Playing the Long Game - A Romance

Part One -- Spring 1983

Chapter one -- Allegro, ma non troppo

Most people would have considered 19-year old Alice to be very fortunate. Intelligent and hard-working, she had excelled at school and after her final exams took the Oxbridge entrance papers and obtained a scholarship place to study modern languages at Oxford, specialising in Russian. She was an accomplished violinist, spoke fluent French as well as Russian and lived comfortably with her parents in a leafy suburb of London.

In the spring of 1983, however, there was one thing missing from Alice's life -- a successful relationship. She was an attractive girl, around 5ft 6, slim and fit, with shoulder-length blonde hair and a pretty smile, and though she was self-conscious about her small breasts ("I'm so flat-chested, Kat!" she complained to her best friend Katharine), she still received more than her fair share of attention from the young men in her area. Somehow nothing really worked out, and although she had had one 'serious' boyfriend, and even lost her virginity to him, the sex had been disappointing and they had split up soon afterwards. Now she felt like she was killing time whilst waiting to go to university in the Autumn, though she was excited about the music course she and Kat were attending that April, more than 40 years ago.

The ten-day residential string quartet course was for exceptional young musicians from the whole of the UK and was being held at a boarding school in the south west of England. The standard was known to be very high and the course leaders were members of a successful quartet, supported by young players from several top British orchestras. Participants were chosen following auditions and they had both been delighted to be accepted, having tried unsuccessfully the previous year.

Kat played the viola and she and Alice had asked to be put in a quartet together, so they were relieved when they checked the noticeboard in the entrance hall on arrival and saw they were in a group with a violinist called Charlotte and Felicity, a cellist. They had been told to arrive by 4pm and were directed to the dormitories where they would be staying, to unpack and meet some of the fellow course-members. Alice and Kat were a little nervous, but were pleased to find that two of the other four girls in their room were indeed Charlotte and Felicity -- though they introduced themselves as Lotty and Fliss -- who were also friends, from York in the north of England.

The four of them hit it off immediately and had a quick look around the school and its beautiful grounds before joining the rest of the 80 or so students for dinner in the Great Hall. After the surprisingly enjoyable meal they found the room where they would be rehearsing and were met there by their coach, a good-looking young man with longish curly dark hair who introduced himself as Ivan and said that he would coach them for the whole course, but not all the time as he had two other groups to look after. Ivan was a viola-player from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, though he looked barely older than the four girls. He gave them the music they would be working on -- a Haydn quartet, Schubert's 'Quartettsatz' and a contemporary work by the composer Michael Tippett -- and suggested they read through the Haydn to get to know each other and their playing styles.

Lotty and Alice agreed that they would take turns to lead and they started the first movement of the Haydn with Lotty playing first violin. Ivan sat quietly in a corner, listening carefully and taking notes, and he let them play through the first movement, then suggested things they could work on before excusing himself to visit his next group. The rest of the rehearsal passed quickly and they headed back to the dorm to chat.

"Ivan seems nice" Lotty said as they were changing for bed, "Do you think he is really in the Liverpool Phil though, he looks about 16!?"

"I know what you mean but actually I saw them playing in Leeds at Christmas and I remember him then, he was being modest when he said he's in the section, he's on the front desk!" Fliss replied, "I noticed him because he does look young but he looks like a great player, and I really liked what he told us."

Alice and Kat agreed and Kat was especially pleased to have a fellow viola-player coaching them. Alice kept quiet because she didn't want to admit that she had been really taken with Ivan and was more than excited about seeing him again in the morning.

...

The course was intense, with three two-hour rehearsals each day as well as a session when the players were split into two large string orchestras, but there were breaks and some social events built into the ten-day schedule. They quickly settled into the busy routine, and enjoyed the progress they were making with the music as well as getting to know each other and their fellow students.

Alice also liked the fact that Ivan seemed to be spending more time with their group than the others he was coaching, or at least that's what she told herself, and she had managed to spend a few minutes chatting to him at the end of a session. Kat, who had known Alice for most of her life, realised very quickly that her friend had a growing crush on their coach, and gently teased her about it, whilst also hoping that Alice wouldn't be upset if, as seemed likely, nothing developed between them.

After the afternoon rehearsals they had some free time, and one day towards the end of the course as they were packing up their instruments Alice plucked up the courage to ask Ivan if he wanted a coffee from the canteen as she was just going to get one herself.

"That would be great", he said, "And in return I will get you one of those delicious chocolate muffins."

They walked together, talking about the Tippett quartet which they had just been working on, and Ivan told Alice that he had met the composer a couple of times; he was clearly a huge Tippett fan and Alice could see how much this meant to him -- she was secretly pleased that Ivan had shared this with her and none of the others in the group.

They sat with their coffees and cakes and Ivan asked Alice if she was going to music college.

"No, believe it or not I'm going to study Russian at Oxford, though I certainly hope to continue playing whilst I am there."

"That's amazing, and I didn't go to college either, though I did read music at York -- but you can certainly follow a career in music after uni if that's what you do end up wanting to do. Or you could become a spy like most people who study Russian at Oxford!"

"You're not the first person who's said that to me, and I'm not brave enough to be a spy, even if I wanted to, plus I'm a terrible liar..."

"Sorry to be unoriginal! What made you choose Russian though?"

"We had an amazing teacher at school so we could do it for A level and I have even visited a few times, and stayed with a Russian-speaking family in Greece last summer which really helped. It's a beautiful language, and very musical in its own way."

"I wish I was better at languages, I did do French at school and a bit of Spanish but I'm not a natural which you must be..."

Alice almost blushed at the compliment, and tried to turn the conversation towards Ivan himself, asking him how long he had been in Liverpool, in the hope that he might reveal whether he had a girlfriend or, worse still, a wife.

"Nearly two years now, it's a great place to work and I've made lots of friends, but I'm not sure if I will stay forever -- it's a bit complicated."

"Liverpool is, or your job?"

"Neither really, I have a girlfriend but she's working abroad and it's not easy -- that's the complication. I don't want to leave the orchestra but..."

He paused and Alice stayed quiet for a bit, then said:

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, not at all, you're really easy to talk to, I don't usually say much about it but at the moment we're on a kind of break which is tricky -- she's in Canada, in the orchestra in Montreal, and we write all the time but with the time difference and the cost we don't really speak that often and it's hard..."

He stopped again, then looked at his watch and exclaimed that they were going to be late for string orchestra if they didn't go now.

...

Emboldened by their conversation, Alice told Kat what had happened, swearing her to secrecy, and said that she really wanted to get to know Ivan better. Kat reminded her that the end of course party was coming up and that might be a good opportunity, and then made Alice laugh by pretending to be Ivan and declaring 'his' undying love for her.

The party was great fun, starting as an informal concert when some of the staff performed for the students, and then turning into a disco with lots of lovely food and even some wine and beer. Alice wasn't a great drinker but she had a glass of wine for Dutch courage and then looked for Ivan. To her disappointment he was nowhere to be seen, even though he had played (beautifully, she thought) in a Mozart quintet earlier.

She went outside for a breath of air and in the hope that he might be there, and was thrilled when someone came up beside her in the semi-darkness and gently touched her on the arm, saying:

"Aren't you in there dancing, I thought you would be a real disco queen?"

It was Ivan, and she quickly replied "And what about you, with your hairstyle I had you down as a bit of a John Travolta!"

"Like most musicians I am a surprisingly lousy dancer, and we'll have less cheek about the hair, Miss Alice!"

This time Alice did blush, but hoped he hadn't noticed. She knew she was taking a risk but with one day left she didn't care. It was a warm spring evening so she suggested that they should go for a walk down to the stream at the far end of the school grounds. Ivan agreed and, to her surprise and delight, took her hand as they walked away from the buildings.

"Alice, I need to ask you something, I hope you won't mind, actually it's two things. You're 19, aren't you, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right -- do you mind telling me how old you are?"

"No, of course not, I'm 23. The other question is this -- do you have a boyfriend? I imagine you must have, you're so..."

He stopped there, to Alice's annoyance, as she really wanted to know what she was so..., but she answered anyway:

"No, not any more, I had one for a while in sixth form and a bit afterwards but it didn't work out and he's moved away now, which was a good thing to be honest. My turn to ask though -- why do you want to know?"

"Just curious -- well also things in my life are complicated enough, I don't want to add to any complications you might have as well."

"How would you do that, what do you mean?"

They had reached a low wall by the stream and Ivan gestured for Alice to sit beside him. He put an arm around her shoulders, drew her slightly towards him and said quietly:

"Well, if I were to do this, it might complicate things a bit" and he leant across and kissed her softly on the lips.

Alice nearly fell off the wall in surprise -- she had lain in bed every night on the course fantasising about this moment but now it was suddenly happening she froze.

Luckily Ivan took matters in hand, pulling her closer and kissing her again, this time lingering to give her the chance to react. She returned the kiss and then opened her lips and let his tongue enter her mouth. They kissed increasingly passionately for a few minutes, then Ivan held her quietly whilst her heart raced against him.

Alice was elated and also a little scared, she hadn't really thought about the consequences of anything actually happening with Ivan, so she was both disappointed and relieved when he said "We'd better be getting back, people will miss us soon."

They kissed once more, a long, slow, lingering kiss which she found incredibly sexy, more so than any other kiss she could remember, before he pulled her to her feet and held her close, taking her hand in his again and starting to walk back towards the school. After a couple of minutes he stopped and looked at her closely:

"Are you o. k., I haven't made things worse have I?"

