A Change in Fortune Ch. 04

Chapter 4

After leaving Yazmin's mountain home, I headed for Barcelona. I'd spent longer than planned getting to Barcelona and decided to leave the rest of Spain for another holiday. After checking in at a hotel, I spent the remainder of the day checking my share portfolio and lottery wins. Financially, life was looking very rosy. If my 'luck' continued, by this time next year, I would have close to £5m in the bank! Over the next three days, I explored Barcelona, taking in the usual sights and partaking in the local cuisine. I'd not learned Catalan, but everyone spoke Spanish, French or English, so that wasn't a problem. I drove along the southern Pyrenees from Barcelona, crossing again on its western end. From there, I drove up towards Bordeaux, visiting vineyards and the Atlantic coast before touring the Loire Valley and its beautiful chateaux and eventually arrived in Paris.

The drive through France between hotels gave me time to ponder my future again. My latest thoughts were that if I found someone I wanted to settle down with, I could stay with them for perhaps twenty years and even have children with them before faking my death and moving on. It wasn't something I was keen on, and the more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of doing that to someone or me. The only alternative I had come up with so far was a series of relationships, which was only slightly more appealing. An extended life was starting to have more downsides than benefits so far. At least my other seven wishes had been successful and welcome, I still didn't know how the two I'd tried to give Serepha had turned out.

Paris is a relatively small city, and its inhabitants are famously rude. However, I didn't find this, possibly because I could speak fluent French, or maybe I was just lucky. Hey, my life has been one lucky event after another now, so who knows?

Paris was pretty, but very busy. The traffic was a nightmare if you tried to walk about, but I wasn't in a rush, so I just tried to relax. The Louvre was excellent, as was a trip up the Eiffel Tower. After four days of sightseeing, I considered heading for the Channel and home. On my last day, I was looking for a café for a coffee and pastry when I stopped and stared at the sight approaching me. Aphrodite herself, yet again! She was walking elegantly towards me, the crowds parting before her as they should. Should I approach her and find out her name? I might not get another chance, so I decided to go for it. As the SAS motto goes, "He who Dares, Wins". As I put one foot in front of the other, she turned and joined some people at a table, who welcomed her warmly.

I chuckled and cursed in equal measure. Finally, I had a chance, even if it was only for a split second, to talk to her, only to be dashed at the last moment. The café looked up market so I decided to have my coffee here. At least I could gaze in awe at her if I didn't make it too obvious I was staring at her. I ordered, and as I sipped my coffee and nibbled my pastry as slowly as possible, I watched her out of the corner of my eye. Eventually, when the waiter asked me for the third time if I wanted anything else, I decided I couldn't linger any longer. As I left and passed close by their table, I'm sure she glanced my way and smiled. But that might have been wishful thinking on my part, surely she wouldn't remember a lowly being like me.

Leaving Paris, I headed to the Eurotunnel to catch the train under the channel to Folkestone. As I waited in line for the next train, my phone rang. To my shock and delight, a woman from the Lottery told me I'd won a prize in the previous night's EuroMillions draw. After I'd hung up, I logged into the App to discover I was the sole winner of the One Hundred and Eighty-nine million pound draw!

I let out a manic cheer to the bewilderment of the cars around me. This had been a fantastic holiday, and it had ended brilliantly as well. As the train hurtled under the Channel, I considered what I would do with my wealth. The first thing would be to find a suitable property to move to.

Once I arrived home and unpacked, I started looking at properties online. I didn't know where I wanted to live, and I had no roots that kept me anywhere, so as long as it was a nice area, I didn't mind. Having the whole of the UK to search soon proved tiring and frustrating. Having a sudden moment of inspiration, I searched to see if anyone provided a service to look for upmarket properties for people. Of course there were you muppet! In fact, there were dozens and dozens of them. Not having ever been in the position before of being able to pay for someone to look for a house for me, I hadn't considered it. I made a short list of firms that appeared to work in the heady price range I was after and decided to call some the next day.

