Credits and License

                 Codes: MF, cheat, Mf, prost, bdsm, oral, preg

                            Copyright (c) John D 2012

John D has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998. 

This piece of work is fiction and is adult entertainment, and therefore contains
material of an adult, explicit nature. If you are under the age required to
view this legally in your jurisdiction, or are easily offended by sexual
explicit content or language do not continue reading.

The characters in this story are fictitious and any similarity to any persons,
alive or dead, places or situations is purely coincidental. The actions
described in this story are not endorsed or condoned by the author.

It should be noted that the age of consent in the UK is sixteen and therefore
there are no graphic descriptions of any sex act containing characters younger
than this age. There may be some characters under the age of sixteen in the
book, some of whom may be sexually active, but any sexual activities they may
partake in are not described so there are no underage participants in my graphic
and erotic sex scenes. It is on this basis, that this work is released, and if 
you seek this material then please look elsewhere. 

This work is released under the Creative Commons license
Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC), the full text of which can be obtained
from the Creative Commons website. The story may be freely distributed
unmodified and with the preface and these credits attached. The story may not
reproduced for commercial purposes, or for profit, without explicit permission
from the author. 



                                    Preface

This story is the first instalment of the "Growing Pains" universe and shows
Rhea Williams struggling to address her partner's infidelity and financial
mismanagement 

This story is set in May 2008.

The "Growing Pains" universe is a set of stories that centres around the life of
Andy Williams and all those who got to know him as he grows up. While
everything may not be totally clear, it will be the time the Universe is all
released as more back story is revealed.

Please provide feedback to me, either by e-mail or website review, whether you
enjoyed it or not!

Kind regards,

John D

                         Email: johndstories@gmail.com
                    Web link: http://www.johndstories.co.uk
                    Twitter: @johndstories and #johndstories



                                   Chapter I

The five year old stood at the very top of the climbing frame and folded her
arms defiantly. "No," she shouted with a steely determination.

"Come on. It is going to rain," the young mother repeated but the girl sneered
at her mother standing akimbo ten feet below.

"Mummy, not coming down," the young girl shouted stubbornly. "Not been here long
enough."

Rhea scowled at her errant offspring. "Izzy. You will come down now," she
shouted firmly but the girl shook her head resolutely.

"You can't make me," the girl teased and Rhea Williams sighed. It was not the
first time her daughter had been disobedient and naughty and her hot-headed
stubborn nature, that sometimes bordered on malevolence, mirrored her own
personality with worrying accuracy. She looked at her watch: it was half-past
four and her partner, Izzy's father, would be home shortly; she needed to start 
cooking dinner.

Rhea looked around the deserted adventure playground and rationalised. Her
daughter was out of reach, she was too high up, but eventually she would get
bored, surely?

"If you don't come down now, we won't come back," Rhea threatened and Izzy
snarled.

"We come here 'cause I drive you crazy," the young girl responded, repeating a
well-worn accusation often thrown at her by the exasperated mother. 

The 5ft 6in Rhea tried bribery, offering the infant "a trip to the newsagents to
get a chocolate bar" which was firmly rejected.

"Try harder, Mummy," the five year old teased and moved to the highest part of
the climbing frame. "Can't get me." Rhea tried blackmail, coercion, threats,
bribery again and then pure anger, but eventually she gave up and had to climb
onto the metal frame in the pouring rain to retrieve her corybantic daughter and
drag her onto solid ground. Izzy got a smack on the back of her legs for her
wilful disobedience, but this did not seem to bother her in the slightest as she
gleefully jumped from puddle to puddle on the way home.

Rhea thought heavily as she escorted her daughter through the pouring rain. She 
desperately wished Simon, her long-term partner, would manage to spend a bit
more time at home; Izzy was always better behaved when he was around. She knew
his job was very demanding, but she did have a lot of work to do herself -
housework, childcare and a 30-hour a week job - and she wondered if he knew how 
much she did?

                                   * * * * *

The sounds of flesh slapping together echoed around the small office, but Simon 
didn't care. The eighteen year-old sales assistant squealed as his thick cock
rammed into her tight, slick opening. She briefly opened her eyes on his desk
but, the ceiling light directly above he was too bright and she closed them
again. 

Alison groaned loudly as her deputy manager rubbed her clitoris with his thumb. 
Her legs began to quiver and her fingers dug into the side of the wooden desk.

Simon groaned as he exhaled sharply, the internal muscles of the young girl was 
clamping down on his cock wonderfully. He was nearing his climax, he began
pumping into the girl faster and faster, the table shaking the last few
documents onto the floor.

Alison cried out in ecstasy, her body convulsing as the waves of immoral
pleasure swept through her. Simon grabbed hold of her hips and pivoted into her 
faster than before. Her muscles gripped his cock and he moaned as he pumped his 
seed into the condom. 

They stayed for a brief moment, savouring the aftershocks and then slowly
disentangled themselves. "We made a mess of your office," Alison said surveying 
the wreckage with her wild hair and smudged make-up.

"S'ok," the Deputy Manager said with a grin. "It'll clean up."

Alison smoothed out the white blouse of her uniform and picked up her skirt from
the floor. Simon grinned as she looked for her knickers and he picked them up
off the pot plant in the corner of the room.

"A keepsake?" Simon asked and Alison blushed. Rumours of Simon's womanising had 
swept around the office, but she never expected the handsome Deputy Manager to
be interested in her. She was blown away when he asked her on a date two months 
previous and still could not believe that he was with her, although their
snatched rendezvouses were always sexual.

Of course, he still lived with his long-term partner, but she didn't make him
happy; he had told her on one of their dates and he was planning to leave her.
Alison had let him know that she wanted him to move in with her and he had let
her believe that one day she would be Mrs Matheson and have children, and all
would be well. "So honey," Alison asked as she smoothed out the navy skirt.
"When are you going to move in with me?"

Simon flinched and sucked in his lips. "I don't know babe, it's not great right 
at the moment, but soon. Real soon."

"But you do love me, don't you?"

Simon gave a grin and nodded. "Yeah, of course I do." It was almost too easy.

Alison skipped out of the office and he leant up against the wall of his small
office in the flagship Watford store of his northern Supermarket chain. His
office was a mess, and he better tidy it up. It wouldn't do much for his job if 
the elderly Store Manager came in to see him with the room in this state.
Grudgingly, he started retrieving documents, pens, staplers and knickers that
had been scattered around his desk.

He could do nothing about the faint smell of human arousal and sweat in this
room; he could hardly leave the window open overnight, but did his best with
some peach air freshener that masked it significantly. 

Simon looked at the clock and swore: he was going to be late home and Rhea would
kill him. Scampering out of his office, he ran through the warehouse, grabbing 
a cheap bottle of wine on the way through and made it to his car in the
manager's car park, ensuring he dumped the used condom, wrapped in tissue paper,
in the outside bin. 

He would not have wanted to explain that to Rhea if she had found that! 

                                   Chapter II

"You're late," Rhea shouted from the kitchen. Simon ignored her and went into
the small lounge and greeted his daughter who was watching television.

"Hey trouble," Simon said as he bounded into the room and picked up his
daughter. He threw Izzy into the air and caught her before spinning her 'round
in circles. Izzy giggled uncontrollably. 

Rhea appeared with a couple of letters addressed to them both, and kissed him on
the cheek. "Hi hun. These came for you."

Simon took them and forced a smile. Rhea noticed the hesitancy and scowled
slightly. "Any problems?"

Simon shook his head quickly. "Oh no. But you know banks. Every twenty seconds, 
here's a statement. Anyway, how was your day?"

Rhea glowered at her dogmatic daughter who had wrapped her tiny arms around her 
father's waist. "Fine until this one started in the park."

"Oh, Izzy," Simon said to their daughter, who feigned ignorance at the
suggestion she had been badly-behaved, and Simon passed a bottle of wine to his 
partner who kissed him in appreciation.

"It's not chilled but it will do. We got Lasagne for tea, and I'm dishing in two
minutes, go wash your hands and get changed," Rhea told them and Simon took
Izzy, and the letters, upstairs. 

                                   * * * * *

Simon leant over the couch and Rhea wrapped her arms around her soaking wet
partner after he came out of the bathroom. He had been having showers when he
returned from work recently and complained vociferously about his office being
too hot in the Summer weather, but she preferred his manly smell to that of the 
teenage shower gel he often bought. He was 24 not 14, but his choice of bathroom
products belied this fact. 

Simon kissed his partner in their lounge as he came out of the bathroom. She
massaged his tongue with hers and slid her hands down his flanks, cupping his
rear through the towel, squeezing the worn cotton.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear and slid off the sofa onto her knees. She
pushed the towel, wrapped around his waist, open and gave her lover's cock a
few strokes with her fist, gripped tightly around his inflating member.

Simon groaned. Rhea could always make him feel special, and her firm grip of his
dick sent shockwaves through his loins. Rhea slid her hands around Simon's
thighs and grabbed hold of his buttocks. She squeezed them and then brought her 
lover closer to her, and slipped his cock in her mouth.

Rhea lovingly slurped on Simon's cock, bobbing up and down the shaft. She had
taught herself how to deep throat using the Internet and practising on her dildo
a couple of years ago and surprised him with it on their "anniversary," but the
act of doing so always drove him wild.

Rhea pushed her tongue out as far it would go, opened her mouth and slid Simon's
member up to the hilt. Her tongue brushed up against Simon's balls and she
started massaging his cock with her throat muscles. His pubic hair tickled her
nose; he must get the cut, she thought. 

Simon grunted, and mewed while panting. While Rhea's mouth bounced up and down
on Simon's manhood, her fingers inched along his buttocks and reached his
rosebud. She was told by a former girlfriend of her brother's that men loved
having their ass and perineum massaged during a blowjob, and she had tried this 
with her boyfriend with relish.

Simon felt the insides of his loins ignite. His girlfriend always gave him the
most unbelievable pleasure, and had done for years. He groaned, and grunted,
mewed and moaned. Spluttering for air, he panted as his prostate steadied his
genitals for a release.

"Babe," he muttered. "Oh god, Rhea. I love you so much."

Rhea smiled and pushed down on his rosebud at the same time the tip of her
tongue waggled the head of Simon's cock. 

Simon erupted and waves of semen spewed out of him and into the willing mouth of
Rhea. Rhea swallowed Simon's cum and then milked the last few drops by
squeezing his penis down his shaft with her mouth. She never liked the taste of 
semen, but Simon liked her to swallow, and making Simon happy made her happy. 

Simon smiled at his lover and she looked up. "Your turn," he muttered and lifted
Rhea onto the sofa. Rhea slid down her tatty tracksuit bottoms and he beamed at
her shaven crotch. Rhea kept herself shaved as Simon loved her without pubic
hair, with the young mother shaving herself a couple of times a week.

Simon plunged his tongue between her legs. Rhea sighed. How often did she have
to tell him that jumping straight onto her clitoris was not pleasant? Rhea took 
her fingers and placed them on her nipples herself to massage them and raised
her pelvis to guide his probing tongue away from her button and where it would
be more pleasurable. 

Simon's tongue grazed along her crack and began to probe the entrance to her
hole. Rhea sighed appreciatively; it was better, especially as she was caressing
her own nipples with her thumbs and forefingers. Simon's hands were resting on 
the inside of her thighs, but he did not fondle her with them. She felt mildly
frustrated, his fingers could be stroking or touching any of her erogenous zones
but instead she was left to play with herself while he tried to tongue her to a
climax.

