When the Cats Away

Author's Note: Another thought that popped into my head. Probably not original. I hope you enjoy. Looking forward to your comments.

All characters involved with any sexual activity are 18 or older. All of my works on this site are copywritten by CurrentParameter and may only be used or reused with permission.

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Paul Cooper was looking forward to the week away. His fiancée's company had a yearly work retreat, and as they were now engaged, he was allowed to attend for the first time.

The retreat was in the mountains, not too far from their town. Although they were there with her work, he was looking forward to enjoying a week away from home with her.

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Paul met his fiancée, Fiona Turner, in high school. It was an odd pairing. She was the granddaughter of the owner of the largest employer in the town, the Turner Lumbermill. Whereas his father was a general labourer at the mill. Usually, the owner's family didn't mix with the "lower classes", but Paul was not only on the football team but was also a straight A student.

Partway through their senior year, they made the heartbreaking decision to break up. Fiona was accepted into one of the Ivy League schools on the East Coast. Her family could well afford to send her there. On the other hand, Paul was going for accounting at a nearby college. A third-tier school, but all that he could afford. They knew the distance was going to be too tough.

In college, at a frosh event, Paul met Gloria, a photography student. Paul thought she was cute, although some of his friends said she was a little mousy.

They were part of a group that enjoyed the outdoors. In their spare time, they would go for hikes. As Gloria was studying photography, her camera was always there. It was on one of these hikes, towards the end of their first year, that Gloria dropped a piece of her camera equipment. Paul went to pick it up for her, but they reached for it at the same time, and their hands touched as she picked it up. Paul didn't have any romantic feelings towards Gloria, but when he glanced in her eyes, he knew there was a connection. He knew he needed to spend more time with her.

Things started with them studying together. Then, Paul got up the nerve and asked her out. She quickly smiled and said yes. When asked, as a joke, she told people that she said to Paul, "It took you long enough."

They started to date. They kissed after that first date and made love for the first time to celebrate them both finishing that year's finals.

With two friends, they found jobs and moved into a four-bedroom house together for the summer. Gloria only used her room for study. They spent their nights in Paul's room as he had a double bed.

They continued their hikes. When Paul managed to scrounge some money together, he bought a used pair of binoculars so he could see what she was looking at through her camera lens. Later, he got the money together for a used camera and, later, a telephoto lens.

By their junior year, he wasn't just taking pictures as an excuse to be with Gloria but started to enjoy it as a hobby in itself.

Sadly, as they approached graduation, Gloria had been offered an opportunity to travel under a photography contract with a professor who was taking a sabbatical and wanted to take her star student to some opportunities that would allow her to get experience that would normally take years to achieve.

Paul knew that this was an opportunity that Gloria couldn't pass up. After a lot of tears and arguments, they agreed that it was best for them to break up so that Gloria could take this opportunity of a lifetime. If things went well for her, there was no way of knowing when she would be back.

They had one last celebration after finals, and then she was off. Again, Paul had to say goodbye to a girlfriend because she had an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

After graduation, Paul was able to get a job in the accounting department back in town at the lumber mill. It was mostly just pushing papers around, but he was grateful to get some work close to his family. His brother, George, was several years older and had been working at the mill right after high school graduation. Their father was a shift lead by that time.

Paul moved into a spare bedroom at his brother's house. George, by that time, was married to his high school sweetheart, Tina, and they had two children. Tina was a stay-at-home mom, that is, until the kids were old enough to start school. Paul staying with them helped all of them. It was cheap rent for Paul, and for George and Tina, the money helped them with their mortgage payments and provided free babysitting.

Paul settled into his new life. He didn't date much. The selection was sort of thin in town. He had joined a hiking group and, due to the cheap rent, had started to upgrade his camera kit. He was proud of the latest addition, an 800mm lens that got him some great shots of any wildlife they encountered.

A few years later, the town was all excited as a new employer was coming to town. The owner of Caldwell Marketing, Mason Caldwell, had had enough of big city living, so he wanted to move the creative side of his business to a small town in the mountains. He said that getting the team away from the big city would help with their creative juices. Others thought he just wanted a big house and no commute. They had enough of a reputation in the marketing world that people came to him.

Their town was ideal. Because of the lumber mill, there were good roads in and out of the town. The lumber mill was a large employer, so their town had a small hospital and many of the other amenities that made their town ideal for what Mason was looking for. It took a few years for Mason to build his new home, or mansion, as some locals referred to it. An old brick warehouse was converted into an office space. "It had the right character for a Marketing firm.", Mason said.

When he brought the company to town, he also brought Fiona, Paul's ex-girlfriend from high school. She was an account manager for the firm.

One night, Paul was having a few drinks with some co-workers at one of the new restaurants in town when Fiona and some of her friends from work walked in.

Paul was surprised when he saw her. He didn't know that she had moved back to town. They waved at each other from across the room, but the place was crowded and the group he was with was leaving, so they didn't have a chance to talk.

That didn't matter. A few weeks later, Fiona appeared when his hiking group got together. A couple that Paul and Fiona went to high school with were a part of the hiking group, and Fiona tagged along with them.

