“How did your meeting with Lindsay go, dear boy?”

“Difficult, Lillian. In truth, I was millimeters away from enveloping her in my soul.”

“I understand that feeling, are you feeling better about things? Is your heart safe?”

“Somewhat. We cleared the air and reached a consensus. I played my younger age card, it wasn’t a ploy. My mother focused my mind on my life and I listened to her. She’s quite astute.”

“She’s a good lady.”

“Yes. On the matter of some assistance for Lindsay. Having spoken with her over several hours, I don’t think it’s any harm to reach out to her with help. She seems determined to move away from escorting, but has no idea where the rest of her life is going to go. A gentle nudge in the right direction might be the exact thing she needs.”

“I’ll contact her today, Tony. Will I let her know that you’re the prime mover?”

“Yes, I told her I’d bring it up with you. It may do something to bolster her resolve.”

“I’ll call her the very moment I hang up. We’ll talk soon.”

It was late and my brain was still active so I decided that a pint might help me sleep and switch off. I still had the hotel room keys, so I went into the hotel lounge and sat on a stool at the bar. A friendly, smiling Pakistani chap brought me a nice pint of Guinness and then loitered in my view as he wiped down the bar in front of me every ten seconds. The place was only a quarter full so we chatted about home and family and the differences between Ireland and his homeland as I sipped my pint. He asked me if I wanted a refill. I did. I also needed a smoke.

I went out to the smoke shed and tried to make my lighter work but it was dead. I tried the usual tricks of rolling it between my hands, shaking it and calling it a prick but nothing worked. Suddenly a kind and empathetic hand appeared before me with a pink lighter in full flame. I touched my cigarette to it and inhaled deeply.

"Thank you so much. You are a lifesaver."

"My pleasure entirely, I hate to see someone struggling with a cigarette. There's nothing worse than not being able to light one when you're in dire need."

"I think I can think of a few things that are worse."

"Such as?"

"Well, getting a light from someone who is not quite as beautiful as you, for a start."

She laughed.

"Thank you, but I bet you say that to all the girls."

"I'm painfully shy, so I wouldn't, ever," I said, "so what brings you to Dublin?"

She laughed and blew smoke out of her mouth.

"We flew in from the U.S. this morning and decided to overnight here before driving over to Galway tomorrow. The idea was to get some sleep but you can see how that worked out."

"And where's your other half?"

"I'm with my sister, she's in bed asleep. I think she took a couple of sleeping pills. Now I'm afraid to go back to the room in case I wake her."

"I know what you mean. I can't seem to be able to switch my head off tonight, so I came down for a pint."

"I was going to try that, but a lone woman in a bar in a strange country, might not be a great idea."

"I've a new pint just been poured, you can join me if you wish. I don't bite. Most of the time."

"I don't mind if I do," she said.

"I'm Tony, by the way."

"Becca, nice to meet you, Tony."

I followed her into the lounge and she asked for a light beer. We took our drinks over to a quiet corner of the room and sat down. She was quite a beauty. She was about three inches shorter than me, slim with short, straight blonde hair and light blue eyes. Her pale skin had a few light brown freckles sprinkled across her nose and her lips were most kissable. She spoke quietly and her eyes betrayed her smile.

“Are you attached, Tony?

“No, I’m free and easy, Becca.”

“The same, free and easy.”

“Is easy a good way to describe yourself? Being a woman, I mean.”

“No less than a man, Tony. Why can’t women express themselves in the same way as a man?”

“I hear you and fully support you.”

“I mean, if, say, I wanted to ask you to sleep with me, why should that be a crime?”

“It’d be a crime if I slept, Becca.”

“What? Oh. Tony stop,” she said, and playfully slapped my hand.

“It would. I don’t think I could keep myself from kissing you. I’m having a hard enough time as it is.”

“Really?”

I moved my lips closer to hers

“Really.”

She swallowed and a pink blush rose through her face.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that.”

I took her hand in mine. I kissed her gently and pulled away.

“Sorry, Becca. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Don’t be, it was lovely, Tony.”

I kissed her again. This time she joined in.

“Wow!” she whispered.

I smiled and kissed her again, this time the kiss lingered. I heard her sigh as we broke apart.

“My head is spinning.”

“Let’s go to my room, you might be able to sleep there.”

“Ok, you lead the way.”

“Kiss me again please, Tony,” she whispered, when we closed the door of the room behind us.

I kissed her slowly and deeply, allowing my tongue to probe inside her mouth, searching for hers, testing her resolve. My entire focus was on her lips, her tongue, her breath. She clung to me, my hands found her backside, lifting her skirt to explore beneath, finding nothing except the wispy strings of a thong that was no impediment to my hands as they stroked and felt her beautiful soft skin.

She ground her hips into mine, emitting a loud sigh as my hardness became apparent to her. The desire in her kiss increased as my fingers floated down along the cleft of her bum, cupping the bottom of her left buttock and along the underside of her thigh as she lifted her knee in search of my touch. Out of breath, she pulled away.

“Excuse me for a second, Tony. May I use the bathroom?”

I indicated where it was. She quickly ran inside and I moved to the bed and pulled the covers down a little. She rejoined me wearing only a tiny green lace thong.

“Becca, you’re a beautiful woman.”

She came to me and pulled me to her again.

“Thank you, you beautiful man. You’re such a sensual being.”

“Let’s lie down and get comfortable,” I said.

She lay down and watched me undress. I was fully erect as I knelt on the bed and pulled her hips to me.

“I’ve never seen a green thong, Becca.”

“I wore it because we’re in Ireland.”

“Begorrah!” I said.

She laughed a nervous laugh as my hand reached under the side of the soft triangle of fabric covering her mons. She was shaved smooth and she watched as I slowly pulled it down over her hips, along her legs and off over her feet.

