Chapter 10

“Oh Alec, I am so upset! Restaurant managers are supposed to organise a top quality food offering to attract customers, but every single one that I met with proved to be more interested in getting the maximum profit for the lowest cost, and to pot with the quality of the food, or the attractiveness of the service. It was all money, money, money with them. I can’t work for people like that, and it is so depressing.”

“I can see that, Fiona. The army can be like that as well; wanting to get the maximum result at the lowest cost, but in the military, the lowest cost in loss of life is a good thing. The lowest cost in money terms for a business is a bad judgment. Lowest financial cost also means lowest staff morale. There has to be a happy medium where the business attracts better quality staff by offering higher pay. They use that argument for top business managers but cannot see that the same argument applies to front line staff. There is the old adage, ‘What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,’ and that says it succinctly.”

“Maybe so, but this doesn’t get it applied in practice, Alec,” she complained. “It does in some contexts, though. Teachers and other local government staff get a standard rate for the job, and it is applied nationally. The same goes for central government staff, and the military forces use the same pattern. High standards in teaching gets you a better job. The real problem mostly exists in private commercial companies, where the end aim is to make a high profit for the shareholders. Everything else gets downgraded to suit this aim. Managers will even try to circumvent legal requirements on safety to save spending money. That can prove fatal to staff or consumers in the long run, but as long as no-one takes them to court, they get away with it on the basis that they didn’t understand the rules, or someone else was responsible for the decision; anything but admit they were complicit.”

“Well, one of the factors a restaurant has to consider is food poisoning, and that can occur if food is not thrown out when it is past its ‘use by’ date. We learned that at college, but so many restaurant owners seem to regard it as optional rather than essential.”

“Nasty stomach bug, there. Food poisoning is not much fun at any time, and in a war it can debilitate your troops and make them useless to depend on, so our army cooks do their best by our men. If they fail at their job, they may be sent to the front line instead, and that is an incentive they don’t want to find applying to them!”

“You are still in the army, then, Alec?” “Sort of, Fiona. I have moved to a unit that does most of its work in the civilian sector, but nothing official; all off the record ... I am almost like an undercover policeman, if you get my drift.”

“Oh. That must be interesting.” “If you expand the meaning of the word ‘interesting’ then yes, but it is more like the supposed ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” - a sort of implied threat. That saying is neither Chinese nor ancient. It doesn’t exist in any record before the second world war, and the Chinese have never heard if it! Now, have you had lunch?”

“Oh, I went to a local cafe and got a bowl of soup and a sandwich. That will keep me going til dinner. What do you want to eat for dinner, Alec? I want to be useful in feeding my new man.”

“Well, a Scotsman I know swears by ‘mince and tatties’! What that means is beefsteak minced by the butcher and fried in a pot with onion, with a meat sauce added. It is accompanied by mashed potatoes with a little butter in them. Do you fancy trying it, if it is not already in your culinary menus?”

“I actually heard of this dish during my studies. The minced beef is added to fried onions, then a smallish amount of water is added, some gravy granules or cubes and some extra seasoning. The potatoes are boiled until soft, then mashed with some butter and possibly nutmeg for extra flavouring. Other vegetables can be added to the diner’s plate; things like peas and carrots, or even swede as is common in Scotland. These have the local term ‘neeps’ which is a variation on the word turnip, but refers to the yellow-fleshed swedes which is a different vegetable from turnip. Turnip is a variety of radish, of all things!””

“Good grief!” I exclaimed. “You culinary experts know a lot more than I assumed.” “We are not just pretty faces, Alec. Some of us are ambitious to succeed, and overcome any obstacles.” “Well, you started off with a pretty face, and getting your qualification speaks for itself. It is just a matter of getting a company to recognise your talents and give you a post where you can prove your abilities.”

Fiona headed to the tall freezer in the kitchen and removed a pack of beef mince for thawing. I raised my eyebrows, but she smiled and remarked, “As long as there is space, I can fill it with meat of various kinds. Mince fits in with a number of dishes in my menu. Potatoes are always in the pantry as well. It is not just the army that is ready for anything. Talking of which, you wouldn’t suggest the army for a cookery supervisory position, I take it?”

“Not really. There is the promotion ladder to ascend, unless you enter as an officer, but that requires a graduate level status, which is more than you have, my dear.” “So does that mean you are a graduate, and therefore an officer?”

“I’ll admit to that, but only in private, Fiona. I am officially on loan to another unit, so not in the normal hierarchy for the moment. To most folk, I hardly exist at all in army records. To get access to my file requires a control level that is too high for most people, including my enemies.”

“My lips are sealed, Alec. We are committed to each other now.” “Not exactly, Fiona. I am committed to both Phemie and yourself, and I trust you are both similarly committed to me. My life may depend on it.”

