Two Thousand and Ten Ch. 03

"Bloody hell Peter!!" Doug gasped.

"All I can say is thank God for Lindi!" Peter continued, "She refused to believe the allegations and came to my aid. She found me a good lawyer and then spent the next few weekends staking out where the stupid girl lived in order to try and talk some sense into her. The other day they found her and Lindi spoke with her in a café - she recorded their conversation and she managed to get her to admit that she was lying about me raping her. Lindi and my lawyer took the recording to the police and, added to some CCTV footage that the Keystone Cops in their utter ineptitude had failed to examine, that opened up massive holes in her version of events. And thank the Lord above, they dropped all the charges and I eventually was released from prison. And just in time too, I might add."

"What do you mean?" Doug enquired.

"Well, let's just say I was about to find out how Andy Dufresne felt in The Shawshank Redemption when he was paid a visit from The Sisters." Peter said uncomfortably.

"Bloody hell Peter! You mean??"

"I'm afraid so." Peter replied.

Doug was well aware of the scene in that film - where Tim Robbin's character finds himself being raped by Boggs and his gang, known to the other inmates as The Sisters.

"So it was all just a fit up?" Doug said, "You were innocent all along?"

"Yep! And do you know the worst part about it?"

"What would that be?"

"The only reason she reported me for raping her was so that her friends wouldn't think she was a slut for having casual sex with a man who she said is almost old enough to be her dad." Peter said.

"What a bitch!!" Doug exclaimed, "You're not that old! So what's going to happen to her?"

"Acheson, that's my lawyer, says that she'll most likely be charged with perverting the course of justice. She could end up in jail herself."

"Serves her bloody well right!" Doug said as he took a sip of beer.

"Yeah. Well, I kind of feel a bit sorry for her really." Peter said.

"Sorry for her??? After what she did to you?" Doug said aghast, setting his glass down on the table so hard it caused a few drops of beer to splash out of his glass and on to the top of the table.

"I mean yes, it's only right that she gets her comeuppance for what she did, but the poor girl's life will be ruined." Peter tried to explain, "I mean, a spell in prison would do wonders for her career chances wouldn't it."

"No less than what she deserves if you ask me." Doug replied.

"So anyway. Do I still have a job to come back to?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Of course you do mate!" Doug said as he lightly slapped Peter on his arm, "I mean, you were found innocent after all."

"That's a relief." Peter said, "I was afraid that you know, you'd be all 'there's no smoke without fire' with me. You can understand that I don't want any of the rest of the team finding out about this. Especially That Erica from the accounts team - she's a bit... y'know... of the feminist persuasion - if it managed to reach her feminist radar that I'd been accused of raping someone then all hell could break loose."

"Hell hath no fury than a loony feminist scorned!" Doug said jokily, "Besides, you're innocent - you said yourself the cops dropped all the charges."

"You know as well as I do that it would make no difference whatsoever to a woman like her." Peter said bitterly, "The merest hint of any sexual impropriety would be enough for her to tar me with the label of a filthy, dirty sexual predator. She'd make my life a living hell!!"

"Shhh, it's okay mate, this is just between you and me." Doug reassured, "All she knows is what I've told everyone else."

"That I have cancer, you mean." Peter replied.

"Yeeeeah... um... in hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea was it?" Doug said, "Look, leave it with me - I'll tell them I've been to visit you and that it was a false alarm and everything. In the meantime you just relax and have a few days to yourself. I'll see you back in the office on Monday."

Peter sighed with relief.

"Thanks Doug, you're a real mate, you know that!"

"I'm just glad to have you back with us - you're a bloody good engineer, it would've been a shame to have lost you. You just hang in there, okay buddy? And you know, if you ever want to talk about it, in private like, you know where you can find me."

Doug checked his watch.

"I'd best be getting back - got to go and impart the good news to the team!" He said as he rose to his feet.

"Thanks again Doug." Peter said as he stood and held out his hand.

Doug took his hand and pulled himself towards Peter and hugged him in a friendly manner of fraternal solidarity, slapping his friend and employee on the back.

"See you soon mate - it's great to have you back!" Doug said as they parted and he took his leave.

