Chapter 42

It was a bright, refreshing Christmas morning. Stan and Anne had 
agreed to meet at Denise's cottage since she was going to be cooking 
the first real holiday meal for their unorthodox family. Anne insisted on 
getting there early for breakfast so that they could all open their 
presents... as soon as possible!

There was, of course, no snow, but it was chilly. Stan rang Anne to ask 
if she wanted a lift. She gratefully accepted, so he drove around to 
pick her up.

Anne was ready and waiting when he rang her doorbell. Her white 
winter coat looked huggable and warm. Stan thought she looked 
incredibly cute with her matching hat and shiny white boots. "Merry 
Christmas!" she said, and pointed up. There, above Stan's head, was a 
sprig of mistletoe - so he just had to give her a kiss. Somehow he 
didn't think it was such an onerous task!

Anne was feeling light-hearted and playful that morning, it seemed, 
because as she ran past him and off down the path to his car, she 
knocked Stan's hat off his head. Before he could retrieve it and catch 
up, she was sitting demurely in the passenger seat as if butter 
wouldn't melt in her mouth. Stan got in and, before starting the car, 
leaned towards her and murmured, "Payback can be a bitch, you 
know!"

"Is that a threat, little man?" she enquired, teasingly arching her brow. 
"Yup!" he replied, chuckling, and drove on towards Denise's place.

Denise greeted them both at the door with kisses - affectionately on 
the cheek for Anne, a smouldering kiss full of promise for Stan - and 
invited them in. "I've been looking forward to this... a lot! How about 
you, Anne?"

"Me? I'm just a little kid at Christmas. I always have been. It's my 
favourite time of year. I remember when I was 5 or 6, I used to try to 
stay awake and catch Santa, and I'd always strive to wake up really, 
really early to open my presents. I'd always find a stocking left on my 
bed. In it there'd be some fruit - always some fruit - and a couple of 
smaller toys, and usually a puzzle or two, as well."

"I'd get sweets, back when I was really little. Later it would be 
makeup, or a new hairbrush, or something like that, along with some 
toy or another to keep me quiet!" Denise answered.

"I remember getting cassette tapes for several years," Stan said. Both 
of the ladies looked at him. Then Denise said "What was it like in the 
Cretaceous period before CDs?" Anne gave her a high-five. Stan just 
poked his tongue out and gave them both the finger, and then had to 
defend himself from them as they smacked his arms. All three were 
grinning, and Stan couldn't repress a hearty chuckle.

In the little dining room they found that Denise had been up early in 
preparation. The table was set for the three of them to have their 
breakfast, and everything was well in hand. After a breakfast of toast 
and cereal, washed down with a lot of juice and coffee, Stan and Anne 
cleared up, telling Denise to go and relax. Several minutes later they 
were all gathered around Denise's tree. It was cosy in her small front 
room.

It was a small, real tree, set in a terracotta pot that Denise had 
dressed in festive paper. It was covered in decorations, varying from 
Santa in his sleigh (complete with reindeer) to simple bells, and sprigs 
of holly. The presents, all wrapped in their Christmas paper, lay 
underneath it. 

Stan handed out his presents to his lovers: two pairs of identically 
sized and shaped boxes. Denise gave him two, a smaller and a larger 
one, while Anne's present to him was only one medium sized carton. 
Anne and Denise exchanged boxes of different sizes.

Stan waited for Anne to rip open the paper on the first of her presents. 
She started with Denise's, which was a lovely white v-necked 
cashmere sweater. "Oh, it's gorgeous!" Anne said, "Thanks, Denise. 
Open yours, next!"

Denise duly opened her present from Anne. She gasped when she saw 
what was inside: the box was marked "DSI". "Anne? Dancesport 
International?" Anne just smiled, and Denise opened the box to find a 
matching cocoa coloured top and skirt, with a ruche waist and a ring 
detail at the front that would flatter Denise. The hemline was short 
with cut-outs that would enhance her already lovely legs. She looked a 
question at Anne.

