Carol shook out her lovely golden hair and started to brush it before going to bed. She studied herself in the mirror, her pretty face pouting at the baby image, knowing a pout was most becoming on her innocent features. Throwing herself a kiss, she laughed aloud and stood long enough to remove the skimpy gown and turn around, admiring her firm, young body.
She wantonly lifted her hair above her head and watched it fall in golden ripples from her fingers, almost to the pink tips of her breast. Releasing her hair completely, she ran her hands lightly over her body, starting with her face, going over her shoulders with a tingle. Stopping only a moment she raised her breasts slightly to watch the lively little tips respond. Satisfied that they looked much sexier when they were stretched tight and tall, she followed the line of her ribs, squeezing her elfin waist, thrilling that it was almost small enough for her to put her tiny hands around.
Her breath came quickly now as she raised her leg, looked at it from every angle, and allowed it to come to a rest on the vanity bench she had just vacated. With her finger tips she traced a delicious tingle up her inner thigh until she reached the soft silky hairs that protected her precious little seat of pleasure.
At the nearness of her fingers to the throbbing organ, she felt her vagina tighten in anticipation of what was to come. Lightly she stroked andwas rewarded with an exciting pull of stomach muscles.
"Oh, damn!" she pouted prettily, wondering what to do. To go ahead with the self gratification would relieve some of the tension, but she knew from past experience it would only leave an unquenched desire for more than she herself was able to give. And just now, the real thing wasn't available.
She was startled by a knock on her door. Grabbing her filmy robe, she wrapped herself loosely in it and ran to the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me-Janet. Can I come in for awhile?" Carol frowned, considering the wisdom of letting Janet in. Janet was her stepmother. But above all Janet was a Lesbian and had been Carol's lover for over a year, until they had left her father and Janet had promised never to touch her again. Reminded by her body of the immediate needs, Carol smiled.
"Promises have been broken before," she said, opening the door. "Come on in, Janet."
Janet stepped gracefully inside and closed the door behind her. Her short blonde hair was immaculate and she wore an old, heavy bathrobe.
"I just wanted to talk to you for a while. We haven't really been alone since we left Eli and there are things to be decided," Janet said softly, carefully avoiding a full look at Carol.
"Decide? What about?" Carol asked absently, not really caring about anything but the throbbing demands her body was making.
"The main thing is me, I guess," Janet confessed. "I know you kids are going to be put into the custody of your grandparents. But with Eli dead and all, I can't stay here much longer. So I guess I'll have to be on my way and find new places to go and new things to do."
Carol's eyes widened.
"You can't leave me just like that."
"I'm afraid the situation leaves me little else to do. I don't want to leave you, especially," Janet murmured, her eyes stealing a greedy look at Carol's nearly naked body.
Seeing a good opening, Carol ran to Janet and threw her arms around her neck. Ignoring the robe that fell open, revealing completely the tanned loveliness beneath, she cried:
"I don't want you to leave me. Let me go with you, Janet? Please? I couldn't stay here alone."
She laid her head on Janet's shoulder and smiled when she felt Janet's trembling hands go around her, almost reluctantly. She wiggled closer, fitting her body to the contours of Janet's and ran her tongue over the perfumed neck, up to the ear lobes, where she nibbled.
"Oh, God!" Janet moaned, gathering the willing little body brutally to her. "What are you trying to do to me?"
"I just wanted to show you that I love you," Carol said, innocently drawing away, knowing full well that Janet would not let her go very far now.
"And how I love you, you sexy little kitten," Janet groaned, reaching to gather Carol back in her arms to kiss her.
Carol's lips met hers, willingly, crushing the softness, knowing victory when Janet's tongue flicked across her lips and forced it's way into her warm, moist mouth.
Breathless after the kiss, Janet still managed to smile and whisper:
"My baby's hot tonight, huh?"
"Guess," Carol moaned, undulating her body slowly against Janet's, feeling the soft breasts flatten beneath her own.
"Need me?" Janet managed to tease, sure now that Carol wanted her despite the foolishly given promise.
"Uh, huh!" Carol nodded shyly, yet her roving hands told of a boldness that did not fit her innocent look.
"This damned door have a lock?" Janet felt behind her for the knob, thinking momentarily of the grandparents in the house.
"Yep." Carol tore herself out of her lover's arms to flick the catch before turning back, displaying her proud breasts and shiny face.
"Come here, you," Janet called from the bed, where she was hurriedly removing her robe.
"And what if I don't?" Carol tripped lightly to the other side of the bed and stood poised as if to run.
"Then I'll just have to come and get you," Janet promised in a voice deep with desire. "And you'll know you've been had when I turn you loose, pretty one."
"In that case there's little point in wasting good energy on running, is there?" Carol giggled, flopping on the bed.
"None whatsoever." Janet reached for her wiggling doll.
Carol sank into the softness of the bed knowing that she was to have her own way as usual, and with a little moaning sigh she submitted to the searching probing of Janet's tender hands as they sought to bring her pleasure while her mouth feasted on the fiery tongue that threatened to overcome her senses.
She felt a moment of panic when Janet's mouth tore away from hers, but panic was replaced with wild anticipation as the mouth traced a hot moist path to her breast. She drew in her breath sharply when the teeth sank into the tender flesh, but it was a gasp of desire rather than pain. She buried her hands in Janet's hair and pressed the length of her body against Janet's warmth.
"Love me, my darling, love me," Carol begged jaggedly.
"What do you want me to do?" Janet teased, giving the nipple a gentle tug with her teeth while running her tongue in circles, first softly then with increased pressure.
"You know," Carol cried, her body tossing against the other woman.
"Do I?" Janet continued to pay tribute to the mounds of flesh she held lovingly in each hand.
"Kiss me," Carol pleaded, her hands tugging at Janet's hair. "Do it right," she whined. Janet solemnly rose and started to kiss Carol on the mouth, but Carol twisted angrily away, tears forming in her eyes. "Not there," she sobbed.
Tenderly, Janet kissed her on the noseandwhis-pered:
"Don't cry, my pretty angel. I'll do it, baby."
Good as her word she slipped down, kissing and making darting passes with her mouth as she worked her way down Carol's thrashing body. Reaching her destination, she kissed the golden mass of hair before parting it, the better to bury herself in Carol's sweet womanhood.
At the hot flicking touch of Janet's love making Carol tossed herself upwards toward the woman, grabbing a hand full of hair, guiding Janet's motions frantically.
"There. Easy. Oh, it's so good," she moaned, prompting every thrilling movement with whimpering little cries of pleasure.
"Shhh, baby, shh," Janet urged silence, fearful that the girl's cries would bring the entire household down upon them.
"I can't help it," Carol cried. "Oh, do it. There, please, there," she urged, her body arched to meet the thrills racing through her body.
"Damn, you need an empty desert to make love in," Janet cursed absently.
"Stop talking," Carol demanded, tugging at Janet's hair to resume.
"Ummm." Janet stopped talking, she herself becoming quite excited at the sounds she had just tried to stop.
"Oh, now, baby, now," Carol's voice hissed, almost a scream as she arched her body and held it stiff until a shudder shook her and she fell limp, sinking into the bed.
They lay back in silence, their sweaty bodies touching as Carol enjoyed the lingering sensations that swept over her in small waves. Janet's hands still roved, easing the after pains, the vague needs, helping the descent back to earth to be another pleasure in itself.
"That was wonderful, my little darling," Janet cooed. "But it still doesn't decide anything except that I still need you and you need me. I think we knew that all along."
"Then I'll go with you." Carol bounced to a sitting position, her breasts jiggling.
"You can't do that without permission, and I doubt they would let you."
"So? Who's going to let them say anything? They won't even know until we're gone. And I know them. If I leave a note and they think I'm safe they won't bother looking."
"You may be right," Janet admitted. "Knowing you, they'll let you get away with it."
"Sure. So it's settled. Now you're stuck with me," Carol teased, brushing her nipples across Janet's mouth.
"I hope so," Janet groaned, reaching for Carol again.
"Haven't had enough?" Carol laughed, wriggling away.
"I never have enough of you." Janet caressed Carol's thigh thoughtfully.
Suddenly Carol's face grew solemn.
"My poor Janet, you worked it all out for me, didn't you? How selfish I've been," she said, reaching her hands to hold Janet's tense face between them.
Tenderly she kissed the lips under her finger tips and held Janet close to her, reversing their roles now so she could return the pleasure she had just received. There was little need for by play, Janet was ready and anxiously awaiting release which Carol swiftly bent to coax into being.
CHAPTER TWO
The girls chose a time when all the family was away the next day and hurriedly packed a few things and called a cab. There was no time to ask questions until they were safely settled on the train.
"What's this Laura person like?" Carol asked.
"Oh, Laura's a wonderful girl. Pretty and a great personality," Janet said quickly.
"And it'll be all right for us to stay with her? I mean, are you sure?"
"Sure, I'm sure. I wired her we were coming, and if I know Laura she'll meet us with open arms."
"And you do know Laura, don't you?" Carol sneered suggestively.
Janet was too quick to miss the implication. Instead of answering, she simply nodded her head. "Just how well do you know her?" Carol insisted. "If you must know, dear, she used to be a girl friend of mine. But it's all over now. We've been good friends for years after we broke off that part of it."
"Well, we're on our way, and how." Carol shook her hair out of her eyes and smiled. "Do you know I've never seen the ocean or anything?"
"It won't be long now, baby, and I'll show you everything out there." Janet waved to the passing landscape.
"I can hardly wait." Carol wiggled happily in her seat.
Janet reached over and squeezed her hand affectionately.
"I'll see to it that you will be happy out there. I promise."
Tired of the over-demonstrative attitude Janet was showing in public, Carol gently withdrew her hand and closed her eyes, sinking down in the seat. Yawning, she took a deep breath and sighed.
"Whew, I'm beat. Last night and all," she reminded with a grin.
Instantly Janet was regretful she had been the cause of her lovely little one's loss of needed rest. She offered to get a pillow and insisted that Carol take a nap.
"Thanks. I could use a little shut-eye, but the pillow isn't really necessary." Carol shut her eyes gratefully.
She listened to Janet's nervous rustlings until they quieted, and she peaked out to find that Janet had fallen asleep. Then she opened her eyes and studied her companion.
Janet, in sleep, looked much younger than she was. Her face was relaxed and the wrinkles put there by constant frowning while awake were erased. She looked almost like a sleeping child. Almost, if you didn't notice the slight sag around the jaw line and the puffiness around the eyes. Or the way the flesh hung loosely on her upper arms and the small blue veins in the skin of the legs. Carol noticed these things absently, but her fondness for Janet let her see without seeing.
Feeling someone's eyes on her, she looked across the aisle to see a man, about thirty, watching her with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Hi," Carol whispered, smiling at him, knowing he had observed her study of Janet even in the darkened compartment.
"Well, hello," he managed to stammer. "Can I come sit with you? My stepmother seems to have fallen asleep on me, and I'm a little lonesome for someone to talk to."
"Won't she mind?" The man motioned nervously. "Oh, no. Why should she?"
The man raised his eyebrows but moved over one seat so Carol could sit near the aisle.
"My name is Carol Tanden." Carol bounced into the seat, ignoring the skirt that had crawled halfway up her legs. "What's yours?"
She noticed he had trouble keeping his eyes off her exposed thigh, so she carefully smoothed her skirt over her legs."
"Well?"
"Well what?" he stammered, forcing his eyes up. "Your name, silly." Carol nudged him with her elbow.
"Oh, it's Randy-Randy Walsh," he said quickly.
"Don't you want to talk to me?" Carol watched him through her lashes, her face automatically pouting.
"Sure. I mean, I guess so, but I don't know exactly what to talk about," he stammered, trying to keep his eyes to the front.
"Where are you going?" Carol asked, her breast brushing his arm lightly as she turned to face him.
"San Diego."
"Live there?"
"Yes, I do. I've been out of town on business."
"Do you have a wife there?"
"Well, yes I do," he admitted, laughing. "Most men my age do have wives."
"What's your age got to do with it?"
"Well, when you get to be near my age you'll understand." He smiled at her like a forgetful child.
"Have you been gone long?"
"A couple of weeks, as a matter-of-fact."
"That's a long time away from your wife and everything." Carol jiggled nearer, emphasizing the 'everything'.
Randy looked startled or shocked, Carol couldn't decide which, but after a pause he seemed to decide to talk to her on whatever level she chose.
Drawing a deep breath he nodded his head.
"Yes, it has been a long time away from everything."
Carol leaned a little closer and closed her eyes, thrilling at the light touch of her lashes on her cheeks. She knew he would not fail to notice them. The lashes and the way her blouse fell away and exposed just enough of the flesh over the tip of her bra. The sharp intake of breath told her he had seen and was interested.
"I'm awfully lonesome, too," she sighed, snuggling both breasts against his arms and bringing her thigh against his.
She smiled to see the light come into his eyes and his mouth open slightly as if he were having trouble breathing.
"I don't know what you're getting at, young lady," he whispered cautiously.
Carol knew he knew and was waiting for a sign. Her body trembled as she took his hand and guided it gently to the underside of her breasts, letting him feel the warmth and softness of her.
Leaning back against his arm she reached forward and caught his ear lobe between her teeth.
"Hey, don't do that!" he whined. "What if someone see's you?"
"Oh, nuts. Who's going to see?" Carol quipped, placing his hand on her leg.
"Somebody might be looking." He glanced carefully around, almost disappointed to find everyone asleep.
"So what if they are? Do you know any of them? Is it any of their business?" Carol brought her face close enough to his to smell the doublemint gum he was chewing. "Don't you want to kiss me?"
"Good God!" His hand tightened on her breast, tracing the lines of her bra as his lips moved forward the short distance to meet hers.
He kissed primly, mouth closed, but not without warmth. Unsatisfied, Carol writhed against him bringing her breast into full use. Her tongue forced itself into the reluctant mouth. His hands trembled against her, then became firm and strong as he met her halfway, finalty giving in to the strange but pleasant situation.
Carol sighed as his hand began the slow crawl from her knee to the hem of her skirt. Thinking impatiently that he would never get up enough nerve to follow through, she returned his kisses feverishly, and soon her own hand began exploring. At the touch of her delicate hand on his inner thigh Randy abandoned himself, raising almost off the seat to meet her probing fingers. She clasped them around the throbbing bulk and squeezed gently at first, then harder.
Gaining courage from this action he thrust his hand up her skirt, when his hand encountered, not silk panties as he had expected, but soft downy fur.
"Don't you have any pants on?" he whispered.
"Nope. The damned things aren't much use, anyway, and they're more bother than they're worth. I never wear them."
"Never?" The idea seemed to fascinate him. "My wife says she couldn't possibly stand to go a minute without them."
"That must be quite a problem," Carol giggled, guiding his hand to the right spot, hoping he would get the hint.
He got it. His labored breathing and furious movements proved that. Carefully, Carol unzipped his pants and reached inside to better grasp his organ, now jerking out of control.
"Oh, God! What are you doing to me?" he sighed, falling back against the seat.
"I'm going to do the same thing to you that you're going to do tome," Carol hinted, giving him another squeeze.
"Well, we can't do anything here," he moaned weakly.
"It's for sure you can't put it in me, but that sure as hell doesn't mean we can't do anything. For God's sake, where have you been all your life?" Carol whispered impatiently.
"Then, what are you going to do?"
"Haven't you ever done it by hand before?" Carol asked, amused.
"Frankly, no. Not since I was a child and didn't know any better. My wife wouldn't hear of such things. It isn't even natural."
"Natural?" Carol laughed cruelly. "What the hell do you care, and who are you to know? Does it feel good?"
"Of course it does."
"Then do something, dammit. I never saw anyone so set on acting silly."
"All right, by God!" he swore under his breath. "I'll so something." He grasped her roughly and ran his hands over her body, bringing one of them to rest on her breast, while the other worked its way between her legs.
Working her hands expertly she felt his breath catch and his body stiffen. Grabbing the handkerchief from his breast pocket, she quickly brought it down to catch any signs of his excitement.
She heard a moan escape his tortured lips and his hands jerked her to him, working roughly, frantically bringing her to a shivering, quivering climax, into a world of her own. A world of fulfillment and searing passion.
Satisfied, she leaned her head on his shoulder while he held her protectively. He bent his ear to hear her whispered words of praise and thanks.
"I don't know why you did this, but I want to tell you that I think it is about the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me." Randy squeezed her side. "God, you are a desirable little woman. Did anyone ever tell you that?" he continued, when she failed to comment.
"Once or twice," Carol admitted playfully, tired of him now and wanting to get away.
"No, I'm serious. Can I see you again?"
"Hardly. I'm going to San Francisco, and you're going to San Diego."
"I could look you up. We could meet somewhere," he coaxed.
"I don't think so," Carol said shortly. "I'd better go before my stepmother wakes up."
Sinking into her seat she closed her eyes and fell asleep immediately, not seeing the man leave with tears in his eyes as he took his last look at an angel before returning to the frigid uncaring world that lay before him.
CHAPTER THREE
Carol glanced around anxiously as swarms of people flowed around her, to and from the trains. Some of the men looked at her, cautiously at first, then more bodily as she seemed to be alone.
She flashed angry looks at them and wished Janet would hurry up with that fool phone call. The trip had been boring and tiresome after the first night, and she was tired and wanted only a place to lie down and sleep.
"Oh, there you are," Janet bubbled. "I found Laura's phone number and she says to grab a cab and come right out. It seems she has to go to work this evening, but we'll be able to stay at her place until we get settled."
"What about me?"
"Oh, I told her about you, and she says welcome. Come on, doll baby, we're on our way to a brand new life." Janet grabbed a bag in each hand and started walking to the line of cabs.
Carol followed, fascinated by the new Janet come to the surface. This Janet didn't seem to notice the nerve-racking noises, the hustling people, nor did they notice her.
Janet didn't seem to notice the traffic rushing from all directions, seemingly bent on their immediate destruction, so Carol simply held her breath and closed her eyes.
Knowing the full meaning of relief, Carol heaved a sigh when the cab came to a halt in front of a very tall building and motioned them out. Janet paid the driver while a doorman held the door and someone else rushed out to carry the bags.
"Is this where Laura lives?" Carol whispered, completely in awe of the luxury around her.
"Yes, I guess it is. She seems to have made a step or two up the ladder since I last saw her." Janet was impressed.
"I thought you said she worked in a cocktail bar."
"She did. But I'll tell you this, baby, she doesn't live here on waitress' wages. Nor tips, for that matter."
"Then what happened?" Carol whispered as the elevator came to a halt and the doors slid noiselessly open.
The boy set the bags down and lifted a door ornament. Somewhere deep inside, the sound of chimes rang out and the door was flung open. A redheaded woman flew out the door and grabbed Janet to her.
"Janet, I didn't think I would ever see you again. Why, you look better than ever. And this must be Carol. Hey, I can see why you wanted this with you. Can't say that I blame you." Laura turned approving eyes on Carol's face and figure.
"Carol," Janet said fondly, "I want you to meet Laura. She's been a very good friend over the years, and I hope you two will get along."
"I'm sure we will." Laura offered her hand.
Carol stood back in awe of this woman, so sure of herself in these wonderful surroundings. Her clothes, her jewelry, her hair, everything about her screamed money. Beside her, Carol knew she looked about ten years old and not overly bright.
"Come on in and let's have a drink. I have to rush off in a couple of hours, but in the meantime, I want to catch up on the latest with you," Laura said, leading them into the apartment.
Janet sat down on the over-sized couch and motioned for Carol to join her.
"What have you been doing? And, what brings you back?"
"It's a long story, Laura," Janet sighed, "and most of it isn't very pretty. I'll go over it all when you have time to let me cry it out on your shoulder. In the meantime, as I mentioned, I married Eli Tanden when I got stranded in Washington. We made sort of a deal. I played the wife and mother bit and he supported me. That's all there was to it. But then, it was better than nothing, which is exactly what I had at the time."
"You poor darling," Laura clucked her tongue. "I take it the bargain went wrong somewhere. Or did you just get tired of it?"
"Well, for a while it worked out fine. But the bastard was forcing Carol here to sleep with him, so he wouldn't rape the younger girls."
"Of all the lowdown things! Of all the nerve!" Laura's pretty face showed concern and anger. "How the hell did he get away with it? But then I guess you found out, huh?"
"Carol finally told me. So we up and walked out on him. And took all his kids with us."
"For God's sake, how many were there?"
"There were only four and we took them to their grandmother's. They took us up to Utah where he couldn't find us."
"Didn't you do anything about him?" Laura asked.
"We didn't get a chance. About the same day we left, a little ten-year-old girl was raped, and she died. We sort of figured Eli had something to do with it. In fact, the police tried to pin his murder on the girl's father but he was able to prove he was at the hospital with the girl in a state of shock when Eli died."
"So now you're a widow?" Laura cocked her head to one side. "And exactly how was this husband killed?"
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you," Janet teased.
"I would too, just tell me."
"Well, it is the sort of thing that would appeal to your sadistic mind," Janet admitted.
"Then tell me." Laura wiggled closer to the edge of her chair.
"Well, it seems they took him out to an old abandoned mine shack and nailed his penis to the floor and gave him a knife. He cut his way free but he bled to death before he could get out the door. Wouldn't have thought the little weasel had the guts to use that knife."
"Are you kidding?"
"Not at all, I'm afraid."
"Oh, Janet," Laura giggled, "that sort of thing went out with lynchings."
"That may very well be, but then lynchings haven't completely gone out."
"I think you're pulling my leg."
"Nope. Less than ten years ago they caught a Negro in town after dark and to show that their sign meant business, they poured gasoline over him and tied him to the back of a car and dragged his burning body up and down the main street."
"What sign?"
"Oh, some silly thing that says, 'Nigger don't let the sun set on you here.'."
"You can't mean they get away with things like that?"
"Usually. Either they can't find the person responsible or they can't find enough people to convict them or something. It's called 'Justifiable homicide' if a conviction is ever gotten. Just like whoever killed Eli, since they figure he's the one that raped the kid."
"You weren't kidding when you said it wasn't a pretty story. God, how did you stand it that long?"
"We lived in Washington most of the time I was with Eli, so it wasn't always so bad. Now Carol and I are ready to take on the big city and let it know we've arrived." Janet waved her arms lightly to change the sober pace.
"Well, hell. I wish I didn't have this thing tonight or we could go out. Still, we can make it in a few nights. We can dig up a few of the old crowd." Laura jumped up. "First, we'll have to go shopping and find some decent things to wear for both of you. I don't suppose you had the chance to dress according to the latest style."
Carol bristled at the reference to her home area and the way they were dressed, but calmed when Janet only laughed and said:
"We can't go shopping unless you want to foot the bills for a while. Until I can get on my feet. We used our last penny to pay the cab."
"Hey, don't worry about that. I've got a little put away for a rainy day. Never did specify whose rainy day. Might as well be yours. Mine look sunny from where I stand," Laura offered.
"I'll say." Janet glanced around the expensive apartment with upraised eyebrows.
"That's another long story. But we'll talk about it when I get home in the morning."
"In the morning?" Janet asked softly.
Laura shrugged her shoulders.
"Yes. It's that kind of job, if you know what I mean."
"I know. But you must've hit it really big." Janet smiled affectionately.
"You mean you're not going to be mad at me?" Laura seemed suddenly to care how Janet would accept her new status.
"Mad?" Janet hugged her friend. "Laura, when I found you years ago, I told you, you'd be better off being paid now and then instead of giving it to every needy male you ran across. Only then you were too good to do it for money. Just pity."
"But people change their minds, don't they?"
"I think it's wonderful that you've done so well." Laura smiled when Janet squeezed her hand, then said, "That's all I care about, darling."
Carol jerked herself out of the deep cushion and walked toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Janet asked, noticing her for the first time since they had started talking.
"Out there some place where I won't be in the way." Carol nodded, trying to keep the tears from her eyes.
"Oh, oh." Laura rose and took Carol by the hand. "Please don't be upset with Janet and me for acting so rudely. It's been so long since we last met. There's no need to be jealous."
"I'm not jealous," Carol flared, throwing her hair over her shoulder, angrily.
