Chapter 40
 
Stan had found that the loosely fixed 'alternate days' arrangement 
that they had come to was actually very loose. This last week, with 
Anne now finally free from the enormous pressure she'd been under, 
it had been the spectacular blonde who had spent most evenings 
with him. Saturday night Denise stayed with him, then on Sunday 
Anne again claimed her turn.
 
"Anne, not that I mind, but how come you're with me so much at the 
moment? I don't want Denise to feel left out."
 
Anne, snuggled up alongside him in bed, stroked his face with one 
long sensuous finger. "No, it's okay. Denise and I talked about it. 
She knows I missed out a lot while I was doing that work for Sid, 
and that I'll be in a similar position soon as well, though hopefully 
not as bad! So she told me to relax, enjoy myself, and spend more 
time with you for now. She knows she'll be getting more than her 
share soon enough!"
 
"Hmphh! Passing me round like a piece of meat!" Stan complained, 
but Anne knew him too well.
 
"Yes, my darling, and you love it!" she told him, and kissed him. One 
thing led to another, and Stan found himself on his back deep inside 
his lover, looking up at her concentrated expression. As she rode him 
to a climax he met her movements with his own, then rolled her over 
and thrust wetly into her, harder and faster, until he came with a cry 
of his own.
 
"God I love you!" he gasped, still moving weakly in her.
 
"I love you right back, my sweet," she told him, pulling him down 
into another long kiss.
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
The last week of work before the Christmas holidays was always a 
rush. It was effectively a three-week-month, and yet there needed to 
be just as much done, it seemed. Anne was still hard at work getting 
her project into as tidy a shape as she could manage. Denise was 
busy as usual and Stan seemed to have more than his usual number 
of fires to fight. 
 
"Jeez," he told Elaine on Wednesday afternoon, "it's just as well 
tomorrow's the last day. I'd hate to keep this up all the time!"
 
Elaine laughed. Just then Ewan came through, and Stan saw him give 
Elaine a really filthy look.
 
"What's that about?" Stan asked.
 
"Oh, it's ever since I started wearing this," she answered, holding up 
her hand, displaying her ring. "I don't think Ewan believes 'people 
like me' should be allowed to marry."
 
"Well, it's bullshit, Elaine. Ignore him."
 
"Oh, I do!" she told him, happily. Then she became serious again and 
went on, "I think you three have become common knowledge now 
too, Stan. I've heard the gossip, so watch out for some comments."
 
"Huh. Well, it was bound to happen, Elaine. I'll let Denise and Anne 
know."
 
Actually, the first person he saw was Elizabeth. More accurately, she 
saw him, and went to meet him by the water cooler as he grabbed a 
quick drink.
 
"Your secret's out," she said, her smile a small one, failing to cover 
her concern. "Fancy a coffee?"
 
Well, no he didn't, but Stan could see that Elizabeth wanted to talk 
to him more privately. So he acquiesced.
 
Elizabeth strode elegantly in front of him into the canteen and picked 
a table. As usual, there were a couple of people there but it was 
mostly empty. Stan picked up two coffees and sat with her.
 
"Our secret's out, you said?" Stan began. "Elaine told me. Hers too. I 
don't really mind, but I don't know about Denise, and I know Anne 
didn't want it to come out, at least, not yet."
 
"Well, you haven't really been that circumspect, have you? It's a 
small firm, everyone knows everyone else. The three of you have 
been together a lot, and the way you acted... Although," she went 
on, "I've heard it as you four, not you three as often as not."
 
"Mmm? You mean Elaine?"
 
Elizabeth nodded. "Half the people think that the four of you are 
together, the other half are convinced that that idea's wrong and 
you're trying to cover for her being a lesbian."
 
"Gah. I don't suppose there's much of a 'It's none of our business' 
party?"
 
"Not around here, Stan. It's too juicy. You all got carried away, Stan, 
you weren't discreet enough. What's done is done, though. Will you 
be all right?"
 
"You said it, 'what's done is done.' We'll have to live with it, I guess. 
It's less of a problem for me than for the ladies, though. I worry 
about Denise, especially. She was already a target for gossip."
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
That evening at Stan's house, Denise was in the kitchen directing 
Anne and Stan as they prepared ingredients for her to cook dinner. 
Stan took the opportunity to tell them both what he'd heard at work.
 
"It seems we've all been noticed as an item," he said. "Elaine told 
me this morning, and Elizabeth confirmed it. Also, Elaine and Susan 
are 'out'. I saw Ewan give her a filthy look this morning."
 
Anne looked up, but was silent. 
 
