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.