"Of course, you shouldn't be," Laura said quickly. "I just figured you knew that Janet and I were once lovers, but we wore out the old charm. It just isn't there any more. But we still care for each other. Like sisters, maybe. Understand?"
"I understand." Carol allowed herself to be led back to the couch.
"Besides, I have to get on my way. This one won't wait a minute. I'll be back in the morning and we'll have plenty of time to talk then. Make yourselves comfortable and feel at home. And get some rest. You both look beat. See you later." Laura flew around the apartment shouting her farewells in a flurry of gathering gloves and coat. Then with a quick flick of her wrist she was out the door and gone.
"Is she always like that?" Carol asked, shaking her head in wonder.
"You mean like a bomb about to explode? Yes, she always has been. Never does anything halfway and never goes at less than a trot. Laura's a very high strung girl with more energy than she knows what to do with."
"This job of hers," Carol mused, strolling around the room touching several articles, "she's a whore, isn't she?"
"I doubt it very much." Janet laughed. "At least not what most people would call a whore."
"Well, she makes love to men for money, doesn't she? And stays all night with them and everything?" Carol insisted with a pout.
Janet's face softened.
"Carol baby, Laura does do all the things you mentioned. But she's not a whore. Not like that, anyway. When you work in the circles that Laura travels in and make the kind of money she makes it is usually called a 'call girl', the elite of the prostitute. You have to be pretty damned good to hit that bracket. And it does remove you at least one step above the common street-walking whore."
"Is she?" Carol taunted bitterly.
"Is she what?"
"Pretty damned good?"
"Oh, baby," Janet cried, seeing her mistake, "I didn't mean it that way. Honest. She has several years of various experiences over you. Besides, you're just as good as she is. One of the very best," Janet added.
"I don't care!" Janet had to duck to keep from being hit by a flying pillow. "I don't like it here. I don't want to stay."
"But why not?" Janet rushed to Carol's side and wiped away a truant tear that had formed in Carol's pretty eyes.
"I just don't, that's all," Carol growled, pulling away, kicking her shoes across the room. "I feel stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!" Carol stomped her slender feet and cried desperately.
Janet stood astounded, never having seen Carol lose that much control.
"What's wrong? Carol, are you all right? I don't understand."
"I can't think of anything to say because every time I open my mouth I know I'll sound down right silly. I'd be afraid to say anything if I could think of something. I don't like it. It isn't fair. I'm not stupid. I'm not!" Carol shouted emotionally, ignoring Janet's nervous fluttering.
"Of course you aren't stupid." Janet rushed to the defense of her darling. "It's just that you feel strange because you've never been around a lot of people and none of the ones you knew had any wealth or polish. They were strictly hicks from nowhere, U.S.A.. But the fact that you notice the difference is more than they would. It shows that you can tell the changes that will have to be evolved. But it also shows that you can fit in. Don't worry your pretty little head about it."
Janet stroked Carol's long, silky hair.
"Well, I don't know that I even want to be like them," Carol announced.
"Baby, you'll want to be like them." Janet laughed softly. "They just scare you right now because you don't see them as real people. But they are. It's just a matter of learning their language. At home people went crazy. Here they suffer nervous breakdowns. At home they're winoes. Here they're poor, sick alcoholics. At home they screwed around on their wives', and here they commit adultry with call girls. See the difference? Like the difference between six and half a dozen."
"What's the point?" Carol plopped onto the couch, willing to listen now.
"The point is that you're every bit as good and in most cases better than any of them out here.
When we get you polished and cultured like the rest of them you'll quickly out shine them all. Take away their money bought and they couldn't stand up to you right now."
"But they have the money and the polish right now. That's better in the long run, isn't it?" Carol puzzled.
"No, Carol." Janet shook her head. "I doubt it very much. It would be nice to have your youth and vitality and fresh outlook and retain the polish. But if I ever had to choose between the two, I'd take your looks and youth any day."
"Then take them."
Carol leaped from the couch and whirled on her lover. "What?"
Janet stepped back in surprise. Carol jerked her sweater loose and tore it off. "I said take them if you want them so much."
"Right now?"
"Sure, why not? Or don't you want them, since you're back with Laura and all this."
Carol waved her arm around taking in the entire room and all it's luxury.
"Is that what's been bothering you?"
Janet smiled, relieved.
"What?" Carol asked, backing away from the advancing Janet.
She couldn't make up her mind if it was what she wanted or not. Certainly not for sexual satisfaction, for she was really too tired and upset for that. But something wild inside her prompted her to smile and rub her nipples before offering them to her lover.
"You should've told me," Janet scolded, taking Carol gently in her arms, her hands smoothly removing the skirt and slip that prevented full view of her baby's beautiful body. "My little one all full of nerves and unfulfilled desires, and all I can do is lecture."
"Rub my back. It feels so good."
Carol arched her back and forced her breasts against Janet's own, as she rotated her body in time to Janet's massage.
"It's been much too long," Janet whispered gruffly, nibbling on a delicate earlobe.
"Much too long," Carol agreed, smiling at the memory of the man on the train. It hadn't been so long as Janet thought. Then, as Janet's dancing tongue and roaming hands kindled the always smoldering fires, Carol drew a sharp breath and groaned. "Much, much too long!"
"Precious jewels," Janet sighed, tracing the tiny pink circles with her fingertips. "Wonderful, sweet, delicious little berries all ready to be plucked," she added, taking one into her mouth as if to prove their taste and ripeness.
Victory racing through her veins followed quickly by the hot liquid fires of desire, wild and savage, Carol wiggled against her lover, struggling to bring herself closer.
"Like it, angel?" Janet asked, probing Carol's body with a moist, scorching tongue, fast flicking strokes landing here, there, from one erotic zone to another, quickly, lightly, so as not to let one quiver of delight fade before another came to take its place.
Carol sank to the floor, weak, sobbing with trembling heart but Janet followed smoothly, on her hands and knees kneeling over the writhing body, biting, kissing, using her tongue to bring pleasure as Carol had seldom experienced it.
"Oh, Jan, Jan, Jan," Carol cried frantically, clutching the older woman to her, her voice gasping, shriller each word until her body shook and threw it's weight upwards as if to relieve itself of the body grinding against it. With a scream she clawed into Janet's back and wrenched free, sobbing into the carpet.
"What happened?" Janet whispered, when the storm had passed.
"I don't know. I felt funny. Like I wanted to hold you forever without you actually touching me. Then your weight and the heat of you was smothering me. I had to get away. I just had to."
"It's just your nerves. You'll be fine after a good night's sleep. That trip was a nightmare all the way."
"Not quite all the way," Carol commented, smiling her secret smile, as she walked to the nearest bedroom and shut the door.
Wondering, Janet watched the door shut. Then shaking her head in awe of Carol's moods, she too went to sleep.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next morning Carol awoke to the soft swishing sound of someone in the room. Opening sleepy eyes she saw Laura standing over the bed, cigarette in hand, a smile on her face.
"Good morning, sleepy head," Laura sang.
"What are you so happy about at this ungodly hour?" Carol grumbled.
"Am I happy? If so, maybe it's because it isn't every morning I come home to find an angel sleeping in my bed, now is it?"
"Oh, is this your bed? I'm sorry."
Carol hurriedly sat up, the sheet dropping from her naked breasts.
"Sorry? Little one, never be sorry for anything.
As for being in my bed, never mind." Laura waved an expressive hand. "My bed hasn't been so beautifully adorned in God only knows how long. Now, will you kindly pull that sheet back up or shall I take it as an invitation?"
Blushing, Carol grabbed for the sheet and clutched the corner to her chin. Accepting the cigarette Laura handed her she watched as Laura paced the length of the room a couple of times before whirling around to face her.
"Now that you're awake and decent I'd like to talk to you."
"What about?" Carol's eyes narrowed cautiously.
"I want to know what sort of setup you have with Janet." "Setup?"
"Yes. Arrangements. Deals, etcetera. How do you stand with each other and other people. What's the deal?"
"Oh, you mean between us and all the things about her and I?"
"Exactly."
Laura perched on the side of the bed.
"Oh, that. Well," Carol started thoughtfully, "Janet's my stepmother and I'm very fond of her. And we have almost always had a thing going, if that's what you wanted to know."
"That, my dear, is obvious," Laura drawled sarcastically.
"Oh." Carol hesitated, wondering how far her loyalty to Janet was being pushed and if it was proper to discuss her deeper feelings with Laura when she hadn't even gotten around to telling Janet about them.
Seeing her doubts, Laura said quickly: "You don't have to tell me everything. Just what you feel you can spare. I don't care. But I did have a very good reason for asking, besides idle curiosity about your private life."
Laura touched Carol's hand ever so lightly.
Drawing her hand away, Carol hedged:
"Well, if you won't say anything to Janet until after I do."
"I can promise you that much."
"I like Janet a lot. And I need her sometimes. But I guess that's all. Sometimes she bugs me when she hangs all over me or when she gets too possessive. You know. But she's all I've got," Carol added quickly. "And she never really asks very much in return for loving me."
"Do you like men at all, or are you strictly a woman's woman?"
"I really couldn't say." Carol wrinkled her brow. "I don't know men very well. The only one I ever actually made love to was my father, and I didn't like him very much, anyway."
"I kind of figured you for a two-way gal," Laura gloated. "You're much too young to spend the rest of your life with an older woman. Janet's a wonderful person, but she could ruin your life," Laura whispered.
"She wouldn't do anything to harm me," Carol denied hastily and a little loudly.
"No, now a minute's consideration, please," Laura scolded. "I didn't say she would. I just said she could. If you let her."
"I see." Carol was deeply thoughtful, trying to catch the connection with what Laura was saying and what she meant to say.
"Well, you don't seem to be very clear on the subject. But at least I know enough to have a little talk with Janet when she wakes up."
"What about?"
"You know the sort of work I do?"
Carol studied Laura's face carefully for signs of shame of dislike, before nodding. "Janet told me." Laura sighed.
"Good. Have you ever considered going into it?"
"Gee, I don't know. I've never tried it or even thought about it before, but it sounds like it could be lots of fun."
Carol sat upright, her breasts jiggling.
"Little one, before we go one step further, it is not fun! It can be a messy, dirty headache half the time. But it pays well, and frankly there are times when I enjoy certain parts of it. But, still it's a job just like any other. It has its good points and its risks. But it's something to think about."
"What do I have to do?"
Carefully averting her eyes from the bouncing breasts and shiny expectant face, Laura went on to explain:
"I have a small group of customers, but they would all love to get their greedy little hands on a choice sweet young thing like you."
Laura frowned when Carol giggled.
"Me? Sweet and innocent, I suppose?" Carol laughed, rolling off the bed to fully expose her full, lush body.
"Well, regardless of your background you still look like you just escaped from a well-protected nursery," Laura scolded.
A teasing smile flashed across Carol's sweet face and she tilted her head.
"Do I really look all that innocent?" she asked, her hands on her hips.
Laura gasped as Carol did a small grinding motion with her hips.
"Quit that, you little vixen. I'm trying to talk business with you."
"But such exciting business," Carol sighed, plopping down on the bed, pulling the sheets between her tan thighs.
"Are you trying to play games, or do you want to talk about this?" Laura asked sternly.
"That depends on the type of games you want to play," Carol whispered, her voice low and husky. Throwing back the sheet she exposed herself, flexing her legs. She stretched and arched her back. "Rub my back for me, why don't you?" she coaxed suddenly, flipping over onto her stomach.
Wordlessly Laura leaned over and began to massage the soft, silky flesh offered her. Still keeping control she forced herself to remain on the upper back and shoulders until Carol groaned with pleasure and flipped over on her back.
"Now my tummy," Carol purred.
As if hypnotized, Laura found herself rubbing the soft swell of Carol's tummy, then finding the touch irresistable, she let her hands go, searching, caressing, fondling.
Heavy taut breasts wiggled into her hands, the nipples tall and reaching for her touch. Without pretense, Laura bent to kiss the throbbing globes. Her mouth closed hungrily around one tip as she held the other tightly in the other hand. Silently she massaged and sucked, her breath breaking free of her body with difficulty.
"That's enough," Carol gasped, suddenly jerking away.
"What are you trying to pull." Laura sat up angrily.
"Just trying to see what you'd do," Carol gloated. "And you would, wouldn't you?"
"Would what?"
"Make love to Janet's woman, here while she lays in the other room asleep."
"God damn you!" Laura jumped from the bed and flew across the floor. "God damn you to hell and back for all I care. I hate you, you little bitch.
I hate you," she hissed.
"No you don't hate me. You want me. Your gut aches right now, and you'd give anything to get your hands on me again," Carol said slowly.
Startled, Laura stopped and turned to glare at the girl in her bed.
"I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. Not for anything in the world. Do you hear me?"
Unconcerned, Carol beckoned from the bed.
"Come here."
"Not on your life. What the hell do you take me for?"
"Come here," Carol repeated firmly.
"What do you think I am? A sucker?" Laura backed away.
"You guessed it," Carol laughed aloud, throwing her head back. "And a damned good one at that. So come here and finish what you started."
Laura hesitated, wanting to turn and run from the force in the young girl's stare, but the ache in her belly and the feast before her eyes was more important than empty pride, and she returned to the bedside.
"Well?"
"Kiss me," Carol whispered. "Kiss me here," Her small hands flew over her body. "And here, and here."
With a moan Laura sank to her knees on the floor beside the bed and buried her face in the soft sweetness of Carol's writhing body.
CHAPTER FIVE
Later Laura crept out of Carol's arms and threw a robe across her shoulders, handing a robe to Carol as she left the room.
"What now?" Carol taunted.
"What do you mean, what now? We get back to work," Laura snapped angrily.
"Okay, forget it. Let's not argue over your loss of virtue," Carol teased, shrugging her pretty shoulders.
A smile played reluctantly on Laura's lips.
"Oh, you win, doll. But not a word, you hear? We have much too much to do without starting any quarrels amongst us."
"I'm not dumb!" Carol said, pulling the robe about her shapely form.
Laura whirled from the room, calling to Janet.
"Janet, get up. Come on. I have something to talk to you about," she yelled excitedly, pulling on Janet's arm.
"What the hell," Janet mumbled groggily. "Nothing, but nothing could be that important." She tried to sink deeper into the mattress.
"Like hell. We'll all be rich! Richer! Rolling in old money. Dirty old money from dirty old men," Carol sang, rushing around the kitchen pouring coffee as Laura and Janet stumbled from the bedroom.
"Now." Laura took a deep breath and seta steaming cup of coffee in front of Janet. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Janet sipped her coffee.
Laura hesitated, looking from the excited Carol to the calm, unsuspecting Janet.
"Well, here goes." Carol stepped forward. "I'm going to be a call girl just like Laura and make a lot of money."
"Yes," Laura hastened to add while Janet still wore a dazed look, "and I'll sponser her and teach her the tricks of the trade. We'll use that sweet sixteen face and that sexy little body to the greatest use. I was thinking of selling her as the most desirable little virgin in the world."
"Call girl? Virgin? Carol?" Janet shook her head as if to correct her obviously faulty hearing.
Meantime, Carol was choking on her coffee.
"Me a virgin? You have to be kidding!"
"Honey, that's the sweetest part about it. No! I'm not kidding. Do you realize that most of the men in the world live all their sex lives hoping and waiting for the time they can be first? Most of them never get it. They have to console themselves with the knowledge or belief that they were first since something. But to be first of all. That's what they itch for. And that's what we're going to give them. A virgin!"
"Can't do it," Janet growled.
"Why not? Many's the bridegroom that's been fooled on a wedding night, if it's worked right."
"That's not what I mean. Carol's bright. She could do it if she knew what to do, but I'm not sure I can allow her to be used this way," Janet mumbled, not really enjoying the idea of a man's hands on her very own doll.
"Hey, let's not get mushy. We're talking business," Laura chided, knowing full well what was running through Janet's possessive mind.
"Yeah, but make a prostitute of my own stepdaughter?"
"Oh, hell! Stow it! Her old man broke her in when she was still a baby, and he had a right to make up his mind about her. If he could do it the way he did, surely you could help her learn the right way. And speaking of breaking in, you brought her out as a Lesbian, didn't you? Now she wants to make a little money out of it and you sit there mumbling morals." Laura laughed cruelly.
Without warning Carol stood up and looked down at both women.
"If you two only knew how silly this looks and r sounds. Here I sit while you two argue whether or not I shall be allowed to become a call girl. This is priceless. Simply priceless, I tell you. Who's going to be sleeping with these men? Huh? Whose life is this? Or don't I count in this decision?"
"Of course, you count," Laura hastened to assure her.
"We'll talk about it," Janet agreed.
"Like now," Carol insisted. "I think I'll do it. It can't hurt to give it a fling and see what gives. If I don't like it I can quit. In the meantime we could use some of that green stuff."
"Carol has a point. A very good point," Laura chuckled.
"Okay." Janet frowned. "What do we do?"
"Get her ready. She'll have to be groomed so she looks so damned sexy men will be unable to keep from pinching her little bottom when she walks by. But at the same time she'll have to look like a school kid. Get it?"
"I get it. Sexy and simple." Carol laughed, wiggling her rear as she walked across the room, turning to show her sweetest angel smile.
"We'll talk about it," Janet said again.
"We'll have to do more than just talk about it," Laura said firmly. "We'll have to make a hasty decision. For more reasons than one. Number one, for the rush I have just the customer for this kind of deal. And believe me he'll pay dear. Gladly and quietly, because chances like this are few and far between."
"Do you mean right away?" Carol asked, a bit surprised to find that she was already in business before she had even adjusted to the idea.
"Yes, little one. This guy's much older and very kind but he likes very young girls. And I know he'd see his soul roasting in hell for a virgin to boot. He's very, very rich and in a pretty high position.
One where he can't afford any risks, so I know if I offer the goods he'll pay the price. And I think if he's satisfied enough he'll not want to let go. Then, baby, we're walking on easy street!"
"What if I'm not good enough?" Carol suddenly doubted her powers when it came to getting paid for a good job.
"That's something we'll start working on right away. You, my dear, will be coached in all the delicate and some of the less delicate arts of making love to a man. You will cease to make love like an abandoned little animal."
Laura hesitated, holding her breath to see if Janet had noticed her slip of the tongue that indicated she knew more about Carol's brand of love making than possible, without personal experience. With a sigh of relief she saw that Janet was too engrossed in her own study of Carol's reaction to this novel idea. Resuming, Laura said:
"There are times when your man will indicate that the savage abandoned thing is exactly what he needs. Then, of course, you'll give it to him. The main thing is to sense the needs of your man and wring every ounce of pleasure and strength out of him. You will know his mood and learn the best way to satisfy him completely and quickly, but not obviously so. Understand?"
"I think so." Carol buttered her toast. "It sounds like making love to a plan."
"That's right. Janet will help you while I'm gone, and I'll coach you on the man angle. During the next week you'll polish that wild sexy attitude of yours until it's your first thought at all times. Until you're so constantly desirable and sexy that it won't be safe to leave you alone with a man in the same room."
"Good grief," Carol sighed. "I didn't know it was going to be so much work. If I'm so perfect for this, why do I have so much to learn and change? It doesn't make sense."
"Sure itmakes sense, Carol." Laura took Carol's hand in her own. "If you found a raw diamond in the sand it would be very valuable and perhaps pretty, but why leave it in that stage when you could have it cut and polished and perfected? You too, are perfect, but like any other young animal you have to be groomed and polished. I won't try to change you at all, only enhance your natural beauty."
"Well, I guess it must be done, huh?" Carol shrugged and threw her hair back over her shoulder. "When do we start?"
"Right now." Laura led the way to her bedroom, where she took a hairbrush and started on Carol's long, silky hair. "Now first of all, we don't want any curl. Nor any high do's. It must be soft and shiny and simple. It'll look better that way, and it's easier to get up out of bed and comb it out again so you'll be perfectly respectable looking on your way home. Unromantic thought, but necessary." Laura laughed, brushing vigorously. "Like so," she added, whipping Carol's hair into the desired shape and holding it for Carol to see.
Carol had to admire Laura's good judgement. If left to her own devices she would have insisted on curl. Here, her hair was swept back behind one ear and allowed to fall in one graceful curve along her neck and shoulders. The other side flipped upwards at the ends and hugged her face, falling like a silken waterfall over her breast.
"Like it?" Laura asked, patting Carol's shoulder.
"Love it," Carol cooed, pleased at the image the mirror reflected.
"It is simply elegant, Laura," Janet thrilled. "Too beautiful for words."
"Good," Laura said, satisfied. "If it all goes as smoothly we've got it licked." Giving the hair a quick spray she patted it in place and flew across the room, opening drawers and closets. "Ah, this is the thing," she said, throwing a dress into Carol's lap.
"Ohhh," Carol moaned with pleasure as the softness of the fabric settled in her hands. Holding it up she saw it was an a-line dress of the softest furry material she had ever seen. The color was a pale green that almost took her breath away. "It's yummy enough to eat."
"Let's just try it on for now," Janet laughed. "Then we'll check it for taste later."
"Oh, Janet." Carol giggled happily, stripping off her robe.
"I'd better have a bra or something, don't you think?" Carol commented.
"Nope. Not with that thing. Put it on and you'll see why not."
"Someone will have to zip me," Carol said, wig-fling her curves into the dress.
Four willing hands reached for her, but Janet managed to zip the dress and turn her around for inspection.
Laura stood back to study the picture before her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the effect. The bodice pushed the ample breasts up and over the neckline just enough to be exciting and not enough to be vulgar. The waist curved in gently and the skirt fit tightly over the rounded little butt before sweeping free to show the long legs to advantage.
"Wow! Wow!" Laura tried to joke. "Take it off! I can't stand too much of this in one day."
Her trembling hands and pained expression told Carol she was not kidding at all.
"Sure." Carol grinned, slipping out of the dress.
"Here." Laura threw her a robe. "Put this on so a person can concentrate."
"Laura!" Janet scolded.
"Well, hell, I can't help it. I have feelings too, you know. Anyone would with this kid around, naked half the time."
"Do you two have to fight over me?" Carol tried to joke but she seriously wanted the fight to end right away.
"I wouldn't think so if Janet wasn't so selfish," Laura commented icely, more to Janet than to Carol.
"Just what do you mean by that?" Janet took the bait.
"You know what I mean," Laura said quietly. "Yes, I think I know what you mean, but I'm damned sure I don't like it."
"Well?"
"Well, what?" Carol broke into the one-way conversation before they started pulling hair.
"Laura was suggesting I share you," Janet said, her anger flushing her face.
"So? What's all the fuss? We're all here, and we'll have to be together. We have to get along, and I like Laura. At least she suggested sharing instead of trying to take me away from you," Carol teased, thrilling at the memory of this morning fresh in her mind.
"I don't think you'd enjoy Laura's brand of love," Janet bristled. "When I called her a sadist last night I wasn't just kidding."
"Janet!" Laura cried out.
"What's a sadist?" Carol asked.
"In this case it means she likes to hurt people before making love to them."
"How do you hurt people, Laura?" Carol sat down on the bed and waited for an answer.
Tears rushed to Laura's eyes, but she held her back straight and her head up.
"I see very little sense in discussing it. I was only joking, anyway."
Janet rushed to her old friend's side.
"I'm sorry, Laura. I didn't mean to be spiteful, but I love Carol an awful lot and I can't stand the thought of anyone else having her. Especially someone I know."
The two women embraced warmly and shed a couple of tears.
"I know," Laura sobbed. "It was very rude of me. Let's just forget it. And let's not work on Carol any more today. I'm too nervous. This afternoon we'll go shopping and find some clothes for you and Carol. We'll all feel better after that."
"I wonder," Carol spoke to her image in the mirror. "I wonder. It would probably be worth Janet getting mad. If she found out. I wonder if Laura really hurts people. Maybe she spanks."
Carol flexed her muscles and watched her butt tighten with the movement, her mind trying to imagine a spanking during love making. She glanced at the door through which Laura and Janet had disappeared and listened for Laura's voice. It came to her after a moment, and she knew she would have to find out about this new Laura. The one that had been hidden this morning. Sooner or later. The tightening, tingling feeling in her lower tummy told her it would probably be much sooner.