Rhea closed her eyes, and fantasised. She dreamt of a cowering man underneath
her whip, eagerly pleasuring her with his tongue, for fear of being beaten. Of
him submitting himself to her desires, to her wishes, whims and wants. Of being 
in complete control over him. She saw his face, a mixture of fear and lust and
she felt her body fill with warmth.

Simon's mouth had slid up her slit and her clitoris wasn't too sensitive any
more. She steadied herself, ready for the full-on assault her boyfriend did on
her pearl. He didn't used to, he used to be gentle and an expert lover but the
previous twelve months or so, he had changed, and no longer understood how to
make love to her to drive her wild. The sex wasn't bad, but it wasn't as it used
to be, and Rhea certainly missed it.

Simon's tongue pushed forcefully onto her sensitive button and Rhea squawked.
His fierce, heavy flicks of it, were too much and too rough. She grunted and
screwed her face up, she tried to like it, but it was too much and she couldn't 
take any more. 

Rhea faked her orgasm, throwing herself back onto the couch dramatically and
squealing in simulated delight. 

"Oh baby," she cried and beckoned her lover to leave her clit alone. "Come
here,"

Simon scooted up her body and jumped onto the couch throwing his arms around her
and kissing her. Rhea returned embrace and sighed as Simon's erect cock touched
her slippery hole. 

"Go on," she whispered and Simon thrusted forwards roughly, impaling Rhea onto
his spear.

Rhea gasped. She was well lubricated, but his fairly thick cock being jabbed
into her wildly sent sparks of pain and discomfort from her. Simon didn't see or
notice Rhea's grimace and he began pounding his cock into her. 

Rhea felt better immediately. Simon's 6.5-inch cock, exploring her womanhood,
always sent electric shocks of sensual delight all over her body. She panted and
mewed as Simon grunted and groaned.

Rhea was tighter than most of the other woman, and he always loved screwing his 
long-term partner, Simon was jackhammering into her like a man possessed. Sure, 
he felt guilty for the other women, but they were just sex, Rhea was love. 

Rhea wrapped her legs around the waist and hips of her vigorous lover and she
groaned. Rhea kissed Simon on the side of the neck and he threw his head back. 

"Oh Rhea," he murmured and stopped thrusting as Rhea was on the edge of her
orgasm, pumping his seed into her. "That was wonderful love," he whispered as he
got off of her and then kissed her. "Thank you."

Rhea smiled in return, glad he enjoyed it. She just wished she had done so as
well. 

                                   * * * * *

The blonde Zoe cut a slice of the home-made sponge cake and passed it to Rhea on
a plate with her coffee. "So have you seen your brother recently?" she asked
and Rhea shook her head. 

"No, not for awhile. We went to the zoo before Easter and then he met this girl 
so he's been quite busy," Rhea replied with a disapproving sneer and turned her 
head in the direction of the excited shouts from the garden. "Is Ezra OK?"

Zoe grinned and peered through the French doors into the garden, watching her
husband desperately trying to dodge the intentions of Rhea's hyperactive
daughter. "Yeah, he'll be fine. Do him good to do some exercise. He spends most 
of the time at a computer of some kind. Anyway, I hope that he will need the
practice soon." 

Rhea fidgeted and told Simon to go outside and help Ezra cope with their
mischievous offspring. He groaned in annoyance as he put his cake and drink on
the small table moaning that he never got time to sit down in peace.

Rhea's elder brother, Andy, was close friends with both Zoe and Ezra, and Rhea's
partner Simon was Zoe's younger brother, so although the children from the
families of Williams and Matheson had grown up together sharing many secrets,
Rhea sensed Zoe would not discuss her sex life in front of her own brother.
"How's that going?" Rhea asked as Simon sauntered out of the room and Zoe stared
at her drink.

Zoe waited for Simon to go out of earshot. "You know the doctor put us on a
regime, well that didn't work so they have tested Ezra and I've had an
ultrasound but we found out last week that's all OK so we have to keep trying
and go onto a waiting list for IVF, but it could be years unless we stump up
five grand. And then it's less than a one in four chance of working."

Rhea looked on solemnly and Zoe sniffed. The subject of her childlessness always
made her depressed and she would be 27 in a couple of months time. She wanted
to start a family and most of her friends and family had children, but she was
being to feel that it was looking more and more like a impossible pipedream for 
her. "I'm sorry, Zoe."

"And your bloody brother didn't help. All he wanted to do was write me and Ezra 
a cheque to cover it," Zoe snapped and then looked apologetic for her outburst. 

Rhea groaned. "Yeah, he is like that now. Just because he made his fortune, he
likes chucking it around. At least he means well."

Zoe agreed, and then continued. "Well Ezra was about to accept it and said what 
we didn't spend on IVF he could get a Harley with. I was furious with them both.
He came that close to sleeping on the sofa."

Rhea chuckled. "I can imagine. They don't get it, do they?"

Zoe breathed sharply. "No, but I do need you to go and see him. He listens to
you and he is just falling apart."

Rhea snorted and managed to propel some crumbs from the cake onto the chair.
"You are joking aren't you? He never listens to me. Anyway what is he been up to
this time?"

"He is drinking. Way, way too much," Zoe replied and she swept her hair back.
"Even for him." Rhea groaned, this was a familiar problem with her brother when 
he was unhappy.

"How much?" Rhea asked and Zoe bit her lip. "He had four big whisky bottles that
were empty on the side and so many tins and bottles," she said apologetically. 
"And his house was a mess. Some very unsavoury DVDs lying around and pizza boxes
stacked up high."

Rhea put her head in her hands and wiped her eyes. "He's going to kill himself. 
He'll drink himself to an early grave."

"Well I tried to talk to him but he doesn't care," Zoe replied dejectedly. "I
told him that and he just told me that it was the best thing that could happen. 
I just hate seeing him like that; I just don't know what to do."

"It's the money, isn't it?" Rhea asked rhetorically. "Because he has pots of
cash in the bank, he doesn't work so he has nothing to worry about."

Zoe sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. He had passed out in his lounge
when I last saw him."

"What about Ezra? He listens to him," Rhea suggested. "I mean I know you two go 
way back but Ezra and Andy were quite tight at Uni." Zoe called her stocky
husband in from the garden and with Izzy attached to his legs, he struggled into
the lounge, dragging the excited toddler in with him. 

"Hey, any chance you could have a chat with Andy about his drinking?" Zoe asked 
and Ezra spluttered in annoyance.

"You asked me this before. Why me?"

"Because we know he will listen to you," Rhea answered. "You're his best friend 
from Uni."

"You're his sister," Ezra replied pointing towards the brown-haired girl, "and
you are his best friend from College. You two have known him for longer than I
have." Zoe groaned and pleaded with her husband. "Anyway, nothing wrong with a
few drinks."

"But it's not a few drinks," Zoe wailed.

"Are you seriously expecting me to tell one of my friends he is a virtual
alcoholic?"

Rhea nodded. "I would have chosen self-pitying twat who destroying himself, but 
alcoholic is as good as any description I suppose."

"Maybe the brutal approach is better then," Ezra suggested and Rhea sighed.

"Ezra!" Zoe shouted. "He is your friend and he needs you."

Ezra grumbled and screwed up his face. "OK. OK. I'll arrange to meet him in the 
pub after work on Tuesday."

Zoe and Rhea both groaned together.

"Why, what's wrong with that?"

                                   * * * * *

The seated Heather squealed with delight as Simon's tongue flicked across her
clitoris. She was always horny recently and a few kisses meant she was ready for
any touches Simon was willing to give her.

Simon enjoyed a certain reputation amongst those women at the supermarket who
engaged in vulgar, explicit chatter during their lunch breaks. Many thought it
was opprobrious conduct to be openly engaging in sexual relations with a
manager, but the few that didn't eagerly lapped up the tales.

Theresa, a nineteen year old, part-time shelf-stacker was the first but eleven
girls had come and gone since that day almost thirteen months previous, and his 
reputation of having a decent-sized cock, and knowing how to use it, was eagerly
retold by every one of them.

Of course, Simon did not just rely on his enviable notoriety to convince his
sexual partners to join him, he often targeted needy, susceptible, desperate or 
vulnerable women to receive his affections. Heather was one such case. 

She was recently divorced, and who had gained quite a few pounds since splitting
with her husband, Heather Adams (was Parker) had confidence issues. She tried
to hide it, of course, the constant derision of the male staff around her and
the deliberate attempts to appear happy disguised a thoroughly miserable woman
underneath.

Heather was amazed when Simon took an interest in her. She knew about the
rumours, and that he normally approached young, pretty girls who fell over
themselves to get to him, and she knew he would not want a relationship, just
sex, but this suited her fine. She had out-of-control hormones that needed
satisfying.

Heather's squeals got louder and louder as Simon's tongue assaulted her clitoris
with unceremonious prods and forceful licks. His hands slid into her sopping
pussy and wiggled up towards her G-Spot. Heather cried, squealed and then with
her body convulsing and quivering, she yelled.

"Oh fuck yes."

Simon slowed down his tickling of her G-Spot, in case anyone heard, but Heather 
was enjoying herself too much. She bucked her hips and bounced up and down on
his fingers that sawed into her, her eyes dripping with lust. He saw her rolls
of fat wiggle around her thighs and belly, and closed his eyes; he didn't want
to see that! 

She gave a dirty smile at her illicit lover, her bottomless body, drenched in
sweat and bodily fluids and her brunette hair was frizzy and unkempt. 

Heather stood up as Simon moved away and she took off her size 20 shirt. "Unclip
me," she told her deputy manager and Simon reached around her large frame to
unclasp her bra. 

"How big are they?" Simon asked and Heather smiled.

"You like big titties do you?"

Simon's mind stuttered for a moment. He found little about Heather sexy, and
certainly preferred the thinner woman; Heather was large, but it would destroy
the charade he wanted her to have if he told her that. He didn't want her to
walk out of his office before he had fucked her. "I love massive tits, and yours
are very sexy," he lied.

"38G," she replied and Simon forced a smile. He reached up, pushed her against
the cool wall and slid his hands underneath her breasts, lifting them away from 
her body and supporting her two massive mounds in his hands. She purred serenely
as he groped her nipples, and pulled and twisted her humongous orbs.

Heather reached down and slid her fingers into the waistband of Simon's
trousers. She felt his cock and then started massaging it through his
underpants. "Get those fucking things off," she said and Simon stopped playing
with Heather's tits so he could unbuckle his suit trousers and slide them, along
with his boxer shorts down to his ankles and kicked off his shoes.

Simon waved his cock in front of her and she licked her lips appreciatively. The
rumours were right, Simon was well-endowed. Of course, she had had bigger, much
bigger, but it was hard to find men who were attracted to her now and she was
going to enjoy this. She wouldn't admit it, but she had not had sex for six
months and the horniness was making her desperate. Very, very desperate.

She pushed Simon across the office a few steps until he fell into his chair and 
she slid to the floor onto her knees. She didn't even wait for approval; and
just gobbled his rigid cock into her waiting mouth.

It has been awhile since she had given a blow-job and she swirled her tongue
around his cock in her warm, wet mouth. She sucked in her cheeks and bobbed her 
head up and down his shaft. Simon groaned. While nobody gave blow-jobs like
Rhea, Heather was pretty good.

