Through the Dark Keyhole

by Rosalyn Richardson

Neil climbed into the driver’s seat. I started to babble away as I always did when I was nervous. I commented that I felt overdressed and didn’t realise I should have dressed more casually.

  He glanced at me with a knowing expression and he said, “Overdressed, well we can always change that.”

  I blushed.

  He chuckled. “I’m teasing you, you look fantastic! There aren’t any dress codes, and you look perfect if I may say so.”

  He drove a short distance to a very elegant but cosy looking place called the “Trout Beck Arms”.

  I hadn’t even heard of the place. Neil must have been a frequent visitor as the receptionist greeted him by name. “Hello Mr Garside. How are you today?”

  A friendly waitress showed us to a table. She also seemed to know him by his name.

  I didn’t recall much about the actual lunch. He ordered a bottle of Champagne. We chatted away. Once the conversation started to flow, I felt as though I had known him for ages. I felt comfortable in his company.

  We spoke about all sorts of subjects, including work. He told me a few anecdotes about his experiences in different countries including his witty sense of humour. He touched on his very normal upbringing, unlike mine.

  We didn’t discuss anything heavy or deep. There weren’t any probing questions about either of our pasts. I realised that he was probably trying to establish a comfortable awareness between us. He was drawing me further towards my rapidly growing affection for him.

  Time seemed to fly and it was all too soon, that we had to get back to our offices.

  As Neil pulled up beside my little car he asked, “Are you busy this afternoon?”

  I replied, “I’m just going to gather up my paperwork and I’ve one or two people to see on the way home.” I hadn’t but it sounded business like.

  Neil said, “I’ve a director to see, from a shipping company this afternoon. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  He leaned across and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek playing havoc with my bodily reactions and feelings.

  I couldn’t describe these feelings of arousal that arose inside me except they were totally unique. Neil kissing my hand. My sitting so close to him in the car, and the kiss just now.

  My heart was still thumping. My breasts were throbbing and my lower parts felt as though my blood rushed to get to them.

  As I walked back to my office I felt almost breathless. However, two things rattled around in my mind.

  I had a dreadful habit of analysing people’s comments and their meaning. I think that this was due to my horrific marriage to Andrew. I was constantly reading between the lines trying to guess whether his words were meant in a negative way as they usually were, or not.

  I started to dissect Neil’s last sentence. Did “catch up with you later” mean, “see you later” or just a throw away remark that people often seemed to say as a common expression, or did see you later mean as in “anon”; in a day or two?

  Well, it turned out to be the latter in my case.

  My heart sank as I saw that Neil’s car wasn’t there when I arrived at work the next morning. Fortunately, I was busy that day. Business seemed to be picking up and the telephone kept on ringing.

  At about five thirty p.m. just as I was getting ready to finish for the day, the telephone rang. Typical, I thought. I was half tempted not to answer it. It could always go to the answering service. I stopped and I answer it. I was so glad that I did.

  Those velvety tones of Neil’s voice were at the other end, and the sound made my body surge with excitement.

  “Will you join me for dinner tonight Natasha?” he asked softly.

  “Yes, I’d love to,” I replied, secretly becoming overwhelmed by feelings that I couldn’t explain.

  “Right, I’ll meet you outside in a few minutes,” he said taking command.

  “Oh, I can’t go like this. I’ll need to go home and change and meet you back here,” I protested.

  “You always look divine to me,” he said charismatically. Come as you are.”

  In a state of panic, I quickly went to the small sink in the office and refreshed my makeup after a quick wash of my face.

  As I came around the corner, he was waiting, looking sexier than ever. He smiled and opened the car door for me.

  “Shall we go to the same place?” he asked.

  “Sounds good to me,” I agreed.

  Well, this turned out to be a very different occasion. Neil began to open to me about his past.

  He had been married twice before. He was only twenty-one when he first married. His wife ran a village grocery store. He had lost his parents within a few years of each other. He had found, Katie’s parents very demanding and overbearing and this was not a healthy environment for either of them. He became restless and felt the need to break away and start anew somewhere else, with Katie.

  He continued. One evening he had been on the telephone speaking a long time to an old friend, Jason, who had lived up in North Yorkshire, with his wife Suzanne. Jason and Suzanne had met Neil and Katie while on holiday in France. They were staying at the same hotel. Neil had kept in touch ever since.

  Neil went on to say that as he and Jason had chatted. Jason happened to mention the new business park in Ryedale and it’s opening day.

  Jason had suggested: “Why don’t you come and stay with us for that weekend, have a lovely couple of days in the Dales and look around the new estate while you are here?”

  Neil had said that that sounded perfect. He said that he would have a word with Katie and see if she could get the weekend

  off too.

  Neil and Katie lived in a small village just on the border of Derbyshire in a place called Hambleton.

  He did have concerns about how to approach Katie about the suggestion of the weekend. He knew that she could do with a break too and thought that she would enjoy the chance of meeting up with Jason and Suzanne again.

  Neil booked a table at Katie’s favourite Italian restaurant the following evening.

