love-is-a-spirit-6

Subject: Love is a Spirit 6 DENOUEMENT Nifty has thousands of stories for you to read. They depend on YOUR donations to keep going. You can donate here fty/ Chapter 13 "This is a great caf? to meet, Martin," Richard said as he sipped on a Latt? in the quiet of the corner beneath modern art and the tasteful sound of light jazz over the speakers. "We can chat here undisturbed." Although sharing the flat, they were both leading busy lives and so had fixed on a place where they could see each other occasionally for lunch away from the bustle of town activity. They were in the village of Roecastle, which was about ten miles away from Hillwich University so Richard felt no threat from any prying eyes that had seemed so threatening in Scotland. It was also on the route from their flat to Nottingham, where Martin was now doing post-graduate study to qualify as a Physiotherapist. On a half day he could stop here on his way back to the flat where he would either be spending the afternoon studying or working in a massage parlour where he could earn some extra money to pay for college. Martin had expected to work quickly at his chosen profession but that had not been possible, so he had taken this job, to constant ribbing from Richard as to the nature of the work, for he trusted him not to overstep the mark into anything seedy. 'Picasso' was the exception in Roecastle, for the ambience of the village was definitely old-world charm. It was in the middle of an agricultural area so businesses here were either concerned with tractors and animal feeds or catering to the growing pool of retired ladies from the city who had time on their hands. The caf? seemed to exist mostly on the money of wealthy wives whose husbands commuted to Hillwich University. Walking in, it wafted a delicious aroma of arabica coffee around the room together with a feminine touch of pot pourri that made the odour linger, long after leaving. That day, Martin had received a phone call from Christian and he seemed to be enjoying his course in Philosophy. "However, he has kept going back to the gay club. So that has put the lid on any hope he had of hooking up with Rachel in any serious terms," Martin suggested. Richard was alerted in a casual way and tried not to be too concerned, for he had been absorbed in work and failed to contact Michael for a week or two. "So, what about Michael and Rachel, how are they?" he asked, trying to sound conversational. Martin looked at him quizzically. "I don't really know how Michael's studies are coming on, if that's what you're asking." Martin batted the question elegantly back to Richard. He had to come to the point. "No, I should really have phoned, I'm just hoping they are friendly, that's all, for Michael needs the contact in his first year at University," he squirmed a ankara escort bit and started at his coffee. "Yes, they are still friendly," replied Christian. "Michael says that Rachel is turning into his mother, although I think he said that in levity. It's probably an indication that they are getting on quite well." Richard smiled to himself. If Rachel had anything like a similar personality to Norma, then there was little danger of any difficult news of a romantic kind coming from that quarter, and, moreover, Richard felt sure, that Michael would have plenty time for his studies. **** The weeks and months drifted on in the term. Richard and Martin grew closer, although their relationship developed very much as a weekend fling, common to a lot of marriages. After a meal out on Saturday near Hillwich University or even meeting at the Picasso, they would retire home with a good bottle of wine and spend the evening listening to music or watching a movie. They still felt reluctant to be seen as a couple in the wider world. Martin would have been quite happy to be 'out' but Richard was still afraid that it could affect his job if that happened, especially with a much younger man. So romance became a slow and tender little plant, carefully nurtured by them both. They would cuddle up on the sofa after a supper of coffee and a sandwich and then go to bed with a sense of relief, Richard enjoying the freedom to make love without any pressure of performance and Martin giving all he could to the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They would make love slowly and there would be the occasional kiss and laugh, as much from the joy of being together as from the ecstasy of sex. Apart from home life and work, they tended to go their separate ways. Richard continued his interest in art and tried to find time to paint, spending the occasional day out in the country to capture the scenery new to his surroundings. He managed to sell some oils in a gallery near the University and in that way, became acquainted with the arty crowd at University. Martin kept his interest in sports by joining the volleyball club at Nottingham University and was involved in the university league with his team, that took up a fair amount of his time. There was only one blot on their lives when Martin left the Picasso one day after meeting Richard for a coffee and found that his car had