The first one I contacted had a glitzy website with excellent reviews. After making an appointment in three days, I headed off to the gym and a return to my version of normality. On the dot at Eleven O'clock three days later, I welcomed Tiffany into my home. She specialised in finding homes for the rich and famous, so I at least met one of those criteria. She spent two hours asking me detailed questions about what I was looking for and making suggestions. I hadn't even thought about more than half the things she asked me. Who knew buying a multi-million-pound residence could be so complicated? Tiffany was easy to talk to and very friendly, which I imagine was necessary for her job. I estimated she was in her early to mid-thirties, and she had long, straight, auburn hair and a cracking figure covered by designer clothes. She either had a wealthy husband or earned a lot from her commissions. If it was the latter, at least she must be good. She had a wedding ring on, so I didn't even contemplate making a move on her.

After grilling me, Tiffany promised to make a shortlist of places we could visit over the coming weeks. The following week flew by before Tiffany contacted me again. She sent me an email containing properties she wanted to visit with me, initially in the surrounding area where I lived. Picking me up the following day, we visited each house, but none had the 'wow' factor I was after. Tiffany and I got along well, and I was confident in her ability to find me a new house eventually.

Over the next few months, we frequently visited properties, moving further and further away, which soon required overnight hotel stays. While I wouldn't class us as friends, we certainly got along very well, often chatting over dinner in the evenings after a day checking prospective properties. We also learned much more about each other because we spent so much time together. Tiffany had recently celebrated her fifteenth wedding anniversary with her husband, Hugh. From how she talked about him, they were still in as much love as they were on their wedding day. Hugh was a successful barrister working in London and had been involved in several high-profile cases.              

I shared as much as I could about my life. I obviously didn't mention Serapha or the wishes I'd been granted. Still, I indicated I'd used the opportunity when I'd been sacked to try my hand at the stock market, which had been a great success, plus my 'surprise' win on the EuroMillions. Depending on the hotel, after we'd eaten, we occasionally danced together if they had a band or musicians playing. Tiffany was an excellent ballroom dancer and taught me a great deal. I never tried anything sexual with her because she was married, and she never indicated any interest in me. It was a professional, if friendly, relationship.

That all seemed to change one Friday, around three months into our search. When she picked me up to drive to the area she had planned that weekend, I couldn't help but notice her change in dress. Usually, she was dressed very smartly, with her skirts always below the knee, and I'd never seen a hint of cleavage. This time, her skirt was mid-thigh, showing off some nice-looking legs. Her silk blouse was tight, with a dangerously low neckline, and her lacy bra frequently made an appearance. We toured two properties before arriving at our fancy hotel for the weekend. As we'd been looking around the houses, Tiffany would lean over more often than usual, giving me glimpses down her blouse. I was very confused as to her sudden change of demeanour and uncertain if I was imagining her coming on to me.

Over dinner that night, she would play with her hair, giving me the eye and all the classic come-on hints I'd read that women used. To make matters worse, she was no longer wearing a bra, her nipples were distractingly poking through her thin blouse, and the creamy mounds of her breasts threatened to make an appearance with every move she made. This naturally had an effect on me, and for most of the meal, I sported an engorged cock, although thankfully, not quite a full-blown erection. I kept trying to tell myself I was misreading her actions and that her change in dress was just her being more comfortable around me. Maybe this is how she usually dressed? It came to a head when she asked me to dance. The hotel had a string quartet playing, and as Tiffany and I danced, she clung to me tighter than before. We danced until around eleven in the evening, when we would typically call it a night. As we exited the lift, Tiffany walked with her arm around me, pulling me tight to her. When we arrived at her door, and I said goodnight, she looked devastated and burst into tears. As she rushed into her room, crying, I followed her, not knowing what was happening.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I've made a fool of myself!"

