Finding Alice Read online

  The apartment was very expensively decorated consisting of a very large open plan living area spreading out from the lift. On one side was an open kitchen set on a large platform with four stools at the breakfast bar. On the other side was a fully serviced bar that Graham had specially installed with every brand of liquor imaginable. There were doors leading off on either side of the living area. One led to the master bedroom while the opposite one led to the minor bedrooms and bathrooms.

  The master bedroom was a sight to be seen. It had a huge bed with satin sheets, pop up TV screen, music system and floor to ceiling curtains all connected by remote control. Next to the bed was a fully stocked refrigerator with a see through door. On the wall opposite the bed was a huge painting of a couple obviously making love. Another door led off to an en-suite with a double shower, two basins and spa bath.

  The living room was set out with number of clusters of lounge chairs all with plenty of cushions and adjoining coffee tables. The whole living area opened onto a large balcony with an outdoor table and chair setting on one side and a large spa pool on the other. From the balcony there were magnificent views over other city buildings to the harbour in the distance.

  The rich furnishings in the living room had a strong masculine overtone to them, with dark leather lounges and timber cabinets. A number of strategically placed palm trees softened the ambience somewhat. Graham had obviously decorated it with little female input except for the palm trees, which Francis had insisted on after she came on the scene. Around the walls were a number of large paintings of naked couples in various embraces. Some were of men and women while others were naked women kissing and embracing each other. Some of the paintings were modern and rather vague while others were quite explicit. Again on top of the cabinets there were a number of ornaments with couples embracing. There could be no doubt everything was intended to set a sexual mood in the apartment.

  With their arms casually around each other Francis escorted John across the room to the bar, past a number of groups engaged in polite conversation. A number of sly glances following John and Francis as they proceeded. John was obviously well known to Francis and accepted, especially as Graham having spotted them called out from the group he was talking to,

  “Hi John, how are you old boy?”

  John nodded back to him as they reached the bar.

  “Hi Mr. Mason, your usual tonight?” asked Harry at the bar.

  “Can I get you another one Francis?”

  John and Francis chatted while Harry prepared their drinks. John could not help noticing that Francis looked tired and her conversation seemed a bit flat.

  “Everything OK Francis?” he inquired.

  “Yes John, I’m just a bit tired.”

  Francis took her drink, left John at the bar and wandered off to talk to some of the other guests. John started to chat to Harry at the bar but no sooner had Francis moved away, Graham was upon him.

  “Did you manage to invite that girl that came with the loser last time?”

  “Yes Graham, don’t get your knickers in a twist.” John could feel a sense of anger building inside him. Graham was more interested in the girl coming tonight rather than him.

  “OK, OK old boy, I was just asking. Good work,” he added and sensing John was not interested to talk, moved on.

  John decided to circulate, as he knew a number of the people at the party from previous occasions. A couple of them were toffs from Grahams growing up days but the majority were new money like him. As a real estate agent there was always the chance that someone might need his services plus there were a number of attractive women who all seemed much younger than the male guests.

  John was one of the few people there in an open necked shirt. Normally he would have been wearing his suit but today he had gone home early and changed into his casual clothes. Actually he liked not being in a suit like most of the others who had come straight from work. It showed he didn’t have to conform. Most of them were financial types and wanted to talk about the stock market and the economy.

  As the evening wore on a few more guests arrived while others drifted off, obviously going on to other functions and nightspots. Those that stayed were making full use of the bar facilities and the level of noise in the room kept rising as people talked rather than listen to each other.

  Around 11pm the “function” was in full swing when Gail arrived. She had brought one of her model mates with her. They had been doing a photo shoot together that day. John met them at the door. They were both tall with long blonde hair tailing off into ringlets and showing very ample cleavage. They made quite a striking pair. John suspected that wasn’t the natural hair colour for either of them and some of their other parts may not be all that natural as well.

  Both had been drinking before they arrived and were quite giggly. Gail was first to speak,

  “So you’re John. I was wondering who you were when you rang me. But now I remember you from last time,” giving John a big hug and a provocative kiss.

  “This is my friend Cindy.” Cindy also gave him a greeting kiss.

  Both were slightly unsteady on their feet.

  Graham’s mistress Francis spotted them. She could hardly miss them. She came across to size up the competition,

  “I remember you from last time, Gail isn’t it?”

  “That’s right. This is Cindy.” The greetings were far cooler than for John. He had three, on the make man-eaters in front of him, all dressed to the nines and each showing more than a decent amount of cleavage.

  “Well, you had better come in,” said Francis grudgingly. “John will show you where to get a drink.” Francis was taking charge. She then abruptly walked away, leaving them with John.