been vandalised. A tyre had been slashed and someone had scraped their key along the bonnet in the typical trick to frighten the owner. Martin immediately felt it was personal but Richard urged him that it was just the random act of an idiot. They dutifully reported it to the police but knew there was little chance of there being a conviction for the crime. Life went on and after ankara olgun escort a few weeks they forgot about the incident. It made Richard, in particular, somewhat nervous, feeling that he was in some way responsible for his friend. One evening in the flat, when he was alone and Martin was working, the phone rang and he picked up. It was a silent call. In normal circumstances he would have ignored it, but, sitting alone at home, his mind started to speculate on possibilities. He couldn't really figure out a plausible answer and hoped that it wouldn't happen again. However, it did and it happened on an evening when Martin was out at work again. He decided to talk to him about it. "It isn't anything serious. Your mind just makes it so," Martin reassured him. "But if someone has picked up our lifestyle situation and wanted to interfere, where could this be coming from?" Richard quizzed. "Perhaps someone in Roecastle has seen us together a lot. You know, it's a quiet village but in these rural areas, there are farmer types and they are not quite as tolerant as city types." Martin almost laughed but he, too, realised that it might be a good idea to think about what was going on. "And there is another thing," Richard speculated. "I get these silent phone calls only when you are out at work. Which makes me think, firstly that someone might be watching the flat. Or more seriously, I worry that something happens when they know you are out the house and we are both separated." Martin pondered and at that moment realised the seriousness of their situation. "I have an idea," he said. "Let's try changing our behaviour a little and see if it stops." Richard thought this a good idea. "What did you have in mind?" he asked. "Let's avoid the Picasso for a while and see what happens," he replied. Richard looked glum, not wanting to miss his favourite caf?, but agreed. They tried this for a couple of months and there was no change for a while. Then, suddenly, the phone calls stopped. This made them even more suspicious, surprisingly, than before. "so, perhaps the person has moved on," Richard thought. "Which means, it could be a student at the university." Martin agreed. It seemed he didn't want to continue the matter when there was nothing more to speculate about. And there was no more trouble. But they were reluctant to return to their favourite caf?, even though there was no hard evidence that their problems came from there. So, life carried on and Richard settled into his development work at the university and Martin eventually qualified as a physiotherapist. EPILOGUE That is the end of the story of our characters now. As they grew older, they settled down to a quieter life with the usual ups and downs that ankara ucuz escort you might expect but to report all these happens might be tedious. Instead, let me summarise some of the outcomes that developed in later years and how their paths diverged. Richard continued with his projects at Hillwich University and it was deemed to be a success, with much student interest in the environment, for by then it was clear that this was an issue that wasn't going away. After five years, he felt that he had achieved all that he wanted in the Department. It was a time to reflect, for after building up the courses, Richard felt that the grind of teaching the same subjects every day might become boring. Martin, too, had qualified as a physiotherapist and had started work at Hillwich Hospital. Maybe it was the after effects of past problems, but after five years in Hillwich, they decided to move to London. It was a happening place in the mid-eighties and there were lots of interesting properties coming on the market. Martin had a flat to sell and Richard, the proceeds of his flat in Scotland. They bought a newly-renovated loft with plenty space. Richard decided to expand his art work and made a studio out of the largest room in the apartment. He found a part-time post at the University of London, which was interesting, but not as demanding as his professorship at Hillwich. He was fortunate to sell some of his work and over the years expanded his time in his studio. Martin was fortunate to find work in one of the better London football clubs, which was insecure work, but he made many contacts there and started his own business treating sports injuries in a small clinic, which rapidly expanded into a lucrative success. When Civil Partnerships were allowed, they enthusiastically signed up and, well, lived happily ever after, since London, they found, was a more congenial place to live. Michael finished his degree in Forestry and found a job in the District Forestry Office on the idyllic Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland, where he settled with his new bride, Rachel. With a little help from Michael's parents, they bought a B