"Soon, I'm going to be far too busy, Denise. Stan's going to need a 
partner." Anne turned to Stan and told him to open his present from 
her next.

"Okay," he told her, "but I have a sneaky feeling about this." He held 
up a box that now looked obviously about shoe-box sized. Sure 
enough, the box was marked "Supadance" and held a pair of black 
leather dance shoes.

"They're only practice shoes, Stan. But they'll be much better for you 
than those old dress shoes you've been wearing to dancing. You and 
Denise dance well together, and I'm going to be ferociously busy. I 
want you to promise me that you'll keep dancing, so that one day 
you'll be able to show me how it's done when I have time for lessons, 
again!"

Stan and Denise thanked Anne. Denise told him to open his presents 
from her, next. The larger was three DVD sets: Live Aid, the much 
more recent Live 8, and the Freddy Mercury Memorial Concert from 
1992. "I've heard you tell how you were at Wembley for the first of 
those, Stan. I checked your collection, and you don't have them. 
Enjoy."

Then Stan opened the smaller box. Inside was an MP3 player. "That's 
from both of us to you, Stan. We thought it might be a way of 
dragging you from the 19th to the 21st Century!"

Despite the joke, Stan was touched. "You'll have to show me how to 
use it - I'm sure it will take a lot of very personal tuition!" he told 
them both, and got the laugh he was hoping for in response.

Stan gave Anne and Denise kisses in thanks, and asked them to open 
his presents. He indicated the slightly smaller boxes first.

There was rapid tearing of paper, revealing jewellery boxes. Inside 
were gold drop earrings, each with three hearts suspended from it. 
Two pairs of eyes regarded each other and then turned to look at 
Stan. All four were brighter, wetter than usual.

Smiling, Stan indicated the other packages. There was more tearing of 
paper. Anne's contained a sapphire and diamond pendant necklace. 
Denise's was identical apart from the stone - hers was emerald. 
Together, Anne and Denise kissed him, one on the cheek while the 
other kissed his lips, then alternating. Afterwards, both ladies put on 
their necklaces. Each admired the other's and Stan was the happy 
recipient of yet more cuddles and kisses.

Finally, Anne pulled away and said, "So you'll not be trying to keep 
anything quiet then, Stan?"

"No point," he replied. "It was all over the Christmas party anyhow. 
But I bought all of these before that - I knew that in our firm, 
everyone was going to know our business."

"They're beautiful, Stan. Thank you," Denise said, and Anne agreed.

Some time later Anne asked, "When's Elizabeth coming around?"

"I told her not to be later than one o'clock," Denise told her, "lunch 
should be around about two. She is bringing James, isn't she?"

"That's what was agreed, Denise," Stan said. "I doubt if James has had 
much to say about it, mind."

Sure enough, at one o'clock on the dot, the doorbell rang. Denise 
welcomed Elizabeth and James.

"Happy Christmas, Denise!" Elizabeth said brightly. James' smile was a 
little forced. "Oh, come along James!" Elizabeth told him. "Just 
because they're new people doesn't mean they bite, you know!"

After the greetings, Anne and Stan were left to entertain James while 
Elizabeth shot into the kitchen to see what she could do to help 
Denise.

As they sat in Denise's living room, Stan wondered how to start the 
conversation going. James just sat there, looking around, unable to 
meet anyone's gaze. Stan realised that he was simply someone who 
was unsure of strangers in a social situation and was unable to think of 
a way to break the ice. Anne came to the rescue, beginning a 
conversation about gardening that Stan couldn't begin to follow. The 
two of them were still going strong, with Stan trying to look interested, 
when Denise and Elizabeth came into the room.

"There! That's lunch cooking, now I have a few minutes. Thanks for 
your help, Elizabeth!" Denise said as she dropped into her chair. James 
stood and let Elizabeth sit. 