"No, I'm fine, feel amazing actually, just can't believe you actually wanted to kiss me."

"Alice, you're lovely; clever, musical, gorgeous, why wouldn't I want to?"

"I just feel so young and naïve next to you."

"We're only four years apart, I've just had a bit more life experience, that's all."

They walked on and reached the main entrance and Alice reluctantly allowed her hand to be released, not wanting Ivan to get into any trouble. Before they went in Ivan said:

"We can talk again tomorrow after the rehearsal, I can give you a lift back from the arts centre if Kat can cover for you, is that o. k.?"

"That's a great idea, I'm sure we can wangle that somehow."

They went inside and discovered the disco still in full swing. Only Kat noticed that they had reappeared, and she gave Alice a knowing smile and mouthed "You o. k.?" to which Alice just smiled back.

...

Later that night Alice and Kat sneaked out of the dorm so they could talk properly, as they had only been able to exchange a few quick whispers whilst the rest of the girls were still awake. They went into the nearest bathroom and locked the door, and Kat demanded to know all the details of what had gone on. She was delighted for her friend but also a bit worried:

"Are you sure this is o. k.? He's not just after a sordid fling with you while his girlfriend is on another continent?"

"No, I really don't think so, I know he has sensed that I really like him and he was gentle and kind, and wants to talk to me tomorrow, well later today as it is now, I don't think he's like that."

"He's a man, they are all, to a greater or lesser extent, like that!"

"Maybe, but let's see what he has to say before we jump to any conclusions about his character. Can you cover for me on the bus so that I can come back from the rehearsal in his car?"

"Of course, you know I'll do anything for you, but don't agree to anything before we can discuss it, o. k.?"

"I won't..."

...

The following morning buses arrived to take the students to the arts centre in nearby Salisbury for the rehearsal for the evening's final concert, which would be attended by families and friends and after which everyone would head off in their separate directions. Kat and Alice's quartet, with Ivan's encouragement, had chosen to play the first movement of the Tippett quartet and they were all pleased and somewhat relieved when they negotiated its complex rhythms and counterpoint successfully in the rehearsal. Ivan bounded up to them afterwards and told them how thrilled he was at the way they had played, and once they had all taken part in the string orchestra pieces which were the climax of the programme, they headed back to the waiting buses outside.

Or at least Kat, Lotty and Fliss did, whilst Alice followed Ivan at a safe distance to his car, which he had parked discretely around the corner. Lotty noticed that Alice wasn't on their bus but Kat quickly said that she had wanted to talk to a violinist called Alex who she was friendly with, on the other bus.

Ivan negotiated his way through the outskirts of the city without saying much, then, once they were on a more open road, congratulated Alice again on their performance.

"You really are an excellent violinist, and you led beautifully, that first violin part isn't easy at all. And, if I might say so, you are an excellent kisser too!"

Alice breathed an inward sigh of relief as she had been worried that he wasn't going to say anything at all about the previous evening, and thanked him for both compliments.

"I mean it, you're a great musician and a lovely young woman. Are you really o. k. about last night, I hadn't planned it or anything like that, it just happened, but I'm really pleased it did."

"I am, totally, but I'm a bit confused as well, what did you mean by saying you are on a break with your girlfriend, and what happens now with us -- I'm going back to London this evening, you're going to Liverpool, am I going to see you again?!"

She hadn't meant to sound quite so desperate, but she knew they didn't have long and she needed to know, badly.

"I meant what I said, Maggie and I agreed that we needed some time apart and not thinking of ourselves as a couple, she's not coming back to England again before the end of the summer, and then only for a few weeks. I wouldn't have kissed you like that if I hadn't been in this situation, nor if you had said you were attached, and to answer your last question, of course I want to see you again -- and if you don't think it's too pushy, I was going to invite you to Liverpool, come to a concert, I will show you around, you could stay with me if you want to..."

"Oh Ivan, I would love that, I really want to have the chance to get to know you better and I have never been to Liverpool, in fact I have barely been north of Birmingham."

"Will your parents be o. k. about it?"

"I might not go into too much detail, maybe just say I am going to something at the University, they might be fine but I don't want to risk my Mum saying no, even though I am an adult she is still very protective. I will try to introduce you to them this evening if there is time, but obviously just as our tutor!"

"Great, if you can give me your address and phone number I will get in touch once I am back in Liverpool and can see our schedule for the next couple of months and when might work. Are you away at all?"

"Not until July, any time up to then is good, I have a really boring shop job but I can get time off."

They were just approaching the entrance to the school grounds but Ivan turned into a farm track and stopped the car. Alice took the initiative this time, and almost before he had switched off the engine she put her arms around Ivan, pulled him towards her and kissed him deeply, knowing that they had very little time and putting all her excitement and lust into her kisses. Ivan was thrilled and returned the kiss with as much ardour, and this lasted for a few minutes before he broke off and said that they needed to get back. They kissed once more and for the first time Ivan gently stroked Alice's breasts through her jumper; she shivered with pleasure at his touch but, like him, knew that they had to stop.

They had arrived ahead of the rest so Alice got out and hid around a corner before emerging into the throng of excited students when the buses appeared. She quickly caught up with Kat and told her what had happened, and although slightly annoyed that her friend had agreed to things without checking with her first, Kat was really pleased for Alice, and after lunch they went up to their room to pack and change into their concert clothes.

...

When they got back to the arts centre that evening they could see that lots of the parents had already arrived and Alice went to look for hers. Kat's parents had divorced when she was very young and Alice adored Sally, Kat's mum, who was a very good-looking woman in her mid-40s, with a more relaxed attitude to life than Alice's rather serious and hardworking family.

After a few minutes Alice found her parents and they chatted about the course before Alice said she wanted to introduce them to her tutor. She saw Ivan in what looked like an intense conversation with Sally and felt a pang of jealousy; she walked over and as soon as Sally saw her she broke off from talking to Ivan and enveloped Alice in a huge hug.

"Alice my love, I was just trying to persuade this lovely young man that he should take Kat on as a pupil, but he seems to think Liverpool is a bit far from Richmond for weekly lessons! Anyway, I hear it's been an excellent course and I'm really looking forward to hearing the results. Where are your folks?"

"They're just over there, I want them to meet Ivan too if we've time?"

"It's fine", Ivan said, "we don't need to go in for a couple of minutes" and they walked over.

Ivan chatted politely to her parents while Alice tried to look as relaxed as she could, but she was relieved when, after commenting how hard the whole quartet had worked and saying that he was sure they would enjoy the concert, he turned to Kat and Alice and said that they needed to go and get ready to play.

The concert went well, the Tippett in particular being very warmly received and at the end as she was packing her violin away Ivan came over to say goodbye. The dressing room was crowded and there was no way they could talk properly, but he slipped a piece of paper into her violin case and quietly said: "Write to me as soon as you can, and ring me as well if possible, I'm going to see my parents tomorrow but am back in Liverpool on Monday."

Alice smiled in reply and making sure no-one was looking, touched his arm very briefly. Then out loud, she thanked him for all the coaching and said, with a little extra emphasis, how much she had enjoyed working with him. Kat had watched all of this with amusement and strolled over to say goodbye as well, giving Ivan a quick hug, knowing that that meant he could hug Alice too. He took his chance, whispering in her ear "I can't wait to see you again."

"Well done dear, I think that's the best I have ever heard you play" Alice's father said when she met them outside, "that Ivan must be a very good tutor."

"Yes, he really is," Alice replied, "I have learnt so much from him..."

Chapter Two -- Lento, ma con amore

Alice spent much of Sunday sitting at the desk in her bedroom looking out at the garden and composing a letter to Ivan. She wanted to get the tone just right -- not too needy, enthusiastic but not gushing, warm but also a little reserved -- and went through several drafts before she was finally happy. She finished the letter by reiterating that she would really like to visit Ivan in Liverpool if he had meant that, and, having agonised over how to sign off, ended "With my love, Alice" and a carefully judged three kisses.

She stamped and addressed the envelope, then told her parents she was popping out for a walk and to see if Kat was in. She posted the letter in the post box on the corner, trying not to feel that it was somehow the most important letter she had ever sent, and walked on the half mile or so to Kat's house. She could see the light on in Kat's bedroom so she rang the doorbell.

Sally answered quickly and gave Alice her customary hug, praising her for her playing in the concert and shouting up to Kat that her friend was there. Kat dashed down the stairs and, like her Mum, hugged Alice warmly. They got themselves coffees and went up to Kat's room.

"So, have you sent it, how many times did you throw it in the bin first?" Kat asked, having heard some of what Alice had been going through in a phone-call that morning.

"It's gone, and in the end it was the fourth or fifth attempt, it was worse than writing an essay in Russian!"

"You should have written it in Russian, that would have been funny!"

"No, it wouldn't! Anyway, with any luck he'll get it on Tuesday. Do you think I should ring him before he gets it though, or wait until afterwards?"

"I'd wait, otherwise you'll just say what's in the letter, and also you don't want to look too keen at this point, you could just ring Tuesday evening and if he's not there leave a message, he's a musician, he is sure to have an answering machine."

"You're right, I'll do that -- thanks Kat, you're being such a star over all of this, I know I must be being annoying."

"Not at all, I just want you to be happy."

...

When Ivan got back from a rehearsal late on Tuesday evening he saw that the message light on his answering machine was flashing, and, having received Alice's letter that morning, he hoped it might be her. After the usual annoying beeps, he heard:

"Ivan, hi, it's me, sorry, Alice, just wanted to see if you're o. k. and if you had had my letter. I really want to talk to you so I hope you get this message, I am going to ring again tomorrow morning once my parents have gone to work, I'm not due in the shop until 10 so I'll ring around 9, hope that's not too early; God, think I'm wittering on now so I'm going to stop, lots of love..."