“Oh fuck, that was so sexy, Tony.”

I smiled and lifted her knees. Her vagina opened very slightly to me. I kissed her inner thigh and let my tongue taste her, gently touching her everywhere except inside her vulva. She arched her hips, her vagina pulsing minutely in a search for my tongue. My hand slid over her skin to take her breasts. They were beautifully sized, a perfect fit in my hands, two hard pink nipples, responsive to the touch of my thumbs,

My tongue found the inner lips of her labia and massaged the pink softness, as I inhaled her scent and held her still as she fought for freedom to allow her hips reign to move against me. She began to moan as her level of arousal increased. The volume of her moaning increased as her arousal became almost feverish, until it reached a crescendo as her hips spasmed. She pulled me right into her and she groaned breathlessly as her climax took her away.

I took her in my arms as she shook through the aftermath, stroking her gently as she clung to me for reassurance. She eventually settled and touched my erection, her fingers feeling their way around the tip, much as a pool player would chalk his cue. It was discomfiting to me, so I eased her back and knelt between her legs.

“I need to be inside you, Becca.

She kissed me and wordlessly guided me home. She was well lubricated, so I was fully inside her quite quickly, we moved together, quickly finding each other’s rhythm. She was amazingly good at this. Her vagina controlled every sensation in my penis as she flexed her inner muscles and rolled her hips around seeking to connect it to all of her sensitive zones. She came quickly but I was close behind and I followed her seconds later, a large flow of semen mixing with the wetness inside her educated vagina.

We held each other as we settled, soothed by the touch and warm in the afterglow. Soon enough, I heard her breathing lightly as she fell asleep and I followed her shortly after.

Next morning, I woke with her in my arms, a warm, soft presence sleeping softly with little movement. Fully at peace in the little world we had inhabited during, and after, our lovemaking a few hours earlier. It was 6:04. I knew she was planning to travel west at about 9:00 and I was due at the office at 8:00.

I eased her onto her back and gently parted her legs. Her aroma was of us, together, pungent, but a little sweet. My tongue gently lapped at her vulva, eliciting a sleepy sigh from her lips.

“Oh my God. That is amazing,” she sighed, and began a rhythmic movement of her hips, encouraging her body to give up an orgasm.

My tongue found her clitoris and matched the rhythmic responses of her hips as the high-pitched little squeaks she made rose in tone, indicating the imminence of her climax. When it arrived it was huge, she lifted almost clean off the bed. Her screams echoed around the room, I’m sure everyone eating breakfast heard her. She eventually settled and released my head from between her legs, I crawled up beside her and took her in my arms. She was purring, a satisfied little smile playing across her lips.

“What a way to wake up. Thank you, Tony. You are wonderful.”

“Just fulfilling the favour you asked for last night.”

“”What favour?”

“You said you really must get off early in the morning.”

“I did say that.”

We spent some time just kissing and holding each other before we were forced to part by circumstances beyond our control. We exchanged numbers when we parted, with the promise of a rematch on her way home.

After such a nice start to the day, I thought it could only go downhill from there. But it didn’t. I received a call from Ciara as I pulled out onto the Swords Road, just in time to miss the Friday morning traffic jam.

“Happy Friday, Tony.”

“Is that a thing?”

“Of course it is. For all of us clock watchers, it is.”

“Well that excuses me. I don’t watch cocks.”

“Clocks. I said, clocks.”

“What did I say?”

“You know what you said, and I’m not going to repeat it.”

“It’d make it a really happy Friday for me if you did.”

“Would it?”

“Of course.”

“Ok. Cock.”

I laughed.

“Now say, nipples.”

“Why?”

“I just want to see how far you’ll go.”

“If I said vagina, would that be far enough.”

“Is it your vagina?”

“Of course.”

“You’re giving me a semi, Ciara.”

“I’m going to be going commando soon.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know very well what it means.”

“Well, if that’s all you wanted to talk about.”

“No, it’s not why I called. You diverted it to filthy talk, just like you always do.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Why?”

“Because I could tell Peter that you called, just to say cock, nipple and vagina. Is that a Stevie Wonder song? I just called to say, vagina?”

“Stop. I’m babysitting my friend’s apartment this weekend if you’d like to come with me.”

“You mean simultaneously?”

“I give up. I’ll text you the address. I’ll be there from lunchtime today. But, yes, simultaneously.”

“Leave that with me, Ciara.”

The office was a hive of activity when I got there. People running up and down stairs, people shouting for information on specifications, materials, deadlines and all manner of things. The calm at the eye of the storm was Peter, who just sat back and observed. He helped out sometimes too but in his own Smithserlike way. I actually watched him take a file of about three hundred papers and tell Jane, a temp, to print them on pink paper before putting them on Cadden’s desk.

“Are you just messing, Peter?”

“Do you think I have the time to mess, Jane? This is work for serious people.”

“Why will white paper not do?”

“It’s Mr. C’s favourite colour ever since he started drinking in Bartley Dunne’s. He thinks it’s lucky.”

“Right. I’ll get it done.”

I walked over to him as he sat with his feet up on his desk.

“What’re you at?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Everyone running around like lunatics looking for stuff and screaming the place down.”

“I don’t know, Tony. Maybe it’s a full moon. What’s that in your hand? Surely not another trophy. Were you on the shift again last night?”

“Just keeping my hand in, so to speak.”

“Sit down there and tell me about it. I want chapter and verse.”

“Let’s go down to the canteen.”

“That’s not such a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say it’s full of idiots doing idiotic things while thinking they’re helping.”

“Such as?”

“Well, one team of two are researching the exact length of a two-and-a-half-inch screw. Important work.”

“For fuck’s sake, we finished this job two days ago. The courier is delivering the proposal at 11:00. There’s nothing else to be done.”

“I tried to tell them but they didn’t believe me.”

