Chapter 30

Denise woke up.

It was Sunday morning. She, Elaine and Susan had spent the whole of Saturday together, just simply enjoying each other’s company.

Susan’s bed was crowded with the three of them, and Denise wondered idly for a moment whether she should broach the subject of getting a bigger bed.

She twisted over and met the twinkling eyes of Susan. They both heard a soft snore from Elaine, and smiled at one another. Susan mouthed “Coffee?” at Denise, who nodded, so they carefully got out of bed, grabbed robes and went into the kitchen.

“Do you think we went a little over the top with Elaine last night?” asked Susan.

“Nah. Though it was fun, wasn’t it?” answered Denise.

She thought back. They’d double-teamed Elaine, giving her no mercy, each delighting in pushing the diminutive blonde higher and higher, until eventually Elaine had screamed “Stop!” and curled into a foetal position. Then they’d both hugged her, feeling her come down gradually, body quaking, as they delighted in expressing their love for and joy in the pretty girl.

Once she’d recovered, Elaine had simply wanted to roll over and go to sleep, so Denise and Susan had let her, making a bedtime drink of hot chocolate and relaxing, feeling the love between them deepen, but though both were aware of Denise’s words from the previous night, neither had spoken openly of them.

Now, in the wan Sunday morning light from the overcast sky outside, Susan brought it up.

“Denise, you recall what you said just before you went to sleep Friday night?”

Denise blushed. She hadn’t been certain that Susan had heard her.

Susan laid a hand over the older redhead’s. “It’s okay, I understand. We’ll have to see what can be done, won’t we?”

Denise looked glum, despite her companion’s upbeat mood.

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy. I really think I’ve burnt my bridges with those two. Friends, yes, but I think Stan’s out of my reach now.”

Denise couldn’t help it. Unbidden, tears began to fall as she said that, and a lump filled her throat. She opened her mouth to add that she was happy with Susan and Elaine, but couldn’t get a sound out.

Susan stood, came around the table and hugged the older woman. Denise simply let it happen, her mind elsewhere. Stan was nice, protective, and friendly to her. It was Anne who’d been distant, but even she was being friendlier now. Could it be possible? The concept of a ‘troi’, three people committed to one another, not just some fun for a night or two, was very new to her. She resolved to see if there was anything she could find out about such things.

In the meantime, life still had to be lived. She pulled away from Susan, wiped her eyes and said, “Are we going to go down to Iorio’s for breakfast today?”

Susan resumed her seat. “I don’t see why not. I quite fancy something nice this morning, and the walk will do us good – wake us up. We’ll need to check with Elaine, of course.”

“Of course!” said Denise.

“Besides,” said Susan with a sly grin at her new lover, “A certain gentleman and his girlfriend might be there.

- - - - - - - - - -

Elaine, Denise and Susan walked down the hill and onto the High Street to Iorio’s. The three of them walked in together and greeted Tony.

“What-a can I get you, ladies?” he asked.

Denise took charge, this time. “Three cappuccinos and, I guess, six butter croissants? Yes?” she asked, checking with the other two. Hearing no objection, she confirmed, “Yes, six of those please, Tony. We’ll be at the back.”

“My, who’s got all assertive?” teased Elaine as they walked to their usual booth.

“I have!” laughed Denise. “Well, about breakfast, anyway!”

The three ladies sat, with Elaine and Susan next to one another, Denise opposite. They chatted about this and that for a while, then tucked into their croissants when Tony served them up with the coffees.

It wasn’t long afterwards when Susan saw Stan and Anne coming towards them.

“Hey, you two! Come and sit with us!” she called.

“What makes you think we weren’t going to gatecrash anyway!” laughed Anne.

“And look who we’ve found here!” said Stan, grabbing the only newspaper from the rack. “A fine group of young ladies – I expect we’ll be reading about you in here soon!” The newspaper he’d picked up was well known as liking risqué tittle-tattle, the more salacious the better, especially if the people involved were in the public eye at all. 

Stan sat next to Denise, while Anne perched on the end of the bench next to Susan. Once again the friends settled down to talking about nothing much. Tony brought Anne and Stan’s breakfast over, and the five friends enjoyed their Sunday morning.

Anne turned to Denise sitting diagonally opposite her and asked “Are you looking forward to the dancing tomorrow night, Denise?”

“Yes, very much – but I wonder if Tom will be there. It might be a bit awkward if that two-timing bastard’s going too.”

