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 CAUTION...  CAUTION...  CAUTION...  CAUTION...  CAUTION...

   STANDARD WARNING

   This story is of an erotic nature.

   I wouldn't dream of telling you what you can or can't read but if the
law, in your part of the world, says you must not read this sort of fiction
then please go read something that they'll let you.

   Don't break the laws, change them.

   CAUTION...  CAUTION...  CAUTION...  CAUTION...  CAUTION...

  
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   Alchopop

   by Duke of Ramus

   A Piece of my Imagination

  
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   Disclaimer

   This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places and incidents
are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any
resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental

   (C) 2007 Duke of Ramus.

   All rights reserved.



   OK, I'm not really sure why I'm writing this, I don't think I'm feeling
guilty but that could be one explanation for this missive.  The other is
that I want to pass on a good idea that worked out very well for me and I
don't see any point in keeping the idea secret.  I don't know which is the
closest to the truth, and really I don't care.  You, gentle reader can make
up your own mind.

   This story really started one Friday night at the beginning of spring. I
had been out for the evening, well that was the original idea, with a young
lady.  Unfortunately it had turned into a disaster.  The silly bitch had
been too impatient to get at my money and had blown the whole night I had
planned for us.

   Just to help you understand where I'm coming from I'll give you a little
background on myself.  I'm in my early forties, and a little overweight but
I have a healthy bank balance bought about by hard work and a little bit of
luck.  The luck being that I got out of the dot com business before the
bubble burst.

   Anyway, back to that spring evening.  I'd pissed the money grabbing
bitch off early and was making my way back to my Bimmer in a pretty foul
mood.  It was still early and most of the shops where still open, their
bright lights depressing me as I strode through the city centre, which was
still a chilly place at this time of night.

   My personnel misery was rudely interrupted by a grubby hand being thrust
under my nose and a whiny voice bleating, "Got any spare change, mister?"
Normally in these situations I just brush past, I might be a bit paranoid
but I'd worked hard to get my money and I didn't see why I should give it
away for nothing.  This time, for some reason, I looked at the owner of the
hand, thinking to give some young sponger a hard time about being lazy.

   The first thing I noticed was that it was a female and she wasn't that
young, she had long, dark, straggly hair, pushed back behind her ears.  Her
face had that worn, dirty, lined look that being out in the wet and cold
burdens a person with.  Her clothing was a dark blue, ragged tracksuit that
looked a little too large for the spare frame it covered.  She looked to be
in her mid thirties, but that really was just a wild arsed guess on my
part.

   The hand that wasn't thrust out in front of me was clutching a tatty old
duffel bag that I guessed carried her belongings.  The most striking
feature in an otherwise weather worn face where the green eyes, they were
still bright, almost sparkling, undefeated despite her current condition.

   "And what would you want my change for?" I challenged,
uncharacteristically for me.

   "A coffee, sir, on this cold night." She said, trying to sound pitiful.

   "Bullshit," I responded.  My mind started weighing the options, what
would it be, drugs or booze where the obvious choices.  Booze, I decided.
"You'll just go and get a beer and that'll last you thirty seconds."

   She started to look a little angry, "So what if I do, what do you care?"
She tried to straighten up, "A little bit of change isn't going to bankrupt
you is it?" Her tone no longer weak and bleating.

   I smirked at her honest answer, "No it wouldn't bankrupt me, but I'd get
nothing for it either." I was about to walk away when a stupid idea hit me.
I looked the woman up and down and actually smiled at her.

   "I'll tell you what, you show me your tits, here and now, and I'll buy
you a six pack, what do you say to that?"

   She looked like a rabbit caught in a couple of spotlights, those green
eyes grew incredibly round and her head shook from side to side.  Whether
she was saying no or looking around the street to see who was there was
debatable.

   I took a look around.  I was on one of the side roads off the main
thoroughfare.  There was one of those cheap booze places on the corner
where the street met the main road and close to the junction were a couple
of the small shops that were still open.  About half a dozen other people
were walking along the street we were on, none of them closer than thirty
yards.

   "Well?" I pushed.

   She still hadn't said anything, her mouth was opening and closing, a bit
like a beached fish, inarticulate noise were slipping past her lips.

   "No, Oh well you had your chance." I turned to leave, before I'd taken a
couple of paces she called out.

   "Wait, please wait." I looked back over my shoulder.

   "Here, you mean I have to get them out here, now?"

   "Yes, that's right, strip completely to the waist, right here, right now
and I will go to that booze place and buy you a six pack.  Anything else
and I walk away."

   I looked at her expectantly.  Would she?

   Her free hand was fiddling with zip that held her tracksuit top closed,
the other hand, still holding her duffel, was swinging at her side.  She
cocked her head to one side, obviously appraising me.  You could see her
thinking, 'how much to show, will he cough up if I do, could I get away
with less?'

   Our little corner of peace and quiet was broken by the sound of her
duffel hitting the pavement between her legs.  She grasped the tag on the
zip and quickly pulled it down.  I caught a glance of a grey coloured top
before it vanished from sight as her arms twisted around pulling it over
her head.

   Keeping the top in one hand she grasped the front of her bra, which I
could now see had once been white, with the other hand and pulled it over
her head without unfastening it exactly as she had done with the top.

   She stood before me, in the middle of the street, her hands by her side,
one holding her top the other her bra.  Her little tits were topped by
small, stiff nipples which she kept pointed straight at me.

   She tried to give a little jiggle but not a lot happened, "Happy now?"

   I smiled mostly with surprise.  I hadn't really expected her to do it.

   "Do I get my booze?"

   I nodded my head, and set off back down the street, walking past her.  I
may be a bit of a bastard at times but I will always keep my part of any
agreement I make.  By the time I came out of the off licence she had her
tracksuit top back on.

   Still smiling I handed her a 6 pack of lager, "I look forward to seeing
you again, " I said with a leer.  Without a word she grabbed the six pack
from me, twisted around and forced the six cans into her duffel before
turning and running away from me.

   Though surprised at her abrupt departure I continued my journey home,
smiling and a lot less depressed than I had been.

   ---oOo---

   So here I was wandering the city streets in the early evening, staring
at the various dropouts and bums and that littered the streets.  I'll admit
now that I was curious about the little bit of stuff I'd had some fun with
last week.

   Various thoughts kept going through my head, not all of the charitable.
Was she all right?  How far would she go?  Was she clean?  And a million
similar ideas.  That was the reason for my evening stroll on the darkside
of city life, a mix of curiosity and dark fantasies.