Heather felt Simon tense up, he was desperately trying not to come too quickly
but Heather increased her pace. She sucked on his penis frantically and her
tongue darted and slid across Simon's head. Occasionally, she would probe
underneath his foreskin and he would pant in unexpected explosions of erotic
excitement. 

"I'm ..." Simon breathed. "I'm ... I'm going to."

Heather ignored his warning through a breathless pant and continued her oral
assault on his cock passionately. With a grunt and a wave of pleasure, Simon
released jets of semen into her willing mouth. Heather was shocked at first, she
had had his warning but had forgotten what the sensation of a spewing cock felt
and tasted like.

Heather managed to swallow Simon's deposit and milked his rod to get the last
bit of semen. Simon laid back in his chair, his hands gripping the leather
cushion and his aroused body spent. Heather gently uncoupled herself from
Simon's cock and kissed it, before sitting on her haunches and smiling.

"My turn," she murmured as Simon beamed lustfully back at her. She took Simon's 
hand and pulled him on top of her 5ft 4in frame. His rapidly deflating cock,
twitched and she gently stroked it, arresting its decline. Simon moaned and she 
positioned it at the entrance of her shaved labia. 

Both of them gave little grunts as Simon began to pump his cock into the
voluptuous girl. She wanted to kiss him but he stayed supported by his arms,
being outstretched and his lips remaining out of her reach. She screwed up her
face as he threw his body into hers, the sounds of their flesh slapping echoing 
around the room.

Heather moaned nasally. She has almost forgotten what a real cock felt like, and
Simon's cock was over six-and-a-half inches. She wanted to wrap her legs around
him but was unable to due to her bulk, but she pulled him towards her and
gripped his buttocks.

Simon had only just come, but he closed his eyes. He thought of Amelia with her 
beautiful curves and teenage naivety. He thought of Alison and her boundless
enthusiasm. He thought of Juliet who wanted to be a model (and had the body for 
it.) He thought of everyone but the washed-up, bitter woman he was pounding for 
mindless satisfaction.

Heather groaned and felt several waves of pleasure cascade over her. She knew
she would orgasm the moment she saw his cock; it was big enough to satisfy her
but in truth she was desperate enough that any cock would have made her happy.

Simon's thoughts came to Rhea, and the games they would play. The occasional
kinkiness and with a few final loveless thrusts filled his lover with his seed. 

They lay for a few moments and then Simon got up, helping the eighteen-stone
woman to her feet. She gave a weak smile and he passed her some tissues. She
teased him about the other girls, and Simon went bright red. 

"I heard a few rumours," the 42-year-old divorcee muttered as she adjusted her
warehousing uniform. It was late and she wouldn't be missed for twenty minutes
but did not want to draw suspicion to her illicit liaison with the young deputy 
manager.

"Like what?" Simon asked trying to keep the panic from his voice.

"Amelia. The teenager who works on Sundays," Heather replied.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"I heard a certain duty manager gave her a good performance management session,"
the buxom lady teased.

"There was a frank exchange, plenty of good feedback and we both left satisfied 
with the outcome," Simon replied calmly and Heather laughed. "She is sixteen."

"So you are screwing her then?"

Simon stammered. Although Amelia was sixteen now, she wasn't sixteen when they
first had sex and he wasn't overly keen to draw attention to this. She was
vulnerable at the time and needed a shoulder to cry on but what she got was
something far more sinister. 

"Oh come on. You can't keep secrets in this place. Only Alison refuses to
believe it because she thinks you are about to leave your wife and shack up with
her instead."

Simon groaned. He would have to let her down gently without her wanting to run
off to the Store Manager and report their sexual liaisons. He would have to see 
her. 

                                  Chapter III

Simon looked up from the couch to see a black pair of fishnet stockings and
matching suspenders. He passed over a small bundle of notes and the almost naked
prostitute counted them before smiling at him. She left the room briefly and
then held out her hand to him sat on the leather couch in her room.

"I'll make all your dreams come true," the 27-year-old whore promised. He had
already instructed Holly exactly what he wanted, and paid for the services he
desired.

When he rang the agency from his desk phone the previous day they had
recommended Holly instead of one of his usual girls as someone who would be
suitable to meet his needs and the tall brunette beauty was certainly doing
that. Sure, she cost a little more than Louisa or Georgina, but she had the body
of a model and was wearing just fishnet stockings, suspenders and heels.

Her breasts were not big, but round and well-proportioned, and matched her frame
wonderfully. Her flat stomach was punctuated with a single belly button stud
that was directly at his eye line.

The girl led him into a small bright red bedroom filled with explicit pictures
of her. Most of the room was taken up with a large double bed, and on the wall, 
four shelves housed lubricants, sex toys and lotions.

"As I said," the girl whispered alluringly into his ear. "I can make all your
dreams come true."

Simon smiled, at her. This wasn't quite true, he had a dream, a desire that he
had been unable to tell his wife and had only explored with a single sex worker 
and he had to keep that especially secret, but Holly would certainly drive him
wild.

Holly spun the young manager around, and kissed him lightly on the lips
unbuttoning his white shirt. Simon went to unbuckle his trousers but she knocked
his hand away and kissed him again. 

"Easy, tiger," she whispered and Simon closed his grinning. Holly's deft, gentle
touch slid the white shirt off of the young man and she ran her hands over his 
smooth, hairless body. Simon purred and she kissed him on the throat and then
sucked on his nipple.

Simon felt a surge of arousal inside of him as Holly sucked on his left then his
right nipple. Kneeling down in front of him, she unbuckled his belt and then
slid the suit trousers down his legs to his feet and Simon stepped out of them. 
Holly took his socks off, and smiled up at the deputy managers expectant eyes.

Holly did not dislike her career choice, and certainly enjoyed working ten hours
a week for fifteen hundred pounds, even if she had to give a third of that to
the agency, but she never really enjoyed giving blowjobs if the client did not
take up the option of a shower before their visit. Often the cocks presented to 
her were sweaty or smelly, but there was no such odour coming from Simon. 

Simon had worked from home in the morning preparing the monthly performance
reports and had had a shower twenty minutes previous before getting into the car
and was loathed to have another one so quickly. He didn't need one and was
desperate to get into the sex. 

Holly kissed the outside of Simon's boxer shorts and slid her hand up and down
his torso. Simon groaned expectantly as she caressed his crotch through the thin
cotton garment. 

Holly grinned. She loved teasing horny men, especially horny young men like
Simon who oozed nervous lust. She gave Simon a sly look and then slid the white 
boxer shorts down to his feet. Simon's erect cock swayed as she freed it and she
shook her flowing brown hair back. 

Holly ran her hands down Simon's cock and watched the pre-cum ooze out and drip 
down onto her firm, round bosom below. She stopped for a moment to admire the
thick cock on her temporary lover and then put her lips around the tip of the
cock.

Holly put her tongue out and wrapped it around the head, probing underneath his 
foreskin and then gently suckling. Simon neighed and mewed as Holly's
experienced oral skills pleasured his rod and his body tingled with arousal.

Holly put her hand on the shaft and gently stroked it while her mouth bobbed up 
and down his head. She moved her right hand underneath his testicles and began
probing and massaging his perineum.

Simon tensed and then relaxed. It had been a long time since a girl had touched 
him there, and he liked it, purring with satisfaction as the shapely hooker took
two fingers and put pressure on him in a "come here" motion.

Simon groaned. 

Holly stopped stroking his cock with her hand and impaled on her mouth on his
member, running her tongue over the shaft. She reached down and picked up a
little bottle of lubricant she kept stashed by the bed and squirted a bit onto
her fingers. She then swapped hands and began putting pressure on Simon's bud.

Simon grunted and closed his eyes. He could feel the pressure behind his
testicles growing and expanding. He felt a heat, an arousal bursting to get out 
of him. Holly felt his cock twitch and with a gentle thrust buried a finger into
his ass, touching the wall of his rectum and wiggling her finger.

Simon exploded with a tortured, muted cry and waves and waves of semen pumped
out of him and into Holly's waiting mouth.

Holly sucked his cock and guided the last remnants of semen onto her tongue and 
looked up at the spent Simon.

"You like?" Holly asked and Simon smiled back, panting.

"Incredible, Holly."

"I like the look of your huge cock," Holly teased and Simon closed his eyes.
Holly guided Simon to the bed. She left for a moment to wash her hands and
returned to cuddle her customer, who was still basking in the aftershocks of the
mind-blowing orgasm she had caused.

"Wow, that was amazing," Simon told her and Holly grinned.

"It's my job to make you think that," Holly replied and started nuzzling Simon's
neck. Although Simon had not asked for a "girlfriend experience," Holly kissed 
him on the lips, and Simon returned the kiss, massaging the sumptuous lips of
the escort. He pulled her onto him and wrapped his arms and legs around her.

Holly panicked for a brief moment. She always liked to be in control and
although she was on top, Simon had pinned her from underneath. They kissed for a
moment and then Simon rolled her onto her back. 

The escort was rarely treated to oral sex but Simon kissed her on the neck, then
her nipples and then her inner thighs. Holly genuinely moaned in appreciation
as Simon showered her in light, lambent kisses. Her wanton lust was unmistakable
and she made envious glances at Simon's ossified cock hanging underneath him.

Simon buried his head into her crotch and started working his tongue along her
clitoris and labia, tasting her sweetness with pleasure. Holly groaned and
grunted, Simon's enthusiastic attention on her womanhood building lustful
excitement in her loins. 

Holly often had to exaggerate and fake her concupiscent emissions but Simon was 
touching her expertly. He slid a finger up to her hole and gently pressed. Holly
always demanded anything going insider her was encased in a rubber condom but
just bucked her hips as Simon carefully guided two fingers onto her G-Spot and
the thumb was rubbing against her anus.

Holly breathed in deeply and cried loudly. She had not orgasmed with a client
for two weeks. Not since a gentleman she christened Mr Rampant Rabbit, due to
his love of sex toys, had used a full pack of Duracells a fortnight ago had she 
actually climaxed in front of a customer. 

But she had no defence. Simon sucked on her clitoris while he stroked her G-Spot
and rubbed her bud. No woman could resist, and with a deafening squeal, her
body shuddered and quivered, and flooded her insides with a libidinous glow.

Simon smiled as she shook underneath him. He kept gently stroking her as she
rode aftershock after aftershock, and then slowly withdrew his fingers from her.

Holly looked at him with lust in her eyes. "I want you. And you want to fuck me,
don't you."

Simon smiled and she reached into a small bowl by the side of the bed and
unwrapped a condom, putting the tight rubber sheath over Simon's pecker. He
lined it up at her entrance. Normally, she would have used a bit of lubricant
but she was soaking wet already.

Simon was guided into her hole by Holly, who pressed down on his cock with her
muscles. Holly did plenty of exercises to keep her internal muscles firm and
strong, a talent that every guy appreciated when they inserted their members
into the young whore.

Simon's deep penetration caused more squeals from Holly. Simon was fairly thick 
and was stimulating all of her opening. His thrusts were long and powerful and
his pelvis rubbing up against her engorged clitoris. She dug her fingernails
into Simon's back and breathed deeply.

She kept up with Simon's increasing rhythm, her eyes closed and gasping for air,
squealing and squawking with delirium. 

"Oh fuck, oh yes, oh god," she squealed at the top of her voice and Simon felt
her contractions tease his cock into submission. He tried to hold back as long
as he could, his testicles desperate for a release, but with a few grunts, Simon
filled his condom. 