Stan assured her, “Tom would have to be a dick to go, surely?”

All there agreed with him, but Denise wasn’t so sure. She said, “Yes, but he is a bit of a dick, isn’t he?”

Denise was reassured by everyone there. Anne said, “Even if he is there, Denise, stick with us and we’ll make sure there aren’t any problems. Okay? Besides, I’m getting excited just sitting here and thinking about doing that dance.”

Denise nodded, but Anne could tell she wasn’t happy. Susan changed the subject to Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld movies, “Don’t you think she’s hot?” she asked.

“Well, she’s not really my type!” laughed Anne, but she added “Mind you, she does look very sexy in that outfit!”

Susan filed the information away. It might be useful in the future.

- - - - - - - - - -

Monday morning found Elizabeth in a good mood. James had come round again, she told Stan, “Just to do a bit of gardening, and to fix up a shelf of mine, you know.”

“And to have a nice meal, and perhaps a little wine?” he asked, with knowingly raised eyebrows.

“Well, it seemed only fair to cook him a meal, after all!” replied Elizabeth.

Stan smiled. It seemed that Elizabeth and James were seeing a lot of each other lately. He knew that Elizabeth had, herself, been lonely. She’d told him once or twice, long ago, how empty the house felt now the children had grown up. Stan hoped that James would be capable of filling that emptiness for his friend.

Later that morning Denise tracked Elizabeth down in the manufacturing test area. She asked if she’d have lunch with her, as usual. “Of course, Denise, silly!” came the reply, so at lunch the two ladies met. It was raining, so they found a table indoors by the wall where they could talk in relative privacy.

“Elizabeth, I wanted to talk over some stuff I’m going through at the moment,” she said, after the weekend’s chatter had been gone over. “Do you mind if I use you as a sounding board?”

Elizabeth smiled. She was used to this, first from Stan of course, but also from Denise in the past.

“Of course not. I’ll just listen.”

You know about me and Elaine, don’t you? Well, you know that she’s with another girl now, Susan, yes?”

Elizabeth let Denise tell her about the two girls, and how she’d fallen into a new relationship with both of them.

“So now, I’ve got not one but two girlfriends. Trouble is, what I really want is a boyfriend. Worst is, I’ve come to realize who he is.”

“Stan,” Elizabeth replied flatly, astonishing Denise. “Why do you look surprised? You never got over him, did you? Those other guys were merely attempts to replace him, not real boyfriends as such, really, were they?”

Denise closed her mouth and thought for a moment. At the time, she’d really felt for Jim, on holiday. But he was a bit young, and he was fun but a bit shallow. Tom? Well, least said, she thought.

“You’re probably right, Elizabeth,” she said with a sigh. “But now I’m left in a quandary. Don’t get me wrong, I love Elaine and Susan, but we all know that I need more than that, or perhaps something different to that. What I don’t know is how to go about it.”

Elizabeth smiled in distant remembrance. “It was easy in my day, I suppose. I’d just go up and tell the guy I fancied him, and ask his girlfriend if it was all right. It usually was…” She tailed off. “Somehow it all seemed so easy then, so uncomplicated. I suppose you’d tell me we were all naïve, and you’d be right, but it was nice at the time.”

Elizabeth focussed, and looked hard at Denise. “You need to do some serious soul searching, Denise. You have to decide what you want, really want, and how much you want it, what compromises you are willing to make for it. Take your time, dear, but please be careful and try not to hurt anyone.” Denise started to protest, but Elizabeth held up her hand. “I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone deliberately. But you have to consider a lot of people, not just yourself. There are four other people involved!”

- - - - - - - - - -

On Monday afternoon, before leaving work, Stan made sure he saw Denise. “We’ll come around to pick you up then, Denise. About a quarter to seven?”

“That’ll be fine, Stan. I’ll see you later.” She told him, and went back to her current troubleshooting job.

That evening, Denise again took a great delight in a little dressing up.

She wore her ‘little black dress’. She’d been told by Elizabeth, “Every woman should have one, dear.” And Denise had to agree that she looked good in it. This one had two thin straps for her shoulders, came to about mid-thigh apart from the longer flutter hem which came down almost to her right ankle. She’d found a black velvet diamanté belt to go with it, and a pair of burgundy satin-finished shoes.

She wore her long wavy hair cascading down her back. A little makeup completed her look. She was studying herself in the mirror, turning this way and that, when the doorbell rang. Stan and Anne were here.