   It was the duffel bag that lead me to her, though I hadn't consciously
remembered it, seeing it triggered a buried memory.  On the bottom had been
a picture of a fish in a slightly darker blue than the rest of the bag. 
There, resting on a bench by the bus stop was that same bag.

   I made my way over, almost sneaking up on my intended victim.  As I
stepped in front of her she jumped and started looking for a way to escape,
it was only after she saw she was effectively trapped that she even looked
to see who I was.

   When she looked straight at me it was I who got a shock.  She'd been
beaten up, it was obvious from the discoloration around one eye and the
healing split on her lower lip.

   "What the hell happened to you?" I burst out before she had a chance to
say anything some of my shock no doubt showing through.

   Her breathing slowed as she realised I wasn't attacking her, then I
noticed recognition in her eyes.

   "Oh, it's you." She said.  "Well I didn't get to drink the booze you got
me.  A couple of blokes took it from me." Her hand came up and touched her
lip, "and they wouldn't take no for an answer."

   "Tough, and don't tell me there was nobody to report it too."

   "What do you think, the pigs are more likely to give any of us a kicking
than help us, even if we're in the right."

   Now that I could understand.  The police might be a fine upstanding body
but it was your average citizen that paid their wages, not layabouts who
didn't have jobs.

   "So, do you want somewhere to stay?" I asked surprising myself.

   She looked me up and down as though trying to fathom my intentions, I
reacted badly to her inspection.  "God No!" I exclaimed, "I've got a shed
in the back garden you can use for a couple of days, nothing else."

   What I didn't tell her was that my shed as I'd called it, was actually a
three roomed summer house made of twenty five millimetre seasoned pine.  It
was triple insulated and had a log burning stove to keep it warm.  As well
as full plumbing and power to it.  I'd actually stayed in it for the odd
evening when I'd had to much to drink and couldn't be bothered to go back
to the main house.

   I glanced about before looking down at her and saw that she was trying
to spot the catch.  So I'd give her a catch, hopefully I thought, smiling
internally, one she'd go along with.

   "If you want some booze" I paused, "I'll get you the same as last time."
Another pause, "All you have to do is ride home in my car, topless."

   She swallowed, her Adams apple bobbing noticeably as she did so. 
"Topless, you mean like I was when you were staring at my tits?"

   "That's right, nothing on above the waist from when you get in the car
to when you get out."

   "Why the bloody hell would I do a thing like that." It was almost as if
she was trying to convince herself that she was angry at my suggestion.

   "For a few cans of beer and somewhere safe to drink it, along with
somewhere sheltered to spend the night." I replied, doing my best to look
serious.

   Despite my best efforts to convince her I could see she was going to say
no.  For some reason I was trying to think of some way to sweeten the deal
but hadn't got any inspiration.  Events then lent me a hand.

   The whole time the conversation had been going on both of us, her more
than I, had been keeping an eye out for any signs of, I suppose, danger. 
She must have spotted something because she froze, looking off to the side.
I followed the direction of her gaze and saw a large, scruffy looking
bloke, another street dweller.

   "Someone you know?"

   She jerked her head round to me, "Yeah, one of the blokes from the other
night." She wasn't panicking but I saw her face change as she made a
decision.  "I'll take you up on that offer after all."

   "Good," I said, "Lets go see what we can find for you." I turned and
walked back towards my car, and the corner booze store I'd used the
previous time.  The woman grabbed her bag and followed along, though she
did keep glancing back towards the man who trailed along behind us.

   The trip through the booze supermarket was carried out as quickly as
possible, partly to give her no time to change her mind and in part to keep
her safe.  Yes that's right safe, I didn't want that bloke to get brave
enough to approach us.

   As it was he'd just started to move up when I came out of the exit.  I
gave him a hard look and he retreated back the way he'd come.  What I'd
have done if he'd kept coming I've no idea but I've found that if you
project the right attitude people just expect things to happen.

   "Come on then, the car's in the underground garage." I didn't give her
time to respond just walked off and let her chase after me.  I led the way
to my car pondering the best way to carry through on our agreement, I
expected her to run now that we'd lost our shadow.

   "OK, here's what I've got for you," I said holding the carrier bag open
to display a six pack of beer and a half bottle of vodka.  Once she'd seen
what was in the bag I placed it in the back of the Bimmer and closed up the
tailgate.

   "Now, get your top off and well go home."

   "Can't I get in first?" She asked.

   "No, the agreement was topless the whole time you were in the car, that
means from when you get in to when you get out." She hesitated, so I walked
around to the drivers door before calling out, "Your choice, I'm going, you
can either get in or stay here."

   I slowly got in and looked across at her.  She paused for a moment then
even quicker than I remembered from last time stripped to the waist and
jumped in the car, dropping her bag between her feet.  She held her clothes
in front of her obscuring my view.

   I scowled at her, "Put the clothes in your bag and fasten your seat
belt, we haven't got time to play silly games."

   I suppose sheepish is the best way to describe the look she favoured me
with before she leant forward and stuffed her clothes into her bag.  After
she'd fastened her seat belt I took a good look at her.  Her small breasts
were nicely separated by the cross belt, her nipples were firm red tips
sticking out, whether due to excitement or the cold I couldn't say.

   I wasn't in any rush and really wanted to see how she'd react so I took
the long way home, circling around the city centre to find the route home.
This gave many people a chance to spot the half naked woman sat in the
front seat but as far as I was able to see nobody noticed and after the
first couple of minutes she stopped fidgeting and just sat normally.

   Two important points came out on that drive home, the first was her
name, Alison, which was the only personal information I asked for.  The
other was the fact that she stunk, in the enclosed space of the car it was
bad, only the fact that it came at me slowly enabled me to keep my mouth
shut, but it also gave me something else to do when we got home.

   After parking on my drive I led her around the side of the house and
into the back garden.  She'd been sat there with her mouth open from the
time I'd driven onto the development.  The houses on our estate were all on
separate plots with plenty of land around them, my own house had five
bedrooms, a finished cellar and a swimming pool in the back garden.  She
followed me around the side of the house saying nothing until she saw the
shed I'd said she could use.

   When she saw it she stopped in her tracks, looked at me and then burst
out, "What the fuck is that?"

   "It's the shed you're staying in, if you still want to." I answered,
trying not to sound smug.

   She slowly moved forward and climbed the two steps up onto the veranda,
without touching anything she glanced through the windows, then moved over
to the opposite side of the veranda and looked through the second window.

