Two's Company, Three's Naughtier

Chapter 1With a deep groan as he indulged in a luxuriant stretch, Kiran winced as his spine popped loudly. Then he gazed at his canvas with the kind of critical eye that only an artist could. The commission was for a woman and her dog. The woman had been easy enough, but the dog had refused to cooperate from day one. In the end, Kiran had used a compilation of doggy photos to be able to insert the recalcitrant pooch into the painting. The combination of his art sales and Brent’s job in the local council meant they could enjoy an enviable lifestyle. They took two holidays a year, summer and winter, and also managed to have the odd weekend away through the year. There were only a few more weeks until they took their much-anticipated trip up the North Island for a couple of weeks of skiing and snowboarding at Whakapapa. I can hardly wait, and Brent’s put in some long hours recently. We both need to get away for a while. At a quick glance to his watch, Kiran smiled. There was just over an hour before Brent was due home, giving Kiran plenty of time to shower, prepare a nice meal, and have a decent bottle of wine ready. Once out of the shower, he tugged on a pair of boxer briefs and ambled into the kitchen, flicking on the small wall-set TV just for background noise. In twenty minutes, he had the meat sauce for a Spaghetti Bolognese simmering away. “Final touch.” Kiran opened the red wine to allow it to breathe and added a good measure to the sauce. He already had salad prepared, and a couple of bread rolls had been liberally slathered in garlic butter, ready to pop into the oven to warm once the pasta was almost done. “Perfect.” Kiran hummed as he set the table. Sometimes they ate homemade meals in front of the TV, and occasionally got a take-out treat, but tonight Kiran felt like having a more luxurious dining experience. “And we deserve it.”