"I fancy a sherry, anyone else?" Denise asked. Everyone answered, 
"Yes, please," so Stan poured five glasses of sherry and handed them 
out. Anne poured some nuts into a bowl, and all were soon sipping 
sherry and nibbling on the pre-lunch appetisers.

"Presents!" cried Denise. "Let's give Elizabeth and James their 
presents!"

"How did I manage to hook up with a pair of pre-teens?" asked Stan of 
no one in particular. Denise grinned at him, but Anne told him "You're 
a fine one to talk. The way you keep staring at Denise's boobs makes 
me think you're still a baby yourself!"

There was more badinage, which only ended when Stan picked Denise 
up and threw her over his shoulder. He held her there with one arm 
and swatted her rump with the other saying, "I warned you!" the 
whole time trying unsuccessfully to hold in his laughter.

Stan let Denise down, and she wagged a finger at him. "Do that again 
and you get no Christmas lunch!" Stan countered by pulling her 
towards him and kissing her.

When he let go, she pulled away and said, "No fair, Stan! How am I 
supposed to stay mad at you when you kiss me like that?" Stan 
couldn't help it; he knew he was looking insufferably smug.

"Hey, where's mine?" asked Anne, as she stepped forward to claim her 
own kiss. Stan closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his lover in 
his arms, apparently intent on mounting him there and then. He 
opened them again and over Anne's shoulder spotted James, 
apparently trying to work out what was going on.

He eased Anne away a little, without letting go of her, and looked at 
Elizabeth. "You didn't tell James about our, er, domestic arrangement, 
then?"

Elizabeth's own eyes were full of mirth. "No, I hadn't, Stan. It... well, it 
just hadn't come up in conversation. But in any case, it's one thing to 
know it, and another to see it!" She turned to James. "Stanley, here, is 
the lucky man who has two girlfriends. And as you can see, they all 
get on well together!"

"I can see that!" James said, dryly. "If you ask me, you're just looking 
for trouble Stan - two women at once, they'll hen-peck you to death if 
they don't drive you mad first!"

This time it was James who had to protect himself - from three 
women.

"I don't envy you, Stan - though of course I can understand the 
advantages!" James had to duck some more, then! "But didn't the 
young lady say something about presents?"

"Yes, she did!" said Denise, brightly. She brought a large box and an 
envelope from under the tree. The envelope went to James, and the 
box to Elizabeth.

James gestured to Elizabeth to go first. She carefully undid the paper, 
revealing a boxed fragrant Gardenia. "Oh, thank you all so much!" she 
said. She looked expectantly at James, who opened his envelope. "A 
voucher for the Pro shop at the golf course! Thank you, too!"

"Well," said Stan, "we couldn't invite you around on Christmas Day 
and not give you presents, could we?"

"Well, we've not come empty handed either!" James said, presenting 
Stan with an envelope, too.

"What have you got, Stan?" asked Anne, while Denise moved to look 
over his shoulder.

"It's a voucher for Apricots," he said. James amplified, "I hope it'll be 
suitable for all three of you. I wasn't made aware of the full facts!" He 
finished up looking directly at Elizabeth.

"Oh, it's fine. I rang Apricots and told them to make sure it was 
suitable for all three of you, Stan," she answered with a smile.

After that, Denise served up a sumptuous Christmas meal. After a 
starter of prawn cocktail, apart from Stan who had a melon slice 
instead, all had roast turkey, potatoes, vegetables, cranberry and 
bread sauces. Afterwards, to considerable groans from Anne who 
declared that she couldn't eat any more, Denise and Stan went into 
the kitchen. Stan poured the brandy over the Christmas pudding and 
set light to it, and then Denise brought it in to the dining room. It was 
an altogether super meal that was enjoyed by all despite the slightly 
cramped surroundings. 

After lunch, Elizabeth and James left to go and see her son and 
daughter. Stan pulled Denise to one side and whispered in her ear. 
The redhead listened, turned and flashed a surprised smile at him and 
nodded.