   What she saw was an open space divided into a sitting area and a small
kitchenette.  A couple of small sofas provided the seating around a glass
topped coffee table.  Hanging on the wall was a small flat screen
television and under that was the music centre and DVD player combination.
The kitchenette had a small fridge/freezer, a hob and a sink along with a
couple of cupboards for storage.

   In the centre of the rear wall of the main living area where two doors,
the right hand one led into a bathroom which had a sink, toilet and shower.
The left hand door led into the bedroom, which had built in wardrobes with
mirrored doors, a couple of bedside cabinets and a queen sized double bed.

   After her inspection Alison turned back to me, "You're letting me stay
in here?"

   I nodded.

   "Why?" She asked.

   Yes indeed, why?  I didn't know and told her so.  "I don't know.  When I
suggested it, it just seemed like a good idea and one thing I won't do is
break any deal I've made."

   She looked at me as though I was mad, which I suppose from her point of
view I probably was.  "Don't worry, the deal was a place to stay for a
couple of days and the booze," I held up the bag I'd recovered from the
back of my car before leading her into the garden, "for travelling here
topless." That was when she remembered that she hadn't put her top back on.


   It was amusing to watch her go bright red and throw her arm across her
chest before glowering at me and dropping her arms back to her sides when
she remembered that I'd seen everything already.  When she'd calmed down I
handed over the beer and took the key for the summer house off my key ring.

   "Here, let me open the door," I pushed it open and stepped back, passing
close to her, catching a whiff of her as I did so, that reminded me of how
much she stank.  "If you give me your clothes I'll get them washed for
you."

   "I thought you said you didn't go back on deals!" She exclaimed.

   I looked at her confused, "Bollocks." I said, under my breath, though
I'm sure she heard from the way her face tightened again.  "Go in there," I
said waving at the door, "and pass those filthy clothes out.  I'll leave
them on that chair," I indicated one of the chairs on the veranda, "in the
morning."

   She looked suspicious but I was having none of it.  "Just do it."

   She pulled her top and bra out of her bag and dropped them on the floor
before moving through the door, it didn't take long before the rest of her
clothes were passed through a barely open door and dropped on top of the
pile.

   I bent to pick up the clothes, carefully minimising my contact with
them. I smiled as I caught a glimpse, through the window, of Alison
scurrying across the room, her pale naked ass wiggling as she headed for
the bedroom.

   ---oOo---

   I dropped the, now, clean clothes on the chair I'd indicated the night
before and banged on the door.  As I waited for a response I chuckled over
the previous nights performance, especially when I'd had a go at using the
washing machine and tumble dryer.  They may have been in the utility room
since I'd bought this place but I normally sent everything out to be
cleaned so their operation had been a minor challenge.

   Inside the summer house nothing much appeared to happen so I thumped the
wooden surround again as hard as I could.  After a couple of minutes the
bedroom door opened and Alison peered out at me.  I smiled brightly at her
and spoke up, "Your clothes are here," I pointed towards the chair but
doubted if she could see them from where she was.  "If you want some
breakfast come over to the house and join me."

   I left it at that and headed back to the coffee and the morning paper
I'd left in the kitchen.  Half an hour later I spotted movement out of the
corner of my eye and looked up.  There was Alison freshly washed and
dressed.  She hadn't done much to change her appearance, probably because
she didn't have any cosmetics or anything, but at least she was clean.

   I waved her into the kitchen and pointed at a stool, "Grab a seat, what
would you like?" I asked.

   "I don't know, it's been so long since I had a breakfast." She looked a
little wistful, "I'll have whatever you're having."

   "I'm having toast and coffee, do you want the coffee or something
stronger?"

   I watched as she struggled with herself and was surprised when she said
coffee.  I threw some thick sliced bread into the toaster and while it was
cooking collected the butter, cheese and various jams from the
refrigerator. I set the whole lot on the breakfast bar, in front of Alison,
and sat down myself.

   We didn't speak much as we worked our way through half a loaf and a
couple of pots of strong filter coffee.  I for one was having a few strange
thoughts about this woman in front of me, teasing dominant type thoughts.
Thoughts that I hadn't had in any normal relationship before, but you could
hardly call our relationship normal could you.

   I finally broke the silence between us, "Do you have any plans for the
next few days?" She looked up and scanned my face, I guess she was trying
to figure where the trap was, then shook her head negatively.

   "Fancy staying here for a few more days?" I asked.

   Her face took on a deeply suspicious look, you could almost see her
brain trying to weigh up all of the options.  Finally she asked, "What
for?"

   I thought about my answer for a moment before saying, "More of the same,
I'll get you to do things like going topless and in exchange I'll provide
you with all the booze you want.  You can stay in the shed, I'll even let
you have the key for it so you'll feel safe.  What do you say?"

   She was totally focused on what I was saying, still looking for the trap
I was building.  After a couple of deep breaths she spoke up, "I'm not
going to let you fuck me no matter what you offer."

   "In case you hadn't noticed I hadn't mentioned sex." I said with a
slight snarl, I took a deep breath to calm myself.  "The way I see it,"
which was a lie, I was making this up as I went along, "is that I will ask
you to do something.  If you are willing to do it we will then negotiate a
price for doing that thing.  What this means is that, if you don't want to
do whatever it is I've asked for, you say no, and that is the end of it. 
If you are happy to do the task then I get you what we agreed on and, after
you've carried out your part we move on to whatever I think up next."

   That sounded a little confused, maybe even complicated, to me but I'm
sure I got the gist of the idea over to her.

   "No sex." She reiterated.

   "If I ask for sex and you say no that is the end of the matter.  If I
ask you to stand on your head and you don't want to that is the end of that
as well.  I can ask for the same thing over and over but just because you
said yes once doesn't mean it's yes every time.  You can always refuse to
do something." I stopped and took a sip of my coffee and watched as she
mulled over my offer.

   Finally she looked up, "OK," was all she said.

   I stuck a hand in my pocket and pulled out the key to the summer house,
"Here you are," I said, passing it over to her.  "Make yourself at home."

   ---oOo---

   The next couple of days were pleasant as I allowed Alison to settle in.
She seemed to enjoy the feeling of security she'd gained and started to
come out of her shell a little.  I guess the only down side for her was me
and all I did was keep her topless most of the time.

   I don't think it was the sight of her dinky little tits that did it for
me.  It was more the feeling of power I got whenever she appeared with her
stiff little nipples on display.

   In the end it was me that got bored, bored of hanging around the house,
bored of seeing her in the same old outfit, bored of...  well you get the
idea.  It was the tracksuit that finally did it for me.  We had to get her
something else to wear, something much more revealing.