Denise, however, told them both, "I don't care. If it takes attention 
away from Elaine, and Susan, then I just don't care. The only way 
I'm getting a promotion at The Firm is through 'dead man's shoes' 
anyway - you have to wait for some poor bugger to die or to retire 
there. You know, Stan, you're in the same boat! Since they have no 
grounds to fire me, and I'm happier now than I've been in ages, 
anyone who says anything to me about it can just swivel!"
 
"She's right, Stan. I don't care either, as I'm going to be leaving 
soon. I do worry about how the gossip will affect you two, and of 
course I feel for Elaine if anyone's rude to her, but it's not going to 
affect me for long. Honestly, I wonder why you two are hanging in 
there, anyway."
 
Stan picked it up. "Job, Anne. They're not that easy to come by, not 
at my age. Besides, in many ways The Firm's good - pay's okay, 
pension's good, I don't have a huge amount of responsibility. It's an 
easy life there, really. I think Denise is in the same position."
 
"Yes, Anne," Denise answered, "most days I can almost coast along. 
I can't deny that I have been looking, a little. There've been some 
nice adverts, but I haven't seen one that'll tempt me away, not yet. 
Of course, then there's the whole issue of the three of us. I'll not be 
going far from here."
 
Stan thought Anne had a pensive look for a fraction of a second, but 
then she said, "So we simply pay no attention to the others there, 
then? Are we agreed on that?"
 
"I think so, yes. What do you care what other people think?" Stan 
told her.
 
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
Finally the last Thursday of the working year came around. It was the 
day of The Firm's Christmas party, and work for the year would finish 
at 12:30 that day. Officially, anyway!
 
For most people, the actual work stopped considerably earlier, and 
people were drifting into the bathrooms to get changed much earlier 
than that. This was the one day of the year where everyone dressed 
up a little... nothing formal, but for most, a bit smarter than usual.
 
Elizabeth declared that her party days were long over, and she would 
be going home instead. Before she left, she gave Stan a peck on the 
cheek and wished him, "Have a happy Christmas, Stan!" Stan hugged 
her back and told her, "I don't know what I'd have done without you 
this year, Elizabeth. Thank you!" She smiled at him, waved, and was 
gone in a wisp of perfumed air.
 
Stan wore his smart suit again. Anne wore a white sheath dress that 
finished six inches above the knee and dipped a long, long way down 
her back. "Nothing else!" she whispered to Stan. Denise had a 
tailored emerald green trouser suit on that looked fabulous, 
emphasizing her bust while hiding her still persistent small tummy 
roll. 
 
The two ladies emerged from the Ladies room together and found 
Stan, who whistled appreciatively. By now the Viano was all ready to 
take the first passengers off to 'Apricots' where the party was to be 
held again this year.
 
So Stan took an arm from each of his two lovers and the three of 
them walked together out into the winter sunshine to board the 
minibus. Elaine was already aboard, having shut the switchboard 
down a few moments earlier. So the four of them were able to sit 
together as they were driven the few miles to the restaurant.
 
Stan saw that Denise was chatting with Elaine, about what he 
couldn't make out over the noise and the chatter, and in any case 
Anne claimed his attention by talking animatedly about a new 
production of The Glass Menagerie, in the West End. Stan expressed 
interest, which became easier when Anne told him of the leading 
lady, Jessica Lange - an actress that she knew Stan liked. A lot!
 
The Viano drew up into the courtyard and they all got out. Stan led 
the way to the restaurant but then stood aside and let the three 
ladies enter first.
 
Inside he was disappointed to see that there'd been less effort by 
the staff than the previous year, even though there were Christmas 
decorations up, there weren't as many, and they all looked like last 
year's. 'Still' he thought, 'it's not as if I've had to pay for it!'
 
Stan headed for the bar and got drinks for all four of them. Elaine 
grabbed Anne and pulled her over to a table, wanting to hear all of 
her latest news, while Denise and Stan mixed with the various other 
groups.
 
Stan gradually became aware that small talk with the various groups 
was harder than usual. No one said anything specific, but there 
seemed to be an undercurrent, where people would stop talking 
when Stan moved into a group, and then conversation would restart 
on a new subject.
 
Lunch was called. Stan and Denise rejoined Anne and Elaine at a 
table. They laughed and joked and enjoyed each other's company 
without getting too demonstrative. With Elaine there, Denise 
seemed a bit edgy but Stan thought she was handling things well.
 
After they'd eaten, the staff swept in to clear the tables and move 
them to the sides of the room to open up a larger dance floor. A 
local band began to play a collection of 50's, 60's and 70's music, 
and some dancing began soon afterwards.
 