"I don't understand," I replied. "What's going on? Has something happened between you and Hugh?"

"No"

"Look," I said. "I'm a bloke. We're crap at understanding women, and I'm no exception."

"I was trying to seduce you," Tiffany said. "But you aren't interested, and I feel embarrassed and pathetic."

"Okay," I said with a sigh. "I thought you were. I just can't understand why."

"I told Hugh you wouldn't be interested," Tiffany said, to my surprise.

"Hugh knows you were going to seduce me?" I replied. "Now I am really confused. Is this a test?"

"We are trying for a baby," Tiffany said after a moment. "We've just had our fourth and last round of IVR, and it failed again." She continued, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We are desperate for children. Hugh has a very low sperm count, and that, coupled with my low fertility, is why we haven't been able to conceive. He suggested that if I slept with you, it might work. You look vaguely similar. You could easily pass for a cousin of his, and from reading between the lines when you told me about your European holiday, virile too. When I told Hugh about your trip, that convinced him we should try something different. Hugh would put his name on the birth certificate, and we wouldn't want anything from you."

"And what about you?" I asked. "Is that what YOU want?"

"What difference does it make?" she replied with a snivel.

"I've never said I wasn't interested," I responded. "Believe me, the only reason I resisted your excellent seduction attempts is because I know you are in love with your husband, and I wouldn't take advantage of another man's wife. My best friend did that to me, and it hurts."

"You'd do this for us?" Tiffany said with hope.

"Believe me," I replied. "It would be my pleasure; you are a beautiful woman. Um, not that I don't trust you, but..." I continued, trying to think of a way to ask an awkward question.

"You want Hugh to let you know he approves?" she asked.

"Well, yes. I know that might not be easy for him."

"It's funny," she giggled. "I told him you were probably too much of a gentleman to sleep with another man's wife, but he didn't believe me! I'll text him, one minute."

She quickly sent off a message, and Hugh replied almost immediately.

"So, how do we do this?" Tiffany asked nervously, now that it was out in the open.

"I know it won't be my child," I said. "At least officially. But I'd want any potential child to be conceived out of an act of love, not just a sex act, if that's alright with you?"

"Agreed, I think I'm more likely to conceive that way too."

I held out a hand, and Tiffany stood and took it. Gently, I put my arms around her and kissed her. As we kissed, my fingers ran along her back, down to her buttocks and up again. I caressed her back for a few minutes before slowly undoing her blouse. Slipping it over her shoulders and onto the floor. Her wonderful breasts were now, finally, fully revealed, and they were as enticing as they'd appeared.

"Mmmm," I murmured in appreciation. "You've been teasing me all day with these beauties."

I kissed her breasts and suckled her nipples, before moving down and removing her skirt and panties. Tiffany then lay on the bed, expectant. When I started to go down on her, she lifted my head.

"You don't need to do that. Just make love to me."

"I've found that it's easier and less painful if the woman is really wet," I told her.

"I've already told you I'm a sure thing!" she giggled. "You don't need to try and impress me!"

I ignored her and used my tongue and fingers to arouse her, not stopping until she climaxed. Stepping back, I removed my shirt and chinos before lowering my boxers. As my erection slapped against my stomach after being freed from the constraints of my underwear, Tiffany's eyes grew large in shock.

Her unbelieving eyes continued to stare in disbelief as my nine inch cock approached and then entered her pussy. Not until I had entered her completely did she look at my eyes again. This time, instead of disbelief, there was lust. We made love gently. I wanted her to become accustomed to my length and girth as I intended to make love numerous times overnight, concluding the more times we did it, the more likely she was to become pregnant. I timed my climax to match her second, and as I released my sperm, I thought 'fertile' thoughts. One of my wishes had included that I could control when I was fertile so as not to have unwanted little Mikes littering the country, but I hadn't specified how I was going to do that.

Tiffany's face and chest were covered in a sheen of sweat, but she looked very happy.