   "Come on, let's go get you some clothes," I called out.

   I was going to have to do something about that look she kept giving me,
I just couldn't figure out what.

   "Why?" she asked, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

   "I don't like it, it's time for something different." I answered.

   "So is this one of those offer, accept, decline things we talked about?"

   Got me, "I guess it is.  So, what is it going to cost me to get you to
come shopping for some new clothes, then?" I asked.

   "A bottle of vodka." She stated.

   "Too much." I shook my head to emphasise the point.  "A half, and you
have to do as I say."

   "Throw in a six pack and you've got a deal."

   "You sure?" I asked.

   She stopped, thought over our conversation and nibbled at her lip in
concentration.  "I can still refuse if you get extreme but I think I'm
sure."

   Well that was as clear as mud wasn't it.  "OK, we'll give it a try and
see how we go." I could always throw her out if she got to objectionable.

   I made sure I'd got my wallet and we headed for the nearest shopping
mall.  As I drove along I tried to decide what I was going to get her.  A
dress of some sort was a certainty, as were a couple of blouses and short
skirts.  Was there anything else she needed?

   "What do you think we should get?" I asked hoping for some ideas.

   "I don't know, what do you want me to have?" Alison had a very
expressive face and the look she was giving me now clearly said that this
was your idea not mine.

   "Alright," I said, glancing to the heavens, "I'm getting you a dress and
a couple of blouses and skirts," after a short pause I added, "very short
skirts." I flicked my gaze over to her.  Can you think of anything else
you'd need now?"

   She was silent for a couple of minutes and then half turned in the seat,
"Underwear and shoes."

   I gave her a questioning look.

   "I doubt if tatty trainers," she held up a foot to show me the state of
her footwear, "will go with skirts and dresses."

   I nodded in response.

   "And if you expect me to wear very short skirts out," she raised an
eyebrow and I nodded back, "then I'm going to want some underwear that is
better than plain grey knickers, aren't I?"

   "I guess you are," I agreed, then had a thought, "What about stockings."
I couldn't help but smile as I asked.

   "In your dreams," was the reply, though the smirk that went with the
comment led me to believe that she wasn't as averse to the idea as she
sounded.

   After we'd parked up I led her through the mall, just looking at what
sort of shops were there.  I can't say that I was that familiar with the
sort of shops that women went into for clothes.  After we'd walked from one
end of the mall to the other I decided to call a halt and stopped for a
coffee.  As I sat next to a silent Alison I contemplated what I'd seen. 
There seemed to be three general categories of shops, the designer outlets
that were expensive in the extreme, the mundane chain stores that catered
for the everyday needs of your typical house wife, call it boring.  Then
there were the shops that targeted the youngsters, fashion clothes that
were cheap and cheerful, almost disposable but not expected to be worn by
anyone over the age of twenty five.

   From what I'd seen in the windows they were the shops we'd be looking
in. I finished my coffee then pointed Alison at a shop called New Look. 
"In there first, I think." Alison didn't say anything just followed me as I
trailed a couple of, what looked like, fourteen year olds into the store.

   The noise was horrendous, I guess being brain dead allows you to waste
money without to much thought.

   I looked around and saw a store layout guide fastened to one of the
pillars next to the escalators.  I made my way over there and had a read,
looked like the dresses were on the upper floor thought the rest was down
here on the ground floor.

   I pointed at the escalator and shouted across to Alison, "Dresses
first," and followed her up the escalator.

   The upper floor was quieter than downstairs, for which I was grateful. I
looked around and realised that I was going to have to look at the whole
floor as there didn't seem to be a sign for disgustingly short dresses.  I
took Alison by the arm and started out in a clockwise direction, just
following the natural walk ways and mooched about.  Occasionally I'd stop
and inspect something that caught my eye but generally kept moving.

   A muttered "Nice," from Alison attracted me.  I looked over at her and
found she had stopped at a rack that I'd somehow missed and was running her
fingers over a blue dress.  I joined her and looked at what she'd found.

   It was deep blue and made out of some sort of clingy material, from what
I could see on the hanger it had a deep v-shaped neckline and there
appeared to be cut-outs in the sides.  "Grab that one, you can try it on in
a bit, let's see what else we can find," I said as I headed off.

   The next dress I found was also blue, but this time a very pale blue,
the attached label described it as a tube dress with a front cut out
detail. I handed it over to Alison and pointed towards the changing rooms.

   "Try them on and come out to show me." I said, "Don't bother wearing
anything under them, OK?"

   She nods and just heads for the changing room, collecting the little
green tag with the number two on as she passes the shop assistant.  I hang
around for a couple of minutes, watching the young girls going in and out
of the changing room.  God they're noisy.

   Alison came out in the darker of the two blue dresses, approached me and
just before she reached me she spun round causing the skirt part of the
dress to flair out.  It didn't go high enough to reveal what she was, or
wasn't, wearing underneath but it was enjoyable to watch.  Where the front
plunged down it allowed easy access to her breasts and if they had been
large enough would have exposed their edges nicely.  As Alison was small on
top it merely displayed them nicely.  The cut-outs would allow my hands to
touch flesh in a normal cuddle and slide inside to cup her ass for
something more intimate.  On the downside they did show how pale she was.

   "Not bad at all," I told her, "Now go try on the other one." Without a
word she turned and walked away, flicking her hips from side to side as she
did so.

   After another short wait she reappeared in the pale blue dress.  This
one clung to her like a second skin following every move her body made. 
There was no need to spin in this dress, the skirt wasn't designed to flair
at all.  Her nipples were making clear marks in the bra like top.  Although
she hadn't spun round as she approached me I had her do a twirl, just to
see how the dress emphasised her ass.

   "So what do you think?" I asked.

   "I think I prefer the other one, the colour of this one does nothing for
me." She sounded like she should have been pouting when she said that.

   Still, she was right, white skin under a pale dress made her look washed
out, but add a tan and it would have been a very nice sight.  Still we only
needed one dress for now.  "OK, well take the darker one, go get it and
we'll head downstairs."

   After a short wait she came out of the changing room in her tracksuit
clutching the blue dress.  We descended back into the maelstrom that was
the lower sales floor and started hunting out some blouses and skirts.

   Down here there was a much greater selection that met my requirements,
Alison mentioned that it was because they had their summer collection in.
What this meant for me was a large range of short miniskirts for Alison to
try on.  Add an array of thin, cropped or tight tops and it took some time
to come up with a selection that filled my needs.  Three skirts, a tight
black one, a blue denim skirt with a full length zip and a flouncy black
skirt.