“I’ll fucking tell them.”

“No. Leave it until Cadden comes in. He’s lollygagging at home over breakfast with that hatchet-faced thing he’s married to. Honestly, I don’t think I could eat and look at that yoke at the same time without throwing up. This’ll teach the fucker to loiter at home on a Friday morning when a proposal is due.”

“But it’s not due. It’s been sent.

“Tomato, tomato, Tony. Tomato, tomato.”

I handed him Becca’s thong. I was surprised that so many women willingly handed over their underwear so freely.

“Ooh green. I’m surprised that this is so nice. I would never have put that together. A green thong. There must be a story behind this, so sit you down, son, and elucidate.”

So I told him the story.

“So she was up there in the ‘best in sack’ category?

“Yes.”

“With who?”

“Gemma, Ciara and Emma.”

“In that order?”

“No, it’d have to be Emma comfortably ahead.”

“What about the Orrs?”

“Chloe has potential, I’m not sure about Susie, she needs work.”

“Jill?”

“Alison and Dani are better than Jill.”

“For fuck’s sake, it’s like a brothel keeper’s account book.”

“You asked. Now wind this tornado down, will you?”

I went to my office to do a bit of a tidy-up. Papers were everywhere following the completion of the Adams proposal and I needed to straighten it out, to impose order out of chaos. I had it looking in good shape inside thirty minutes, just in time for a visit from Raffles.

“What are your thoughts on your training requirement, Tony?”

“I hadn’t given it any thought.”

“Mr. Cadden and I have been mulling it over for some time and it’s a bit of a conundrum.”

“How so?”

“Well there are a few options available and you’re in a good position to take advantage of the one I’m about to propose to you.”

“Ok, shoot.”

“You can take a four-year, full-time course in Bolton Street or such like. That’s normal, but it doesn’t produce great candidates.”

“I don’t want to go back to school for four years, Raffles. I’ll be twenty on Tuesday, for fuck’s sake.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware. Happy birthday in advance.”

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t suppose you’d love the full-time suggestion, you’re far too actively involved here for that. There’s a six-month one also. It’s a six-month residential course. Six months per year for six years. If you exceed the set mark at the end of each six months it drops to four years at best or five at worst.”

“I sense the word, ‘but’, heading my way.”

“Hah! Yes, astute observation. It’s not available at any of the Dublin colleges. It’s a course available in the Technical Colleges in Tralee, Galway, Dundalk and Cork. You’ll have to live there for six months.”

“What’s the freight?”

“Sorry?”

“The cost.”

“This is why we’re thinking along these lines, Tony. It’s a government-funded program. No cost to you. We keep you on our payroll and pay your salary as normal. There’s an allowance for accommodation that is partly government-funded. They pay half and we pay half.“

“Who decides where I go? Do I get to choose?”

“It depends where the spaces are available, really.”

“How often do I get home? Surely I don’t have to stay down there for the whole six months?”

“You get an Irish Rail travel voucher every fortnight. You’ll also get a student bus pass and a student social benefit allowance. It’s not much, but it’s better than a slap in the face with a wet fish.”

“So I lose the van.”

“Yes, but we need that here.”

“If I take the four year option?”

“We can’t absorb that cost and would give you a leave of absence.”

“So I get fired? Technically speaking.”

“No. We retain your services at the end of the course.”

“What if I excel and get a better offer?”

“We’d hope you’d give us the opportunity to persuade you.”

“What’s that worth to me, monetarily, for my time at Bolton Street?”

“Nothing. You’re getting a great career at the end of it.

“Provided I commit to you in advance for nothing.”

“I knew you’d make this difficult.”

“Is that why you’re here instead of Cadden? You do realise that I’ve just brought in what should be a million euros worth of work in the past week?”

“We realise that, Tony. This is why we prefer the six-month modules.”

“When do I need to decide?”

“What time is it now?”

“Fuck off. I’ll run it past my mother and we’ll talk after my birthday on Wednesday,”

“That’s good enough for me, Tony.”

That prick! The conversation was overdue, though. I really had no option, but the fucker could wait. I called home and relayed the conversation with my mother.

“What do you think?” I asked her.

“I don’t know but we knew this was coming, love.”

“Yes. But to just drop it on me like that. It pisses me off.”

“Don’t worry about it, what’s meant for you won’t pass you.”

“Yes, and you can bring a horse to water, but a pencil must be led.”

She laughed. It was nice to hear. I looked up and Peter was opening my door.

“It’s your fucking birthday and you said fuck all?”

“Are you serious? It’s been literally ten seconds since I told that debilitating turd. I’ll fucking kill him.”

“What are we doing for it?”

“Nothing. My mam talked me into a family dinner at a restaurant.”

“A north side restaurant?”

“Fuck off.”

“We can do better than that, Tony. You’re twenty, way too old for a happy meal in Ronald’s house of the hopeless.”

“It’s fine, Peter. Mam wants to pay. She’s not rotting away with money.”

“Leave it with me, I have an idea.”

“Peter, don’t!”

He ran out. Less than five minutes later he ran back in.

“Sorted,” he said.

“What did you do?”

“Ok, picture this….”

“Awhh no.”

“Shut, the fuck up. A firework display, as a marching band plays ‘for he’s a jolly good fellow’. I wave to everyone and…”

“What’s the real idea, Peter?”

“I just phoned Ellen to see if she can pull a culinary string for us.”

He held out his phone and showed me a text from Ellen, “Done!!!”

“She got you a free birthday dinner at The Shelbourne. She trained the chef and the Maître D in London years ago, so they're doing it for her as a favour.”

“No. Fuck off.”

“Are you thrilled?”

“I just wanted a ray and chips.”

“There’s no pleasing you plebs, is there?”

“Thanks, Peter, I’ll accept on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You bring Ellen too.”

