Chapter 21

The next few weeks were a time of recovery. The bruises, visible on Alice's body, slowly healed. The family coalesced around her, politely and distantly initially, as if they were worried they might bruise her some more if they came too close.

The children looked at their mother, that broken mouth and those familiar eyes partially hidden by swollen eyelids, with awe and some fear. Their father, Tom, ushered them about and talked to them in hushed tones:

'Mother needs some rest… Not now… Gently...'

He was worried that they might bother her.

He hadn't asked her to tell him what had happened. He understood that she had undergone a big transformation and she wasn't the Alice he had known all those years. But he made it clear he wanted to get to know the new Alice.

They were now sleeping together. Alice had welcome him back. But he wouldn't dare touch her, and she was afraid that, if she touched him, he might feel pressured to perform something her had forgotten how to do.

In fact, they were more like two strangers when they were so close together, under the bed sheets, in the dark, than during the day.

They were like soldiers, doing everything together during the day, and sleeping in silence next to each other at night, living separate, different and unknowable lives within themselves.

When the bruises were gone, Alice felt that something else had disappeared with them: she no longer felt the urge to run away from her old life, to figure out things for herself. Now, she wanted to come back, to build a new life together with Tom and the children: it was now up to her to finally break down the last wall that kept her apart from the rest of her family.

The door rang. Tom looked at the young woman, and Alice simply said:

'She'll look after the kids for the night.'

They sat together with the children in the playroom for a moment. The babysitter asked the kids to show her some of the toys, and in a moment the ice was broken, and they were playing together.

'Get dressed: we're going out,' Alice told Tom. 'Nothing too formal.'

Outside the window, behind threadbare clouds, Alice saw the moon. A new phase. The satellite kept showing her different sides of itself in a revolving carousel. Tonight, this everchanging process held no mystery for Alice, no promise of a revelation: Alice felt wiser and more at ease with herself. She accepted the old adage that things change, and she was at peace with it. Her relationship with the world had changed: she was tired of being removed from people and sheltered from the joy – and the pain – that life brings. Her relationship with Tom was now bound to change, and she knew she was in charge of managing that process.

Tonight, the revolutions of the heaves also looked a little silly in their repetition. Like a magician's trick, once she knew how it was done, it looked too simple, and she felt like a fool for having fallen for it.

Alice and Tom hopped on a taxi. She gave the driver the address. Tom gave her a look: it was a look of surprise, not of derision. The joke was long gone.

Alice held his hand and looked outside the window, enjoying the show that the city put on at night. Who knew what he was thinking about.

The walked to the familiar door. The doorbell waiting to be rung, the camera above staring at them. Tom seemed nervous. Alice smiled to herself: she was sure he had come to places like this before. Just not with her. Just not in this neighbourhood. 

They stood at the door for a moment.

'You probably want to know where I go at night. You have never asked, and I'm thankful for your patience, but now it's important for you to know.'

Tom looked at her, ill at ease.

'I went to work,' Alice said with some finality.

'Work? What work? At this hour?'

'Here!' she said with a laugh.

She was getting a bit uncomfortable too: she had never put things into words before, and it was hard to explain.

'I work here. Can you guess what place this is?' She asked.

He looked at her, his marvel turned into terror.

'I was tired of the people we hung out with, the life we led. And I was tired of myself. I had to change everything, your old Alice included.'

'But here? This?'

'It was the only way. For me, at least. Now, come!'

She pressed the buzzer.

'Please let's go,' he begged.

She laughed.

The door clicked. The lock was open.

'It's the last time: I promise.'

Tom was now looking at the door, now at Alice. He didn't know what to think.

'Things are different now, Tom. I am different. You have been scared of losing me, but I don't think you ever had me – not the real me, at least. You had a woman who was anesthetised, who couldn't feel anything. A doll! Now you have – well, you have me!'

'I don't understand.'

She opened the door.

'Come. Trust me.'

Tom looked at her and took a deep breath: he knew that, if she had taken a plunge into dark, unknown waters, he had to follow her. They would eventually come up together. That's all he wanted.

They walked upstairs. Alice said hallo to the owner.

'Hi. I'm here with my husband.'

She looked up. She had seen stuff like this before, but she still looked surprised: her? She stood with her mouth open for a moment, looking at this couple, frozen at her door, like they were late to the theatre and were asking casual directions.

'Contribution,' she barked eventually, recovering herself. 'Seven words.'

Alice smiled. The woman was happy to utter the same line, play the same role. She probably had found wisdom in separating her real life, her true thoughts and her deepest feelings from the image she put out.

