Masters & Lovers Box Set One

Michael

"Hi, Champ," smiles Ben as he sees Charlotte. "That was quite a performance."

She mops her forehead with an arm. We're both hot and sweaty and badly in need of a shower.

"Hi, Ben," she grins. "Yes, a lot of fun too. It's a while since I had a.... workout.... like that...."

And if you think you're getting off that easily....

James appears from the gym, limping heavily, Ben's face falls. When he speaks, his expression is barely courteous. "James."

"Ben." James' returning word is equally cool.

What's eating Ben?

That's all I need....

"How's it healing?" asks my brother, nodding down to the injured leg.

"Oh, it's coming along."

James keeps a light tone, but I know him too well and I'm not fooled. He's hurting.

"You've been on your feet too much today," I say. "Get yourself into a chair for God's sake."

James nods, heading for a seat, but as though I hadn't spoken, Ben says to him "I suppose you'll be moving on once you're properly mobile?"

James' face freezes over.

Jeez....

And I interrupt quickly.

"James is staying on. We need extra hands around the place."

Ben takes on that poker-faced prude look I know of old. "Really? That doesn't sound right. Barely married. You need some privacy, don't you?"

His self-righteous tone needles me. "Ben, it's none of your business. If Charlotte and I are happy with the arrangement, it's not for you to comment. This is James' home too."

Ben's lips purse like some maiden aunt getting 'lip' from a teenager.

Grow up, Ben....

.... And mind your own damn business....

But I'm uneasy....

Charlotte interrupts, tapping me on the shoulder. "C'mon, I need a shower. So do you."

*****

James

I follow them towards the house, to see Michael looking back....

.... Checking they're out of sight of the guests...?

.... then turn and make a grab for Charlotte. She shrieks as he hauls her in by the waist and slings her over his shoulder.

"Michael! Charlotte?"

He turns, his expression somewhere between severity and laughter.... "Madam here has a debt to settle." Then he spins back to march away through the house, Charlotte dangling upside-down and ponytail swinging down his back, Christ, is she alright?

He looks like he's really going to lay into her....

But as I follow, she looks up to me with a happy little smile and a wriggly wave of the fingers.

Michael turns back to me again from the bottom of the stairs. "Hold the fort back there will you. This won't take long."

And what can I do but laugh?

Thirty seconds later there is a wumph - the kind of noise that might be made by - to take a purely hypothetical example - a body being dumped unceremoniously on a bed.

A minute after that and there is a yelp, a female yelp, followed by another....

.... and another. The stream of yells has a rhythmic kind of quality.

She's going to be walking bow-legged tonight....

I grin and go to rejoin the guests.