Stan began circulating again, joking with some of the older ladies 
and gently flirting with a couple of the younger ones. He was able to 
chat with some of the engineers.
 
Phil, one of them, who was in Anne's team, asked him under cover of 
the music, "How the hell did you pull it off?"
 
"What?" Stan asked in defensive reflex.
 
"You know. Both of them. Anne's gorgeous, and scarily intelligent, 
and Denise is a firecracker when she dresses up like this. How'd you 
get them both?"
 
Stan decided that trying to play dumb wasn't going to get him 
anywhere.
 
"My winning personality and good looks, I'd imagine!" he told the 
younger man, with a grin spread wide across his face. "Of course, 
you could ask them if you want. Yes, that's a good idea - ask Anne 
at the next team meeting!"
 
Phil looked at him as if he'd got two heads. "You've got to be 
joking!" he said, and then they both laughed.
 
Stan looked at his glass, now empty, and resolved to get another 
beer.
 
Stan found Anne over at the bar getting herself another Smirnoff Ice.
 
"Notice anything?" he asked her.
 
"Yes, people are talking about us, and not being very subtle about it. 
I haven't actually been insulted to my face yet, but then I haven't 
gone near Ewan."
 
"Or his cronies, Anne. Steer clear of them all."
 
"Huh. Why should I? I can go where I want, can't I?"
 
Stan looked carefully at Anne.
 
"How many of those have you had, sweetheart?" he enquired in a 
neutral voice.
 
"Never mind how many. I'm no lightweight, I can handle my drink."
 
'Oh, dear,' thought Stan. Anne's face was already flushed, and her 
balance less than perfect. 
 
Stan looked around to see if he could spot Denise. He couldn't, but 
Elaine was coming towards the bar. He went to meet her.
 
"Elaine! Can you watch over Anne for me for a few minutes?"
 
"Sure, why?"
 
"Anne's not pacing herself. At this rate she'll be flat on her face 
before the evening's out. See if you can get her to have soft drinks 
for a bit, eh?"
 
Elaine looked doubtful. "I'll try, but Anne's pretty hard to persuade of 
anything. You know that!"
 
"Just do your best, Elaine? Please?"
 
Stan headed off to look for Denise. He found her a few minutes later 
talking to some of the older ladies from the production staff.
 
"You're brave. I could never take such a chance. She'll try to steal 
him away from you, you know," one of them told Denise as Stan 
walked up.
 
"She already had Stan, and then the two of them invited me into the 
relationship. Honestly, Margaret, I have nothing to fear there. 
Besides, I love them both, and I can tell they love me." She 
obviously caught a familiar look, as she went on, "No, not that way! 
Anne doesn't swing in that direction. But we love each other, as 
partners."
 
Stan judged the moment was right to intervene, before more  
awkward and salacious details were sought.
 
"Excuse me ladies. Denise, can I borrow you for a minute?"
 
Denise looked across at Stan and smiled brightly. "Of course!"
 
As she walked across the floor to the bar with Stan, Denise asked 
him, "What's up?"
 
"Anne's been hitting the bar pretty hard. I'm afraid she'll plant her 
face into the floor if we can't get her to slow down."
 
"Oh. That bad already?"
 
"Yup!"
 
They found Elaine and Anne seated at a table.
 
"Anne? Anne, sweetheart? How're you doing?" Stan asked her.
 
"I'm okay!" came the waspish reply.
 
Elaine stood to let Denise sit next to Anne. Denise flashed her a 
grateful smile and took her seat. Stan sat on Anne's other side, 
taking her hand.
 
"I'll just go and mingle," Elaine said, but before she could leave Stan 
said, "Thanks, Elaine." She nodded, turned and left.
 
"Anne, you never went to last year's Christmas party, did you?" Stan 
asked her.
 
"No, no I didn't. Why?"
 
"And you left early at the barbeque. Sweetheart... you've got to slow 
down. I know you've been under stress, and this is a good chance to 
relax - but if you 'relax' too much, you'll end up in a heap on the 
floor!"
 
Anne visibly gathered herself and thought for a moment before 
answering.
 
"You're right. I can't remember how many I've had, and that's a bad 
sign, isn't it?" Stan nodded while Anne went on, "It's only mid-
afternoon, too. Soft drinks for a while, then, I think!"
 
- - - - - - - - - -
 
The band took a break part way through before the afternoon and 
instead they played some canned music - in this case, dance music. 
Ballroom dancing.
 
Stan heard the announcement without really listening to it, so his 
first hint was the look that he got from Anne. His face must have 
betrayed his confusion because she said, "Dance?"
 
