Chapter 16

Ara and Suzanne were full of giggles when Andrew returned, Suzanne mock pouting about how mean Ara had been, and Ara in turn laughing and calling her naughty. The two of them just bubbling with joy. And for a couple of women that liked to give up control they were adamant about dragging him off to the bedroom. His resistance was not difficult to overcome! As they all undressed though Andrew took control, almost casually.

“Kneel on the end of the bed, head down, arse up.”

Suzanne smiled as she moved to comply. Andrew had Ara kneel in front of him as he sat on the side of the bed, so that Suzanne could watch.

“Territorial Army training is normally on a Tuesday night. A perfect evening for the two of you to play.”

Ara starting sucking him off.

“When I get back this is what is going to happen. You are going to kneel there watching Ara drain me dry and then help me recover again. Once my vigour is restored then I am going to fuck you hard. I am going to pull your hips back onto me, you are going to feel every stroke of my body, rippling up from your beautiful pink arse.”

They followed the script exactly. Ara had Andrew coming far too soon but sucked and teased him back to a full hard-on and he fucked Suzanne as he had described. Andrew didn’t have to spank her now, occasionally as part of playing when it was the three of them, but conversely, he had no compunction in fucking her hard, adding to the pink hue of her bottom. Fucking her hard was different than spanking or paddling her, even although the effect was very similar especially after Ara had finished with her. He had no idea why the psychology was different for him, but it was. And it was an evolving pattern between the three of them. Suzanne’s punishment was now two stages, one more thing that Ara could whisper in her ear. Despite Ara’s blow job Andrew was still back to integral calculus to hang on at the end. But Ara’s finger massaging Suzanne’s tight little rosebud had an immediate effect; on both of them.

The final act of this three act play was making sure that everyone was included so Suzanne lay along the bed and languidly blew Andrew back to life before moving over to let Ara get her turn. And as he fucked Ara Suzanne lay beside her, gently teasing her nipples with fingers and tongue. The three of them enjoyed a long fuck, energetic but after two quick pops he lasted longer than usual. And of course the best thing about fucking Ara was that orgasms were all but on demand. As Andrew felt his release coming he told Suzanne to make Ara come and magically they came together. Life didn’t get any better. It also made them keep Jim and Freya waiting for a couple of minutes in the taxi before they were ready to head out for dinner. Both smiled knowingly at their embarrassed expressions. But it probably wasn’t going to be the last time that happened. Oh well.

Jim signed them in at his club, the Naval and Military Club on Piccadilly, and soon they were seated in the dining room. Andrew thought back to the Hogmanay 18 months earlier and how he had enjoyed the evening sitting letting old men reminisce about their military adventures and experiences.

“Andrew!”

He had been woolgathering and missed a question.

“Sorry, I missed that.”

“We could tell, you were miles away. Are we boring you already?”

“Hardly. I was thinking about the Hogmanay gala that I came to, just thinking about the evening. Sorry, as you said I was miles away.”

“What plans do the three of you have for the summer?”

He indicated that the ladies should go first.

“I am going to be working with Olivia, who was on the course with Andrew at Cambridge. I am going to meet her on Sunday morning and talk to her about when she wants to start. She is staying at the hotel just down the street so I am meeting her outside the Ritz at 9.00.”

“Is she coming over specially?”

“No, her College is graduating on Saturday and so she and her parents will be at the hotel on Friday and Saturday night. You are taking them to dinner, aren’t you?”

Suzanne had turned to Andrew and he nodded.

“Just you?”

“Yes, it seemed too much and unnecessary to go through everything with Olivia’s parents. We have told her, but it will just be me on Saturday. Plus there is the issue that they may recognise me.”

Freya clapped her hands with far too much glee.

“Of course, they will have seen the commercials. Are you going to mention it?”

“If they don’t mention it then I doubt it. But according to Olivia they are shown frequently. It may not arise because of the context, I am Olivia’s friend from Cambridge, why would they associate that person with Hermès? So I won’t lie to them but I doubt I will volunteer the information. I don’t know they will react, how they will treat me, what they will suspect Olivia of. We will see.”

“Where are you going to take them?”

“No idea, haven’t even thought about it.”

He was immediately told off three different times, in three different ways.

“You booked the night we first met, why are you not organised.”

“Erm, because Leslie booked it.”

The first whack of the evening. But Jim quietly excused himself for three minutes and when he returned slipped Andrew a piece of paper.

“If anyone asks you are my nephew, other than what I told them is true. Graduation celebration with close friends from France. I was owed a favour and they were happy to oblige.”

“Thank you Jim. Where am I taking them?”

“A little French restaurant up behind Grosvenor Square. I am sure they will love it.”

Andrew looked at the piece of paper and saw the name and address, but it meant nothing to him.