Fiona burst out with,”Oh, goodness! Yes, my love; you can depend on me, one hundred per cent.” “Good. What are you going to tell your parents about me?” “Oh, my God; the parents! What am I to say?” she questioned herself.

I suggested, “Find a job here first of all, then you can say that you are staying with Euphemia while working here. If you eventually feel you have to mention me, simply say that you have met a man and are seeing him, but it is at an early stage.” “That sounds a good idea, but I have still to find that job. So far, it has not been looking good. I refuse to put up with bad management.” “A good approach, if you ask me. If it takes some time, I’ll be here to make sure of your bed and board. My finances are fine for a while, and I am sure Phemie won’t be asking for accommodation payment.”

“Oh, Alec! You are a dear man. Phemie was right in her assessment of you. Thank God she is willing to share you.” “She is a wonderful lady, all right. She has even got the school to give me approval to access their university library privileges.” “Odd. You using a university library? Why would you want to do that?” “My own work requires that I stay up to date with new technology, that’s all. They have the online journals and latest science monographs.” “I see,” said Fiona, clearly not seeing what I meant. “I think I’ll stick to food sciences.” “You do that, Fiona, and keep on doing it well. We consumers depend on people like you to protect our meals and our health.”

Fiona switched tack.”Can I have a cuddle, Alec? I am too uptight for having sex just now, so just a kiss and cuddle, please. Sex may be fine by tonight.” I gathered her in my arms and we cuddled, kissed, and pawed each other for a while before she had to go thaw the mince in the microwave. A large package for three or more people takes quite some time to thaw in that machine, then you should leave it a while before thinking of starting the cooking.

I got started on peeling and cutting the potatoes into chunks that would not take too much boiling to soften, while Fiona settled into a chair with the crochet pattern she was working on. I could never understand crochet, but women and girls had a talent for that detailed pastime.

At last Phemie got home, hung up her outer wear, and wanted to know what was for dinner. When Fiona told her, she expressed surprise. “Whose idea was that? It is not a dish that I usually make., so I presume you are making it, Fiona. Unless Alec is taking up cooking?”

I told her that it was Fiona making it at my request, so that mollified her. “I hope it is not too bland,” she declared. “I like my food well-seasoned.” Fiona insisted, “I know your tastes, Phemie. I made some roasted garlic to go into the potatoes, and shallots fried before the mince was added. The potatoes will be mashed with butter and sour cream – I was lucky to find that in your fridge - and I will sprinkle some chopped chives on top.”

“That sounds very professional, Fiona,” I commented. “Well, if you are making a meal, my intention is always to make it well. A good meal encourages repeats, you know.” “Ah,” Phemie reflected, “That reminds me. Our school has a vacancy for a canteen supervisor, and I mentioned that you were looking for a job on that level, Fiona.” “What? In a school canteen?” Fiona sounded offended.

Phemie retorted, “A school meals operation is for school staff as well as pupils, Fiona,. And our Academy has a large pupil roll, and so a teaching staff to match. We teachers like our food, you know, and teenagers need to be clear about what they eat. You should want to develop their taste buds before they go out into the big bad world.”

“What about salary level? Is it decently paid?” “I don’t know any figures, but you can’t get a good school meals supervisor without paying for that knowledge and experience. It is like wanting a good teacher. The rector likes to recruit the best in all his staff.”

I left the ladies to talk jobs, and went into my own job requirements. I had already discarded the idea of moving chairs around, as that might be put down to cleaning staff pushing them around while they vacuum, so I was already thinking of heavier items such as desks and filing cabinets. Despite the notion of the paperless office, that proved illusory, as businesses always have records that they need to keep on paper, to prove they have valid contracts, or material that is only legal if on paper, such as certificates and awards, or commitments made by them or others that have a signature appended, like a staff appointment agreed to by the employee and legally signed; thus the need for at least one filing cabinet. These are usually steel.

On the heavy side again, one possibility was a large table used for formal meetings, where the business wanted to imply their permanence through a solid wood conference table. These things can be damn massive if you want to seat a dozen people, and not a chance that a cleaner would move it. So, a large and heavy item, and if possible a locked unit left unlocked, and opened. There is nothing so scary as a locked unit standing open. They would want to check all the contents to see if something was missing. Nothing would be, but that makes it all the scarier, for it is proof that someone or something is able to get into your secret places without being found. My reveries went on until Phemie called me to the dining table, with our plates of mince and mash being dished out by Fiona.

“My God! That looks great, ladies. Does it taste as good as it looks?” “Try it and see, darling,” said Phemie. “I had a taste earlier. In my opinion, Fiona has excelled herself. If she offered this dish at our school, it would wow the staff despite its apparent simplicity.”

