Sixes and Sevens Pt. 04

Chapter 07

It took three weeks for Sam's passport to arrive. For Aidan and come to that, for Sam as well, they were three weeks of heaven. For one thing, now that she had discovered how ecstatic sex could be, she was, he had to say, enthusiastic. They coupled daily at least.

September was a busy month at work, but Vicky insisted on taking all the extra work to leave him free to go home to Sam. He knew just how much he owed her for that, but as she said, when she was ill after the holiday he lost Julie to look after her.

Not only that, while he was at work, Sam cleaned and tidied the flat. He thought he kept the place reasonably clean until she got to work. She also did all the household chores: washing and ironing clothes, shopping and cooking. She excelled at all these and his life was idyllic to say the least. He had told her she didn't need to do that, but she was resolute that she had to earn her keep.

They also enjoyed their evenings and weekends, to the extent that his friends assumed they were a permanent item.

A week into her stay, Aidan received an email from Kevin, wondering if they could meet. They met at Aidan's usual watering hole in the following week, and he asked Sam to join them after about half-an-hour, to give them a chance to talk. She knew where the pub was, for they had been there a few times since she arrived.

"Is there any chance you could meet Julie?" Kevin asked after they had shared news about the family and their parents.

"Why?"

"She's an emotional mess, Aidan," he said. "She mopes around the place; she's always asking about you. You were together for a good while."

"Kevin," Aidan said patiently, "you know our history. You told her why Vicky was in my bed?"

He nodded.

"So she knew she had no reason to break with me as she did; it was rank hypocrisy Kevin. I'd found her shagging some random bloke! I was willing to talk then, but she moved out. She knows I was not with Vicky, but she still didn't come back and apologise. She's not tried to contact me at all, but she's seen me around enough. Hell, Kevin, she blanks me when we meet."

"I think she still loves you," he tried.

"She's with another man," Aidan stated, and waited.

"He's a friend from work," Kevin answered. "They aren't going out together."

"She's a temp Kevin, so why is he with her every time I see her?" Aidan reposted. "Last time, we met at the door of this very pub, and she introduced him."

"You were with another woman," said Kevin. "She came home in a real state that night. She really does want you back, Aidan."

"Then why are you here and not her?" Aidan said triumphantly.

"Well, Caroline..."

"Caroline!" he almost shouted, getting a few looks from other patrons. "Since when has Caroline wanted anything to do with me?"

"She feels bad about what's happened. She's worried about Julie. I think she realises that Julie really does want you and that she..." he petered out.

"Tried to split us up," Aidan completed for him, "by getting her drunk enough to fuck some bloke on holiday - two nights, Kevin!"

"Don't I know it," Kevin said with feeling.

"Look Kevin," he said. "You are married to Caroline, so I can see why you feel it's right to try again, but I am not married to Julie. I did not leave her, even after she fucked that prick. I invited her to the flat to talk about it when I had calmed down; I even did that for her. She sees Vicky and cuts off all communication. Sorry Kevin. It's over. She needs to get on with her life."

"Like you have with this new girl," his tone was accusatory, "American, Julie said."

"If you were anyone else than my brother," Aidan said in annoyance, "I'd let you believe that, just to get Julie and her meddling sister out of my hair, but since it's you, she's someone I helped out in Edinburgh, and I'm still helping out at the moment. She's Canadian."

"But you're living together," Kevin said, accusing again.

"Well, she's got nowhere to go, until she gets a replacement for her stolen passport, so yes, she's living with me."

Aidan stared at him, daring him to go further. He dropped his eyes.

"If you must know," Aidan added with a sigh out of compassion, "we are sleeping together. We get on together very well indeed. Ok?"

"So Julie really is finished," he said sadly.

"She was finished when she walked out of my flat," Aidan replied, "long before I met Sam. As I said, I've moved on."

At that moment, Sam walked up to their table.

The effect on Kevin was dramatic. He stared at her, his eyes, at first riveted on her face swept over her body and returned to her face. Aidan just knew that every man who saw her did the same.

"Sam," Aidan said, breaking Kevin's trance, "I'd like you to meet Kevin, my brother. Kevin, this is Samantha Grogan from Vancouver."

