Chapter One

Evelyn sat by the phone, turning the card over in her fingers.

Daniel F. Alexander

Joiner & Home Handyman

No job too small

it read, followed by a telephone number.

She remembered their last meeting. Nearly a year ago. She and Adrian had only been married a few months. They had decided to have a mahogany shelf put into an alcove in Adrain's study and one of Adrian's friends at work had recommended Dan Alexander. He had told Adrian how Dan had done a lot of jobs in his house over the last two years and that he was an expert craftsman.

'My wife swears by him - she's always wanting something done. And I must say he is a most obliging fellow and he does a first-class job', Adrian's colleague, Mr. Emslie, a fat little man in his late forties, nodded his head in agreement with himself.

And so on a Friday night she had phoned the joiner and he had arranged to come the following Monday in the early afternoon.

Evelyn had been surprised at his youthfulness, she had expected a much older man but the pleasant-faced deeply-tanned man on her door-step couldn't have been a day over thirty.

'Good afternoon ma'am.' His voice was deep and soft and the handshake was firm but not too strong. 'you have a job for me, I believe' She had liked his smile and his eyes. In fact everything about him had been so... so reassuring. He was about six foot tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans that seemed moulded to his body. Evelyn had quickly spotted the bulge at his crotch and had mentally criticised him, and all men who so displayed themselves. With that single exception though, she couldn't fault him. He had come back the following Wednesday afternoon as promised and had worked away for the best part of two hours while she busied herself about the house.

At that point she had offered him coffee and biscuits and they had sat in the kitchen together and talked. He had been curious as to who had recommended him and had wondered if it had been the wife of Adrian's colleague who had done so. No, she had told him, she didn't know Mrs. Emslie but Adrian had told her that Mrs Emslie had had a lot of work done and was always delighted with the result.

' That's nice to hear, Mrs. Grayson, I like to give real satisfaction to my customers'. He had smiled warmly as he spoke, gazing across at her with those blue, blue eyes. For some reason she had felt her colour rise at his words and to hide her confusion she rose and took her cup to the sink. Standing with her back to him she was aware of his eyes on her. She was conscious of the tight skirt stretching across her bottom and its shortness revealing so much of her thighs. She had turned... to find him gone, and at that moment she heard his power-drill begin to whine in the other room. For the next hour she had taken herself to task for misunderstanding him.

It was when he had finished and she had inspected his work that it happened. Having complimented him on his workmanship she had written a cheque and was handing it to him.

'Thank you, Mrs.Grayson, he had said,' it's been a pleasure' then he had stepped closer, intruding on her space, ' Is there anything extra you would like? Anything at all I can do for you? '

His face had been only inches from hers and she remembered the redness of his lips and the high cheekbones and strong chin - and above all the blueness of his eyes. In what seemed to her to be slow motion he had reached down and placed his hands lightly her hips and pulled her ever so slightly her to him so that her body moulded into his. She could feel the hardness of his erection against her belly - before she had slapped him hard across the face, and had sidestepped and turned to face him.

' No thank, you Mr. Alexander.', she had said very coolly, although there was a shake in her voice, 'No extras. I'll see you out'.

He had rubbed his cheek and smiled, ' My mistake', he had said, ' got the wrong signals.' And he had picked up his tool bag and followed her to the door. Having opened the door she had turned. He had a little card in his hand.

'My details, Mrs. Grayson', he had said quietly, ' in case you want my services again'. He had laid it on the work-top and before she could react he was gone, down the path and into the lane.

Now eight months later she sat at the phone with that card in her hand.

It was the night, a few weeks ago, in the small hotel on the outskirts of Carlisle that had started it. She had gone to visit her mother in hospital and had booked in to the hotel to avoid staying overnight in her mother's flat. Arriving back after visiting the hospital, she had gone to bed.

She had been awakened from a dreamless sleep by the sounds from the room through the wall. The walls were paper-thin and she could hear the bed thumping and squeaking. But it was not the sound of the bed that held her spell-bound, but the sound of the woman, panting and moaning as she urged her partner to fuck her, telling him, in words that seemed to be forced out of her in great gasps, how she loved his cock in her cunt.

Evelyn had listened in astonishment as the woman seemed to grow more and more frantic and her urgings got louder, until at last she gave a scream that became suddenly muffled.

Almost immediately a different deeper voice gave a great 'Ohhhh, God!' as the bed gave a final loud thump. Then there had been silence for a couple of minutes before she heard the couple laughing quietly, the woman in a happy giggle.

Evelyn did not sleep for a long time. She had lain, thinking of her lovemaking with Adrian; she had never behaved like that woman, never known such intensity of feeling.