Saturday May 8th, 2010 - 8:22pm

Clive had booked a table for five at Ristorante Sulla Collina, a small Italian place at the top end of the High Street of Westborough-on-sea. Clive, Lindi, Alison and Becky had all gathered along with Peter to celebrate his being found innocent of the charges against him. Although he didn't want them to make too much of a fuss about it - he just wanted to put it behind him and get on with his life - he had to admit it was nice to be able to show his gratitude for all their help in securing his release. Which was why he insisted upon paying for the meal.

"But of course, the most sincere thanks of all go to you Lin." Peter said, "If you hadn't believed me from the start I would probably still be in that hellhole!"

"Oh Peter!" Lindi sighed, "It was nothing, really. All I did is what any other good friend would have done."

"Yeah, well it meant an awful lot to me that you stood by me." Peter continued, "Which is why I'd like you to have this, as a token of my eternal gratitude."

He took a small box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a glittering gold necklace inside. It held a pendant of sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds that glinted in the soft light of the restaurant.

"Oh my! Peter, it's beautiful!!" Lindi gasped, "It must've cost a fortune!! I can't possibly accept this. I mean, surely your legal bill must be astronomical!"

"It's fine Lin, really it is." Peter said as he extracted the necklace, "Acheson told me on the phone yesterday that he'd only charge me half their normal rate. He said it was great to have taken Inspector Brownlow down a peg or two and that you'd done most of the legwork yourself anyway. And besides, I've plenty of money in the bank - I can afford it."

He stood and went behind Lindi to put the necklace on her. Everyone agreed it looked absolutely stunning.

Peter had spent much of the evening talking to the women, regaling them with his sorry tale. Alison remarked that he ought to write a book about it, an idea that was enthusiastically received by the others. Clive meanwhile, had been rather quieter.

After a while Lindi decided that she needed to go and 'powder her nose', and asked her female companions if they cared to join her. As Lindi rose, accompanied by Alison and Becky, she whispered something into Clive's ear.

"Huh! Why do women always have to go to the bogs together?" Peter remarked once the female contingent had departed.

"I dunno." Clive remarked, "Oh to be a fly on the wall eh?"

Peter knew however, that she had used it as an opportunity for him and Clive to have a little man-to-man chat.

"So... tell me a bit about yourself." Peter said as he took a sip from his glass of wine.

"Not much to tell really." Clive replied, "Born in the states, moved back here and grew up with mum and dad, went out with a girl, got married, had a daughter, got divorced. Usual sort of stuff really."

So what do you do for a living?"

"I run a small chain of photographic shops." Clive said, "And I do a bit of studio photography on the side. See, I grew up on my Granny's farm once we moved back to England, and she had this old camera that belonged to her late husband. It was just a little Box Brownie - but she gave it to me. I spent the whole summer taking dozens and dozens of photos of the farm and the surrounding countryside. Eventually I went to college to study photography and then once I became qualified I got a job in a photographic supplies company. One thing led to another and I saved up a load of money, got a decent loan from the bank and opened up my own little studio. Over the years I made a decent enough living out of it but then the opportunity arose to buy a small camera shop. That was ten years ago and now I have four shops with another one opening in Brighton later this year."

Despite Clive's apparently affable exterior, Peter couldn't help but think that something about the man just didn't sit right with him. He couldn't put his finger on it but somehow his intuition had his mental alarm bells ringing at the back of his mind. He tried to dismiss whatever it was that felt amiss but the thought kept on resurfacing.

"Look Clive, you know Lindi means a lot to me don't you." Peter said seriously, "She's the most loyal friend I could ever have."

"She certainly is." Clive agreed, "Look, I know what you're getting at and I just want you to know that you have my solemn vow that I will never be anything less than a true gentleman towards her. I've not known her very long but she's... she's become very special to me. I promise you I'll look after her."

"You'd better!" Peter said jovially with a slight grin and a sip of wine. On the inside however, his statement was meant with nothing less than the utmost of seriousness.

"And besides, I mean look at her - she's bloody gorgeous!!" Clive replied, "The looks of a goddess and tits to simply die for!!"