Simon returned from the shower room naked and Holly was sat on the bed, her
dressing gown covering her shoulders and done up at the front. Simon felt a
little awkward, he always did when he was about to leave a prostitute's house
and started getting dressed.

"Water?" Holly asked and Simon replied that he would like some, and was passed a
large glass with chilled water out of the mini fridge. Holly let her dressing
gown come undone, to reveal to her lover that she was naked, except for the
stockings underneath.

Their eyes met and he averted them immediately, looking around the bright red
boudoir. He was embarrassed, almost ashamed of himself. 

"Agency said you normally see Georgina or Louisa," Holly told him and he nodded.
"Yeah, nice girls. Louisa has gone back to Exeter and Georgina got taken up to 
the Caribbean on holiday."

"Nice," Simon uttered in response and Holly grinned.

"Lucky cow more like. She is always getting those sorts of gigs but I don't
mind. I like the guys that I get. Some of them can really make a girl feel
special." Holly gestured towards Simon who blushed. It wasn't true, and while
Holly had found the sexual transaction very pleasant, he wasn't the best lover
she had ever had, although stroking a guy's ego meant that he often tipped well 
or came back, or both.

"I am not usually getting cocks that big," she exaggerated and Simon bit his lip
and downed the last of this drink. "Or oral that good."

"I'm sure you've got some tales to tell," Simon suggested and Holly gave a wide 
grin.

"Oh yes. I had a client who insisted on drinking my pee. It was weird, but we
never got out of the shower room. I had an old guy who couldn't get it up for
his wife so came to see me to see if I could cure his problems."

"Could you?"

"Well yes and no. He was frustrated that he couldn't give his wife an orgasm so 
I taught him how to go down on her. She liked that. Even she came back and
thanked me."

Simon laughed and pulled his shirt on.

"Here, let me," Holly said and buttoned up the white shirt and smoothed over the
collar.

"Thank you," Simon replied and gave her a kiss.

"You're welcome. You know where I am if you have any more urges," she said
grinning and Simon nodded, pulled out two notes and put them on the top of her
stocking. 

"A performance related bonus," he teased and Holly smiled. It was not often she 
was tipped forty pounds for an hour's work. But it was forty pounds, Simon could
ill-afford.

                                   * * * * *

Rhea sat down on the toilet and unwrapped the pregnancy testing kit. She looked 
at the long thin device. She had done this many times before when she was
pregnant with Izzy, only hoped that this time the outcome would be different. 

She couldn't have another child, money was tight enough as it was, Simon always 
said so. 

She released her stream of urine and held the device dipping it into the liquid 
pouring from her crack. She shut her eyes and put the tester on the little
cupboard. 

She mustn't be pregnant. She can't be. Simon and her had had a lot of sex
recently. Unprotected sex as well, but it wasn't her time of the month to be
fertile. She was sure. She can't be pregnant then. It was simple.

And as the little strip turned pink she swore to herself. She wasn't pregnant.
The test was wrong. She simply couldn't be pregnant.

                                   Chapter IV

"Hey bud, Mr Jones wants a word," the customer services representative at the
front of the store said as Simon sauntered in. He was not late, but normally
wanted to arrive around the same time as the store manager. 

Rhea was especially horny that morning and refused to allow him to get dressed
until she was completely satisfied, which meant he had not had time for
breakfast and was still fifteen minutes late. Simon wondered what had got into
her, she was not normally like that?

Simon's attention snapped to the present. "Mr Jones?" He asked "I wonder if it
is anything to do with that pay rise." 

The manager's door was closed, but Simon knocked and then opened it as he was
barked in. The tall, thick-set gentleman with big bushy eyebrows watched the
young father as he closed the door and sat down.

"Next Tuesday," he said. "All the store managers and deputy managers have been
called up to Liverpool for a meeting. Some Head Office management thing.
Whatever you have, cancel it, and make sure you book a hotel and travel. Sandy
will book them for you."

"Sure. Anything, umm, on the grapevine?" Simon asked and he sneered.

"Grapevine? Don't be ridiculous. You will do well to learn that tittle-tattle
rarely does anyone any good. I've seen the report for trading in the last month 
and I see sales on our alcohol were good."

Simon smiled, he felt more confident talking about store performance than
impromptu meetings in Merseyside. "Our loss-leaders on beer and wine attracted a
22 percent increase in footfall and takings were up by over thirty percent.
It's impressive. Plus staff absence was down significantly from April as well."

Mr Jones grinned. "I see. You know these are the best numbers out of any store
outside the North-west?"

Simon glowed with pride. Although he was the deputy manager, he did run the
store, in between his illicit liaisons and the impressive performance was down
significantly to his hard work. He deserved a pay rise. A decent pay increase
could mean an extra trip to Holly each month, and boy could see do oral. 

                                   * * * * *

"Strip!" A female voice uttered. Simon frantically unbuttoned his shirt and slid
his trousers, shoes, socks and underpants into the locker. Mistress Katrina
looked him over.

Simon glanced up at her. She had impossibly straight, glistening black hair that
framed her harsh face which was punctuated with red lipstick. She scowled at
him starting at her short black leather croptop and matching skirt, both of
which fastened up the front. She wore leather sleeves on her forearms and
wielded a thick cane.

"You pathetic weasel," she called. "Don't look at me with those filthy eyes.
You've been here many times, you know the rules."

The Mistress Katrina dropped the cane and dragged Simon up by his ear. She
grabbed a nearby paddle hanging on the wall of her dungeon, pulled the young
father up by his ears and threw him against a spanking horse.

"I am not here for you to ogle me, you sick fuck. You understand?" she shouted
and waited for an answer.

"Yes mistress," Simon automatically replied. Mistress Katrina pulled the paddle 
back and it made a satisfying smack on his right cheek. She stopped to rub the
red globe and smacked the left cheek with the paddle. 

The sounds of the leather paddle on Simon's bare flesh echoed around the dungeon
and Katrina cackled at Simon's cries. "You're a nasty little scumbag," she
taunted and reached down to his balls hanging against the bondage furniture. 

As expected Simon was erected and aroused. "You enjoying your punishment?"
Katrina asked a rhetorical question and Simon squawked as another blow rained on
his unprotected behind. 

"No mistress."

Katrina called him a liar and massaged his balls and his perineum. She held a
finger onto his rosebud and threatened to fuck him like a "virgin on prom
night." Simon glanced at a strap-on dildo harness hanging on the dungeon wall
and yelped. 

Katrina spanked him again on the behind and again and again until his rear was a
cherry red. She smirked at her handiwork and then made Simon kissed the paddle 
and thank it for the pleasure it had given her.

Katrina pranced around the dungeon. She whipped the helpless Simon, she
restrained him. She poured hot wax over his chest, she masturbated him and
stopped just before he came and she electrocuted him.

All the time, Simon thanked her and took more abuse. His rock-hard cock
gleefully accepted then punishment she gave me. 

Katrina loved to humiliate him, and halfway through their two-hour session, they
were joined by Mistress Jane and her slave, Wendy. Jane and Katrina tormented
the two clients together, and had Wendy pee over Simon before Simon returned the
compliment. 

It was degrading. And Simon loved it.

He showered and got changed and Katrina came up to him. He got a slap for not
thanking her quickly enough and a promise that the next time he came she would
rape his ass with her nine-inch strap-on.

Simon gulped. He enjoyed his sessions with Katrina but they were costing him
over seven hundred pounds and he just couldn't afford it. But he couldn't stop
going. Not now, he liked being submissive too much. 

                                   * * * * *

Rhea knocked on her brother's front door sharply and turned around. He was
definitely inside, his car was in the drive. There was no sign of any of his
neighbours in the leafy village and Rhea hammered again.

A slurred shout of annoyance came from inside and, struggling with his feet Andy
unlocked the front door and opened it. 

Rhea squealed in shock.

Andy, completely naked was holding a whisky bottle in one hand and a vodka
bottle in the other. He staggered and leant against the wall, trying to focus
and make out who was at his front door. "Oh, it's you," he muttered as he saw
his sister. 

"What the bloody hell is going on, Andy? It's not even midday."

Andy closed his eyes and went to take a swig of his whisky but Rhea snatched
them both off of him. He made a distressed groan and she pushed him towards the 
lounge, sitting the naked man in a chair. The room was stuffy and she gasped.

"What the hell is happening, Andy?"

"Gimme back me vodka," Andy asked and Rhea snorted. She looked around the room
and turned off the hardcore pornography that was playing on continuous loop
through the DVD player and opened a window. 

"You're pathetic. So Amy and you split up?" Rhea asked and Andy grunted in
reply. She went to throw him a pair of discarded shorts on the floor but noticed
the ominous white stain on the front the moment she picked them up and
squealed, throwing them back onto the carpet. "You are disgusting." 

Rhea passed Andy a towel on the back of the sofa and he wrapped it around his
waist, covering himself up. "Yeah, Amy and I have split, OK. So what. Just what 
are you doing here?"

Rhea sighed and her voice softened. "I am here, because Zoe is scared. We all
are. You can't go on a bender for weeks because a two-month relationship ended."

"I loved her," wailed Andy and Rhea grunted.

"No you didn't," she replied firmly and dismissively. "You knew her for two
months."

"That means nothing. She was fantastic."

"Andy, you weren't in love with her, because every time you fall in love with
someone, I end up hating them. Think about it. Abi, Sarah, Paula, Jamsine,
Sophia. I liked Amy, ergo, you did not love her."

"I never loved Sophia. She was ... dull."

"Sophia was dull, but at the time you loved her. You said so yourself. But
whether you loved Amy or not, you can't try and kill yourself because she dumped
you."

"I'm not trying to kill myself. I am just ..."

"Wallowing in self-pity and Soccer Slutz Volume 5. Was the first four versions
of this so good they had to bring out a fifth edition or hadn't they explored
the storyline enough?"

Andy grunted and Rhea sat opposite him. "Seriously Andy. You need to sort
yourself out."

"I'm fine," he said firmly and Rhea looked at him. 

"You've put on weight. You've got handles bigger than most HGVs."

Andy looked at her and she raised her eyebrows. "Come on, have a shower, get
dressed and lets go for a stroll on the Common. You can tell me all about it,"
she soothed and as Andy left the room, set about cleaning his house.

                                   * * * * *

The faceless suited Director got to the front of the assembled throng of
managers and gave a nervous grin.

"Now, a little get together to explain the Corporate Strategy in the next twelve
months," she said in a monotone voice. "Now as you know, this year has been
especially challenging for the Einfs brand, and we have been hit by a series of 
exceptional one-off costs, such as our new stores in Cumbria and Staffordshire, 
and also those fines from the regulators and reorganisation of the company."

She pressed a button and the PowerPoint presentation skipped a slide. "Now, our 
challenge from the board was to define the outlook for the business, see where
the competitors in the Supermarket industry are going and to ensure that our
approach synergises with the expected delivery model to produce optimum
strategic outlook for the company."

Simon scowled at the suited woman. He didn't quite understand the last sentence,
and by the blank faces in the room neither did many of the other attendees, but
he knew he needed to listen. He just found her voice dull and monotonous; it
was sending him to sleep. His mind wandered and he thought back to his office
liaisons with Alison, Heather and Amelia, as well as his paid liaisons with
Holly, Louisa, Georgina and of course, Mistress Katrina.

