Chasing Rainbows (10 page)

As they cruised up the river they listened to the words, which were a reflection of their affair and the love they had. As the song ended Doug pulled Olivia closer never wanting this moment to end.

Olivia waved at a cruise boat going by. It was filled with smiling tourists.

She went on, “ It's a true story and they didn't get together as in the end he died and she went back to Denmark,” Olivia was not stopping for breath, again!

“
I remember the first line, Meryl Streep was so good, she began with, "I had a farm in Africa”. Olivia put her head back and laughed as she ended with, “I had a man on his boat”.

They moored up near a bridge and walked into the town, hand in hand. Stopping at an ice cream parlour they bantered about which flavours to get.

The assistant waited, with a big smile on her face and a certain look in her eye she said, “ I can tell you two are in love.”

Olivia and Doug looked at each other and smiled a knowing smile.

They window shopped and discussed which ornaments they would buy for their pretend house and which toys they would buy for their pretend children.

The afternoon was moving quickly into the evening and Olivia became quiet and thoughtful.

In a concerned tone Doug asked her what was wrong.

Olivia looked up at him with tears in her eyes, she softly said, “One day I shall tell my grandchildren, I was so happy once with a man in York”.

He felt his heart would melt under those words as he felt a rush of love like never before. He became lost in the moment and floated into his imagination, leaving his thoughts in the privacy of his mind.

CHAPTER EIGHT

As Doug flew to New York, he was remembering his time with Olivia in every detail.

He could smell the river, he could smell Olivia's perfume, he could almost reach out and touch her as though she was standing before him.

What he wouldn't give now just to see her once more!

He shook his head, what a fool he was to have let her go. He should have thought more.  That was his problem, sometimes he didn't think.

Doug took a large drink, nearly missing the table as he put the glass back down. He could not stop the memories that were crashing into his mind.

As he looked at the face on the page before him, he silently screamed, “Please stop this is really hurting me”.

The memories laughed at him and kept on.

Summer turned into Autumn. Olivia and Doug continued their affair.

They met when they could, but found it difficult to work around children, school runs and the demands of being married to other people.

They never missed their time at the boat, Wednesday evenings were so special and one afternoon by the river as Doug stepped back into the cabin he gave no thought to the time as he told his PA, Hilary that he would be tied up all afternoon in Leeds with clients and would not be returning to the office.

He told her if Mary rang to pass the message on that he might be late home. He really did not want to speak to Mary today as he knew he would be interrogated by her and she just went on and on.

The drive across to York on the A64 was again filled with music and laughter. Olivia made him feel like a twenty year old all over again. She brought him happiness and joy.

The boat looked inviting as they came through the locked gate that kept things safe. Olivia went down into the cabin while Doug busied himself with the jobs he needed to do.

He rushed as time was precious and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with his colourful rainbow.

He thought of Olivia as a rainbow; she was always dressed in bright colours.

Olivia had so many colourful sides to her personality. She was amazing.

As he came down the steps he saw her laid on the bunk with a white sheet pulled up to her chin, knowing that underneath was a body perfectly formed, that fit him so well.

Big brown eyes were peering up at him above a grin that lit up the room.

She held her arm up and beckoned him to join her. She did not have to ask twice. Doug undid his belt and slid out of his trousers, his eyes never leaving hers.

His manhood standing to attention in anticipation of a lustful adventure in the bowel of his boat.

That afternoon the passion was like no other, it was perfection as they slowly swayed to the motion of a lust that was born of a fervour for each other.

Doug spent time working Olivia's body, he gently stroked her and kissing her lips began to slowly move down her body.

He lingered at her nipples, dipped his finger into the juice that was beside them on the table.

He watched the drops slowly drip onto her before placing his mouth over the area, licking and sucking the sweet blackcurrant that was now her nipple.

The way Olivia responded to his fingers, his tongue, his mouth, was awesome, moments in time that he would savour and remember, until he would be kissing those glorious breasts once more.

They made love slowly and with grace, until one final thrust confirmed his passion and he spilled out into her with a deep throat moan.

He slowly pulled back to look down as he was about to leave the warmth of her love bucket.

They lay together spent and happy. Two people could never be as close as when they are curled up together in the aftermath of loving.

He began to wipe up the juices , that were created in a moment of wanton neediness.

Olivia rose from the bunk, as she put on Doug's shirt, her modesty returning.

They put the bunks up and replaced the table top. The bed disappeared, order and function restored to the small cabin.

Neither spoke as they dressed in silence. Knowing that soon they would have to return to the real world. To their respective families and this would be just another memory.

Before they returned home they sailed up the river to the sound of Al Jarreau again singing ,”the Music of Goodbye.” This was fast becoming their song.

The aroma of Olivia's perfume, Opium. Slowly penetrated the heat of a dying summer afternoon.

They were truly in the moment, nothing else existed, only each other wrapped up in a dream.

Driving back to Leeds there were sombre moments as they knew they would soon have to part.