“I didn’t tell you that we were coming in any case?”

“You just did, you prick.”

“By the way, don’t ask which fork to use for the soup course. They know us there. We'd never live down the embarrassment.”

We high-fived and he went about his business. He’d just made my day.

I checked my watch. It was 12:15, I called Ciara,

"Hi," she almost sang into the phone.

"Someone sounds happy."

"It's happy Friday, remember?"

"Oh, that? Yes, I do recall something about it."

"Are you coming over?"

"I can leave in about fifteen minutes, is that fast enough for you?"

"Yes, but now would be better."

"Women, it’s all about the speed with you, isn't it?"

"In certain things, yes. In other things, definitely not."

"Things such as?"

"You're the master of slow, figure it out."

"You'll need to have something delicious for me to slip off your body this time."

"Such as?"

"Something soft, something barely visible, that's banned in more than 20 countries."

"Is there a colour you prefer?"

"What are you sporting now?"

"Nothing, I'm drenched in anticipation."

"You don't like drenched?"

"I'll think about it, I want to see you take it off me."

"That's a spectator sport now?"

"It'd fill the Point."

"I'd pay to see that, Ciara."

"I'm hanging up before you make me come."

"Then you'd be un - be - coming."

"I know, I'm such a slut sometimes."

"Good to know, I'll see you in a few."

I was about to leave when I ran into Peter on his way to the front door.

"Where are you going, Peter?" I asked him.

He sidled over to me,

"There's a new receptionist in Lawson's, across the road. I bumped into her this morning as I was coming up the road. I just wanted to try get a quick feel of her glorious arse, to be honest, but one thing led to another and ..."

"What?

"Well, you know, she got embarrassed, I promised to have, sorry, take her for lunch."

"Where are you taking her?"

"L'Ecrivan."

"Fuck off. Are you loaded all of a sudden?

"Did I say, L'Ecrivan? I meant Burger King."

"Fucker."

"I intend to. Why? Where are you going?"

"Home first. Then, an apartment somewhere in Santry."

"Intriguing. I don't know which I need to know first. I'll take them in order, whose apartment?"

“That’s not in order.”

“Of importance.”

"A friend of Ciara's."

"You're shifting her friend? Bad Idea, Tony."

"Ciara is apartment-sitting for the weekend so I'm going to make sure she's settled in."

"By settled in, do you mean in a sexual coma by 4:00 so you can join me at the Baggot this evening for cocktails?"

"One never knows, I can’t stay later than 5:00 this evening."

"Why not?"

"I'm having a pow-wow with my mother."

"What's up?"

I told him about the training. He blew air through pursed lips.

"I see. Want some advice?"

"Yes.”

“Come up to my house before I go out, I'll show you something."

"What?"

"Little pigs have big ears, Tony."

"OK, I'll see you then."

He left me standing in the hallway staring at my shoes. Peter always has something up his sleeve. I was about to open the door and leave when Natalie called me over to her desk.

"Hi Natalie, how are you today?"

"I'm good, Tony."

"You look nice. Is that a Red Herring suit?

"What, eh, I, what?"

"Your suit, is it Red Herring?"

"It is, how do you know?"

"I know by the cut and the style, it's probably my favourite of their range. There's a lovely navy blue one too, with a slightly shorter jacket, that goes perfectly with the pale blue blouse in their range too. You should check it out, it was made for you. Your’s suits you, though, it draws the eye, without overstating the allure. Perfect for projecting a calming yet professional image."

"How do you know stuff like that?" she smiled through her deep blue eyes as she pulled her short, straight blonde hair back behind her left ear.

"Oh, I don't know. I take my sister shopping occasionally and these things seem to just creep into my head. Although I enjoy looking at good quality things."

She shook her head and smiled.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and to tell you that you had better find me, so I can give you a birthday kiss."

"I'll sleep under your desk on Monday night to make sure you remember you said that."

"It's written in my heart now," she said, and she turned a lovely shade of light pink blush.

"I'll brush eight times and buy some fresh mouthwash for the occasion."

"Make sure you do," she laughed.

"You know how much of a perfectionist I am, Natalie. I won't sleep unless I do, at least, a small amount of research."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Kissing is such a subjective thing, don't you think?"

"I suppose it is."

"What kind of kiss are we talking here?"

"A birthday kiss."

"Will you indulge me for a moment and stand up please?"

She stood up shakily. I took her hand and led her to my side of the desk. I held on to her hand.

"Will it be this kind of kiss?"

I kissed her gently, softly caressing her lips with mine. A quick formal kiss.

"Or will it be this kind of kiss?"

I kissed her just as softly but this time for a slightly longer time.

"Or this kind?"

I kissed her softly again, this time my lips lingered on hers for a little longer. Her eyes closed and I touched her bottom lip quickly with my tongue. She was a little lost for words.

"I don't know," she whispered, "which one would be appropriate?"

I kissed her the same way as the last one.

"That's a nice one, Natalie. You have special lips, a man could get lost in them very easily."

"I, eh, I'll think about that. I might just surprise you."

"I'll be standing here first thing Tuesday morning."

"I'll see you then."

I found Ciara’s apartment after a lot of wrong turns and near misses. It was like a warren in a pace called Northwood, a vast community of apartment and office buildings. I texted her to let her know I was at the main door and she buzzed me in. I took the lift to the section and found the door to her apartment slightly ajar. I stuck my head inside.

“Ciara?”

“In here, Tony.”

I followed the sound of her voice, she was at the kitchen sink cleaning something. She came over and kissed me.

“Sorry, I spilled a bottle of wine.”

“No problem. You should have drank it before you spilled it.”

“I’ll have to get it out of this carpet, in case it stains.”

I looked at my watch.

“Don’t worry,” she said, with a suggestive lilt, “we have all day and all night.”

