Chapter 3

I once asked Paul to show us a picture of Nikki’s current bull. It was after one of their trips to Scotland, where they’d been away for two weeks. Paul was happy to oblige. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery until the photos they took in Scotland came into view.

About two-thirds of the photos they brought back featured Nikki and her bull, Jules.

Jules was a Frenchman and a colleague of Paul’s. Paul had barely known him when Nikki met him at a company function. The two hit it off quickly, and before long Jules became Nikki’s bull. (with Paul’s consent, of course)

In the photos, Jules towered over Nikki, who was almost always clutching his arm. In one, they were kissing with Edinburgh Castle in the background. In another, they were on a beach--Nikki stretched out on the sand in a bikini, while Jules sat behind a windbreaker in a chair. A picnic blanket lay nearby, complete with a basket, plates, and glasses. I think they were at Portobello; I remember because I’d been there myself.

There were plenty of other shots--pubs, restaurants, museums--but those didn’t hold my attention. Instead, what took my breath away was a selfie in their hotel room. They were on the bed, under the sheets. Nikki’s hair was a total mess, her temples glistening with sweat, and Jules was lying right beside her. I thought it must have been taken right after their sex.

Paul explained that whenever they were on vacation, Jules became the husband, while he played the friend who tagged along. His job was to take good pictures of them and make sure everything went smoothly during the trip. Paul loved being the third wheel, and part of why he looked forward to those trips so much was that he could watch his wife being completely taken over by another man.