   The tops I picked consisted of a thin white blouse that was worn with
the tails tied under the boobs, a stretch denim cropped top that was really
just a sports bra but it matched the denim skirt.  The last top was
described as a sexy net tank top and it was, though how any self respecting
mother would allow her daughter to wear it I don't know.  It looked like
elasticised black crocheted work with very large openings that allowed
everything to be displayed.

   When Alison had come out of the changing room with it on most of the
girls around had blushed or giggled.  The shop assistant had gone so red
she looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel.  I suppose that you
were expected to wear a pretty bra under it or something, without the bra
it was an excellent device for humiliating the wearer.  Alison seemed
immune to that, smiling at me as she paraded in front of more than a dozen
teenage girls.  The kick I got from her performance was immense and
something I looked forward to repeating before a more appreciative
audience.

   As we queued to pay for the goods I spotted a small black bikini hanging
on a rack and grabbed it without having Alison try it on.  I figured she
needed something to wear around the pool.

   After paying for everything I glanced at my watch and realised we'd been
in there for over an hour, a very enjoyable hour all things considered. 
That just left us underwear and shoes on the shopping list but that could
wait until I'd had another coffee.

   "Tom?"

   "Yes"

   "Should I put the dress on before we go and get the rest?"

   "I guess so, I doubt if high heels would look right with your
tracksuit."

   She stood up and grabbed the bag containing the dress, "Back in a
minute." She said as she headed for the ladies room at the back of the
room.

   I had another moment of introspection whilst she was away.  What did
either of us get from our actions, apart from the obvious.  It had only
been a few days and already I'd seen a tremendous improvement in Alison,
whether it was permanent was open to debate but she was much more out going
and appeared healthier.  I was getting a real kick out of the control games
we were playing but strangely felt no need for them to get extreme.  I
watched as Alison approached, now wearing the blue dress.  She had been
right, it did look ridiculous when worn with trainers.

   Before she could sit, I rose.  "Come on, lets get rid of those trainers
first." I said as I headed for the nearest shoe shop.

   Picking a couple of pairs of shoes didn't take long and wasn't that much
fun.  I'd envisaged some assistant being flashed by a red faced Alison but
it turned out that the average shoe shop was a self help place, the two
assistants just collected odd sized products from the store room out the
back or rang the items through the till.

   As we left the shop, Alison now some three inches taller in a pair of
blue court shoes, whispered gently in my ear, "You'd have much more fun in
the designer shoe shops, there the assistants have to help you put the
shoes on and make sure they fit correctly." Her dark brown eyes were
smiling as she spoke, "Wouldn't that be good to watch, some poor boy
helping me with a pair of thigh high boots..."

   I stared in surprise, Alison could see right through any pretence I
could offer.

   I choked out, "Underwear!"

   She led the way grinning at my embarrassed look.

   ---oOo---

   I determined to get my own back, even if the dig had been true.

   We ended up in a specialist underwear store, not a Victorias Secret with
all the sexy items but a pretty evocative place none the less.

   The assistant, a middle aged woman with dark hair and fashionable
glasses, approached us and started speaking to Alison, effectively ignoring
me.  Although a little miffed initially I figured that most of the
customers where women and men who came in here were there because their
partner had dragged them in.

   Alison was looking around, with the assistant, fingering the various
pieces of lingerie.  The two of them talking in subdued whispers, smiling
and casting glances in my direction.  It took awhile but they reached some
sort of decision and approached me with several sets of lacy underwear
between them.

   "Which of these do you like the best?" asked Alison, spreading the
various sets out across her hands.

   "Not sure," I responded, "Why don't you go and try them on and come out
and show me." I waited for the explosion but it didn't come, Alison just
grinned at me.

   "Excuse me Sir," the assistant called for my attention, "If the young
lady tries on the knickers," her hand waved in Alisons general direction,
"she needs to keep her own on under them, hygiene reasons you understand?"

   "I take it I'll have to buy them if she doesn't?" I asked.

   "Yes Sir," she exclaimed, as though that should be obvious, even to a
mere man.

   "OK, not a problem." I turned to Alison, "Start with that black set," I
pointed at her left hand, "and then work your way through to the lightest
colour." I paused before adding, "Don't bother wearing your own knickers,
I'll pay for the lot."

   She nodded her understanding then turned and headed for the changing
cubicle but stopped when I called out, "Don't forget to come out and show
me." I heard the assistant gasp next to me as Alison again nodded her
understanding.

   "Sir, I'm not sure if that is allowed." Blustered the assistant.

   I looked the woman over.  She was a little younger than my initial
impression had lead me to believe, it was just her wardrobe and the glasses
that made her seem older.  "I'll tell you what, as long as we're the only
customers in the shop she can come out and show me." I paused, "If anyone
else turns up I'll let her hide in your changing rooms until they've gone.
How's that?"

   "I don't know..." She hesitated, I could see she was interested in the
idea.

   "Come on, admit it.  You'd like to see your customers parading around in
some of the kit you sell as much as us men would.  Well this is your
chance." I watched as she swallowed, "And you can always say that you told
us it wasn't allowed, which you have, and that we just ignored you.  Can't
you?"

   I smiled as a similar smile broke out on her face, "Yes Sir, I can,
can't I." She then got a curious look on her face, "How did you know I'd be
interested?"

   "I didn't," I said looking at her name badge for the first time, "It was
just a lucky guess, Sonia."

   We stood and looked at each other, the pause getting just a little
embarrassing but our isolation was broken when the changing room curtain
was pulled back and Alison slid through the gap, looking around nervously.

   I'm sure I've mentioned this before but Alison had washed up well and
now, despite her nervousness, or maybe because of it, she was looking
incredibly sexy.  I managed to keep my jaw clamped shut and beckoned her
further into the shop.

   She was wearing the black underwear, a wonderbra, which created a
cleavage that hadn't been there before and a pair of high sided knickers
that covered all the important bits.  I twirled a finger and watched in
fascination as she responded.  Her body had no fat on it at all, living
rough had taken care of that.  What was surprising, to me anyway, was how
much muscle definition she had.

   I glanced across at Sonia and almost burst out laughing.  She was almost
drooling as she looked on, no attempt at subtlety at all.

   "So Sonia, what do you think?"

   Sonia physically shook as she came back to herself, her eyes, as big as
saucers, shifted over to me.  "God she's hot," she breathed.

   "Want to see more?"

   Sonia just nodded, yes.