Paul was actually not happy with her presence there. Paul had been getting close to one of the other members of the group, and didn't need Fiona's appearance to interrupt his attempts to make further progress in that potential relationship.

She, of course, did. Fiona ensured that she was always close to Paul, and the couple had to tell everyone about how Fiona and Paul were the "power" couple in high school. Paul had to inwardly sigh as the day went on, and any progress that he thought he had made slowly dissolved away with the other woman as Fiona inserted herself more and more into Paul and his interactions with the other hikers. She also took an interest in his photography, wanting to see what he was taking pictures of.

Although they had broken up eight years earlier, Paul did notice that Fiona was as beautiful as ever.

After the hike, the couple asked Paul and Fiona if they wanted to go to dinner. Paul knew he was being set up, but also knew that he was going to have to have a conversation with Fiona now that she was back. Having the couple there meant that he wasn't going to be alone with her. He knew that people changed in college. They were no longer the high school kids. They had both matured and were different people now. What he didn't expect was that the new Fiona was even more interesting to him than the Fiona he had dated in high school, and his attraction to her was still there.

After that dinner, as they walked out to their cars, Paul stopped Fiona and let the other couple, who drove her, walk ahead.

He said, "Fiona, I didn't know what to expect. We are different people than we were in high school. I don't know about you, but I like this new Fiona. Would you like to go out to dinner sometime?"

Fiona smiled and gave him a hug. She said, "I was hoping you would ask. To tell you the truth, my family has been keeping an eye on you since you started work at the mill, and they like what they see. They weren't just watching you as someone for me, but as someone who might have a future at the mill. But, once they knew that I was coming back, they thought I should look you up." She then paused. She said, "I like what I see. This 'Paul 2.0'. I would love to go out for dinner with you."

The dinner started dating. On occasion, Paul had the feeling that Fiona was with him because he was a safe choice that her parents liked. However, time made those thoughts go away. Then, after two years, he decided to pop the question.

Fiona only went irregularly on his hiking weekends. She really wasn't the outdoors type. That was fine with Paul. The hiking group understood him. They knew when he wanted to be left alone to get that shot. When Fiona came, she wanted to be a couple, and Paul couldn't get the time he needed to observe and take pictures.

However, he did, on occasion, convince Fiona to go hiking with the group. On this occasion, they were all in on it. When they got to the top of this one ridge, with an amazing view of the mountains, a few got their camera phones out as he got on one knee and asked her to marry her. She screamed yes, jumped into his arms, and bounced from foot to foot as he put the ring on her finger.

Her family was all excited. Her grandfather took him aside and told him that he saw him going places at the lumber mill.

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That was six months ago. Paul moved into Fiona's apartment two months ago. He left most of his stuff at his brother's, though. They were still in the planning stages of their wedding, and planned to buy a place, so he and his brother agreed that it didn't make much sense to move everything into Fiona's, which didn't have much space, and then move it again into their eventual house.

As it was a work retreat, running Monday to Friday, the schedule was that while the employees worked during the day, the spouses would relax at the mountain resort in the morning and then go out for an activity in the afternoon. These activities included tours to local attractions, trips to learn crafts, or, in today's case, a hiking trip through the scenic mountains.

Fiona laughed as Paul packed his camera bag. She said, "You never go on these hikes light, do you?"

Paul responded, "You never know what you might come across. He pointed to his 800mm lens. I might see a mountain lion on another ridge. This will allow me to get a good shot."

She came up and hugged him and said, "Well, have fun today. We have a brainstorming session all day on a few new accounts. See you tonight."

Fiona then left.

Seeing that his bag was packed, Paul headed to the pool where the other spouses had gathered to relax. They were heading out on the hike after lunch.

As they got a short distance from the resort, after the first climb on the trail, Paul noticed a break in the trees. He was looking down at the entire resort. On the left side was the conference center. He got out the 800mm lens and spotted through one of the windows, Fiona sitting, watching a presentation. He took a few quick snaps. The company booked the entire resort, even though they only used the rooms on the mountainside. Mason didn't want his retreat to be ruined by someone outside the company. Paul laughed when he heard that.

The center and right side of the resort were the rooms. Between him and the resort was the pool and recreation area. He took a few more pictures, noting the room he and Fiona stayed in. He had left a towel on a chair on the balcony to make it easier to spot. He could see Mason's room. Fiona had gone on about the Presidential Suite he was staying in. It was on a floor of its own on the top floor of the resort.

The hike went really well. The pace was slow for Paul and a couple of people he knew who were in his hiking group, but he understood that the hike had to factor in that not everyone was used to this type of activity. After two hours, they stopped at a ridge. The resort had staff bring water and snacks for the hikers to enjoy as they took in the view. After half an hour, they started the journey back.

Unfortunately, one of the husbands, a large guy, at least six feet six inches, tripped, fell, and hurt his ankle. One of the guides who knew first aid thought it was sprained.

There was no cell signal in the area, so they couldn't call for help.

The guide said that they would just need to take turns helping the guy walk down. Paul suggested that he and his two friends go ahead. As they were used to hiking, they could get down in less than an hour and call for help.

