‘For coffee?’ Cavalier asked.

‘No! Champagne and great sex, dollink!’

Cavalier glanced at his watch, smiled and nodded. Catherine put her arm around his shoulder and they took the short walk along King’s Road to Kings Court North, a block of apartments opposite the Chelsea fire station and Sydney Street. She led him up one flight of stairs to number eleven. Her rented apartment faced the King’s Road, and the sound of traffic gave off a low buzz through the double glazing. She put on the light in the front room and pulled the curtains.

Catherine looked at her watch. She kicked off her shoes.

‘It’s approaching midnight,’ she said. ‘The porn show will start soon.’

‘Did you say porn show?’

She beckoned him to a bedroom. The curtains were open. They looked down into a small courtyard. Opposite and below them, a light was on in a ground floor apartment bedroom, which was empty.

‘Won’t be long now, dollink,’ she said. ‘Sit and watch. Must leave our light off.’

A bemused Cavalier did as instructed. Catherine returned a minute later with the champagne and two glasses. He opened a window and popped the cork so that it was propelled across the courtyard and hit the window of the bedroom they were looking at.

Catherine giggled and pushed him on the bed. They looked down to see a fit young man standing naked at the window squinting out. A woman, also naked, was soon next to him.

‘They are newlyweds, dollink,’ Catherine whispered. ‘Every night at this time they begin an acrobatic sexual show for about an hour. I’ve had dinner parties where everyone has left the table to watch the performance. Each window—from the kitchen, toilet, bathroom, spare bedroom and this one—looks down onto the “stage” below. They have not hung curtains in the room. My friends think they are exhibitionists. I think they just can’t afford the curtains.’ Catherine paused to laugh. ‘I see them in the village or coming into the block but I can’t make eye contact. I think I would give myself away by smiling.’

They watched the couple climb onto the bed. The man was erect. He lay on his back. The girl began a slow kissing ritual, starting with his face, neck and ears and sliding down his taut arms and torso.

‘Interesting technique, don’t you think, dollink?’ Catherine commented as she poured the champagne.

‘She has copied me,’ he said in mock indignation.

‘Really, dollink?’ she replied.

They watched as the young woman kissed down to his inner thigh. She began vigorous fellatio.

‘I don’t think she’s had dinner tonight,’ Cavalier said.

Catherine laughed. She eased off Cavalier’s jacket. He loosened his tie. She slipped out of her dress. He removed his shoes and clothes. Soon they had forgotten about the couple below and were entangled in their own pleasurable and passionate coupling, but without an audience.

50 HONEY-TRAPPED

50

HONEY-TRAPPED