She collected her shoes – Denise was wearing sneakers, and would change once there – and ran to the front door. There she found Anne, grinning from ear to ear, and seeming very, very happy indeed. No, not happy, Denise decided, satisfied.

There’d been reason for that. Anne had arrived home and got herself a quick snack, then got herself ready for the night. She thought back to last week, when she’d got so horny dancing with Stan, and then afterwards, what they’d got up to… or down to, she thought, with a guilty giggle. Looking at the clock, she realized she was almost a half hour early. She wondered what to do, and then with a sly grin she wondered what Stan was doing. So she called him, and he said he was simply waiting.

“Well, come on over!” Anne said.

He arrived scant minutes afterwards. Anne had simply told him, “I want you, now,” and had pulled him into the living room, bent at the waist over the arm of her chair, pulled her panties aside and told him, “Now, Stan, I’m horny. Now!”

Stan knew when to do as he was told, but honestly he was worried he wouldn’t be ready, at first. But when he saw Anne bent over like that with her ass wiggling and her pussy shiny with juices he found he was very, very ready.

Anne wasn’t kidding. She was wet, easily accepting Stan as he unceremoniously thrust himself home. He didn’t think he’d last long, and tried to hold back, but Anne urged him on, grunting “Faster!” as he moved in her. Stan went into overdrive, and very quickly he came. Anne whirled around and kissed him, then she told him “God, I enjoyed that! A change of pace – I think we’ll have to do that more often!”

So now Anne was at Denise’s door, wearing her black and gold high collared dress again. Stan took one look at them, glanced at his own dark suit and asked them “Where’s the funeral?” and then ducked as both women hit him, playfully.

Stan drove, and Anne twisted in her seat to look back at Denise who was sitting behind him.

“Are you going to go on to the intermediate classes after this, Denise?” she asked. “I’m not sure if I want to or not.”

“Neither am I, but probably not for the same reason,” responded Denise. “I think Raoul will still be going, and I don’t want to meet him.”

“What happened to ‘I’m fed up with pussyfooting around’?” Anne asked, with a slight smile.

Denise looked at her a little sheepishly. “Um, yes, I did say that, didn’t I? Well, okay, but I still don’t want to meet him. But you’re right, I did mean that I wouldn’t hide away.”

“Well, there’s a difference between going because you want to, and going through bravado, Denise. Think it through – it’s not as if you’ve got to decide straight away.”

They arrived at the school and Stan parked the car. There was a light drizzle falling, and Stan got out the large black golfing umbrella he used. “I just knew there was a reason golf existed – just to give me a good umbrella!” he joked.

The ladies had light jackets, so Stan held the umbrella over both of them as they walked swiftly to the school building. They finally dashed the last ten yards, giggling. Yves was there.

“Good evening!” he said, talking in the sight of all three together. “Well, I must say this is a pleasant surprise, I wasn’t expecting you all to come together. Is Mr. Orbison with you?”

“No, he is Not!” answered Denise, with sufficient force that even Yves drew back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to come out so loud,” she apologised. “He and I had a falling out when I found him dating another woman last week. Is he still coming?”

“I see. Well, he hasn’t said he’s not coming, so I assumed that he would do so. Perhaps Belinda has heard and forgotten to tell me. She’s inside, perhaps you could ask her?”

“Thank you, Yves,” said Stan, “We’ll go and find her.” Stan was about to turn away when Yves interrupted.

“There won’t be any trouble tonight, will there, ladies, Stan?” He was obviously concerned. Denise leaned forward and laid a hand on his arm. “No, Yves, I promise. I’ll – we’ll – be good.” Stan nodded at Yves to reassure the dance teacher. Then he turned and ushered the two ladies he was with forward, into the main hall.

Anne spotted Belinda first, the tall elegant lady stood out in almost any company. She approached her, and when Belinda finished talking, asked her, “Excuse me, Belinda. Good evening. Do you know if Tom Orbison will be coming tonight?”

Belinda frowned, but automatically responded, “Good evening my dear Anne. He’s not here yet, but I see Denise is with you. He’s due to come; I’ve heard nothing that says otherwise.” Belinda inclined her head a little, and enquired delicately, “Is there anything I should perhaps know? Perhaps, something that might affect partners?” She looked at Denise as she said the last words.

“Well, you could say that!” Denise answered. “Sorry. Yes, Tom and I will not be dancing together tonight, or any other night. I caught him two-timing me.”