“You are just trying to get me to have a go at that job, Phemie,” said Fiona. “I admit it, Fiona. You at the helm would make a steady captain of our school cafeteria, I am sure.”

I left them to argue, just gave them my thanks for a wonderfully filling meal, and went to sit in a lounge chair and think. I reckoned that I could do my night visit tomorrow evening. What I did not know is whether their cleaning arrangements were for after closing time, or in the morning before opening time. As long as I made my entry to the building after ten p.m. I should be clear, I thought.

I went over all the scenarios I could think of and my mind even invented impossible possibilities. I actually fell asleep in the chair while my mind spun with wild thoughts about what a poltergeist might get up to, and how I could emulate the effect. I was brought back to consciousness by Phemie shaking my shoulder.

“Alec, are you with us? Fiona and I were talking about how we share your attentions in the weeks ahead. Do you want to make love to both of us every night; or do you want to have one of us to make love with at night and the other in the morning? There are other possibilities, but we would like to hear what you think. Are we asking too much of you?”

“Ahhh ... no, it is simply that some nights I may have to be out at work. I have to be out tomorrow night, from about ten o’clock until I get back; I don’t know when. As to making love with you delightful ladies, any time is the right time. The question is whether you are happy with you both being in bed with me at the same time. I can work with you girls in whichever way you want, but just remember that I can’t ejaculate twice in a short time. My body needs a recovery period, so either you allow for an hour or so between you, or accept that I can’t deliver sperm to you both for a while. I take it both of you are still interested in having my baby for us to love and cherish?”

Fiona queried, “So you may be away some nights, and neither us gets to make love with you on that night?” “Possibly so. There are variables involved that I can’t predict. If you are desperate for my loving, we could probably manage in the daytime, but Phemie has her teaching job, and you might also have a job that keeps you busy during the day. Do we all have to fuck every day, girls? It is not a biological imperative, having sex every day, you know.”

Phemie growled, “That may be true, but I for one am looking for daily sex at the moment. Fiona suggests she may have the same inclination. Am I right, dear?”

“God, yes! I will take all the sex I can get for now, at any time of day or night. I love it! - as long as it is with you, Alec; no-one else.”

I indicated hearing a lack of response in one direction. “Neither of you has said if you are still of a mind to have a baby.” Phemi immediately jumped in, “I am all for it, my love. I want us to be a family unit, and a child makes it that.”

Fiona said wryly, “And what does that make me, Phemi? What if I have a child, too?”

Phemie shrugged, “Just an extension of the family unit, as far as I am concerned. We make it a greater family unit, so to speak. It does mean we have to live together, though. I think that means a larger house, if we have children to accommodate. Alec, are you okay with the notion of buying a house for the three of us and our children? It may be a bit more expensive, but if Fiona and I can chip in towards the cost...” “Once I have a job, that is,” Fiona chipped in.

That settled, we set to cleaning and clearing away all the remains of our dinner, before settling down to whatever took our fancy: TV programme, a book, listening to music, until bedtime. Then it was the battle of the sexes, with Phemie and Fiona competing for my amours. At first it had felt pleasant to be regarded so highly and I made love with both of them, switching around before coming inside one of them. Eventually I found it was taxing a lot of my energy and we came to a normality of one woman with me, followed by a hiatus for me to recover before taking on the other woman.

The in-between period was great for relaxing on my back with one arm round each woman as we tried to sleep, but one of my partners was fully relaxed while the other was still wound up, waiting to go. This is why I preferred the night and morning choice, which worked as long as Phemie had to get up for her work duties. Once Fiona was in employment, we would probably have to set an early alarm to allow time for lovemaking before getting up, showered, and dressed for the day. I never envisaged that lovemaking would become so complicated, but then I had always anticipated it being the norm: me and a single female. This was nice, but awkward. Probably we would all become more settled as a family group after a while, but not yet.

Next day I rang and arranged for a ten p.m. pick-up, and warned the ladies that I would be out late that night. They took it with considerable calmness due to my advance warning.

When the car/taxi arrived, it was the same driver, so we were off almost immediately, me carrying my bag of goodies from Smith that should come in handy in the darkness of the office.

My driver added a datum.”Oh, Mr Smith says the cleaning firm at the target building do their work between six and eight in the evening. It is in their contract, thus dependable.” “Oh, good. That’s useful to know. So anything happening during the night can’t be put down to some mischievous cleaner?”

“That was his conclusion, Mr Jones.” “A good one, that!” I concurred.

We got there well before eleven, and I told him, “Half an hour”, but after he dropped me off I first did an outside scan of the building, looking for unexpected lights being on, that might indicate someone working late and so be a possible problem for me. The entire building was in darkness as far as I could make out, so satisfactory.