The guide looked at the other staff with a nervous look and suggested that they stay together.

Paul and his friends couldn't understand it. After a quick discussion, they decided that they would just head down as they had discussed. The guide yelled after them, but they continued on. After 45 minutes, they came to that spot in the trees from where Paul had earlier taken pictures of the resort. As they passed it, Paul spotted something and came to a halt. His friends asked if he was OK.

He needed an excuse, so he said, "I think I have a cramp in my leg. You go ahead."

Once they left, Paul took out his camera and attached the 800mm lens. He aimed it at Mason's Presidential Suite. What he saw shook him to his core.

He saw a naked Fiona walking over to a naked Mason, giving him a kiss. Then get on her knees and start to give him a blow job.

Paul almost dropped the camera trying to digest what he just saw. Then the tears started to come down his cheek. He then got angry. He then quickly put his camera in his bag and resumed going down the trail.

There was pandemonium in the lobby as the staff dealt with his friends as they explained the situation up the mountain. They didn't notice it, but Paul noticed that as the spouses came down to see what was going on, they came down in pairs. In a couple of situations, since there were more women on the staff, a guy was with two of the women.

Paul understood what this was all about.

Finally, Fiona arrived with Mason in tow.

Fiona looked all rumpled as if she had just gotten dressed. Worried, she asked, "What happened? Why are you back early?"

Paul decided not to play his cards out publicly until he had some kind of plan. He needed to see what pictures he actually took. He explained about the sprained ankle. The staff had already sent a rescue team up to help.

Paul told Fiona, "If you don't mind, I'm going back to the room."

A few minutes after he got there, Fiona joined him. She looked like she had a moment to fix her hair and clothes before she came to the room.

She asked if he was OK.

Paul replied, "I think I got a leg cramp on the way down. I think I need a shower to help loosen it up."

The shower was an excuse to be alone, so he could think.

Fiona asked, "Do you want me to massage it?"

Paul replied, "No, just let me get into the shower. Why don't you check to see if there is anything you can do to help downstairs? Maybe Mason is organizing something."

Fiona looked at him strangely. Paul had never turned down a massage before.

Paul just said, "Go. I'll be fine. I'm more worried about the guy who got hurt."

She looked at him for a few more seconds. Paul made a motion with his hands to shoo her away and said, "Go. I'll be OK."

He sighed with relief once she left and the door closed. He grabbed his camera to review the photos that he had taken. He loved these digital cameras. He would have waited for the film to develop in his original camera.

He pulled up the photos and said, "Fuck." He flipped forward and backward through the pictures he had taken.

He realized what he had done. He was so shocked by what he saw on the balcony that he didn't take a single picture. He thought, "What am I going to do now?"

Out loud, he said, "I'm definitely done with her. Even without the photos." He really needed that shower now to think.

He got in the shower. He broke down again as the water hit him. He then thought, "What a sucker I am. She has been fucking him from the start."

Paul then took a breath and started to go over the reality of his situation.

First, from a financial standpoint, they are still 100% separate. Paul was giving her money to cover his half of the rent. In addition, he had been saving to buy a place, so he had at least six months' cash on hand.

Second, they were planning the wedding but hadn't booked anything, so there were no financial penalties.

Third, not all of Paul's stuff was in her apartment. With a few boxes and suitcases and about an hour or so, he could be packed up and out of there. Everything else is with his brother.

Then Paul took a deep breath, "My family works for her parents and grandfather. Fuck. How am I going to do this without impacting them?"

He sat under the hot water, trying to figure it out. He just came up with a plan when there was a knock on the bathroom door. Fiona asked, "Honey, are you OK?"

He thought, "Fuck, I must have been in here longer than I thought." He said, "Sorry, still been trying to work out the cramp in my leg. I'll be out in a minute."

He turned off the water and, so he wouldn't look too suspicious, unlocked the bathroom door and opened it. He never locked the bathroom door at the apartment but had on this occasion. Fiona walked in as he dried.

She said, "They got him down and they are taking him to the hospital to get checked out."

Paul, wanting to make it look like he still had a leg cramp, balanced his weight on just one leg as he dried. He said, "That's good."

She looked at him with concern. She asked, "Are you going to be able to make it to dinner?"

He faked a smile. He said, "I should be, but I probably won't be able to make it down for drinks before dinner. Why don't you get ready and go, and I'll join you for dinner. I just want to lie down for a bit."

She bit her lip, looking at him. She eventually said, "OK, but if I don't see you a few minutes before we are supposed to sit, I'll come up and check on you."

Paul hobbled over to the bed and finished drying himself off. He got on a pair of underwear and a t-shirt and lay down. He put a pillow under his "sore" leg.

Fiona sat on the bed and asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to massage it?"

Paul smiled at her and replied, "I tried in the shower. It didn't work. Just give it some time."

She said, "OK." She then rushed to get ready.

He watched her as she put on a cocktail dress that he always liked. He tried not to look sad as he watched her dress. Thinking of what he had lost.

Once she had dressed, she gave him a kiss and headed down to the bar.