“We don’t, Ciara. I have to be back in town for 4:30, so I’ve only got an hour.”

“Why?”

“I got caught coming out of the office. The boss wants me to go through some stuff with him.”

“Can it not wait until Monday?”

“He says not. He’s going to some dinner and ordered me to be there. I can’t refuse. We can do this tomorrow, if you like,”

“I suppose you can’t refuse your boss, the bastard. Let’s lie down for a bit.”

“No, let’s get that stain cleaned first. You’re supposed to be looking after the place for your friend.”

“Ok. I suppose you’re right.”

I looked at her askance. We got most of the stain out by 3:00 at which time I had to leave to get back into town to meet Peter. I promised to drop by the next day.

I made it to Peter’s house at 4:45. The traffic was mental. Ellen opened the door.

“Ah, Tony. You’re looking well,” she smiled.

“Hey, Ellen,” I hugged her and handed her a box of Leonidas chocolates.

“Oh, this is very expensive, love. You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Oh shut up. Just enjoy them and thanks for the Shelbourne.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Tony. Out for a fancy dinner with my two best men, I’m going to wear my best frock.”

“You said I could wear that,” Peter said, as he jogged down the stairs.

“It’s too small for you,” she said.

I had to laugh.

“Did you get anything to eat today, Tony?”

Peter looked at me, daring me to tell her.

“Well. Did you?” he said, with a smirk.

“Now you mention it, Ellen, no I didn’t. I was going to go for a sandwich with Peter, but he had a date.”

“He never told me that,” she said, and looked at him.

“I didn’t want to get you all revved, Mam, you know how you get when you’re a bit randy.”

She laughed and made for the kitchen.

“Prick,” he said.

“What do you want me to see?”

“Oh, that’s right. I’ll get it for you.”

He ran upstairs and came back with a slim folder. He took out three pages and handed them over. I read them quickly.

“What’s this?”

“That, my fine feathered friend, is a get-out-of-jail-free card.”

“Explain.”

“It’s self-explanatory. Any expertise you have that is part of the coursework in IT Colleges has to be credited, in time deducted from the course term.”

“What expertise have I got and where did you get this?”

“Ok, you’re proficient in CAD, GPS surveying and Part A to M Technical Guidance. You’re proficient in tender formation and specification of building elements and you know your way around a woman.”

“Peter! Be nice please,” Ellen shouted from the kitchen.

“I thought you were deaf, you never seem to hear me when I ask for a cup of tea.”

“Seriously though, you can survey site preparation and plotting, staking out, on-site consultation work and program inception, creation and management. That little lot alone buys you 12 months of credits, at least. I’ll get you a proper credit calculation before Wednesday and you can hit them over the head with it.”

“But I don’t have any paperwork to back it up.”

“You have emails telling you to learn it all, you also have correspondence from the course providers.”

“True that.”

I smiled.

“So I won’t need to go?”

“You may have to do the first one, but that’s about it.”

“I can live with that.”

“Good. Now let’s get to the pub before they sell all the drink.”

“Ellen’s gonna feed us.”

“Hunger’s mother.”

After we ate we walked around the corner to the pub. I told him I was going for two pints but three pints in, I was still there chatting to a few people from the office who were out for a session after work. Peter had honed in on his lunch partner and was incommunicado. I was about to sink the remains of my pint when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Hi Natalie, have you been here all evening?”

“No, I went home to change.”

“What’re you having?”

“I’ll have a pint of Guinness, thanks.”

“Are you not throwing a party for your birthday, Tony?”

“No, just a family dinner.”

“Good idea, it’s easier that way. No mess.”

“We saw you outside here the other day as we drove past, you were having a beer with a girl.”

“Yes, that was my sister-in-law. We were at a funeral and stopped in for a couple of beers.”

“I thought that something must be up, you don’t usually miss much time in work.”

“Keeping an eye on me, Tony?”

“You’re easy on the eye, Natalie.”

“Am I now?”

“Yes, you are.”

“You never let on you notice me.”

“I kissed you four times today, Natalie. Do you need a flashing sign?”

“They were birthday kisses, Tony, for your birthday.”

“It’s not my birthday today, Natalie.”

“I know, I know,” she said. She sidled up to my ear and said, “They were lovely kisses, though.”

“I’m sure we could do better.”

“Really? Well, do your worst then.”

I laughed.

“What’s funny?”

“O,h it’s just the irony of it. A pure fox asking me for a kiss.”

She slapped my shoulder playfully. I placed my hand on the back of her neck and gently pulled her towards me, our lips meeting with the touch of a butterfly. Her hand reached for my face and then encircled my shoulders as our kiss deepened and grew into a wordless communication. Her breath settled as she returned each movement of my lips. She pulled herself closer as my tongue found hers, joining together and sliding across each other. I felt her pull back a little but I wasn’t letting her go as I took her bottom lip between mine and she sighed as my tongue ran along the surface.

We broke the kiss and she placed her head on my shoulder as I held her with one arm around her shoulders. She was soft and fragrant and she was a beautiful woman.

“Ok, that’s a kiss, Tony.”

“Sorry, Natalie, I’ve wanted to do that since I first laid eyes on you.”

“Was it worth waiting for?”

“What do you think?”

“It was for me,” she said quietly.

My head was spinning. I felt that Natalie was always beyond my reach, yet here we were, in a busy pub, kissing like lovers.

“I need a smoke, to calm my nerves,” I said to her.

I also needed to calm my nerves and think this through. Natalie was a work colleague. I didn’t know her well enough to guess what her mindset was. She was beautiful, in fact she was gloriously beautiful, but what would the ramifications be should anything beyond a kiss happen between us?

I could leave now and be with Ciara, if all I wanted was another thong. Natalie was a different prospect completely. Would she be happy with a one-night stand? Or a casual fling? Would she want something deeper? Something more long-term? I couldn’t offer her that, I would be away down country for six months at least.