Saturday May 8th, 2010 - 11:10pm

Lindi and Peter stood before the front door to her flat. Clive had bade them all farewell some time earlier back at the restaurant, whilst Alison and Becky had retired for the evening themselves just after dessert.

"So, what do you think of him?" Lindi asked.

"Clive? He erm... he seems nice enough I guess." Peter replied.

"I hope the two of you can get along together." Lindi said as she let herself in, "He's such a nice guy. Coming in for a coffee?"

"Um... sure." Peter said and followed her inside.

"I erm... I hope you don't mind but I've booked something for us that you might enjoy. I thought that, what with everything you've been through lately, you might need something to blow away the cobwebs." Lindi said as Peter followed her into the kitchen.

Peter noticed a couple of broken mugs on the worktop.

"Had an accident?" He said, nodding towards the shattered remains of the drinking vessels.

Lindi said nothing, but her face coloured in a blush of embarrassment. She turned and took something out of one of the drawers.

"Here." She said as she handed it to Peter.

"Plane tickets?" He said in surprise, "To America??"

"We are going to the coaster capital of the world baby!!" Lindi exclaimed enthusiastically.

They had always wanted to take their obsession with roller coasters further afield from the UK and the few trips they had made to other theme parks around Europe. To them, The States was the Holy Grail of roller coaster destinations. The tickets were dated for the last week in August.

"I... I don't know what to say!" Peter said. Instead he hugged her tightly.

"Just say you'll come with us!" Lindi replied.

"Us?" Peter asked.

"Clive's coming along too." Lindi said as she broke their embrace, "He's sort of paying for it you see."

"Well, that's really nice of him but..."

"I know! Isn't he generous?!" Lindi beamed.

Peter wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Look Lindi." Peter said, "You seem to be besotted with this Clive fellow. I... I just want you to be careful okay."

"Careful?" Lindi replied.

"Careful that you don't get hurt." Peter said, "I mean I'm sure he's a great guy and all..."

"He is great." Lindi said defensively.

"But just try not to let him take advantage of you or anything, okay? I mean, what if he isn't everything he seems? I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you like it happened to me - you mean too much to me for me to want to see you end up getting hurt."

Lindi sighed heavily.

"I know... you're right, as always." She said eventually, "I don't know what I'd do without you to look out for me."

"Ditto." Peter said, "Now c'mere you!" And he gathered her up into a warm and friendly hug.

"So, do I have your 'blessing', to continue seeing Clive?"

"Of course you do you silly girl!" Peter said with a little chuckle in his voice, "It's your life, live it however you want. Just remember, I'll always be here for you."

"And I'll always be here for you too, Peter."

Wednesday May 12th, 2010 - 6:18pm

Lindi was preparing herself for a midweek date with Clive. They were going to the local cinema to see the Alfred Hitchcock film North By Northwest, a part of their 'cultural exchange'. She stopped by in Peter's flat to make sure he was okay and to let him know where she was going and when she expected to get back. She found him in his kitchen with drawings and paperwork and his laptop covering every inch of his table. He had thrown himself back into his work - making up for lost time on one of his more lucrative contracts.

"Have a nice time." He said as he saw her off with a peck on the cheek, "And make sure he treats you right y'hear!"

Clive was waiting for her outside the building. He ushered her into his car, a Mercedes E-Class, and together they headed off towards the small cinema in the town centre.

"You ought to come over to my studio." Clive said as he drove along the street, "You could model for me."

"Me? Model for you?" She replied.

"Sure! You're beautiful - you'd look absolutely stunning!" Clive grinned.

"You really think so?" Lindi asked.

"Of course!"

"What sort of photos would you do of me?" Lindi enquired.

"Nothing dirty if that's what you're afraid of." Clive chuckled, "No, just some shots of you in some nice clothes, that sort of thing. Unless of course you'd like to do something a bit more adventurous! And even then it'd only be really tasteful stuff."

Lindi of course knew what he meant. He meant about her posing nude for him. She didn't find that notion too distasteful, in fact she found the very thought of it somewhat exciting. But logic told her she had to be cautious and not to rush into anything.

"I'll erm... I'll think about it okay." Lindi replied.