Once Paul heard the bell from the elevator, he hopped out of bed and got dressed. He grabbed all of his stuff and shoved it into one of their suitcases.

He left a note. "I saw you and Mason in his room. I know what you have been doing. I don't want to cause trouble. I have left, call me." He thought, "She doesn't know I don't have pictures. Maybe I can leverage that."

He then grabbed his bag and headed to the nearest staircase. He remembered that the bar and restaurant were on the mountainside of the resort, whereas the parking lot was on the other side. The staircase let him out into the parking lot. He thought to himself, "Thank goodness we drove my car."

He threw his bags in the trunk and headed out.

About twenty minutes later, his phone rang. He decided that he didn't need to be driving for this call, so he pulled over.

He answered. He could hear Fiona crying. She said, "Paul, I'm so sorry. Can't we talk about this?"

Paul wanted to yell and scream at her and call her all kinds of names, but he had to think of his family. Particularly his father, who was five years from retiring.

Paul took a deep breath. He said, "On the way back, I saw you on Mason's balcony giving him a blow job through my camera telephoto lens. I don't think there is anything to talk about. I guess we weren't supposed to return early. I guess the staff knows what you are all up to? They tried to stop us from heading down." He didn't say he didn't have pictures, but left it to her imagination that if he saw her through his camera, he must have pictures.

Fiona kept crying. She finally got out. "Yes. The staff is sworn to secrecy. He has been doing this for years." She paused. It sounded like she was hyperventilating. She then said, "I swear this was going to be the last time."

Paul knew not to believe that verbal shit. He calmly replied, "But we are engaged to be married. That means we should have been exclusive. I'm sorry, but I'd be wondering the rest of my life if you were off fucking someone whenever we weren't in the same room."

Fiona was still crying, but seemed to calm down. She said, "OK, I get it. I fucked everything up. But what should I tell people?"

This is what Paul had come up with. He said, "I don't want this impacting my family. OK? I also think you don't want your family to know what happened. Right?"

That seemed to sober Fiona up. She stopped crying. She remembered her uncle being in a cheating scandal and how that went down at the mill.

She said, "Right. No one can know."

Paul told her, "I think we should just tell people that although it appeared that things were good, after I moved in, some problems arose. We thought that maybe the week at the resort could solve it, but it couldn't."

Fiona said, "OK. I get it. I'm really sorry I screwed things up, but I don't want anyone to know either."

Paul took a deep breath. He said, "OK, I'm heading to your apartment. I am going to grab my stuff, and then I am leaving town. I'm going to call my boss and let him know that I am quitting. He remembers what happened with your uncle. I'm sure he will be glad that I am leaving. I'm also telling my family what I told you. That we couldn't work things out after I moved it. OK?"

Fiona's uncle had been married to a woman in the purchasing department. He cheated on her, but of course, he is family. His soon-to-be ex-wife tried to stay working for the mill, but things got so ugly that everyone in the department was put in the untenable position of trying to defend her from the cheater while trying to be loyal to the family. It almost tore the department apart. Eventually, the family paid her to quit and paid for her moving expenses to leave town in order to get peace in the company.

There was a deep breath on the other end of the line. He could hear her starting to cry again. She finally said, "OK. I'm so sorry, I love you."

Paul sighed. He said, "But, unfortunately, not enough." He then hung up.

Fiona called again a minute later, but he didn't answer. He sat in his car for a few more minutes, trying to get control of his emotions again.

Once his phone quieted down and he calmed down, he called his boss at his house. He explained that he and Fiona were breaking up and that he was quitting. His boss actually thanked him, as, although this was a simple breakup, he knew how ugly the family could make it for him and his department if Paul stayed. He did say that Paul could use him as a work reference wherever he landed.

His last call was to his parents. He knew that they would be heartbroken as they loved Fiona.

He wasn't sure that they believed him that he and Fiona were having problems once they moved in together, but they understood why he had quit and was leaving town. They knew that jobs that he would be interested in were scarce in town and that he would need to look somewhere else. His brother was at his parents' for dinner. They had a chat.

His brother told him how sorry he was, but his stuff could stay at their place until he was settled in. Paul knew his brother and could tell that his brother didn't believe the story, but knew Paul enough not to press.

Paul then headed to the apartment in silence. He stopped for something quick to eat before arriving at the apartment.

Once he got there, he packed everything up and loaded the car. Before he left for good, he wanted to do one last thing to show that it was over. She had framed a picture of the two of them as he proposed. He popped the picture out of the frame, wrote "GoodBye!" across the picture, ripped the picture in half, and then arranged it on the table so you could read what he wrote. He then left his apartment key on the picture and left.

Before he left town, he went to an ATM and pulled out enough cash for a hotel room. He didn't want to take a chance that someone could trace him that first night. He turned off his phone, and Paul drove late into the night. He had a general idea of where he wanted to stop.

After driving for a few hours, he was out of energy and just reached the motel he was thinking about. He woke the hotel operator and was able to pay for the room in cash. He wanted this hotel because he could get a room on the other side of the hotel from the road, so no one would casually see his car parked there.

