Ron and I are Eric's Slaves

This piece deals with agape rather than eros. It is about Eric's attempted reconciliation with his estranged wife (Elise) and obliquely about his romance with (the narrator) Claire and her husband Ron.

THE STORY CONTINUES

Ron and I were getting used to following our lodger, Eric's orders. To please our lodger, Ron and I made love in our creaking bed. We left the bedroom door open (and Eric had his open) so he could hear us making love.

It felt strange knowing that someone was wanking because he was listening to us bonking. It certainly didn't inhibit my husband who was on fine form.

ERIC'S RECONCILATION ATTEMPT.

Eric was busy for the next few weeks. He took on extra shifts driving smelly rubbish to a certified rubbish tip at Codford, Wiltshire. They converted the waste into biogas and to a fertiliser which they used on their own farm. The biogas farm boasts that it is ecological and carbon neutral.

Eric missed his daughter and his estranged wife. Elise made excuses why his daughter couldn't come to Bournemouth. We had a spare room that his daughter could use but it lay empty.

He wanted to reconcile with Elise. He promised her that he would be faithful. He would go to a counsellor to see if he could get rid of his desire to sleep with men. He told her that this was the only time he had been unfaithful to her.

She weakened and said they would have a "make or break" weekend in a country hotel. Because of the extra shifts Eric was able to pay for a twin bed room. Eric hoped that the first night in the same room (since their separation) would be successful. He then hoped that his wife would want the hotel to change them into a double.

But a twin bed arrangement meant his wife was under no pressure to have sex. But if she wanted to get intimate, then Eric could join her in her bed.

Their daughter went to stay with her grandparents and Eric was happy. He had a chance to get back his life. Ron and I thought that he had a good life with us. We were disappointed that Eric didn't seem to appreciate us.

Ron and I thought that he was being unrealistic, and that Elise was a grade A, self centered, bitch. She got alimony money from Eric, lived in their house and made access to their daughter difficult. We thought that she just wanted an all expenses paid holiday from Eric.

We kept our opinions to ourselves.

We offered Eric as much help as possible. We added £200 to his bank account. We gave him advice.

Eric, Ron and I had agreed to have a 3 person relationship. But we also agreed to start it at a later date. Our proposed arrangements were put on hold.

Eric was hardly here anyway.

He thought that if he were a bit fitter she might take him back. He went jogging along the flat East Cliff footpath. Then he progressed to actually running. He was now able to run up the steep footpath beside the Art Gallery.

THE RECONCILIATION STARTS

Eric set off to the railway station with high (but possibly unrealistic) hopes. She was there waiting for him, having taken a train from her town to Bournemouth station.

ERIC'S EXPLAINS HOW IT WENT.

He came back on Monday, as arranged. We naturally asked him how the weekend went.

Eric told us "On the train Elise told me that she had missed me. She missed having intelligent chats since she only had a 5 year old for company.

Lots of her friends no longer visited.

Eluse said that she appreciated my offer to have counselling. She even congratulated me on becoming teetotal.

AT THE HOTEL

When we got to the hotel room we had to get changed into clothes suitable for walking along a footpath to the coast. We used to do hill walking before our daughter came along. She didn't mind stripping down to her underwear and changing her outer clothes. I was hopeful, since I feared she might find partial nudity too challenging.

We had a romantic walk. We held hands. We chatted amicably and she kissed me.

When we got back we needed to freshen up and get changed for the evening meal. She was a bit shy about me being there while she showered. I was a bit miffed but I went downstairs to sit in the hotel garden.

She looked stunning in her red dress. and I told her in song "You look wonderful tonight."

She laughed. She stayed while I showered and changed. She complemented me on my physique. I told her about my runs along the East Cliff.

THE EVENING

The meal went well. She didn't want any alcohol, since she didn't want to induce me to drink. I was very appreciative of her gesture. We held hands as we went up to the bedroom.

She changed in the privacy of the bathroom and came back wearing a sexy nightdress, She got into her bed and bid me goodnight. I had hoped that we would be having sex. I got into my PJs and went to my bed. She went straight to sleep and I couldn't. I tried to come to terms with being rejected by my wife.

I hoped that perhaps come the morning she would ask me to join her. I slept fitfully."

Ron said "And you didn't get your oats."