He smiled to himself as he heard the excitement and slight panic in her voice and when he went upstairs to bed set his alarm to make sure he would be up in time. He couldn't settle at first, his cock hard with thinking about Alice and her coming to stay but once he had brought himself off picturing Alice's lovely smile and remembering how they had kissed he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning he woke before the alarm, went downstairs, got the newspaper from the front mat and made himself some coffee and breakfast. He forced himself to read the paper even though it was hard to concentrate as he was strangely nervous, and nearly jumped out of his skin when the phone rang a few minutes before 9am.

"Hello?"

"Hello Ivan, it's me, it's amazing to hear your voice, it feels like ages since we were in Salisbury, I know it's not really. Did you get my letter?"

"Hello you, and yes, I did, it was so good to see it there yesterday morning and I could really hear you in every word. I'm so pleased you do want to come and stay, I wasn't sure if you would."

"Of course I do, I told you I wanted to get to know you properly, have you found a good time for me to visit?"

"Yes, at the end of next week we have a concert in the Phil [the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool, where the orchestra is based] on Friday night and it happens that I am Principal for that one -- it's a repeat of one earlier in the week so we've just got a short rehearsal in the morning and then I am free all day until the concert, so we could have something to eat first and then if you really are fine about it you can come back here afterwards."

"That sounds like a brilliant plan, I will go to the station in my lunch break today and find out about trains -- I'll aim to be there early afternoon if that's o. k."

"That's perfect, I can show you around a bit when you arrive. When will you have to go back to London?"

"I can stay until Sunday if you're free, I can take the Friday off work but need to be back for Monday."

"That's great, we're not working on the Saturday so if it's nice weather we can go to Chester or somewhere."

"Are you really sure this is what you want -- I don't want to take up too much of your time if you're busy?"

"Alice, I'm not going to keep telling you, I really want to see you, spend time with you, enjoy your lovely company, so stop asking! And I will write to you too, we're rehearsing today but I am free this evening so expect a letter in a couple of days. I suppose me ringing you is a bit tricky?"

"Yes it is, I'm afraid, Mum always gets to the phone first, but I can ring you and even if you're not there I can leave a message."

"That's fine, it was so lovely hearing your voice when I got in from work last night."

"Ivan, I'm really sorry but I have to go to work now, but I can't wait to see you, to get your letter and to talk again, and I promise I won't be doubtful any more!"

"Good! I have to go too, to rehearse some Bruckner, one of the few composers I really can't stand."

"Well, think about me visiting if you're bored or need cheering up."

"I will, have a good day Alice, and see you soon."

"You too, 'bye Ivan."

Alice put the phone down and then immediately picked it up again to dial Kat. She told her all about the call and how excited she was, and they arranged to meet during Alice's lunch break to discuss things.

Once they had bought their sandwiches and found a quiet place to sit, Kat launched straight in with what she had been thinking about all morning:

"Alice, you're my best friend in the whole world and always will be, so I have to say this, are you absolutely sure that this is o. k.? I know we kind of know him from the course and everything, but equally we don't really, I know you kissed and he told you you were lovely, but going and staying is taking things to a whole new level, you'll say now that you might not sleep with him, but once you're there and you're kissing you know perfectly well that you will!"

"Actually I'm really scared about that, sex with Matthew was so rubbish, I hated it pretty much throughout which is probably why we only managed it a couple of times, it was just awkward and painful and a bit gross, so it's no wonder we broke up. What if it's me, what if I'm the problem in bed? So I'm really not sure that I want to sleep with Ivan yet, even though he's so amazing, and he is, he was so pleased to speak to me this morning, but I am scared Kat. But I'm not worried about anything else, I think he is genuine, and I know that he still has his possibly ex-girlfriend but she's in Canada, I'm here, there's only a few months before we go to uni and I want to live a bit. Do you understand, I know you think I'm rushing this?"

"Of course I understand, and I know you really want to do this, I do trust you and I think I trust him, I just worry about you getting hurt. And I'm sure the sex will be fine, more than fine, the problem with you and Matthew was a) neither of you had a clue what you were doing and b) he was a git!"

This made Alice laugh and as usual her wonderful friend had found exactly the right tone to make her feel better. They walked to the station to find out about train times to Liverpool and then Alice had to get back to work in the flower shop where she had her temporary job.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kat, we're going to the cinema remember."

"I know, Flashdance, I can't wait."

...

The next eight days dragged, though Alice was delighted when Ivan's first letter arrived that Friday. She managed to grab it from the door mat before either of her parents saw it, though she was already prepared to say that it was from someone she had met on the course, without going into any more detail. In her totally unobjective opinion Ivan wrote beautifully, and she read extracts to Kat who, despite telling Alice that it was all making her cringe, did agree that he had a way with words.

Ivan and Alice managed to speak on the phone a couple more times and have one more exchange of letters -- in his second one, to Alice's delight and Kat's mock horror, Ivan included some lines from a Shakespeare sonnet -- and they agreed that Ivan would meet Alice off the train at Liverpool's Lime Street station on Friday afternoon.

Alice had told her parents that she was going to a Russian course at Liverpool university, and despite her professed inability at lying, seemed to be convincing enough that they took this at face value, her mother even saying that maybe she would meet a nice young man who was also going to read Russian at Oxford.

Alice thought carefully about her clothes for the trip, helped by the forecast of warm May sunshine, and with plenty of sometimes useful, sometimes less so, advice from Kat ("What about shorts and a bikini top, isn't that the look you want to go for?") who had come over on the Thursday evening to keep her company and try to keep her calm, she chose outfits which she hoped were pretty and sexy but not, in her own words, tarty or too obvious.

"Have a fantastic time Alice, and if you possibly can, please phone me at least once, and just remember, he's as lucky to have you visiting him as you are to be going there. You're amazing, and everything's going to be great. But please don't come back pregnant, I'm pretty sure that that wouldn't sit well with your parents or Oxford!"

"I definitely won't, remember, I'm not even sure we will get that far."

"As if! Love you, just have loads of fun and watch out for those Liver Birds!"

Once Kat had gone Alice went to bed but found sleep, unsurprisingly, elusive. She read some very heavy Turgenev, in Russian, for a bit but that didn't work, so finally, like Ivan before her, reached down between her legs and used her flexible musician's fingers to give herself a quick orgasm, telling herself hopefully that her next one might be with Ivan.

Chapter Three, Allegro Appassionato

The train journey was uneventful, and Alice spent most of it gazing out of the window and trying to keep calm. As she had told Ivan, her family holidays had usually been spent abroad or in Cornwall in south-west England, so the stations soon became names she had only seen on a map or railway timetable -- Rugby, Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn, and then finally the announcement that they would be arriving at Liverpool Lime Street in five minutes.

Alice was almost shaking with nerves, but once she stood up and got her bag from the end of the carriage she started to feel better. She had reserved a seat and told Ivan which carriage she was in, and as the train drew alongside the platform she spotted him before he saw her, walking up and down trying to guess exactly where her carriage would be. She realised that he might be nervous too, which helped immensely.

As soon as the train stopped Alice pulled down the window and was about to use the outside handle to open the door when she realised that Ivan was already there and had beaten her to it. He opened it and she almost fell down the steps in her haste; he half caught her as she stumbled and then turned it into a warm embrace, followed by an equally warm kiss once they had moved out of the way of the rest of the passengers.

"It's so good to see you, I was here about an hour early, trying to stay cool but I just managed to get more wound up, I started to think you might have had cold feet or missed the train or something, but here you are."

"Of course I didn't get cold feet, I barely slept last night I was so excited, but I still can't really believe I'm here, with you."

"Have you had lunch, do you want something to eat or a drink or anything?"

"No, I'm fine, I had a sandwich on the train, maybe a coffee a bit later but can we just walk and talk for now?"

"Of course, give me your bag, we can leave it in my car and then I'll take you on a bit of a tour."

And he did as promised, showing Alice some of the fine historic buildings as well as the rougher parts of the city centre, before they stopped for coffee in a little Italian café where all the staff seemed to know Ivan well.

"Ivan, my friend, what can we get you and your lady friend, are you playing tonight, any of our wonderful Italian music in the concert?"

"Hello Giovanni, it's good to see you too, and we'll have two cappuccinos if that's all right Alice? As for tonight, actually yes, the overture is Rossini's La Gazza Ladra."

"My favourite, what do you call it, The Magpie Thief?"

"The Thieving Magpie but yes, that one."

Alice took in the mutual warmth and respect that Ivan had with Giovanni and his family (for it turned out all the staff were related) and it made her fall for him even more, seeing how natural and charismatic he was, especially compared to most of the gauche and stuck-up boys she knew at home.

They drank their coffees and went back to Ivan's car to drive the short distance up the road towards the Philharmonic Hall. On the way Alice commented on how well Ivan got on with Giovanni, and he replied:

"I love Italians, and Italy as well, I've visited there more than any other country and I always feel at home -- they are so full of life and warmth, and they remind me a bit of my family -- though we're exiled Jews rather than creatures of the Mediterranean!"

"I've only been to Italy once, but I loved it, the food, the art, the weather, the scenery."