Sighing, a contented sigh, she resumed her dressing.
CHAPTER SIX
Janet waited until she and Laura were safely out of hearing, then she asked, a bit timidly:
"Do you think it's a really good idea to drag Carol into this call girl thing?"
"Dragging? Honey, I don't want to sound insulting, but you can hardly say the girl is being dragged. She's far too willing for that. Hell, there are more professionals running around her age or less, than you could count. Mostly, because they are girls like Carol with more than the usual amount of curiosity and interest in the mechanics of life. At least she'll have supervision and carefully selected customers. The kid can be rich in practically no time, with hardly any of the risks. Believe me, Janet, it's good. It's good."
"Besides, you have someone who is a little anxious," Janet hinted sweetly.
"Besides, I have someone waiting," Laura agreed, unashamed.
Stopping by the phone Laura dialed a number and waited.
"Is Mr. Jeffery in?" she asked. "I'll hold."
"Is that the one you had in mind?" Janet whispered.
"Yes." Laura motioned for silence. "I'll tell you all about him in a few minutes." She turned all her attention to the phone. "Mr. Jeffery? ... This is Laura Mason. I have something you might be interested in ... No. It's more on the order of what we discussed last time we met ... Yes, a new, unused piece that might suit your taste ... No, no, not right away. In a week, perhaps ... Oh, all right," she sighed. "A week from today. Exactly."
Winking at Janet she said her good-byes quickly and hung up.
"There, that takes care of that end of it," she said, curling her legs under her on the couch.
"Does he know what you mean by all that gibberish?" Janet worried.
"Certainly! He's no fool. It takes a lot of brains to get the kind of money that old man has made in the past years. He knows what I have to offer and what I want in return."
"Who knows what?" Carol asked, walking into the room, dressed scantily in a pair of shorts and a halter.
"My God, child! Don't you ever wear clothes?" Laura sighed, wondering if this child were really that intent on taking away the scant control and sanity she had left.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think." Carol turned as if to go change the offensive clothing.
"Oh, for God's sake, stop with the I'm sorry bit all the time. Sit down and listen. We don't have much time to work with you. Perhaps there won't be too much to do. I hope to heaven there isn't. Especially since you're all set up for a week from tonight."
"What's there to do, for God's sake? I'm sick of all this. I'll be ready. I'll be ready," Carol snorted.
"Carol, all you have to do is say the word and we can call the whole thing off," Janet began quietly.
"Call it off? Don't you dare! A chance of a lifetime and you want to call it off. How could you do this to me? Why don't you trust me?" Carol cried.
"I'm not going to call it off, because we do trust you, dear. We just wanted you to know that you have the final choice," Janet said.
"Okay. So I choose to go ahead with the plans. Okay?"
"Hey, hey." Laura jumped up and hurried to the bar at one side of the room. "Let's stop this fighting before it gets started good. There's a lot of work to be done, and we're all a little nervous and strained. I think we'd better have a drink and lay off the rest of the day."
"To your happiness, darlings." Laura handed out the drinks with ceremonial gestures.
"Thank you." Carol bowed her head and took a sip, then threw her head back. "Egads! What's this called? It's a bomb!" She practically choked.
"Don't worry about that. Just drink it down and stop fretting. Relax. We all will."
"If I drink many of those things down I'll relax right off my chair and fall drunk to the floor." Carol giggled.
"Not a chance of it," Laura threatened, placing a stack of records on the stereo.
Soft music enveloped them as they sat silently sipping their drinks, each thinking her own thoughts, enjoying the glow they felt in friendly comfort and contentment.
When the glasses were empty, Laura filled them and changed the records before sitting down again on the furry rug at Janet's feet.
The tempo of the music changed to a wild beating of drums and the sad passionate wail of some unidentified instrument. Carol felt a little giddy but the music flowed around and through her until she felt her very blood pounding in time to the jungle beat.
Almost without thought Carol let her body float to it's feet and her body began to swirl and dip in time to the wild beating of drums. She jerked and twisted as if in agony or ecstasy too great to maintain in her own frail body. Her hair fell loose from the pony tail and swirled into golden pools over her breasts, breaking free to trace a delicate circle in the air as she whirled around. Her breasts were straining in the scanty halter, and she loosened it and kicked it out of the way when it fell at her feet. Her breasts made mad circles in the air when she twirled. As if to hold them still she held one in each hand, holding tight until the nipples stood out proud and pink with delight. Her thighs opened and closed when she knelt and let her head fall between her knees her hair hiding the golden body for just a second before she jerked upright, pulling Laura with her.
Janet too stood almost instantly and suddenly the room was filled with mad insane women, whirling, dipping, jerking, touching, and drawing away, while their feet tread a rythmetic step through the clothing that fell from them all.
When the record ended they sank to the floor as if their puppet strings had been cut at the same time.
"That was something!" Laura gasped for breath.
"What started you off?" Janet said, in awe.
"I don't know." Carol's breath came in ragged gusts. "I just did what the music said to do."
"Good God! I wonder what she'd do to some of the things I have around here. You know the things they say to make love to. Wild, mad, passionate love. Savage, unrestrained love. I'll bet they would be just right for you." Laura smiled at Carol. "Want to try one?"
"Sure, why not?" Carol twisted and stretched her legs out of Laura's way as the older woman made her way cautiously across the room and nearsightedly chose a couple of records.
Adjusting the volume, Laura sat back against the couch, her eyes glued to the sweat-flicked body swaying gently at first as the music began, then working itself up into a frenzy as the tempo picked up.
Carol danced alone, joyful, thrilled at the results the music seemed to create. She felt as though she were floating along in a wild, untamed river being tossed and thrown from one side of the flow to the other. Her hands flew to her own body as if to still the tingling within her quivering flesh. Caressing, stopping to pay special attentions to areas that seemed to need the attention.
Her motions became more frantic as she watched through half closed eyelids, while Laura's hands stole along the twisting thigh that belonged to Janet.
Janet's breath jerked in her chest as she felt the warm hands creeping up her leg to her inner places of pleasure. The warm trembling touch was so exciting she moaned and twisted herself into a position where her head buried itself between Laura's parted legs, her warm breath bringing response almost immediately. She lay on her side with her breasts pushing into the soft flesh of Laura's thigh, and Laura worked savage, painfully exciting fingers over Janet's throbbing body.
The music, the sound of Carol's labored breathing, and the sweet, intoxicating smell of Laura's excitement was enough to send Janet's senses soaring off into a world where black men jumped and trampled the earth beneath hugh black feet. One of them grabbed her and dragged her screaming off into the bushes and painfully, yet wonderfully possessed her body. Janet moaned and jerked her legs to throw herself up to meet her imaginary attacker to achieve release. Glorious, shattering release tore from her throat like a harsh scream. She shuddered and fell back to the earth, satisfied, not by the black man of her dream but by the beautiful Laura, and the other tribesmen dancing to the jungle drums were not black men but her very own beautiful Carol. Beautiful, beautiful, Janet thought to herself, thinking how luck was one to be. To have as girl friends two of the loveliest women in the world.
Gently, Laura rose and left Janet, spent and content on the carpet, to join Carol in the finale of the dance.
Carol, sensing she had company, rather than seeing, worked her way forward, jerking her hips back and throwing them forward with each drum beat. Suddenly she felt flesh meet flesh. Opening her eyes she saw Laura, but she seemed very far away. The music was here within her. She danced on until the record ended.
Standing, dazed and weak from exertion, Carol almost fell into Laura's arms when they were offered.
"You really go for that savage stuff, don't you?" Laura asked, grinning.
Carol sensed a new kind of respect for her in Laura's voice, but the reason for it was not yet evident.
Before she could answer she felt her arm being pulled up behind her back. The pain forced her to her knees.
Straining her head around despite the pain, Carol saw that Laura was proudly standing, legs spread, a glistening glow in her eyes.
"Will you stay, or shall I make you stay?" Laura taunted, giving the twisted arm another tug.
Studying the woman's eyes Carol knew she was expected to argue. For some reason Carol felt herself try to struggle to her feet.
"Laura, stop that!" Janet cried, seeing that Carol was actually in pain but too stubborn to cry out.
"You stay out of this," Laura hissed and shoved Carol back to the floor. "Now, are you going to submit or will I have to rape you?"
Calmly Carol let herself fall but her voice quivered.
"I think you'll have to rape me."
"I'd think twice about that if I were you, my pretty," Laura threatened, easing her hold a little since Carol seemed unable to protest, anyway.
With the agility of the child she was, Carol rolled to one side and jumped to her feet. Running, she passed the happy Laura, and, in passing, let Laura touch her hand but was careful not to let her get a new hold.
"Don't run from me, my little one," Laura called. "When I catch you I'll be forced to punish you for being naughty."
"You'll have to catch me first." Carol laughed, twisting out of reach, just seconds before Laura could lay hands on her.
"You can't stay away forever. I'll get you, and when I do you'll be sorry you ran from me like this. I'll have to spank you. You know that, don't you?" Laura chanted.
Carol knew she would be caught and perhaps be punished, but it didn't bother her. In fact, the idea of the unusual situation seemed to stimulate her desire all the more. Laughing gleefully in Laura's face, she ran toward the bedroom, thinking to lock herself in and lean against the closed door to catch her breath. Her legs, weak from the dancing and strong drinks, folded beneath her without warning, and with a joyful cry Laura was on top of her.
"Where did you think you were going?" Laura gasped, pinning Carol's hands behind her back again. "Were you going to the bedroom?"
Standing, Laura took Carol by one arm and started to drag her across the carpet.
Carol felt the sharp bite of the pile as she was being pulled across the room. Twice she tried to struggle back to her feet but it was impossible. Her buttocks and shoulders seemed afire but she closed her eyes and shut her mouth tight so the pain would not show.
"Like it, huh?" Laura gloated from somewhere above her. "I can't make you cry, huh? Well, I can, baby. I haven't even started yet. Before I stop you'll be begging me to let you be. Wait and see!"
Before turning on the light in the bedroom, Laura turned and nodded to the undecided Janet. Janet gathered her clothes from the floor and began to dress quickly. Laura had signalled her to leave, and, while she hated to leave Carol here alone, she still felt Carol would be safe and in complete control of things.
"I'm going to have to spank you now for being so bad," Laura said sadly, lifting Carol bodily from the floor and throwing her on the large bed.
"I don't think you can," Carol taunted, kicking out.
"Just for that I'll have to give you another lick," Laura giggled. "Do you want to be tied down or do you think you can behave yourself?"
"I can take anything you can dish out," Carol snapped.
Carol watched as Laura busied herself in the closet, her mind working quickly, wondering, looking for answers to feelings never before experienced. She knew she should be afraid, at least a little. Perhaps even try to get away, but instead she knew she had goaded and taunted the other woman's perverse ideas of fun and had given cause to be punished. Wondering exactly what the punishment would be and if she could take it or not despite her brave words, Carol's breath caught in her throat when Laura gave a hoarse cry of joy and came out of the closet with a thick, heavy western belt, the kind worn with cowboy clothes. Folding it carefully in half, Laura advanced to the edge of the bed. Her eyes danced as they ran lightly over Carol's naked body.
"Where do you want it?"
"Whatever you want," Carol said calmly, keeping her voice strong.
With one hand Laura flipped Carol over on her stomach and straightened her legs.
Carol looked over her shoulder and saw the twisted smile on Laura's lips and the wide-open staring eyes, the strained jaw muscles working under the usually delicate skin.
She watched calmly as the belt swept gently toward the ceiling and began a sharp, quick thrust downward. Blinded by a white, dazzling light, she could no longer see the path of the belt but to see was no longer necessary. She felt the hot heavy weight of it bite deeply into her bottom. It seemed to stay there burning its way to the bone, but she realized it was only the impression of pain when it hit again a few inches down.
Finding the pain not unbearable nor tearfully upsetting, she tore her eyes open and watched again as it made its graceful sweep through the air. By now Laura was whipping harder, but with each stroke she whipped as if the pain that Carol felt were being transferred to her own body.
Suddenly Carol felt not so much the pain but something strangly near boredom, as if she had tired of a dull game and wanted it to end.
"I think that will be enough, Laura," Carol said quietly, slowly sitting up to take the belt from the hands of an astonished Laura. "Now lay down."
"You can't do that," Laura whimpered, cowering back against the bed.
"Yes, I can. You didn't do a very good job," Carol said.
"I haven't finished," Laura pleaded, trying to sit up again.
"Oh, yes, I think you've finished. You bore me. You couldn't even make me cry," Carol teased, snapping the belt and laughing when each crack of leather meeting leather forced Laura further into the protective mattress. "Now turn over," Carol said suddenly.
Whimpering for real now Laura obediently turned over and submitted two soft white mounds to the caress of the belt that whistled overhead. She screamed with the first blow and cried at the second. With the third blow she twisted around the bed and grabbed Carol by the legs and pulled her onto the bed with her.
"Turn me loose," Carol ordered, tearing the clutching hands from her legs.
"Love me, please! Please love me," Laura sobbed like a child. "Love me like that. You're so wonderful and you love me enough to make me a good girl. Please love me."
Carol drew back from the moaning, writhing creature on the bed and stood for a moment studying the words and trying to understand what the woman wanted and why she wanted it this way. Her heart melted and she wanted to be gentle and show Laura love like she knew it but at the first gentle touch Laura drew away from her. Then Carol understood.
Laura wanted to be forced into submission. Wanted to be beaten and loved just as savagely as she liked to make love. Somewhere deep inside her Carol felt a small whisper when her mind asked why, but she pushed it away to be searched for when the time was for thinking. Now she had a job to do.
"And I'm just the girl to do it," she sighed, her own body quivering with desire.
Roughly Carol tossed Laura around on the end of the bed so she could bend over her.
"Move over," she commanded, slapping Laura loudly. "Get over there where you belong."
Like a frightened child Laura cringed and scooted to the other side of the bed.
Carol bent to the task with joy, tasting the salt of tears and sweat on her companion's lips as she sucked them into her own mouth. She bit gently at first and harder as Laura's mouth forced itself against her teeth. Laura moaned and Carol bit again until the salt and tears were replaced by the slightly metallic taste of blood. Releasing her hold on the lips she kissed them gently and moved on down to the heaving, straining breasts plastered against her own.
Carol let her lips trail a moist path from one throbbing tip to the other before taking one between her teeth and the other in her hand. Her fingers pinched and probed as her teeth drew closer together on the tight little berry. Laura screamed, partly in pain and partly with unbearable pleasure. Throwing herself down hard on the other girl to keep from being thrown off into the floor, Carol guided Laura's hand between her legs and helped start the gentle, firm manipulations necessary for her own climax while she worked with hands and tongue to release Laura from the twisting, writhing torment of unfulfilled passion.
Both girls strained against the other, and their moans and gasps blended, their breaths sobbed into each wracking body in long shuddering convulsions. Laura screamed and brought her long fingernails tearing sore trails over the already swollen welts made by the belt earlier.
Carol felt her legs tighten over Laura's hand which worked like a live frightened thing now. The pain in her back was making tears come to her eyes but now, spent and contented, Laura began the soft stroking, loving, cooing noises, nibbling carefully on Carol's ear until Carol no longer heard voices. She was back in a wild world of drums again, beating, thudding, thudding until they seemed to burst from her chest and go flying out into the room and floating above her with their noises muffled now. Carol cried out and fell into a faint.
"God damn! Where did you learn to do things like that?" Carol heard Laura whisper from somewhere far away.
"I didn't learn. I just felt," she whispered back, opening her eyes to find Laura beside her, cradling her head on Carol's arm.
"Well, I think it was wonderful," Laura sighed.
"It was nothing. Simple, everyday, ordinary, and our very own brand of out-of-this-world love making," Carol teased, as she fondly patted Laura's cheek.
"Simple, ordinary, everyday?" Laura sat up in mock horror. "Child, if every woman in this world could do things like you do, the men would all die off from absolute, sheer exhaustion."
"Ahhh," Carol groaned, reaching for a cigarette.
"No, really, baby. I mean it. You do have love making down to an art."
"Nope. If it's an art I'd have to study and work at it. And if it's fun I can do what I feel like doing or what someone else feels like having me do."
"Well, I guess you're right there," Laura sighed. "But I don't know how I'm going to sell something as wild and responsive as you for a virgin."
"Oh, I call upon you to teach me that bit," Carol teased.
"Egads, after what you just did to me I hope you don't want any lessons right away," Laura pretended to be half dead with exhaustion.
"Later. Whenever you feel in the mood," Carol promised gently.
"Later," Laura agreed with a smile of peace and contentment on her face, as she drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Frustrated and just a little angry, Janet slammed the door of the apartment on the noises of Carol and Laura arguing in the bedroom. Lost now, and alone, Janet did not really know what to do with herself.
Standing in the soft night air, Janet remembered in a flash of another evening when there was nothing to do and no one to go to. Of times when the pressures of the normal outside world would start to get to her and a friend was needed.
Hailing a cab she gave the driver an address and settled back. She wondered if Freddie were still at the old place and if things were still like they were a few years back. Maybe she should have called first? she thought. No, if things have changed I can still get a drink and find someone to talk to.
Reaching her destination she paid the driver and stood outside the door of a dimly lit little tavern. Taking a deep breath she opened the door and stood just inside the door until her eyes became accustomed to the lack of light. With her vision cleared she was relieved to see that the place was filled with couples. Her kind of couples. Men holding hands and giggling freely, while women stalked the small room in search of other women.
"You looking for someone?" A sweet voice inquired.
Spinning around, Janet found herself looking down at a small, delicate blonde with large blue eyes. The eyes were inviting, but cautiously so.
"Not just yet." Janet smiled a confirming smile and slid past the slim body. "Stick around baby. I may be back," she added over her shoulder.
The blonde nodded her head and thrust her chest out.
Walking straight to the bar, Janet asked almost in a whisper:
"Is Freddy around?"
"Sure, in back. What's your name?"
"It doesn't matter. He knows me," Janet flipped, reaching for a door marked 'Private'.
"He'd better know you damned well," the bartender threatened, seeing her turn the knob.
"He does, brother, he does," Janet assured him before slipping inside the door.
The lights were off and the room was slightly illuminated by small candles spread carelessly around. Several couples sat around, whispering, drinking, and doing a little petting. None of them bothered to look up when she walked in.
Tapping a man on the shoulder, Janet asked:
"Is Freddy around?"
Without taking his eyes off his companion the man waved a hand in the direction of another closed room at the back of a long hallway.
Janet slid her way through a tangle of bodies and knocked twice on the door.
"Just a minute," a muffled voice whined.
With a knowing smile Janet sat patiently on a cushion near the door and dug through her purse for a cigarette. Finding one she lit it and sat back to study the occupants of the room while she waited.
Smoke hung heavy and stung her eyes but not so much that she couldn't see a heavy party starting. The music was all erotic and the figures shrouded in shadows were obviously becoming aroused. Some were already shedding bothersome clothing while others had taken off to the darker areas where the sounds of labored breathing and panting indicated that a little more than petting was involved.
Restless, she rose and found her way to the bar and poured a drink, taking it back with her to her seat near the door.
Suddenly the door opened and a large, beautifully built man stepped out as if on display. Flexing broad-shouldered muscles and stretching, he then carefully zipped his pants and strode down the hall, giving Janet a puzzled glance as he stepped over her outstretched legs.
Standing, Janet knocked on the door again.
"Just a damned minute," Freddy's voice whined.
"Don't take so long to pretty up," Janet teased, slipping into the room. "It's just me-Janet."
A small man in a dressing gown and fur slippers spun from the mirror and opened his shadowed eyes wide, in surprise. Throwing his arms out he hugged Jaent.
"Janet. Baby! It's been years. Where have you been? How have you been? Here, sit right down and tell Freddy all about you."
Janet sat gratefully on the edge of the bed and watched as Freddy fussed like a mother hen to make her comfortable.
"Oh, sit down here and keep me company," Janet insisted. "And you are as beautiful as ever."
"Do you really think so?" the small man asked anxiously.
"Of course you are," Janet said, thinking it was all together too true. The man was far more beautiful than she and always would be.
A smile of selfish pleasure brightened his face and he sat and held her hand.
"Are you just bumming around, or is there something I can do for you?"
"Oh, Freddy, I'm just lonesome and a little horny." Janet laughed nervously.
"Aha. What's the matter? Don't you have one of your own right now?"
"Well, yes, I do," Janet said sadly. "The most wonderful little ball of sex you could ever ask for."
"And you're here because you're lonesome?" Freddy probed gently.
"It's a long story. I sort of had to loan her out this evening and the little green bug's got a bite of me."
"You really love her then? Ah, but when one's body hungers, one must have food to satisfy the pangs. When one's heart hungers one must have a little sex to ease the pain. You know Freddy understands these things. How often have I had to loan one of mine out for the evening or even longer. They stray and you either care enough to take them back or you can exchange them. Either way it's a painful thing but a price it seems we must pay for our kind of pleasures. Oh, well, let's go out and see who's here and what we can do for your problem."
Freddy led Janet down the hall with his hand on her waist. Another couple slid anxiously past them and slammed the bedroom door shut.
"Everyone, I want you to meet Janet. She's been a friend of mine for a very long time. She just got back into town and is a little lonesome. Be nice to her, she's been gone a long time," Freddy announced, giving Janet a squeeze. Nodding his head in the direction of the scowling man from the bedroom, Freddy excused himself and went to join his lover.
"I'm Sandy," a large dark-haired girl said, taking Janet's arm. "Join me for a dance?"
Grateful for the companionship, Janet allowed herself to be enveloped in the strong arms of the amazon called Sandy, thrilling when large full breasts grazed her own and the musky perfume of the other penetrated her senses.
The drink had warmed her and the girl's arms were firm and comforting, as they wove their way through the throng, their bodies touching full length, then parting as if teasing.
They danced several dances before finding a place to sit down together.
"Do you want to stay here?" Sandy asked, clasping Janet's hand in her own.
Glancing at the couples sprawled in various stages of dress and undress, Janet suddenly felt that she did not want to be involved in a mass orgy tonight.
"Not especially," Janet admitted, thankful for her partner's consideration.
"There are several places around where we could run out and get a drink and maybe get to know each other better," Sandy suggested, stroking Janet's hand.
"Okay. Let me tell Freddy good-bye and then we'll leave." Janet rose and found Freddy mixing drinks at the bar.
"I'm going now, Freddy. Thanks for everything." Janet nodded meaningfully at the dark beauty waiting patiently at the door for her.
"God takes care of his own and the ones he leaves out Freddy takes care of," Freddy teased. "But good luck, baby. And don't stay away so long this time. We want to meet that sex bomb of yours. Bring her along next time."
"I'll do that. It's a promise." Janet waved and blew him a kiss as she threaded her way to the door.
"Where are we going?" Janet asked, when they reached the fresh air of the street.
"Do you have a preference?" Sandy asked.
"No, you lead the way," Janet said, happily slipping her arm into Sandy's and falling into step.
"In that case why don't we run up to my place? It isn't too far from here and we can have a drink there and talk better," Sandy urged.
"That's fine with me," Janet assured her, watching the cat-like grace as Sandy bent to place a quick tender kiss on her lips.
"Ummm," Sandy purred. "Let's go."
Locking the door behind them, Sandy turned on Janet with a smile of satisfaction and desire.
"Do you really want that drink now or can it wait?"
"It can wait." Janet returned the smile and moved closer.
"I can't," Sandy whispered, drawing Janet into her arms.
Janet felt herself being lifted off her feet and carried into the bedroom.
"Just relax while I get out of these things," Sandy cooed, lifting her sweater over her head, revealing again the feline smoothness of her movements. Also to Janet's delight she revealed heavy full breasts straining at their flimsy confinement. She loosened the zipper of her skirt and stepped out of it, standing only in a bra and panties, the dark thatch of hair clearly outlined beneath the white silk while the dark nipples tried in vain to push themselves out of the cloth.
"Now, why don't you get more comfortable?" Sandy suggested, slipping out of the panties.
"I don't think I will," Janet teased, reaching to unclasp the bra that Sandy was struggling with. "Maybe that isn't what I had in mind."
Sandy giggled, holding Janet close to her, knowing from the searching hands that excited her body that Janet was only teasing her a little.