  He gently took her hand as she sipped her wine. He began to talk about his conversation with Jason.

  He said that it would be good for them both to have a break up in the Dales for the weekend, and to see Jason and Suzanne. He casually added that he wouldn’t mind going to the opening day of the new Ryedale Business Park, just out of interest.

  Neil said that he saw the thunder in Katie’s expression as she spoke, “Jason and Suzanne are your friends – not mine!” She continued, “And, don’t think that I am going to look around some business park. I know why you’re going – you’re still fantasizing about moving up to the Dales, well you can count me out!”

  With that Neil said, Katie had risen to her feet. She threw her serviette in his face, poured the rest of her glass of wine over his head and stormed out of the restaurant.

  I gasped in empathy and shock, putting my hand to my mouth, as he related this to me.

  He said that when he arrived home, he had hoped that Katie would have calmed down.

  She was sitting in the recliner chair, a glass of wine on the small table beside her. She was listening to soft music in the background.

  He approached her, sitting down beside her. He tactfully made no reference to her earlier behaviour.

  “I only wanted to look around Katie, nothing else, no strings attached,” he began.

  “Look,” Katie had replied, “You’ve been on and on about moving up to the Dales – I know what your game is and I’ve told you, I am not moving. I’ve my mum, dad and sister here and besides I’ve built up my business here.”

  “I know,” Neil had said understanding. “That doesn’t mean to say that you couldn’t set up another business up there. You will have the money from the house to invest in it.”

  “Absolutely not! Yes, you go ahead and sell the house. The money will be for our divorce settlement and nothing else!” Katie had yelled acrimoniously.

  Coming back to the present, Neil added, “And there you have i
t. That was the end of Katie and me.”

  “So, you must have still gone ahead and gone to the opening day of Ryedale as you are there now?” I reasoned.

  “Yes, and I’m so glad that I did. I should have made a decision and moved a long time ago,” he replied.

  Neil then continued. “I then married Sara.”

  He had met Sara on a regular night out with his friend Jim who was a butcher in the village.

  Jim briefly knew her as one of his customers, and when Sara walked into the pub with one of her friends, Jim had introduced them.

  Jim had invited them both to a barbecue at his house the following weekend which they had both accepted. Neil had already guessed that there was a bit of matchmaking going on.

  It turned out to be a whirlwind romance and before Neil and Sara knew, their marriage was doomed to end.

  Sara was an Art teacher at Cross Dale College when Neil had met her, but shortly after getting married she had lost interest in her work and really yearned for a change in her career.

  Although it wasn’t the wisest of things to do at the time, Sara had given in her notice at work before securing any other employment. Neil said that he had never criticised her for that and encouraged her to find her niche in her career. He didn’t show any disapproval when she decided to go back to university and retrain, still as a teacher but in music this time. Neil had agreed to fund this new change in her career.

  Sara seemed to be totally engrossed in her studies and she did seem to be excelling in her various grades. Neil said that he had noticed that Sara didn’t seem interested in or was too busy to spend time together with him. Although he knew deep down, that it was staring him in the face that they were drifting apart. He just kept on as normal, working all hours.

  Neil knew Sara that must be doing well and tried to take an interest in what she was doing. She always seemed very passionate and excited when she did share any of her day to day life with him.

  There had been two occasions when Sara had told him that she needed to go to London and stay at King’s Cross to attend a convention there for her degree. This was feasible as he had seen the forms etc., to do with these training events, and he was the one who had paid for her courses and her accommodation.

  However, Neil came home one evening to find all her belongings gone, even the Audi sports car he had bought for her and was really his, was gone.

  There was a note on the dining room table with her set of house keys to say that she was sorry but she had met someone else called Adrian and wanted to be with him. Sara had met him at university and they had a lot in common and that was another ending.

  “Although our relationship was short and sweet, I did love her and was devastated that my life had been like a runaway train, speeding down a track with the destination that I didn’t really want but was powerless to stop it,” Neil concluded.

  Natasha sighed heavily and said sympathetically, “I’m so sorry.”

  “Well that’s enough about me. I suppose we’d better be making tracks,” he said.

  My heart sank like a brick. Although this evening had been anything but light hearted, I was so glad to get to know Neil a bit more. He’d certainly let his guard down and that meant he must have trusted me to tell me about his past relationships, which meant a lot to me.

  Much later, as you will find out, I looked back and wondered if the experiences he had endured, the emotional stabbing from Sara and his trauma with Katie had influenced him to turn almost into a misogynist, but a very charming one at that.

  The night was just beginning though. As Neil drove back to the offices, he was much more light-hearted.

  He had amusing tales to tell, especially about people he had grown up with or had known during this time. He had me in stitches.

  Nigel drove into the car park. As he turned off the engine, he looked at me and caught me by surprise when he asked, “Would you like to take on some work for me Natasha? I’ve a customer base that needs updating for the next twelve months and it would really help if you could fit me in to help me with this.”

  I smirked and thought to myself, I would certainly fit him in and not just because of his customer list!