Friday May 21st 2010 - 6:48pm

It had been a tough week at work for Peter - catching up with all the projects and contracts that he had missed out on during his enforced absence - but finally the weekend was here. He decided that tonight was going to be a boy's night in. Just himself, his games console, a six-pack of lager, a mountain of tortilla chips and a gory horror film on DVD for later. He decided to indulge himself in an orgy of all the things he had missed out on during his time in prison - and boy, was he in the mood for it!

Saturday May 22nd 2010 - 12:13am

Several hours, four cans of lager, numerous online races on his favourite racing game, as many tortilla chips as his stomach could comfortably accommodate, and one gory, yet still very sexy DVD later, Peter felt a sense of contentment that had been denied him so long. He was positively revelling in being a total slob for the evening! But now he felt a familiar itch that needed to be scratched.

The DVD - a French horror film (very badly dubbed into English) was about a group of young women who stumble across a deserted shack in the middle of a primeval woodland and find themselves being held prisoner by a sadistic psychopath who spends much of the rest of the film forcing himself upon them and then killing them one by one. The whole thing sat uneasily with him, given his recent experience, and he found himself switching it off after a while. He had no desire to see young women being raped, however fictional the situation was.

Instead he watched an old film he had first seen when he was a teenager, about a knight who rescued a young princess from a medieval dungeon. In his youth the titular young maiden of the film was the sexiest woman he had ever seen and he spent the ensuing 90 minutes watching the film and recalling the days of his youth.

He had an erection - a very big erection, and it demanded his attention.

As soon as the final credits rolled on the screen before him, the urgency of his arousal could be denied no longer. Right there on his settee he pulled down his trousers and his pants and grasped hold of his engorged phallus. He was used to feeling the warmth of his erection in his hands but he was taken aback at how hot it felt in his hand. He began to fantasise, as he often did while masturbating, to further enhance his arousal.

He pictured himself with the young woman from the film - a young French princess called Marianne, whose father had locked her in a dungeon for bringing shame upon him by being seen cavorting in the altogether with one of his most trusted knights. And Peter put himself in the position of that armour-clad warrior, fighting his way through the castle to rescue her and set her free. Together they mounted his trusty steed and escaped into the woods.

For days and days they travelled across the land, eventually coming across a crystal clear lake high up in the mountains. Sir Peter the knight watched on as the fair maiden removed her clothes in order to bathe in the clear blue waters of the tarn. Her skin was as soft as gossamer and as translucent as tissue paper; her hair was a bright blonde that seemed to radiate sunshine. Her blonde locks, as perfectly straight as though they had been ironed flat, ran down the entire length of her back, terminating just above her soft and beautifully luscious buttocks. She looked back at him, wordlessly inviting him to join her in the water. Sir Peter began to tear off his armour and all of his clothes until he stood as naked as she. Whereas her entry into the water was nothing less than grace personified, Sir Peter's own entry was fast and enthusiastic, running into the water and then diving down as soon as the water was deep enough.

He surfaced before her, throwing his head back as he stood face to face with her. He marvelled at her feminine form - so soft and fragile yet so undeniably strong underneath. He took her in his arms, her naked breasts against his chest, and he covered her with kisses. They cavorted and played in the water with naked abandonment, simply enjoying being together in such a beautiful place and free from the oppressive grasp of her father, the king.

Eventually, Sir Peter gathered his beautiful prize up in his arms and carried her to the shore. He laid her down on the shingle and then stood before her. His erect member standing proud and clearly signalling his intentions to her. She opened her legs, as wide as ever she could and invited him to enter her - the young maiden's vulva glistened in the mountain sunshine with the juices of her arousal. She was ready for him to make a woman of her, to become his possession, to give herself to him totally and unconditionally. To allow him to have his way with her and to be the conduit for his outpouring of masculine sexual power.

Sir Peter kneeled before his naked maiden and bowed his head before her, bringing his tongue between her legs to lick and to savour and to pay homage to her sacred temple of femininity. His penis meanwhile, a hot staff of unbridled masculinity, pulsed and drooled like a beast waiting to be released and to seek out its prey.

"Take me Sir Peter." Marianne said breathlessly, her ardour inflamed beyond her tolerance, "I need to feel you inside me!"