With care and gentle caresses, Sandy helped Janet remove her clothes and folded them carefully on the back of a chair. Then she let her hands roam over the nude body in front of her. Watching with pride as the nipples rose and seemed to beg for her touch.
Janet felt herself being pushed backwards on the bed, her eyes closed, her body taught and tense waiting for the release that would surely come soon.
Firm, knowing hands stroked her body and flicked the straining nipples causing her to whimper and cling to the soft shifting body that crushed her to the bed.
Hot, fast breath hit her cheek and she turned to meet the mouth that parted sweetly, grasping her lips. Her tongue was drawn into the cavern of delight, and she tasted the other's desire and anxiety.
"Come to me, baby. Come and get it," Sandy purred, her strong hands urging Janet's body upwards to meet her own.
Digging her hands into the fleshy buttocks, Janet pulled herself upwards until pelvis met pelvis and ground together, causing sweeping sensations of flying, floating, and sinking.
Sandy gasped and crept down Janet's body with her hands touching, stroking, lightly here, firmly squeezing there, until Janet was a tense, trembling ball of nerves screaming for release.
"Not just yet. It'll be there." Sandy promised. "But not yet. You've forgotten something," she added with a playful slap on the rear.
"I haven't forgotten anything," Janet sighed happily. "I haven't forgotten a thing."
Sliding down on the bed Janet let her mouth explore the unknown body writhing beneath her. She ran her tongue around the delicious cleft of a navel, flicking, caressing, then suddenly plunging it into the crevice with force, squeezing the frantically thrusting hips.
Then anxiously she parted the protected area of the throbbing sweetness of Sandy's passion and let her experience probe ever so gently, then harder, as the woman began to play with her hair and ears, moaning in abandoned pleasure.
She felt Sandy shift position and, with a thrill, realized her companion intended to repay in kind. Without stopping her manipulations she allowed her legs to be parted and held her breath as hot moist breath touched her, warning of pleasures to come.
Their faces buried within each other they played, teased, prolonged, until Sandy could no longer contain her needs.
"Now, baby. God, I need it now. I can't stand it any longer. Make it now!" she pleaded, her voice muffled.
There was no spoken answer. Simply renewed activity in earnest this time, for each was equally in need of the release their plays had promised so much of.
Sobbing with painful pleasure, Janet allowed herself to be lulled to sleep with assurances that she was the best lover that Sandy had ever had and that they would never part.
However, in the morning she slipped out of the bed and into her clothes. Not wanting to awaken the sleeping woman, she left a note saying she would be back at Freddies soon, and if Sandy wanted to see her to let Freddy know.
Then quietly Janet slipped out of the apartment and faced a new day bright with the early morning sunshine.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Janet slipped back into the apartment, looked in and saw that Carol and Laura were both asleep, and went on to the kitchen and started to make coffee.
When she had it started she sat at the table and laid her head on her arms. She was tired even after her sleep and felt she could nap while the coffee brewed.
She awoke with a start when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"What is it?" she mumbled, lifting her head.
"Just morning," Laura laughed. "How long have you been sleeping at the table?"
"Just a few minutes. I started coffee."
"I know, I smelled it," Laura admitted.
"Oh, then it must be done." Janet poured herself and Laura a cup.
Taking the steaming coffee, Laura's eyes brimmed with tears. "You're too good. After last night and all."
"Forget it." Janet sat down.
"No, I wanted to talk to you about it," Laura insisted.
"There's nothing to talk about," Janet said.
"Yes there is. I didn't plan it, you know."
Janet smiled and nodded her head.
"Honey, I understand. Probably better than you do. Remember, I know Carol."
"What's that got to do with it?"
"Everything. You wouldn't have tried to take someone else away from me. I know you too. But with Carol people seem to be carried away from all their original morals and intentions. They forget what's right and wrong even in their own minds, and do things with her they would never even allow themselves to think about if it weren't for her."
"You can't think around her," Laura admitted, remembering how Carol seemed to take control of her thoughts and control of her actions.
"That's just it. She's a beautiful, sexy little animal. Sex and desire ooze from her so strongly that it attacks your senses. She doesn't even do it on purpose. It's just there. And in doses like that few can ignore it."
"I never thought about it that way before, but you are right. Anyhow, I promise never to do it again." Laura solemnly shook her head.
"Don't even promise a thing like that. The only way people refrain from making love to Carol is if she doesn't want them or if they stay completely away from her. For her it's as natural as eating when you're hungry. Maybe more so. When she's hungry only her tummy says so. When she wants to make love all her senses tell her so."
"I just don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. Especially not to Carol. She never feels anything she does is dirty or wrong. If you feel guilty about it she'll become upset without even knowing why. Just accept her for what she is and enjoy it if you can. That's what I have to do. Sometimes it isn't easy, because she can hurt you without even knowing it, but she doesn't mean to."
"If you say so. What about this arrangement I made for her next week? Maybe you'd better handle her. You know her so much better than anyone else."
"Yes, I think so. What's the guy like? Give me a full run down on him."
"Well, let me see." Laura strolled across the floor and back. "He's not bad looking for his age. But then he's sixty-one years of age."
"And he still wants a girl Carol's age?"
"Oh, most definitely. In fact, he can't even get it up if his girl is over twenty years old. But about once a month he goes on a kick and wants a young girl. He manages to find them, but none are virgin and most are completely unsatisfactory."
"What does he want, precisely? To force a young girl? To have one submit on their own, or what?"
"Nothing spectacular, really. He wants to seduce one and be able to convince himself she is giving it to him because he is so desirable she can't help herself. No force, but not obviously a business contract, either. You know what I mean."
"That should be easy for Carol to manage if we can keep her from showing that she feels sorry for him."
"I hadn't thought of that, but she would, wouldn't she?"
"I'm afraid so." Janet smiled.
"We'll have to work on her about that. I don't think the great James Jeffery would appreciate pity at all."
"I'll talk to her after breakfast," Janet promised.
Several days later Carol sat solemnly as Janet and Laura fluttered around her, adjusting a lock of hair here, applying perfume there, and otherwise acting like a couple of mother hens.
She detached herself from their presence and thought back to all the things she had been told and coached about. Things she must remember about how to walk, how to talk, when to sigh, and when to turn away. When to sit and when to stand and when, most of all, to allow herself to be placed in a lying down position, the better to end the game of cat and mouse she would be playing.
According to Janet's little talk she should be willing but not eager, until the right time, of course. Helpful, but not dominant, childish but not silly, beautiful but not sophisticated, etc. etc. "Whew," she sighed. Instantly Janet was at her side. "What's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing, really." Carol shrugged her shoulder showing the bulge at her low but not too low neckline at a distinct advantage.
"You aren't nervous or anything, are you?" Laura demanded nervously.
"Who, me? Nervous? Just because I have a dozen very important things to remember and in about five minutes I'll go down there and hop merrily into a cab and whisk off to a perfect stranger's apartment and make perfect love to him. Who me? Nervous? Why on earth would I be?" Carol laughed gaily as she picked up her gloves and slipped them over delicate fingers. "I guess I'd better be off, hadn't I?"
"Yes, my little one, I suppose you had." Laura smiled fondly. "Is everything all right? You have any last minute questions?"
"Just one! What if I goof?"
"What do you mean, goof?"
"Oh, you know. Goof! Flop! Mess up! Do something drastically wrong?"
"Honey, you're on your way to make love to a man who's already desperate for you. Your work is half done. And with that body of yours and all the things you have learned, how could you goof?" Laura assured her quickly.
"Well, then, here I go."
Carol picked up her things, and, remembering in time, she shortened her step and assumed her role as a shy but intelligent young lady about to embark on an errand of importance."
"Let me go down with you and get a cab. Then you'll be all set. Still have the number in your purse and everything? Not that it matters. Mr. Jeffery will meet you in the lobby. You'll recognize him from the picture I showed you, won't you?" Janet fluttered.
Carol wished they would leave her alone, but she nodded and kept walking.
In the cab she found herself forgetting where she was headed as her mind filled with the wonders of the city. The many people about, even as late in the evening as it was; the way they dressed, walked, and talked with their hands as if words weren't strong enough to tell of the exciting happenings of the day; the cars that whizzed by did not frighten her any longer, they just made her wonder where they all came from and where they were headed.
"Here we are, miss," the cab driver said, breaking into the excitement with his raspy voice. "This must be your first time alone in the city. How are you with figures and things?"
"Figures?" Carol asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, I got a girl just about your age and that kid is remarkable with figures. Arithmetic, you know. An absolute whiz. My girl is just like you, I'll bet," he said.
"Not quite. I hate figures!" Carol grinned impishly as she paid her fare.
She saw Mr. Jeffery before he noticed her come in. He was a short, round little man with thin hair and a shiny pink face. He puffed angrily on a cigar that looked several sizes too small for him as he paced back and forth in front of the elevators. Glancing toward the door, he stopped and hurried to her.
"Well, there you are. You are a little late, my dear. What kept you?"
"Oh, traffic, I guess," Carol answered, slipping her arm through his, thrilling him with a slight peck on his cheek.
"Ah, yes, well, it is of little importance now that you're here." He smiled and tucked her arm more firmly under his before striding to the elevators. "Let's go on up to my place and have a drink. We can get to know one another much more comfortably there, if you don't mind."
"All right."
Carol found herself liking this little man with his big cigar and brisk way.
"Now then, Laura didn't tell me much about you. Why don't you fill me in while I fix us a drink? You do have a drink now and then, don't you?"
Mr. Jeffery ushered her into the spacious living room of his apartment.
"Yes. Laura insists one have a drink with her in moments of nervous tension, as she calls it. Besides, my stepmother approves." Carol accepted the drink gratefully because she was thirsty and could find nothing to do with her hands except hold them primly folded in her lap. Somehow that seemed to be carrying things a little too far.
Pulling her to a couch, Mr. Jeffery settled himself beside her and took her hands in his own. She couldn't help but notice how his fat little hands seemed soft and more dainty than her own.
"I can't imagine how Laura came to think of me when you came alone. I must be very fortunate to have a friend like Laura. Of course, we do pass favors back and forth now and then when an occasion arises."
"I'm glad she sent me to you. I think I'm going to like you," Carol said, almost believing herself.
"Do you really think so?" He seemed beside himself with pleasure. "I had hoped you'd like me just a little. I mean really like me. I know I'm not really young any more," he confided, "but then one is only as old as he feels, don't you think?" He squirmed a little closer, taking both hands in his own and holding them to his face.
Allowing herself a slight drop of the eyes and a small sigh, Carol returned the pressure of his hands and was rewarded with a brilliant blush that spread from his shiny forehead to the collar of his shirt.
"You act awfully young, Mr. Jeffery, really," Carol whispered.
"Please, call me Jimmy, will you?" He squirmed a little closer. "I'll call you kitten. Is that all right with you, Kitten?"
"I guess so, but why Kitten?" Carol asked, curious when she began to realize this strange little man insisted on talking to her as if she were only two years old and not especially bright.
"Because that's what you remind me of. A cute, cuddly, golden kitten. I'll bet you'd almost purr when you were happy, Kitten. I'd like to be the one to make you happy. Do you think you could purr for me?"
"If I ever purr I'll bet it would be for you," Carol cooed honestly, since she couldn't imagine herself ever purring.
"I'm so glad you said that. I really am," Jimmy crowed, jumping to his feet.
"What's the matter?" Carol was startled by his leap.
"Nothing to be alarmed about, my dear. Nothing to be alarmed about. I just happened to have something here for you. I was saving it for later, but I think I'll give it to you now and see if you like it. If not I'll be happy to return it. But we'll see," he said, returning to kneel at her knees holding a small white box with gold lettering.
"What is it?" Carol didn't need her lessons to be properly excited when offered a gift. She tore off the ribbon anxiously, and held her breath when the lid flew open and exposed a beautiful wrist watch with diamond settings.
Unprepared for such extravagance, she held it up before her and was surprised to find her sight was dimmed by tears of happiness. Never in her life had she held something so terribly expensive, much less owned it for her own. Impulsively she hugged her benefactor enthusiastically shedding tears on his soft shirt.
"There, there, Kitten. I didn't mean to make you cry. Why are you crying? Don't you like it?" Jimmy patted her back awkwardly.
"I love it," Carol sniffed, "but I'm so happy!"
"I don't know what to say," he muttered again, helpless in sight of the tears. Finally he gave her a handkerchief.
"Oh, thank you, Jimmy. You're so sweet." Carol wiped her eyes carefully.
"You really like the watch, though?" Jimmy sounded a bit doubtful.
"Yes, silly." Carol's laughter rang. "Haven't you ever seen a girl so sheer full of happiness that the tears kind of flow over? I do it all the time. Here, help me put it on, will you? I'm so excited I don't think I could manage alone."
She held it to him and he fumbled with the clasp until it was held fast.
Then still holding her hand he kissed it, gently turning it so his lips traced the outline of her finger tips and the lines in her palm. Shivers raced through Carol's body. Then his fat little tongue flicked out and caressed her palm, delicately, effortlessly, but with amazing results. Carol's fingers automatically folded over his jaw line and held him.
"Ah, what a sweet little thing you are," he whispered into her hand. "I'd like to kiss you all over again and again. On those honey lips, or that little turned-up nose, or your ears and neck. I don't think I've ever seen such a pretty neck. A neck like that deserves diamonds and rubies. Do you like necklaces, my dear?" he asked shrewdly.
"Sure," Carol sighed, thinking again of her watch.
"Then, by all means we shall get one for you. I should have it made special with a point to show off those luscious breasts of yours. Has anyone ever told you how extra nice they are? My God, they're big." Jimmy traced the outline of them with his hands stopping to cup one in each hand and lift as if to weigh them. "Are they all yours? I mean, don't you have just a little padding or something in there?"
"Of course not!" Carol drew away indignately.
"Sorry." He pulled her back quickly. "I didn't mean to offend you, but really, you'd be surprised at the ones that look wonderful and end up to be nothing but sponge rubber and stuff. I don't think I've ever held any real ones as big as this."
"Jimmy, they aren't all that different," Carol denied.
"Oh, but yes they are to me. After all, an old guy like me. Ha, we don't get a hold of the prime stuff very often, you know. You are quite a treat all the way around," Jimmy gloated with a leer. "I wonder if I might just see them."
"Of course."
Carol stood to remove her clothing, but Jimmy grabbed her hand and held it to his lips.
"I would like to kiss you and admire you all over, but I'm sure I could do a much better job of it if you could take off some of those things," he pleaded needlessly.
Carol frowned at his silly attitude. She had come here fully expecting to take off her clothes and do anything he wanted, and now in the very act of trying to remove her clothes for him he holds her back in order to plead more.
"Please, Kitten. It would be so much nicer," he begged, mistaking her frown for one of annoyance at the bold suggestion.
Carol shrugged her shoulders. It was more like a little boy wanting to sneak a feel at a dance or something, but if the guy gets his kicks from begging first, then by all means let him beg. Encourage it a little. At least this, her second man in her life was a lot nicer than her father who had taken what he figured his right and due him as a man. There were no presents or nicely asking for permission then. So if he wants to be silly here, who am I to say no or even be irritated?
Favoring her customer with a smile, Carol drew away from him slowly with affected shyness.
"I don't know."
"It'll be all right." Jimmy followed, stalking. "I won't hurt you or anything. I just wanted to see what you looked like when you're not beneath all those clothes."
Dashing away to the far end of the room, Carol stood proudly with legs apart, shoulders thrown back, eyes narrow. Her gaze fell beneath the sucking sounds he kept making with his lips, drawing them in and blowing them out with each breath. Remembering her duty she took a deep breath and reached behind her to unzip the dress.
With unexpected swiftness Jimmy had lept from his seat on the edge of the couch and was halfway across the room.
"Let me help you, Kitten."
Eyes flashing, one arm flung at him, Carol threw her head to one side and pointed her free hand at him.
"Stay where you are! Don't come any closer."
"But, Kitten," he whined, leaning forward but keeping his feet planted.
"Do as I say." Carol softened the order with an angel smile and the slow loss of her dress.
Again Jimmy moved as if to come to her, but Carol turned her back to him and stood silent and unmoving until she heard the soft sigh and resigned sounds of a man trying to make the best of it.
Turning, Carol raised her arms above her head, carrying golden ripples of hair between her fingers. Turning her back to him again, she reached behind her and in full view of his probing eyes she loosened the bra and let it fall.
She heard a sharp intake of breath and carefully covered her breasts as best as she could with her small hands, before turning again to face him.
"Good God!" he swore, his eyes bulging as if to see through the hands that prevented full sight.
"Let me see them, Kitten. Please, let me just take one little peek?"
"Why?" Carol teased, leaning toward him, letting the breasts slip out of their confinement for just a second before covering them again.
"Because they are so beautiful. Because I want to see them and stroke them and feel all their softness in my hands at once. I want to possess them for my own. I'll be nice, Kitten. I'll be very gentle."
"Well." Carol seemed to be thinking about it as she paced the width of her end of the room, but when she turned to face him again they were bare, standing proudly in their own glory. The tips were aroused, firm and pink in their golden background. Wiggling out of her few remaining clothes, Carol cross-ed the space that separated them.
"Did you really want to see them close?" Carol asked impishly, letting one brush the hairs on his arm.
Gleefully, Jimmy grasped one in each hand and bent his head to nuzzle first one and then the other one. Then with a moan he buried his head between them, kissing, darting his tongue around, until Carol was afraid he would smother his fool self. Besides, she was a little uncomfortable standing against the pressure of his body straining against her. She shifted his weight and lifted his head between her hands.
"Could we sit down, please?"
"Of course, Kitten. In fact, let's go sit in the bedroom."
He guided her anxiously through the living room to the luxurious bedroom where he set her on an immense bed.
Pressing her back against the green satin coverlet he stretched her arms above her head.
"Ah, what a beautiful picture you would make," he muttered, arranging her body in a new pose.
He did not speak now, nor did he seem to remember she was even there. Just her body for him to play with like a lifeless doll.
Tired of watching the stupid glazed look on his face, she let her eyes wander around the room.
Blinking her eyes she brought them again to the scene directly above her. A mirror had been inserted in the ceiling and reflected in it's faithful face was the entire happenings on and around the bed.
As she watched in the mirror she saw Jimmy back away and jerk his shirt off and throw it across the bed. Then, anxiously, he tore at his belt buckle and slid his pants over his legs and hopped about in his shorts and T-shirt for a couple of minutes.
While she watched through half closed eyes Carol saw him reach down and feel of himself and smile with sudden satisfaction.
"I don't want to frighten you, my dear, or seem overly hasty, but I am ready now," Jimmy whispered, bending to kiss her lips primly before moving down to the breasts he found so desirable. Again he hid his face in the depths of her breasts and breathed the intoxicating smell of soap and perfume.
His tongue flicked from peak to peak while his soft little hand roved the length of her body and back. The sights viewed in the mirror, the softness of Jimmy's hands and his disarming way of using his tongue to caress her, soon had Carol's blood racing. With no small effort she held her breathing and body motions in control, while his fat little tongue traced chills of delight and pleasure through her body.
Trying to bring her mind back and gain enough control to keep from spoiling her supposedly virgin image, Carol tore her thoughts from the physical attentions being showered upon her and focused her eyes again on the mirror above the bed. However, this was not an especially sobering idea. No matter how little she could imagine being stirred by the sight of a fat little man sliding around on her body, there it was and it was stimulating.
Suddenly he rose and tore at his shorts, flinging them off the bed. Standing on his knees beside her on the bed, he proudly announced:
"See, Kitten. Now I am ready for you."
While he looked rather like a pink beach ball with five ridiculous appendages sticking out at odd angles, Carol could see that with what little equipment he had he was indeed ready for something. Curious rather than passionate, Carol nodded, wondering how on earth he intended to get it in with the belly that almost hid it from view.
"You aren't afraid, are you?" he asked kindly. "Oh no." Carol's eyes were wide and innocent. "You're much too nice to be afraid of."
"It might hurt a little." He caressed her thighs.
"I know that. Aunt Laura says you'll be very careful and not hurt me too much." Carol snuggled closer.
"Of course, I will be very careful. I have an idea. Let me show you a way that won't hurt nearly as much as any other. Here, you'll have to get on top," he explained eagerly, scooting to the center of the bed.
"On top?"
Carol had never been on top of any man before and her doubt showed in her eyes.
"Yes. It's easier that way, really," he whispered, drawing her closer.
Carol sat up and wondered exactly how one mounted a man properly and not being able to think of a way she blushed.
"It's much too awkward. I don't know how," she confessed.
"Naturally not," he sympathized immediately. "What would a little thing like you know about it? Here, let me show you."
He helped her lay across his belly and with one hand guided his organ to the right spot.
"Now," he whispered, his voice a strained gasp. "Ease down. That way you can stop when it hurts too much and go on when you feel like it. Okay?"
Carol, being in position, saw what she must do but she fumbled and hesitated, then hiding her face in the great masses of his stomach she started easing down, taking care to work it toward the side as Laura had told her to do. Then she stopped suddenly and moaned, holding her breath a minute, continued, slowly and with frequent stops and enough forced tears to make him think it was indeed her very first time.
Finding himself with what appeared to be his first virgin at the age of sixty-one, Jimmy could contain himself no longer. His movements became frantic, jerky, bucking, until Carol had to hold on for dear life to keep from being thrown from her precarious perch.
After a violent shuddering jerk, Jimmy fell back to the bed and lay silent.
Carol opened her eyes to see what was wrong with him. The peaceful expression on his face and the already slipping penis told her he was through.
He looked so happy that Carol was instantly happy for him. She hugged him fondly and kissed his mouth tenderly.
"I'm sorry. I'm not much good, I guess. But, God, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he declared.
"Oh, you were wonderful," Carol sighed.
She felt he was wonderful, not sexually, but he was awfully kind.
"You're being kind, dear, but thank you. You've made me the happiest man in the world."
Letting her body slip off his belly, Carol snuggled up to his side and stroked his body until his breathing told her he was fast asleep. Then she rolled to one side, and, wondering why she felt no desire, nor frustration, despite her lack of a climax, she too fell asleep.
She awoke the next morning when the sound of distant voices drifted into her cloudy sleepiness.
Opening her eyes she stretched, yawning like a satisfied cat, when Jimmy walked into the room.
"Good morning, Kitten. See how well you were named?" He indicated her pose with a nod.
"Yes, I guess so," Carol giggled. "And a good morning to you. Where were you and who were you talking to?"
"Oh, that was breakfast. Ready?"
"Always."
Carol swung her feet off the bed.
"No, no," Jimmy said. "Breakfast in bed this morning. I'll serve."
He hastened to place her feet back on the bed and cover her with the sheet.
"Oh, no, I should do that."
Carol moved to rise again.
"Please, do as I ask," Jimmy's voice still kind, held firmly. "Okay."
Carol smiled and patted his hand.
He almost skipped back into the room pushing a cart heavily laden with breakfast foods.
"Good grief," Carol cried, when he uncovered eggs, scrambled, fried, poached, and one omelet. There was also ham, sausage, bacon, juices, fruits, and coffee. "What're you going to do? Feed an army?"
"Well, I didn't want to wake you to see what you wanted, and I wanted it ready when you awoke. So I just ordered some of everything. Now you can take your pick and I'll help," he explained lightly, as he placed the tray over her lap and poured coffee. "Cream or sugar?"
"No, just black."
Carol found she was starving as usual at this time of the morning.
"Good to see young people with healthy appetites," Jimmy crowed, heaping Carol's plate.
They ate in silence, and after he had cleared the dishes he returned to the edge of the bed and lit a cigarette for each of them.
"I suppose you think I'm a silly old man, and maybe you're right. But I have something to say. I am an old man, no matter how you look at it. I can't escape that face with the old look every morning. But being an old man doesn't remove certain needs, only the ability to satisfy them. And after last night I imagine you could become a very strong need in my life. I want to know when I can see you again and on what terms."
"Well, I guess you'll have to talk to Laura. Whatever she decides, goes."
"Do you think she'll let me have you exclusively?" Jimmy hinted.
"I don't know. Maybe."