  “Well, the night is still young, would you like to come and see my office and factory, while we are here and get some idea of what my factory manufactures?” He suggested.

  “Yes, that makes sense,” I replied.

  Inside the large factory were different types of machinery, the smell of varnish, machine polishers and various shapes and sizes in furniture all in different stages of production and processing.

  We then approached his office just down the outer corridor. It was quite a cosy office, though smaller than I had imagined.

  In one corner was a large desk, best quality wood with a racing green leather surface, and a captain’s chair opposite, in the same style.

  On the other side of the room was an expensive looking Chesterfield settee. On the desk was Neil’s computer and printer, his landline and a green banker’s lamp on the corner. A large metal filing cabinet stood in the other corner.

  Neil moved across to the cabinet and began to explain about his vast list of customers and various orders and suppliers and the processing of these orders, from beginning to end. There was another section for quotes, invoices; all types of files under the administration umbrella. A lot of what Neil said went over my head as some things seemed very complex. However, reverting back to me, he explained the role he would like me to take on, and I did feel confident that it would be within my capability.

  Neil then turned to me and asked if I would like a coffee. I agreed and sat down on the Chesterfield while he opened the other cupboard door and pulled out a percolator and two china cups that also matched the rest of the décor. They were a delicate white with a racing green rim, with a band of gold just above it and the saucers were the same.

  I loved the smell of ground coffee as the aroma hit my nostrils. I smiled as Neil brought our cups over to the small coffee table next to me.

  Without a word and just a gentle smile, he looked straight into my eyes. I could sense straight away what was coming next, and I knew that he could sense my longing for him.

  He softly touched the tip of my chin, and brought my lips up to meet his. All that longing began to race over my body as our embrace began to heat up and our bodies ferociously entwined whilst our tongues touched each other in a passionate kiss.

  Again, with our eyes fixed on each other, Neil finally spoke very softly and as a true gentleman, he asked, “Natasha, will you allow me to make love to you?”

  Speechless, but enchanted and already panting inside, and with a longing for him to enter me, I nodded and gave him a shy smile. Somehow everything felt right.

  Neil’s kisses were as tender as he gently began to caress my body and kissed my breasts softly. My body began to sink into the large pile sheepskin rug that I was now lying on. As I sank into it, my body arched and began to get into the rhythm of Neil’s gently entering my body and his kissing of every part he could reach as he did so. Our kisses soon became more forceful and he began to thrust inside me. It was pure ecstasy. I lay feeling deliciously helpless as I let my bodily responses take hold and I felt my body go into rhythmic spasms as the blood flowed down to my lower body. I didn’t want this thrilling feeling to end. Now, and only now have I realised what had been happening before, and that my bodily responses and longing, had been for Neil to make love to me. Something that I had never experienced with Andrew or ever dreamed of.

  After we had gone to the highest plateau of sexual pleasure and climax, Neil kissed my breasts gently and then he gazed into my eyes and gave me a warm smile.

  Neither of us spoke but we lay, completely naked on our sides in a strong embrace.

  Neil broke the post climatic silence, looked at me tenderly and then whispered that he never wanted it to stop. We never did get around to drinking our coffees!

  When we walked outside holding hands, he agai
n embraced me and we engaged in a long and passionate kiss, before I finally got into my car.

  Neil said that he would see me the next day.

  As I drove home, my mind felt like a spaghetti junction. My thoughts were going off in different directions. I hardly knew this man, and yet within the space of a few hours, I had let him inside me, and yes it was DELICIOUS!

  With Andrew, sex really had been, “wham bam – but no thank you ma’am”. Andrew was cruel and animalistic, with no respect, feelings or thought for me. I just accepted that this is what it must be like, and could never understand what pleasure people found in it. With Neil I had for the first time, been orgasmic, and I craved more.

  Suddenly, my thoughts turned to my parents and what they would think if they knew what had just happened. They would die of shame. There you go again, I chastised myself. I was still being controlled by them, even if it was only just in my thoughts, after all these years.

  The rest is history as they say – or was it?

  Chapter Ten

  Neil and I were soon recognised as “an item”. I had now started working with him and he was officially now one of my business customers. In fact, he suggested that I give up my office and move my part of the business in with him, not only would it be financially beneficial but also, we could spend a lot more time together. I could also “man the fort” when he was out or on the odd occasion, if he was working away.

  Our lovemaking had reached new heights now, and nobody said anything, but they must have noticed how often the office blinds were down as we made love on that sheepskin rug.

  The sheer ecstasy of his touch. The electric feeling that buzzed up and down my body as he kissed and caressed my nipples, and the touch of those lovely, gentle hands as he stroked my other female parts. Neil never failed to excite me and he became addictive for me, and I craved this wonderful experience.

  After about three weeks, Neil asked me to join him for dinner after work. He was going to be at a client’s factory in Durham.

  I left Ryedale a little earlier than usual and went home to shower and change.

  I carefully moisturised my body and topped up my tan. I put on my G-string panties which sat perfectly on my body. I wanted to appear as sensuous as possible for Neil and expected our evening to be sealed with a vibrant sexual expression for one another.