He could see her whip in the inane clip-art that surrounded the slides of the
corporate presentation and licked his lips. The yellow drips of the abstract art
represented the golden urine of his humiliation and smiled at the pool of
scarlet at the bottom of the screen. He desperately wanted more sessions with
the Mistress Katrina. In the last six months, she had unlocked an erotic need he
had suspected, but never known, existed. Of course, dating Rhea meant that he
was attracted to strong, powerful women, but he had never been dominated before 
in that way. It was incredible, but expensive and he could not afford her. 

"So of course this means we need to reappraise our growth strategy which has
been extraordinarily rapid in the last two years. To this end, we have decided
to close twelve of our fifty-seven stores." Simon was awoken from his thoughts
immediately and focused in on the slide that followed. 

It was there. Watford was on the slide, his branch was in the twelve. Between
Reading and York on the list. His branch, their flagship branch, near London was
on their hit-list. He gasped, unable to process what those around him were
mumbling. "Of course, you will see it is the branches that are furthest from our
North-west home and heritage that are to close. The higher cost of distribution
..."

Simon lost her speech, he was about to be made unemployed and everything else
was unimportant. The director went on to praise the staff for their dedication
and hard work but that the business model that opened the stores to a great
fanfare eighteen months ago was now outdated. 

It was redundant. As he was about to be.

Simon left the room to throw up. 

                                   Chapter V

Rhea sighed. This was the fourth letter from Chiltern Bank in the last three
weeks. They didn't normally write to them so much and she put it by the kettle. 
She wanted to open it. She deliberated. It was addressed to both of them but
Simon dealt with the financial stuff.

There was a knock at the door and Rhea strode towards it. If she didn't leave
soon she would be late for work and bars didn't open themselves. "Miss
Williams?" A tall suited gentleman with short hair and fashionable stubble asked
and Rhea nodded, staring at him. 

"Who are you?"

"Can I come in please?" The gentleman asked with an effortless smile. "It really
is very important."

Rhea thought for a moment and then shook her head. "Who are you and what do you 
want?"

The smart gentleman took a deep breath; it was not unusual for his clients to be
defensive but, in his industry he preferred for them to be subservient and
compliant as well. He gave a false chuckle and his eyebrows rose. With a
charming smile he produced a letter on headed notepaper. "I am Mr Chambers, I
represent Terrence and Co, and I am collecting a substantial amount of arrears
from the Chiltern for a mortgage ..."

Rhea gasped as she took the letter. "What?"

Mr Chambers normally liked it when the occupant was not aware of the arrears,
and always imagined the row that would happen when the debtor arrived home and
saw a spark of anger in Rhea as she scanned the document. She was a fighter,
definitely and didn't fancy being in her partner's shoes when he returned home. 
" ... for a mortgage on this property. This currently stands at over five thousand
pounds in arrears and I am authorised to start removing goods to repay the
debt."

Rhea's eyes sparkled dangerously. "You will do no such thing," she snapped and
gave him the letter back. "There must be some mistake, we pay the mortgage every
month on time. Now kindly leave my property and don't come back."

Rhea was clearly shaken, and he saw her think. He smiled as she wondered whether
Simon had forgotten to pay the mortgage? How could they be five grand in debt
on their joint mortgage? That was eleven months of mortgage repayments, and if
they hadn't paid the money why didn't she know previously?

Mr Chambers eyed the young mother, she had gone pensive and was distracted.
"There is no mistake. If you refuse to let me in, I am entitled to break in ..."
he lied. He thought that it was clear that she would unlikely know that he was 
unable to do this, unless he had already gained access to the property
previously and hoped that this would make Rhea more co-operative. It didn't.

"If you break into my home, I will break your legs," she replied venomously and 
Mr Chambers recoiled. "Now get the fuck off my property before I start breaking 
fingers."

Mr Chambers thought. If only he could get one foot over the front door, he could
break in. Legally. Whenever he wanted. In his experience this always made the
occupants of the property more co-operative. He sucked in a breath for a moment 
and took a step forward, intending to barge Rhea out of the way. She was at
least six or seven inches shorter than him and her slight frame suggested
weakness.

Rhea reacted quickly. In a lightning-quick move, she raised her foot and
propelled it towards him. Towards his waist. And it connected firmly with his
genitals. Rhea swelled up angrily and dropped the paper onto the floor, and as
the bailiff took a step back, howling in agony Rhea's right fist smashed into
his face.

"Now get the fuck off my property," she shouted fiercely and with the gentleman 
bent lay prostrate on her path, blood streaming from his face. She slammed the
door wildly and sank to the floor, her head in her hands. 

The letters sat by the kettle and she stared at them. What would they say and
was it important? She had noticed a stack of letters from financial companies
coming for them every week but she never thought too much of it. Her mind
whirred with possibilities.

Was Simon paying the mortgage? He said he was, and he said it came direct from
his bank account. Surely he would have told her if he was struggling, and not
pay anything for eleven months; she didn't believe it. It was impossible, he was
just too sensible. She chastised herself for having such undeserving thoughts
of her partner. She had been dating him for ten years in two months and it was
his sensibleness that had riled her so much when they first starting dating.

She got her coat and brushed her hair in the mirror. She glanced through the
front door and the bailiff had left her path. She wondered for a moment and went
back to the letters and opened them. She wished she hadn't.

The bank had "regrettably started eviction proceedings" for non-payment of the
mortgage for twelve months. This could be avoided if they were to pay off the
outstanding debt, plus a 10% handling fee within seven days otherwise the bank
"would seize control of the property and market it for sale to recoup the loan
amount plus any charges incurred."

Rhea collapsed against the kitchen worktop open-mouthed before bursting into
tears. This flat was her home, her daughter's home and was Simon and her first
foot on the housing ladder. How can they be twelve months in arrears?

She felt sick and ran to the bathroom.

As she came out of their small bathroom, without hesitating she walked into her 
bedroom and pulled open Simon's drawers. He kept all the financial documents in 
his bottom drawer and there was loads of correspondence from a number of
financial institutions.

Rhea sniffed back the tears and emptied the drawer on the bed. There were a
number of letters from the mortgage provider about the arrears, and more about a
sizeable debt on a credit card. Simon didn't have any credit cards, she
thought. There were letters from two debt collection agencies chasing him for
cash accrued, another from his current account holder asking him to repay his
overdraft. 

Then she found a stack of bank statements and she scanned them. Sure enough, his
wages were paid in and then were withdrawn in cash almost immediately. Just
what was going on? How did he "max out" his ten thousand pounds credit card in
just four months? And how did he spend a six thousand pound unsecured loan?

Rhea sat back on her haunches and wiped her eyes. Her boyfriend was in debt to
over twenty thousand pounds, and most of this owed from joint accounts. She
shook her head and tears flooded her face again. She had never been so much in
debt before. 

Rhea composed herself and reached for the phone. She dialled work to tell them
that she was unwell and could not come in, and then rang Zoe. She might have
been Simon's brother, but she had been a good, calm friend to Andy and her over 
the years; at that particular point in time, she needed someone.

                                   * * * * *

Zoe shrieked as the vibration of her phone rattled against the garden chair.
Andy grinned. "Something from Ann Summers," he teased and Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Hello?" Zoe asked nervously, not checking the Caller ID and a tearful Rhea
greeted her.

"What's up?" Zoe asked, sensing that Rhea was upset. 

"We are being evicted," Rhea blurted out and burst into tears. "Si's not paid
the mortgage for twelve months. And I have bailiffs at the door. All sorts." 

Zoe froze. "What?"

Rhea sobbed. "We've lost everything and I don't know why."

"OK. I am coming over," she said, putting the phone down and turned to Andy.

"You're sister is going to be evicted. I'll need you to take us."

"Evicted? Why?"

"I don't know," Zoe lied and Andy paused for a moment. 

"OK. But you need to drive."

"It's eleven o'clock. Please tell me you've not been drinking this morning."

Andy groaned. "No, of course I haven't. I just had a bit of a heavy night last
night."

"And you are still drunk?" 

"No. I think I am fine. But I don't want to take any chances."

"I'm not insured," she wailed and Andy rolled his eyes.

"Well don't have a crash then." Zoe groaned and held up her hands in mock
submission. "You have third-party on all other vehicles anyway on your own
insurance."

"It's a massive BMW. Ezra and I drive a Nova between us. It's a bit different."

"It'll be fine. Just that the car will do more than sixty. And it has a bit less
rust. What you need is to let Ezra get a bike, or let me get him a bike and
then he can give you the car instead of dropping you off places."

Zoe groaned, she had this argument with Ezra often enough, but IVF treatment
wouldn't pay for itself and she was not about to allow her husband to squander
some of their savings on a toy, especially one that would possibly kill him.
"Don't start," she replied ominously but Andy didn't take the hint.

"It is his birthday in a few months, can I get him one for then?" he asked and
Zoe took a deep breath and put her hands on her head.

"No, Andy."

"We saw one the other week on the 'net. It was second-hand, 5000 miles on the
clock, two years old, 1600cc, sports windshield and everything. It's a Harley
and he has always wanted one of those, and it isn't a massive amount of money,
either. It was only just in five figures. Oh come on Zoe," Andy needled her. Zoe
closed her eyes and sighed.

"He is not having one. We can barely afford to run one car and still pay the
mortgage, and save for ... stuff. We are not paying another set of insurance, road
tax, maintenance for a cockmobile. Now shut up about it, you hear?"

"What if I was to pay for a years insurance as well?" Andy asked and Zoe waited 
to slow at the junction and then smacked his right arm as hard as she could. Why
couldn't men just listen?

                                   * * * * *

Andy scanned the documentation that Rhea had sorted in piles. Rhea had barely
stopped crying since they had arrived, and Ezra was set to join them when he
finished work. 

"Sure, there is a lot of debt here. Even if you were to pay no interest, there
is still years of repayments here."

Rhea rubbed her eyes. "How bad?" 

"I've counted thirty grand and that's just what's in these piles. There are a
couple of entries that suggest other sources of loans or money that aren't
explained here, and if that is the case it's over thirty-three."

Rhea shrieked. "He better not have stolen money from work," she said quickly and
Zoe shook her head.

"Oh I don't think he would have done that."

"Well I didn't think he would have done this but he has," Rhea snapped tearfully
and then apologised.

"Of course, this is no problem at all," Andy told them dismissively. "I don't
know what all the fuss is about?" Both girls stared at the bemused man who
elaborated. "What? I can easily cover this. It's peanuts. I'll write you a
cheque. I mean, if you two were struggling, why didn't you just ask?"

"The answer to all our problems is not always your money Andy," Zoe barked and
Andy suspired wearily.

A tearful Rhea shouted at her brother. "And my partner has been squandering so
much money and been keeping secrets and I'm making a fuss. How can you spend
thirty grand, Andy? Horses? Other women? Drugs? This is my life that has been
turned upside down and you call it a fuss. How can you be so fucking callous?"
Rhea screamed and ran out of the room. 

Zoe sighed at him and Andy shrugged. "What? You might not like it but Rhea and
Izzy are about to be evicted. What is the point of me having millions if my
sister is being made homeless over a poxy thirty grand? It's just a trivial
amount of cash."

Zoe's eyes flashed dangerously. "Andy, please. Just ... don't."

"Well you go talk some sense into her then. This isn't a problem."

Zoe sighed. "Do you really think that?"

"Yes."

"Just ... Get out." Zoe snapped.