Then Stan heard the music. It took him a moment, but then he 
recognised what Anne meant. "Wow. A Waltz? I'd never have 
believed it."
 
"Come on, Stan!" came another laughing voice by his side. Denise 
was standing, holding out her hand to him. He looked back to Anne, 
who made a shooing gesture and sent them on their way.
 
"I hope I can remember this!" Stan confided to Denise, but she 
merely took her position and looked him in the eye. "When you're 
ready, Stan," she told him, her eyes promising more than just a 
dance.
 
There weren't all that many on the floor, and some of those were 
simply shuffling in time to the music, but there were a few who could 
dance. Anne found herself tapped on the shoulder by Percy, of all 
people, and he proved that he was underestimated here as well, 
leading her strongly and well.
 
The waltz was followed by a Quickstep, and then another. Denise 
swapped with Anne, and the next dance was a Foxtrot. By this time 
Anne and Stan, and Percy and Denise were the only couples still 
dancing.
 
The last dance played was a Tango - and by now Stan's inhibitions 
were gone completely, he was there with Anne, and there was no-
one else in his arms, he was all hers as she was all his. That they 
were the sole couple left dancing at this point escaped his notice. 
Then he felt the tap on his shoulder as Denise cut in. "Ahem! If I 
may, kind lady?" she playfully asked Anne, who laughed and let Stan 
go. "Be my guest!" she told her.
 
So Stan finished out the dance with Denise in his arms as they 
worked each other up in the Tango. Once more he quickly fell into 
the rhythm, in the back of his mind marvelling at the good fortune to 
be having not one but two incredible women who seemed to love 
him. 
 
Stan danced some more with Anne and Denise during the band's 
second set, and all three enjoyed themselves immensely. Time 
passed quickly, and it was well after six pm before he'd noticed. The 
party would close at seven after which it was traditional for the 
merry-makers to go back to town, find a pub to keep the party spirit 
going, and revel, usually well into the night.
 
Stan was at the bar getting some much needed refreshments before 
the bar closed when Bob spoke in his ear.
"God, but you're a lucky bastard, Stan! I wasn't sure whether to 
believe the stories, but it's obvious now that both of those two 
women are hanging off your arm. Well done!"
 
By this point, Stan could only grin.
 
Bob raised his glass in salute, but Ewan, behind him, scowled. 
'There's always one,' thought Stan, and he just smiled back and went 
to find Denise and Anne.
 
"Are we going on to the pub crawl afterwards, Stan?" asked Denise 
when he found them. Her tone, and the way her hand stole to his 
groin, indicated she had other ideas.
 
"Anne? Do you want to go on after the finish here?" he asked. Stan 
couldn't deny some interesting thoughts about the three of them 
together, though nothing of the sort had ever been suggested.
 
"I thin' I'm done, here, Stan," she answered, sleepily. 'There goes 
that idea!' thought Stan, ruefully. Then he realized just how much 
he'd had to drink, as well.
 
They finished their drinks and said their goodbyes before jumping 
into a cab for the journey home. "All back to mine?" Stan asked, 
getting a smouldering look from Denise and a sleepy assent from 
Anne.
 
Once inside his home, all three divested themselves of their coats 
quickly. Denise grabbed Stan and kissed him hard, while Anne looked 
on in sleepy amusement.
 
"You two go ahead. Good night, my loves. Christ, I never really 
thought I would say that, I can tell you! Loves! Huh!" She gave 
Denise a peck on the cheek, then took Stan in her arms and gave 
him a good night kiss that in other circumstances would have led to 
much, much more. "I'll see you both in the morning. I'm bushed, and 
drunk, and I'd better go to bed before I do s-something I shouldn't. 
Have fun!" Then she turned and climbed the stairs.
 
"I bet I could entice her into a threesome, Stan!" giggled Denise. "In 
her current state I'm not sure she'd care!"
 
"That wouldn't be fair though, would it?" Stan answered, though he 
grew even more aroused at the thought.
 
"No, and I'm not going to do it - it'd be like date-rape. C'mon, let's 
you and me have some fun!"
 
She pulled Stan into a tight embrace, kissed him soundly and then 
burst free and ran up the stairs. Stan began to follow at what he 
hoped came over as a more sensible pace, principally because he 
was simply too tired himself to give chase properly. Sensible didn't 
mean slow though - so he laughed to himself, and took the 
remaining steps fast.
 
In the bedroom he found Denise sitting in front of his dressing table, 
removing her makeup. She turned to him as he walked in, smiled 
brightly and told him, "I thought I'd leave something for you to 
unwrap!"
 