"Will we be able to do that a few times tonight?" she asked hopefully.

"From experience, I'd estimate at least six more times if you want?" I replied with a grin.

Tiffany laughed and slapped my shoulder before pausing when she realised I was serious. Ultimately, we made love another ten times, a new record for me. It helped that I didn't prolong each time we made love. Usually, I held off my orgasm until the woman had climaxed several times. Her pussy was tight and she was an excellent lover, with a cracking body. Although a side benefit, as Tiffany wasn't making love with me for pleasure but for the end goal of getting pregnant, it was one I took seriously. We tried many different positions: missionary, cow-girl, reverse cow-girl, doggy, spoons and some I didn't know the names of, but were fun. Tiffany tried to keep her legs closed between love-making, to keep as much of my baby-making juice inside her as possible.

We re-arranged our first appointment for later that day and slept until mid-morning. When we woke, Tiffany could hardly walk, but she didn't complain, knowing that any discomfort she felt would be more than worth the possibility of having a child at last. We showered together, and I washed her thoroughly. Rubbing soap over her delightful curves made me erect again, and to Tiffany's shock, surprise and delight, I took her doggie style as we showered.

We had breakfast and checked out of the hotel to continue our search for a new home for me. I hadn't thought I would be so fussy, but most houses we viewed had something unique that I liked, but the overall package didn't work.

"Okay," Tiffany said as we discounted yet another property. "This last viewing is different. You'll need to use some imagination, so bear with me and don't discount it as soon as we arrive."

Intrigued, we drove to a site overlooking an estuary. The 'house' was more of a collection of ramshackle buildings, most of which were falling down.

"Um?" I queried, not believing she would bring me to such a dump.

"Just look at the location, not the buildings," Tiffany grinned. "My thoughts were you could knock all these down and build anew. Look at the grounds and views, then imagine the perfect house in the middle! Planning permission has already been granted to knock these down and build a large house. The jetty needs to be repaired. Then you could moor a yacht if you desired. I know an excellent architect as well. In fact, they suggested this location to me."

We walked around, and Tiffany was right. The views were spectacular, and the grounds were extensive. I hadn't sailed before, but I liked the idea. If the architect could incorporate all the parts of the properties I liked into some semblance of a plan, it might be the perfect solution. I wasn't in a rush and could rent nearby to oversee the build.

"I like it!" I finally said. "If the architect can draw up my perfect home, then I think this is the place!"

"I'll contact them immediately and arrange for us to meet," Tiffany said with glee before giving me a hug.

Tiffany stepped away to phone them while I wandered around and took photos to remind me of the views.

"It's all arranged with the architect," she said. "Monday at 2 in our offices if that's convenient?"

"Yep, fine by me! The sooner, the better!" I replied.

We returned home, pleased our weekend had been successful. Me that I'd hopefully found a new place to live and Tiffany in the hope she might be pregnant. The following day, I made list after list of the things I wanted to incorporate into my new house. Crossing things off as I remembered another property that had done things better. When I looked at the thoughts I'd put on paper the following day, it looked like a confusing mess. Well, with any luck, the architect would be able to make something out of it and come up with a plan.

I arrived before my afternoon appointment and had to wait for Tiffany. When she arrived, she greeted me warmly. I'd been concerned about how she would act after our trist, but thankfully, it was as if nothing had happened between us. Tiffany had some good and bad news for me. The good news was that I could purchase the property for well below the asking price as the seller was after a quick sale, and with the market currently depressed, there hadn't been anyone else interested. The bad news was that the architect had been delayed due to a train strike and now couldn't make the meeting. To make up for this, they were willing to come to my home later in the week to meet with me. While not ideal, there wasn't much I could do about it. The strike's impact was all over the news, and many people were affected. I chatted with Tiffany over coffee, and things between us were exactly the same as before, which relieved me. I didn't know if we would keep in touch in the future, but if she did bear my child, then some sort of contact would be nice. She explained that her relationship with Hugh was still strong. It had been a concern of hers that even though he had suggested our liaison, he might feel differently after it had actually happened, but that hadn't been the case.