Olivia appeared to be fine, if not a little quiet.

Stopping at a pub on the ring road Doug went to buy Olivia her usual gin and tonic. Carrying it and his pint of beer back to the table, he smiled.

They always stopped at this pub for the last drink to leave their day behind them and prepare to go back to their real lives.

Returning from the ladies room, Olivia was again wearing that wicked grin that Doug had come to love so much.

She was always laughing, it was part of who she was, she did not have a bad bone in her body.

Olivia loved, she played and she cried. At times when his conscience got the better of him and he would tell her they must stop meeting, her eyes would cry.

The fear that overcame that beautiful face at the thought of losing him, would make him feel worse than he already did.

Olivia was an innocent who loved him for who he was, she had no agendas.

He was married and he could never escape that fact. At times Doug wonder if he could perhaps escape the marriage to be with Olivia forever.

Doug had dreams of escaping his, sad and lonely life. He spent most of his time pretending that it was what he wanted. He spent his time telling himself that he was happy.  He was not

Truth be known he would never leave his wife, married men seldom took that leap of faith into a life with the woman they really loved.

So Doug continued to think that all he wanted was to leave everything behind and start a new life with Olivia. Change can be so difficult.

Doug was tortured by his lust for Olivia, his love of her and his addiction to her, always got the better of him.

The sound of 'Music of Goodbye was replaced by Dillard and Johnson's, 'Here we go loving again', as they drove back to end the day with a sad parting kiss.

The final kiss of their clandestine meeting would linger on his lips as he always stood watching her drive away before he returned to his lie of a life with his chatty wife and his sullen, troubled mistress.

Doug realised that whilst Olivia was one in a long line of women he had affairs with, he loved her with a passion he had never felt before.

She reeled his heart in so tightly that in the chaos that was his life, she brought a wildness of spirit that was a contradiction of the peace that came, as she ran barefoot through his soul.

Olivia taught Doug to live in the moment, for that is all they had, those stolen moments in time that would remain forever in their history.

She taught him the true meaning of what love is and there were no words to describe it.

CHAPTER NINE

August of that year was one of the hottest. Doug was on his own as the rest of the family were abroad at a family wedding.

Doug really did not want to go.  he could not stand the thought of sitting with Mary's noisy relatives and having to tell her that she looked lovely in the hideous orange silk dress that would actually make her look like an orange.  He used the excuse that he had a large account to close, he had to stay. He told Mary he would try and make it.  It was another lie to add to his long list of lies.

He felt that it would give him some time to spend with Gerry, who was becoming fractious and demanding.

Doug knew that he neglected Gerry. It was hard juggling three women. He was beginning to detest Gerry and could not see a way out. He was in such a dilemma.

Then there came a diversion to his dilemma when one night he got the surprise of his life.

'Brown eyes' was out with her friends that night celebrating a birthday and he was having a quiet night in.

Late into the night when Doug was feeling so lonely, the phone rang and he heard a drunken whisper.

Olivia was whispering to him and he gave her back the words that he knew would melt her resistance as he needed her so much.

As the sex laden innuendos passed between them, Doug found that his erection was beginning to dictate his thinking. How could he be rational?

He wanted her so badly, but it was the middle of the night.

Olivia lived far from him and she was drunk, very drunk.

It did not stop him telling her how much he wanted her, how much he wanted her body, how much he loved to play with those nipples in his mouth, how he loved to suck them hard to the point of pain. The pain that began the ecstasy.

Doug asked Olivia to come over to the house, knowing it would not happen, as they played cat and mouse over the network.

After much coaxing and many, “No I can't comes”, Olivia put the phone down on him.

Pouring himself a large brandy Doug smiled to himself and returned to watch the film he paused earlier.

Half hour later there was a large bang at the door.

Doug thought, “No , it can't be?”

It was.

There she stood, barefoot at his front door, a turquoise duster coat covered her from her neck to her ankles, tiny painted toe nails showing beneath.

The coat was way too big for her and he looked at her feet. Where were her shoes? His eyes slowly travelled up to her face.

Olivia was wearing a stupid grin as she swayed in the night air. Their eyes met, “Aren't you going to ask me in then?,” she slurred.

He had never seen her so inebriated.  She had an excuse, it was her birthday. Doug knew how unhappy she was at home, she worked hard and deserved some fun.

He took hold of Olivia's hand and led her past the kitchen and into the lounge.

As he poured her a brandy he chastised her for driving over in such a state.

Olivia never said a word and an awkward silence fell between them .

Doug did not like the silence as he never knew what Olivia was thinking and sometimes silence came before she did something and he never knew what that might be either.

They had done some mad things together and she never failed to surprise him.

Doug loved Olivia for her spontaneity and wondered why he had avoided her in the previous weeks.

He was busy and trying to keep Gerry sweet.

Olivia asked Doug to put some music on.

He chose George Benson as it was past midnight and the time called for some mood music. he thought it might calm Olivia down but was not sure if he wanted her to calm down or not.