“I see. Well, in that case I feel sure I can find him some other suitable partner, when he arrives. If he arrives.” Belinda answered.

Belinda turned to greet another gentleman arriving. The three friends moved away, drifting to stand by the wall.

“Well, what do you think?” asked Stan.

“About what? Tom?” Denise asked in reply. “Look, I said I wasn’t pussyfooting around. If he does come, I’m going to have a quick word with him – nothing too loud, don’t worry – and then ignore him. I plan on enjoying myself tonight!”

Only a couple of minute later, Stan saw Tom walk in. He saw the younger man’s head turn, as if he was looking for someone. Then he saw Stan, and the two ladies he was with.

Tom looked away, but Denise had seen him as well. She left Stan and Anne trailing behind her as she moved purposefully towards her former friend.

“So, you thought you could just swan in here as if nothing had happened?” she greeted him. Tom recoiled a little, but then turned and faced the angry redhead.

“Denise, I – I’m sorry, okay? Just, I’m sorry.” Then he turned away, but before he could get far Denise again moved, catching his arm.

“Stay away from me!” she hissed. Stan laid a hand on her arm, and Denise turned and almost launched at him, too, but caught herself. Between them, Anne and Stan drew her gently away, and Tom walked quickly off to the other side of the room.

“He’s not worth creating a huge scene over, Denise. You said it yourself, you want to enjoy tonight. So do we all. Belinda and Yves will keep him from partnering either you or Anne, so there’s no need to worry about that – let’s just have fun!”

Before the session proper started, Belinda and Yves came together into the middle of the hall. Yves clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention.

“Ladies, gentlemen. As you know, this is the last of the introductory sessions we have planned for you. Belinda and I would hope to see you in our intermediate group, which dances here on Wednesdays, but there’s no obligation of course. Please see either of us after the class if you wish to sign up. Now, without further ado, let us begin.”

The first half of the session was much the same as the other lessons Stan had attended. He danced briefly with Pamela who had taken to the Tango like a duck to water, dancing with passion. Both she and Stan made some mistakes, but then, as they laughingly told each other, that wasn’t surprising – they’d only started this dance last week!

They had their normal break in the middle for soft drinks and what Anne called ‘treats’ as she grabbed a packet of sweets. “I wish I could, but I’m trying to lose a little weight still,” bemoaned Denise.

Anne looked the young woman over with a critical eye. “Why? You’ve a wonderful figure, Denise, curvy in all the right places?”

“Oh, yes, flatter me, why don’t you? I know I could stand to lose a couple of pounds here and here,” patting her stomach and hips.

“Don’t be daft, Denise, you look fantastic!” Stan interjected. Anne just looked at him, and Denise grinned, saying, “Stanley, please note that Anne is your girlfriend, not me, and making comments like that is likely to piss her off! It seems you’ve got away with it this time – at the moment, anyhow!” Denise gave a conspiratorial look to Anne, and was a little puzzled by the blonde’s lack of reaction.

Actually, Anne wasn’t in the least upset, and took a moment to think about why. She certainly used to be upset when her boyfriend looked at another girl, but that was years ago. Now? She wasn’t upset when Stan danced with Pamela, and she hadn’t been upset by Stan blurting that out just now. Was she really over her jealousy, at least regarding Stan?

She came out of her reverie when Belinda called out “Class? Attend!” and the second part of their final lesson began.

This time, Stan’s partner to start with was Anne. His thin dark brown hair was soon matted with perspiration as he took the blonde for a ride around the dance floor, with the walk-walk-step-step-together sequence firmly in his mind, and already beginning to embed itself in his muscle memory. He still had to concentrate on the dance itself, but now he was more able to enjoy the charms of the girl he was dancing with – an important improvement, as far as Stan was concerned!

He watched his partner’s hazel eyes turn smoky as they moved. Anne in turn watched him. The connection that they felt with each other was in full bloom here, now, and they felt the rest of the world drop away, so that only the two of them were there, no-one else. Stan actually felt himself become physically aroused, his dick, though not fully erect, swelling in his trousers.

Anne, too, was aroused by their dance together. She felt hot and bothered, and by more than just the considerable physical exertion of the dance. Anne wanted to pull Stan into a room alone and feel him, hold him, take him. When Belinda indicated a change of partners, Anne had to pull herself together, but all she wanted to do was squirm, and to put her hands in places they definitely shouldn’t be going in public!