He was emotionally drained as he fell onto the bed, and the adrenaline rush left his body. Everything that had happened rushed over him. He eventually cried himself to sleep.

The next day, he dragged himself out of bed and started the journey to his intended destination. The small city had two lumber mills. He was gambling that there were jobs there. He checked into a hotel and then got to work. He needed something to concentrate on to keep his mind off what happened the day before. He spent the afternoon working on his resume and getting it printed. That night, he started the search for a job, looking through the newspapers and any online job listings.

Paul was disappointed to find that there were very few jobs available, and almost none in his profession. His timing was bad, as a factory in the city had recently shut down.

The next day, he did the rounds, but he became aware of the theme. He couldn't fault the employers. They were giving preference to the former employees of the closed factory to support the town.

Paul decided to give the search a few more days before moving on to another town.

On the last day, he was sitting at a café, eating lunch. He had resigned himself to being out of luck and was going to have to move on when a sign caught his eye. Across the street, there was a photo studio. It had a "Photographer Wanted" poster in the window.

Paul thought, "Maybe this is a sign that I need to try something new." After all, he loved photography.

He decided that he couldn't just walk in the door. He needed something to show.

He went back to the hotel, pulled out his laptop, and started going through his photos. It took several hours, but in the end, he found twenty photos he was most proud of and was ready to apply the next day.

The next morning, he walked into the studio. A doorbell rang when he opened the door. He looked around for a few minutes as he waited. The store entrance area was very neat and tidy. He checked out a few of the sample photos on display. As he was checking the scenic background of one of the photos, a woman came out from the back.

She was a bit shorter than his five-ten height. She looked worn out and tired, which made it hard for him to get an idea of her age, but he guessed that she was several years older than his twenty-eight years.

Despite her looks, Paul was surprised by the kind voice that greeted him. She asked, "Can I help you?"

Paul stuttered a second and said, "Yes, I saw your poster in the window for the photography position. I'm interested."

Paul noticed the corners of her mouth lift with hope. She asked, "Have you ever worked as a photographer before?"

Paul conceded, "No, but I am an amateur photographer, I can show you some photos I have taken."

He noticed her shoulders fall. She told him, "I'm really looking for someone with experience, but show me what you have."

Paul opened his laptop and started to flip through his pictures. He started with some photos of scenery. He saw no reaction from her.

He then started showing pictures of birds and animals. He flipped to a picture of a woodpecker high in a tree, which got her attention. She asked, "How did you take that?"

Paul put his backpack on the counter and unpacked his 800mm lens.

She gently picked it up and examined it. She stated, "A little more than just an amateur photographer."

Paul took that as a compliment and smiled at her.

A few photos later, he got to the ones he thought she would be interested in. Some pictures he took of his brother and his family. First were some pictures he took that they used on their Christmas card that year. That photo got her attention. Then he paged through different poses of his niece and nephew. She then pushed his hands away and started to examine each one. She zoomed in. She asked a few questions about how he took each picture and his camera settings.

Paul then took the initiative and switched to the directory with all the photos he took of his brother's family that day. She flipped through the pictures and asked more questions about why he picked some and rejected others.

At the end, she sat on her stool and looked at him for a minute. She finally said, "Look, I will concede that you have potential, but I was hoping to find someone with experience.

Paul replied, "Look. I have been looking for a job in my field and so far, have struck out. I was actually planning to drive to another town to look but thought maybe this is an opportunity for change. To start fresh in not only the location but the profession."

He then added, "Right now, I have money to last for a while. How about I just help you for a few days for free? If I am in your way, tell me to go away, and I will leave and go to the next town. Worst case, it doesn't work out, but you have some help carrying around equipment for a few days."

She looked at him for a few minutes. She finally shrugged and said, "Fine. I have a shoot at a farm this afternoon. You can at least help me carry the equipment. Do you have some boots to wear? It can get pretty mucky there." She then added, "My name is Monica, by the way."

Paul introduced himself and responded that he did have boots. She told him to have lunch and be back here at one. Then he could help her carry equipment while he learned from her as she worked.

He rushed back to the hotel all excited. He changed and ate lunch at the café across the street, just to make sure he wouldn't be late.

She hadn't been kidding about the mud. Paul wasn't sure how she would have been able to lug all the equipment by herself. She was taking pictures of the celebration for the grandmother's 80th birthday.

There were all sorts of photos to be taken. They didn't just want pictures of the family taken. They also wanted exterior shots of her home, where she had been born.

Then they had pictures of her with her horse. Both standing and riding.

Paul marvelled at Monica's precision and imagination when taking pictures. He appreciated the differences in how you approached those pictures. After he asked, Monica even allowed him to take a few pictures.

After they unloaded the equipment from the van into her studio, she said, "You know, you were picking that up pretty quickly. You also really saved my back today." She then asked, "Can you be at the studio tomorrow morning? I have a family coming in for some portraits."

Paul smiled and said, "I would be happy to."

Paul could tell Monica was exhausted. She gave him a smile, and he almost floated back to the hotel. He couldn't wait for the next day.