Denise disappeared into the kitchen, and Stan sat down next to Anne, 
who was relaxing with a drink.

She asked him, "What was that about?"

"I told Denise what I'm going to offer you, Anne. She was surprised, 
but told me to go for it, so I will. I have another present for you, 
Anne."

So saying he drew a small, wrapped package from his pocket and put 
it in Anne's hand. She looked questioningly at him, but Stan merely 
indicated that she should open it.

Inside was a black velvet choker with an ivory cameo. "For sometime 
later, when you're ready," he told her. "You put it on when you want 
to play, and don't wear it if you don't. It's a simple way of showing me 
when you're in the mood. Or, you can simply tell me that it's a nice 
thought but you don't want to 'play' that way, and just wear it as a 
choker, not as a collar. It's up to you, the present is yours regardless, 
Anne."

"Oh!" Anne sat, looking at the choker for a couple of minutes, 
obviously in intense thought.

"It is okay, isn't it?" Stan asked, worried.

"Oh, yes, Stan, it's lovely. Um, I'm not sure I want to 'play' as you say 
though.  Can I keep it until I make up my mind, please?"

"Of course you can, Anne. All the time you want, all the time you 
need. Just let me know when you've decided, huh?"

Anne looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"You're a dark horse, Mr. Hinch. Where did you come up with an idea 
like this?"

Stan smiled and told her, "You're not the only one who can research 
on the internet, Anne!"

"Well, Stan, I promise I'll let you know, sometime, okay? But for now, 
I'll just keep this safe." She put the choker into her handbag, reached 
for Stan's face and kissed him, tenderly, "I promise, Stan."

Denise came back into the living room bearing more drinks, and Stan 
turned on her TV set. The three sat close together on Denise's small 
sofa, relaxing, until soon all were asleep, with Anne and Denise resting 
their heads on Stan's shoulders.

- - - - - - - - - -

With The Firm having its annual shutdown period from the twenty first 
of December through to the start of the new working year on the third 
of January, all three of the lovers had some free time. Anne couldn't 
do much real work during the hiatus, so even she was forced to relax a 
little, though as Stan found when he went to visit her, that didn't stop 
her from reading trade magazines and scientific periodicals.

He chuckled when he found Anne reading one, telling her "I thought 
you were going to relax?" but Anne had looked up and said, "What? 
This is how I relax!"

Stan reflected that when he'd seen Denise the day before, her 
relaxation method, which involved wine, soft lights and music, was 
different from Anne's...
- - - - - - - - - -

That Thursday, three days after Christmas, Stan was visiting Anne 
again when the phone rang.

Anne, upstairs, answered it. A few minutes later she came down the 
stairs.

"That was Sid," she told him, "He wants me to start early. They've got 
another tranche of funding, and he's ready for me. It means I'll have 
to quit The Firm early, but Sid tells me he will pay off my notice 
period. So much for a rest before the rush begins!"

She went on, "He says they really have to push to get everything 
ready as quickly as possible. They've had some money come in earlier 
than expected and they need to make the most of it. Sid wants me to 
start straight away, and he meant now. But I told him I couldn't, it 
would be unethical to drop my project at The Firm right now. I need 
time to tidy it up and prepare for whoever Percy gives it to."

"How did Sid take that?" Stan asked.

"Not well. He doesn't like being told 'No!', he's not used to it. But 
sometimes he needs to hear it."

Stan thought for a moment, 'There's a subtext here.'

"Anne, did he... well, try anything while you were at university, 
studying under him?"

Anne coloured. "No, Stan. Nothing happened, but he did have a 
reputation. I told him right from the start that I was there to learn, 
and he knew what I meant. So he never came on to me, but I could 
tell he wanted to. I became good friends with his wife Maggie, partly 
to make sure he didn't get any ideas. I just hope that now he's older, 
there'll be no temptation. If nothing else, I expect to be too tired, 
anyway!"