"What? It's nothing. And if she doesn't want to take it from me, Dad would help 
too."

"Fucking, get out. Now," Zoe yelled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Go get some
lunch. But if you stay here I will hurt you."

"What did I do?"

Zoe raised her eyebrows and pointed to the door. "Out."

"Why are all the men in my life absolute arseholes?" Rhea sobbed the moment her 
brother left and Zoe put her arm around the young mother to console her. "I mean
I know he means well but he is a total cunt at times. Simon has been up to
something and we are about to lose our property and he says it's nothing."

Zoe nodded in agreement. "Perhaps you should let him or your Dad help if it
means you don't get evicted."

Rhea sighed and wiped her eyes. "Well Simon will be getting evicted no matter
what happens."

Zoe nodded. "I'd do the same." They remained in silence for a few minutes and
drank a cup of tea each that Zoe made. Andy returned with three fish and chip
suppers.

"I have an idea," Andy announced. Zoe and Rhea both grumbled but Andy ignored
their reservations. "You won't take my help with cash, why not come live with
me. At least you won't be homeless and I guess you probably want to get out of
here."

Zoe looked at Rhea who inhaled deeply. "I can't, Andy."

"Sure you can. I'll even hide the DVDs you don't like. It'll do you good to get 
out of here, won't it? If you won't accept my dough then you aren't going to
have anywhere to live. I have a big house, plenty big enough and I can look
after Izzy when you are working."

Zoe put her arm back around Rhea. "Actually Rhea, I think it's not a bad idea.
Let the people who love you, help you through this. But I will clean it before
you move in."

Rhea sighed. "I don't like it. I can get a rental property ..."

"Well until you get yourself on your feet. You are always moaning you never see 
me when I live five miles up the road."

"For a week only, until I find a cheap rental property. I can't live off my
family for my entire life."

Andy sighed and nodded. "As long as you need to."

                                   * * * * *

Ezra loaded the last box into his Nova and got in the car. Andy had taken most
of the important possessions of Rhea and Izzy in his large saloon car and had
returned to collect Rhea and Izzy. Rhea had only taken the items that she and
Izzy needed, and Zoe had to stop her from setting fire or damaging Simon's
property on several occasions. 

"Zoe is at the house, she is making tea for everyone with what she can find in
my freezer and fridge."

Ezra smiled. "So that'll be alcoholic then?"

Andy groaned. "I have had enough of this with Zoe and Rhea. Don't you start. I
told her to just get a takeaway but she thinks that's a bad idea. Something
about empty calories and fertility." Ezra groaned.

Rhea came out and looked at their small flat from the outside with her daughter 
who was sent to sit in Ezra's hatchback, which then disappeared down the road.

"I'm just going to do one last sweep of the place," Rhea said to Andy and went
inside. "I won't be a minute."

                                   * * * * *

"Oh hi Andy. What ya doing here?" Simon asked as he got out of their battered
car. He was weary, having travelled back from Watford having told the staff that
they were being made redundant, but had taken boxes of whisky, vodka and beer
from the warehouse after everyone had left and the CCTV disconnected. He had his
job for another week sorting out the remnants of the store, but after that
would be unemployed. He knew he had to start job hunting immediately, but from
the look on Andy's face that one of his secrets was out. 

Which one? He hadn't told Rhea about the store closure when he arrived home from
Liverpool the day before, but Rhea was working through some figures from work
for the pub owners so he had time to sit on the couch and contemplate what to
do. He worked out, he needed a job and one that paid twice as much as his
previous one, preferable with a years' salary up front and golden hello of ten
thousand pounds. 

Either way, it was fast approaching the day when he would need to speak to her
and hope that they could work their way out of the mess he had created. 

                                   Chapter VI

Rhea had sent her brother to wait in the car and then bombarded her partner with
a volley of ferocious tearful punches. Simon could barely defend himself and
Rhea shouted abuse at her cowering boyfriend.

"What the fuck have you blown thirty grand on in twelve months? I'm homeless. My
daughter, our daughter is homeless. We are bankrupt. What the fuck have you
done, Si?"

Simon stared at her blankly and bit his lip. "I've been stupid," he muttered and
Rhea swelled furiously.

"We lose the house and all I get is 'I've been stupid.' I fucking know you've
been stupid. How fucking stupid?"

"I can't explain it ..." Simon stammered, tears streaming down his face.

Rhea clenched her fists and then grabbed her boyfriend by the shoulders throwing
him back on the sofa. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a hunting
knife holding it above his throat. "Tell me."

"Rhea, please put that down," Simon frantically begged and Rhea snorted.

"Tell me," she yelled firmly and the cold blade touched his skin. "Is it other
women?"

Simon nodded and closed his eyes waiting for the white-hot pain Rhea was about
to inflict but it didn't come.

"How many?"

Simon stammered again and Rhea gripped the knife firmly. Simon saw the fierce
look in his lover's eyes and her flushed cheeks and was terrified. Rhea was not 
known for controlling her temper. "A few."

"Who?"

"People from work. Hookers."

"Hookers? You spent thirty grand on hookers?" Rhea screamed and moved the weapon
above his face. Simon's eyes focused on the knife above him and then Rhea, who 
had tears running down her face and dripping off her chin.

"When was the last time?" Rhea screeched and Simon hesitated. "Fucking tell me,"
she yelled slapping her boyfriend across the cheek as hard as she could.

"Yesterday."

"Yesterday! How much of our money did you blow, Si?"

Simon hesitated again and Rhea raised her hand but Simon confessed before she
could strike him. "Seven hundred."

Rhea climbed off of him and looked at him shocked. "Seven hundred pounds. You
had all the sex you could want at home. Why?"

Simon shrugged and wiped his eyes. "She whips me," he murmured and Rhea howled. 
How could Simon do this to her? And Izzy? "But Rhea, please ..."

Rhea didn't wait for him to finish. She punched him, hard, in his solar plexus
and tearfully ran out of the room to plunge the knife into the front wheel of
their battered motor, and then jumped in to the waiting car of her brother.

"Go," she shouted, her face soaked with her tears and the knife waving in front 
of her. A startled Andy put the car into gear and was about to pull out of the
car parking space when Simon sprawled himself over the bonnet.

"Don't go Rhea. Don't go. Please. I'll change. Don't go," he wailed.

"Drive," Rhea said calmly. "Just kill the fucker."

"Rhea?"

"Go," she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "I never want to see him
again."

Andy revved the engine, and Simon went to the passenger window.

"Rhea," he called but his partner ignored him and tearfully made the journey to 
Andy's house in silence.

                                   * * * * *

"You still holding onto me?" Izzy squealed as Andy pushed her on her bike across
his back garden. He had removed her stabilisers and she was nervous about
riding her bike without them as she was scared of falling off (the same logic
was not applied to her climbing the large tree at the end of his drive.)

"Yes, I've got you," Andy reassured his niece as she pedalled off away from him.
His pocket vibrated and he retrieved his phone, just as Izzy cycled around the 
small cherry tree at the end of his garden and she saw that he was not
supporting her.

"Look. I'm doing it by myself," she yelled as she whizzed past her uncle.

"Hello Zoe," Andy said into his phone and Rhea, watching her daughter play in
the garden while worrying about her predicament, pricked up her ears. She had
not spoken to Simon, and had put her phone on silent in the drawer, but this did
not stop Simon ringing eighty times during the night and leaving twelve
voicemail messages - none of which she had listened to. She had resisted the
urge to phone her phone company and request a new number, her brain wanted to
but her heart told her not to. 

"Is Rhea there?" Zoe asked and Andy muttered that she was in the house. "How is 
she?"

"Coping. She keeps staring into space and crying. She was throwing up this
morning."

"Well that's natural Andy, she has just had a shock."

Andy snorted. "Well anyway, she is utterly miserable but won't admit it."

"Do you blame her? Simon told me everything last night. Even stuff he didn't
tell Rhea. You know, Rhea is good to have got rid of him, he isn't the same
person who was my brother. I just don't understand him any more 'cause he's
changed in the last year."

"You mean, just like John?" Andy asked, referring to her youngest brother who
was currently nearing the end of a prison sentence. Zoe went quiet for a moment 
and then agreed. The trial of her brother had hit her hard a couple of years ago
but before she could reply, the phone shot out of Andy's hands and Rhea put it 
to her ear.

"Zoe?" Rhea asked and the phone went silent for a moment. 

"Rhea. How are you?"

Rhea groaned and spoke in an abrupt tone. "I'll live. What's up?" Zoe paused
again and when she didn't answer, Rhea continued. "I suppose I should ask how
Simon is?"

"He's broken Rhea, utterly broken. But it is his own fault," Zoe told her. "He
is staying at our house for a couple of days."

"I do need to see him and tell him something," Rhea finally admitted. "And I
want to tell him, not him hear it from other people."

"Do you want to speak to him?"

"No. I want to kill him," Rhea replied calmly and sighed. "I'll come 'round
later if Andy will give me a lift."

"I'll let him know." Rhea passed the phone back to Andy and wandered back to the
house, almost tripping over her wobbly daughter. 

                                   * * * * *

"Stay in the car with Izzy," Rhea demanded of Andy as she got out of his car.
Rhea knocked sharply on Zoe's front door, who let her in and they embraced. "He 
is in the garden."

"Cheers," she murmured, her voice devoid of emotion. Rhea spun round to face
Zoe. "Look, I might be a bitch with Si over the next few days and weeks but I
promise I'll do what's right in the long-run. OK?"

"He deserves everything he gets. You'll get no complaints from me whatever you
do," Zoe replied and Rhea wiped her eyes. 

"I, um, I have so many conflicting emotions, but in the end what Izzy needs has 
to come first."

Zoe nodded, and wiped a tear from her eye. "OK," she replied softly and Rhea
walked through their small semi-detached house and onto the patio. Her partner
was sat on the wall looking down the garden and she had to suppress an urge to
kick him off of it. Ezra scratched himself on a garden chair and took a sip of
his drink as Zoe walked past Rhea to sit next to him.

"Si," Rhea called out, her voice still cold and passionless and he spun around. 

"Rhea, I'm so, so ..."

"Shut up," Rhea barked dismissively and he looked at the ground, his facing
dropping.

"My daughter, well our daughter is outside in the car with Andy. Please go and
say goodbye," she told him and he stared at her. 

"You can't stop me from seeing my own daughter."

"Oh, I am going to make your life so difficult," Rhea promised in a low voice,
her fists clenched. "Maybe you screwing all those women was worth it. Worth
losing a family for."

Simon buried his face in his hands and wailed. "I'm sorry Rhea. Please don't do 
this to Izzy."

Rhea breathed in deeply and clenched her fists. "Do this to Izzy? She is
homeless thanks to you. You really are a selfish bastard, aren't you?"

"But ..."

"Shut up! I'm going to see the bank tomorrow and then my solicitor to relinquish
my stake in the flat and ask for it to be sold. Andy reckons that we are in
negative equity so we will still owe lots but I will be suing you. And the CSA
will be on the line as well."

Simon shrugged. "They are shutting the store so I have no income."

"That's your problem not mine," Rhea replied cruelly.

"Rhea please can we just do this ..." Simon bawled and burst into tears. "I
don't want to lose you."

Rhea puffed incredulously. "The moment you put your sick little games above me
and your daughter you lost us. Oh, and one more thing, while you were out
fucking our life up with your perversions, you also managed to get me pregnant."