The next morning, Paul was waiting for Monica to open the door. She smiled and said, "You're an eager beaver this morning." Paul thought she looked a little more rested today.

He smiled and said, "I was so excited that I got up early. Been enjoying my coffee across the street for the last hour. I didn't see you come in."

Monica smiled, "That's because I live in the apartment upstairs."

Paul remarked, "That's convenient."

Monica got a look on her face that for a second, she was a million miles away. She then frowned and went to the back.

Paul thought, "Fuck. Somehow, I have already put my foot in it."

His thought was interrupted by a family entering through the front door.

Monica came out of the back and asked, "Laura, you and the family ready for your pictures?"

They were a family of four. A husband and wife and their two kids, a boy and a girl. Paul thought they looked older than my brother's kids. He thought, "I have to remember to call them and let them know I am OK."

Paul assisted Monica as he could. He tried to watch what she was doing and tried not to ask too many questions. Monica kept a running commentary of what she was doing. Probably for both his and for the family's benefit to explain the what and the why for each pose.

Paul paid special attention to the equipment, as he had no experience with an indoor lighting setup as sophisticated as hers.

Partway through, she handed him the camera and instructed him on some of the poses that she wanted to see. Paul worked with the family and took the individual pictures and the pictures of the two kids together.

Once they paid the session fee, they left. Monica then reviewed the photos that they took. She complimented him on the pictures he took.

They broke for lunch. A couple was coming in for their 50th anniversary pictures, and later, a family was coming in for baby pictures.

Paul went across the street for lunch. He called his parents, who were concerned that they hadn't heard from him. He told them where he was and that he thought he might have found a job. They asked him for the details, but he said he didn't want to jinx it and would tell them when he knew for sure.

When he returned, he didn't see Monica. He went to the back and noticed that she had fallen asleep at her desk. The desk was covered in paper. He looked, and it was a mess of invoices and bills.

At that moment, he heard the bell of someone coming in the door.

Monica didn't stir. Paul went to the front and greeted the older couple that was there for their 50th anniversary pictures. Paul looked towards the back and thought to himself, "Go for it."

He said, "Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Monica is indisposed at the moment, but I am her new photographer, and I will be taking your photos today."

He started taking individual pictures of them. They chatted as he took them. He learned that they were 68 and got married at 18. They told him all about their children and grandchildren. On a break before taking the shots of them together, Mr. Jones pulled out a weathered wedding picture that he said he always carried in his wallet.

Paul took a good look at it and said, "Can you give me a minute? I have an idea. Can I borrow this?"

Mr. Jones said, "You can as long as I get it back."

Paul then ran outside to the flower shop next door. He showed the woman behind the counter the picture. He said, "I am helping Monica next door. I have a couple getting their 50th anniversary. Do you have the flowers that she had in her bouquet? I was thinking it would be a great addition to the photos."

The woman grabbed a magnifying glass and took a look. She said, "This is really simple, probably four carnations with Baby's-breath. It shouldn't be a problem. I will bring it over. Give me a few minutes."

Nolan pulled a twenty out of his wallet and left it on the counter before running back.

He gave the picture back and told them, "Let's get started. The surprise will be here shortly."

He got them to pose and started taking pictures. Then he heard the florist walk in. She stood and watched him.

He then stopped and took a look at what she had. He said, "Perfect."

He had the Joneses stand and pose in the same positions as in the photo. He then motioned to the florist. She brought the bouquet.

Ms. Jones said, "This looks exactly like the bouquet from my wedding day."

The florist also brought a carnation for Mr. Jones's collar.

She said, "I spotted this in the photo."

Mr. and Mrs. Jones were beaming when they posed for the next series of pictures.

Paul had to adjust them a couple of times to get that exact same pose from the wedding picture.

Once they were done, they thanked him and told him how much they were looking forward to seeing the pictures. Paul told them to keep the flowers.

The florist congratulated him, "Well done. I don't think Monica could have done any better. I'm Kim, by the way."

Paul introduced himself. He said, "Monica fell asleep in the back, so I thought I would try this appointment solo."

Kim said, "Well, she has had a tough time of it this last year."

Paul was about to ask why when Monica came out of the back room, stretching.

She spied Kim and asked, "What are you doing here?" She then spotted the clock. She exclaimed, "Oh my god. The Joneses. Where are they?"

Paul started to say something, but Kim interrupted, "Paul here did a great job taking pictures of them."

Monica erupted, "What? You should have woken me."

Kim said, "I watched him take some. You have a good one here. You should see the pictures."

Monica pulled the pictures up. She flipped through them.

Paul thought, "At least no complaints so far."

Monica asked, "Did they bring the flowers?"

Kim replied, "It was Paul's idea. They had a wedding photo, and he asked me to throw together a bouquet to match the one in the picture. They were so happy."

Monica took a long look at Paul, reappraising him. She said, "Well, I can't say I would have done any better. There is a baby coming up next. Let's see how you do with her."

Kim then went over and hugged Monica. She whispered something in Monica's ear that Paul couldn't hear. Whatever it was, Monica smiled back at Kim and blushed a little.