Ivan stopped to show Alice where the main university buildings were -- "At least this means you don't have to lie about seeing the university!" -- and then parked on Hope Street, the aptly-named road linking the two huge Liverpool cathedrals and the Philharmonic Hall. They walked up to the Catholic cathedral first, admiring the striking modern architecture and Ivan told Alice it was known as Paddy's Wigwam in honour of its shape and the large Irish element to the congregation. Then, passing the concert hall and famous Philharmonic pub on the way, down to the Victorian gothic Anglican cathedral, Ivan regaling Alice with funny stories about choral concerts the orchestra had done there in its very echoey acoustic.

They went to a small French bistro for an early dinner before Ivan had to go and change; he gave Alice her ticket and a programme and said he would meet her in the bar at the interval. The programme was one for the whole season and Alice was surprised and pleased to see that several of the programme notes were by Ivan.

She enjoyed reading these and even more watching Ivan at the front of the viola section as the orchestra performed the Rossini and Beethoven's fourth piano concerto with the pianist Peter Donohoe. Ivan had said how much he liked working with that night's conductor, Walter Weller, who was a huge favourite with the Liverpool audience, and Alice could see why, his expansive and expressive gestures bringing out the best in the musicians.

She got to the bar quickly at the interval and bought Ivan an orange juice and a small glass of white wine for herself, having convinced the sceptical barman that she really was old enough. Ivan appeared by her side as she was picking up the drinks, with an older woman also in concert dress, whom he introduced as Liz, the cor anglais player, saying that he wanted Alice to meet her because she was his best friend there and he had told Liz all about Alice.

"Only the good things, I hope?" Alice said, and Liz, a lovely warm Liverpudlian, reassured her:

"Don't you worry about that, Pet, he's been gushing about you ever since he got back from that course, and now I've met you I can see why!"

Ivan bought Liz a drink and the interval passed quickly as they chatted. Ivan kissed Alice as he and Liz left and said he would see her at the end in the foyer. Settling back in her seat Alice felt proud, and rather surprised, that Ivan had already introduced her to one of his colleagues, but couldn't stop herself from wondering if Liz had met Maggie as well. She put that thought aside as she listened to Dvorak's Eighth Symphony and an encore, the Waltz from Shostakovich's Jazz Suite.

Ivan reached the foyer just after Alice and he took her hand as they walked back to the car, discussing the concert and both feeling a little tense about what might be ahead. It was only a short drive to the little house Ivan was renting in Grassendale, a pleasant Liverpool suburb, and he was soon letting Alice in the front door, scooping her up in his arms and kissing her properly for the first time since she had got off the train that afternoon.

He showed her around the downstairs, a cosy living room and separate kitchen/diner, and asked if she wanted a drink. Alice asked for another glass of white wine, hoping it might help her relax as she was increasingly nervous, and Ivan poured them both one from a bottle in his fridge.

"It's Italian, appropriately enough, hope you like it."

They sat next to each other on the sofa and Ivan put his arm around Alice.

"There's something I need to say, I hope it might make things a bit easier. I know you're probably a bit worried about what's going on, what my 'intentions' are and all that, and I just want you to know that there's absolutely no pressure from me for anything, I'm just really pleased that you're here, as my new friend, and it was so lovely having you at the concert, I'm sure I played better as a result."

"I am relieved you said that, of course I'm a bit nervous, and I'm not really sure what I want, but like you I'm so pleased I'm here, can't believe it really, and I loved watching you and the rest of the orchestra, it was a brilliant concert and it was lovely to meet Liz too, thank you for introducing me to her."

"She really liked you and she's an excellent judge of character."

Alice took another sip of her wine and then turned to face Ivan:

"Kiss me Ivan, that will definitely help."

They kissed, slightly awkwardly at first until Alice, rather boldly she felt, moved to sit astride him. She was wearing a pretty short-sleeved blouse and a knee-length flared cotton skirt, with bare legs, and after a few minutes Ivan undid the top two buttons of her blouse, reaching inside and stroking her nipples through the thin fabric of her favourite lacy bra.

Already this felt completely different from anything Alice had done with Matthew or the other two teenage boys she had had brief fumbles with. Ivan took his time, though she knew he was really turned on, and his touches were firm but gentle, not desperately groping or rough. She moaned slightly as her nipples hardened and Ivan responded by tweaking them with his thumb and forefinger, still through the bra.

Alice wanted to touch Ivan now and he helped her as she opened his shirt, right down to where it met his belt. As she had guessed, he had a hairy chest and she ran her fingers through the hairs, then over his nipples, causing Ivan to shudder with pleasure. He moved his lips down from her mouth to her neck and she felt a rush of excitement through her whole body as his kisses covered her neck and throat, then down on to her chest, above the bra.

She knew now without any doubt at all that she wanted, no, needed to go further than this with Ivan, but was still scared about full sex, hoping it wouldn't hurt or be as disappointing as it had been with Matthew. So when Ivan broke off from kissing her to ask if she wanted to come upstairs with him, she hesitated.

"I do, but you know I'm a bit scared, can we just take it really slowly and see what happens?"

"Of course, I told you, there's no pressure at all -- but is what we've been doing o. k.?"

"Ivan, it's more than o. k., it's amazing, I don't want to stop, so please let's go to your bedroom."

Ivan took her hand and led her upstairs, where there were two bedrooms and a small bathroom. His bedroom was the whole width of the back of the house with a little en suite shower room and toilet, but their focus was on the large double bed. They had taken their shoes off when they had come in from the car so Alice got on to the bed next to Ivan when he sat down. There was a moment of hesitation for both of them, but Alice decided she had to be bold again to overcome her shyness, so she lay down and pulled Ivan down next to her.

They kissed again, more passionately than ever, tongues duelling and hands in each other's tops, stroking backs, shoulders, chests and nipples. Ivan reached around and with impressive deftness, she noticed, undid Alice's bra. She had slightly dreaded this moment in her imaginings of what might happen as she thought he might not be impressed with her small breasts, but let him go ahead anyway, and was hugely relieved when he seemed very taken with them, going straight to licking and sucking her nipples and cupping her breasts with his strong hands.

She helped him take her blouse off and threw it to the floor with the bra, pulling his shirt out of his trousers at the same time so that he could do the same. Now their embraces were even more tantalising, her nipples pressing into his chest as they lay next to each other kissing. Ivan moved again between her mouth and her neck, breasts, nipples and shoulders and the sensations were like nothing Alice had ever felt before. She was so turned on she thought that she might come just from this foreplay, but she wanted more, so took one of Ivan's hands and guided it up her skirt.

Ivan stroked her inner thighs, driving Alice even more mad with desire. He deliberately let his fingers brush against the gusset of her pants, which he noticed was already damp, and then lifted the side of the material by Alice's pussy so that he could touch her pubic hair and the very edge of her labia. Alice moaned with pleasure and frustration as Ivan continued to tease her with his fingers, just inside her pants but without fully touching her pussy.

She kissed him hard now to try to encourage him to go further and he took the hint, but instead of pulling down her underwear or putting his fingers fully inside, stroked her pussy firmly through the cotton, then after a few minutes sought out her clitoris, still through the flimsy material. This was enough to drive Alice over the edge and she felt herself coming in a way she had never experienced before. She had no control over what was happening, unlike when she was masturbating, and she surrendered to the incredible sensations.

Ivan knew she was about to come and increased the pressure on her clit, while at the same time breaking off their kiss to suck hard on one of her nipples. Alice thought she might pass out as her ecstatic climax kept on going, and to her amazement found herself shouting out "Oh God, God, yes, yes, yesssssssssssss!"

Finally Ivan moved his fingers away and kissed her more gently on the lips, whilst Alice shivered with pleasure, excitement and relief. Ivan held her as her orgasm subsided and let her recover some equilibrium, and when she had, Alice took Ivan's head softly between her hands, kissed him again and said:

"I have never, ever, ever felt anything like that, it was just incredible, I can't even find the words. Ivan, I have never come with a man before, the sex I had with my ex-boyfriend was hopeless and even the other stuff wasn't much fun, I can't believe you could make me feel that, make that happen."

"I'm so pleased, you're an amazing woman and really sexy too and I'm just really happy to have been your first in that way."

Alice was determined to do something for Ivan now, so she shushed him with a finger on his lips, pushed him down on to his back and undid his belt and the button on his trousers. She could see that there was a tell-tale bulge and once she slid down the zip she could feel his cock straining for release in his briefs. She pulled the briefs down enough to allow Ivan's cock to spring out, but didn't remove them altogether, remembering the way Ivan had tantalised her and wanting to do the same.

Alice had given very few hand jobs but she allowed her instincts, and Ivan's responses, to guide her. First she very gently used one finger to stroke the tip of Ivan's hard, circumcised penis, and then when it was clear he couldn't stand that much longer, rubbed all that was sticking out of his briefs. Ivan was moaning loudly now, so she finally gave him what he wanted, pulling his clothing down out of the way and circling his cock with her hand, then slowly moving up and down as Ivan thrust his groin up towards her.

"Go on, like that, that's so good," Ivan said shakily in her ear as she kissed his neck, "I'm so close now, make me come Alice..."

She increased the tempo and saw the effect she was having as his cock seemed to get even harder and started to jerk spasmodically. After another few up and down movements with her hand Ivan gasped "Yes, yes, I'm coming!" and she saw the thick white fluid start to spurt out of his cock. She kept going as more and more cum covered her hand and Ivan's stomach until he held her arm to indicate that he couldn't take any more.