The next morning she had waited behind her door till she heard her neighbours leaving, to go down to breakfast. At first when she saw them, she thought she had made a mistake. The couple in the hotel corridor, so far as she could judge from behind, were in their late forties or early fifties, both conservatively dressed, the man, thin and balding, and the woman plump and, Evelyn thought, a bit motherly. There was no doubt however that they were the couple from next door.

She had watched them in the hotel breakfast room as they ate and talked. She noted that they talked a lot and had contrasted that with she and Adrian, the latter always engrossed in the morning paper while she listened to the radio news.Like two people from different planets, she thought.

Any doubts as to them being the lovers she had overheard, were dispelled on her return to her room.

She had waited till they had left the breakfast-room and had followed at a distance, watching, until they entered their room. As soon as their door was closed Evelyn had darted into hers. Chiding herself all the while for eavesdropping, nevertheless she had listened intently, a glass to her ear, at the adjacent wall. Only muffled sounds could be heard and the occasional sound of drawers opening and shutting and the creak from what she guessed was the wardrobe door. Then the woman gave a squeal and giggled loudly.Evelyn heard her protesting through her laughter,

' No. Harry, no! the maid will be coming to clean the room... Harry!'. The woman;s voice had gone up an octave and Evelyn heard her begin to giggle as though she was being tickled.

She couldn't make out the man's response but the woman began to laugh. Then Evelyn heard her say,

'Well it needs to be a quickie!' and after that the man must have said something for she heard the woman say with a little laugh,

'Of course, darling. You know I like it best when you take me from behind. Here let me kiss him first.'

There had been a pause then, 'Mmmmm! I love your cock in my mouth, Harry... It's so big. but... ' Here, the man seemed to protest. Then the woman said, 'There! Put it right up me, Harry. Now. There. Oh, Yes! I want you to make me come with your big cock. Fuck me, Harry. Fuck me.'

Within seconds, Evelyn heard the bed squeaking loudly, and the woman began urging the man on. And, like the night before, the noises had grown louder and more animalistic.

Evelyn had sat through this second episode feeling her heart thumping, and a growing warmth and wetness between her thighs. And had wondered why lovemaking was never like that for her.

And she had wondered that frequently since, particularly after Adrian had ended his weekly thrusting and grunting and had rolled over to snore. Then she had lain in the darkness and thought of the couple in the hotel.

She took a sip of water from her glass, lifted the phone and dialled. A voice said, 'Dan Alexander'.

Evelyn nearly dropped the phone. She hadn't expected him to answer directly. Her throat was dry and she hesitated, struggling to control her voice. He spoke again, 'Hello, caller. This is Dan Alexander, home handyman and joiner. Can I help you?'

At last she found her voice, ' Hello, Mr. Alexander. I... you won't remember me. I'm Mrs. Grayson. You did some work for me nearly a year ago and... ' She glanced at the paper on which she had written her notes.

Before she could start again, he spoke, 'But I do remember you, Mrs. Grayson. I put up a shelf for you. And I remember you paying me. I do indeed.'

As his meaning registered, she could almost feel again the smack she had given him.She fought down the panic and said as calmly as she could, ' I think there was a misunderstanding, Mr. Alexander. I realise now that I should have taken time to consider. I'd hoped we could draw a line on my response to your... your offer.' Evelyn felt her throat drying up. She took took a gulp of water.

'Mrs. Grayson. Of course. Now how can I help you. If you're needing something done, I'll be happy to do it. And please call me, Dan.' He sounded pleased. It was clear he held no grudge.

Evelyn felt her heart trembling in her throat as she spoke, 'Thank you Dan, I... I was wondering if you could put up some more shelves for me. And... ' Evelyn's heart was pounding as she looked at the last line of her notes - the words in large capitals, 'and I may need some extras as well'. These last words came in a rush, and she had to grab her wrist with her other hand to stop the phone shaking against her ear.

It seemed to Evelyn that the silence that followed lasted forever. All she could hear was the beating of her heart. Then,

'That's just fine, Mrs Grayson, I'll be happy to do whatever it is you want. Monday's actually my day for costing and doing my books. I'm nearly finished with them. Could I call about two? We can discuss ideas and you can let me know how you want to proceed'. He paused, 'If today's no good to you, I'm afraid I'll not be available for a couple of weeks.'

'No! No! I mean, yes. Yes, today's fine. I'll be here at two o'clock.' Evelyn was aware of the loudness of her own voice and how quickly she had responded.

Dan's voice was quiet and measured as he spoke," Why, Evelyn, That's grand - I hope I may call you, Evelyn?' The question hung in the air.