'Yeah your boobs.'
'Holding up pretty good aren't they?'
Toni reached down through the fleecy wall of bubbles and let Lisa's tits fill her hand. She squeezed on the left one lightly and appraisingly. Lisa stopped stroking her leg with the washcloth and settled back into the warm water.
'Like them?' she asked looking at Toni's half open mouth, at the even white lines of her teeth.
'Always have, you know that. What's not to like? Lisa… '
'What is it?'
'Do you think that… ' she stopped, her hands manipulating the rising swell of the frosty nipple, her thoughts forming slowly, edging outwards. 'Do you think that we could ever get back together again? I mean like the old days-live together, share some kind of a life? Do you think something like that would work out or is it too late?'
'No, I don't think it's too late, but is that what you want?'
'It's a thought. In fact it's more than a thought. It's something I've been thinking a lot about in the last few days. We're good together in a lot of ways. This bachelor life is OK, it has its advantages but it's not really where it's at-not by a long shot.'
'Is this an official proposal I'm getting?'
'Just say tentative. Food for thought.'
'It's appetizing but what about our work? We've pretty well established ourselves-you here-me there. It would take a lot of rearranging, major change and I don't know if either one of us is ready to do it. We're not as foot loose and fancy free as the old days. We just can't pick up and say see you later,' like we used to.'
'I know.'
'We actually have responsibilities. I hate that word, but there it is hanging over us.'
'You're right, but what if all that could be worked out somehow. I mean if we really wanted to be together, be with one another all that would be secondary.'
'We'd have to give it a lot more thought.'
'Yeah, sure. Say why don't you finish dabbling with yourself and let's get a move on-I'm getting very hungry.' She got up from the edge of the tub and gave Lisa a pout that resembled a smile and walked out of the bathroom.
Chapter 4
They ate like they hadn't seen food in a week. The bustling, dock side restaurant was distinguished for its absence of soundproofing as well as its fish soup and sour dough bread. The roar of voices, the deafening clatter of silverware and plates and glasses made conversation just about impossible or at the least a painful effort. They had to shout at the waiter and point to the menu before he was aware of what they wanted to eat. He nodded his head when it finally sunk in, wrote the order down on his pad, turned it around for them to see and when they returned his nod then backed off through the crowded room.
In a way it was a relief. Both women were able to eat with a fierce concentration without having to interrupt the flow of food with conversation. They were also left with their thoughts, left to retrace questions in search of answers. They made a lot of faces at each and laughed across the cramped, tiny square of linen at the ferocity with which they attacked the meal, cheeks stuffed and eyes a bit glazed from the warming food and liquor. They didn't bother with the coffee and dessert as Toni said she knew a much better place for that kind of thing.
The Espresso was excellent, Lisa agreed at the sidewalk cafe in North Beach. It was a warm-night and the streets were jammed. There were people lined waiting for tables, people bumping into people, people looking at people and watching it all Toni said that it reminded her of New Orleans at Mardi Gras time.
'Hey!' she said snapping two fingers, 'I just thought of something!'
'Pray tell,' Lisa said without taking her eyes from the passing parade.
'You remember Stella Ross, the little redhead that worked the Sands with us that time, the one that was going with that pit boss?'
'Yeah.'
'Well she's dancing just around the corner from here! She's a big star in North Beach. Changed her name to Stella Artois after she got a silicone job done on her tits and now they're bigger than yours! I think the place she's at is called The Plumed Eagle or something like that.'
'Tits bigger than mine! Why Toni she's the same height as you, and even shorter as I remember. Gee she must really look a bit freaky.'
'Oh she does. I saw a picture of her in a magazine. Incredible! But never the less, she looks pretty good. It would be a lot of fun and a gas to see her after all this time. What do you say?'
'Let's go.'
The guy at the door looked at them a bit funny-two good looking women like that coming into a topless bar unescorted, but they didn't look like hookers. Toni gave him the spiel about being old friends of Stella's and after listening to it and looking them over a few more times he mumbled something and told them to follow him.
'Come in!' they heard a voice shriek when he rapped his big knuckles against the dressing room door that had the name STELLA emblazoned on it in red and gold glitter above a huge star.
Toni poked her head in as the guy started to tell her that there were some friends of hers to see her and Stella broke out into a high giggle followed by more shrieking and jumped up and down clapping her hands together. They squeezed themselves into the small, cluttered room and for a good five minutes it was old home week again as the three girls hugged and clasped each other and mouthed their salutations.
'How do you like them?' Stella said finally, standing- back and throwing her gigantic silicone breasts out and sucking her little tummy in. Toni and Lisa gagged as they
focused up them. If Venice was the eighth wonder of the world, then Stella Artois's newly acquired dimensions were certainly the ninth.
They billowed out from her chest a swelling mass of flesh; mammalian monstrosities that challenged the eyes to believe what they beheld. She turned on her backless scuffs slowly so they could get a good frontal and side view of her proudest possessions. They didn't jiggle or flap or do anything that resembled movement, they just jutted out into infinity.
'Wow,' Lisa moaned.
'Christ almighty Stella,' Toni gasped at them. 'Four and a half pounds in each one. Great huh?' That was one word for them.
'Don't you feel a bit top heavy though?' Toni asked unable to take her eyes off them.
'You get used to it,' she said cupping each breast in the palm of her hands. 'Can't sleep on my stomach anymore but no big deal. I got the best doctor in California to give me the shots. If you like I'll give you his phone number.'
'Uh no thanks Stella, I'm retired,' Toni said stepping back.
'I've got more than I can handle,' Lisa said, it sounded like an apology.
'Drives the slobs fucking crazy!' Stella said turning her back on them and looking into the mirror ringed with light bulbs. From behind they were plainly visible as they poked out sideways past her arms. She had a beautiful body to begin with-a lot like Toni's and Lisa was right, she was shorter by half a head. She made up for her lack of height with a spiraling, candy floss intricate beehive hairdo that tumbled down onto her solid little shoulders, lacquered and stiff from a heavy layer of hair spray.
Her ass looked unreal too. The cheeks of her butt were perfect half moons, hard muscled and jaunty. When she turned around Lisa noticed how much makeup she was wearing. It looked like a mask that would crack if she smiled too hard, but it didn't as she smiled and lit a cigarette.
'Making a lot of money?' Lisa asked.
'And how-wheww!' she said swinging two limp wrists up and down to emphasis the point. 'Hottest single act in town I am-did you see how packed it was out there? Like that every night. Rain or shine. Best move I ever made,' and she made like she was injecting her breasts with an invisible syringe. 'The stage door Johnnies are tripping over themselves to get at me! Why I need a big bruiser of a bodyguard to get me out