  As he was showing them around, Graham pulled him aside,

  “You can tell Gail, her mate can also stay for the after party.” John just looked at him. Both Graham and Francis were treating him as if he was an employee and he didn’t like it one bit.

  John took the two girls over to the bar and they both ordered Red Bull and Vodka’s from Harry the bartender. As they were doing this Francis pulled John aside and asked,

  “Who invited those two blonde tarts tonight?” John looked at her. He really couldn’t see much difference between them and her. In fact the only real difference was perhaps Francis boobs, which were real. John could vouch for that from previous experience.

  “I did,” he confessed, “but I didn’t know she was going to bring a friend with her.”

  “Next time you check with me first.” She was really taking over now. Suddenly realizing her jealousy had got the better of her and she had gone too far, she added,

  “Well, I suppose its OK. At least they will give the boys something to look at.”

  Of course, what she didn’t know was the main boy looking at them was her own Graham.

  The night wore on and after a few more Red Bull’s and vodkas, the two blondes had attracted a small group of male followers. They were really giving it to the men.

  Graham had decided that it was getting near time to start the after party. He instructed Harry at the bar to stop serving drinks and pulled John aside again,

  “Tell Gail and her mate to stay for the after party and get rid of those guy’s hanging around them.” He was full of instructions. “And get Francis off my back will you? She won’t give me a minute alone with the two of them.”

  John was feeling more and more like a servant, caught in the crossfire between Graham and his mistress. However he knew to obey and walked over to the group,

  “Would you mind finishing up fellows, the bar is closing now.”

  “Gail and Cindy, could I have a word with over here,” he said, leading them away from their admirers.

  Gail was quite pissed by now and grabbed on to John to steady herself.

  “Graham would like you two to hang around. There is going to be an after party. But don’t tell the guys over there.”

  “Oh goody,” slurred Gail.


  He then went over Harry the bar tender who was watching all the interactions.

  “Just give them half vodka’s,” nodding in the direction of the two girls. Then to find Francis. She was seeing some people off at the door.

  “Hi beautiful,” said John putting his arm around her waist, as he moved along side of her.

  While he was doing this, Graham had moved in on the two models and was chatting them up. Francis saw this and decided to play along with John.

  “Come, I want to show you something.”

  She led him into the bedroom, grabbed him and started to kiss him. The light was off and in the past John would have been totally involved, but not tonight. He kissed her back but there was no real passion in it. Just a mistress who was losing control of her man and seeking comfort elsewhere. For the first time it occurred to John that Francis was losing her power over Graham and he actually felt a bit sad for her. Mistresses are much easier to get rid of than wives.

  He gave Francis a hug, but it was more a friendly hug than a sexual one. There was no real passion there. Not like there had been with Alice.

  “You OK?” he inquired.

  “Sure,” said Francis. But John could tell she was bluffing.

  He looked at Francis with the harsh light from the living room, shining into the darkened bedroom. With the light catching her sideways the lines of age were starting to clearly show on her face. She was on the way out. Graham was chasing new younger versions.

  They came out of the bedroom to find everyone had left, except the bartender, Graham and the two girls. Harry was washing up the glasses, while Graham and the two girls, were already semi naked and getting into the spa on the balcony.

  Francis took one look and saw red. She grabbed a half finished glass of beer from the bar, marched over and poured it over Graham’s head, then stormed off into the bedroom and slammed the door.

  Graham didn’t seem all that perturbed. Gail was giggling in the spa beside him. She had won the battle of the tarts.

  “Don’t worry about that John, she will get over it. Come and join us in the spa. Bring a couple of drinks over will you?”

  But John had, had enough. He was not interested in two tarts with hair extensions and false boobs, plus he was sick of being treated like a servant all night. Also he was feeling a sorry for Francis due to Graham’s callous attitude towards her.

  “No I have to go,” said John. “But I’ll get you a couple of drinks.”

  Graham was busy with the two girls and didn’t seem to mind if John stayed or went.

  John went over to the bar.

  “Give us two red bull’s and vodka for the girls, will you Harry?”

  Harry had been the regular bartender at these functions for years. He knew about all the goings on.

  “On second thought, make that doubles will you? Give Graham, whatever he is drinking. Make that a double too.”

  Harry looked at John puzzled.

  “I’m going home Harry, that should finish them off. They will all be too pissed to do anything much.”

  Harry just smiled.

  Going down in the lift John thought about Graham’s situation. Sure he had it all but there were rules, even with mistresses. Graham was being very hard on Francis. Her options for the future were closing, as she aged. Graham was already moving on to the next younger conquest, or in this case two younger conquests.