"Are you still attracted to him, Anne?" Stan asked after a moment. 
Anne drew in a deep breath. She turned to look Stan in the eye.

"Yes, I am! But not as much as then, Stan. Most importantly, I'm 
much more attracted to you, you old goat. Besides, I'll be working 
directly for him, it would be very awkward to carry on an affair at 
work. Besides, I couldn't do that to Maggie. She's one of my oldest 
friends, and I think far too much of her. So don't worry, Stan."

"Silly girl. I wasn't worried. I know you love me. We discussed this a 
long time ago, sweetheart. I'm not jealous. But be careful, and don't 
hurt anyone, that's all."

Anne took Stan's hand in hers, and stroked his face with her other 
one. "Nothing's going to happen, Stan, not with Sydney. He's a lovely 
man, and once I fancied him a lot, and had to hide behind myself, as it 
were, to stop anything happening. But those days are long gone. Our 
relationship is, and will remain, purely professional. Okay?"

"Okay, Anne," Stan said, and she leaned to him, kissing him deeply. 
Their kiss became more passionate, and she led him upstairs where 
they made love... slow, languid, tender love. Afterwards Stan slept 
while Anne trailed a finger through Stan's chest hair, murmuring to 
herself, "You still don't realise just how much I love you, Stanley 
Hinch. But you will, one day."

Then she fell asleep herself, one arm still draped over his chest, her 
head on his shoulder.

- - - - - - - - - -

Anne, Denise and Stan all had diverse commitments for the New 
Year's celebrations. Well, Anne and Denise did, Stan just stayed home 
and watched some television, had a quiet drink and went to bed 
straight after midnight. He spent some of the night in quiet 
contemplation, toasting the beautiful blonde and the vivacious redhead 
who had, between them, stolen his heart. 

Caron, the raven-haired witch, laughed in his head, realising that he'd 
be home alone tonight. 'Two beautiful women and you stay at home 
with neither, Stan?' he felt her ask as he got himself into bed. 'It's the 
best way of showing no favouritism, my love,' he told her, just before 
sleep.
- - - - - - - - - -

Earlier in the week, Stan had been over visiting Denise, transferring 
some of his CD collection into his new MP3 player, when the phone 
rang. Denise was surprised and pleased to hear a voice she recognised 
from Ibiza.

"Hi, Denise? It's me, Janice!"

"Hi, Janice! Wow, this is a surprise!"

"Are you doing anything for New Year's, Denise?"

"Um, I dunno - hang on a minute."

She put her hand over the microphone and turned to Stan.

"Stan, did you have anything specific in mind for New Year? One of my 
friends from Ibiza has just asked."

"No, nothing planned, Denise. Go, enjoy yourself!"

- - - - - - - - - -

So, a few days later on New Year's Eve, she did.

She arrived at Janice's home to find that Devon and Sue were both 
there too, but Millie couldn't be there. "She's gone over to the States, 
she's got a cousin there. I think she'll stay if she can, Denise. She 
always felt she wanted to go there anyway. But never mind that. 
How're you?" Janice asked her as she took her coat. Denise could hear 
loud music coming from within, and was looking forward to having an 
evening where she could let her hair down again.

"I'm fine. I've had some rocky patches since the summer, but now I'm 
in love and it's wonderful!" she replied to Janice.

Janice grinned at her. "That sounds like a story worth telling!"

"Yes, but first let me find Devon and Sue and get myself a drink!" 
laughed Denise.

She spent most of the evening with the three younger girls, catching 
up on their lives since the summer. 

Janice was a nurse, training as a paediatric specialist and finding it 
hard work but rewarding. "I've pulled a lot of late nights that became 
early mornings," she told Denise, "But it's always worth it when you 
see a kid smiling, and you think, 'I helped to do that!'" The energetic 
dark haired young woman smiled brightly.

