Chapter 6

*****

‘An Illusion of Happiness’

A Tale of BDSM Erotic Romance

And the Meeting of Strangers

Part Two

An Illusion of Happiness

As I stroll across the sands, a familiar figure jogs towards me, a small dog trotting alongside; a terrier
that looks as though it has been assembled from a junkyard of other dogs.

As the runner approaches, he angles my way. Drawing close, he pulls to a stop, huffing.

“Hi, Kirstie,” he says, “I was hoping I’d run into you. How are you?”

His face is severe. Ben is not an unhandsome man, but his natural expression is unsmiling, which
detracts from his looks, making him appear austere, perhaps even puritanical.

And is that just an appearance….? Or is that really the man?

“Hi, Ben. I’m good. You?”

“Yeah, I’m great. Mind if we join you for a bit?”

“We?”

He nods down toward his dog. “Scruffy wants to make friends….”



True enough, Scruffy is making moves on my Meg, who rumbling low, curls up a lip, unimpressed by
this rag-tag terrier.

“…. and he’s not the only one.”

“I’d love you and Scruffy to join us. I was about to have some coffee actually.” I hold up my flask. “Want
a cup?”

“Great idea.”

Sitting on the dune, close to each other, we sip coffee. The wind blowing into our faces sends my hair
streaming over my shoulders. It feels very comfortable, very natural.

Ben sits, staring out to sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me. “Can I kiss you?”

I don’t reply, simply swaying in towards him. He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to
the side as his lips brush mine.

He tastes sweet and warm and affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and
vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in a gentle, almost
chaste kiss.

He pulls back for a moment, holding my eyes, then he leans into me once more, but this time, his
mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding me at the waist, drawing me in close.

When he breaks away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night,
but I thought maybe I’d be moving too fast,” he says.

I don’t know what to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just
want a quick fuck. This man wants me.



The dogs provide my excuse to break away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-
rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand. Archie immediately seizes the initiative and starts
rolling in it.

I leap up. God knows I don’t want the car to smell of that on the way home. “Archie. Stop that….”

Emma and Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and
chaos breaks out.

Ben leaps up. “Scruffy. No….”

…. By the time we have retrieved the fish, tossing it as far out into the waves as Ben’s long-armed
throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of
the smell, we are both hot, sweaty and uncomfortable.

“Fancy an ice cream?” I suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat. I
owe you a coffee at the least.”

“Sounds good,” he replies, with the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just an excuse for
hanging around a while longer.

And as he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an attractive man.

At the bar, I juggle change in my pocket. “What are you having?”

“Er, not sure. What have they got?”

“They do a bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s to die for.”

“Oh, that’s a bit powerful for me.” He sniffs. “I’ll have the vanilla.”

Of course you will….



You’re a good man, but I think you’ll always choose the vanilla….

Perhaps I’m not being fair to you. You want something you’re never going to get from me.

But…. You’re nice….

…. Is ‘nice’ what I want?

We wander along the beach again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping edges.

“So, what is it you do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t mind at all. I was a pastry chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I
hated it. I’m starting a new job in a couple of days.”

“Something different?”

“Completely different. I’m being taken on as a concierge in one of the office blocks in the new part of
town.”

“That’s certainly a change. Which offices?”

“The new Haswell Building. You know, the one that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got
burned down.”

“Nice place,” he comments. “My sister-in-law works there. What made you pick that one?”

“It’s the sort of thing I enjoy doing. I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And
the company has a good reputation for training, and especially for promoting women.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about that too. She’s going through their training
program as well.”



“Really? Well, maybe I’ll get to meet her.”

We walk in silence a little way further before Ben breaks in again.

“So, are there any more like you at home?” he asks.

“Family, you mean? I’ve got a sister.”

“Yes? Is she much like you?”

“No, we’re quite different, both in looks and personality.”

“In what way?”

“Mmm, she’s small and dainty, not tall like me and…. how to put it? I suppose she’s a lot more
dependent than I am. She seems to feel the need to have someone close all the time.”

“She sounds nice.”

“She is, but I think it makes her a bit clingy. She seems to go through one boyfriend after another, and
they all say she wants too much too soon.”

He eyes me longwise. “And that’s not you, eh? You don’t want too much, too soon?”

*Warning Bells Ringing*

“Er… no. I like my independence.”

He’s quiet for a bit, but then, “I’d like to be closer to you, you know. Can I see you again?”

“You’re seeing me now.”



“I mean, properly see you. We could go for a meal, see a movie, go for a picnic. Whatever you like. You
say.”

Is this a good idea?

I waver….

“Please, Kirstie. I really enjoy being with you. How about this evening? Let’s go for a meal; a good
restaurant, anywhere you like. You name it.”

I feel I should refuse, that I’m not doing right by the straight-forward, ordinary man. But when I try to
form the words to refuse, his face crumples.

I let him kiss me….

…. and I can’t bring myself to do it.

“Alright. You choose somewhere and we’ll have the evening together.”

*****


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