“I’ll join you, if you don’t mind,” she said with a smile, as she adjusted a hair that had slipped over her eye.

She walked ahead of me and I tried not to admire the wonder of her fabulously pert bum as it meandered, seemingly separately from the rest of her body, eloquently beneath the white pantsuit she wore. There was no visible evidence of underwear to the eye and it called to me. We found a nice corner of the smoke shed, I lit a smoke and handed it to her. She threw it away.

“I don’t want a smoke, Tony.”

She put her arms around me and drew me in for a kiss. She took charge and buried me under a hypnotic spell. Her lips inhaled mine and it took some time to recover, match and then control the kiss. It was a long kiss. Very long. Our bodies tightly embracing, our hips engaged in a slow, agonising grind.

My hand flirted with her bum, touching it fleetingly, seeking a reaction. The low groan from her throat encouraged more. I ventured further, a gentle squeeze, a slight pressure, lost in the kiss and the sensual softness of that beautiful backside as it moved against me seductively. I was rock hard and she was breathing irregularly. We came up for air but she didn’t release me as she stared into my eyes. She smiled and laid her head against my chest as we gently swayed together, much like a slow dance without any foot movements.

“Hold me for a while please,” she whispered.

“Are you ok, Natalie?”

“No, but I will be.”

I reveled in her closeness. She could stay there forever, if she wished. A few minutes later she shivered.

“Will you walk me home?”

“Of course.”

A short walk later we were in front of an apartment building on St. Mary’s Road.

“This is me,” she said.

“Handy for the pub.”

“I like it. Do you want to see inside?”

“That might not be a good idea.”

“Why?”

“You know why, Natalie.”

“I’m sure I don’t.”

“I don’t want to begin something deeper in case one of us gets hurt. For starters, I have to go to college for six months down the bog so I won’t be here.”

“It’s just a fuck, Tony,” she said, “I’m not looking for anything more at this stage. You wouldn’t be the first, I’m not exactly the town virgin queen.”

“Why didn’t you say?”

“Oh, you!” and she slapped me on the arm.

She brought me inside her apartment. I was impressed. She had it lovely, contemporary but with a few touches to the décor that softened the look.

“This is fantastic, Natalie. Kudos.”

“Thank you, Tony,” she smiled, as she took her jacket off.

I sat on a grey leather couch to admire the view. Natalie had a pale pink sleeveless blouse under her jacket that was on the verge of being see-through. Her skin was a lustrous unblemished porcelain.

“Let me show you around, I’m quite proud of it.”

“You should be.”

She took my hand and led me through the various rooms of the apartment. All were quite spacious and tastefully decorated and I was very impressed.

“This is my bedroom,” she said, as we entered the last room of the tour.

“That was smoothly done, Natalie. This is where the magic happens, I guess.”

“Yes, hopefully tonight,” she said, and put her arms around me.

I kissed her, she turned her face slightly as her lips sought mine. She was a wonderful kisser, her lips were so soft, gently easing mine into her rhythm as she dictated the pace of our kiss. I touched her inner top lip with the tip of my tongue and it was met by hers, together inside her delicious mouth, hers leading mine and mine slowly easing it back in order to focus entirely on the surfaces of our tongues as they accepted each other in an embrace of a rising sense of urgency, intimacy and passion.

I touched her cheek with my hand, drawing invisible soft circles on her skin, touching her hair with the scent of lemons and lilac, softly stroking behind her ear as the sounds from within her increased from a light whisper to a heavier purring sound. I eased her blouse from the waistband of her trousers and over her head, her half-closed eyes registered the movement but didn't object, a lace bra of the same shade of pink held two perfect breasts safely, releasing them reluctantly with a simple two-fingered flick of a clasp at the rear.

My hands found her breasts, warm and soft, as she clung on to me breathing heavily in my ear while I cradled them like some precious, priceless artefacts. My thumbs found her extended and aroused nipples, pink and luscious. Slowly circling them around the circumference of her areolae. My lips needed to have them, cried for them, desired them. I dipped my head to taste them and took one between my lips, gently suckling on it as her head bent backward, all the while stroking and twisting the other. she was no longer in control as I slipped the button of her white trousers out of its buttonhole and unzipped the rest, the fine linen garment dropping delicately to the floor where it pooled at her feet.

She pulled my shirt away from my body, as I removed my trousers, and felt my nipples as I had hers. She stepped elegantly out of her trousers and flicked her shoes from her feet, removing my boxers as she did so. All that remained was a miniscule white lace see-through micro thong with a floral applique covering about half of her modesty, precisely held against her hairless Mons Veneris. I touched her backside and let my fingers play with the string that held it together at the rear. She moved her hips forward towards mine as my hands explored her entire derriere. I heard a raggedness in her breath as my hands slid beneath the string and my fingers travelled the length inside her cleft, over her anus, and back again.

I knelt before her and slipped the thong down over her legs, holding each foot individually to help it off, increasing her arousal and desire. The thong was already quite damp and I could see the dew forming along her pink and slightly swollen vulva. She took a half step to the right, exposing herself to me. I kissed her shaved area and she sighed as I encouraged her onto the bed. I was in absolute heaven as I worshipped before her, her legs wide and open and her scent overpowering my senses with its muskiness and lemon balm bathing product.

I wished to make this first time with her last as long as I possibly could, to make it memorable for her, special. For her to beg me for more, to cry out in joy. I placed my hand on her Mons, pressing down slightly on the spongy membrane protecting her clitoris. I kissed around the outside of her outer labia and vulva, soft kisses and little touches of my tongue. Her hips lifted upwards in search of stimulus, I wasn't ready. I placed my hands underneath her bum and held her there as I kissed all around the outer circumference of her vulva, allowing my tongue full reign to explore, taste, and touch the highly erogenous area and advance her along the journey to her ultimate destination.