Carol frowned, wondering whether she wanted to belong to any man exclusively.
"Would you like that?" Jimmy asked, as if reading her mind. "Or would you rather be with more people?"
"Oh, I think I'd rather be with just you. You're so nice, and I really do like you a lot," Carol said, knowing it was what he wanted to hear.
"I wouldn't be able to keep you here, you know. And you'd only have to make visits like last night," he explained. "But I'd like to know I could have you around if I want. Let me talk to Laura later and we'll see what she says. Now, take your watch and enjoy it, and I'll see about getting that necklace to match."
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Carol protested.
"I know that, Kitten," he scolded. "But it gives me pleasure. Now, as much as I hate to do it I must say good-bye for now. I still have a couple of businesses to run this morning, and it is a working day." He stood swiftly, kissing her on the tip of her nose. "Be good and rest in bed if you like. Just lock the door on your way out. By the way, there's some money on the coffee table to take care of the cab and things. Don't forget it."
"Thank you, Jimmy." Carol blew him a kiss as he strode out of the room giving her one last glance before turning his back in favor of the business that meant so much to him.
Carol rested a few moments. Then she rose and hurriedly took a shower and dressed.
Just before leaving she remembered the money. She counted it, shook her head, counted it again. Two hundred dollars? For the cab and things?
Still shaking her head in disbelief she entered Laura's apartment and laid the money on the table in front of Laura and Janet.
"What's this?"
Janet was worried at the silent Carol.
"That's the money for the cab and things."
"Two hundred dollars? Yep, that's what we settled on. Pretty stiff, but then it's worth it to him and he has the money to spend. How did it go?"
"You mean the virgin bit?"
"I mean everything in general, Carol?"
"I guess it went over real good. He wants to talk to you about keeping me to himself."
"Anything wrong?"
Janet peered nervously into Carol's face. "Nothing."
Carol couldn't explain what was troubling her.
Janet laid her hand on Carol's arm.
"Carol baby, I know you. You've just made two hundred dollars, had a new and exciting experience, and whether Laura noticed or not, you picked up a nice piece of junk there. Now, it isn't like you to sit down and pass up a chance to tell us all that happened."
"Oh, Janet, I'm worried a little bit," Carol cried. "What about?" Laura whirled around. "What happened?"
"Well, you know, I really liked him. I mean not to be in love with or anything. But he's a really nice and kind man. And sweet and sort of pathetic.
But some of the things he did would really turn me on. I mean, I was squirming all over inside waiting for the roof of my head to blow off, then he'd say something or I'd get a good look at him and it was like flicking a switch. I was turned off again. He didn't do a thing for me."
"Oh, that." Laura and Janet laughed, relieved. "It was probably the fact that it was all new to you and you had a job to do. Things to remember and the right impression to make. A girl can't let go with things like that hanging over her head. I'm sure a little loving attention could help you feel better," Laura hinted.
"I thought you had some shopping to do?" Janet said.
"I do." Laura caught herself up with a start. "I'd better get on my way too. I have an appointment later."
"We'll stick around and have lunch here."
Janet turned to Carol with a happy, possessive smile.
CHAPTER NINE
Laura and Janet sat on the couch while Carol rolled back and forth on the rug in front of the fireplace.
"We should've taken Carol shopping, with her new money and all." Laura grinned.
"We still can. There are several little shops I'd like to see again, myself. Of course, you do have something to see about this evening, don't you?"
"Yeah, but maybe tomorrow. I'd like to go tomorrow, anyway. How about it, Carol? Want to go shopping?"
"I suppose so, whenever you say."
Carol was preoccupied with a book.
The phone rang.
Laura answered it, her voice becoming a sultry whisper the moment the receiver left it's hook.
"Hello? ... Of course, I remember you, darling. How have you been? ... Carl dear, we have an appointment for later this evening. Can't it wait? ... Oh, you naughty thing! All right. All right, I'm on my way."
Laura made a face at the dead phone and checked her makeup in the mirror over the phone table.
"Well, back to the salt mines."
"Oh, no," Carol whined. "Do you have to go to work this early?"
"I'm afraid so, little one. A very important customer who got lonesome early. He's not a bad guy when you get to know him. I know a lot worse."
"Will it be for all night?" Janet asked hopefully.
"I'm quite sure of it. It usually is, unless he's called back to work for some emergency or something."
As she talked, Laura flew around, replacing flat shoes with high heels, flicking a comb through her hair, dabbing perfume, and blotting lipstick.
"All ready. I'm off. See you in the morning."
After she whizzed out, Janet made a nice dinner and set a lovely romantic table, complete with candlelight. She lit the candles and was pouring the wine, when the phone rang.
Carol ran to answer it, then stopped.
"Should I?"
"Yes, maybe you can take a message or something?"
"Hello?" It was Laura.
"Carol, is that you, darling?"
"Yes, it's me. Did you forget something?"
"Listed carefully, baby. Carl has a friend here and he won't leave until the friend has a girl also. So I need you here to take said friend off my hands. I don't feel like wrestling with both of them at once."
"Would you?" Carol laughed. "I mean take them both on?"
"No, not tonight, but if I don't figure something out I'm going to have to fight with a very nice man who helps me support me. So let's get our little doll over here. Tell Janet all the details and have her help you get ready, and hop a cab right away. Hurry up, I'm desperate. Uh, uh, gotta go. Here comes laughing boy now with new drinks. Rush, rush, I need help."
Laura gave her the address, then slammed the receiver down, but not before Carol heard her coo:
"Carl, darling, what took you so long? I've been lonesome for you!"
"Laura says she needs me right away," Carol told the bewildered Janet.
"But what about our lovely dinner?" Janet wailed, following Carol through the house.
Carol flipped her hair over her shoulder and grinned.
"I guess we'll have to pass it up this time. This is very important."
"Oh, what the hell?"
Janet sighed and replaced the cork in the wine bottle, then hurried off to help Carol as much as possible.
This time the trip through town in the cab was not so exciting, since Carol was too busy trying to act like it was an every day thing for her. Which, she giggled to herself, it looked like it might become just that.
Inside the hotel lobby she didn't see anyone she knew, but before she could doubt, she heard the unmistakable tinkle of Laura's laughter coming from the darkened lounge to her right.
Turning, she followed the sound automatically, standing just inside the room waiting for Laura to see her or her own eyes to become accustomed to the dark.
Before she could locate Laura, a young man walked up to her and, looking down, whistled.
"Where did this come from? Hell, here I stand in a den of iniquity and look up to find one small angel standing in the doorway. If you're here to save someone, baby, I'm ready," he said, squinting into the harsh light behind her.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Carol drew herself up to her full height and looked earnestly for her friend.
"I'm talking about you and I, baby," the man persisted, guiding Carol deeper into the room.
Carol tried to pull loose, but, seeing he had a good solid grip, she shrugged her shoulders and allowed him to lead her through the maze.
She knew that once she seemed willing to go along he would relax and give her time to leave.
She was about to wonder if she wasn't mistaken about Laura's voice, when the same voice spoke from behind her.
"Well, really now, Ernie. You don't waste much time, do you?" Laura remarked bitterly.
"Not with something like this standing right on my doorstep." The man called Ernie laughed, completely unaware of the sarcasm in Laura's comment. "You can call that friend of yours and tell her to go fly a broom. She's way too late now."
"Carol," Laura said coolly, "Ernest, otherwise called Ernie. The gentleman who has you by the arm would like for you to go fly away on a broom."
Carol, angry and confused a second ago, now doubled over with unrestrained laughter when she glimpsed the shocked, crestfallen look on her captor's face.
"You mean this is the one? My God, you sure do know how to hurt a guy."
He glared at first Carol and then Laura, both of whom were laughing at his confusion.
"If you mean she's better than you deserved or expected, you're right. But now that she's stuck with you, couldn't we please go to the table and stop providing entertainment for the customers?"
Laura led the way to a corner booth where a large, bald man lept to his feet.
"What's going on around here? What was all the fuss?" When his eyes settled on Carol his mouth slackened and his eyes glimmered. "You're more than welcome, my dear," he said, his eyes leaving no curve, no lines unnoticed on Carol's body before he stopped his inspection and motioned her to a seat. "Would you care for something to drink?"
"I'm afraid I'm not old enough to drink," Carol refused.
"That don't make that much difference around here. If you want a drink just let me know and I'll see that you get one. How about it?" Carl said jovially.
"I think Carol had better stick to Coke for now," Laura firmly ordered.
"What's with you? You're not mad at me for something, are you?" Carl turned to Laura instantly.
"Not at all." Laura smiled and patted Carol's hand. "It's just that Carol doesn't drink much and would usually much rather have a Coke. Isn't that right, dear?"
"Of course."
Carol returned Laura's squeeze and turned back to her companion.
"What did you say your name is?" he asked uncomfortably.
"Carol." Carol gave him a brilliant smile.
"You don't usually go to these places, do you?" he ventured.
"No, I don't. Do you go often?"
He threw his head back and laughed.
"How precious. Of course, I go to these places often. I live in them, because I like them, angel baby. And because there isn't anyplace else to go," he added sadly.
"What's here besides drinks?"
"They have some scrumptuous floor shows."
"What kind of floor shows?"
Carol watched his hands move as he talked, using them to wave aside a word, push another into more strength of meaning and slam another into the table. The words came from his hands more so than from his firm mouth.
"Oh, you know the sort of thing; girls, dancing, lights, and things."
"Oh, I see. You mean actresses." Carol hesitated, trying to think if she had ever seen anything like actresses up close.
"Well, it's doing these dames an honor to call them actresses, but they are in that line of work. Haven't you ever seen any of these floor shows? With the naked or almost naked ladies dancing around?"
"Naked?" Carol asked. "Do you really mean naked? Why on earth would anyone want to dance naked in public?"
"Because people like to see them that way, I suppose," Ernie snorted, whistling a distant tune and looking for Carl and Laura, hoping they would hurry back to the table and take this child off his hands.
"Do you like to watch people dance naked?"
"Sure, doesn't everybody?"
"No, I don't think everybody does. But if you do, I can dance naked for you," Carol said happily. "That is, if you're to be mine for the night. You are, aren't you?"
"What do you mean? Oh, later! Hell yes, I guess so. Laura called you for me, if that's what you meant."
Carol watched as he nervously turned around in his chair and threw a beseeching glance at Carl and Laura. He fussed with his handkerchief and twisted a napkin into a small soggy ball before glancing in her direction again.
"You don't especially like me," she noticed aloud, much to his shock and embarrassment.
"It isn't that," he stammered. "It's just that you don't belong here. I don't know. I feel funny sitting here talking to you when I don't know anything to talk about. Besides, I can't help but wonder if you're even old enough for the other."
He waved a helpless hand and fumbled for a cigarette.
"May I have one, please?"
Carol found herself on firm ground now. This young man was her assignment for the night. Therefore he had to be put at ease and made to desire her and eventually make love to her.
She cupped her hand around his as he held the lighter for her.
"You have the nicest hands," she sighed, bending her head slightly so her lips brushed his finger tips.
He jerked his hand back as if he had been burned but then reached back and held her hand in his own as if to apologize for his harsh action.
She smiled and returned the pressure of his hand and was rewarded by his slow relaxation.
"Are we going to spend the evening here?" Carol asked after a while, being careful not to imply that it mattered to her either way.
"I don't know. I guess it depends on what Carl and Laura decide to do, but I see they're finally headed back this way. We'll know shortly."
"Hi, there! Did you think we'd forsaken you?"
Laura let her hand rest on the back of Carol's neck, rubbing absently as she waited for Carl to explain.
"Listen, you two, Laura and I have to run along now. Meet you later, much later," he roared with a lewd wink. "Back down here or in my room for drinks. How about it?"
"Sure, I guess so. Take it easy."
Ernie waved his hand and shook his head, as he watched his help weave crookedly out of sight.
"So what do we do now?" Carol giggled.
"I don't really know. We never did get down to what all you were old enough to do, for one thing."
"I'm old enough to do anything I want except drink and vote," Carol lied.
"Well, then let's go on up to my room where you can drink and cast as many votes as you like. How about it?"
"For you, anything!"
Carol laughed gaily, taking his hand as he led her through the maze of chairs and occasionally exploring hands to the light of the lobby.
Following his lead, she was silent as he led the way to the elevator and punched a button.
Still not speaking, she stepped out of the elevator and waited for him to find keys and unlock the door. He reached over her shoulder and flicked a light switch that flooded the room with a glare. Stepping past her, he adjusted some switches and the light was reduced to a soft glow.
Carol saw a nice room. Not lavish like Laura's, but neat and masculine through and through. Books strewn all over, carefully marked, some open, some stacked near a chair. A stereo sat in one corner, a television nearby, and two large, leather chairs sat on either side. The couch too was leather and extra long for a tall man.
"Do you live here?" Carol wondered aloud, noticing the comfortable atmosphere in the room, unlike the cold impersonal feel of a hotel room.
"Sure. This floor of the hotel has small apartments, and it's only a few blocks to work from here. How about some music? Do you like Mancini?" he suggested, flicking switches on the stereo.
"Sure," Carol said, wondering what a Mancini was.
"Good."
He put a record on and threw a few more at random and sat down beside her on the couch.
"It's pretty," Carol sighed as the record started.
"I forgot. Do you want that drink now?"
"Please, if you don't mind."
While he carefully mixed drinks from a small bar in the corner she sat back and let the soft, lilting sounds float over her.
Surprised, she found she really did like Mancini, still not knowing if it was the name of a certain kind of music or the person responsible for it. Then she turned her attention to her host. He seemed young but not too young. Even so, he certainly was not the type that needed her services. His face was handsome, his dark hair touched lightly with a spray of grey at the temple, his body young and vital, beautifully shaped with his strength showing in the lines of the muscle and the firmness of his face.
He smiled, handing her a frosted glass. "What're you looking for?" Carol accepted the glass.
"You."
"And what did you see?"
"You! And I liked what I saw," Carol admitted, her eyes sparkling.
He sat down beside her. "That's good."
"Is it?" Carol teased. "I didn't think it mattered."
"Oh, I don't know," he admitted slowly. "It's been a long time since I had an experience like this. You know the professional type thing, if you'll forgive me for mentioning it."
"I don't mind your mentioning it. After all, that is what I'm here for."
"Well, anyway, I don't think I can treat you like one. I've forgotten how, and besides, you don't seem to fit the picture right."
"Then treat me like you feel."
Carol waved her arm, unconsciously imitating his motions.
"Let's listen to the music and quit the deep conversation," he suggested, leaning back, his arm draped only inches from Carol's bare shoulder.
Obediently Carol listened to the music, feeling it course a lazy trip through her body like a caress of sound.
She cuddled closer when he dropped his arm to her shoulder, lifting her face for the kiss she sensed he was ready to try.
His lips met hers, tenderly, his arms tightening, holding her close while one hand roamed the lower regions of her back. The kiss grew in strength and demand when she responded, fully, not needing to pretend.
He released her a slight bit, still kissing her in shocking little nibbles and nips, his hands searching along her ribs, cautiously finding their way to the soft flesh of her straining breasts. Clasping one firmly in each hand, he rotated them, brushing his thumb over the nipple, his mouth crushing hers now, moving in rhythm to the movements of his hands.
Carol let herself go, straining to meet his caress, her lips meeting his again and again, once gently, then with an almost appalling brutality, causing passionate cries to escape her.
Bringing her closer to him, he freed one hand from her breasts and let it rest on her leg. Cautiously, like stroking a wild animal that might fly away if touched the wrong way, he worked his hands in tight circles. One on her leg, moving upwards, the other still caressing her breasts beneath the thin material of her dress.
When he reached her inner thigh he stopped, waited, still working his mouth against hers, his tongue darting inward. When he saw he was to be met with no resistance, instead an amazingly helpful twist of the body, he brought his hand up another inch and froze. He was not quite sure what he had found, but it certainly wasn't the silk and lace he'd expected. It felt for all the world like fur.
Suddenly Carol pulled away from his kiss and grinned.
"What's the matter?" she asked, sensing his tense waiting.
"I don't know," he muttered, stroking with the hand on her breast but very sure not to move the one on her leg.
"Silly, I never wear panties, if that's what's wrong."
Carol kissed him fondly on the nose and squeezed his hesitant hand between her legs. "Never?"
His hand moved again, feeling, making sure now that his earlier suspicions had been confirmed. "By God, it is hair!"
"Never!"
"But this is fascinating. I mean, honest to God, I never knew anyone that didn't wear pants. Intriguing," he whispered in her ear, resuming his earlier intentions.
They clung to each other, breathing the same air in tortured, panting breaths, lips parting only to suck in air, painfully straining closer until it seemed they would melt into one.
"You aren't comfortable," he said at last, noticing her position. "I'm okay."
"Of course not, here."
He placed his hand under her round little bottom and lifted her easily, sliding her down on the couch until her head was clear. Then, just as smoothly, he removed her shoes and placed her arm in a more comfortable position.
Carol could feel his own labored breath coming hot against her cheek.
He was sprinkled with sweat across his nose and chin, and his hair had fallen out of it's usual place, making him look like a young boy.
She reached her hands to each side of his face and drew him down to meet her lips as she traced the shape of his mouth with her tongue and nibbled at the corner of his mouth. Her hands caressed his face, tracing his nose, the line of his eyebrow, the rim of his ears, gently as if trying to memorize each line and texture.
He leaned over her, waiting for a sign that would show him to know whether it was the best part of a well-learned job, but her sigh and her eyes told him that for some reason she was sincere. There was too much depth, too much of what looked surprisingly like concern, pride, and possession in her lovely eyes.
With a gasp he crushed her to him and slid his body down on top of hers, working against her, feeling the roughness of clothes between them but sensing the hot moist warmth of her, the live, writhing little body that promised so much he wanted it to last forever.
Reluctantly, he tore himself from her arms and rose to a sitting position.
Carol trembled with excitement as his eyes swept over her, lingering, then moving on, thrilling her with the intensity of their gaze.
His face softened and his hands turned her gently to one side so that the sure fingers could unzip the dress and slide it smoothly over her hips.
"Do you want the lights off?"
He bent and kissed her, rubbing her arms.
Carol started. It was the first time he had spoken since he'd commented on her comfort and had adjusted it.
"Not unless you'd rather," she stammered.
"You won't mind if I leave them on?" he persisted, slipping the half slip over her hips.
Carol hugged him, her arms clinging around his neck.
"I'd rather you did," she said.
"You fascinate me," he whispered, removing her bra with a quick tug. "My God! They're beautiful. Outstanding. I didn't believe they were real. What are your measurements?"
Carol laughed.
"Do you always talk like that at a time like this?"
"Sure! Does it bother you? I find it helps to be able to say the things one thinks when they are doing them. And I am really interested or I wouldn't ask questions."
He fondled her breasts as if they were jewels to be cherished.
"No, I don't guess it bothers me," Carol fell into his way of talking.
"Let's get more comfortable," he suggested, as if it were the only practical thing to do. "Okay."
Carol started to rise, but he took her in his arms and lifted her naked body into a standing position against the front of him. He held her there, letting her feel the throbbing proof of his excitement as it nestled against her soft belly.
Lifting her he placed her legs around his waist and carried her to the bedroom and stood her beside the bed, letting her slide the length of his body.
"Walk for me," he said.
"Where to?"
"I don't care. I just want to see you move. To see how your body looks. Walk to the dresser and back," he suggested. "I'll wait here."
Carol remembered walking, posing for Jimmy, just last night, but somehow it had been different. There, she had been proving a point. Here, for some reason, she really cared how she would look, what he would think. She might look funny, and she desperately wanted to be desirable of this man.
"Go on," he urged. "Just take slow steps and you'll be all right."
He seemed to understand her hesitance.
After the first step she stepped lightly, but firmly, her shoulders back, her hips swinging delicately. Her prominent breasts proudly led the way. When she turned to face him she saw admiration and respect for her in his expression.
Her courage was bolstered and her confidence back when she made the return trip. She managed a couple of provocative but natural-looking poses while walking back to him, not stopping until her body was pressed tightly against his warm person.
She let her hands roam over his shirt, feeling the tight muscles ripple beneath her touch. Her hands caught on a button and she undid it. Then another, and another.
"Would you rather I did that?"
"No, I'd like to," she whispered, removing his shirt. Tugging at his T-shirt, she loosened it from his pants, but he was too tall for her to pull it off. He took it from her fingers and whipped it off, pulling her back to him, placing her breasts against his bare chest, rubbing her back and forth with his hands on her back.
He kissed the top of her head and reached for his belt buckle, but she brushed his hand away and worked on it.
He waited patiently while she fumbled with the stubborn clasp, exploring her body with his hands while he waited.
When it fell he sank to the edge of the bed and finished undressing.
Naked, he pressed her to him again for a moment before leading her to a full-length mirror.
"I want you to see what I see. Do you understand why I want you so very much?"
Carol glanced only briefly at her own familiar image, but her eyes remained on the nude God standing slightly to one side of her.
His shoulders were broad and heavy, his stomach hard and lean, his penis was standing firm and strong, rising from the thatch of dark hair. His legs were large with silky, curly black hair accentuating their strength.
When her eyes wavered again to his she saw that he was again waiting patiently.
Seeing she was no longer absorbed by the reflections in the mirror, he led her back to the bed and lifted her to the middle, arranging a pillow for her head.
He knelt beside the bed and leaned to kiss her lips, his mouth grazing her neck and following through to her breasts, straining and aching with their fever to be held.
She moaned, holding his head tight to her by wrapping his hair around her fingers.
"You're ready, aren't you?" he asked, stroking her stomach with firm hands.
Not trusting herself to speak, Carol nodded her head and clung to him.
He took a pillow from the other side of the bed and raised her hips with one hand and fitted the pillow beneath her. Then tenderly, he knelt on his knees between her legs and, gently groping with his fingers, made an opening, easing his body forward until she almost cried out, feeling the immense size of him plumb deep. Deep, deep, until she knew he could go no farther. Then the slow, pulsating thrusts, deep, deeper, then back to start over again.
His hands held her to him, massaging, thrilling with their strength, their warmth.
Fire licked at her insides with trembling waves as he continued to move patiently, calmly. She cried out, the tension was so strong it was crushing her with its weight.
Bracing herself with her feet planted on the bed, she thrust herself toward him, meeting his each thrust, tightening her vagina muscles when he withdrew, thrilling at the rough animal sounds that started coming from his throat when she clung to him.
"Now, baby?" he groaned, holding himself rigid, waiting for her answer.
"Yes," Carol gasped, almost pleading, writhing against him.
"Yes, what?" he asked, moving cautiously, restraining.
"Make love to me. Now! Come, so I can feel it and know you're there. Let me feel you. All of you. Now, please."
"I'll let you know where I am, little angel," he promised huskily, "I'll let you know. I'll love you forever and ever until the skies open up and let you back into the heaven you came from. Feel it, baby?" he asked, pushing himself so far she felt as if he would break through. "Now, baby? God, you're a wonderful, fantastic, little sex machine. Sexy little angel," he moaned, working frantically, falling forward on top of her.
Her arms went around him and her fingernails traced dark red lines across his back as she tried to draw him even closer.
Her eyes squeezed shut until they ached, and her body thrashed and clung to him as his breathing grew more labored and a cry escaped his lips as his body stiffened, for only a second, then worked gently against Carol, bringing her up. Up to the crest of the wave, then suddenly the light flashed bright red across her closed eyes and she heard someone scream.
His arms tightened around her and his voice whispered in her ear from far away:
"That's right, my baby. Let go. Let it be wonderful. You're a provocative little savage and I love it. I love the way you hold and scratch and bite when you get excited."
The sensations had been too strong to go away immediately. Her body jerked, crying for the final letdown. She was still floating on a red cloud and she wanted to cry because it was over. Tears came to her still-closed eyes, and were kissed away.
"It's all right, baby, relax," he soothed, his hands rubbing away tensions, calming, restoring. "It's fine. That's a good girl. Calm down a bit."
When she relaxed enough to sink loosely in his arms, he removed the pillow from under her hip and lay down beside her, holding her closely.
"Go to sleep, baby. Go to sleep and rest a few minutes."