“It is a little pricey so be warned.”

“We got sidetracked by Andrew’s dinner plans. When do you think you will start your business?”

“Towards the end of the summer. Andrew and Ara start within a week of each other at the end of September so around then, maybe a little earlier, depending on holidays. I am going to ask Olivia to come over while Andrew is away on his course at Sandhurst. Start to build a plan.”

“I can see you have caught the ‘start your own business’ bug from Andrew.”

“Mostly from Andrew, but I am a Trustee of the Endowment Fund now as well. So I see lots and lots of proposals from new and start-up businesses. I see which ones Leslie rejects and those that are good enough to be discussed further. So I know how to think, what to write. The important thing that Olivia and I have to do is decide what our niche is, and how to find and win business. It will be hectic for years I would guess, although this first six months will be especially crazy.”

Ara and Andrew both reached out and each squeezed a hand. It was great to see Suzanne so passionate and excited.

“Arabella, what about you?”

“A quiet summer of research I think. I have a good understanding of the Kurdish situation in Turkey and it was mentioned in my interviews. A lot of the time was spent talking about the Kurds and their impact on the Iran-Iraq war. There are Kurds in both countries, not just Turkey and they have mostly been on the side of Iran. I will confirm with them that this is where they see me contributing and if so then I will read up on as much as I can.”

Ara always had a way of making everyone stop and think. Andrew never had any kind of rejoinder to her geopolitical statements, mostly to stop him saying something stupid. Freya was made of sterner stuff.

“Is there an issue with the Kurds?”

“Potentially. Saddam Hussein is persecuting the Iraqi Kurds. If Iran defeats Iraq and Saddam then the Kurds may try to proclaim independence. That would impact Turkey with their own Kurdish issues, and Turkey is in NATO. Add in Soviet interference and suddenly NATO’s southern flank has some problems.”

It was the way that she said it so matter of factly. Freya looked like she had just sucked a lemon.

“Yes, I can see why that would merit some further investigation.”

Somebody at the MoD was going to have a new task the following morning.

“So back to the library?”

“Some of the time, yes I am sure I will be there. But we are looking at turning the Room of No Purpose into a large study for the three of us. Suze wants a large map table, I will have lots of bookshelves and Andrew would like a large desk and a drafting table. I think we will be able to use the floor space without a problem but it is a high room, there will be a lot of bare walls. We will figure it out. So part of the summer, when Andrew is away at Sandhurst, Suze and I will browse the antiques stores looking for anything suitable. It is the sort of thing that we can do mid-week, away from the maddening crowds.”

“Do you have any idea of your schedule Andrew?”

“Nothing yet, but I have several calls to make tomorrow. I should also hear from Manon at Hermès and get the shoot in Paris sorted out. Ara and Suzanne can look at French antiques during the days when I am working.”

“You are all going to Paris?”

“Oh yes. We want to spend some time either before or after in France. I also have to call the nearest Royal Engineers Territorial Army unit. It is an EOD unit out by White City.”

“EOD?”

“Explosive ordinance disposal, the bomb disposal guys.”

“Is that what you are going to do in the Territorial Army?”

“Not if I can help it. But there are limited options for Sappers in London. All the TA Combat Engineering Regiments are in the Midlands and the North. They would have been my first choice, in fact I didn’t really consider anything else. It never occurred to me that I would struggle to find a regiment in London. Anyway, I am to contact them, they will be the host unit for me in the run up to the course and while I am at Sandhurst. If I pass and am commissioned then I will have to figure out which unit to join.”

“It sounds complicated.”

“It is in the sense I have not really thought about other parts of the Sappers. I have been out at Perham Down with the Combat Engineers three times, no four times. It is what I saw myself doing. I just didn’t get off my arse and find out if it was possible if I was living and working in London. Just one more thing to sort out. The rest of my time will be spent working out what to do with this patent, figuring out if it is worth extending the patent to Europe and then the Rest of the World.”

Patents took up a few minutes of discussion as Andrew explained the rules.

“Are the three of you going to take some time off. I hear people talking about gap years and things like that. Do you not want to have a holiday?”

“We will take several weeks off and relax. But remember Andrew has to be careful in the sun, and his experience with skin cancer has made me more careful in the sun. So we can hardly lie on a beach somewhere for a couple of weeks. We will stretch the time before or after he works in Paris. I would love to visit champagne country, maybe spend two or three days in the Loire valley, things like that.”

They had an impatience to start their lives, and as Suzanne had said, they were not going to sit on the beach with a hangover all day and then drink themselves stupid all night. They thanked Jim and Freya for dinner but didn’t share the cab and instead decided to walk the four or five blocks home.

“Would you like to join a club like that?”