Alice had found wisdom in doing the opposite: everything was now on the surface for all to see. Maybe, this privilege was not allowed to people on five percent, Alice thought: they had to be guarded. But Alice had looked hard enough for who she wanted to be, and this was it.

'Finance,' Tom said.

Alice squeezed his arm, pleased.

'Let's go in, darling.'

Phil opened the door, without betraying any emotion. He too could not afford to voice any opinion.

'Would you like a drink?' Tom asked, suddenly playing the part of the husband who took the wife out for the evening.

Alice looked at him.

'Soda for me,' he reassured her.

'Then a vodka.'

'Any juice?'

'They don't keep it. Don't ask about it.'

He said nothing.

Alice sat on a sofa and watched a girl on the stage shake her ass towards the room. Someone whistled his approval.

Tom sat next to Alice and handed her her drink.

Alice pointed at the girl on stage.

'What do you think?'

Tom was being vague:

'I wouldn't know?'

Alice laughed: it was time to shed all pretences between them.

'Come on! I'm sure you have thoughts.'

'Well, probably not my type,' he said. It was his way of saying that he preferred her, his lawful wife.

'Oh, bullshit!' Alice laughed. 'So, what's your type then.'

'You, of course,' he said, unwilling to let his role go.

Alice looked at him and shook her head.

'No Tom: you have feelings and you have thoughts, and so do I. Keeping them a secret has set us apart.'

Tom sipped his soda and nodded.

Alice said encouragingly:

'Let me start. She has a great ass. And look at those big tits. I would love to give them a suck. Wouldn't you?'

The girl was dancing, shaking a wild mane of red hair. She was running her hands over her body, now lifted one leg to reveal the round plum wrapped in a G-string.

Alice ran her hand on Tom's thigh and kissed him on the neck. Then she licked his ear, as a promise for future pleasures.

'That's nice,' he said.

'Now, the girl,' she pressed him. 'What would you do to her?'

'I – I don't know. You know, at the moment, I don't think I can.'

'Just say it,' she whispered to his ear.

'I would fuck her,' he said timidly.

Alice bit his earlobe and pulled.

'Naughty, naughty. But you can do better.'

'Come on, Alice.'

She bit harder.

'Ouch!' he yelped.

'Say it. I want to hear it. It excites me.'

'Well, I would probably ask her to suck me off.'

'And then?' she asked, rubbing her hand up and down his thigh.

Tom didn't know what to say.

Alice kissed him on the mouth, then said again:

'What about licking her pussy?'

'Yeah… Maybe?' Tom answered.

'And wouldn't you like to spank that thick ass of her? You can finger her too… We can do whatever we want here.'

Then she kissed him again, passionately. She cupped his crotch. He was not hard.

'I'm sorry,' he mumbled.

She smiled at him and added:

'It's ok: I'll take care of everything tonight.'

Presently, the music finished, and the girl disappeared.

'I have a surprise for you,' Alice said. 'Follow me.'

She took him upstairs.

'This is my room,' she said. 'This is where I used to work.'

They went inside. Alice enjoyed the sight of Tom taking it all in, casting his eyes on the pictures on the wall, the furniture, then the bed where other men had had her.

There was a knock on the door.

'Come in,' Alice said. 'Tom, I want you to meet my friend Athena. She looks after the girls and took good care of me when I was injured.'

Athena was not wearing her usual wig. Alice had requested this. She was wearing a purple see-through negligée. The cloth caught on her thick nipples with every movement, and it fell nicely on her hips. Her stockings were held by a thick rim that ran around her muscular thighs.

Tom shook her hand awkwardly.

'So,' Athena said to Alice. 'This is your famous husband.'

'Tom, I learned to trust these people, and they saved my life. Vincent found me and nearly killed me. The only reason why your wife is still alive is that people like Athena put me before everything else.'

Tom showed he understood.

Alice continued:

'I need you to trust me tonight. You will do as you're told. Do you understand?'

The man nodded once more.

'Good. Now please undress.'

While he unbuttoned his shirt, Alice and Athena started kissing. Tom watched them for a moment, then took his pants off.

Alice glanced at him: he looked scared. Everything in this situation was somehow familiar and unknown. He had been with other women, but his wife lived on a different plane, and it was awkward to see the two mixed together. Also, he still didn't know he could get hard without alcohol in his body.

When Tom was naked, Alice whispered something to Athena, who unwrapped her arms from Alice's neck and walked towards Tom. She stared into his eyes for a moment, then caressed his face, his neck, his shoulders, and his back. Eventually, she picked up his hand and let it rest on her small breast.

'Do you like it?' she asked.

Tom glanced at Alice.

She had undressed and was sitting on the bed.

'Don't be rude: answer her,' she said, almost sternly.

'Yes,' he said. 'It's very nice.'