Kim said, "I have to be getting back." She then produced the twenty and handed it back to Paul. She added, "This time the flowers are on the house."

The family with the baby came in shortly after. Monica watched as she allowed Paul to take the pictures. After she asked about some of the tricks he used to get the baby's attention. He said it was some things he did when he took pictures of his niece and nephew.

After they were done for the day, they sat down. Monica said, "This is mostly on commission work, you know, but since I have been alone, I have been turning down a lot of work. If you are still interested, you have the job."

Paul jumped from his chair and gave her a hug. He then realised what he had just done and apologized. He said, "Sorry, this has been a horrible week. This is the best thing that has happened to me in a while."

Monica smiled and said, "I'm glad. Welcome aboard." She then looked around and stared at the piles of paper on her desk. She signed, "Now, if I only had someone to take care of that mess."

Paul smiled. He said, "Guess what I did at my previous job?"

=======

Paul found a bachelor's apartment to live in and, with Monica and Kim's help, was able to find some used furniture to fill it.

He quickly settled into work. When they didn't have appointments, he spent time making sense of the mountain of paperwork that Monica hadn't dealt with, but after a few weeks. The few bills that Monica had missed were paid, and he started to chase those invoices that customers hadn't fully paid.

After a few weeks, Monica allowed Paul to look after the studio on his own. Kim let him know that those were the first days off that Monica had allowed herself in months.

Paul had to admit that Monica cleaned up very well now that she was better rested. She was quite beautiful. He learned that she was just a couple of years older than he was.

Monica hadn't opened up much to Paul until one day, four months after he started, when Paul found her crying in the back of the studio. She wouldn't say what the matter was, so Paul went to talk to Kim.

Kim told him, "I think you should go to this address tonight at six."

Paul looked at Kim with a shocked look on his face.

He showed up at the cemetery at six. Kim was there with her husband, John, and Monica was on her knees at one of the graves. There were two names on the grave.

Paul tried to quietly walk up, but Monica turned to see him. She looked up at Kim.

Kim said, "It can't hurt for him to know."

They all stepped back and allowed Monica some privacy at the grave. Eventually, she got off her knees and walked over to them. The four of them went to dinner.

Monica told Paul all about her husband, Charles. They had met in college. They were both photography students. He proposed to her in their junior year, and they scraped enough money together to start their photo studio after graduation. It was a great success for five years. They even made enough money to buy the building so they could live upstairs.

Then the accident happened. Monica was four months pregnant when a drunk driver hit Charles' car and killed him. In her distress, she lost the baby, and two names were put on the gravestone at the funeral. Paul cried with her as she told her story. Today was the one-year anniversary of Charles' death.

Paul put an arm around her for support.

The only good thing to come out of Charles' death was that the insurance settlement was enough to pay off Monica's mortgage. Otherwise, she would have lost the business and her apartment months ago.

As they ate in silence, Monica started to calm down.

Kim asked, "Paul, you haven't told us much about yourself."

Paul asked, "Are you sure? I'm not sure this is the right time."

Monica looked at him, "Please?"

Paul sighed and told his story. He talked about Gloria and how she got him into photography. Then Monica hugged him in support as he cried, as he told them about Fiona and the day at the resort.

=======

Two months later, Paul and Monica were working at a wedding. They had gotten closer after that dinner, but just as friends.

At the wedding, Paul noticed that Monica was looking a bit sad. She said, "I'm OK, it's just that the bride's flowers are the same that I had."

As they packed up at the end of the night, Monica dropped a piece of equipment. Paul went to pick it up. He grabbed the handle before Monica, but as she grabbed his hand, Paul felt a spark.

Monica must have felt it also because of the look that she gave him. Paul didn't even think as he lifted Monica's hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.

She pulled her hand back, almost looking afraid. Paul decided to take a chance. He moved in close and kissed her on the lips. Monica didn't move. Paul then picked up the piece of equipment that had fallen and loaded it on the truck. Monica was frozen for a few more minutes before grabbing the last piece of equipment and loading it as well.

She walked almost like a zombie to the passenger side and got in. She was still quiet and still looked stunned.

Before Paul started the van, he said, "Monica, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

He was then cut off as Monica grabbed him and pulled him in for a kiss. She then sat back in her seat, and they sat silent for a number of minutes. She then said, "The last man that kissed me was Charles. Thank you for reminding me what it is like to be kissed by someone you care about."

When they got back to the studio, after they unloaded the van, Monica grabbed Paul by the hand and led him upstairs to her apartment and bedroom.

They took their time. Everything didn't come to their relationship quickly. They were two damaged people learning to love again.

Three months later, Paul moved in. His family congratulated him. Mostly happy that he was able to move on.

His brother and his wife had great news. Now that the kids were in school, she got a job. It was a junior position, but she got a job at Caldwell Marketing.

Paul froze when he heard that. They thought it was because Fiona worked there. He asked, "Does that mean you are going to the retreat?"

She said, "No, I'm too junior to go. Maybe next year, but Mason Caldwell is so amazing to work for. He is such a magnetic person."

Inwardly, Paul breathed a sigh of relief that Tina wasn't going, but he knew he had to stop her from getting into a position that could destroy her marriage. He just needed to figure out how.