When I returned home, my week carried on as usual: I went to the gym, studied the stock market, read, went for walks in the countryside, and chatted up pretty girls, although unfortunately, none successfully.

On Friday, mid-morning, I received an unexpected package from a courier. Opening it, I found some plans for a new home produced by the architect. I started to study them and saw that the architect's name was Ms Sarah Farr. For some reason, I'd assumed the architect would be a man. I scolded myself for not considering that they could be a woman. A note was attached explaining she had sent the plans ahead of our meeting later that day so I could examine them and have any questions ready when she arrived. I assumed we would be discussing what I wanted, and was surprised she had already drawn up plans before meeting me.

Making a mug of coffee, I sat on the sofa to examine the plans. They were highly detailed, and the more I studied them, the more shocked I was. I picked up my crib sheet with what I thought I wanted. Scrolling down my list, I saw that everything had somehow been included or bettered. I realised I had been studying the plans intently for nearly two hours, and my coffee was now cold, so I went into the kitchen to make another mug.

On my way back to the lounge, the doorbell rang, so I diverted in that direction, picturing the proposed new house in the landscape setting. I opened the door, and the world stopped dead.

Standing at my door was Aphrodite.

My next recollection is her lips moving. Her head then tilted to the side, and she grinned at me before her lips moved again.

"Hello?" I finally heard her say. "Are you okay?"

Not only was she the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but her voice was like an angel's as well.

"Mike?" she continued.

"Er, come in!" I finally managed to say. "Oh!" I said, looking down and noticing I'd dropped my mug of coffee on the floor. "I'd better clean that up."

Sarah followed me in, and I showed her to the lounge before going back to clean up the mess I'd made.

"I'm sorry about that earlier," I said when I returned to the lounge. "It was a bit of a shock to see you there. I saw you a few times on holiday earlier in the year but never to talk to."

"Yes, I remember seeing you, too," Sarah replied. "So, what do you think of my plans?"

"Astonishing!" I replied with excitement. "It's as if you could read my mind. I had made a list, and everything and more is included!"

Over the next hour, we discussed the plans in detail, right down to how I might want the interior to look. When my tummy started rumbling, I realised we had talked through lunch, and it was now mid-afternoon.

"Do you want to go somewhere for lunch?" I asked.

"I'd love to!" Sarah replied.

I knew a gourmet pub a few miles from home, so we drove there and found a table. Over lunch, our conversation turned to more general things, and before I knew it, we'd spent two hours on our meal. When we returned home, I was making coffee, when Sarah entered the kitchen.

"What do you think of my name then?" she asked.

"Parden?" I said, not understanding her.

"My name."

"Sarah?" I said. "It's a nice name, why?"

"My whole name."

"Sarah Farr?" I replied, still confused.

Sarah smiled as she watched me. Now, I was really confused. Sarah Farr. What was unique about her name? I didn't know of any famous Sarah Farrs. Did I? Sarah Farr. Sarah Farr.

Suddenly, it came to me, and I looked at her in shock.

"Serapha?" I asked.

"I wonder if it is snowing in Marrakech?" she said, her grin widening as she nodded.

"What? How?" I asked. "I thought I'd lost you and you'd returned to your vessel, especially when it disappeared, too! Are you human now? Did it work? Please say it worked!"

"It worked!" Sarah or Serapha replied. "Just not how I expected it to." She approached me, and we hugged.

"Tell me all about it!" I asked.