"I'll unwrap you all right!" Stan growled, making Denise giggle. Then 
he walked behind, bent down and wrapped his arms around her, 
crossing them over her bust. Denise leaned back into his chest. 
"Mmmm, I love you, Stan," she told his reflection in the mirror.
 
"I love you too, darling, but didn't you say something about 
unwrapping?" he asked her with a smile. She grinned back, stood, 
keeping his arms about her and twisted in his grip so she was now 
facing him. Tilting up her face, she offered her lips for a kiss, an 
offer that Stan gratefully accepted.
 
The kiss deepened, and tongues clashed, dueling for possession. 
Stan broke first, descending on Denise's neck, then moving up to her 
earlobe. Denise purred and ran her hands down Stan's sides before 
pulling at his shirt. Stan reached up for the buttons on her green 
jacket, but found that Denise's attention to his own shirt buttons 
made undressing her awkward at best, and in fact almost impossible.
 
It didn't take too long for the shirt to be unbuttoned and Denise then 
tugged it off - but not before Stan had to intervene to remove his 
cufflinks. Then he grabbed her hands and told her "My turn!" waiting 
for Denise's nod before reaching for the jacket buttons once more. 
Now it was easier and the three buttons were undone in a flash, and 
the jacket wasn't on her much longer. Stan decided to leave the 
blouse for later, and instead reached for Denise's waist. She leaned 
towards him and they kissed as he opened the clasp and pulled down 
her zip. Stan's breathing was growing short with the excitement as 
she stepped out of the trousers, leaving those lovely legs, that she 
normally kept hidden, on display for his approving, lustful gaze.
 
"I've been talking to Anne, she says you like this," she told him in a 
dark and sultry voice, and then she struck a model pose before 
walking up to him, crossing her feet over at each step, causing her 
breasts to jiggle inside her blouse. She reached for his belt, and then 
they finished undressing each other in a frenzy of movement, clothes 
chucked uncaringly on the floor as their hands and lips roamed over 
each other's bodies.
 
"Eat me, Stan, I want your tongue!" she cried. And Stan was only too 
willing to oblige, as Denise lay back on his bed and spread her legs 
in invitation.
 
Stan crawled up the bed to her, inhaling the giddying scent of her 
obvious arousal. "God, I've been wanting this since mid afternoon 
and those dances, Stan!" she told him as his tongue made contact. 
Stan felt her shiver, and he danced his tongue around, tasting, 
nibbling sometimes, seeing her open still more as she flushed red, 
her lips now deep pink and glistening with her moisture combined 
with his saliva. Stan really enjoyed giving pleasure to the women he 
loved, and Denise was loving every minute of this.
 
It didn't take long for her breathing to turn to gasps and for her back 
to arch in pleasure. Stan kept her going up and up for a few 
moments, but finally Denise reached down and drew him up her 
body. "I want you inside me, Stan," she told him in a sultry voice, 
and Stan was only too willing. Seconds later he had the glans of his 
penis at her entrance. As he pushed, gasping at the wet furnace heat 
he encountered, he looked up and met Denise's eyes, lids lowered 
and full of love that he knew were matched by his own.
 
Stan expected their lovemaking to be fast and hard, but having just 
come Denise was sensitive, so they instead made slow, gentle love, 
very gradually stoking the fires. It was several minutes before he 
asked her "Want to be on top?" and Denise nodded. So Stan rolled, 
managing to keep them together as they reversed positions. Denise 
pulled her hair back over her shoulder and leaned back a little, 
looking for the right place to stimulate her clit on the grind, then 
found it and smiled in deep satisfaction. A few minutes of this and 
Denise came once more, her body shaking, her muscles contracting 
on Stan's cock. Her involuntary spasms milked and pulled him with 
her so that he spurted into her from deep within.
 
Afterwards they lay next to each other, still gasping, when Denise 
flopped over to face him.
 
"Um. Stan, I've got a confession to make."
 
'Oh, God, what can this be?' thought Stan, but the only noise he 
made was a grunt as he turned his head to face her.
 
"I really fancied Anne tonight. I really wanted to do it, pull her into 
bed with us, with me. I wanted to bury my face in her, to taste her. I 
was this close to asking her, and I'd have been wrong, wrong, wrong 
to do it. Even if she'd gone along with it. It would have broken us 
up. Don't let me be stupid, Stan! Please?"
 
Stan reached out for her with his outer arm, cuddling the now crying 
woman to his chest. "It's okay, Denise, it's okay. I know you're 
tempted - Anne's enough to tempt anyone - but you didn't give in, 
you didn't take advantage, she wasn't offended and all's well. 
Shhh..." and he stroked her until her breathing became slow and 
even, and soon slept himself.
 
- - - - - - - - - -