With her other hand, Athena caressed Tom's ass, then his dick. Then, she whispered loud enough so that Alice could hear:

'We're going to have a lot of fun, the three of us.'

'Tom,' Alice said. 'Why don't you touch her?'

He obeyed. He felt her ass, full and firm. Then, he rested both of his hands on her hips, eventually moving one between her thighs. He moved his hand gently back and forth, feeling the rough surface of her lace nickers.

'Ooh,' she moaned. 'That's a good boy.'

Alice saw that his penis was still flaccid.

'Tom, come here, please. Lie down. No, not like this: on your tummy.'

He looked at her, surprised, but did as he was told.

Alice was now sitting up, resting her back against the headrest, while Tom was lying on his stomach, next to her.

Athena opened a cabinet. Tom turned around hearing the sound of her rummaging through a box.

'Don't worry Tom. She'll be very gentle.'

'Alice,' he begged, 'I've never done it.'

Alice caressed his hair.

Athena, still in her lingerie, was now wearing the strap on. It was black and it was shiny with lube.

'Just trust me,' Alice said. Then, she nodded to Athena.

The girl came onto the bed and gently inserted the tip of a finger inside Tom's ass.

'Let's lube you up,' she said.

'Is that ok, Tom?' Alice asked.

Tom closed his eyes, like a boy scared of the doctor's needle.

'Don't worry Tom. I'm asking you to trust me.'

He nodded.

Athena inserted the tip of a second finger and moved the two fingers around, slowly.

Alice was watching. She started rubbing her clit, slowly, enjoying the scene:

'See how turned on I'm getting?'

Tom looked up at her, and Athena pushed the full length of the two fingers inside.

'Aww!' he moaned.

'No, Tom,' Alice said. 'Suck my toe. That's it, a nice lick. Each toe… Mmmh. Good boy.'

Alice kept caressing herself, feeling aroused.

Athena, meanwhile, was ready to fuck Tom with her dildo. She took out her fingers and leaned on top of him. Then, holding the strap-on with her hand and guiding it towards Tom's anus, pressed.

'Slowly, slowly,' he begged. 'Oh, God! Oh, fuck!'

'Are you ok?' Athena asked.

After a moment, he nodded, panting heavily.

Athena started moving back and forth, like many men had done when lying on top of her. She wanted to be gently, but she was also getting turned on by the sight of Alice's husband being treated in this way. She could tell that this couple was so far above her, so much wealthier, that they had often thought of people like her as nothing but an extra in the comedy of their life. But now, they were putting themselves on the same level, maybe lower. Athena wanted to fuck him.

'Why don't you like me, Tom? Taste me. I'm so wet,' Alice said.

She moved closer to him and offered her sex to his mouth. He licked it avidly.

Alice felt his tongue moving back and forth with every push Athena gave. At times, he stopped licking, overwhelmed.

Then, Athena stopped. While she was still inside him, she slid a hand underneath him to feel his penis.

'Ooh, someone likes what I do to him,' she said.

'See, Tom?' Alice echoed. 'Just trust me.'

Athena was lying on top of Tom. She got a good grip around Tom's dick. It was hard, and she started moving her hand back and forth.

Tom was grunting softly.

'Come and fuck me Tom: it's been so long,' Alice said after a moment.

Athena helped Tom get up, while keeping the dildo firmly lodged in his ass, so that Alice could slide under him.

Alice felt his dick, held his balls for a moment, smiling at him. She masturbated him for a while, then she opened her legs and pushed his dick onto her opening. She pulled it towards her a bit more, and she opened enough to let his glans in, then the rest of the shaft slid inside her.

Tom was now slowly making love to his wife. Each movement was tentative, as Athena's dildo moved along, poking him inside, going deeper. Then, his pleasure took over, and he moved assuredly back and forth.

Athena began moving too, seeing that he was adjusted to her presence inside him: in fact, his pleasure was growing because of it. She smiled at Alice, who smiled at her. Then they both closed their eyes and moved back and forth to the rhythm they were creating.

'Do you like it?' Tom asked.

'You're amazing, Tom,' Alice said.

He gave a big push, then, moving back, took in Athena's strap-on fully to the base. Then, he gave another thrust into Alice.

'Is this what you like?' he asked again.

'Yes, Tom. I'm such a whore.'

Tom had found his confidence now: the old rules had crumbled; they were rewriting new ones together. Alice wanted to know exactly what Tom wanted; she wanted him to be unbound and free. That was the new rule. She was now strong enough to draw a limit to his will: but up to that limit, he could stretch himself.

And the same applied to her: she could do whatever she wanted, up until the moment when Tom said, 'No more.'