"Well, once the wish manifested, I woke up naked in the countryside with amnesia. Luckily, no one was around, and I managed to steal some clothes. I found myself in Turkey, near where my village must have been, when I was turned into a Djinn. I sought help in the village, and after the police were called, I spent the next month trying to 'remember' who I was, or rather, who I now was. I hadn't been attacked, so the police weren't that interested, but a kind family in the village cared for me. When I remembered my new name and that I was a British citizen, I made my way to the British Embassy. After they'd checked who I was, or rather the new identity I'd created, they provided me with a temporary passport."

Taking a breath, Sarah continued.

"It took a few weeks to get the temporary paperwork and make my way back to England and my new home. Gradually, more and more of the new life I'd created came back to me. I'd decided to be an architect but was freelance, so I had no office to attend. Then I started remembering bits about you. What you'd wished for, how you'd given me your last two wishes. The more I thought about you, the stronger the connection became until I could know approximately where you were and what you were feeling and thinking about. By this time, you'd just set off on your holiday around Europe, so I decided to follow you."

"When you say you can sense what I am feeling and thinking about," I asked nervously. "What do you mean?"

Serapha smiled knowingly at me and then winked.

"I think you know! Let's just say the closer I am to you, the stronger the feeling. When I arrived at the spa in Bavaria, you were having a wonderful time with three local girls and in the Pyrenees you had a similarly enjoyable time! Don't worry. I'm not the jealous type! We are both going to live a very long time. If I'm correct in that you are attracted to me, I won't expect you to remain faithful for hundreds of years."

"Hundreds!" I asked in shock. "Faithful? You mean you want a relationship with me?"

"Yes," Serapha replied. "If you do, too?"

"More than anything!" I replied, bringing her into my arms to kiss her. "I've missed you and our chats since you disappeared."

"So have I," she said, kissing me. "I chose this body as I thought it best resembled the perfect woman's body to you. You are the perfect specimen of a male I can think of, so it only seemed fair!"

We talked for hours, catching up on what had happened since we'd left. Serapha had followed me around Europe, letting me see her occasionally without being able to speak to her. When I'd started looking for a new property, she had influenced Tiffany on where to look, eventually getting us to see the land I wanted to buy.

"Somehow, I still have some powers," Serapha said. "Not much, but I can influence some people slightly. I knew Tiffany and her husband had been unsuccessfully trying for a child, so I planted the seed about Tiffany using you as a surrogate father. She doesn't know yet, but she is with child."

"You're happy I father another woman's child?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes," she said. "I decided it wasn't sensible for me to bring up a child, so I'm infertile. It wasn't an easy decision and it's one I hope you understand. I couldn't see any way we could bring up our own children and watch them grow older when we didn't appear to. When they were forty, and we still looked to be in our twenties, it would be impossible, let alone when our grandchildren grew up. There are lots of couples who can't have children who want to. I can influence some couples every now and then, and you can help them if you wish. We won't be able to have direct contact with the children, but we can watch from afar."

"What did you mean about me not having to be faithful?" I asked.

"I think the occasional fling for you will keep things fresh, right?" Serapha said. "My only condition is you tell me and let me join you sometimes. For starters, let's return to that spa in Bavaria and visit Yazmin and her mum in the future."

"So where do we go from here?" I asked.

"Well, for starters, I think you take me on some dates and woo me!" Serapha giggled.

I immediately booked a restaurant for the following night, and over the next few weeks, we went on dates four or five times a week. During this time, the purchase of the land was approved, and planning approvals were sought from the local council. The plot of land was large, and Serapha convinced me to build ten houses bordering the village that we would rent out to local young people. She also suggested we would need to move house every twenty or thirty years; otherwise, people would question why we never aged, which seemed a sensible suggestion.

The first time we made love, Serapha was nervous, as was I. She might be over two thousand six hundred years old, but she was still a virgin. We'd returned from a night dancing at a nearby club, and Serapha looked stunning, as always. She took my hand, led me to my bedroom, then turned and slipped her dress over her shoulders. I gasped as I saw her naked for the first time. Her deep green eyes sparked as she saw my response.

