Escort Services (complete)

Elizabeth walked down the ramp towards him, her face a study of concentration. She neither smiled nor gave any kind of emotion just a steady gaze into his eyes as she approached him, her heels clicking on the safety surface.

"Hello Robert, are you working?"

"Um... I was supposed to be meeting Cristal at nine thirty." Involuntarily, he glanced at his watch, but didn't really register the time showing on the face. "I guess she is late."

"Tonight, I am Crystal and I am never late Robert. Shall we?" She grasped his arm and led towards the landing platform of the river cruiser. The cruiser powered up to Chelsea Bridge and then all the way down the Thames to the flood barriers at Woolwich before turning around and returning upstream to Westminster Pier just in time for the countdown to two thousand and eleven. Neither of them noticed the passing city-scape or the chill of the December night as they sat, away from the party, at the prow of the cruiser and talked.

Robert, although he meant to keep his feelings covered, found himself telling her of his desperation over the last eighteen months. How he had tried to replace his emotions by throwing himself into his work and failing miserably. Instead, he had sunken into a kind of depression that even his holiday to Costa Del whatever had not relieved. Elizabeth listened intently, offering sympathetic murmurs and gestures as he spilled out his heart.

All too soon, the cruiser made berth and the chimes of Big Ben heralding the New Year. They walked arm in arm with no particular direction, avoiding the, mostly drunk revellers who sought to make their way home by whatever means they could.

Few places were open, but the McDonalds in The Strand were still serving. Robert and Elizabeth found a seat and drank the awful coffee and stared at each other, their thoughts held in check, conversation had ground to a halt temporarily where emotions were just too raw to dare sharing thoughts. The silence stretched while the coffee coagulated in the Styrofoam cups.

"Amber called me." Elizabeth broke the spell. "I wasn't sure you would see me, it's been so long." She searched his face, trying to read his expressions and waited for him to respond.

"Amber has been good to me. I guess I have been good for her business. She did her best to look after me. I've been a bit of a mess I suppose." He glanced away and looked at his feet. "I've missed you so much Elizabeth, so much." He didn't dare look up to see her reaction, fearing that she might recoil, but knowing he needed to tell her how he felt. He needed to bare his soul while he had the chance. "I love you Elizabeth and I can't help it."

Elizabeth was silent and sat still on the opposite side of the table. Her stare studied the top of his head where he would not look up. She waited and the silence stretched out for several minutes until he at last looked into her eyes. She could see his fear. Feel his pain and was very aware of the effort he was making to keep himself in check.

"I had an abortion you know." She didn't know why she told him, hadn't thought about it before she spoke. "My husband made me. He forced me to go to a clinic to abort a child. We split soon after that. I was no longer needed. He replaced me with another bimbo." She stared at him steadily.

Robert realised that, up until now, they had talked solely about him and how he had been miserable, by comparison, his ordeals palled into insignificance and he suddenly felt very selfish.

"Oh Elizabeth, I am so sorry to hear that. I'm sorry, I've been bleating on about my problems and all the while you have suffered worse, much worse." He reached across the table and gripped her hand as if to reinforce his concern.

"I always knew I was a trophy wife and that my time of sitting on the throne had a limited life span, but I thought having a child would have altered things. I thought, perhaps, that he might settle down, might even grow to love me. I was wrong on so many counts. He forced me to have the abortion, threatening to throw me out and cut me off completely. I suppose I knew that it wasn't going to be forever so had saved some money in a private account. It isn't much, but with the allowance he gives me, I am getting by and I have a job now."

"A job, doing what? I can't imagine you working"

"I'm not screwing my way through life Robert." She said defensively. "I'm PA'ing for a magazine editor, someone I've known forever. He took pity on me and gave me a job. Bob is a real treasure."

Robert was suitably stung and apologised. "It's just that I believed you to be above working for a living. You are so beautiful, so regal even, that I didn't think."

"Being a trophy wife is very much like working for a living Robert. You can't slip up in anyway. Appearance, manner, even playing host and geisha girl to his cronies is no different to being a secretary or something. The worst is being shared with his business friends and clients. It was one of those who got me pregnant. You at least, have the luxury of choosing who you screw. I didn't have that choice and what's worse, he enjoyed watching me and god help me if I didn't please. He beat me if he didn't get the deal." She shrugged her shoulders as if throwing off a coat. "Let's get out of here." She stood, not waiting for Robert to agree.

Robert hailed a cab and gave directions to his apartment.

Later, when they had drunk a glass of wine and told each other of the last eighteen months, came the moment where by mutual agreement made by silent recognition that talking had run its course for now. That their stories had rubbed emotions to a raw state and the solace of physical act would begin the healing process.

They made love. Not an animal coupling of wild desire. No master and mistress scenario. No tricks, just a coming together of two people, too long denied the freedom of expression, too long guarding their emotions and too long alone in a busy world.

Elizabeth cried when they eventually lay back exhausted. She cried and then sobbed into Robert's arms, the release all too much to be held inside. Robert found himself crying, tears tracking over his cheeks. At last, he was able to give his heart and know that it had found a home, where it belonged.

Epilogue.

Robert shoved the pushchair around the supermarket while Adam toddled in front of him, the reins of his harness attached to the handle, his sister gurgled happily in the crib of the walker. The two children had come quickly. Adam was almost three and had already adopted the same regal aloofness of his mother, but his looks were pure Robert. Eveline was fair and would probably grow to look like Elizabeth. The choice of names had been careful. The children were a new beginning to their lives, Adam and Eveline was a perfect choice.

Frozen peas and a packet of sweetcorn hit the bottom of the trolley Elizabeth was pushing. They briefly discussed the merits of frozen fish, coated in breadcrumbs and decided against it.

Saturday shopping was becoming a ritual, a family thing, simple, but so enjoyable. Perhaps a mundane activity, but nothing they did together could be construed as humdrum.

Robert was now a minor executive for a music publishing house, promotion was within his grasp. Although he hadn't completed his degree, his knowledge of historical music and the easy manner he had while explaining the concepts had impressed his boss. That and his natural good looks had struck a chord with Jacqueline, who blushed a little during his interview. Her thoughts were held private, to her credit, but her reactions of crossing and uncrossing her legs signified her attraction to him. Robert, although aware, ignored it. He was happy and then delighted that he got the job. Eveline was the result of their celebration.

He kept in touch with Amber, but withdrew his services as an escort. She understood, but several of her regular clients would have preferred he stayed. Their combined generosity at his wedding was overwhelming and unexpected. Amber's wedding present of a car had been more than generous, but the choice showed her sense of humour. A shiny red Ford Escort stood outside in the car park. Amber had accepted the role of God Parent to Adam and would likely do the same for Eveline.

The grandparents somehow continued to cling to this mortal coil. Perhaps the delight of the children gave them a second lease of life. They instantly loved Elizabeth when she and Robert visited to announce their intention to marry. Robert's dad even flirted a little and surprised them all.

Elizabeth was shortly to return to work following her maternal break. They would have liked for her to stay at home, but their finances were getting depleted rather too quickly. Her income was necessary.