Sue, the brown haired one from East London, was working behind a 
bar at a nightclub near her, and was going out with one of the 
regulars. "E's one of those who'd pull a different bird every night!" she 
told the others, "But now I've got 'im, an' 'e's been going steady wiv 
me for free munfs!"

Devon giggled. "Three months! That's just about a record for you, too, 
isn't it?" Her blonde hair, now cut short and spiky, framed her blue 
eyes that danced with merriment.

Sue looked down, mumbling something, and Devon lifted her chin up 
with one pointed finger.

"I said I wanna marry 'im, alright?" Sue told them, challengingly, and 
Devon and Janice laughed. Denise just gave her a hug.

"I wish I'd got a fella!" Devon said, "I'm starting to wonder what's 
wrong with me. I'm only twenty three, not sixty three, you'd think I 
could get a guy to go out with me more than twice - and not break-up 
on the second date!" 

"What seems to be the problem?" Denise asked. She decided not to 
say anything about Elizabeth and her new relationship!

"Oh, I go out with them a couple of times. Then, if I sleep with them, 
it seems they think I'm too easy, and they leave me, they don't want 
me. But if I say 'no', they look for easier pickings!"

All of the girls laughed with her. "You've just been unlucky, picking the 
wrong ones for each approach. Keep trying, it'll happen!" encouraged 
Janice, and Sue nodded.

"What about you, Denise?" asked Devon.

"Oh, that's a long story!" she replied. All three girls looked attentively 
at her, so Denise quickly told them all about how Jim had basically 
dumped her at the airport without even having the courage to tell her, 
of her short-lived romance with "that bastard Tom!", of her almost as 
short relationship with Elaine and Susan - which drew a knowing 
glance from Janice, who said "I thought so. I caught you looking at us 
sometimes, and the kisses when we were winding the guys up at the 
bars - Phew!"

Then she told of Stan and Anne, and how their relationship had 
developed.

"Oohh! Three in a bed, Denise?" said Sue, tapping the side of her 
nose. "Nudge, nudge! Wink, wink!" 

"No, nothing like that!" laughed Denise. "It's not wild debauched kinky 
sex, just a three person relationship that we're trying to make work." 
She looked at each of the three friends in turn, finally looking straight 
at Sue. "I wish I could marry them both, actually. I love Stan, deeply, 
and I have a great friendship with Anne."

Janice cocked an eyebrow at Denise, and said "Just a friendship?" 

When Denise nodded, Janice looked at her for a long moment, 
appeared to think better of saying something, then told her, "That's 
too bad!" She stood up and pulled Sue with her. "Let's dance!"

- - - - - - - - - -

Anne went to a party with Maggie and Sydney, where she met the 
other partner in the firm she'd be joining.

He was a silver haired gentleman who wore an old school tie and a 
blazer as if it were a uniform. Anne soon discovered that he was as 
sharp as a tack, though. His function was to take care of the finance 
and business side of things.

"Ken's been a really good friend of mine for years," Sid told her, "we 
were at school together!"

Kenneth McKuan was charming and pleasant, if very reserved. He 
seemed to be a typical example of old English public school, with 
contacts everywhere and an easy way of making you feel like you were 
his friend. Anne could easily understand how this deceptively smooth 
yet energetic man had come up with substantial investment so early.

"Mind you," he told her, "So far it's been easy. You wait until we want 
real money for a wafer run. As Sydney keeps telling me, the cost will 
be significant. It will come to something in the order of a million 
dollars, just for that. I just hope it works!"

"Oh, I'm sure it will, Ken," soothed Anne. He snorted and told her, 
"Better be as certain as you can get, my dear. That's going to be your 
job!"

Ken sipped his drink for a moment, then scratched his chin knowingly, 
and said, "The other problem we have is making sure we're first to 
market - if we're beaten to it, most of the profit goes away. Maybe all 
of it!"


- - - - - - - - - -