"You like?" she said huskily.

Deciding that actions speak louder than words, I took her in my arms and kissed her hungrily. Kissing down her neck to her breasts, I caressed and kissed them both in equal measure. Her breasts were a D-cup, as I'd found out when we went shopping for clothes, and her nipples were constantly hard. Aroused, they stood out like the end of my pinky finger and were very sensitive. As I suckled them, she moaned in pleasure, running her fingers over the back of my head and through my hair.

Dropping to my knees, I paused to gaze at her pussy. Serapha's hair was very fine and almost white, so what little pubic hair she had was virtually invisible, leaving nothing hidden. I lifted one of her legs over my shoulder, and Serapha held the top of my head for balance as my tongue moved in to explore her nether regions. Not only was she intelligent, witty, funny, and stunningly beautiful, but she also tasted divine, too. I could have stayed on my knees lapping at her pussy for hours, but Serapha wanted more. She wanted to be made a woman.

Pulling me up, she quickly undressed me. My cock was harder than it had ever been and possibly even longer and thicker. Once I was undressed, she urged me onto the bed and then straddled me, running her slit along my erection. The first time I entered her will be a moment that will be etched into my memory forever. We stared into each other's souls as I felt the walls of her pussy clench tightly around my erection as it slowly plunged deeper and deeper into her. When she'd taken me to the hilt, we paused, Serapha breathing heavily from the sensation. Then we started making love, our eyes never breaking contact, my hands roaming over her breasts. The look of love and devotion we both had enhanced the act, and when we climaxed together, we both briefly passed out.

When I came to, a few minutes later, my cock was still erect and inside Serapha. I held her to me, caressing her back and buttocks and whispered lovey-dovey nonsense into her ear. Looking back at her face, I saw she was also awake and smirking at my expressions of love towards her. I twitched my erection nestled inside her, and she opened her eyes wider as she felt me move. With a grin, we rolled over, and we made love in the missionary position. After we'd made love once more, Serapha stayed the night for the first time since she had been freed from her slavery as a djinn. She moved in permanently the next day, and we collected her possessions.

For the first two months, Serapha couldn't get enough sex. We made love numerous times before we went to sleep, and when we woke up, often in the shower in the morning and then at random times during the day. Sometimes, it was slow and tender; sometimes, it was hard and fast. We explored every conceivable position and location, and each and every time was magical. Gradually, we stopped spending most of our time awake having sex, but it was still frequent and fabulous when we did.

Once the local council approved the plans for our house and the other dwellings, builders moved in to demolish the existing structures and start work. Serapha showed me Tiffany's Facebook page one morning. She and Hugh had announced they were expecting a baby on it. Three months later, the posts announced they were expecting twins, a boy and a girl. I was delighted for them and proud that I would be a father.

Our new house was completed a year later, and we moved in. We had set up a series of shell companies and transferred ownership of our home and what would become a succession of rental properties to it. Having a faceless company own this and the other homes we would need to buy would make things easier in the future. Explaining why the same two people were on the deeds of a house over hundreds of years might become complicated!

We decided to move home approximately every twenty-five years, initially moving around the UK but then buying property around the globe. Occasionally, Serapha would come across a couple trying unsuccessfully to conceive, and if the circumstances were right for them, arrange a situation where the woman would ask me to father a child with her. We kept hands-off contact with my many children, occasionally stepping in with anonymous financial or other help when needed.

Occasionally, when I had a moment to myself, I would think back to that fateful day when I lost my job and then found my wife in bed with my best friend. At the time, it had seemed the worst day of my life, but it turned out to have been the start of a change in fortune better than any human could possibly have had.

I hope you enjoyed this fourth and possibly last chapter. I might return to it at a later date for other adventures Mike and Serapha could have, but I have other stories I want to explore first.

Please vote and comment so I know what you think of this story, and perhaps try my other series. Your feedback really does help inspire me to keep writing.