Now it was Ivan's turn to recover from a huge orgasm and neither of them spoke for the next couple of minutes, just holding each other closely, with Ivan's trousers and briefs around his knees and Alice's skirt bunched up around her waist. Finally, Ivan said:

"Alice, there's something about you that makes me incredibly turned on, and that was fantastic, I know you said you're a bit nervous and haven't had much experience, but seriously you have nothing to worry about!"

Now, at last, they removed the rest of their clothes and lay naked stretched out on the bed, stroking and kissing and enjoying the sensations of each other's bodies. After a while Alice excused herself to go to the bathroom and Ivan remade the bed so that they could use it more comfortably, discarding covers and the duvet and bringing some extra pillows from the spare room.

Alice was normally a little shy about her naked body, even in front of Kat or her mother, but somehow with Ivan she didn't care, and she walked back into the bedroom well aware that he was gazing intently at her as she came towards him.

"Do you like what you see? I can't believe how comfortable I am around you after such a short time, I'm usually really awkward about anything like this, I don't even like wearing a bikini on the beach."

"Alice, you are even more gorgeous naked than I had expected -- and I can tell you, my expectations were really high! But you exceed even my wildest fantasies, everything about you is just perfect."

"I'm sure you're just saying that, don't you think my breasts are too small?"

"God no, just right, and such lovely nipples too."

By now Alice was standing by the bed as he looked her up and down, and his obvious enjoyment of her body was turning them both on again. She could see his cock was already semi-erect and she knew at last with absolute certainty that she wanted it inside her very soon.

She took some time to look at Ivan's body as well; he was slim but clearly fit, with well-defined arm and chest muscles in particular, no doubt in part because of being a musician. She could already picture every inch of his face so instead looked hard at his legs and groin, kneeling on the bed next to him as she examined his now fully erect cock, and then starting to stroke his thighs with both her hands as he laid back and enjoyed her taking the lead.

Not really knowing what was coming over her, but knowing it felt right, Alice moved one hand away from Ivan's legs and instead cupped her left breast with it, then stroked her nipple in time with the stroking she was now doing on Ivan's cock and, to his evident delight, balls and perineum. She felt incredibly sexy and somehow very powerful as she tantalised this lovely man at the same time as adding to her own pleasure by stimulating herself, and then surprised herself even more by saying:

"Ivan, I know I might have been hesitant before, but I have to make love with you, I want you more than I have ever wanted anything before, I can't really believe I'm saying this but please fuck me!"

"I want you too, you're just unbelievably sexy."

He reached past her to the bedside table and slid the drawer open, taking out a small foil packet. He tore it open and took out the condom, then got Alice to help him pull it over his erection, which she found very exciting.

"I'd like you to sit on top of me, Alice, that way you can be in control and you don't have to worry about whether I'm going too fast or too hard, would you like that?"

"Yes, yes, please, show me how, I'm ready."

So Ivan lay with his head propped up on several pillows and Alice moved to sit astride him, with her fair pubic hair brushing against Ivan's much darker pubes. Ivan guided his cock towards her labia and gently rubbed it against the outer lips, causing another rush of pleasure to course through Alice's whole body. He inserted two fingers deftly inside her pussy, feeling how wet she was already and knowing that she was completely ready, but for good measure rubbing her G-spot with both fingers so that Alice arched backwards in surprise at the intense feeling.

Alice adjusted her position so that she was poised over Ivan's erect cock, then eased down as he slowly entered her, until she took his full length inside her. "Oh God, that feels so good!" she exclaimed, and then started to move up and down on top of him.

Ivan pushed up slowly with Alice's movements, deliberately not rushing things and allowing her to set the pace; she realised she was in charge and tried to take her time, enjoying every new sensation. She moved her hand back on to her breast and saw the effect she was having on Ivan, who was moaning loudly now as she started to increase the speed of her downward thrusts.

She realised, to her surprise, that she could come like this, and focused on her own pleasure, moving her hand from her breast down to rub her clit as she continued to fuck Ivan with abandon. Ivan realised what she was doing and started to push upwards more powerfully to match her.

"Come for me, Alice, I'm nearly there, don't wait, come for me..." Ivan said; his words, the feel of his engorged cock inside her and her stimulation of her clit all worked together and she felt her orgasm growing from somewhere deep down inside, throbbing, pulsing and then, as she almost screamed in delight and shock, bursting out even more powerfully than when Ivan had made her come earlier.

Ivan felt her pussy contracting around him and this was enough to make him come too, pushing upwards into her and pumping more cum than he thought possible into the straining condom. Alice's chest was flushed pink as she fell forward on to him, with his cock still inside her, and he held her tight as they gradually came down from the heights of their mutual pleasure.

Neither of them spoke for some time, as Ivan's cock shrank and he carefully withdrew, holding the condom as he did so, then easing it off and dropping it on the floor. Finally Alice roused herself, kissed Ivan deeply, then said:

"I can't believe what just happened, are you some kind of sex god, that was just incredible. I never thought I could come like that, but it felt so easy, so inevitable, I just knew I would once we started moving together. Ivan I'm so glad I'm here, I wouldn't have missed this for the world, thank you for inviting me."

"No Alice, I should be thanking you, I knew it was asking a lot for you to come and stay with someone you had only just met, I'm just thrilled to have you here, and that we seem to be so compatible, I have never had sex like that the first time with someone."

"Good! You know I was worried, but I'm not sure you know how worried I was -- I really thought I was rubbish in bed, my very limited experience had been so disappointing, but now I see it wasn't me at all -- you make me feel so wanted, so desirable, so sexy, and that's just amazing."

It was late and they were both tired so Ivan suggested Alice use the bathroom first. When they were both done they lay next to each other on the bed with just a sheet covering them, Alice resting her head on Ivan's chest. She was nearly asleep when she suddenly said; "Do you know, I've never spent a whole night with a man before? Sorry if I am restless, but I hope I won't be, I feel pretty tired -- it's been so exciting!"

"Don't worry at all, I don't care if you dance a jig in your sleep."

Chapter Four -- Allegretto Amabile

Their exertions had tired them both out and to Ivan's surprise, as he was usually an early riser, it was after 8am when he stirred to find that Alice spooned into him and his morning hard-on pressing into her. He tried not to disturb her but she soon stretched and yawned luxuriantly, then reached behind her and held his hard cock, saying with a twinkle in her voice: "I see someone is pleased I'm here this morning."

She tugged gently a few times then rolled over, took one of Ivan's hands and placed it between her legs. He didn't need a second invitation and started to finger her, feeling her pussy dampen quickly at his touch while she continued to stroke him. After a couple of minutes Alice pulled Ivan on top of her, saying she was ready, spreading her legs wide apart and, once he had put a condom on, helping him to guide his cock inside her.

"I still can't believe how good that feels, you don't hurt me at all, it just feels like we are made to be together."

"I think we are, you feel amazing, but let me know if I go too fast or it does hurt."

They quickly found a rhythm but took their time over this first morning fuck, Ivan deliberately slowing his pace whenever he thought he was getting too close to coming. After a while he saw that Alice's chest was starting to flush, and he realised her breathing was getting faster, so he began to thrust harder. She lifted her hips to meet him, and they raced together towards their orgasms, Ivan gasping with the effort and Alice moaning with pleasure beneath him. He came first, crying out with the thrilling bliss of the sensation as his orgasm hit; Alice wasn't far behind and Ivan's cries triggered her climax, the knowledge that she was doing this to him exciting her hugely.

This orgasm was different again from her previous two, as strong at first but lasting longer and only subsiding when Ivan withdrew. She took his hand and rubbed it on her breasts, adding another sensation to those already coursing through her body, maximising the sheer joy she was experiencing.

They kissed for the first time on this new day, with all the passion of new lovers, then Ivan said he was going to get her breakfast in bed. Alice wondered if she might go back to sleep but she was too excited and instead lay quietly thinking over the events of the last 24 hours.

Ivan reappeared soon with coffee, toast, butter, jam and marmalade and they enjoyed feeding each other pieces of toast. The coffee was very welcome and once she had had a few sips Alice asked Ivan if he had anything in mind for the day, saying that she would be perfectly happy to stay in bed, of course, but perhaps they ought to venture out for a bit.

"I agree, it would be great to stay here, but maybe if we have a break we can enjoy things later even more. I do think you'll like Chester, if we head there in time for lunch there is a lovely restaurant I know and we can have a look around, it's a beautiful place and not too far to drive."

"That sounds good, as long as we have plenty of time here too."

"We will, don't worry!"

"I could really do with a shower now, would that be o. k.?"

"Of course, but would you like to have one together? It might be fun?"

"Yes, definitely, that would be lovely."

They went into the bathroom and Ivan turned the shower on, making sure he got the temperature exactly as she wanted it before holding her hand and pulling her in. He closed the shower door and they kissed under the warm jets of water, stroking each other's backs as they did so. Ivan squeezed some shower gel on to his hands and washed Alice's back for her, then moved to the front and very gently lathered her breasts, knowing they would be sensitive after all their love-making.

Alice returned the favour, soaping his back, washing under his arms, delicately stroking his nipples then enjoying taunting him by placing her hand under his groin between his legs, delicately fingering his balls and watching his cock stir as she did so, but not touching it. Only when he was fully erect did she start to wash it, using lots of shower gel to increase the sensations and enjoying his evident pleasure as she did so.

Ivan hadn't thought he could come again so soon but was starting to believe he might, and to add to his excitement he rinsed his hands then began to finger Alice. He couldn't tell whether she was so wet from being turned on, the shower, or both, but she started saying in his ear that what he was doing felt amazing, and he knew that they could both come.