"Oh congratulations," Ezra replied cheerfully. "Are we doing some sort
celebration or ..." He trailed off as Zoe gave him an exasperated expression.
"Oh shit, yeah, sorry. I think. Sort of ... I'll go and check on Andy." 

"Rhea, that's ... well surely we can try ..."

"Not in a million years Si. And no I don't want to be carrying your baby and no 
I don't want to bring a child into a broken home."

Simon looked at Rhea and then Zoe open-mouthed. "No Rhea. Please not an
abortion. Please."

Rhea sneered at her partner. "Are you going to see our daughter?" She hesitated 
as he shook his head, pleading with her to keep their baby, but she turned on
her heels and left.

"Rhea. Rhea----," he cried after her but she was gone. 

                                   * * * * *

"Hey babe," the stocky Ezra cooed as his wife blew him a kiss from the bedroom
door. Simon was sleeping on the sofa in their small terraced house and although 
she didn't want him to hear their sex, it was inevitable if they were to keep to
the "schedule."

The "schedule," as originally devised by a fertility specialist at the Hospital,
while delighting most men was leaving Ezra decidedly weary. He had been at a
leaving dinner for a gentleman from work a few days ago, had had more than a
couple of beers to drink, walked home and climbed into bed, completely
shattered, only to be woken by an irate Zoe demanding a deposit of semen.

She had aggressively reminded him, during their intercourse, that alcohol
reduces sperm count and his choice of underwear (Y-fronts) was not acceptable,
as this also reduced his fertility. Ezra found it increasingly difficult to
"perform" as Zoe passionlessly shouted at him and they had emotionless sex.
After he had managed to squirt waves of his baby-making juice inside her, she
confiscated all of his underwear so he could be commando and told him he was to 
be teetotal until she was knocked up.

The lack of underwear caused a large amount of resentment, until Zoe agreed to
be without knickers also while she enforced it with her husband, although he had
nearly caught his cock in his flies earlier in the day and was becoming more
and more unimpressed with the idea.

He had broached the idea of borrowing the money for IVF from Andy, that Zoe
suspected would be followed by a plea to buy a bike. Zoe had reacted angrily to 
this, and Ezra suspected if Andy had been a bit more sympathetic to his friend's
feelings when he had suggested it originally, she probably would have taken it.

He remembered the fateful day, as Zoe had hysterically told him that they would 
probably need treatment and may never have children, he drunkenly told the
distraught woman "that this wasn't a problem at all" and "where did she want the
fuckin' wonga?"

Zoe was still annoyed with her husband for bringing up this again, and under any
normal circumstances would have withheld all sexual pleasantries from him as
punishment for his rudeness and unreasonableness, but she wanted a child and to 
give them the best chance she needed to keep to the schedule. Therefore Ezra
could do and say what he wanted, and still get sexual intercourse that night;
anal sex, Ezra's favourite, had been "off the menu" for several months.

Zoe had changed into her negligee that Andy had given her. He had bought it,
along with a thousand pounds worth of designer lingerie and sexy nightwear for
Amy, for her birthday, but they had split up less than amicably before the big
day and as Zoe and Amy were the same size he had given it to her a few days
previous.

Both Zoe and Ezra liked the silky garment, and it was Zoe's favourite. She felt 
most of the clothing Andy had given her was too explicit, although Ezra
disagreed, but the black negligee was subtle and powerful. It hanged from Zoe's 
shoulders and traced her curves alluringly before finishing a few inches below
her mons. The slit up both sides drew Ezra's attention as they flapped open as
Zoe walked into the room.

Ezra turned off the football and allowed his sexy wife to pull his rugby shirt
over his head. He beamed at her and she pushed him back on the bed, before
sliding his tracksuit bottoms off of him. 

Zoe looked appreciatively at his inflating thick seven-inch cock. She had only
ever slept with Ezra and never had anything to compare it to, and although her
friends often spoke about the equipment their partners had she had kept quiet.
She never really knew how Ezra really did compare. All Zoe knew is that when
Ezra was not drunk, he made her body do wonderful things with it!

Zoe rubbed her hands down his hairy chest and blew him a kiss seductively.
Ezra's hands reached underneath the flimsy apparel to cup her smooth buttocks.
She stared at him with her deep blue eyes and shook her head to free her
shoulder-length blonde hair that had gathered over her face. 

"Fuck me," Zoe cooed at her husband and he smiled at her. They kissed and Ezra
reached down to Zoe's crack. She was moist and he slid his fingers up and down
her juicy slit.

Zoe purred and he gently probed the opening, slick with juices and stuck his
middle finger up into her. 

Zoe groaned as he oscillated her, and his thumb rubbed over her button. Squeals 
echoed around the room as Ezra touched her delicately.

"Oh baby. That's the wrong part of you," Zoe breathed and Ezra smiled but didn't
stop. He circled her button with his thumb and Zoe squawked and cried out.

She shuddered with an orgasm and looked lustfully at him. "Doggy," she
whispered.

Ezra didn't even get a chance to agree when she grabbed hold of the headboard
and waited for her husband to slide his large cock into her. She squealed as he 
pushed it gently into her. She panted and Ezra gently thrusted forwards with his
member.

Ezra grabbed hold of her hips and began to pound her unguarded pussy
relentlessly. She squealed and cried out as he rammed into her. Ezra liked rough
sex with the doggy style position and using her hips he could force her down on
his member aggressively.

Zoe liked the feeling of being wildly fucked and her head rubbed up against the 
pillow, she squealed and cried. "Oh god," she yelled and screwed up her face.

Ezra was getting near his release. Zoe felt his cock twitch and she bucked
herself back on his member as hard as she could. She wanted every last drop of
sperm.

Zoe panted as Ezra unloaded the contents of his testicles into her womb. She
panted and sighed. It was the third time today, but she never tired of Ezra
doing that. 

She felt complete. She felt wonderful. She felt pregnant. She wasn't, but she so
wanted it to be true, they had been trying for over a year and wanted to be
carrying a child more than anything in the world. 

She stayed on the bed for a few moments, her legs up in the air and her back
flat on the bed. It was supposed to assist contraception, but Ezra had unvoiced 
doubts. If nothing else, he got to see a bit more of his partner's lovely "pink 
bits" in all their explicit detail.

When she was finished, Zoe went to remove her negligee and put on some fleecy
pyjamas. 

"Babe, don't take it off. You look wonderful in it," Ezra told her and Zoe
grinned appreciatively. 

"Thanks." Zoe reached across and fiddled with her alarm clock. "I have set the
alarm for six so we can have another go tomorrow morning. What time is your
lunch break tomorrow?"

"Errr ... 1pm."

"Excellent. We can drive out of town for a quickie and then when we get home
before dinner and then ..."

"Babe, I'm only human," Ezra teased and Zoe smiled. 

"Look, if we want a baby we need to make sacrifices. We just gotta keep trying. 
Now go get your rest, you'll need it tomorrow."

"Isn't Andy popping 'round tomorrow for tea?" Ezra asked and Zoe groaned. "He
wants to give Rhea some space I think."

"Well he knows we are trying for a baby. We'll send him to the supermarket or
get him to watch telly while we have a quickie. Hell I've walked in on him
having sex a few times, he'll understand." Ezra snarled. "Come on, you've seen
him have sex before when you were at Uni."

Ezra coughed. "Yeah well ... that was different."

                                   * * * * *

"Izzy's asleep now," Andy muttered at his teary-eyed sister. "She asked will
Daddy be coming."

Rhea snapped herself from her distracted daze and wiped her eyes. "Can I tell
her no? I just can't believe he would do such a thing, you know, to us. I've
known him since primary school and he has always been so conservative and calm."

Andy sat down on the couch and put his arm around her. She put her head on his
shoulder and burst into tears. "I mean, I tried. I really tried to give him
everything he wanted. I tried to be a good partner to him, a good mother to Izzy
but ..."

Andy soothed her and squeezed her side. "You've done nothing wrong," he tried
but Rhea shook her head.

"I must have done. He's split up our family. Why didn't I see the signs earlier?
We are homeless; we have nowhere to go," Rhea cried and burst into tears again.


"You do. Stay here, it's big enough," Andy tried but Rhea was still blubbering
uncontrollably.

"I can't. Izzy has school ten miles away. And we can't stay here for months."

Andy took a deep breath. "Please Rhea, stay. You've nowhere else to go, in
September Izzy can go to the village school and it's got a big garden for her to
play in. It's ideal for you."

Rhea sniffed. "I shouldn't be relying on my family to bail me out."

"Well you aren't. Stay for awhile until you sort yourself out. I have so many
spare bedrooms. We can even go shopping and get some paint to decorate your
rooms how you want," Andy promised. "You can even have it shocking pink if you
want."

Rhea forced a smile and gave her brother a hug. "And I suppose that way I can
keep an eye on you."

Andy groaned. "Tea?" He asked and Rhea nodded.

"Andy," she called as he was about to leave the room. "If I wanted to give Si
another chance, you wouldn't get angry with me, would you?"

Andy stared at his little sister biting her nails and shrugged. "Why? Why would 
you want him near you after what he has done?"

Tears welled up in Rhea's eyes and she covered her face. "Because every time I
think I want to split up with him, and I know I should, I just get really
worried. Izzy needs him, and I suppose I do too. I've split up with him before
and spend months regretting it, I just don't want to do anything hasty. And the 
thought of him not being with me terrifies me and I want to keep our family
together. I hate him and I want to hurt him. But I still want him. And Izzy
misses him," she reasoned and Andy looked at his sister in bewilderment. "What
would you say if I gave him a second chance?"

"Sure, if it is really what you want. But you're mad. There are enough
bedrooms."

Rhea screwed up her face rubbed her eyes. "I don't know if I'd want him to stay 
with us, I just don't know. I don't know what I want."

Andy moved back into the room and knelt down beside the sofa and hugged his
emotional sister. "Whatever you want, will be fine," he promised. "You do what
you need to do."

"In one way I want to kill him. I want to hurt him, like he has hurt me and I
just never want to see him again," she said. "And I've tried. I've tried to
think of him as out of my life but I just can't. I want him here, but I never
want to see him again. I can't live like that, and I just hate myself for
wanting him. My brain tells me that I shouldn't want to see him alive, but I
just can't not want him. So I don't know what to do."

"It gets easier," Andy muttered. "You'll get over him."

Rhea smiled. "Trouble is, I don't really want to. I want things to be as they
were."

                                  Chapter VII

Zoe's battered car turned up an hour later at Andy's house and Rhea climbed in. 
Her eyes were still red, but there was a calmness about her demeanour and steely
resoluteness that frightened Zoe. They drove in silence to Zoe's house.

"I'll be a minute," Rhea told her as Zoe unlocked the front door. Rhea walked
into the lounge, leaving Zoe by the doorway, where her partner was sobbing on
the couch.

"Oh Rhea," he started and she interrupted him with an outstretched finger.

"I don't want to split up the family but you seem to think that paying for sex
was more important than me and Izzy."

Simon groaned and Rhea shouted at the stricken gentleman. 

"I would like us to try and work through our problems. It will take months,
years probably, and I may never be able to trust you again, but I would like to 
try. For Izzy."