She fought the impulse to sleep, but, sensing he was almost asleep, she drifted off with him.
She awoke to find he had slipped away from her and lay curled in a ball on the other side of the bed. His eyes still closed in peaceful sleep, a smile on his lips, his face quite and composed.
She rose quietly because she couldn't bear to wake him.
She found a bathrobe thrown across the bed and picked it up. Sitting down in a chair in the living room, she picked up some of the novels and scanned them to see what he read. The latest things, old classics, travels, etc. were among the half-read books. Amazed, she picked one of them up and found herself deeply engrossed in an account of the lives and origin of some native on the shores of a remote river in an equally remote country.
"Do you usually creep out of a fellow's bed to read, or is it just me?"
Startled, she dropped the book and jerked around. He was leaning against the door, a robe thrown over his shoulders, an amused smile playing with his lips.
Carol jumped to her feet.
"I didn't mean to wake you."
"No, I didn't mean to sound like that." He grabbed her up and hugged her. "I would've gotten up soon, anyway. Just a little nap to restore the very important body juices, so to speak," he told her.
Seeing he wasn't angry, Carol threw her arms around his chest.
"I didn't get to tell you how great you were. The greatest thing that's ever happened to me."
"What?"
"No, I mean it. No one in the whole wide world has ever made me feel so wonderful. I mean, I guess I was never really happy until that moment," she bubbled.
He sat down in the chair she had vacated and pulled her onto his lap.
"I can't explain it," Carol finished lamely.
"You're not doing a bad job trying," he said. "But, angel, this isn't necessary. I mean, you don't have to fill me full of things like that to flatter me. I'm fully hooked without it."
Hurt, Carol tried to hide the tears that sprang up but not before he saw them.
"Baby, I'm sorry!" He crushed her to his chest. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I should've known you were serious but I'm stupid sometimes. Forgive me?"
Carol nodded silently.
"Now then, tell me all about it. How did you get this feeling and what did it feel like? Besides wonderful?" he added, seeing her about to utter that one word again.
Stumped for a minute, she frowned at her lack of words to describe something so terribly important.
"Like the end of the world, only it should be so good." She held her hands out to him. "I mean, even my hands felt it. Like a big explosion of good feeling that spread all over me."
"Haven't you ever felt that before?"
"Not so much at one time," Carol admitted.
Brushing her hair from her face, he kissed her nose.
"Honey, what you describe is what most people feel in a really good climax. Haven't you really ever felt it before?"
Carol shook her head.
"Not like that."
"Well, while we're passing around the compliments, let me add mine to the batch. You were without doubt the most wonderful person I've ever had. I mean, no woman on earth has ever drained me so. I have never been so excited, thrilled, and then to top it off you can fulfill also. You really are an angel."
Carol could not think of anything to say. She was happy to sit contented and spent, on his lap, and enjoy the strong nearness of him. She laid her head in the hollow of his throat and sighed.
"Do you want to leave now, baby? You are beat."
"I hate to leave you," Carol murmured, knowing she must.
"I know, but I must get up in the morning and go to work, and you need your beauty sleep. I'll send you home in a cab," he said firmly, setting her on her feet and patting her bottom. "Now get in there and get dressed."
Her eyes sparkled and she turned and ran toward the bedroom.
He followed her, and, seeing her bounce off the bed, he pulled her up and shoved her playfully to the bathroom.
"Get in there and fix your face while I get dressed. What're you trying to do to me, woman? There'll be time for that next time."
"Will there be a next time?" Carol asked anxiously.
"Now that I've found you, you can bet on it," he promised, throwing her a kiss. "But not if you keep at me like that. You'll kill me off in one night. Keep in mind, I'm an old man and should be treated accordingly."
The mention of his age caused Carol to wonder about it, but she felt sure from what she had just experienced he wasn't too much older than she.
When she finished dressing and putting her appearance in order, he grandly ushered her to the lobby and called for a cab. Putting her inside, he handed the man some money.
Lifting her face in his hands, he kissed her goodbye.
"I'll take care of Laura when they show up for drinks and make arrangements for next time. Now get some rest."
Content, she sat back and relaxed on her way home, slipping in on her cloud of happiness to fall asleep almost instantly.
CHAPTER TEN
Carol awoke with the sunlight streaming through the window.
After slowly getting out of bed she brushed her hair and slipped into a pair of silk capris and matching blouse, admiring the way the material clung to her shape and made her body shimmer in the light.
Throwing her reflection a fond kiss, she skipped out of the room for breakfast.
"Good morning, all," she chirped, pouring a cup of coffee before sitting down with Janet and Laura.
"Good morning, little one," Laura groaned, as if she could not be too sure about the condition of the morning.
Carol threw her a thankful smile and turned to Janet.
"What time did you get in last night?" Janet fussed.
"Who me?" Carol buttered some toast and took a healthy sized bite. "I never did think to look at the time."
"Wee one, you have no idea the fuss you caused by coming home early last night. When we found that you had left I had a few choice words with your friend Ernie and hurried right home, only to find you were here and fast asleep."
"Words with Ernie?"
Carol stopped eating, her big eyes wide.
"Yes," Janet said. "It seems your friend of last night thought you were much too young, too innocent, and probably being forced if not by beating, by example into the horrid life of sin."
"Did he say that?" Carol laughed.
"Well," Laura giggled, "he didn't exactly use those words, but that's what he was getting around to. Actually, I think you may have played the youth bit a little heavy. Whatever, he was shook and I mean shook! He said that he fully intends to see you again but not as a customer. You are too fine an individual to be used that way."
Carol gulped.
"Did he say that?"
"Well, yes, that he did say. Why?"
"Gee whiz, that's damned fine. Don't you think? I mean, isn't that a perfectly glorious way of talking about me?"
Carol threw her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the descriptive phrases rolling around in her mind.
"I can't imagine a man getting that upset after wanting a girl in the first place," Janet mused.
"Well, in the first place he didn't want a girl in the first place. Carol was a little more than he expected, in the second place. Carl sort of forced the issue until Ernie would have looked like a pansy if he hadn't gone along with taking a girl. And for some odd reason," Laura squinted at Carol before going on, "he seems to have an uneasy feeling that he may be falling in love with a call girl. And if a man falls in love with a call girl he will always want to tell himself that she is in the business because some horrible circumstances forced it, not because she likes variety in her men and doesn't mind getting paid for it. See?"
"Did he say that?"
Carol stopped dreaming and fixed her gaze on Laura's face.
"Did he say what?"
"That he was falling in love with me?"
"No, he didn't say it. He probably doesn't even know it yet, and would fight it to the bitter end, but he's thinking along those lines. Iknowthe symptoms," Laura teased, enjoying Janet's fear and Carol's discomfort.
"Did he say anything like that last night?" Janet demanded, grabbing Carol's hand.
"No, of course not."
Carol pulled her hand away.
"Are you sure?" Janet pouted.
"Well, sure he said he loved me and always would and all that, but the time when he said it and the things he was doing at the time probably had more about it than actually feeling anything. It was his hardon talking, not his heart!" Carol snorted in disgust.
"That's what I thought," Janet gloated. "A man doesn't fall in love over night, and those that say they do are just fools and trying to make a bigger fool out of you for believing them."
Carol dropped her head and allowed the discussion of Ernie's motives and possible reasons flow over her head. Janet and Laura had never lied to her and they were surely right now. It would be too much to expect this man to fall in love with her.
With a flash she remembered the first few moments when they met and the things he had said. His talk of enjoying naked women dancing, and things like that. With a sad shake of the head Carol admitted that this was a man who would not fall in love over night if at all.
With a determined toss of her head, she cleared her thoughts of him and decided not to see him again.
"Do you want to, Carol?"
Jerking her head up Carol saw that both Janet and Laura were watching her closely, waiting for an answer.
"What?"
"What's the matter, baby? Are you sick or something? Or were you upset?"
Janet rushed to her side, holding Carol's head to her breast.
"It's nothing. I'm not sick."
Carol pulled away.
"Something seems to be bothering you, dear," Laura scolded gently.
"Oh, I guess I sort of let myself get carried away with that Ernie last night. I really liked him, and I feel sad that he would turn out to be trying to make a fool of me like that."
"I'll be damned," Laura whispered, fully realizing how serious Carol was.
"It's just as well that you don't see him again if he upsets you this much," Janet soothed quickly, anxiously.
Pulling herself free from Janet's grasp, Carol squared her shoulders and threw her head up proud, then asked:
"What are we going to do today, gang?"
"Ugh! Me, I'm going to sleep away the whole day and half the night, that's what I had in mind." Laura yawned.
"Aren't you tired?"
Janet turned her attention back to Carol. "Nope, I slept good last night. What are we going to do?"
"I thought we might go downtown and do some shopping and take in a movie, have lunch downtown, and whatever comes to mind. How about it?"
"I'd love it. Let me go get ready."
They spent the rest of the morning shopping for clothes and just browsing. Then lunch at a nice restaurant and then a movie.
After the movie, Carol bustled out into the air.
"Let's go home and have a drink and relax."
"I know a better place than home to have a drink," Janet said gaily, trying to keep from showing her jealousy at the time and attentions she had to share with Laura.
"Well, okay. But I suppose Laura will worry if we're gone too long."
"I'll give her a call and tell her we'll be much later. Then we can go over and see some old friends of mine and have a nice time, just the two of us. How about it, baby?"
"Fine."
Carol smiled and struggled into her gloves.
When they entered Freddie's, Janet led Carol straight to the door marked private.
"Can we go in here?" Carol held back.
"Sure! It's private, all right. A private club for personal friends of Freddie. You'll meet him and some of my old friends and probably make some new ones."
Janet laughed, opening the second door.
A voice yelled from the semidarkness:
"Hey, look who's here!"
"Dammit, turn on some light around here. I have someone for you to meet," Janet called.
Suddenly the room was flooded with tiny colored lights and Carol saw that the unannounced lighting of the room left several couples in shocked and very naked embraces.
"Goddamn, who's bright idea was that?" a huge man grumbled.
"Yeah, that wasn't very funny, you know," whined his male but not masculine partner.
"Cut it out, Manny." A small man bustled up to her and waved his arms at the two men who grumbled while trying to cover part of their nakedness. "Who do you think you are? So special that people will be watching just you? People have other things to do besides watch you."
Having scolded the grumblers to silence the little man held his arms out to Janet and planted a small kiss on her cheek. Then, turning his attention to carol, he held her at arm's length and admired her before speaking.
"Where have you been?"
"Pretty busy, Freddy," Janet sighed.
"And you must be the fabulous Carol," the little man said again, turning his eyes to Carol's. "I've heard about you, you know. You see, your fame proceeds you. In case you haven't gathered, I'm Freddie. I own this joint."
"I'm glad to meet you, but I don't know what you're talking about." Carol giggled.
"This is priceless." Freddie clapped his hands together and turned to a couple standing behind him. "Did you hear this? The most stunning thing since the invention of sex, and she doesn't know what I'm talking about. Simply adorable. I like you, little girl. Come with me and we'll chit chat. Hey, somebody get my little girl a drink," he commanded, leading Carol to a couch with bright red cushions.
"Janet?"
Carol looked around for Janet but saw that she was still standing by the door talking closely with a dark haired girl who had just come in behind them.
"Don't worry, Janet will be taken care of. She knows the girl there quite well," Freddie informed Carol with a sly wink. "And I'll take care of you, personally."
A man delivered a drink for Carol and Freddie turned to him, instantly.
"Go away. I want to talk to this pretty little thing, and I don't want you creatures to hear my stunning way with women."
"Hey, hear this." Someone laughed. "Freddie has a stunning way with women!"
"Yeah, maybe it's because he's one so much of the time." A woman nearby giggled.
"I'm not like some of you clods," Freddie yelled, his face turning red. "I have women. At least they don't scare the pants off me."
Carol's eyes squinted as she took another good look around the large room. She had been right about the various states of undress, but now it was more apparent that the people were paired off men to men, women to women. She and Freddie were the only male and female couple in the room.
As she watched, a slim, almost skinny man winked and kissed the man next to him on the lips before swishing off toward the restroom.
"Are all these people that way?" Carol asked Freddie.
"Didn't Janet tell you about my little place here?"
"No. What about it?"
"For someone who wasn't prepared you took it lightly. Have you been to many like it?"
"No, this is the first time I've ever seen any one who was that way. Except Janet and Aunt Laura, of course. I don't see anything like this, certainly not where I came from."
"Well, what you see here doesn't leave this room," Freddie mentioned quietly. "Doyouunder-stand that?"
"I wouldn't have much reason to talk about it, now would I?" Carol hissed, offended at the veiled threat.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad. You won't be mad, will you?" Freddie pleaded, passing his hands lightly over Carol's hair.
"I don't know. I sure as hell don't need to be threatened to keep me in line. I know when to talk and when to keep my mouth shut."
"I didn't mean you only. I guess you don't know who comes and goes here. But some of them are very rich and very important, famous people. They pay a lot to have a place like this to let their hair down once in a while. But then I guess you get the picture, don't you?"
"I understand."
Carol had to smile at the funny little man, torn between what he supposed his dutiful warning and his desire to keep her from being angered.
"That's good. You stick with Freddie and we'll let down a little hair tonight-you and me." He patted Carol's hand and rose to speak to a couple that just came in.
"Hello, there." A woman stood directly in Carol's line of vision. "I saw Freddie leave. He's jealous, you know. Has to have everything to himself. You're new here, aren't you?"
Carol could see that the woman was more than half drunk but still able to navigate well.
"I see you came in with Janet?" It was a question.
"Yes. Janet's my stepmother."
"Stepmother! How did a dyke like her get a stepdaughter?"
"She married my father, I guess," Carol teased.
"Well, I don't know what your father's like, but I can sure as hell tell you Janet made a good marriage."
"What do you mean?"
"Hell, honey," the woman whispered hoarsly, "I'd marry Satan himself to get my hot little hands on you. Are you going steady with her or shopping around?"
Carol began to see that the woman wasn't just passing the time of day.
"I don't know exactly," she said. "Don't be coy with me."
The woman reached forward and jerked Carol to her feet. Carol saw Janet start toward her but someone held her back.
The sounds in the room stopped as the people turned to watch the scene.
Carol's attention was swiftly drawn back to the woman, when her arm was torn almost from its socket.
"Turn me loose and you'll be more apt to get an answer to any questions."
"Don't order me and don't try to threaten me! You don't know who I am, do you?" the woman yelled, shaking Carol so hard her teeth rattled.
"No, I don't, and what's more I don't care who you are or what you are," Carol added with malicious pleasure.
"I'm Margo Stephenson. Hasn't Janet ever mentioned me? We used to be good friends once. Real close, you might say."
"I've never heard of you, and I don't see how Janet could have ever called anything as crude as you a friend," Carol taunted the enraged woman.
"Carol!" Janet cried a warning, but it was too late.
The sharp fingernails raked across Carol's face, leaving a sharp, burning sensation followed by the warm flow of blood.
Anger such as she had never in her life experienced washed over Carol in huge waves now. She saw nothing but the sneering face above hers. Heard nothing, not even her own screams nor the encouraging chants from the spectators. Felt nothing but the jarring thud when her own fist landed on flesh of the other.
The world became a hazy, reddish glow in which was a woman, hurting, hurting, being hurt in return. It was wonderfully strengthening, the power that flowed into her when the other began to weaken. Instead of taking pity, Carol increased her efforts, pulling hair until she had to throw it away by the handfuls, biting until she tasted blood, hitting and kicking until her opponent was a whimpering heap on the floor at her feet.
Standing scornfully over Margo, Carol felt an urge to hit or kick just one last time, but the red was fading and her hand began to throb and her head ached.
Margo cringed under Carol's absent gaze, but when Carol turned as if to leave Margo scrambled into a sitting position and crawled to Carol's feet. Wrapping her arms around Carol's knees, she kissed the nylon-clad knees and tears glistened in her eyes while she held the position as if waiting for a command.
"What do you want now? Turn me loose." Carol tried to kick free of the clinging arms.
"She's yours now." Janet appeared from nowhere and kissed Carol's cheek. "You beat her, so she's yours if you want her. She's waiting for you to tell her what to do."
"What do you mean she's mine now? What the hell do I want with her?" Carol cried angrily.
Margo's moans increased in volume until Carol could no longer stand the sound with her headache.
"Tell her to stop this nonsense. Good God! What is she? Some kind of nut?"
Carol tried again to free herself from the tangled web of arms and feet that held her prisoner.
"You tell her," Janet suggested, trying to suppress a giggle. "It's just Margo's way of doing things."
"Well, does she have to make all that noise while she does things?"
"She's just upset because you turned her down."
"Turn me loose, dammit!" Carol screamed, almost falling in her frantic efforts to free herself. "I can't stand for someone to hang on to me like that. For God's sake get up and talk, if you've got something to say, but stop that this instant!"
Margo sniffled but slowly rose to her feet.
"You can't do this to me," she whined. "Look! I'm not so bad. See? It's all yours to do with as you choose. I promise. I'll be good and do everything you want, so you won't be sorry."
"I don't want you!"
Carol shoved the woman out of her path and started to walk away, when Margo grabbed her arm and whirled her around.
"Look at this, damn you! Give me a chance," Margo screeched, frantically tearing her jersey sweater off to reveal heavy lace-clad breasts the size of prize melons.
The sharp intake of breath filled the air as the occupants of the room waited, sensing something spectacular. Something a little out of the ordinary even for their "queer" world.
Carol shrugged her pretty shoulders.
"So?"
"So, feel them. Who the hell do you think you are?"
Margo grabbed Carol's hand and forced it between her bared breasts.
Beginning to see the red again, Carol tore her hand free and raised it to slap Margo again.
"What the hell's eating you, woman?" She hit the woman again. "If I had wanted anything to do with you I would've asked you for it when I came in. I don't like your brand of games and I get ill when you touch me. Will you leave me alone or do I have to knock you loose?"
Shrinking away from the threatened blow, Margo stood for a moment, then shuffled to the corner of the room, watching Carol's every move.
"I'd take it if I'd won," a small blonde woman whispered. "That Margo may be nuts, but she sure is stacked, and I hear she knows things that make other lovers seem dead."
"Then, for God's sake, that's your choice," Carol said, overhearing the remark. "Take her off my hands."
"Not me, doll. I wouldn't tackle you for the Goddess of love herself. For such a tiny thing you pack a wallop like a man. A damned good one at that," the blonde said in awe.
"I don't want to fight with you. I didn't want to fight with her. Just as a favor to me, take her away."
"I can't just walk out of here with your woman."
"Can't you people get it out of your heads that she is not my woman? I don't want her. Get her out of here."
"Can't do it," the blonde sighed.
Carol sensed that the rules of behavior prevented the blonde's public agreement to something they both knew she wanted to do.
"Margo," Carol called to the still-whimpering woman huddled in the corner.
Margo tensed.
"What?"
"This woman's a good friend of mine. Take good care of her, will you?"
"Oh, thank you!"
Margo swept her sweater from the floor, threw Carol a happy kiss, and allowed the blonde a few free feels while they struggled to get her plentiful supply back into their scanty covering.
Freddie hustled Carol to a chair and turned a strong light onto her face.
"Now, see here. You've gone and messed up that beautiful face. You'll probably have a black eye," he muttered, as he carefully cleansed the wounds.
"Why didn't someone stop that maniac?" Carol demanded, when Janet worked her way through the crowd.
"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't know Margo was here, and I shouldn't have left you alone. But once it started nobody could've stopped it but you. If you hadn't been able to take care of yourself or if you had called for help or something, Margo would've been shown the way out. But you were able and certainly ready enough. There was nothing we could do about it."
"What do you mean, ready enough?"
Carol's eyes creased, remembering at once the feeling of power and hate and fulfillment that surged through her with every telling blow she delivered to her opponent.
"I mean, you entered the fight almost with joy and fought like you loved every single blow. The ones you took as well as the ones you gave. That is your business and Margo started it. If you wanted to beat the hell out of her she shouldn't have started anything in the first place."
"What's with her, anyway?" Carol turned the subject away from herself, putting the disturbing thoughts about her own willingness to fight away for study at some future date when she had the time and the inclination.
"See? You didn't get the swing of things, did you? Margo is a sadist if she can beat you up and have you squirming at her feet. But she can twist into a masochist the minute you start getting the best of her, and then she'll give herself freely to you and enjoy every portion of her defeat."
"So I won her, huh? And didn't even get it? She really should have warned me about the stakes." Carol frowned. "And when I didn't want her she got all shook. I guess I can see why. After this victory I should be panting for her, huh?"
"You should be panting for someone, and it usually ends up to be Margo. Anyhow, how can she lose? Unless someone like you comes along and messes things up."
"I guess you're right."
Carol couldn't help but giggle when she remembered how stupid she must have looked trying to kick herself loose from the wild cluthes of an insane woman wrapped around her legs.
"What's so funny?" Freddie asked, when Carol continued to giggle.
"I don't know, but now that the fight's over and the scene has passed I feel silly because of it. Did I look perfectly awful out there actually fighting with her?"
"Not at all, pet, not at all. In fact, you were savage and beautiful. Strong and pretty. I like that," Freddie said, letting his hand slide down her neck to her shoulders.
"I've got someone over here I'd like to talk to if you can try to keep her out of trouble," Janet confided to Freddie, before slipping past him to join her dark haired friend.
"Come here, I have something to show you," Freddie urged suddenly.
Carol was pulled to her feet and hurriedly led down a long hallway to a room at the end. Freddie knocked, waited a minute, and opened the door.
"Come on in. It's quiet here and we can talk without being interrupted."
His baby face twisted into a grin.
"I don't know." Carol hesitated, not really feeling much of anything for the little man and knowing by now that few men wanted to talk to her in a room alone without wanting to wind up within her.
"Please," he whispered, leading her to the large bed.
The walls were violent purple that made Carol shudder as the color seemed to reach out and shriek at her. The bed was covered with a lavender ruffled spread and assorted throw pillows. The scent of sweet perfume was heavy in the air.
"Whose room is this?" Carol asked, still standing.
"Why, it's mine, darling." Freddie glanced at her quickly. "Why? Don't you like it?"
"Well, I guess it's all right, but I thought it might belong to a wife or a daughter, not you," Carol said, without thinking of the usual comments required of her thoughts.
"How very precious you are." Freddie clapped his hands again in his excitement. "If anyone else had said that I'd be pouting until next week. Really I would. But you're so honest and so sincere. I like you. But at any rate, I'd never have a wife. I am a wife. So to speak, that is. But my man is out of town. Didn't you know?"
Carol studied him more closely now, his baby face smooth and free of any trace of a beard. His small, soft hands, the clear polish and the rounded nails with the dainty ring on one finger. The faint perfumed smell of him and the odd way he walked, balanced on his toes as if rocking toward his destination.
"Do you see it now?" he teased, after letting her stare.
"Do you mean you really are? Then what do you want with me?"
"My goodness, you are a blunt little thing, aren't you?" Freddie frowned. "Well, I like you. I really do, but I'll have to get used to that funny way of talking."
"I think perhaps I'd better leave." Carol turned to go."
"No, please stay. I'll show you how much I like you, and we can get to know each other and all."
"No, I don't think I'd better," Carol said, sitting down on the bed nonetheless.
"Here, let me help you with your things." Freddie started bustling around, taking her purse, removing her shoes for greater comfort, etc.
Carol started to protest but the irony of the situation and the oddity of the little man bestowing the attentions stilled her utterances before they could spoil something her child-like curiosity demanded more of.
When he innocently went right on removing clothes after the point of decency was past, Carol found herself so intrigued she not only allowed it but helped when a hook proved stubborn.
Not a word was spoken while he bustled about his business of undressing her to the buff, and Carol spoke nothing, for fear of breaking a spell in which she found herself. Wondering what on earth a male queer could possibly do with a Lesbian when given a chance. After all, it might just prove to be quite an experience. And she dearly loved an experience, especially one that started out with the tingling little twitches in her most private parts. This one looked like it held all the possibilities of being a strange and sexy sensation to be made the most of.
Sensations like the one that raced through her when the little man knelt at her knees and hungrily sucked and sniffed at her breasts, burying his face in their depths, nipping and sucking and licking until Carol's back threatened to break trying to strain them closer to him.