Ara was looking at Andrew.

“I am not sure what is the point, for us at least. It is one of the few clubs that is open to both men and women, but you are supposed to have a military background. Jim only did National Service but they stretch the rules for the Law Lords I suppose. I assume I could apply for membership if I get my commission but I don’t see me stopping there on the way home from the office when home is four blocks away and the two of you are there. From listening to the chat 18 months ago, it is used by a lot of people from out of town, as a base when in London. A lot of officers come up to London for the weekend from Aldershot and Wiltshire, or so the stories went. They have a bunch of bedrooms so it is a sort of officer’s hotel in the centre of the city. Why would I need that? It is something that I will ask about but it is not a priority. Why did you ask?”

“I liked that they allow full women members and have done so for 20 years. Freya mentioned that she was thinking of joining as a member in her own right. Dad would occasionally mention something about ‘going to the club’ when I was younger but I never paid it any mind. And when I went off to school and then Edinburgh it just faded from my memory. If we get the chance on Sunday I will ask him, but that may be wishful thinking.

They were all played out from earlier so it was gentle and passionate loving before the three of them fell into a deep sleep. Friday was a repeat of Wednesday, although Ara and Suzanne did not sleep as late. Andrew beat Manon to the punch and called her just before she was about to call him.

“Do you mind working over a weekend? Starting on a Thursday and ending the following Monday? It would still only be five days but it would not be the usual Monday to Friday.”

“If the dates work, sure. When are you suggesting?”

“July 16^th to the 20^th, three weeks yesterday.”

“I will check but I don’t think it will be an issue. I will confirm though.”

“Good. The reason for the Thursday is because of Heloise, which leads me on to our second request.”

Andrew could feel the anvil falling. He was silent.

“Hermès are opening another store in London, and Heloise is going to be there. The store is opening the day after Bastille Day, July 15^th.”

Andrew held his tongue but was already thinking of his excuses. There was no way he was cutting a ribbon on a new store. The humble pie hit him square in the face.

“The Chairman is going to be with Heloise for the opening and so both he and Heloise have been invited to the Bastille Day Reception at the French Embassy. He will be accompanied by his wife, so we were hoping that you would accompany Heloise.”

Andrew immediately changed his mind. He did want to cut the ribbon on the new store. Bloody hell.

“Does she know you are asking?”

“Of course. She has written to you asking herself, but she knew that we were going to be talking and that I would also be making the request. She wants to relax and enjoy herself, wear some heels and intimidate all the short people. Her words.”

“Let me check. I will call you back. Is there anything else?”

“The contract is close to being done. I think we are going to use Mathilde and Heloise every weekend, sometimes another model or two, but they are all going to be over 30, so people like Eve and Capucine, maybe Chiara. I know that you and Renee Clement are very good friends but I don’t think we are going to use her any more. Sorry.”

Andrew guessed that made her fears official.

“I understand, these are your decisions. I think if I am working with Heloise and Mathilde then the weekend shoots should be a lot of fun. Okay, let me go and talk about the Reception. I will call you back shortly.”

Fresh coffee had his bedmates stirring and after some mild fondling Andrew explained the dates for the trip to Paris and the Reception.

“The dates work out nicely. We can stay for the rest of that week. Four or five days, it will be perfect.”

“What about the Embassy Reception?”

He got synchronised patronising smiles.

“Andrew, Heloise has asked you to escort her to this event. It sounds like a big deal and the head of the company will be there. Of course you should accompany her. I don’t know about Suze but I am looking forward to meeting her.”

“Completely. Ara is right, this is something you do for a friend. You are taking Olivia and her parents to dinner tomorrow night, a nice thing for a friend. This is no different. It won’t stop us giving you a hard time about it but as long as you give us a hard time back then it should be fine.”

Andrew had to laugh at that terrible joke. A 14 year old boy would have been embarrassed by it. But apparently he was escorting the famous model to the Embassy Reception. As long as there were no glass slippers...

So he called Manon back to confirm everything before heading out to west London. The blokes Andrew met at White City at the Territorial Army depot were decent, they tried to be as helpful as possible, and did provide an unexpected solution for him. They told Andrew of the other Royal Engineer TA Regiment in London. The only other unit in inner London, as opposed to the outer suburbs, was the Commando Squadron. As the name rather gave away, they provided the Engineer support to the Royal Marine Commandos. And they were based in Kingsbury, up by where Navya and her parents lived. A couple of calls later and Andrew was Tubing his way back east and then north to Kingsbury. When he had met Rupashi and Navya, and later Rupashi and Pranav, Andrew had turned right on exiting the station and they had eaten in a restaurant in sight of the Tube Station. But 100 metres along the road to the left and just round the corner was the Territorial Army depot.

