, with words of love and of strength. She painted pictures of Tír na Nóg, where children frolicked and sang. Where the rivers flowed with milk and honey and a rainbow hung in the sky.

The boy was desperately in love with her, but could never speak his love, so he lived his life and watched, as her every suitor stole some of her spirit and took it away to display as a trophy, somewhere in their dark, black hearts.

As time wore on, his ardour cooled and he left his world behind, travelling into the city to make a place for himself. He worked hard and made his name. Four long years of toil passed and his thoughts returned to the forest.

His life was busy and he had put childhood things aside. One day, however, he chanced upon a fair-haired maiden in an ostelry by the side of the highway, in a small gathering of abodes by a river near a forest. He paid her no mind as he sipped ale from a tankard.

His thoughts were of multitudinous things, things of import and substance, and his focus was fast and pure. He didn’t sense a presence behind him as he sipped his drink. He barely felt the touch, as someone tapped him on the shoulder. He felt no sense of recognition as the woman opened her mouth to speak. She spoke three words that rocked him to his core, her voice plunging him back into the forest of his childhood. The translucent beauty of the woman before him suddenly a child in his eyes.

Three little words was all it took for him to remember.”

“What were the three words, Tony.”

“Tony? Tony Harris?”

Her head lifted slightly, no more than an inch. A brief realisation dawned in her mind, she lifted herself slightly on her hands. She was looking directly into my eyes.

“Was that for me? About me? Us? As kids?”

“Anyone can take any meaning from anything, Clodagh.”

“Hold on. Let me think for a second. I said almost those exact words to you when we met in the Sheaf.”

“Not almost, Clodagh.”

“You made up a story for me? About me?”

“You asked. Was it any good?”

“It was beyond good. Wait!”

“What?”

“You’re the little boy aren’t you?”

“I suppose.”

“You were desperately in love with me?”

“Desperately might be too …”

“You can’t take it back now.”

“To me, at the time, yes, I was desperately, hopelessly, in love with you.”

“I never knew, Tony, I never knew.”

“I know, love. It was enough for me that I knew.”

She kissed me with all the love inside her. All semblance of pretence vanished as we descended into our feelings from the past. She began to move slowly against me, taking charge of our lovemaking, pulling me along, slowly and effortlessly. My hands held her bum in place as she gyrated slowly around my penis, grinding her pubic bone against mine. I began to offer some slight movement inside her as her breathing deepened and faltered, soft, high-pitched sounds assailed my ears. A groan of pleasure built sensuously in the base of her throat as her hips worked faster and harder.

“Oh my good God, Tony.”

I began to meet her tempo, driving both of us to our peak of tolerance. A piercing scream shattered the silence of the room as the throes of ecstasy overcame her.

My penis, seeking the pent-up release that my body craved, continued thrusting deep inside her, causing a stream of expletives as she returned to another powerful orgasm. Mine hit a short while later, another of hers shortly after.

She drifted into a light sleep and I gently turned her on her back and covered her naked body with the bedclothes. I sat up to leave the bed when her hand pulled me back in beside her.

“Please stay, Tony.”

“I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“I have to sleep, love. When I wake up, you’d better be the first thing I see.”

“Come here and sleep in my arms,”

“Mmmm. Thank you.”

We drifted off to sleep together and woke in almost the same position the next morning at 6:30.

“Morning,” I said, as she blinked to life.

“What time is it, Tony?”

“A little before 10:00.”

“Fuck. I’m dead late. They’ll fucking fire me,” she said, as she leapt from the bed.

She looked at me as I watched her naked body shimmer in the morning light.

“It’s not, is it? You little bastard.”

“Somewhere in the world, it is.”

“What time is it in this part of the world?”

I showed her the time on my phone.

“Good, we have time.”

“For what?”

“This,” she said through hooded eyes, as she reached for my penis.

We made beautiful love for an hour, showered, dressed and had tea and toast for breakfast. I picked up my keys and she threw her arms around me. I kissed her and she smiled.

“That was a beautiful night, Tony,” she said softly, “when are you away to Galway?”

“Tomorrow.”

“When will I see you again?”

“I’ll be home most weekends. I’ll have a car so I can have Friday nights here too.”

“That’ll have to do, for a bit.”

“Do you want a lift to work?”

“No, I’d better collect Jamie from my Mam’s.”

“Ok, kiss me and I’ll be on my way.”

I drove to work and visualised the mountain of work I had to undertake over the last two days of the week. In my naiveté, I had imagined being able to take a half day off the next day, but was I starting to feel a little overwhelmed. I received a call from Cadden as I turned onto the Fairview main road.