Eric said "It wasn't about getting sex. It was that we hadn't communicated. I had my assumptions, she had hers. When she got up and sex wasn't on the agenda I was really angry. I assumed that she wanted us to have sex.

Perhaps the twin bed idea was ill advised."

Ron said "I think it was a good idea. It left her to choose. If she wanted some rumpy pumpy then it was available. You were wise to give her the choice."

I said "Ron is right. You should celebrate the choice you made to book a twin room."

THE NEXT DAY

Eric said "Thanks for that. Anyway we had booked a coach tour to Corfe Castle. We had walked from there to Swanage in our younger days. It took us an hour to walk all the way when we young.

The first bit of the footpath is steep but you get a really spectacular view of the castle ruins. Then there is a flat footpath with views towards Swanage.

WAREHAM STOP OFF

The coach stopped off at Wareham for a 90 minute toilet break.

I had put the disappointment of the bedding arrangements behind me. We went to where Lawrence of Arabia is buried had a romantic walk along the river.

CURSE CORFE CASTLE

When we got to Corfe Castle, we went straight for the Swanage footpath.

I had forgotten quite how steep it is. I mean it was difficult for me and I am used to running up the Art Galley footpath. But that footpath is much steeper and there is a lot more of it. And my wife hasn't kept herself in shape."

I said "So she struggled."

Eric replied "She struggled big time.

Elise had been okay on the flat footpaths but this part of the footpath was lung bursting. I knew I had made a big mistake. I suggested that we should head back.

But Elise is proud. She told me in no uncertain terms that we would get to the top, have a rest, take the fucking photos and get back to the coach.

She said that a mere footpath wouldn't defeat her. Her one concession was to take the ascent slowly, and to sit down and take a couple of rests. We did that and we got up to the viewpoint.

I hadn't really thought that we only had 2 hours in Corfe Castle.

Now I was concerned that we would still be 200 feet above the coach and watch it leave without us. So did my wife, though neither of us said anything.

The romantic walk was turning into a nightmare. When Elise gets under stress she gets angry. We were now both at the stage of taking our anger out on each other. I was trying not to. I think she was trying not to vent her spleen.

We got up to the top, we rested. Our heart rates returned to normal. We stopped sweating.

We got a young couple take pictures of us with the castle in the background. But I was still worried about the coach. It was pretty tight timescale to get back to the coach park.

Then she slipped and twisted her ankle. Now she gave vent to her disappointment.

It was all my fucking fault, I had made her do it and that I was a cheating bastard etc etc. She shouted, not caring that the other hill walkers could hear.

I had no alternative but to stand there and let her dissipate her anger. I felt demeaned being called "a cheating bastard" in front of the other people. Some were clearly listening to my domestic drama while others turned away.

I think one man was actually recording it on his mobile phone.

I kept thinking, least said soonest mended.

Eventually she ended her rant.

We were now faced with us being 200 feet above the coach. And we had a steep footpath to negotiate.

HELP IS AT HAND

Luckily one of the younger people phoned a friend who lived in Corfe Castle. The teenager's friend went and alerted the coach driver to our situation.

The coach driver phoned the young man.

The driver said that he would give us another 30 minutes. He couldn't go beyond that because of the Coach driving laws. They can only drive the public for 9 hours, although he could stretch it to 10.

If there was a further delay he might have to park up and make the passengers wait for a relief driver.

THE YOUNG MAN HELPS

The young man helped Elise down the steep footpath. We managed to get to the coach with 5 minutes left. I offered our good Samaritan £10 for his help. But he refused.

He said that he was glad to help.

WE PISSED PEOPLE OFF.

The other people on the coach were pissed off with us. For most of them 2 hours in Corfe Castle was a bit too long.

It was only the National Trust members who went to the castle itself. Some of our coach party were put off by the entrance fee and others by the steep hillside on which the castle sits.

THE OLD COUPLE

One old couple couldn't even manage the free footpath that goes around the castle. They saw the small museum, went round the lovely church and had tea in the tea room. After that they were bored.

Elise and I had added 30 minutes of boredom to their less than thrilling experience.

We sat in silence as the elderly man complained about us.

BANQUO'S GHOST

My affair with a gay man was now hanging, like Banquo's ghost, over us both. There was an atmosphere between Elise and I.

I wished I had never booked that fucking coach trip.