Kevin stood and stammered an hello, and she smiled that smile, well used to the effect she had on men.

"Pleased to meet you Kevin. I've heard quite a lot about you."

"Good I hope."

"Oh, yes," she smiled, "all good. As Aidan's brother, you've got to be!"

Kevin reddened, much to Aidan's amusement, and immediately took his leave of them.

"He's cute!" said Sam with a grin.

"You made a big impression on him," he laughed.

They had a drink and then, "Time to go home?" Aidan suggested.

"Time to go," she agreed.

Over the three weeks, letters kept arriving for Sam, mainly new credit and debit cards and new PIN numbers. There was one query from the High Commission, but it was on a minor matter.

The Border Agency inquired how long she was staying, and Aidan assured them she was awaiting her replacement passport, but she was well within the six month window to which her visa entitled her.

Vicky and the team kept up their campaign to give Aidan all the time possible to be with Sam. Their smiles at him showed they enjoyed his happy face and knew what he was doing with Sam back at his flat! The men couldn't prevent themselves looking envious.

Then, after three weeks and a few days, the package arrived. It was on a Tuesday. Aidan came home from work, to find Sam looking very subdued. He sat down with her and a mug of tea (he had trained her to make tea by default instead of coffee, though she still drank coffee herself), and waited. She knew he was waiting for her to tell him.

"It's arrived," she said, standing at the cooker. "My passport," she elaborated.

Aidan's spirits sank. They had grown closer over the month they had been together. They knew they fitted together in every way, and Aidan had dreaded her leaving him, but she did not live there, and she would want to go home to her own family and her own country. In any case, her visa would run out and she would have to go then.

It seemed she felt the same, or at least she was torn. There was no ecstatic waving the document in the air and whooping with joy. She was quite downcast.

"Oh," was all he said. Then, "You know what I'm thinking - feeling."

"Yes, and I feel the same," she stirred the meat sauce, "but we both knew this time would come."

He sighed. She belonged in Vancouver; she was too close to her family to be the other side of the world from them. Her parents were getting older, and she felt a responsibility for them.

"How soon?" he asked. "You'll need to get an advance booking or it will be very expensive. At least two weeks more. What d'you say?"

"Let's see what's on offer," she said. "Later," she added after a pause. "Let's eat and then we can get on line and find out."

She bustled about in the kitchen, as if to shut out any further talk. She served the meal, and they sat down to eat. As always it was delicious and he said so. She smiled. There was little conversation: neither of them was happy.

Aidan cleared the table and made coffee, and then stood in the living room where she was sitting, gazing vacantly at the Television screen which was showing a magazine programme.

"Come on," he said, "let's get it over with. Let's see what's on offer for flights."

She smiled bleakly, and went with him to the study, where they sat together and searched for a flight. It took a while but they found a cheap flight one week away, Tuesday 30th September.

"You want to book that?" he asked.

"No," she said, glancing at him, "but I ought to."

"Ok," he said. "I'll buy it, and you can pay me back."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

He booked it, but business class.

"Aidan, that's executive class."

"I know. You pay me back for steerage class, I treat you to executive class upgrade. Sam, it's nine and a half hours flying. I wouldn't be happy with you cooped up in economy."

She hugged and kissed him. "You're so good," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. So he booked her flight and kicked himself, though realistically he knew their affaire was not destined to last.

"Aidan?" she said as the printer spewed out the ticket. "Take me to bed. Please."

He took her to bed, even though it was only eight o'clock. They made love gently and softly, and came in turn peacefully, lying afterwards in each other's arms. After a long silence, she began to speak, as she idly traced a finger over his chest hair.

"I've never been so torn, you know," she paused a moment as if finding the right words, "I've never met anyone quite like you, and I'll miss you like crazy. But you understand?"

"My father always said," he answered her, "that for a relationship to succeed, the time has to be right, the place has to be right and the person has to be right. I know you're the right person, I know we are the right age, the place..." he shrugged hopelessly.

He paused. "I know I'm going to miss you so very much, but you need to go home. You might not know it, but I looked at the prospects for an accountant like me in Vancouver."