   "Alison, get the bustier, then come back and show us how that looks."
After I'd said it I realised that I'd tried to be commanding, and Alison
hadn't objected.

   The next fifteen minutes where very entertaining as Alison shot in and
out of the changing room presenting a different view each time she
returned. First the black bustier, which was nice but not as impressive as
the wonderbra.

   Then came the pale blue wonderbra and thong panties, which present all
her charms in a very nice manner.  After that she appeared in a pale cream
bra and matching French knickers, which were nice without being
provocative.

   Last of all came the white selections, initially she came out in a full
bra and boy short knickers which, to me, seemed ideal for everyday wear.  I
sent her back to get the other white underwear and whilst she was in the
changing room winked at Sonia.

   As she returned, I indicated a spot midway between Sonia and myself. 
"Right, just there, now swap the bras." I said.

   She didn't bat an eyelid, just reached behind her and released the
catch. I guess she'd been expecting something like this and I hadn't
managed to surprise her, which is more than can be said for Sonia, whose
breathing had got so heavy I could hear her panting like a steam train from
where I was stood.

   Then chaos set in.  Alison shrieked and ran for the changing room. 
Sonia, looking around in panic, muttered "Christ!" and headed for the
counter.  I was slow to react, caught up in the moment.  As I got my brain
out of its lust filled slumber I spotted what the two women had obviously
seen already.  Two girls had come into the shop.

   Two things were immediately obvious to me.  The first was that the two
girls hadn't noticed anything, they were too engrossed in what they were
doing and were showing no signs that they knew we where there, let alone
that a half naked woman had been swaning around the shop.  The second thing
I noticed was that they were twins, pretty much identical from where I
stood.

   They where over by the Basques and were giggling to each other, each
blushing at whatever they were saying.  Sonia made her way over to them,
back into dignified shop assistant mode, with only a single glance towards
me.

   The pair didn't stay long after Sonia joined them.  Whether they were
planing something for the future or just in for a laugh I couldn't say. 
Sonia made her way back to me after a couple of minutes.

   "Have you finished?" She asked.

   "Nearly," I said before turning back towards the changing rooms. 
"Alison, they're gone now."

   Nothing happened, so I called out more sharply, "Alison!"

   Here head appeared around the curtain and scanned the room before the
rest of her body edged its way into view.  She'd taken the time to change
into the wonderbra and thong.  Gaining in confidence with every step she
took she was practically strutting by the time she reached me.

   "Excellent," I said, before turning to Sonia.  "We'll take the lot."
Turning back to Alison, "Alison, put on the blue set and get dressed whilst
I pay for everything."

   I waited for Alison to pass the various items, or the tags in the case
of the blue underwear, out and then joined Sonia at the sales point.  The
bill wasn't small but it was worth it just for the shopping experience.

   Alison, looking better each time I saw her, reappeared in the blue dress
and collected the various bags Sonia had prepared.

   I took her arm and guided her from the shop.

   ---oOo---

   A niggling little thought impinged on my consciousness as we went
looking for a booze shop to get her half bottle of vodka and a six pack, as
promised.  The way that Alison had reacted when those girls came into the
shop had been to extreme, even for someone caught half naked.

   I just had to ask, "Alison, what was the problem, back in the shop?"

   She stopped abruptly, here eyes wide.  Whatever the reason it seemed to
scare her.  She shook her head before turning towards me, "I was surprised,
that's all."

   Not even close, I thought, watching the way she was acting.  "I don't
think so.  D'you want to try that again?" I asked, doing my best to
reassure her, of what I didn't know.

   I kept watching and noticed the build up of tears in the corner of her
eyes.  Come on Alison, speak to me." I cajoled.

   Slowly at first her story started to spill out.  After the first couple
of sentences I decided this wasn't going to be anything quick and guided
her to a nearby cafe.

   It appears that she had married her sweetheart as soon as he finished
college, encouraging him in his career to the exclusion of all else.  After
a year of marriage she'd fell pregnant and nine months later had given
birth to a pair of beautiful girls.  The twins, Lesley and Phillipa, had
been her pride and joy and she'd devoted herself to them.  Almost
exclusively.

   That, she told me was where she'd made her first mistake, in that she
effectively cut her husband off.  All she wanted from him was support,
money in other words, to look after her daughters.  This went on for a
couple of years after the twins were born and, though she never caught him,
she was sure that he was having an affair.

   When the twins were three they'd started to attend the local nursery and
that meant that her obsession with them started to fade.  When she'd
started to want more from her husband she found that it wasn't there, he
just wasn't interested in her any more.  He didn't do anything wrong, as
far as she could see, he just wasn't responsive to her needs.

   The more she pushed the more distant he became, working late, starting
to attend those weekend functions that his company put on, events he'd
ignored until now.

   In the end she'd become shrill, berating him a lot of the time.  Which
of course forced them further apart.  By the time the twins had started
school their parents were all but ignoring each other.

   Then Alison began an affair, an affair filled with passion and if the
truth is known lies and vengeance.  For six months it was kept hidden, then
over an explosive weekend it all came to light.  The other woman found out
and came hunting for her husband.  The police were called, as was Alisons
husband and the bitter, sordid, truth came out for all to see.

   The twins went to stay with her husbands parents whilst the divorce, a
bitterly contested, no win, type of thing, went through.  At the end of it,
Alison was homeless and broke, her husband had custody of the children, her
lover wanted nothing more to do with her, or his wife, as it happened and
she found that the few friends she thought she had, weren't.

   It didn't take long from then to get to where I'd found her.

   Her one great, overriding fear was that the twins, who were now eight,
would see her.

   She'd seen them, by sneaking around, to catch a glimpse of them on
occasions at home or at school but, as far as she was aware, they hadn't
seen, or at least recognised the tramp as their mother.

   She had no idea what her former husband and his parents had told the
girls about their mother but she was sure that it couldn't be good and she
didn't want to know, the thought was just to painful for her to face.

   I'd nodded as required and listened attentively all through her, well
confession for want of a better word, and was feeling sorry for her.  I
took her home and kept her in the house for the evening, just being close
in case she needed me.

   She kissed me on the cheek when she left for the shed, probably the
first time we'd been anything close to intimate in the whole time we'd
known one another.

   ---oOo---

   Things were a bit strained for the next couple of days as Alison had
sunk into a bit of a funk.  Remorse at telling me her life's story combined
with polishing off a bottle of vodka and a crate of beer in next to no
time.

   Yes, that's right, I'd gone overboard after her sob story and bought her
a full bottle of vodka and a slab of cans.  So you could say it's all my
own fault.