'Then, let me fuck you like a whore,' Tom answered Alice.

She kissed him. Her tongue explored his mouth, finding his tongue and battling with it for a moment, embracing it, exploring it.

'Do it.'

Tom got up. He turned Alice around and started fucking her from behind. Then, he spoke to Athena.

'You too.'

She got out of him, and he showed her what he wanted. He positioned her so that she could penetrate Alice's anus with the dildo, while Tom fucked Alice's pussy. The tables had turned.

Alice was moaning loudly:

'Oh, my God. It's so good! Don't stop.'

Tom gave Alice's ass a few slaps, and, emboldened by her consent, slapped Athena's butt cheeks too. They were larger than those of his wife. They were thick and firm.

Tom looked at Athena's dark skin rubbing against his pale stomach, and against Alice's ass. He reached for her small tits and gave the nipples a big squeeze.

'Touch her!'

Athena obeyed and reached with a hand for Alice's pussy and started rubbing.

'Fuuuuuck!' Alice screamed.

Alice's head dropped on the mattress, exhausted from the orgasm. Athena and Tom gave a few more thrusts, then then group loosened and came apart.

Tom helped Athena remove the straps that held the toy in place, then he took off her gown and her panties.

'Your turn to be pleasured, my friend,' Alice laughed.

'I can't wait,' Athena answered looking at Tom's dick. She hadn't realised it was this big when erect.

Athena lay next to Alice, and Tom started licking her pussy. Up and down, up and down. And then, in and out. The lips were long and thick. He parted them and put two fingers inside.

'Ooh!' she moaned.

He started fingering her, then he moved to Alice and began licking her. She was smaller than Athena, and she had a different smell too. He gave her clit a few nibbles, then he started circling it with his tongue.

Alice then rolled on top of Athena, and the two women kissed passionately.

Tom was still fingering Athena, but moved now freely with his tongue from one clitoris to the other.

Finally, he stood up, put a condom on, and penetrated Athena.

'Shit!' she exclaimed.

Alice kept kissing her.

Tom watched the two women kiss. Alice's blonde hair fell on Athena's face and on the pillow below. And her thighs were spread open, lying on the other girl's stomach. Her ass and her vagina were open to his view.

He rubbed his tumb on Alice's clit, then up and down her labia, while giving big thrusts with his dick, enjoying the loud cries of pleasure that Athena gave with each one.

He slapped Alice's ass one, twice, three times.

'You got me fucked in the ass tonight,' he joked. 'You know that I have to avenge myself?'

Then he parted Alice's ass with his hands and slid two thumbs inside.

'Is this what you like? Is this how you want to get fucked?'

'Please!' she begged.

'Say it!' he ordered.

'Put your dick in my little asshole, Tom. I want it so badly!'

Tom extracted his penis from Athena. He slowly moved up to reach his wife's ass and was inside with one sure push.

Athena got busy too. She turned around, so that her mouth was onto Alice's pussy. She licked her, while enjoying the view of Tom fucking her in the ass.

Alice wanted to return the favour, but it was hard to stay focused, as her pleasure was almost blinding.

Tom slapped her ass.

'Come on, Alice. Lick our friend!' he said saying that she had stopped.

'I – can't! Oh God, I'm coming!' she said, shaking violently.

Tom was about to come too, but he wanted more.

He took his dick out of Alice and walked off the bed. He ripped out the condom.

'Ladies…' he called.

Soon, Alice was kneeling before him, deepthroating his dick, staring into his eyes, watching him reach his climax.

Athena had lodged herself behind him, and she was licking his balls avidly.

Tom held Alice's head and moved it back and forth as his pleasure demanded. He was screaming with pleasure. He was staring into his wife's eyes. She was twisting her nipples to tolerate the strain. She was coming up for air, then going back in.

Athena entered Tom's ass with her tongue and moved it around, expertly.

Finally, Tom announced:

'I'm coming!'

He filled his wife's mouth with semen, then gave a few more pushes as he felt more rushes come through. Splashes of cum came out of the sides of Alice's mouth. Then she took his dick out of her mouth and gasped for air.

She looked exhausted, fulfilled, overwhelmed.

Tom used his dick to push the semen that was spread around her cheeks and chin back into her mouth. She swallowed it all, eagerly.

'That's my girl. And what about you?' he added towards Athena, almost abruptly. 'Have you come?'

She gave him a look.

He pushed her on the bed and licked her some more. He could taste her distinctive flavour, and he saw streaks of froth near the opening. He insisted with the tongue, never moving away from the delicate spot. He listened as her moans grew in intensity.

Athena suddenly grasped his hair.

'There, there!' she screamed. 'Don't stop!'

Then, she too came.