The tiny nipples strained and quivered under his delicate touch. His hands touched them lightly, then stroked her back and legs, running shivers up her spine when his hands reached the softness of golden hair.
Slipping down, he let his mouth caress the smoothness of her tummy, his tongue flicking out to trace the oval cavity of her navel. Again he made the sucking noises as his mouth closed over the delicious little core and drained it with fluttering little passes.
Desire was now a white hot thing licking at Carol's loins until she could not sit still. Her body grew weak and she fell back against the lavender spread.
Her legs tightened around his neck as he slipped even lower and allowed himself a hesitant exploration of her more intimate self, separating her shield of gold, before invading the cave of delight.
"Oh, God," Carol moaned, still writhing against him, almost choking him with her flashing legs as she pressed his face against her, the better to enjoy his manipulations.
Carol was carried to the peak of desire only to find at the last moment her lover left her to remove his clothing.
She watched impatiently as he fussed with the removal of his clothing, folding each article carefully before removing the next item.
When he finally reached the naked stage desired for the activities Carol had in mind, he was far from the masculine figure she had grown used to in a man who was about to mount her, despite the small lonely looking penis rising timidly from a patch of blond hair between his legs. But desire was too strong to reason, and her body demanded release, no matter where it came from or how.
Kneeling in the middle of the bed, he pushed Carol's head down.
"Take it," he demanded. "Now."
Carol brought her mouth into position easily and did as she was told, not because she was afraid, but simply because it was what he wanted and because it brought him pleasure.
She worked her hands, mouth, and tongue with expert motions, until his moans of delight began to shake her again, thrilling her with each thrust of his body against her face as he strove to drive deeper.
"Oh, it's good, baby. It's good!" Freddie chanted, holding her head in his hands to guide her efforts.
Carol felt the fire inside her grow and consume her, as his frantic movements and passionate sounds began to affect her seriously. She dragged him down on the bed with her, her legs parted and her pelvis raised to meet him.
But instead of coming to her as she expected, he flipped her over on her tummy caressing and kissing her buttock with feverish delight. Nipping with his teeth, pinching, stroking, working her to a pitch that could be ignored no longer.
"Freddie, please, now," Carol begged, starting to turn back over for him.
But before she could raise herself he fell onto her back and began to kiss the back of her shoulders, his hands fumbling, parting her buttock. She gasped as the warm wetness of his manhood rubbed against the tender sensitive skin. The sensation was strong and more than pleasant, but Carol had again started to beg for his entrance, when she felt the jab of pressure and a sharp pain.
"Oh, no,' not there!" she cried, tears rushing to her eyes, though it didn't really hurt so much, now that it was safely sheathed inside of her.
"That's the best place," Freddie cooed, reaching his hand under her to rest between her legs, stroking smoothly, rebuilding quickly the fires that surprise and fear had diminished a little. "Oh, good God!"
Carol jerked against his hand and held herself rigid against his movements until they began to work into a rhythm that she could follow easily with a minimum of pain.
Pain turned into a glorious head-splitting ecstasy, and all the wonderful things on the earth came to her in one hot, fluid movement as he lunged painfully and she clutched his small buttocks with one free hand and braced herself with the other. His breath shuddered against the back of her neck and she felt the rush of hot flowing pleasure before crying out into the darkness that drifted beneath her when she climaxed.
There was another short stab of pain as he withdrew and turned her over to hold her near.
"I can't move," Carol confessed, her passions leaving her weak.
"I know. Was it really all right? I didn't hurt you too much, did I?" Freddie was concerned.
"No, no, no." Carol shook her head weakly. "No, it was wonderful. Sheer heaven."
Giggling with her, Freddie squeezed her round little bottom.
"Yes, heaven-through the back door, of course."
"You can say that again," Carol whispered.
"I would, but it would sound silly the next time."
"I guess. Besides, don't you think we'd better go?"
Carol leaned over and kissed her partner on his pretty nose.
"I suppose, but I hate to leave this room and you. There are some other things we could try," he suggested hopefully.
"No," Carol said, not really wanting to bother, now that the urgent fires had been quelled, her curiosity satisfied, and her body tired. Besides, Janet was out there waiting for her to go home.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The phone rang early in the morning with stubborn persistance. Groggily, Carol pulled herself off the couch where she had slept and reached for it.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Laura?" a gruff voice demanded hastily.
"No, just a minute and I'll get her for you."
Carol laid the receiver on the table and started to go into Laura's room, but heard Laura on the extension.
Uninterested and sleepy, Carol stumbled back to the couch and promptly went back to sleep.
She was awakened later when she heard voices raising in argument behind Laura's door. Knocking on the door, she walked on in.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing of importance." Laura shrugged.
"Why the hell do the both of you come up with this 'nothing' bit when something comes up? Of course it's important. Laura just made arrangements for you to work tonight, without even asking you about it first."
"So, I'll work, Janet. It isn't that big a thing. I don't mind, and I didn't have anything better to do."
"Are you sure you want to?" Janet asked.
"What difference does it make? Sure, I'll work. Sure, I want to! Don't fret so, Janet, it's only a job, like any other."
"See, I told you," Laura chuckled, throwing a grateful glance at Carol.
"Who is the guy and what does he want?" Carol sat at the dressing table and picked up a hair brush.
Janet took the brush and started brushing Carol's hair, absently, while Laura paced the floor to give Carol a rundown on her next customer.
"His name is Morton L. Levington, Jr., and he happens to be the vice president of one of the largest banks in this town. He's forty some years old, very demanding, and a little difficult to get along with. He expects perfection and usually gets it, one way or the other. This time he wants you and expects to get it."
"How did he know about me?"
"James told him. They sometimes do business together and they often share the same interest in younger girls."
"Anything else?"
Carol watched as Laura stopped pacing and turned to face her.
"Not really. I haven't ever been with him, so I can't tell you much more than he told me. You'll be on your own this time, and you'll have to play it by ear. But you can do it by now."
"I'm glad you think so," Carol laughed. "But I think I can handle it. But I sure hope he's not like Jimmy. God, would I hate to be mooned after tonight! Ick! Why can't grown men act like grown men? Why do they have to act like babies just to produce one?"
"This one didn't sound much like the-mooning type. Nor did he sound as if he had acted like a baby since his mother took him off the tit. I don't think that'll be your worry there." Laura laughed.
"So maybe it won't be too bad after all."
Carol hugged Janet for brushing her hair and swung to the closet to dress for the day.
The day was wasted in the beauty parlor where she had her hair washed and set and her nails done. Feeling lazy and rested, Carol sat down at home to read a book until time for her appointment.
When the phone rang Carol grabbed it hopefully, realizing only then how much she yearned to hear Ernie's sweet voice asking to see her again.
A gruff growl let the hopes out of her.
"Are you the one they call Carol?"
"Yes."
"Then, you're the one I want to talk to. I've changed my mind about the time. How soon can you get over here? I'll have things to do later and can't waste all night on you," he growled.
Carol felt like telling him if he thought it was such a waste of time why bother? But she held her tongue and promised immediate delivery of her person at his hotel.
"The nerve of that guy," Janet clucked, when she heard the conversation. "I'm not at all sure you should go."
"Oh, it really doesn't matter. I don't have anything to do, and this way I can get it over with and done," Carol said absently, fluffing her hair and applying the little makeup she wore.
As she stepped up in front of his hotel room, she heard the telephone ring. Waiting, wondering if she should knock now or give him time to finish his conversation, she heard the elevator door start to slide open. Not wanting to be seen standing in the hall, she knocked.
"Come on in," the now familiar, gruff voice commanded.
Stepping inside, she was astonished to see a huge man dealing solitare with one hand, holding the phone in place with his chin while his other hand held a large, cold drink. Nonchalantly, he waved her to a chair, seemingly unaware of his stark naked condition.
"Of course I'm alone, baby," he assured the phone. "That was just the bellboy with a little drink to help me relax and get a little sleep. This day has been murder-pure murder!"
Carol made a motion to get up and move out of hearing range, but he waved her impatiently back to her seat.
"Look, baby, I love you and all that jazz, but there's a lot of business hanging around that has to be taken care of tonight. Talk to you later. Take care of everything and behave yourself," he said coldly, hanging up without even a good-bye.
Turning his attention to Carol, he stood up and walked over to her.
"So you're Carol?"
"You'd be in a rather bad situation if I didn't happen to be, now wouldn't you?" She indicated his penis beginning to make feeble movements.
"So, I'd just have to tell you, you have the wrong room and send you away. And, baby, with a figure like yours I'd hate like hell to do that. So you have to be Carol. What'll you have to drink?"
"Oh, anything."
Carol tried to act as if she weren't concerned, but it made her nervous seeing this obese man strutting around like he had never heard of clothing.
"Aren't you shocked?" he asked, grinning.
"No. Should I be?" Carol lied, taking a deep sip of her drink.
"Do all your friends meet you this way?" He nodded.
"No, I didn't say that," Carol smiled sweetly, "but if you want to run around like that it's not my business to make a fuss of it."
"You'll do," he said suddenly, with satisfaction.
"And what if I wouldn't have done as you put it?"
"I'd have picked up the phone and called for another one. I won't settle for less than what I want. And I want a lot. I always get it," he added, pride swelling his barrel chest.
Carol sat angrily watching the sight of this man's broad buttocks bouncing with each step as he pranced around the room, presumably for her benefit. It was obvious that good food and liquor had made his stomach well over the plump condition, and yet he was trying to hold it in. The only results Carol was able to see were the reddened face and bulging veins in his neck, from the strain.
"Sweetheart, you do look pretty as a picture sitting there, but that isn't exactly what I called you for. Get out of those things," he ordered.
"Right away, sir!" Carol threw him a mock salute and started to mechanically remove her clothes.
"Not like that, dammit!" he bellowed. "You're getting ready to make love, not go to sleep."
"So?" Carol was beginning to feel more than disgust. She was getting angry.
"So act like it, dammit. Move, why don't you?"
"Just how would you like for me to move?"
"Like you couldn't wait for it. Think of it, baby, I've got something for you here. I mean, you aren't going to have to do all the work and get nothing out of it. I always leave my women screaming for more." Lifting his still limp penis he managed to wave it back and forth. "See? Do something for it, for God's sake. You don't expect it to stand up by itself, do you?"
"No, that would be just too much," Carol hissed, sitting on the edge of the bed to remove her shoes.
"Then do something," he shouted. "I don't have all day to mess around with you. I've other things to be done."
Half angry at the presumptuous attitude, and half amused, Carol hurriedly finished undressing and grasped the penis in her hand and held it while she brought her lips to his, forcing her tongue into his mouth, ruggedly massaging his penis while their lips clashed.
He brought his arms around her and crushed her breasts to his wiry chest.
Gasping for air, she pulled back and withdrew from his embrace.
"I do have bones and they will break if you continue to treat them that way," she reminded him.
"All right, come here," he growled, holding her more carefully.
"This is one you'll have to work for," he gloated. "I don't arouse easily, and I don't satisfy easily."
"A lot of people are that way," Carol sighed.
"Not as bad as I am." He glared. "Let it be a challenge to you."
It was like saying T dare' to Carol. She jerked away from him and stood back to study him closely. After staring at him for a moment she walked away from him. After posing dancingly at the doorway, she walked out onto the balcony overlooking the darkened city.
"Just where do you think you're going?" he growled.
Carol let the cool breeze caress her skin and let the wind play with her silken hair, while she silently waited for him to come to her.
His heavy breathing told her he was near, even before she felt his arm come around her, grasping a breast in each hand, squeezing painfully.
"And what are you doing here?"
"Watching the city," she said. "It's beautiful, don't you think?"
"That isn't what I'm paying for," he reminded her cruelly.
Standing on tiptoe, she reached up to kiss him again, her lips cold but acting as if she couldn't get enough of him. He reacted instantly, when her lips sought his tongue, then she traced his lip line with her tongue before plunging it into his mouth.
His arms held her tight for a moment and then he took her by the arm and forced her to her knees.
"Can you take it, or are you too delicate?" he mocked her.
Taking the now-lively penis in her hand, she tried to pretend it was another penis she had so lovingly caressed and so happily given this attention. The pretense was not an easy one but enough to make it easier for her to do what was demanded of her.
She calmly and automatically performed the duties required of her, until he made a motion that she was to stop.
Lifting her to her feet, he placed her arms around his neck and lifted her easily off the floor and wrapped her legs around his heavy hips, sliding her down onto him, causing her to gasp.
The position drove him to the hilt and the pain and uneasiness at being off the floor caused Carol to wrap her arms more closely around his neck.
"Kind of like it yourself, huh?" he gloated, humping his hips back and forth, holding her in this position while the sweat began to form. "All my women like it. They might not like me when they meet me, but they love me when I finish with them. I let a woman know she's been had by a real man."
Carol's only answer was to cling to him and hope to hell he wouldn't let her slip through his arms.
"No woman can resist me for better than this, which they can't get very often," he panted, still working. "Besides, by control Icanmakeita dozen times in one night. How's that sound to you, baby? Great, huh?"
Carol rolled her eyes heavenward and took a deep breath, which he again assumed to be a sure sign of passion.
Happily he walked to the bedroom, leaving Carol in the perilous position of still being spiked on his manhood. Easing himself onto the edge of the bed, he kept her astraddle him, on his lap. Her legs were long alseep and her arms ached from clinging to him but she held her breath and tried to think of other things.
He again worked himself up to a certain pitch and seemed to flick a switch and turn it off before shifting positions, this time lying on his back with her across his huge stomach.
"Here, get on your knees," he said suddenly, flipping her off his stomach.
"On my knees?"
"Haven't you ever had it that way?" he smirked. "Baby, you haven't lived."
Bracing herself, Carol stood on her hands and knees and endured his grunting and humping and pawing at her breasts as he lunged within her, knocking the breath from her with each thrust.
"Didn't do anything for you?" he asked, stopping.
"No, I'm afraid not, but then don't worry about it. I don't mind at all," Carol hastened to say.
"What kind of gutless person do you take me for? I don't think like that," he bellowed. "Did you think that just because I'm paying for it I don't consider a girl? Well, it isn't that way at all. I want you to leave me happy and satisfied. It isn't every guy that can satisfy a prostitute, you know," he wheezed. "They are frigid, you know. But I've had some of them ready to pay me for the next round."
Flipping her roughly to her back, he placed his throbbing organ into her hand, while his fingers began to probe and plunge roughly into her delicate little cave. She was very tormented by this man's frustrating actions. Now he stretched, plunged, worried, and plucked until Carol was squirming to anticipate his next movement to relieve some of the pain.
"Now try this on for size." He squeezed her hand around his penis before guiding it to her, lifting her legs over his shoulder so that she felt like a pretzel. "There, that'll do it every time. Deep in there, isn't it? Can you feel it now, baby? Sure you can. Feel pretty good, huh?"
Knowing she could stand this only a few minutes more without telling this inadequate creature exactly how she personally rated him each time he bellowed how good he was, Carol decided to make use of her acting ability to get it over with.
Firmly removing her legs from around his neck, she placed them around his legs and went to work on him, using all the tricks she had learned and the ones that she sensed were needed when he moved. Tense muscles, talk to him with it, make him feel you can't stand to have him draw it away, and rush up to meet him as if you can't wait. Carol chanted to herself in time to his rhythm.
Taking his hand, she brought it to her breast and held it there where he could feel them straining against his bare chest. She tightened her vaginal muscles until her legs ached, but when he moved he recieved maximum friction and she knew that things would progress faster.
Her lips sought his and forced him to kiss her, then she swept her mouth down his neck to his shoulder where she bit savagely. Her body arched to meet him and her voice came through in gasping wheezes, in passion or effort, only Carol knew.
"God, you are good!" she gasped, and was rewarded by renewed vigor on his part.
"Baby, baby," he groaned, beating at her furiously "Are you ready for me now? Are you ready for it?"
"I can't wait. Please take me!" Carol whispered, grinning to feel the reaction to her acting ability. "Take me hard, harder!" Carol saw that this one could be easy to talk to a climax.
"Ugh, unh, baby," he moaned, sweat pouring from his chin onto Carol's forehead.
"Come on, baby," Carol urged huskily. "Come on. Give it to me. That's right, baby. Come on! Come on! I want to feel you good!"
Carol was almost screaming on each word, but the sound was muffled by the hairy chest that threatened to smother her. Still it was worth it. He heard and was responding.
"Now, baby," Carol cried, digging her nails down his back. "Now! I've got it! Give it to me now. I can't wait!"
His frame shuddered with passion, and suddenly he froze, shivering as if with an extreme cold. Then he fell limp across Carol's now-resting body.
Instantly he rose.
"See, I told you. I really had you begging, didn't I? There's plenty of spunk left in the old man," he gloated, hurrying to the shower to cleanse himself. Above the roar of the water, he yelled, "There's some money on the bed stand, if you're in a hurry."
"Fine!" Carol yelled back, dressing hurriedly. Taking the money, she counted it, was satisfied, and slipped out the door, just as the water in the shower turned off.
Returning home, she sank into the bed and explained in detail about the evening. Then she turned over and said:
"Laura, I'll not go out again."
"What do you mean, dear?"
"Just that! Iwill not go out again. That was ghastly and I couldn't take it again. I'd kill him next time. Ick!"
"Carol," Janet soothed. "Honey, you know you don't have to go out. You aren't expected to. Get some sleep and rest up. We'll keep things quiet."
As they turned to leave Carol turned over.
"If the phone rings I don't want to talk to anyone."
"Not even Ernie?" Janet asked hopefully.
"Well, maybe Ernie. But don't worry, he won't call," Carol sighed, tears coming to her eyes. She closed them quickly. "I don't imagine he'll ever call again."
Janet made a move to go to Carol, but Laura pulled her out of the room.
"Leave her be. She'll work it out."
CHAPTER TWELVE
The next morning Carol felt relieved knowing that the phone would not beckon her to another nightmare like last night. Not ever again. She stretched her arms above her head and snuggled against the sheet, thrilling at the cool touch of the material against her sensitive skin.
"Breakfast is ready," Laura sang out, bringing Carol out of her dream into the warm smell of freshly brewed coffee and people who loved and cared to have her happy.
"Be right there," Carol answered, grabbing a robe as she flew through the room. "Boy, did I sleep good last night. Wow!"
"You sure did," Janet teased. "The phone rang and rang and you never even stirred.
"The phone rang? Who was it?"
"Oh, just some man that was requesting your services," Laura said slowly.
"Did you tell him to forget it?" Carol sniffed.
"Yes, I did, but he didn't want to take no for an answer."
"Well, it's the only answer I have these days. I'm retired. Through. Finished."
"Well, I told him that too, but he insists on talking to you when you awaken. That's why the phone rang so much. He called every hour on the hour, until I told him to wait until morning."
"I don't know about Carol seeing him again. It would be a little awkward," Laura fussed.
"Yes, the way he acted last time. And then you know he's going to want the same thing this time and not want to pay for it, because she's so fine he can't allow her to sell it."
"But she isn't anybody's fool, either," Laura snapped.
"Why do you two always insist on talking about me as if I weren't even here?" Carol demanded angrily.
"I didn't mean it that way," Laura frowned. "Do you want to see him again?"
"I might as well. I sort of liked him, even if he is some kind of a nut."
"Well, it's up to you," Laura said.
"I'm glad to hear it," Carol snorted sarcastically.
"Now listen here, young lady," Janet scolded, "Laura didn't mean to upset you. She was just considering your best interest. And I have to partially agree with her. You see how much that young man upsets you? Heaven only knows what condition your nerves will be in when you return from him!"
"When?" Carol groaned.
"When what?"
"When am I to see him?" Carol yelled, waving her arms above her head.
"Oh, that! You'll have to ask him when he calls this morning. Maybe he wants to see you right now, so he can start his day off right. How about that?" Laura winked at Janet.
"My God." Carol threw her napkin to the floor and jumped to her feet. "How can you be like that? I mean, just teasing and fussing all the time. Good grief! You'd think I was just a kid plaything, or something. Well, I've got feelings too, you know?"
"I know." Laura smiled.
Without further warning, Carol burst into tears and ran from the room, throwing herself onto her bed, sobbing her heart out.
"Go away? Leave me alone!" she yelled, when she heard the door open and footsteps move toward her.
Laying a hand softly on Carol's shoulder, Janet leaned over and kissed the tear-stained cheek.
"Sweetheart, please don't be angry at Laura and me," she began. "We love you very much and we want you to be happy. We tease sometimes and usually you enjoy it. But this time, with this Ernie fellow, you get angry and hurt. Are you that stuck on the guy?" Janet had to swallow a lump in her throat.
"I don't know." Carol wove her fingers together, "Of course not. Why should I be stuckon the guy?"
"I don't know why you should be, but sometimes we tend to let our feelings toward others color all our relations. Like you with Ernie. For some reason he upsets you. Maybe because you're falling in love with him, I don't know. But it shouldn't let you get this nervous."
"Love him?" Carol sat up, reaching for a Kleenex. "How the hell could you say something like that? It's silly to think of, really. Especially coming from you."
"Why do you say that, Carol?"
"I'm a Lesbian, dammit! Or had you forgotten? Lesbians don't go around falling in love with strange men," Carol said bitterly. Janet raised her eyebrows.
"Don't they? I even fell in love with your father, in a way. But, honey, before we explore that side of it much further let's cover the fact that I doubt very much that you could be called a Lesbian."
"What do you mean you doubt it? Of course, I am."
"No, Carol. I don't think so. Oh, sure, you like to have a woman make love to you. And sometimes you like to take the lead and make love to a man. In other words, if anything you're simply bi-sexual, and with the right man you'd probably settle down and be like all the normal housewives in the world."
"Do you really think so?" Carol sniffed.
"Carol baby, I'm not exactly dumb. Right now you're lost. You have two paths to choose from and you're straddling the fence. You'll sit there until something pulls you to one side or the other. I could try to have you for my own. I don't think our love could satisfy you for very long. So think about it for a while."
"Think about what?"
Carol watched Janet for signs of trickery or pity. Seeing none, she began to wonder why Janet had brought the subject up and why it was being handled in this manner. If it were true that she wasn't a Lesbian, Janet would be the first person to lose by it.
"About the man angle, that's what," Janet said. "Maybe even this Ernie guy. Or perhaps another one you haven't even seen yet. But one day one'll come along, and you'll flip around and become so straight you won't know what hit you."
"I guess you could be right," Carol admitted, hugging her stepmother, fondly.
"Of course, I could be. Now get some rest and I'll call you when it's time to go see Ernie. You want to look your prettiest."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
At her timid knock on his door, he swung the door back and Carol entered, with the strange feeling of coming home.
"Traffic must've been exceptionally good, or you started early," he joked. "I'm not even ready yet. Why don't you throw on a record or something while I finish?"
Carol, her eyes resting easily on his strong muscles and proud head, wondered why she felt so at ease with this one man. She drew a deep breath and wandered to the stereo, and, selecting records by the pictures on the cover, she flicked a switch. Then pacing the floor she listened while he started the bath water.
Light hearted, she strolled to the bathroom, knocked on the partially closed door, and walked in.
"Got lonesome," she said.
"Did you want something?" he asked, turning from the mirror where he had been concentrating on his shaving.
"No, I just got lonesome, I said." She closed the comode and sat down. "Can I watch?"
"Sure." He turned back to his shaving.
She giggled at the faces he made while trying to reach the difficult areas. Then, on impulse, she stood and reached around from the back, hugging him tightly to her. Then, thrilling at the hard warmth of him, she let her hands travel down to the hard tummy and traced the waistband of his pants, her hand coming back to rest with her fingers at his belt buckle.
He stopped any pretense at shaving and watched her in the mirror.
"What're you trying to do, woman? Make me cut my throat?"
He leaned gently back against her.
"Huh uh," Carol whispered against his shoulder. "Just feeling of you. You feel wonderful." Working the belt buckle loose, she slipped her hands under the fabric.
He caught her hand and laughed nervously.
"Hey, none of that right now. Start that, young lady, and we may never get out of here!"
"So?"