   As time passed we slowly got back into our old ways, but with a much
better wardrobe to choose from.  One thing I did note was that Alison was
becoming cheap.  No, that's not quiet right.  What she was asking for, each
time she performed for me, was less.  In simple terms she seemed to be
cutting back on the booze, not stopping, just reducing the intake.

   As we'd been at this for a few weeks now I'd started to pay more
attention to my investments.  That is a bit of property and a small
portfolio I had.  Because of this I found I was away a couple of times,
leaving Alison on her own.  I never even considered the risk I was taking,
leaving her there with my house open and available.  I suppose if I'd
noticed anything going missing or getting damaged I'd have done something
about it, but I didn't notice anything so it really isn't an issue.

   One Friday Alison joined me for breakfast and after we had finished she
broached an issue I hadn't considered.

   "Tom."

   "Yes?"

   "I know you've been good to me and all that but I'm, well, bored."

   "Bored?"

   "Yes, I need something to do, before I do something stupid."

   "What sort of thing?"

   "I don't know, something to keep me occupied during the day."

   "You want to go out to work?"

   "I suppose that would be one option, but who would employ a drunk of no
fixed abode.  Can't you think of something to keep me occupied?"

   Now that caused a flood of ideas, none of them really practical but I
must have got a far away look as Alison called out, "No, not like that. 
Men, I don't know, ask them a practical question and they just have dirty
thoughts."

   Me, dirty, practical.  Now that was a thought.

   "You want something practical to do?"

   "Yes."

   "Any objections to getting dirty?" I asked.

   She shook her head.

   "So, how do you fancy being my house keeper?" I asked.  "Cleaning this
place," I said, waving my arm around for emphasis, "and generally taking
care of me."

   She looked around, giving herself time to think.

   "What's the catch?" She asked.

   The silly ideas department kicked in again, "Well, I figure you'd have
to wear a uniform."

   Her eyebrows went up at that, she clearly had a thought on what sort of
uniform that would be.  "And?" she queried.

   "I suppose you might have to meet other people, workmen, visitors, that
sort of thing.  Would that present any sort of problem?"

   "I don't suppose so," she replied, though she didn't sound convinced.

   "I'll tell you what," I said, "We'll go and get you a uniform and you
can try it for a week or so.  If you don't have any problems we'll come to
some sort of formal arrangement.  If you don't like it you can try
something else.  What do you say?"

   Alison didn't say anything, just slowly nodded her head.

   "Come on then," I said as I jumped up, "lets go look on the computer and
see if we can find you a uniform."

   What followed was actually pretty entertaining as Alison would look at
the screen, gasp and shake her head in denial.  Most of the uniforms were
purely fantasy things, suitable for fancy dress parties or private
entertainment between a husband and wife.

   I'd have loved to put Alison in something like that but it just wasn't
going to happen, apart from anything else it just wasn't practical.

   In the end we settled on a pair of slacks and a polo shirt, both in
black and a tabard over the top for protection.  If she was to work when I
had friends over she would swap the trousers for a skirt, of medium length,
unfortunately.  The tabard would be replaced by a simple white apron.  Not
exactly the French maid of my dreams but a very sensible get up that would
allow her to carry out the job.

   I arranged to collect several sets of this uniform over the weekend and
from Monday Alison would be my house keeper, which was saving me money as I
was able to stop the service I had been using.  Only time would tell if
this was going to be a good thing.

   ---oOo---

   After due consideration, and four weeks of practical experience, I can
say that having Alison as my house keeper has been a great success.  The
place always looks clean no matter when, whereas before it was great twice
a week and steadily got worse until the next visit of the cleaner.  My
meals have improved both in punctuality and in variety, Alison has proved
to be a pretty fair chef.

   It was because of this that I decided to have a dinner, I couldn't call
it a dinner party as I only planned on having a couple of associates around
for a meal, and they were both single.  I discussed the idea with Alison
and she laid out a menu that ran to five courses and impressed the hell out
of me.  I asked if she wanted someone in to serve and she said she'd prefer
to have a little help in the kitchen and she'd serve which was fair enough.

   On the day of the dinner I stayed well out of the way, the occasional
glimpses I got were enough to tell me that any male intervention in the
kitchen could prove fatal, to the male.  The only input I had was in the
late afternoon when I managed to catch Alison as she dashed from store room
to kitchen and told here she had to wear stockings tonight.  She was that
frazzled that she just nodded in agreement and disappeared into the
kitchen.

   I greeted my guests at seven and led them through to the library for
drinks.  Harry was my solicitor and an old friend from school who'd gone on
to bigger and better things.  Richard was an accountant and whilst he was
as straight laced as the breed was supposed to be at work he had a wicked
sense of humour.  The three of us, Tom, Dick and Harry, of course, had been
off on more than one entertaining weekend together.  In fact, since I'd
bumped into Alison I'd been neglecting the pair of them a little, so the
dinner was somewhat in the way of an apology.

   Alison stuck her head through the door, "Dinner's ready, Sir." She said
before disappearing from view.

   Richard raised an eyebrow in query.

   "Housekeeper." I responded, before leading the way to the dinning room.

   I'll admit it looked good, the curtains where drawn and a five branch
candelabra was positioned in the centre of the table, casting a warming
glow over proceedings.  The place settings were just right, as were the
napkins and silverware.

   As we took our seats Alison appeared carrying three plates, which she
professionally placed before us.  The first course was described as
artichoke mushroom cannelloni lasagne which is a bit of a mouthful.  What
was placed before us was a delicate tube of pasta filled with a fragrant
mix of mushrooms, garlic and artichoke, all sat in a creamy garlic sauce
and topped with a chiffonade of arugula leaves.

   As Alison retired I took note of how she was dressed, something I
planned to change as the evening wore on.

   The pasta was superb, there was no other way to describe it.  The
Chardonnay we had with it complemented the taste exquisitely.  When Alison
came to clear away the dishes I whispered in her ear, and despite the
glance she shot towards my guests, she nodded her acceptance.

   Five minutes later the second course was served.  Alison entered
carrying a tray, which she placed on the sideboard, before decanting bowls
of poached garlic soup before us.  I was watching Richard and Harry,
looking for some sort of reaction.  Richard looked puzzled for a moment,
whilst looking at Alison but shook it off.  He didn't realise it, but he'd
just noticed that Alison had changed the polo shirt she wore under her
apron for a white blouse.