WAREHAM REVISITED

When we got to Wareham we had a shortened loo break. This was a cue for the old gentleman to complain because he had to "pee to order" because of us.

The old man arrived back at the coach late. I think he did this deliberately to prove a point. This further. delay pissed off everyone, even the National Trust members.

The old man's petty reprisal upset Elise. She muttered to me that I was to blame. I muttered back that he was a disgrace.

We sat in silence.

GAY SEX IS NOT A PROBLEM

I had hoped that we wouldn't discuss my affair. The idea was to see if there was still a spark that could reignite our marriage. And if do, could we relate sexually.

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION.

But when we arrived back at the hotel my affair was the only thing she wanted to talk about.

She would ask a question and I would answer it. Then an hour later she would ask another question. She then waited and asked another question.

She was like a dog with a bone."

Ron said "I know someone who is like that."

I dug him in his rib. We all laughed. But then Eric got serious again.

He said "Then I told her about my feelings for Ron. I didn't want to but it slipped out. I told her that I hadn't done anything sexual. I said that was why I would go to counselling.

I said that my attraction to men was now a known problem."

I could see that my husband was angry that Eric considered gay men having a "problem" with their same sex attraction.

EVADING AN ANGRY EXCHANGE.

The word "problem" was in danger of causing a row. I suggested that we have a light supper and order fish and chips. To give Eric something to do I suggested that he phoned the order and then went to collect it.

I also said "Put out any washing. I have some of ours that needs doing."

I did the laundry. I like doing all our clothes together. I especially like that our underclothes mingle together. I even iron Eric's anf Ron's underpants, though it is totally unnecessary, it makes me feel closer to both of them.

Eric went to collect the order. While he was away I told my husband "Cool down. Don't tackle Eric about him presenting gay men's sexuality unfavourably. He mis-spoke. Don't let a few bad words cause an unnecessary rift."

Ron said "I'll shut up from now on."

With the laundry in the washing machine and us refreshed by fish and chips Eric was able to continue.

THE FULL MONTY

Eric said "As I was saying I accidentally revealed my attraction to Ron. Elise was nearly in tears.

I told her that I still loved her. I said that if I could go back in time I wouldn't have snuck out to go to the LGBT club. I told her that I should have been honest about my bisexuality. If I had been honest I could have gone to a counsellor.

She said that if that was true then perhaps we could have gone to counselling together.

I said that we still could go to counselling together.

She said that she would go. She didn't want to throw away a saveable marriage.

She then apologised for her behaviour at Corfe Castle. We kissed and then we went down to dine. Again she didn't have alcohol with the meal.

We went to the hotel garden and held hands. We saw a trout in the stream. We were back into married couple mode. She asked me to get the hotel to put the beds together.

The hotel couldn't oblige that night but would arrange it for Sunday night. We kissed and cuddled on top of her single bed. We then had sex in it.

She told me she missed that side of marriage and that no one wanted a woman with a daughter.

Then I got up, kissed her and went to my bed.

We went down for breakfast. I checked with reception about changing to a double bed. They said that housekeeping were aware.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast.

PRACTICALITIES

After breakfast we went for a walk to a local park. We admired their flower display. We watched people playing tennis. We hired putters and golf balls and played on their putting green.

We had tea and cakes in the park cafe. We listened to a band give an afternoon concert.

We went back to our hotel. They had made up the double bed. We lay on it and kissed.

We had a civil conversation about the issues involved in getting back together. I wouldn't be able to get a job in our local firm. They had sacked me for gross misconduct for being drunk and trying to drive.

There was also the issue of every one knowing of my homosexual affair.

And of course I had a good job in Bournemouth. I would have to give that up.

We showered together, changed and went down for lunch. We went back to the room and made good use of the double bed.

I felt loved once again.

THE DECISION

I couldn't resist the urge to ask "Does that mean you are going to get back together?"

Eric said "She has a lot to think through. But she is going to send me lots of emails. And she and I will meet at her place and she will bring our daughter to Bournemouth on some Saturdays.

I think it is likely that we could get back together, especially if our marriage counselling goes well."

I said "That's great news. If you need to leave then we won't worry about having a month's notice."

Eric said to me "That's a part of the problem Elise and I didn't discuss. You see I am in love with you. I would find it difficult to just end our 3 person relationship or my job."

To be continued.