Alice increased the speed of her stroking at the same time as Ivan added a second finger inside her, making sure he was touching her G-spot some of the time as well as using his thumb to rub her clit. Both of them had strong, flexible fingers from their years of practicing their instruments and they were each enjoying finding what their new lover liked best; Alice could see that Ivan was close to coming as his cock was jerking like it had before, so she pressed harder against his hand on her pussy, taking his other hand in hers and placing it on her breasts so that he could rub her nipples.

Ivan followed her lead, and was rewarded with Alice's moans in his ear as the shower continued to soak them and increase their excitement.

"God, Ivan, I'm going to come again, make me come again, yes, yes, yessssssssss!"

"I'm coming too, come with me, oh God."

Ivan managed a few quick spurts of cum before he had to stop Alice as the sensation was almost painful; at the same time he could feel her pussy clenching around his fingers as he kept on rubbing her clit and her nipples. Alice's orgasm was her longest yet, and only after nearly a minute did she finally pull back from Ivan's hand, gasping slightly as she did so.

They held each other under the jets of water and then shampooed each other's hair, before rinsing off and staggering slightly out of the shower. Ivan produced two large fluffy towels and once they were dry he opened the bedroom curtains to show Alice the view of the neat garden and that the sun was shining brightly.

Once dressed -- Ivan in chinos and a short-sleeved shirt, Alice in the skirt which she knew showed her legs off well and a t-shirt -- and having had another coffee they set off in Ivan's car for Chester, a 40-minute drive past Liverpool Airport and over the famous River Mersey. Once parked they walked hand in hand around the historic city, looking at the interesting architecture and enjoying the sunshine on their faces.

Alice thought again how easy Ivan was to talk to, and realised that she was feeling the age and experience gap much less than she had on the course. She was deliberately trying hard not to think about the bigger picture -- when they might be together again after this weekend, and, of course, Maggie -- and just live in the moment, something which Kat would be the first to say she was not always that good at, having a strong tendency to over-analyse.

She thought about Kat too, and how much she was looking forward to telling her what had happened. Kat had had a long relationship with a boy called Dan but he had gone to university a year ahead of them (like Alice, Kat was starting in the Autumn, though at Cambridge rather than Oxford) and as was often the case, the relationship had not survived the separation. Although Alice had liked Dan, she had enjoyed having more time with Kat after they had split up, and, both being only children, they were as close, if not closer, than many sisters. Kat understood her better than anyone, including her parents, and they were always there for each other.

Ivan woke her from her reverie by asking if she liked Chinese food, and when she said she did, he took her down a quiet alley off one of the main streets to a slightly unprepossessing restaurant.

"This was opened a few years ago by one of the families from Liverpool's Chinatown and it's honestly the best Chinese I've ever been to."

The meal lived up to his billing, and they shared some delicious dishes, drinking plenty of Jasmine tea. Once Ivan had settled the bill they went outside, holding hands, into the Spring sunshine.

"Shall we head back? I actually need to do a bit of practice if that's o. k., just half an hour on some Bartok we're doing next week, and then I will cook you something for dinner."

"That sounds great, but would it be o. k. if I phoned Kat while you're practising, I promised I would if I could..."

"Of course, you're really close aren't you?"

"Yes, we met when we were five at infant school, neither of us have siblings, we hit it off on our first day in Miss Naylor's class and have never looked back!"

"I liked her Mum too, she seemed nice..." Ivan was teasing Alice now, knowing that she had noticed them talking.

"She's old enough to be your mother, don't be disgusting!"

Ivan just laughed, pulled Alice into an embrace and kissed her warmly.

...

When they got back to his house, Ivan made some more coffee and settled Alice on the sofa with a plate of biscuits and the phone, then headed upstairs to practise. Alice dialled the familiar number, though nearly forgetting the area code for the long-distance call, and was pleased when Kat herself answered.

"Richmond 1798, hello?"

"Hello, it's me!"

"Alice! How are you, are you o. k., do you need me to come and rescue you from his clutches?"

"God no, I adore his clutches! Oh Kat, why didn't you tell me sex could be this good?"

"I didn't want to make you jealous, but what happened to the "Oh, I don't think we'll get that far, I'm too scared and I'm sure he's not like that"? That didn't last long, did it?!"

"Ok, ok, you were right, but without wanting to sound too icky, it's SO wonderful, I just can't believe it. And he's so kind too, we've been out for two meals, the concert was great, I met one of his friends in the orchestra, there's even an Italian café in the city centre where they treat him like a long-lost cousin. Kat, seriously though, I am totally falling for him, I know you said that would happen, but I'm worried what it all means."

"Alice, my dearest, sweetest, best friend in the universe, can you please try to do what you said and enjoy things without thinking about it too much. I know that's a bit ironic coming from me after some of my dire warnings, but you sound so happy, don't even think about Monday, just enjoy the rest of the weekend and then I will be there for you whatever happens next."

"You're right, and to be honest once we're kissing I forget everything anyway, just as you said I would! He has a lovely little house too, and such a comfy bed!"

"That's quite enough of that, you know I haven't had sex in months, don't rub it in!"

"I'm sorry, and thank you, it's so good to talk to you and I will do what you say -- it really won't be difficult!"

"God you've really got it bad, haven't you? I'm thrilled though, I've been thinking about you so much and hoping you're o. k., it's great you could ring. Can you call me when you get home tomorrow night if it's not too late? And we can have lunch on Monday can't we?"

"Of course I will, I can't wait to see you and tell you everything!"

"Well, maybe you don't need to tell me everything, not sure I could take that, but I can't wait to see you too. Love you Alice, make the most of the rest of your time and I will see you on Monday."

"Love you too Kat, 'bye."

...

Once he had finished practising Ivan cooked some pasta with a spicy fresh tomato, chilli, garlic and prawn sauce, and they finished the bottle of Verdicchio between them. Alice felt relaxed and as happy as she could remember ever being, and following her pep talk from Kat, tried not to think about anything other than being there with Ivan and enjoying their special weekend.

Ivan closed the living room curtains and put some jazz on quietly in the background and they sat on the sofa, kissing softly at first, then, as their mutual passion grew, pulling at each other's clothes until they were both down to their underwear. Ivan took off Alice's bra and licked her breasts, sucking hard on each nipple, then moved down her stomach and, pulling her pants down with one hand, kissed her pubic hair. Alice lifted herself up slightly so he could remove the pants altogether and he manoeuvred her so that she was half lying on the sofa, opening her legs and kneeling on the floor between them.

When Ivan's tongue first touched her outer labia, Alice realised that this was completely different again from anything they had done before. He alternated licking and kissing her pussy and she revelled in the extraordinary sensations, then his tongue entered her properly, licking up the length of her inner labia until he reached her clit. At the same time Ivan put one finger, then two, inside her, increasing the speed of his tonguing of her clit, and Alice felt her orgasm starting to grow.

"God, yes, that's so good, I'm going to come soon, keep doing that."

Ivan continued to finger and lick her, finding her G-spot and concentrating his licking on her clit, feeling her pussy start to throb as she started to come. He licked harder, then sucked on her clit and added a third finger inside her as she came hard.

"Oh yes, yes, yesssssssssssss, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Alice screamed as she went on coming longer than she thought possible, finally clamping her legs around Ivan's head to stop him. He gently pushed her legs apart and came up for air, smiling to himself at her reaction.

"Are you o. k.?" Ivan said with slight concern as Alice looked almost as if she might faint.

"I've never been better, just a bit overwhelmed, that's all. No-one has ever done that to me before; of course, I knew about it but just had no idea it would feel like that. God, Ivan, have you got any more tricks up your sleeve, I'm not sure I can survive much more!"

"You'll just have to wait and see, but let's go to bed now, it's getting late."

They headed upstairs, and once they were lying next to each other, Alice started to stroke Ivan's cock slowly. Though he was still very turned on from having made her come so hard, he knew Alice was tired so suggested that they wait until the morning, and soon they were both asleep, Alice's head on Ivan's chest in what was becoming her favourite place in the world.

Chapter Five, Andante serioso

Alice woke early on Sunday morning, the golden May sunlight filtering through the thin curtains in Ivan's bedroom. For a moment, she wasn't sure where she was, then she felt Ivan's warm arm draped across her waist and the steady rise and fall of his breathing beside her. She turned slightly to face him, taking in his relaxed features, the soft curls falling across his forehead, the peaceful expression so different from the intensity he showed when he was playing or talking about music.

The weekend had already been beyond anything she could have imagined. Their love-making and Ivan's kindness--his patience, his skill, his understanding--had obliterated her lingering doubts about herself and her own desirability, and she realised now that something had already changed. She had come to Liverpool uncertain, nervous, and now she felt transformed, like she had unlocked something within herself she hadn't even known existed.

She pressed a gentle kiss against his shoulder, causing him to stir slightly, his lips curving into a half-smile before his eyes opened.

"Good morning, gorgeous." he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

Alice smiled, feeling a rush of warmth. "Morning. Sleep well?"

"Better than ever," he replied, pulling her closer so she was nestled against him. "I could get very used to this."

Alice's heart gave an unsteady beat. She didn't want to ruin the moment, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, "So... what happens now?"

Ivan exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Alice. I just know that I don't want this to be the last time we're together."

She nodded, knowing full well that the reality of their lives--his job in Liverpool, her impending start at Oxford, and, of course, the ever-present shadow of Maggie--would make things difficult. But in that moment, she didn't care.

"I don't want it to be either," she admitted. "I just... I suppose I wish things were simpler."

Ivan laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Since when has life ever been simple?"