   The soup was of course in keeping with the first course.  I'm not sure
how much effort Alison and her kitchen helper had put into it but, however
much it was, it was worth it.  When Alison came to collect the soup bowls I
couldn't wait for the rest of the meal.  Before she left she looked over at
me and asked, simply, "Again Sir?"

   I was confused, just for a moment, then inspiration.  Did she mean what
I thought she meant?  "Oh yes, please, Alison." I exclaimed, hoping I was
right.

   There was a short delay before the next course was served, which didn't
harm the Bruschetta style salad, though it did play on my nerves.

   As Alison entered the room I spotted immediately that she'd changed her
skirt.  The medium length black skirt she'd been wearing was replaced by a
much shorter, though still acceptable, one in the same colour.  Richard
noticed as soon as I did and raised an eyebrow in query, one of his
favourite mannerisms.  I just smiled in response.  Harry seemed to be
oblivious to anything except the food, and you could hardly blame him for
that.

   After finishing the salad there was one thing of which there was no
doubt, we would all be sweating garlic fumes tomorrow, but I'm sure we
could all live with that.  Alison cleared away the salad plates in
preparation for the main course, a main course that had got me practically
slobbering from the time she'd mentioned it.  Lamb with Port wine sauce
served with asiago and sage scalloped potatoes.  Now lamb has always been a
favourite of mine and having it for this dinner was an excellent idea.

   I watched as Alison began to serve, wondering if anything else had
changed.  Then I caught a subtle movement under the bib part of her apron
and nearly gasped out loud.  The little minx had removed her bra.  Richard
was also watching and he actually gasped then spun towards me.  I just
shrugged and left it at that, but as soon as he turned back towards Alison
I was grinning from ear to ear.

   Working our way through the lamb course was joyful, as was the verbal
fencing that Richard and I were engaged in.

   "So how long has she been your housekeeper?" He asked

   "Oh just about a month now, things were getting a little untidy and
she's been a Godsend." I replied.

   "Does she have any other talents?" He asked looking for an opening.

   "Well, as you can see she's an excellent cook, but I can't say that I'm
aware of any other talents."

   Harry then dived in, as blunt as usual.  "Have you slept with her?" He
asked around a mouthful of lamb.

   Richard looked pained and I did my best to look shocked before
spluttering, "No, of course not!" Whether the two of them believed me was a
moot point.  Harry had killed that line of questioning stone dead.

   Fortunately for the atmosphere we'd just about finished and Alison
appeared promptly to remove our plates whilst basking in the compliments
all three of us showered upon her.

   When she appeared carry three Chocolate Creme Brulee desserts they were
nearly topped by hard cherries.  She's removed her apron and her nipples,
hard for whatever reason, were clearly visible through her blouse.  Richard
and I both smiled happily at the display, Harry however, nearly choked on
the last of the Cabernet Sauvignon we'd been drinking with the wine.  Even
Alison blushed slightly as he struggled to recover his composure.

   The Creme Brulee was a wonderful, light finish to what had been a
spectacular meal, made all the more so by the way Alison had presented it.
When she served the after dinner coffee there was no visible sign that
anything had changed but, just before she left the room, she whispered in
my ear that she'd removed her knickers as well.  Blushing, I watched as she
jiggled and wiggled across the room, her succulent body followed by three
pairs of, admittedly, lustful eyes.

   When the evening drew to a close I escorted my two guests to the front
door, accompanied by my now scantily clad housekeeper.  We bid each other
goodnight and both Richard and Harry heaped their praises on Alison for an
excellent meal, Richard even went so far as to kiss her hand, which started
her giggling.

   As the two drove off I whispered to Alison, "Take the blouse off." Which
she did remarkably quickly, whether Richard or Harry saw I've no idea, but
I did and couldn't resist pulling her into my arms and kissing her on the
forehead.  "Thank you," I said softly, "That was the best meal I've ever
had."

   And that was no lie.

   ---oOo---

   Looking back on things it seems that after that dinner we became much
more of a couple.  We'd go out and she'd either be dressed as a respectable
woman and would act and be treated as such or she'd be dressed up like a
tart, all up front and dirty.  When she was dressed like that she expected
to be treated as such and to be honest I enjoyed both styles.

   The first time we made love, that's right love, not sex, was after we'd
been out for a meal.  Alison in a long, deep blue dress, the perfect escort
to a successful businessman.  We'd dined and whilst I'd wined she'd been on
the mineral water.  On the drive home she'd been snuggled up to me and
after I'd parked up we just melted into each others arms.  Clothes had been
discarded and we'd somehow ended up on the back seat, which is silly when
you consider that the house was only ten yards away.

   We made slow passionate love on the cream leather of the back seat and
it was special, for me at least.  When we finished Alison picked up her
dress and knickers and kissed me on the cheek before she slipped out of the
car.  She walked back to her shed in just her stockings and high heels, a
sight I could have watched for hours.

   After that first time we made love, and had sex, on numerous occasions.
She would often wake me up by crawling into bed with me, cold from walking
across the garden in the nude.  My only disappointment was that she
wouldn't move in with me, preferring to stay in the shed, which she treated
as her home.

   After three months I booked us a holiday, just two weeks in Spain but it
caused a few problems as Alison didn't have a passport but once we'd sorted
those out it was all systems go.

   To save driving and all the other palaver that went with parking at
airports in these terrorist ridden times I decided we'd get the train and
underground to the airport, after all we weren't taking much in the way of
luggage.

   Alison, following my requests was dressed in a slinky black skirt that,
if she'd been wearing stockings, would have shown their tops and a mesh top
that revealed everything.  She'd got a white leather bomber jacket over it
but it was to small to actually fasten.  Her high heels just emphasised how
short the skirt really was.  On the train she'd been giggling like a
schoolgirl as a man would look and smile and his partner, be it wife or
girlfriend, would clobber him for looking, then give her an evil look.

   We were still giggling when we transferred to the underground and where
waiting on the platform for our train.  Our luggage, in sensible cases with
wheels stood next to us.

   Alison went ghostly white, her mouth flopped open and her bottom lip
quivered.

   She clasped the jacket around herself and shook, with what looked like
terror.

   "Ali, what's up?" I asked, but she didn't respond.

   A whistling sound filled the platform and Alison turned and ran.  I
tried to grab her but she was gone.  She made four strides in those heels
before she toppled over sideways.  She crossed the white line that marked
the edge of the platform as a silver shape went past me.

   She didn't make a sound.

   I stood there, surrounded by people screaming in shock and looked back
down the platform and saw a tall woman guiding a pair of blond girls away
from the scene.

   Blond twins...

   ---oOo---

   The End