Simon wailed and got up to hug Rhea who halted his progress with an outstretched
knee in his genitals. He collapsed prostrate and Rhea stood over him. "You do
not touch me," she shouted. Simon groaned in agony but Rhea was unrepentant. "Oh
come on, two weeks ago you were paying hundreds of pounds for that"

Simon burst into sobs. "Tomorrow lunchtime you empty the flat of your
possessions and come to Andy's house. He said you could live there for awhile.
It's your second chance. If you are not there tomorrow I will know you don't
want it."

Simon looked up at Rhea smiling through the pain Rhea had caused but she didn't 
return it. 

"Some ground rules," she said forcefully. "One, there will be no touching,
kissing, fondling, groping, manhandling or sex until I decide. And when we do,
whatever decade that may be, you will learn how to do it properly. You used to
know but you got lazy and just focus on yourself. It stops, I am not faking any 
more orgasms." Simon went to protest but Rhea cut him off. "Two. All of our
money is now controlled by me. You will pay all of your money a joint account
and we will keep a cash book. Any spending not approved by us jointly and we
split. Understand?"

"Yes," Simon replied meekly.

"Three, any further visits to hookers or other women and I will chop off your
soft bits. Four, no attempts to get money from Andy, or accepting it if he
offers. Five, any rows we have are not be conducted in front of Izzy or Andy.
Six, you do not keep secrets. If I think you are keeping secrets I will hurt
you. You got all that?"

Simon nodded and muttered. "Thank you. I love you."

"And seven. You do not keep telling me you love me. If you loved me you would
not have ripped the heart out of our family. You would not have made your
daughter, your fucking daughter homeless. She has to change schools, move away
from her friends because of you. So no, you did not love me. When you mean it,
you can say it. Do you understand?"

Simon nodded humbly and Rhea turned on her heels and left, two minutes after
entering the room. 

Zoe looked up at Rhea walking past and shrugged, "Are you sure?"

Rhea nodded and breathed out. "Yeah. I think so. But he needs to realise that
this really is last chance saloon."

"He doesn't deserve it."

"I know. But then we need him although I don't know if it will work. We just
have to try. But I am not going to be overly talkative with him at the moment."

"Well Mum isn't talking to him either," Zoe added and Rhea groaned. "Actually
she says she never wants to see him again."

"I better go see her then," Rhea added and Zoe asked her if it was really a good
idea. The firm look in the young mother's eyes was definitive and Zoe drove to 
a family house ten miles away. 

Rhea picked up her handbag and got out of the car, knocking forcefully on the
white front door. 

"Hiya Zoe, Rhea," Andrew Matheson greeted the moment he saw them. "How are you
Rhea?"

"Yeah, hiya Dad," Zoe replied and Rhea wiped her eyes. 

"Where's Emma?" Rhea asked, ignoring the question and Andrew pointed towards the
kitchen.

"Baking cakes. Look Rhea, we know what Simon did and ..."

"I'm fine," Rhea said quickly and strode down the entrance hall and flung open
the kitchen door. Emma Matheson was beating the mixture in her bright yellow
kitchen but put down the icing bag the moment she saw Rhea.

"Emma," Rhea called out to the woman. "We need to talk."

"Oh Rhea. I am so sorry. I never thought he would do something like that. I
really didn't. If there is anything you or Izzy need, let us know and we'll try 
to help but I've told him he is not welcome here ..."

"No," Rhea said calmly. "You do not get to disown him."

Emma blinked for a moment and then gestured. "But he slept with fifteen year
olds, prostitutes and colleagues. He frittered your money away and you're
homeless."

"I know what he did but he needs us," Rhea replied, her voice still calm but
assertive.

"The Good Lord would not ..."

Rhea banged her fist on the cupboard. "I fucking don't care what the Good Lord
wants. It's what I want. You can't disown him. He is your son and your
granddaughter's father. If Izzy and I can give him a second chance, everyone
else will. I mean it, he is still my partner and he is still a member of your
family. Unless Izzy and I are to be unwelcome here as well."

Emma recoiled from Rhea's words but shook her head. "I'm sorry Rhea I do not
want him ..."

"You don't get to choose," Rhea shouted firmly and withdrew the small hunting
knife from her handbag. Emma's eyes flicked towards it immediately and she
squealed.

"Put that down, Rhea."

Rhea shook her head. "No. I didn't want to get it out, but you've made me."

"Rhea. Stop this. I know it's been a shock," she blubbered. "But he did nasty
things and you need help to get through this"

"No. We need help, not just me. He stays as part of our family. Yes, he is in
trouble. A whole fucking cesspit of trouble. But we will work through it, I know
we will. If we come here then all three of us come or none of us, you
understand? You've already lost one son to prison, do you want to lose your
other one?"

Emma watched Rhea's right hand and the weapon in it and breathed in sharply. "I 
don't know, Rhea ..."

"Understand?" Rhea said angrily and Emma nodded, her eyes not leaving the
vicious knife in Rhea's right hand. "Good. Now ring him and tell him to come to 
dinner around 5pm tomorrow."

Emma hesitated and Rhea gestured with her hands sharply. "OK. OK. I'll do it."

Emma picked up the phone and Rhea watched. "Oh, and tell him you love him," Rhea
added as the phone rang and Emma raised her eyebrows. "He needs to know. From
everyone."

                                   * * * * *

"Iceland?" Rhea asked and Andy grinned.

"Yeah. Well I'm planning to take in Norway and Faroe Islands first, come back
for a day to clean clothes and the like, and then two weeks in Iceland."

Rhea hummed. "When?"

"August. Seven weeks on Saturday."

"But Iceland. I mean, you can hardly get a tan on the beach, can you?"

Andy flicked through the brochure and passed her the page about the geothermally
heated Nautholsvik Beach. Rhea swore at him and threw it back.

"Hey, you don't fancy taking Izzy, do you? I will hopefully be working and
she'll be off school," Rhea joked but Andy nodded his head.

"Sure. Why not? I've hardly spent any time with her recently."

"I was only joking, you don't need to. Mum said she would have her for a week."

"No. I think it is a good idea. Why don't you come too?"Andy asked and Rhea
groaned.

"Work. And I need to work things through with Simon. I think we will need to
have some vicious, blood-curdling, clear-the-air rows in the next few months and
I would rather Izzy didn't hear all of them."

"Take it easy, you are pregnant you know," Andy warned her.

"Yes, I do know."

"Are you keeping it then?" Andy asked and Rhea smirked. 

"I can't have an abortion. I told Si I would because I knew it would upset him, 
but I couldn't go through with it. I just hope Si and I are still together when 
it is born. I mean, he missed the birth of Izzy."

"Well that was your fault," Andy replied. He waited for a response, but before
she could answer, Simon pulled up in their battered car and Rhea eyed him
through the lounge window. 

"Daddy's here," Izzy shouted but Rhea sent her daughter upstairs to play in her 
room instead of greeting the wiry gentleman. This caused a degree of protest
from the enthusiastic whirlwind but a few choice threats from the expectant
mother sent the child scurrying to her bedroom.

Andy opened the door and Simon averted his gaze immediately. Although, Rhea had 
expressly forbade Andy to start any discussions about Simon's aberrations, her
boyfriend was clearly not aware of this and was, understandably, extremely
embarrassed by the consequences of his sizeable transgressions.

Rhea went out to meet him and he held his hands out to hug his partner but she
shook her head at him and guided him towards the back garden.

Simon pushed open the wrought iron black gate and they walked along the side of 
the house, the conservatory and into the expansive garden.

"Your home," Rhea said pointing at a two-man tent erected in the middle of the
garden.

"You've got to be," Simon started and Rhea's eyes glowed angrily.

"No, Simon. I am not joking. I do not want to split this family up because of
Izzy and for some strange reason I can't fathom I still have feelings for you
but at this moment I don't really want to see you or to hear from you. So you
will live in the tent. And when I can trust you, you can move into the shed. And
when I trust you a bit more, the garage, and then the spare bedroom and maybe, 
just possibly, after that I might let you move into sleeping in the same bed as 
me. But that is a long, long, long way off."

Simon was scared and looked into the fiery eyes of his partner who smoothed her 
hair out.

"Now unpack your shit. What you can't fit or don't want in the tent can go in
the garage and then we need to talk about how much we owe and what we do next."

Simon nodded and looked back at the tent. "I am really sorry Rhea, for
everything," he murmured and she snorted, her face softened immediately.

"Yeah I know you are. I'll go put the kettle on and make us some lunch," she
replied softly.

"I can't believe you've given me a second chance," Simon admitted and Rhea
smiled.

"No. Neither can I. But we have been dating for over ten years and have Izzy. I 
couldn't walk away from that without giving it another go," she told him and
left to go inside the house. 

"I hope you know what you are doing?" Andy asked his baby sister as she entered 
the room. Rhea jumped in shock, swore at her brother and then answered his
question with a scowl.

"I do. He's been a sick bastard but he is still Izzy's and bump's dad, and he
isn't a bad person, no matter what everyone says."

Andy rubbed his eyes. "I am not saying he is a bad person, I'm saying he has
betrayed you. How can you ever trust him again?"

A smile flickered across Rhea's face. "Because I have known him since I was
Izzy's age and been screwing him for half that time. I know him almost as well
as I know you, and that's saying something."

Andy went to protest but Rhea stopped him and told him that she wanted no
further discussion on the subject. Andy snarled in annoyance, but helped Rhea
make lunch.

"And anyway, next weekend I need you to have Izzy for a couple of hours. Si is
going to a tattooist with me, he doesn't know it yet, but he will have my name
inked somewhere onto him. I don't know where yet, but he clearly needs a
constant reminder of who his girlfriend is."

"Isn't that a bit drastic?"

Rhea shook her head. "I was thinking of getting it on his cock, what d'ya
reckon?"

"I think you are completely and utterly crazy."

                                   * * * * *

"Hey mister," the impatient sixteen year old asked the suited gentleman who was 
coming out of the flat. Amelia had her arms crossed and squinted at him in the
harsh Summer sun impatiently. "Where's Simon?"

The young man, ran his hands through his styled hair and grinned through his
glasses. "Mr Simon Matheson?" 

"That's the one. He is supposed to be coming to live with me. He loves me," she 
swooned naively and the man smirked.

"Err ... right. Well the bank have seized the property and he doesn't live here
anymore."

Amelia's face fell. "But ... he said he loves me. Where does he live?"

The man bit his lip. The girl was sexy and curvy, but her demeanour was swimming
with innocence. He knew immediately what the crafty Mr Matheson had done
although a quick glance at the clipboard in his hand saw a Miss Rhea Williams
also on the mortgage, she was the woman who attacked him. "Perhaps you have
another way of contacting him?"

Amelia shook her head. "I only knew him from work but that was closed with
immediate effect. He has my number but I never had his." She rubbed her eyes and
the gentleman sat down with her on the steps. "I thought he loved me," she
wailed.

They spoke for ten minutes before the man got to his feet. "Come on," he said.
"I only live 'round the corner. Let's get some lunch from the chippie and a
talk."

Amelia smiled. She had worked out that Simon had used her in her vulnerable
state just to get sex, and that she would not let that happen again. Thankfully 
some good had come of it, as she had met Liam who was infinitely nicer and more 
sympathetic. He would not take advantage of her, and he said he liked her and
showered her with compliments.

As they got up to leave, "Liam" turned off his phone. He did not want to be
disturbed from work, or from his girlfriend, when he was seducing a na‹ve,
impressionable, confused yet sexually-accessible teenager in another seized
property he had been to earlier.

It would spoil everything.