He had never really considered that the Royal Engineers supported the Royal Marines. But he had heard of the Regiment that supported the Parachute Regiment so looking back it should not have been so much of a surprise. And just like with the EOD blokes at White City they were helpful and welcoming. Everyone had quotas, there was a constant need to recruit new officers and men. He wasn’t someone coming in off the street, he was already through Selection and was waiting for a place on the TA Commissioning Course at Sandhurst. And on their side, they did Combat Engineering, just in a manner Andrew had never considered before. After speaking to several junior officers and a couple of Sergeants Andrew was sat down for an interview with a Major, in his early 40s with an air of competence about him. He gave the impression of not suffering fools gladly. He listened while Andrew explained in detail all the different courses and Regiments he had been assigned to during his camps.

“You have great deal of experience from all those camps, across a lot of the different aspects of the Corps. But if you are based in London then you have a limited choice of units. We are the only unit in the capital that undertakes Combat Engineering. But as is obvious, we are attached to the Commando Brigade, which means that all our officers and men have passed the Reserve Forces All-Arms course at Lympstone, not something that is an easy undertaking. Will your employer support you? The preparation for Lympstone will be at least a year.”

“I would presume that they will. I start at the Ministry of Defence in October.”

“Okay, good. Doing what?”

“I am not trying to be an arse, but I am not allowed to discuss it.”

Major Cairns didn’t blink an eye.

“Marpole Building I presume.”

He didn’t ask the question, Andrew didn’t answer it but everyone was on the same page. Cairns spent the next hour talking to Andrew about the role of this odd hybrid unit. Some of the tasks were new, hardly surprising, but much of it was very similar. The one thing he thought about on the journey back to the house was he would not be in West Germany. Now there was nothing to stop the Army sending them there but it seemed more likely they would be in the snow or in the desert somewhere, based on the training. But if Andrew was going to be a Combat Engineer then this was the only option. So he had committed and spent the rest of the morning filling in forms and left at lunchtime as a potential officer of 131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers. Now all he had to do was pass the Territorial Army Commissioning Course at Sandhurst, train extensively for at least a year with these guys and then pass the Reserve version of the All Arms Commando Course. Piece of cake. Hah!

And yet it felt like the right thing to do. Andrew’s motivation to join the Territorial Army was complex. Part of it was just a continuation of the last eight years; four years in the Combined Cadet Force at school followed by the four years at Cambridge University Officer Training Corp. But less than 10% of the members of the OTC joined up, so it was more than that. He knew that part of it was challenging himself. Academics came easily to him, too easily almost. But being an officer was about challenging old Andrew. He had spoken to Sergeant Marrak way back on the first day at the OTC and talked about leadership and command. Four years there had made a tremendous difference and most importantly had made it instinctive. But Andrew thought about his dismissiveness of the wannabe warriors in the OTC. What made him stop and think was that this was about as tough a unit to join within the Reserves. As he stood on the Tube back into the city he pondered whether he was a secret wannabe warrior.

The other thing that Andrew thought about as he walked back up to the house from the Tube station was that Ara and Suzanne never really questioned it. They feigned interest but it was not something that was discussed much. It was part of who he was, and for all three of them it was important to have lives and interests that were separate from them as a three. But that was all in the future. That afternoon they had another coming out, to Navya and Matt this time. Just letting people know about the three of them was bad enough, but Andrew also had to let them know about life before Cambridge, and their lifestyle. He grabbed a sandwich for a late lunch and told Suzanne and Ara about the morning. As mentioned they were interested but not about the details. He was hoping to be commissioned as a Territorial Army officer going forward, they understood that but weren’t bogged down in the details, at least then.

“How are you going to tell Navya and Matt? Are you going to wait and just tell them the whole thing when you all get here?”

“I think I am going to start the story on the walk up. I don’t know how much I will get through before we arrive but if I talk about making money with the computer companies then arriving here will make a little more sense. Depends how many questions Navya asks.”

“You look fed up?”

“No I am not. It is.”

Andrew stopped. What was it?

“I remember Leslie and Julian telling me that the money was going to be isolating. Inviting people here seems flash, which I suppose is the point they were making. I am much less concerned about telling them about us, there will be some questions but in the end we are going to live a low key life. The two of them are going to be the object of scrutiny for a long time. Mixed marriages are rare. So I think they will understand and accept that. It is the money that is weighing on my mind. And these two are easier than Justin. Pedro’s parents have some money, at least enough that he is comfortable but Justin is going to be working in a career where it is unlikely he will make much money, at least at first. He talked about getting a room in a flat over near Earl’s Court. How do I invite him here where we have three empty bedrooms on the top floor that we don’t use? I don’t want to lie to him but it seems insensitive or divisive.”