  It occurred to John that in the past he would not have been too worried about this. He would probably have been in the spa with them by now. But since his affair with Alice something had changed. At his point he didn’t know just what, but something had definitely changed.

  Chapter 13 A Drink with Bill

  John had been thinking about it. Yes, his business associate Graham had it all, but was he really happy? All the time he had to be on his guard, so his wife would not find out about his other life. John didn’t have to be too careful. Audry never went to the city, she was busy looking after the kids and going to tennis. Anyway, he only went to Graham’s functions occasionally. It wasn’t like he was supporting a penthouse and mistress full time, paying all the bills etc. Also, Graham’s mistress and the other women who attended the functions, all had a hard edge to them. They all seemed to be on the make. There were no deep feelings involved. It was all, get what you can.

  His affair with Alice had been something totally different. There was something new here. Something he had never known existed. All he knew at this point was that deep emotions were involved. Yes, there was much to ponder.

  It was Saturday morning. Four weeks had passed since the night of the dinner party. John was poking around in the garden aimlessly with no particular objective. It was looking more unkempt than it used to. His head was numb from a few too many scotches the night before, when he heard a mower going across the street and looked up to see Bill, cutting the nature strip outside his and Alice’s home. Bill saw him, stopped the mower and beckoned him over.

  “Uh oh” thought John what could this mean? What does Bill want? The thoughts were racing through his mind. Perhaps he would see Alice. Perhaps Bill knows about their affair. Yes, that’s it, he must know about the affair, because she said they had an open marriage and told each other everything. Yes that’s it

  He nervously started across the road. Bill's greeting was surprisingly warm if a trifle subdued.

  “Come in and have a beer mate,” he went on, “I haven’t seen you since the dinner party.”

  They sat down at the breakfast table and Bill handed him a beer.

  John hadn’t noticed before, how much of a yobbo Bill was. Perhaps their working class upbringing was what they had always shared in common. But Bill was still ending everything with the word “mate”. John had stopped doing this years ago, ever since he started dating Audry and needed to relate in “higher circles”. In fact it would be hard to pick John’s working class origins from the way he dressed and spoke these days. However it was not hard to pick Bill’s origins. Whenever John was talking with Bill he reverted to putting the ‘mate’ word in again. It made Bill feel more comfortable.

  Come to think about it, as well as not knowing much about Alice until just recently, he really didn’t know much about Bill either. There had been a rumour going around that Bill wasn’t Susie’s real father, although John had considered this to be just an urban myth. In the past he had been so interested in looking at Alice that he hadn’t given Bill much attention. Looking at him closely now, he could see Bill was tall and thin and had a rather large nose, which made his face seem pointy. Also, he didn’t have Susie's olive skin tone. Susie looked far more like her mother. So perhaps there could be some truth in the rumour.

  Bill had grown up in an inner city suburb not far from John, but they had never met until they had come to live across the road from each other. Unlike John, who had caring parents, Bill’s parents had not been happy. They had fought constantly. His father was a drunk who used to beat up his mother. That was why he tried to carry on with the mateship “mate” thing. He had been deprived as a kid and wanted to be loved. In a way Alice had felt sorry for him and married him to give her child some respectability. Even though she was a free spirit, Alice was well aware of the stigma even today in a changing world that society can place on a bastard child. She wanted to make sure Susie didn’t have any hang-ups. When she married Bill she had made him agree that they could have an open marriage. So it was more what she wanted rather than Bill. In fact they were mismatched in many ways. She wanted freedom, while Bill craved security due to his bad upbringing.

  Also, what John didn’t know was that Bill had met Alice while he was working at the University. At the time he had a job selling the benefits of the university to overseas students, but he was not a student himself, just a salesman. On the other hand Alice was an Arts student and had achieved one of the top passes in the State. She was very bright academically. Whereas Bill was a good salesman, with good people skills, he was pretty ordinary academically.


  When Alice finished her degree, Bill had gone with her to live on a commune in the north of the State. She was an activist against logging of the old growth forests. It was very free and open in the commune and it could well be that Susie was not Bill’s daughter, however no blood test had ever been done.

  Another rumour was that they were not married but this was not true. A Marriage Celebrant had married them in the forest with the rest of the commune in attendance. After they left the commune Bill had got a number of sales jobs and finally worked his way up to Sales Manager, with the sporting goods company. Alice had a job at the University arranging conferences and looking after visiting professors and other important dignitaries. That is why she had the money to buy expensive Gucci handbags and other luxuries, she liked to indulge in from time to time.