"You're right, and I promise I am not going to make it more complicated -- let's just enjoy the time we have."

And saying that she reached under the covers to stroke his cock again, but this time ducked her head under too, kissing his chest, then his stomach, with a quick flick of her tongue into his belly-button to see how he reacted, then down to lick just above, but not touching, the tip of his cock.

Alice had never given a blow job and she really wasn't sure what to do, but she had heard some of her friends talking about it and wanted to do something she thought Ivan would like. She let her tongue touch his cock and was gratified with the instant response, Ivan gasping with pleasure, and then she put her lips around it, licking and sucking slightly, realising that 'blow job' was a rather inaccurate term. Ivan stroked her hair as she sucked again, letting a little more of his shaft in, then opening her mouth before taking the whole of his length and starting to move slowly up and down on his throbbing cock.

This was clearly the right approach as Ivan was moaning loudly, then he held her head still for a moment and said: "Alice, I am going to come any minute, if you don't want it in your mouth that's fine, just tell me and I will pull out."

"No, I do, I want it all, come for me now Ivan!"

Ivan didn't need any more encouragement, and as Alice resumed her sucking and licking she heard him cry out "Oh God, so good!" and she realised that he was spurting into her mouth. She swallowed as quickly as she could, hardly tasting the spunk as it went down, then licked the final drops off as his orgasm subsided.

For a few minutes they held each other, Ivan marvelling at the heights of sensation this seemingly inexperienced and shy girl was bringing to him, Alice revelling in this new-found power to arouse her lover, then they began to kiss and soon Ivan was bringing Alice to yet another huge climax, his fingers inside her and his lips vigorously sucking her nipples.

They spent the rest of the morning lazily enjoying each other's company and having sex once more, and it was nearly midday when they finally got out of bed, Ivan insisting on making them breakfast--"Or brunch, at this point," he said, smiling--as

Alice sat on the kitchen counter, watching him move effortlessly around the small space.

As they ate, the conversation drifted to music, books, travel. Alice found herself relaxing more and more, realising that beyond the physical attraction, beyond the chemistry, she just loved being with Ivan; he was intelligent, thoughtful, and had a wicked sense of humour.

She knew though that this idyll couldn't last, she had to get her train, Ivan had to get to a rehearsal in the late afternoon, so she packed her bag slowly, not wanting to leave but knowing she had to. Ivan stood in the doorway, watching her, his expression unreadable. When she finally zipped up her bag, he crossed the room quickly and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm going to miss you," he murmured into her hair.

"Me you too" Alice said quietly through the lump in her throat. "Me you too."

They drove to the station, and when they had parked and were waiting on the platform, Alice turned to Ivan, held both his hands and said:

"Whatever happens now, I have had a wonderful, incredible time and I want to thank you for everything. But please don't forget about me, please."

"Alice I have had the best weekend ever, and of course, I won't, I'll write, we will find a way to see each other again soon, I promise."

The train had pulled in by now and Alice nodded, then pulled him into a deep kiss, uncaring of the people around them. When they finally broke apart, she stepped onto the train, taking a seat by the window. Ivan stayed on the platform, watching her as the train began to move. She kept her eyes on him until he disappeared from sight, her heart aching in a way she hadn't expected.

As the train carried her back to London, Alice stared out of the window, lost in thought. She had come to Liverpool not really knowing what would happen, telling herself she was just visiting Ivan. But as she watched the countryside blur past, she realised the truth.

She hadn't just visited Ivan. She had completely fallen for him.

And she had no idea what would happen next.

Chapter Six, Adagio, alternating with Presto Furioso

For the rest of the Spring of 1983 and the early Summer, Alice lived two lives. One was her normal, somewhat mundane existence, waiting to go to Oxford, working in the florists, relying on Kat to keep her sane, and only really brightening up when a letter arrived from Ivan or she was able to speak to him on the phone.

Then there was her other life, her life as Ivan's passionate lover. They managed to meet first of all at his parent's house in North London, where Ivan was house-sitting for a weekend and Alice came to join him for a night. They barely slept, talking, fucking, eating and drinking the time away, and all too soon she had to leave him again, keeping a brave face as she did so but then sobbing quietly to herself on the train back to Richmond.

Next Ivan came down to give Kat a lesson, at Sally's behest, and some judicious juggling of the supposed and real timings allowed Kat to leave Alice and Ivan in her bedroom for another precious hour together. Then, most precious of all, the Liverpool Phil had a concert at a festival in Northern France followed by a few days break, and Ivan paid for Alice to fly out and join him in a small seaside hotel for two days and nights, whilst she convinced her ever-worried mother that she was going to visit a nice girl called Iona who she had met on the Liverpool Russian course.

Alice and Ivan knew that this could be their last significant time together for the summer, as the following week Alice was returning to Greece to resume her nannying job for the Russian family she had worked for the previous year, and they made the most of it. The hotel was perfect; charming and stylish and also oblivious in a typically French way to what might be going on with the young British couple, and Alice loved being able to use her language skills to impress Ivan.

Their sexual compatibility continued to grow, finding new ways to turn each other on and fulfil each other's needs, and they seemed so perfectly matched, but just occasionally Alice would catch Ivan looking thoughtful or wistful out of the corner of her eye, and she knew that underneath it all he was still struggling with what might happen next with Maggie. She didn't want to spoil their idyll by asking directly, and he never mentioned her unless she did, but finally on their last afternoon together she cracked.

"Ivan, I don't really want to know, but I have to ask, what's going on now with you and Maggie -- you said she might be coming back for a bit at the end of the summer, is she still, does she know about me, what's happening? I'm sorry, I just need to know where we stand, I can't bear the thought of not seeing you again but I can't go on not knowing if we have a future or not."

There was a long pause, then Ivan said:

"I'm sorry you had to ask, and I was going to tell you, I just didn't want to spoil things by bringing it up. But you're right, it's not fair, so here goes.

"She is coming back, but not just for a bit; she was over a few weeks ago and did an audition for the Halle and she got the job. I'm so sorry Alice, but she's going to come and live with me in Liverpool and we are going to try to make a go of it. I know that's the last thing you want to hear, and I know you will probably hate me for the rest of your life now, and you'd be right to do so, but I want you to try to believe me when I say that there will always be a part of me that is completely in love with you.

"You'll say I'm lying, it's just been for the sex, that I can't possibly care about you, and I know you're entitled to think that, but please believe me when I say that I am so torn, but Maggie and I go back a long way and, and..."

He broke off then, unable to say any more, whilst Alice tried very hard not to cry, nor shout or scream, or throw the glass ashtray from the coffee table at his head. Finally, mustering all her inner strength, she said quietly:

"Ivan, I could never really hate you, but I am not sure I will ever forgive you for choosing her and not me. I thought what we had was special; no, that's wrong, I know it is, but obviously it isn't quite special enough -- maybe that's my naivety speaking, maybe your extra four years of 'experience' makes you different, but I'm sorry, I find it hard to believe that part of you loves me, at least not the way that I really, really love you."

Ivan tried to take her in his arms but she pulled back, saying she needed to pack and get a taxi to the airport. She relented in the end, letting him kiss her and kissing him back before she headed down to reception, and only then, in the back of the cab, did she finally start to cry, silent, hot tears as the bitterness of rejection hit her.

Part Two -- Summer and Autumn 1983.

Chapter Seven, Allegretto

Alice had been really looking forward to returning to Greece, and reconnecting with the Volkov family, but she hadn't expected to go there nursing a broken heart.

She had enjoyed her time with them the previous summer, looking after the two little children and teaching them some English, and getting to know Natasha, their mother, and had also liked Nikolai, the father, though she had only met him briefly as he had been away on business until the last two days of the holiday. Her parents were pleased she would be able to use her Russian again before Oxford, and Kat, who was possibly more furious with Ivan even than Alice was, said that it was what Alice needed and, half-jokingly, that she should find herself a Greek millionaire to have a revenge fling with.

At other times it would have been the perfect setting for a summer romance - the villa was breathtaking, perched high above the sea on a quiet island, with whitewashed walls and endless sunshine, the children were thrilled to see her again and their parents pleased to have someone to help to look after them, but Alice had not set out with anything other than forgetting Ivan in mind.

Nonetheless, something about her had clearly changed, for Nikolai was definitely much more attentive than he had been on their brief acquaintance the previous year. There were stolen glances, conversations over long lunches, lingering touches. Natasha seemed oblivious, and then announced that she was going to visit her sister who was in Athens for a few days, leaving them in the villa by the Mediterranean.

That night, after too much ouzo and an impromptu swim under the stars, she found herself pressed against the cool stone of the villa's terrace, Nikolai's lips on her neck, his hands tracing slow patterns down her back.

For the first time, she let herself forget Ivan. She flung herself headlong into this affair, using all her new-found confidence and skills to delight and surprise the older man, and in turn making sure that he gave her what she needed to try to get Ivan out of her system.

It was an affair that belonged to the summer--passionate, fleeting, and entirely unreal. Nikolai never promised her anything, and Alice didn't ask. Once Natasha returned it was as if it had never happened, and as the trip came to an end, reality loomed once more. But Alice knew now, or thought she did, that she would be ok, that she could move on.

Chapter Eight -- Introduzione e Rondo Capriccioso

Oxford was everything she had imagined and nothing like she had expected. She threw herself into university life, determined to be the best version of herself--new friends, late-night conversations, studying, joining every music group going, but no matter how busy she made herself, there was always a part of her that ached for Ivan.