"So, I had some place special I wanted to take you, so!" He loosened her grip and shoved her onto the stool. "Stay there and see if you can behave yourself."
She pouted prettily as he finished shaving and wiped his face. Reaching for his pants, he hesitated and said:
"You going to stay while I bathe?"
"Unless you make me go away."
Smiling, he stepped out of his pants and removed the shorts. His state of excitement was startlingly evident, and Carol felt her face grow warm and her legs tightened with the swift thought of all that manhood and where it belonged.
Stepping into the tub he soaped himself lavishly. Kneeling by the tub Carol took the soap from his hands and began to wash him.
"Hey, I can do that myself!"
He grabbed for the soap.
"I know that, silly, but I want to." Carol grinned.
She couldn't take her hands off him, and it was a pleasure to do things for him.
Starting with his face, she bathed him like a baby. He patiently allowed this with a half smile on his face, only when he caught her eye. With lather thick on her hand, she took the still-proud penis in her hands and began to lather it gently, teasingly, massaging it between her hands, feeling the jerking response and the passion that lighted his eyes.
"You're going to get all wet," he commented once. So she stood and removed her clothes and knelt again.
"Can I come in with you?"
"Honey, it would be a real pleasure, but there just isn't room in one bathtub for more than one person at a time. Tell you what, I'll get out."
"Why? Haven't you ever made love in a bathtub?"
"No, I haven't, and I can't imagine it being very easy or comfortable to do."
"Then, let's try it," Carol suggested huskily, stepping gracefully into the tub, kneeling between his legs.
"I'll try anything once," he tried to joke, but his breath caught and his eyes closed as she eased herself forward, enclosing his straining manhood within her own warmth.
His hands griped her waist and held it tight, as she moved up and down slowly, causing the water to slosh and splash.
Shuddering, he held his breath.
"Let's get the hell out of this coffin," he grumbled, lifting her by the waist.
Wrapping her in a towel, he dried himself and then took the towel and dried her carefully, caressing with each stroke of the towel. Lifting her in his strong arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down.
Kissing her, he forced his tongue between her teeth and she felt the taste of coffee mingled with hot throbbing desire. Crazy, thrilling desire that forced her body to twist and grind against his body as it crushed her. "Let me kiss them."
He pulled away from her clinging arms and held her shoulders in his hands, while his mouth traced a trail down the mountains to the peaks, trailing a hot, probing tongue around the rims then back to tease the peaks with hard teeth and demanding sucking.
"Oh, Ernie," Carol sobbed. "That feels so good. There! There, too," she gasped, as he bit her stomach and kissed away the pain.
She tried to keep control of her wildness, but when he moved on down, parting the soft hairs between his hands so he could trace his mouth over the throbbing, aching core of her passions, she moaned with desire and passionate pain that brought her off the bed to meet him, easing a little away when the sensations seemed about to drive her out of her mind.
Her hands sought and found, the throbbing, wonderful desirable, manhood that ached to be within her as she longed for it.
"Now, Ernie, now!" she pleaded, trying to draw herself back from his mouth.
"Now, what?" he whispered against her.
His breath was causing her stomach to tighten with anticipation.
"Come here," she sobbed, trying to pull him up with her hands wound in his hair.
"Why?"
He continued his maddening caresses.
"Because I need you. I want you to make love to me," Carol groaned.
He squeezed her hand that covered the impatient organ she held so tightly.
"Want this?" he asked.
"Yes, oh yes, please," she cried now, desire robbing her of fears or doubts about begging. She didn't care. She had to have him at any price, and pride was something she had never held very dear. "Let me have it, Ernie. Please, take me like last time. I need you." Her voice caught in her throat as she felt his weight shift.
"Oh God, baby, you're good!" He mounted her gleefully, holding her so tightly she could barely breath. "You're the best damned lay in the world. Do you know that? You do it better than anyone in the whole world. That's right, my little savage! Scream, scratch, yell, cry if you want to. Buck, baby, buck all you want to, you can't throw me. Not now. Have enough," he urged her, matching her savagery with his own, thrusting hard and deep, causing her to gasp, moan, and cry out with each lunge.
Yet she clung, held him to her, wrapped her legs around his to keep him tight against her.
Her moans blended into one, her head rolled back and her eyes were so tight they ached, but it was an ache to be lost in the blinding body searing, heart tearing, sensations that rocked her.
Suddenly her body flew against him, and, sensing her need almost before she did, he held her tight, not moving away but rubbing himself firmly against her in circles, bringing her to the peak of pleasure.
"Oh, Ernie, Ernie, Ernie!" Carol screamed his name over and over as her body exploded into shattering bits holding together only with the strength of him who held her.
Her breath gave out, and she clung to him wordlessly as the waves began to subside and he gave her comfort, easing the rest of the aches as she trembled, then slid from the heavens back into his arms.
"Pretty baby," he murmured in her ear, beginning to move again now, stirring in her sensations she had thought gone and finished.
When his hands tightened on her shoulders and his mouth sank into the soft flesh of her shoulders to muffle the cry of released passion, she held him and stroked the back of his neck and whispered words of love and concern as he rested.
With a sigh, he settled in her arms and slept while she lay, feeling almost protective.
His mouth curved into a smile and his face resembled that of a child at nap, but letting her eyes wander she lovingly decided the child-like resemblance ended there.
Soon she dozed, her face resting against the softness of his hair, her arms cradling his head to her breast.
When she awoke he was covering her. "Why didn't you wake me up?" she demanded, sitting up.
"I didn't want to. You looked like a little angel, and I enjoyed watching you. And I figured you'd wake when you were rested."
"I'm rested. How long have you been up?" she asked, noticing that he was fully dressed.
"Just long enough to take another bath and dress," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling her to him. "And you'd better hop in there and take one yourself. I got you all sweaty. Hurry up and we can still go out."
He patted her rear end as she flew past him to the freshly drawn bath that waited.
Later, as he led her from the apartment, she thought somehow of the backwardness of his manners and caught herself laughing against her will.
"What's the matter?"
"I was just thinking. Other men take you out and then try to get you in bed. You take people to bed and then try to get them to go out with you."
He smiled and let his hand rest possessively on her rear.
"You love it, wench."
She snuggled in the crook of his arm as he helped her settle in the cab and gave the driver an address.
"Where're we going?"
"To an art museum," he said, "or would you rather not?"
"An art museum? I don't know. I've never been to one before."
"Oh, this is a special one, at that. They're showing some of the latest work done by young men around here. They're new but very good, or they wouldn't have been selected for this showing."
Carol caught his enthusiasm easily.
"It sounds exciting."
"It will be," he promised.
They entered the building, and Carol's eyes lit when she saw the pretty pictures lining the walls.
They stopped before each one, and he told her what he thought it was supposed to mean and in some cases gave short histories of the artist and in others he simply commented on whether it was fool's work or really good.
She got so she could recognize some the same artist had done, by the style.
"Hey, you're getting good," he joked, leading her into a small room to the side of the main gallery.
They both stopped, breathless in the excitement radiating from the picture smiling down at them from the far wall.
It was a young girl, naked, sitting gracefully on a velvet stool, her black hair flowing past her waist, her face turned as if caught unexpectedly in the act of dressing. Even Carol had the stunning feeling she had just walked in on this girl's bath and was frozen in that moment of not knowing what to do.
"I see you like my little painting?" a voice spoke.
Jerking herself around, she exclaimed:
"Freddy! Did you paint that?"
Ernie turned around too but did not speak. His eyes traveled carefully over this man that Carol obviously knew and liked.
"Yes, my pet. I painted that one and most of the others in this room. Unfortunately none of them match the genius this one shows. Isn't she the most scrumptuous thing you've ever seen? Present company excluded, of course," Freddie added with a bow.
"Oh, she's the most lovely thing in the world."
"I thought she would appeal to you. Perhaps even more so than to most men. She's your type, don't you think?" Freddie teased, clearly implying that Carol's Lesbian tendencies led her to be more appreciative of a pretty woman than could be a man who preferred pretty men for love images.
"And forgive me for being overly curious, but who have we here?"
Freddie gave Ernie a searching glance.
"Oh," Carol jumped in confusion, "this is Ernie. He brought me."
"And I'm Freddie." Freddie held out his hand, completing Carol's incomplete introduction with ease. "I am very pleased to meet you. It surprises me to see Carol with such as you, but then she has surprisingly good taste."
Ernie shook the hand and wondered how Carol ever got to know this funny acting little man.
"You wonder about me?" Freddie read the question in Ernie's expression.
"Frankly, yes. I didn't know Carol knew too many people here."
"Oh, well, I'm an old friend of her stepmother's.
I met Carol through Janet, and I must say it's a pleasure seeing her again and meeting you."
"I didn't know you were a painter," Carol whispered, her glance again resting on the remarkable picture.
"Oh, it's one of the few things I do really well. Other things I try to do. Painting, I succeed in. You'll have to pose for me some time. You'd be my best seller, dear."
"Better than her?" Carol nodded to the picture.
"Oh, much better than her. You would be a dream. An absolute dream that a man could hold to his heart forever and make believe that sexy little smile of yours was just for him alone. It would let him own you, so to speak."
Seeing the stiffening of Ernie's spine, Freddy glanced to Carol.
She seemed excited about becoming every man's dream but this man here. He was something else. He looked ready and able to rip out the offending eyes that looked upon his Carol.
Carol clasped her hands.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful?" she said.
"I don't know that it would be a good idea."
Ernie pulled Carol closer.
Not knowing fully what was going on, Freddie knew it was time he left this scene and called Janet for details.
"Well, kiddies, the customers await. I must go and see how many of them I can impress with my magical arts. See you later. Tell Janet hello and I'll give her a call later."
With this parting he clapped his hands together, took a long searching look at Carol, shookhis head sadly, and skipped off across the hall to becon another spellbound couple who were admiring his special painting.
"Where did you meet him?"
"At a party Janet took me to. Why?"
"He acts sort of funny to me." Ernie frowned. Carol bubbled with laughter. "He is sort of funny," she said. "He's queer! And you call me innocent!"
"Are you serious?"
"Certainly. Why shouldn't he be? Janet says it's the right of each individual to decide who and what he wants to make love to. He happens to like man people."
"What was that crack of his about you appreciating the girl in the picture more than him?"
Ernie stopped walking and turned Carol to face him.
"Just that I probably would. Why?"
"Did he mean because some women are more critical of women than men?" Ernie probed suspiciously.
"No! Dammit, he meant that some women like other women and they would be in a better position to judge the beauty of such a woman than a man who didn't like women at all," Carol hissed, not liking the tone of his voice.
"But he specifically said you, Carol."
"Sure! I'll tell you about it later." Carol shrugged.
"Now!" Ernie was suddenly demanding to know.
Outside, to where he hurried her, she was prepared for a sharp scolding or perhaps anger, but his attitude changed.
"Are you trying to tell me that little man in there seems to think you're like him?"
"Yes, he thinks I'm a Lesbian," Carol admitted.
"Well, I'll have a little talk with him."
Ernie spun around jerking Carol with him.
Pulling on his arm, Carol brought him to a halt.
"And what're you going to talk to him about?
Huh?" she demanded angrily. "Are you going to tell him what a good lay I am and how you know from experience that I'm not what he thinks? Is that it?"
Startled by her sudden attack and the clarity of what she said, Ernie stood nodding his head.
"Well, then don't. Because there's no need for you to make such a fool of yourself. Why don't you ask me? Because he knows more about me there, than you do. I'm a Lesbian and have been since I was thirteen years old. And he knows it. So is my stepmother and my aunt. So now what're you going to tell him?" Carol taunted, then, seeing his stricken face, she swung into his arms and held him to her, burying her face in his chest. "Oh, Ernie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you like this, but I couldn't let you go in there and have him tell you or just laugh at you for not knowing. I didn't mean to hurt you, Ernie. Please forgive me. Please. I love you so very much!"
His arms hanging limp at his side, he stood for a moment listening to the sobs that shook her. Then his arms tightened around her.
"What did you say?"
Carol lifted her face.
"That I'm sorry. Please don't be hurt."
"No not that, the other. That you loved me," he prompted stiffly.
Her tear-stained face smiled shyly at him.
"I do, Ernie. I really do love you so much it hurts."
"Oh, Carol," Ernie sighed.
"Please don't hate me for what I've just told you. I love you so much I couldn't bear it. I won't ask you to love me back, but please don't hate me."
Carol clung to his arms, her eyes searching desperately for an answer in his face.
"We'll talk about it some other time. I don't guess it really matters an awful lot now. Not if you really love me, but let's talk about that for now. What makes you sure you love me?" His face softened, the hurt draining away to be replaced by wonder and hope.
"I just know I do. I feel it when I'm with you, and I long for it when I'm away. That's part of it."
"But it could be any number of emotions besides love." Ernie's practical mind raced. "It could be that you feel sorry for me. Or that you want to make up for hurting my feelings. Or you could just be feeling the physical side of it, for all you know."
"Oh, Ernie." Carol took a deep breath. "Why must you pry and tear it apart? What does it matter why or exactly to what degree? Can't you just accept the fact that I do and let it go at that?"
"I don't know why not. I'd like to believe it, but I find it difficult to adjust. Not when we've known each other for such a short period of time and we know so little about each other. Besides, there's always the problem of our age, even if nothing else was in the way."
"What problem?"
"I'm so much older than you are." Ernie frowned.
"Oh, I can't believe you're that much older than I in the first place, and how can it make any difference, in the second place?"
"It makes a lot of difference," Ernie grumbled.
"Why? How can it? Ernie, I love you as you are. I don't even know how old you are and I feel this way. Do you think I could turn it off if I found you were suddenly ninety years old?"
"Well, I'm not quite that old." Ernie gave a half laugh, trying to lighten the air.
"Well, it wouldn't make any difference if you were. That's like saying I couldn't love you because I found out that your real name was Jonathan instead of Earnest. Don't you see what I'm trying to say?"
"I see what you're trying to say, and I'm flattered, but still a little worried. I don't think you're old enough to make up your own mind about such things."
"I'm old enough," Carol snorted.
"Yes, but I wonder about that too." Ernie patted her rear absently.
"All right, dear." Carol stood on tiptoe and kissed his mouth. "Wait and see. I love you now and I'll love you tomorrow and all the days after. Some day you'll have to admit even to your critical mind that what I feel is after all real love. Then maybe you'll be able to see that it has been always. I'll wait. It's worth it to me."
His arms tightened around her and she felt his tears warm her cheek. Silently he wiped them away and led her on down the street.
"I'd better get you home, little one. And then I have some things to think about," he said, hailing a cab.
Carol leaned against his shoulder and wondered if he would ever come to return the feelings she held for him, and she had her doubts. He was fighting her, and the woman in her told her that she could not fight back. Just stand sweet, silent, and always there, until he came to accept her presence and her place in his life.
She watched as he turned from the cab and started walking back toward his lonely room and forgotten books and felt pity that she could not go and comfort him.
Carol's face showed signs of her anxiety, when she returned to the apartment, and both Laura and Janet were quick to notice.
"What's the matter?"
"What happened?"
"Oh, nothing," Carol sighed and sank listlessly into the couch.
"Nothing!" Laura snorted. "Every time nothing happens to her that Ernie man has caused her heartache. I told you I didn't think she should go out with him again."
"All right. All right." Carol shook her head impatiently. "A lot happened, if you must know."
"What?" Janet asked again.
"It's a long story," Carol hedged, reaching for a cigarette.
"That doesn't make a bit of difference and you know it. We have a lot of time so on with it."
"Just a small matter of falling in love with that Ernie guy you didn't want me to go with again." Carol waved an arch with her hand.
"Falling in love with the guy?" Laura groaned. "How could you do that? You don't even know him."
"I do too," Carol quickly said. "I know that I love him and can't stand being away from him. That's enough to know, I should think."
"But, darling, when someone loves they are happy."
"I would be happy if he believed me. Only he's like the both of you. He doesn't even believe me, and I don't think he ever will," Carol cried, allowing the tears that had threatened since the beginning of her misunderstanding with Ernie.
"There, there, baby," Janet soothed, putting her arms protectively over Carol's shoulders. "If you really love him he'll love you back. He has to. You'll just have to learn to play your cards right and wait. He'll come around in time."
"He'll never want me for a wife," Carol cried.
"For heavens sake, why not?"
"Because he knows all about us," Carol admitted.
"What about us? How could he know for sure?" Laura asked.
"I told him," Carol said angrily, remembering her anger at the time.
"But why did you ever do a thing-like that?" Laura puzzled. "Surely you know he's the type that would be horrified and shocked."
"He made me mad, and like the stupid fool that I am I got even by calling his bluff and telling him what I really am."
"Poor baby." Janet rocked Carol back and forth in her arms. "If he can live with you and love you he can learn to accept what you are."
"Well, what on earth did he do to make you that angry?" the practical Laura demanded.
"Oh, we met Freddie at an art gallery and he made a couple of comments and then later Ernie made a couple of comments, so I had to say something. "
"Who is this Freddie and what could he have said to bring this on?"
"Freddie is the man who runs that little place where I used to go, remember?"
"And just how did Freddie know Carol when he saw her at the gallery?" Laura glared at Janet.
Janet cringed but managed to say:
"I took Carol there one afternoon. Just to meet the people and have a drink."
"Oh, for God's sake," Laura raved, "I told you we had to carefully screen the people she met and where she was seen, for her own sake. If you'd only listen to me once in a while! See what it would have saved?"
"I know, and I'm sorry, but what're we going to do now?" Janet worried.
"We have to make Ernie love me," Carol sniffed hopefully.
"I don't think we can just go up and tell him, now do you, dear? All right, let's think of something just a little more reasonable."
"I don't think we can do anything, if you want to be practical." Carol straightened her clothes and wiped her eyes. "I think I'll go back to work and just forget it. If he wants to see me again, fine. If not, I'll live, I think." Carol smiled bravely.
Janet and Laura saw the pain written on Carol's face but determination was there beside it and her mind being made up was not to be changed until she changed it.
"Well, if this gets around it'll ruin some of my customers. But then on the other hand, if Carol gets back out there and starts working they'll never believe it, anyway." Laura smiled absently.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ernie paced the floor, sipping a drink, his handsome face wrinkled in a concentrated frown.
He despised himself for not knowing what to do with his usually orderly life. And to add to the confusion, ever since that girl walked into his life things were impossible.
Looking in the mirror as he passed, Ernie turned back and inspected his temple, picking critically at the few gray hairs.
"Gray at twenty-eight," he grumbled, remembering that those same hairs had appeared several years back and hadn't been overly noticed until that girl showed up to make him feel ancient and foolish.
If I only knew for sure what I felt for her it wouldn't be quite so bad, Ernie thought, slumping in the corner of his favorite chair, again seeing the slight figure huddled there, reading one of his books and the glorious smile that had greeted him when he got up.
Feeling suddenly soft and compassionate, Ernie straightened his spine forcefully and reminded himself that the pictures he so prettily saw in his mind was the image of an eighteen year old child he had no business making any plans for.
But then thoughts, beautiful, wild, and sensual followed, which reminded him of how unchild-like his Carol could be when given a chance. In any room, any position, any occasion, Ernie grinned foolishly, remembering the bathtub.
He was still smiling and staring out into space, when the doorbell rang and Carl came gliding inside.
"Hey, buddy, I brought this little old bottle along, and I figured we could take a couple of good nips and call the girls and have a good night, so to speak."
"Carl, come on in. When did you get back into town?"
"Matter of fact I just drove in. Figured on looking you up before I give Laura a call. See if you wanted her to bring along that nice little piece she had last time."
Carl winked suggestively.
"That nice little piece, as you so aptly put it, is exactly what I had on my mind when you broke in here."
"Great! Great!"
Carl leapt to his feet.
"What are you doing?"
"Going to give Laura a call and tell her to get on over here."
"No, don't do that!" Ernie placed the phone back on it's hook. "I think I'd better fill you in on a couple of things first. Like the fact that I have seen Carol a couple of times since then. And, frankly, Carl, I've got a big problem on my hands."
"She didn't look so big tome." Carl leaned back
"Oh, Carl, you know what I mean. But then it would probably sound pretty silly to you."
"Why should it sound silly to me? Think I haven't ever had the hots for a little bit of professional tail? Hell, I get hung up with Laura each time I see her, but then I fight the urge down and leave town before I get hooked."
"You mean you think you love her?" Ernie raised his eyebrows.
"Think, hell, boy, I know I do. But so far I've managed to escape the trap, so to speak. Go on, tell me about your problems. We don't want to talk about mine."
Ernie cleared his thorat.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I am in love with her and she says she loves me."
"Anyone can say it, boy. Does she?"
"She does act like it. I mean, if love is something that endears a person to you and causes that person to act like you're the greatest thing in the world, etcetra. She acts like it. But I don't know her very well. She's an enigma, and I suppose she'd always be, no matter how long a person knew her."
Carl poured a stiff drink for himself and Ernie, then said:
"All right then, how do you feel about her?"
"That's the cincher. Aside from knowing she's too young to get stuck with me, I guess I feel what people would call love for her. I want to protect her and teach her and care for her. I want to hold her, cherish her, to laugh with her when she's happy and hold her when she cries."
Carl laughed bitterly.
"Hey, you got it bad, boy."
"I guess so, but I don't really know what to do about it."
"Well, when some folks feel that way they get a hold of the girl in question and let her share his abode and such. Some of them even make it legal and get married."
"I can't marry her, dammit, man," Ernie spouted. "What'll I tell our friends when we mention how we met? What will I tell our children when they want to know? I want a woman who'll be mine, and I'm not sure this one will ever belong to anyone, married or not. She's wanton, sexy, and certianly not tied down by any moral code known to man."
"But yet, you love her and are sitting here suffering because she isn't with you? Ernie buddy, let me tell you something that I haven't ever told to anyone before. I've known Laura for four years, been a steady customer of hers, taken good care of her, and in my heart I've loved that girl for almost that long. But the things people might say and what others might think, these things have stopped me from making the mistake of marrying a professional and risking the ridicule of others."
"But it isn't wise to marry someone like that, is it?"
"Wise? Ernie, you are repeating what you've heard from the same others that would spoil your life if you let them. Do you think Laura would listen if someone said it wasn't wise to marry a traveling salesman? Of course not! And if that Carol's anything like her she would only laugh when you say you can't marry her because of age."
"As a matter-of-fact she didn't laugh, she scolded me," Ernie admitted.
"Then what's bugging you?"
"Well, she's different, that's all. I can't figure her out, and I can't really see her as the faithful loving wife and mother."
"Oh, hell. She'll be as faithful as any other woman, if that's any comfort. Probably more so, because if this one isn't ready to settle down and love you she won't have that much to do with you in the first place. And if you treat her right she'll love you faithfully and happily, same as any other woman," Carl sneered.
"Well, I'm going to do it," Ernie said, after a few minutes of silence.
"Be sure and get Laura for me, we might just make it a double thing. I'm getting kind of tired of that empty victory and the equally empty bed." Carl grinned, brushingback his hair and straightened his tie.
"Laura?" Ernie spoke into the phone. "This is Ernie. May I speak to Carol, please?"
"Be sure and get Laura back for me," Carl urged.
"I will." Ernie grinned, suddenly feeling wonderfully free and jubilant.
"Carol honey, I want to see you tonight. Can you and Laura be ready for something special tonight? We may have something to celebrate before the evening's over."
"What?" Carol questioned cautiously.
"I don't know if you'll consider it something special, but I had in mind discussing marriage plans. That is, if you'd consider it."
"Marriage?" Carol brightened, her voice singing over the phone.
"Yes, little one. If you'd marry me. Will you?"
"Oh, Ernie, do you really mean it? I mean after last night and everything? Are you sure?"
"Baby," Ernie laughed, "you sound worse than I did. Don't fight it. I want to marry you. Come on, let's get off this damned phone. I want to see you right away."
"Come on over and we can talk to Aunt Laura and Janet at the same time." Carol sounded suspicious so Ernie hung up quickly and grabbed a coat.
"Are we going to get married?" Carl grinned, carrying his bottle with him.
"I don't know about you, but I sure as hell am!"
"Then me too!" Carl hurried to catch up with his late appointment with the wedding march.