Her new partner was a small mousey older gent named Alfred, and she smiled at him, trying not to overwhelm him. They danced along, diffidently. Alfred wasn’t a great dancer, but he was competent. Anne’s mind, and her eyes, were elsewhere. Alfred noticed, how could he not, and gently released her, telling her that “Perhaps we’d best stand by the wall, since you’re so obviously distracted, my dear?” Anne nodded unthinkingly, and left him, moving to the wall, eyes never leaving the dance floor.

The reason for her distraction was Stan’s new partner. Denise.

The two of them were moving with appreciable skill and emotion, considering their still novice status. But Anne was noticing something else. She watched their eyes. She knew that look on Stan’s face, she’d seen it before. She also knew the look on Denise’s face.

She’d worn that same look herself, only minutes before.

She was startled by a touch on her arm. She whirled around, to find Belinda standing next to her.

“I thought for a moment that that was you dancing with Stanley. Best watch out, dear, she could take him from you if you let her.”

Anne merely nodded. She watched the couple moving, in tune with each other in the same way that she and Stan were attuned, analysing how she felt. Seeing them together ought to make her jealous, or unhappy, or worried didn’t it?

She was still deep in thought when Belinda clapped her hands together and Yves stopped the music.

“Well, thank you all. I hope you’ve all enjoyed yourselves. We’ll just do a short demonstration now, and then we’ll let you go on your way,” Belinda announced.

Yves cued in the music and the two began to dance. Watching them was an amazing experience, Anne decided. They moved with grace through a dance designed for quick, passionate moves, and it was obvious that their feelings for one another fed into their movements. ‘Just like Stan and me, or Stan and Denise…’ Anne thought.

When they finished their demonstration, Belinda and Yves thanked everyone for coming. Yves said he hoped to see them all again.

Stan, Anne and Denise went to Yves and Belinda. Stan told the Basque, “Thank you so very much for these past weeks. I’ve enjoyed them tremendously. I’m not certain if I’ll go to further classes, but I fully expect to keep dancing.”

Anne chimed in, “It’s been great. You’re wonderful teachers, and nice people as well.”

Denise told them, “It’s been lovely to see you both again.”

Yves glanced at his wife, who nodded almost imperceptibly, and told the redhead, “Well, you can come to classes again, you know. You, too, Anne, you missed out entirely on the Foxtrot classes. You could come to the next set of beginners’ classes should you wish. They’ll probably be starting again in a couple of months or so.” Again he looked at Belinda, who smiled, looked at the two younger ladies and told Stan, “Yes, you too, even though you did the whole thing. But only if you want to.”

It was Stan’s turn to check with the distaff side. Since Denise looked unsure he told the older couple “We’ll have to think about it, but please notify us when you have another course running.”

“We have the intermediate course running on Wednesdays, of course,” commented Yves, but Stan, Anne and Denise all looked less than sure about that, so they demurred.

After saying their goodbyes to Belinda and Yves, Stan led the two ladies to the door and peered out. “Looks like the rain’s stopped,” he commented.

They walked to the car and got in, each following their own thoughts.

Stan drove, thinking of the dances he’d had with Anne, and then Denise. He couldn’t deny it; he felt for both of them. But he was committed to Anne, wasn’t he? He’d have to push the feelings that he felt for Denise far, far away where no one would notice them, even though he couldn’t help but feel them.

Denise sat in the back seat, thinking of Stan. Warm, passionate, protective, funny… Stan was just about everything she needed right now. But she was in a new and barely understood relationship with Elaine and Susan, while Stan was with Anne, in about as big a way as it was possible to be with someone. Denise snorted to herself, almost silently. She expected to hear wedding bells sometime soon, with this pair. ‘But what is it that you feel for him?’ she silently asked herself, with no answer.

Anne, meanwhile, was carefully going through her feelings. She was more used to dealing with concrete, intellectual things, but Anne was intelligent and bent her mind to the task. How did she feel for Stan?

‘I love him. That’s a certainty,’ she thought. ‘I know, beyond doubt, that he loves me.’ Anne pursed her lips in the darkness, considering. ‘Denise. I think he loves Denise, too. If he loves her, what does that mean for the two of us?’

‘Can he love us both? Can I love him, knowing that he loves another?’

Anne searched her soul, poking around her feelings.

“Yes. Yes, I can!” she said, aloud.

“Excuse me?” said Stan, from the driver’s seat.

“Oh, nothing… nothing darling,” she answered.

- - - - - - - - - -