They wrote occasionally--polite, distant letters that neither of them seemed to know how to end. They never spoke, knowing that would be too much for either of them to bear, and eventually Alice decided that everything was fine, Ivan really was in the past.

Towards the end of her first term she started chatting to Ben, a likeable cellist in the university orchestra, and after a few post-rehearsal drinks they slept together for the first time in his college rooms. The sex was fine, but a little nagging devil on Alice's shoulder whispered occasionally in her ear that it was nothing like it had been with Ivan. She angrily told the devil to mind its own business, and she told Kat in one of their frequent phone calls that she was very happy, and intended to stay that way.

Then, out of the blue, a card arrived for her. On it was a picture of Chester, and inside was written:

"Alice,

I don't know why I'm writing. I suppose I just needed to.

When I was in London the other week visiting my parents I couldn't help thinking about our night there and our time together. I just wanted you to know that.

I miss you.

Ivan."

She read the words over and over, her heart pounding. She knew she should throw the card away, pretend it didn't affect her.

Instead, she folded it carefully and placed it in the drawer beside her bed.

Part Three - 1986

Chapter Eight -- Sinfonia Concertante

Alice stood in Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre, holding her violin close as the conductor addressed the orchestra.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you all know how much we had been looking forward to our two stars, Alice and Daniel, performing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in tonight's concert. Unfortunately, as some of you may have heard, Daniel's grandmother died yesterday, and following the Jewish tradition the funeral is this afternoon, so he will be unable to perform.

"Luckily, I've called in a favour, and we have an excellent stand-in as the viola soloist."

Alice was taken aback. Who could they have found at such short notice? Then the door opened, and her heart stopped.

Ivan.

Nearly three years had passed since they had last seen each other. Three years in which she had tried--and failed--to forget him.

He looked almost the same, though there were a few new lines around his eyes, a little more confidence in the way he carried himself. Their eyes met across the room, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

The rehearsal was intense. Alice played as if her life depended on it, pushing every ounce of emotion into the music, aware of Ivan beside her, their sounds blending in ways words never could. In many ways this was her dream, for she had always loved his playing as well as him, and to play this piece with him -- what more could she want? But she was also well aware of Ben in the cellos, loyal, dependable Ben, who she never wanted to hurt in any way.

She focused instead on the concert, and that night they gave the performance of their lives, even having to repeat the finale as an encore. Ivan sportingly joined the orchestral violas for the second half, and afterwards Alice quite deliberately introduced her to Ben, telling him:

"I already knew Ivan before tonight, it's a nice coincidence, he coached me on a chamber music course during my gap year; Ivan, this is my boyfriend Ben."

Ivan made polite conversation with Ben and the other students, before saying that he had an early start as he had to drive back to Liverpool so he needed to head to his College guest room. Without really thinking, Alice offered to show him the way, and she led him through the streets of Oxford, chatting inanely and avoiding saying anything real.

But once they reached the corridor, she stood outside the room, her heart thumping, not wanting to say goodbye but not daring to ruin her equilibrium either.

Ivan, sensing her hesitation, opened the door, pulled Alice inside and kissed her with all the desperation of the years they had lost.

She knew she should have stopped him. She should have walked away.

But instead, she let herself fall all over again. They resumed with all the passion they had had before, each knowing that it could be the last time, and not wanting to leave anything behind. No sleep was had, hardly any words were spoken, they devoured each other until they were both sated. As dawn was breaking Alice said she had to leave and, after one final kiss, she slipped away on to the silent Oxford streets.

Chapter Nine -- 1989 -- Intermezzo

Alice sat in the small London flat she shared with Ben, staring at the letter in her hands. Ivan's handwriting was unmistakable--elegant, slightly slanted, as if the pen had barely skimmed the page.

She hesitated before unfolding it. It had been months since she had last heard from him. She knew what was coming.

"Alice,

I wanted you to hear it from me. Maggie and I got married last month. It was small, just family and close friends. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner--I suppose a part of me didn't know how.

I hope you're happy. I really do.

Ivan."

Her fingers tightened around the paper. She had known this would happen eventually. Had tried to prepare herself. But knowing something and feeling it were two different things.

She stared out of the window at the grey London skyline, listening to the distant hum of traffic. Ben was in the next room, reading. Safe. Solid. Predictable.

She should have moved on by now. She had tried.

But as she folded the letter and placed it in the drawer beside her bed, she knew the truth.

She wasn't sure she ever would.

Chapter Ten - 1995 -- Finale

Paris had been meant to be a fresh start.

Alice had taken the translation job with the vague idea that a new city, concentrating on her French and not Russian, might somehow help her forget. She had built a quiet life for herself--work, walks along the Seine, the occasional concert, welcome visits from Kat.

And yet, she and Ivan had never truly lost touch. Letters, occasional phone calls, brief meetings when circumstances allowed. They had learned to exist in each other's periphery, always there, always just out of reach. He was still married, she had split up with Ben but had never told Ivan, not wanting to 'complicate' things, she thought ruefully, thinking back to one of their first proper conversations.

Then, on another beautiful Spring evening, the phone rang in her little Parisian apartment.

She answered on the second ring, already knowing who it would be.

"Alice."

It was the way he said her name. Low, familiar, with just a trace of something else beneath it.

She swallowed. "Ivan. It's late."

"I know. I'm sorry." A pause. "Maggie and I... it's over."

She closed her eyes.

"It happened a while ago actually, I should have told you sooner. I should have--"

"You should have done a lot of things, Ivan."

"I know." Another pause. "Are you happy?"

She sighed. "I was doing fine until five minutes ago."

He gave a soft, humourless laugh. "I don't know why I called."

"Yes, you do."

Another silence. Longer this time.

Then, quietly: "Do you want to see me?"

She let the words hang between them, knowing the answer before she even spoke.

"You know, don't you," she said, "that I have never loved anyone properly apart from you. But I can't take any more hope and disappointment. So if you feel the same, I want you to come to Paris tomorrow and tell me yourself. I don't care how much it costs or what excuses you have to give. Just be here."

A beat.

"Let me know tomorrow what's happening." Her voice was steady now. "I love you, Ivan. But I can't wait any longer."

She hung up before he could answer.

And then she sat in the quiet of her apartment, staring at the phone, waiting.

...

Ivan sat at his desk, looking at the engagement ring he had already bought that morning in Hatton Garden. At last, he thought, I know. I know what I want, I know what I need to do, and I know now is when I have to do it.

Very early the next day, Ivan boarded the new Eurostar service from London to Paris, every so often checking the little velvet-lined box in his jacket pocket.

He arrived at the Gare du Nord, found a phone box and dialled Alice's number.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"You left it so long to ring, are you coming or not, why do you always do this to me, you bastard?"

"How far is your apartment from the Gare du Nord?"

"Ten minutes on the Metro, why?"

"Get on the Metro, I'll meet you outside the Café du Nord on the other side of the road."

"You mean you're here? God Ivan, it's lucky I do love you because otherwise I would want to kill you right now! Give me 15 minutes, I'll see you there."

As soon as she put the phone down, Alice allowed herself one whoop of glee, then quickly grabbed her keys and bag and almost flew down the four flights of stairs, out on to the street and along to her local Metro station. Her luck was most definitely in, as she reached the platform just as a train arrived. She jumped on and sat down, breathing heavily, hardly able to believe what was happening.

Ivan had bought the biggest bunch of flowers he could carry and was waiting anxiously outside the café, trying not to keep glancing at his watch to see how much of the 15 minutes had passed. He thought back to the first time he had waited for Alice at a station 12 years previously and how much they had been through, together and apart, since then. For the first time in his life he knew with utter conviction that what he was doing was right and he felt an enormous sense of happiness, excitement and relief. He was just looking at the clock on the front of the station when he heard Alice's voice shouting from across the street:

"Ivan, over here!"

He waved and ran to meet her as she crossed the road, then awkwardly tried to hug her without crushing the flowers and losing his bag all at the same time. Alice laughed and at that moment he knew without a doubt that everything would be all right, that their long game had finally reached its proper conclusion.

They kissed, and then Ivan reached into his pocket and to Alice's amusement and delight, really did get down on one knee on the Paris pavement, ignoring the people walking past pointing and staring.

Ivan opened the small box and took out the ring, holding it carefully between his thumb and index finger and saying in a shaky voice:

"Alice, I hope you can forgive me for the fact that I should have done this a very long time ago, but I need you to know that, like you, I have never loved anyone else the way I love you, and I know I never will. Please, if you really do feel the same, will you put both of us out of our misery and marry me!"

"Of course I will you idiot, I love you Ivan, I have done since the first time we met and despite everything I have never ever stopped loving you."

A small crowd had gathered by now and when Ivan put the ring on Alice's fourth finger and they kissed, some cheering and applause broke out. Alice turned and in perfect French thanked everyone for their good wishes, before kissing Ivan again.

CODA

Christmas Eve 2008 - King's College Chapel, Cambridge

Alice and Ivan were sitting in the tight pews of King's College Chapel in the semi-darkness, waiting for the famous Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols to begin, along with the millions of radio listeners. Each year the service starts with the processional carol 'Once in Royal David's City', led by a choirboy who only knows he has been chosen to sing the solo when the director of music taps him on the shoulder seconds before the start.

A hush descended on the congregation and the pure voice rang out, clear and true, as the choir began their stately procession. Alice turned to Ivan, tears running down her cheeks, and whispered:

"It's him, isn't it, it's Max, it's our boy."

And it is, it's their son Max, singing for the whole world as Alice and Ivan hug and he whispers back:

"We did it, you and me, we did this, I love you so much."

Fin