"Tony!" she breathed, demanding something more.

I placed my tongue inside her vulva, directly into her vagina, not far in, just a little, and then gently, slowly and easily slid it along the inner lips of her vulva. I repeated this action several more times, each time a little less gently until I finally allowed it to travel all the way to her clitoris, where it remained, and circled her button in a strong and slightly faster paced motion as my finger entered her vagina and stroked her tender G Spot.

This was more than she could stand. Her hips buckled out from underneath me and almost threw me to the floor, such was the force and suddenness of her movement. She shrieked loudly and unleashed a torrent of fluid over my face and hair. I held my finger inside her as she pinched it in place with her vaginal muscles as she held my face between her hands and pulled my to her and away from her vagina.

She clung to me as she shivered in ecstatic aftershocks, unsure what was happening with her body. I just held her close, kissing her face and whispering in her ear that it was going to be okay. Slowly, ever so slowly, she began to calm as the tremors subsided and she curled up in my arms like a baby kitten. Kissing my hands in a flurry of need, a need for touch, a need for reassurance that she wasn't alone. She was crying, tears of uncertainty or of revelation. She needed an understanding of what had just happened. she raised her face to my lips and kissed me hungrily, her lips trying to swallow me whole. I went with her as I sensed her need to make this connection, this understanding, this intimate bond she had never shared with anyone else. I wiped her tears and she smiled embarrassedly.

"Well, that's never happened before," she said, and we both laughed for the longest time.

We held each other for a while in the dimness of the late evening and the overspill of light from the corridor outside the open door of her bedroom.

"How did you do that, Tony, where did it come from?" she eventually said, her eyes boring deep into mine.

"It was always inside you, Natalie, I just knew how to bring it out."

"Nobody ever has before. How could you know?"

"I don't know, it's just something I do. I learn a little more every time."

"How many times?"

"I wouldn't have a clue, Natalie."

"I feel so tender down there, how long does that last?"

"Not long, you may be able to do the same thing again in half an hour or less. There's no rush. Did you enjoy it?"

"Initially, I loved it. Then when the explosion happened I was just scared in case you'd done something to me."

"Did I put you off it for the future?"

"No," she said, thoughtfully, "no, it feels so good now."

She took my penis in her hand.

"When do we use this?

"Whenever you're comfortable."

"How about now, please? As long as it fits inside me."

"It's not that fucking big, Natalie."

"I'll be the judge of that," she said, as she climbed above me and slid my penis slowly inside her, moaning as she did so and emitting a sexy sigh as she took the entire shaft inside her, her eyes opened and she leaned forward and kissed me, "it's a perfect fit, just like you and I tonight."

We made love until early morning, both of us reaching orgasm on several occasions before falling into a deep sleep. She woke me with coffee and toast and we lounged around in bed, kissing, talking and making love until we had to part around 2:00 with a kiss and an intimate little smile. I drove home and faced the interrogation from my mother.

I switched the TV on and tuned into the match. I had a lot on my mind and a lot of stuff to do. I took a notebook and pen and listed everything that pertained to the conversation I’d had with Peter. I’d begin working on that later that evening. The game was so good that I dozed off in front of the TV. The phone woke me at 6:00. It was Ciara.

“Hi, Ciara,” I said, wearily.

“Where are you?”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’ve been waiting here for hours with no contact from you.”

“Are you serious?”

“You were with another woman, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

That stopped her in her tracks. The truth sometimes does that.

“Who is she?”

“None of your business, Ciara.”

“It most definitely is my business. How do I know she’s clean? You could pass anything along to me.”

“No, it’s none of your business. If it doesn’t suit, you know what to do.”

“You can do it too, you know.”

“Ok then. ‘Bye.”

I hung up.

On Tuesday it was my birthday and I walked into the office at 9:45, having visited a site on my way to work. There had been a bit of an issue with insulation levels but it was put to bed quite quickly. The hassle was enough to empty my head of everything else momentarily, including the fact that it was my birthday.

Peter and I were due to meet with Ben Adams’ project team at noon the next day so he was boning up on everything to refresh it all in his head. I was talking to him on the phone as I parked out front of the office and was a little distracted as I opened the door. I waved to Natalie as I passed her desk, stopping at a console table in the lobby to check for mail when I heard her shout,

“Tony Harris! Stop right there.”

I spun around and hung up the call. She was on her feet behind her desk with a look of annoyance plastered on her beautiful face.

“What’s up?” I said, putting my phone in my pocket as she walked towards me.

“Happy birthday, big boy,” she whispered, as she put her arms around me and kissed me.

I’d forgotten about that.

“Fuck it,” I thought.

I responded to her kiss with my own, losing myself in her lips as we moved together, my temperature rising and the makings of a pretty impressive semi-taking shape in my trousers. It left both of us breathless.

“Thanks, Natalie. That’s probably the best gift I’ve ever received. It’s certainly the most arousing.”

She smiled as she waltzed off to her position behind her desk, fixed her hair, and opened a button on her collar. She seemed a little flustered and I smiled as she strove to regain her composure. She waved me away.

“Back to work now, Tony. I’ll call you later.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Our birthday dinner at The Shelbourne was fantastic, they pushed the boat out for Ellen and my mother. They both reveled in the attention and they both wore new dresses bought specially for the evening. As far as I was concerned, it was a nice birthday dinner, we ate it, had some drinks and went home. I stuck it out to the end, but my head was elsewhere.

My Dad was front and centre in my mind. The anniversary of his death was the next day and I was still raw. The meeting about college was the next day also, but I’d spent three days preparing for it, with Peter pitching in with tactical plans, instructions, and information. I was primed for that and felt up for the battle.