"Good morning, Tony," he said.

"Good morning, Mr. Cadden, how are you?"

"Very well. Mrs. James tells me that she doesn't want to be disturbed until the New Year. Will you reroute to the office and I'll catch up with you there?"

"Will do."

No sooner had I hung up on Cadden, than the phone rang again. I hit the button,

"Tony Harris," I said.

"Good morning Mr. Harris, Patrick Dennison here."

"Good morning, Mr. Dennison, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing, really. I'm just calling to get a few things straight."

"Great, go ahead."

"Firstly," he began before I stopped him.

"Can you give me a second, Mr. Dennison? I'm just going to record this conversation, if you don't mind."

"Of course I mind. I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. Why would you want to record a telephone call?"

"Because I suspect that quite a tonnage of bullshit and intimidation will be heading my way in the next few minutes and I'm really not in the humour of listening to it."

“It’s illegal to record a telephone conversation, Harris. Switch it off.”

"It’s illegal if I don’t inform the other party, Mr. Dennison. I’ve just told you.”

"I’ll hang up if you don’t switch it off.”

“You rang me, Mr. Dennison, you can hang up at any time.”

“I will. Before I do, though, I want to let you know that there won’t be any meeting with you tomorrow, Harris. My lads will be out in Cabra on Monday morning, as usual, and they'll be there until the job is finished."

"No, they won't. Not until I have the paperwork that I've requested."

"That's all privileged information, Harris. Corporate stuff that you wouldn't understand."

"So I need you to clarify for the tape, what, exactly, is your position? Please speak clearly and refrain from using expletives please."

“Fuck you! I’ll sort you out, you prick!”

“In what way, Mr. Dennison?”

“I think you understand what I’m saying.”

He hung up. I counted to ten and called him back.

“Pat Dennison,” he said, not recognising the number he had just dialled.

“Tony Harris, Mr. Dennison, I think we got cut off there.”

“No, we didn’t.”

“Oh, I see. You’re just one of those ignorant bullies. I think I should let you know that I have that all on tape, this call included. Are you acquainted with the legislation relating to workplace intimidation at all?”

“Fuck off.”

“Oh I intend to, Mr. Dennison, but not before letting you know that I will be taking advice from our solicitors on my course of action on this. I also want to let you know that you have just opened a door whereby we can have you removed from the Cabra job. We can also have you vacate your place on the designated contractor list. I just need to write a note for that to happen.”

“Look,” he said.

I stopped him speaking.

“This isn’t a negotiation, Mr. Dennison, I’m done with you. You know what we require, we’ll be on site at 8:00 in the morning. If you’re not there I’ll assume you no longer wish to continue working with us and we’ll appoint a more competent contractor in your place. You will be liable for all costs associated”

I hung up then. Five minutes later he rang back, I let it ring a few times before answering,

“Hi, you’ve reached the voicemail of Tony Harris. I’m out of the office at the moment. I will contact you on my return. This number does not take messages.”

I hung up again.

I played the tape for Peter, Cadden and Raffles. They just started laughing.

“Would you do that?” Peter asked.

“I don’t know, Peter.”

“You know, Tony, we could have that fucker’s head melted by lunch time,” he said, with a gleam in his eye.

“Lads,” Cadden said, “I find that zero contact works a lot better. Tony, make me a copy of that tape please, nobody talks to us like that. We’ll let our legal team handle it from here.

In the meantime, you need to take some official stress leave following a violent threat being made against you personally. Get out of the office for the day. You’ll need a note from us to take to your doctor and you won’t attend the meeting in the morning. Everyone will be notified that I will be taking your place. We’ll take our cues on the way forward, from that.“

“But I’m not intimidated by him, Mr. Cadden,” I said.

“No, and why would you be? I think we should, as you might say, fuck this prick and let him be hoist with his own petard. I love a bit of Shakespeare on a Thursday,”

Peter picked up a pencil and turned it over in his hand. He held it up.

“2B, or not 2B, that is the question, gentlemen. I say. I must be cruel, only to be kind,” he said.

“Peter, that is a bastardisation of two different quotes,” Cadden said.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

“I take it we’re finished here, lads?” I said, as everyone broke down into laughter, “I pity this poor fucker.”

Peter and I adjourned to the canteen. We had just made tea and sat down when Raffles walked in. He pointed at me,

“Tony. You really shouldn’t be here. We’re going to fuck this guy. Mr. Cadden is fuming over this. Go home and stand by your phone, this should not take too long.”