The answer came the following week. He and Monica were setting up a new website for the studio. On a break, the consultant showed him a then-and-now site he had built for a high school reunion.

Later, when Monica was out of the room, Paul asked, "Is it possible to set up a site so that it can't be traced back to you?"

The consultant said, "Yes, that is possible. Why?"

Paul replied, "I want to surprise some old friends."

From his brother, he learned the date of the next Caldwell Marketing retreat. He then set up a website that couldn't be traced back to him. He had to use various VPNs to make any website changes, but he had the bare bones of the site he wanted. He just had to get the content for the site.

The week of the retreat, he told Monica that he had to go home for a week. She gave him a kiss and told him she had no problem holding the fort. Paying cash, he booked into a nearby motel a few days before the retreat started. He then did some hiking to find the perfect location. It was a hidden spot, not too far from where he had spotted Fiona blowing Mason.

He spent the week taking pictures and video. The spouses leaving on their day trips, and the staff cheating. He even got some shots of Fiona and Mason fucking.

The arrogant people, thinking that no one could see them, all left the curtains open. He had upgraded to a 1000mm lens and the highest megapixel camera he could find. He wanted the best pictures you could buy.

Once he was home with Monica, he got to work. She was a bit concerned because he had locked himself away. He told her that it was a secret photo project to help his brother with his marriage and left it at that.

The website was structured with pictures of spouses going on excursions under the title "When the cat's away." Then, under it was the section "The mice will play." It was full of X-rated pictures of the staff at play.

Finally, he sat back and admired his work. His website "When the cat's away" was ready for launch. He just had to let everyone know about it. He had already gathered a large array of email addresses. He had the email list from his proposed wedding list, as well as a lot of the businesses in town. He had a number of email addresses of the Caldwell Marketing staff, thanks to Tina, but without her knowledge. He was also able to scour the web for emails for Caldwell's biggest customers, and lastly, he had the email addresses of most of the newspapers and TV stations in the area.

He smiled as his finger lingered over the enter button on the keyboard. Once pressed, the email would go out from the anonymous email address he had set up. The website and email address had been paid for through a Bitcoin account.

He pressed the button. He was just sad that he no longer lived in town to see the fallout.

=======

A few years later, Paul and Monica were in the city. They were flying out that day and arrived that morning. He was looking for a gift while she was catching up with a friend. They were meeting at the airport later.

He was walking down the street when he saw her. He had to look twice. Fiona looked heavier and much older than her years. He stepped into the restaurant and walked up to her. He stood there a minute before she looked up.

It took her a few seconds when she called out, "Paul!" She stood and pulled him in for a hug before motioning for him to sit.

Paul sat, holding his hands under the table.

She was smiling brightly as she asked, "How are you doing?"

At that point, Paul put his left hand on the table. Fiona frowned once she saw his wedding ring.

He said, "I'm doing well, just visiting the city. How are you?"

Fiona scowled. She said, "Not good. I'm sure you heard all about that dreadful website. The fallout killed the company. The bad press, and then all the clients left. We all lost our jobs. I had to move to find any work. Then, I don't know if you heard about the woman. I guess she heard about the mess in the press and then stepped forward. The court case proved that her baby was his, and she was just 16 when she had the baby. Poor Mason is doing fifteen years for child rape."

Paul interjected, "Well, he got what he deserved."

Fiona then sighed, "Yeah, but because of that, none of us can use Caldwell Marketing on our resumes, and even worse, although the dreadful website disappeared years ago, the pictures are still floating all over the web. Whenever I find a new job, someone eventually pulls up pictures of me fucking Mason and then because of his conviction they don't want anything to do with me. I would then lose my job, and then I would have to move on."

Paul looked at her and said, "Well, you could have kept your clothes on."

Fiona didn't say anything. She just looked sad. Paul realized she was still the same selfish woman he had left years ago.

Fiona then smiled and grabbed his hand. She said, "You know, it isn't too late for us."

Paul shook his head. He said, "The primary problem is that it is too late for us. As a matter of fact, my wife is also late. By five months. I think I'm looking forward to being a dad soon, with someone who knows how not to throw a good thing away."

Paul then stood and walked away.

He could hear Fiona sobbing as the restaurant door closed.

Paul smiled. He remembered hearing the stories from his brother and his parents. Tina quit immediately. George had actually approached Paul to find out if he was behind the website. As they knew each other very well. George could tell, without Paul saying anything, that it was him. He just gave Paul a hug and whispered, "Thank you" into his ear.

There was a huge financial fallout in the town as Caldwell brought in a lot of money. The town was just starting to recover.

Paul waved for a cab. He got in and told the driver to take him to the airport.

This was going to be a little mini vacation for him and Monica. He was looking forward to New York. He was also looking forward to seeing Gloria. They had kept in touch over the years, but this was the first time he would be seeing her since they split in college. She and her husband now lived in France, and they had a photo exhibition that he was going to see with Monica.

He was looking forward to catching up with Gloria and was sure that the four of them would have a great time comparing photography notes.