The waiter brought out a birthday cake and made me blow the candles out, it was a beautiful cake, baked specially to a recipe invented by Ellen. I sat between Sinéad, who also looked like a beautiful woman in her new dress, and my mother and it was a lovely evening. As we left the restaurant my phone dinged a text. Natalie.

“May I blow out your candle tonight?”

“I’ll light it now, should be ready in a couple of shakes.”

“If you show me, I can shake it for you.”

“You’ve shaken it enough for one day. Maybe you should be the one who shakes this evening. Again.”

“Promises, promises. See you in a few. Give me twenty minutes to prepare.”

"I seriously cannot wait."

I smiled and put the phone away.

“Who’s that?”

“I can’t say, Peter.”

“It’s my birthday, Tony. You have to.”

“Ok, but it’s only between us.”

“Is it shocking?”

“You tell me. It’s Natalie.”

“Fuck off!”

I showed him the texts. He read them solicitously and handed it back.

“Fuck off! Have you already?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“Let’s just say that her level of snottiness has reduced drastically.”

“How so?”

“This is my birthday present to you, Peter. One can’t maintain an image of superiority when one is shaking uncontrollably and crying because they didn’t know what was happening during an orgasm.”

“No!”

I reached into my pocket and placed her thong in his hand.

“Happy birthday, it may still be a bit damp.”

“You have learned well, grasshopper. I’m so proud. But you will share the details, I can guarantee that."

Natalie and I drove to work together after a long night of mutual worship, touching, kissing, laughing and orgasmic copulation. We both looked and felt tired, but she looked so peaceful and content. I hadn't seen her that way in all of the time I knew her. We were a few minutes early, so I parked in the car park behind the office and we indulged in fifteen minutes or so of heavy snogging, reluctantly letting each other go to work. I watched her walk away, enjoying the delicious view of her perfect bum as it tempted and tortured me while moving ever further away. Natalie turned as she went through the door and blew me a kiss.

At 9:30 I was summoned up to Cadden's office. I blew out my cheeks, checked myself in a mirror in the canteen and made my way up the stairs to face whatever they had cooked up between them.

"Ah, good morning, Tony. A belated Happy Birthday," Cadden said, and offered his hand.

I shook it, wishing it was the bastard's neck.

"Good morning and thank you, sir."

I sat opposite him across his desk and Raffles, looking like a tit in a white shirt and tartan dickie-bow, took a seat between us at the right-hand end of the desk. Cadden signaled for Raffles to place a folder of papers in front of me. I picked it up.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's the criteria and options for the training modules you discussed with Raffles here."

Raffles didn't like being called Raffles, but he bore it down well.

"Oh. Right. Do you want me to go away and read through it?" I asked.

"What? No. I thought you had a good grasp of the criteria."

"No, not a clue. Raffles didn't over elaborate, in fact, he used the conversation to insult me, firstly, and then do an impression of Ena Sharples."

Cadden looked at Raffles and Raffles went to say something.

"Fuck off you. Two minutes after I told you it was my birthday, Peter came in and asked me what we were doing for it. You fucking told him a sensitive piece of confidential information, disclosed during the course of a private company meeting. As far as I'm concerned Raffles, you can make yourself scarce. I don't want my private business being spread across the country."

"But, Tony ..."

"Either you go or I go. Your choice."

He looked from me to Cadden and Cadden nodded his head. Raffles fumed as he left the room.

"Apologies, Tony. That shouldn't have happened. Now, let's get down to business. Are you aware of the options as lain out by Raffles?"

"Somewhat."

"Good. Our proposal is to travel the government-sponsored route. That way you still get a salary, accommodation and travel allowances, along with a monthly government stipend, or honorarium, of twelve hundred Euros."

"It's a Social Welfare payment, Mr. Cadden. You can dress it up in whatever colour dress you like, it's still a Social Welfare payment."

"Yes, but a payment from a system that we all pay into, Tony."

"I don't know if you knew this, today is my father's anniversary."

"No, I didn't know, Tony. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. We all are Mr. Cadden. The point is that, in all his working life, he never once drew a welfare payment or any payment that he didn't earn. I won't sully his memory by accepting one on the anniversary of the day he fucking died."

"I doubt you'd make it work without it, Tony. Over four years that's a lot of money.""

"So maybe I shouldn't go at all."

"You have to, don't you see?"

"Why?"

"We'd have to let you go otherwise."

"If that's the only option, I suppose I'll have to accept the situation."

"What's going on here, Tony? You're making this very difficult."

"I don't know what's going on, Mr. Cadden."

"There must be some way to handle this that will make you happy."

"There is."

"OK, tell me."

"Either I can go to Bolton Street for four years, which I know Raffles is against. Or it's a four-year hell down in Cork, or some other bastard place."

I held up my finger as he tried to speak. I reached into my pocket and took out my own paperwork and passed it over the desk to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That's a list of proficiencies and expertise that I earned in the past while at this firm. I did it off my own bat with the assistance and encouragement of Peter Smith and Raffles, oftentimes attending night classes to gain this expertise, time I have never booked or requested payment for, time that would be booked at overtime rates plus expenses, as you are aware. All of this coursework and these proficiencies are creditable against similar or identical modules contained within the training modular framework. I calculate that there are nineteen months of credits to be claimed. This would leave only five months to carry through, I would concede that I would complete the full six-month term, but that's about it. I also expect you to reimburse me for the overtime while attending these classes, I have included an estimate for that in those documents. That would remove the necessity for me to claim Social Welfare and honour my father's memory simultaneously."

"I, I, I don't know what to say, Tony. I need to see if this bears out the way you say it does."

"You do that Mr. Cadden, but I assure you, I've done my research and I know I'm in the right."

"I don't doubt you, Tony. I know you too well. You little fucker."

We ended the meeting on a laugh, at least. I left the room and found my shirt was wet with sweat.

TBC