"Aidan, you can't leave your company, they need you; Vicky needs you."

"Yes," he said, "I know. That's the conclusion I came to, I don't have to like it."

"Neither do I, but there's no other way, is there?"

He did not bother to answer; they both knew it was true. She pressed against him and rubbed her perfect breasts against his chest and then his stomach. Her mouth followed and found its destination at his now partially erect penis. She engulfed it and worked on it with her magic tongue until he was ready for her once more.

Once again she lay open to him on her back, and once again he lay over her and pushed into her slowly as if to milk every sensation from the action of their bodies on each other. She gazed into his eyes, blinking at each new feeling, a half smile appearing and disappearing as quickly, and occasionally a frown of concentration, but the depth in those eyes would remain with him for the rest of his life.

The pace of their love-making did not increase, Aidan moved out to her entrance and then plunged gently and fully into her depths again and again as they drank in each other's loving gaze. Each time he made sure his cockshaft rubbed across her clit. And though it was calm and peaceful and went of for a long, long time, the friction had its effect, for quite suddenly she erupted in a deep orgasm, her eyes blinking with each spasm of her climax.

He continued to move as before and her gasps and jerking twitches continued until he too found the most intense gathering, deepening until it became almost unbearable, and then he too released into her, the strength of the ejaculation forcing guttural cries from his throat.

She pulled him strongly to her, bearing his whole weight on her body, as if wanting them to interpenetrate completely as they had sexually. Their cheeks met and she blew gently into his ear, while he nibbled at hers.

He rolled off her, and once again they intermeshed their limbs, thigh between thigh, arms around. They sighed together. Could any experience rival this one?

"That's never happened to me," she murmured. "Not just from loving like that."

They had made love for hours, and it was late. They kissed, wished each other good night and a good sleep, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Chapter 08

Next day at work, Aidan's face must have given his feelings away, for Vicky asked him what was the matter. He told her that Sam's passport had arrived and that they had booked her flight back to Canada. She was to leave on the following Tuesday.

Since Vicky knew most of their friends as well as the 'office family', the news spread like wildfire, and by Friday morning Vicky told Aidan that Sam and he were invited to a farewell party on the Saturday evening at Giles' house.

Giles was a party animal. He was 'something in the city' and had earned a great deal of money, which he ploughed into property, especially apartments for the homeless and those on benefits. The exception was his own large house, almost a mansion, in which he and his latest woman lived. Aidan would call her his latest woman, in that he seemed to be with a different one each time Aidan saw him.

For the party on the last Saturday of September, as always, Sam dressed modestly and very stylishly in a so called 'little black dress', but she had the sort of figure that made anything short of a hessian sack look sexy and alluring. It was not too décolleté, but there was the hint of the swell of her breasts. The skirt was slightly lower than mid-thigh, but the dress was quite figure hugging without looking tight on her. Her hair was worn up in a chignon, and as always her make-up was understated and perfect. The result was arousing in the extreme for what it tantalisingly hinted at.

Aidan? A white silk shirt and light slacks. Tidy if not original, but Sam liked it.

Vicky picked them up and took them to the party. Aidan for one was amazed by the number of folk who attended. Sam had only been around for a few weeks, but had clearly made a big impression, and it could not have been down to her looks alone; she had made friends easily, being a good listener, and being without the airs and graces which are all too common in very beautiful women.

Of course she was the centre of attention, and everyone wanted to talk to her. She told Aidan later that the gist of the conversations were largely the same. Why did she have to go? Could she not stay a little longer?

As Sam and Aidan made the rounds, Aidan noticed there were a number of people he did not know. Vicky informed him that they were city friends of Giles, who had told them of the strikingly beautiful woman for whom the party was thrown. They were mainly couples but there were a few single men and women. They mixed well and seemed pleasant enough, though Aidan thought there was an air of wealth about them, and that sub-text of superiority over the rest of mankind, bordering on arrogance. However, it was so ephemeral that Aidan thought most of the guests did not notice it, and he admitted to himself that perhaps he imagined it in his own prejudiced mind.