“Raffles, it’d be more believable if he was in bed lying down, rather than standing by his phone,” Peter said.

“That’s true, Peter,” I said, “in fact, I’d probably need someone, a nurse or some such, to sit by my bed and monitor me. Just in case.”

“Yes, you would, Tony. Furthermore, the unfortunate girl could incur some premature spinal or lumbar issues caused by prolonged seating, in an uncomfortable chair, beside a bed,” Peter said, as he stirred his tea.

“I could be a gentleman, of course, and allow her lie beside me in the bed.”

“I would think nothing less of you, Tony. I think consideration should also be given to the fact that any uniform, or clothing that she wore, could become irreparably damaged by lying in, or on, a bed.”

“That does need to be considered, Peter, one could, if one were a gentleman, assist her in the removal of that clothing, to enable her keep her honour intact and her clothing free of disrepair,” I mused out loud.

“You’d also need to monitor her temperature, perhaps by inserting something in her to that effect,” Peter said,

Raffles stormed off in a huff.

“Why do you do that, Peter? You know it annoys him.”

“Asked and answered, Tony, now drink your tea and fuck off home, or wherever you’re going. This won’t take long.”

I was walking through reception on my way out when Natalie called me as she finished a call.

“What’s going on?”

“Ah nothing. Cadden is playing games.”

“You’re going on stress leave?”

“Outwardly, at least, I’ve got to go home for the day. How did you know that?”

“He asked me to type a note. You know, I haven’t been feeling great, today, either. Do you think we could try and recuperate over lunch at my place?”

“It might be worth considering, Natalie. In fact, Peter and Raffles were just discussing if it was advisable for a nurse of some kind to come and sit by my bed, or lay in it.”

“How did that turn out?”

“It got into a whole technical and medical issue about whether it would be wise for her to remove her clothing.”

“Why would she feel the need to remove her clothing?”

“Oh, many reasons, Natalie, the most obvious one being the damage that she could incur to her uniform, or other clothing, by lying on, or in, a bed. There is a potential for damage caused by pilling and so on.”

“That’s a valid point, who thought of that one?” Natalie asked.

“In my parlous state, I’m confused about that, but it sounds like something that Mr. Rafferty might say.”

“That is unusually perceptive of Raffles, I dare say.”

“He’s quite an unusual man, Natalie, in several ways, as you very well know.”

“He certainly is that. You said there might be medical issues?”

“Yes, indeed. It was suggested that there may be, potentially, harmful issues surrounding fluctuating core body temperatures for the lady in question.”

“The nurse.”

“Yes, of course, the nurse. My mind is not my own today.”

“That’s the stress,” she said evenly.

“Yes, hence the stress leave. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“It was determined that her fluctuating core temperature…”

“Potentially fluctuating,” Natalie reminded me.

“Yes, of course. It was determined that the issue of her, potentially, fluctuating core temperature should be continuously monitored on a regular basis.”

“Did anyone come up with a solution for that?”

“Yes, I think it was Mr. Rafferty who suggested that it would probably be a good idea if I could insert something inside her.”

“Did he now?” she said, her mouth screwing up as she held a laugh inside.

“Yes, he did.”

“Did he suggest what, exactly, was to be inserted into the unfortunate woman?”

“No, I think his preferred method was to utilise a research-based approach, using several forms of insertible items.”

“Did he identify any of these specifically?”

“No, but I would assume it would have to be something of an appropriate length.”

“Such as?”

“Oh, whatever comes to hand whilst lying in a bed with a lady who is running a temperature.”

“Comes? He said comes?”

“Multiple times, Natalie. He said, comes and multiple times, simultaneously.”

“I’m going to get my coat. Wait for me, I’ll tend to your stress for you, Tony. I worry about your health and I won’t allow it be placed in the hands of a stranger,” she said, authoritatively.

“Are you sure, Natalie?”

“Quite sure,” she said, and disappeared.

She returned a short few minutes later, carrying her coat and took my hand.

“Let’s go and get you into bed.”

“If you insist, Natalie.”

“For this afternoon only, you can call me nurse.”

“Will you be giving me an injection?”

“No, but you can monitor my fluctuating temperature.”

“You’re potentially fluctuating temperature.”

“Oh, I think it will be definitely fluctuating.”

“You’re such a slut, Natalie,”

“Nurse.”

“You’re such a slut, nurse.”

“Yes, doctor, so am I.”

“Touché.”

TBC