There were notable absences: Kevin, Caroline and Julie were all invited, but declined. Aidan reckoned that Kevin would have attended, especially after meeting Sam, but reckoned he must have been overruled.

For the first few hours, the party comprised ever-changing groups talking to each other, meeting new folk and those they had not seen for a while, catching up on news. Giles had music playing but everyone ignored it.

Giles had also laid on a buffet meal, which was quite lavish, varied and bordering on the exotic, and after it, a few folk moved to the largest room, which Giles laughingly called the ballroom, and dancing began, and with it a trying time for Sam.

After the buffet Aidan went to the bathroom, where he had to wait some time for the incumbent to emerge, or rather the incumbents, since Tina from the office and her boyfriend came out looking dishevelled and faintly embarrassed. Mutual smiles were an agreement that everyone knew what they had been doing in there.

Aidan took less time, but freshened up with a splash on his face. When he returned to the ground floor he looked for Sam but couldn't immediately find her. Finally in one of the lounges, he saw her talking to Vicky and two of the office folk.

Then he got into a discussion with Giles about the financial situation the country was in, and how it was affecting each of them. Giles seemed to have taken precautions, though he was being hit with his reduced rent income as his tenants suffered in the cut-backs the government had implemented.

Giles was a good man, and was taking some of the punishment to spare the poor folk struggling in his houses and flats. He questioned Aidan intensively about his relationship with Sam, and Aidan was as up front with him as he could be.

He told Giles that their paths were destined to diverge, as Aidan had his company to look after and she had her parents and all her close friends in Vancouver and other parts of Canada, but that he and Sam had become very close in the few weeks they had been together. Giles nodded, and sympathised with Aidan over the situation, and the loss it would entail.

Aidan's occasional glance into the 'ballroom' revealed that Sam was making the rounds of her new friends and acquaintances on her own, and clearly enjoying herself. He wandered into the kitchen to get her a drink and one for himself. Once again, he was waylaid, this time by Frieda Thorsson, who wanted to know his company's rates for doing her accounts. She was a friend from University, studying art, and had developed her talent for pottery. She owned a workshop and a small craft shop.

He returned some time later with two glasses in his hand to see her in conversation with two of Giles' city friends. They were clearly hitting on her, laughing and joking, and touching her arm as they chatted. She looked relaxed and was smiling at them. There was no encouragement on her part, but no discouragement either, and Aidan began to think the two sharks were taking that as a positive response to their approach.

They were both dressed to impress. Their suits and shirts were clearly designer clothes, and they had sharp haircuts, again by one of the best hairdressers. Aidan noticed the larger of the two flashed his watch and expensive signet ring, making sure that Sam saw them.

Her glance at them resulted in his lip curling in a satisfied smile. He was out to get her and was an clearly an accomplished seducer. With a touch of jealously, Aidan wondered if she would be taken in, though he dismissed the idea immediately. She was leaving in a few days, and he knew she was not into one night stands. He also knew the predator did not know that.

A slow tune came on the music centre, and the larger of the two men made his move. Aidan reluctantly had to admire his smoothness. Though he was too far from Aidan to hear the words, he could tell the man was inviting Sam to dance. She shook her head with a smile, but he persisted with another argument and she seemed to assent and he put an arm round her as they moved to the floor. She did not pull away, but seemed to lean into him.

Aidan was unprepared for the emotions that overtook him at that moment. He was afraid. Afraid that this Alpha Male had taken her from him; he was jealous; he was annoyed that she had agreed to a dance with this stranger before he and Sam had danced together. He was angry that she was enjoying the man's attention. So he stood at a shadowy corner with two drinks in his hand and watched.

The city type looked triumphant, self-satisfied and smug. Aidan saw him cast a glance at his friend, which said as clearly as if he had shouted it, 'I've scored. She's mine!'

Aidan seethed.

The seducer was smooth though. As they went into each other's arms, he did not attempt to pull her close, but remained a respectful distance. He put both hands on her waist, but she took one and held it, placing her other hand on his shoulder. It was the classic dance position which denoted no emotional attachment, but simply an enjoyable dance between strangers. Aidan felt better.