told you, Al, I was just out walking. I happened to be going in that direction, so I stopped there for coffee.'
'You sure that… that girl you met, that… what's her name?'
Karen sat heavily on the bed. 'Patricia Collins.' The name sounded precious in her ears.
'Are you sure that Patricia Collins is a girl?' Allen's face was flushed.
'No!' Karen exploded angrily. Oh, if he only knew! 'Patricia's a man, of course!'
Allen couldn't take it as a joke. Suddenly it all seemed only too plausible. If there was a man… She was so cold to him. Allen seized the girl by her shoulders. 'Karen! Don't lie to me! The way you freeze up with me all the time. Have you been seeing a… a man on the side? I want the truth, do you hear me?'
She almost smiled. This was not the calm, unemotional man she knew. Karen found herself almost enjoying Al's anger. It was, at least, different. Then Karen felt an abrupt disgust congest her throat in sickening spasms. This whole ugly scene was degrading for both of them. How could he subject her to such accusations? 'Allen, stop it!' Karen shut her eyes, not wanting to see his face. It was now hateful and ugly to her. 'Just stop it! I went for a simple walk! I couldn't sleep! There is no other man!' She sighed and opened her eyes, controlling herself better now. But the feeling of repulsion she had toward her husband persisted. Karen wanted to sleep. She wanted to forget this whole, disastrous night. 'And Pat is a girl. You'll meet her. She might come over for coffee tomorrow. Eight.' Why did I say that? she thought, realizing that now she would have to go after Pat again. Was that why I mentioned her?
After Al, subdued and looking sick, went into the bathroom, Karen climbed into bed on her side and pulled the blanket up to her neck. She was too tired and disgusted to remove her robe and get into a gown. Her bra bit into her flesh, but she didn't have the strength to loosen it. She wanted to sleep for a week. But she had to get up tomorrow, had to find Pat and show Al. Karen's eyelids lowered dreamily, shielding her eyes from the graying light which began to fill the room.
Damn you Al… Dear Pat… you would never treat me like this… Sweet… sweet Pat… you would never… be mean…
Karen slept until one o'clock. By the time she had straightened up the house, done some necessary ironing for Allen, and gotten dressed, it was time to start dinner. Al had a tight schedule on Saturdays. He worked all afternoon and had just enough time to come home for dinner before returning to the store for the evening shift. Karen had wanted to find Pat and talk her into spending an evening with her – and meeting Al later on – but she knew it was not just to prove to her husband that Pat really was a girl, that she wanted to see Pat. The memory of her evening with the dark-haired girl was threatening to drive her out of her mind. She could not stop thinking of Pat. She tried to tell herself that what really drove her on this way was a morbid kind of curiosity – but she knew the truth… What she felt towards Pat was desire, flesh-trembling desire. Al had become a tower of boredom and neglect. Pat was a bird, with freedom and excitement promised on the tips of each lovely feather.
The nearly silent dinner lasted an eternity for Karen. Before going back to the store Allen asked his wife about the evening. 'Planning on doing anything special?' he asked.
'I… I don't know yet. My friend said she would call if she can make it.'
'Okay. I'll see you later.' Allen straightened his tie and watched her clear the table. He felt guilty about the things he had accused her of in the morning, but his irritation remained unabated. If there was no man – and now that he had calmed down he did believe Karen about that – then what was wrong with her? Al glanced at his watch. As usual, he simply didn't have the time even to worry, much less do anything about the problem. He had exactly twenty minutes to get back to work.
Karen tidied the kitchen as soon as Allen was gone, and got down to the beach front just as the sun was disappearing into the water. It was Saturday evening and Pat might be just conventional enough to want to go out on the one night of the week everyone else did.
She felt wonderful all of a sudden. Pat would be there and would be happy to come to the house for coffee. She would show Allen.
Through the tinted glass front of the restaurant Karen noticed Pat sitting at a table in the center of the floor, appearing to be the hub of activity, with the other people revolving about her like spokes twirling around their axis.
Oh, no! Karen stopped short just inside the door. Pat wasn't alone! Karen hadn't noticed the blond girl sitting next to Pat. All she had looked for and all she had seen was Pat. Now, with typical feminine curiosity, Karen studied the other girl Pat had her back to the door and the blonde was facing her, so Karen could get a good look at her face. She was extremely pretty, Karen admitted miserably to herself. Her long hair glinted with a silvery glow and framed a lush, sensual face. The conviction that the girl used an aid to lighten her hair didn't make Karen feel any better. The girl was lovely… and she was with Pat.
Karen felt ill from the paralyzing pain which seemed to grip her. Abruptly, she began to realize that she had assumed a great deal. It was only one evening… she hardly knew Pat. Pat might have said the same things to many girls… many times. Pat might have forgotten she even existed…
She couldn't! Karen stared at the narrow back which was again covered by the black sweat shirt. She trailed her eyes up past the intensely graceful nape of Pat's neck to the rich, dark, cropped hair. Every line of the girl's body was somehow familiar to Karen. Pat couldn't have forgotten her!
Karen knew she should leave, go home, forget this girl who, at best, only meant confusion and trouble. Back to what? An empty house, a husband who cares only about a few square inches of my body? And what is there for me here? she wondered. I'll leave, she decided, knowing that she wanted to stay.
Pat saved her from acting either way on her decision. The pale-eyed girl leaned back in her chair and twisted around, making a quick scan of the room. Karen held her breath. She would know so much from that first look. Her stomach was tied in knots. If Pat didn't recognize her immediately, if there was a brief look of puzzlement even, she would leave at once, forget this girl who was driving her out of her mind.
It was just like the first time. Their eyes met and everything else blurred for both girls. Karen lost herself in the ocean depths of Pat's unique eyes, thrilling to the realization that Pat had also felt the same instantaneous excitement from the contact. Both forgot the long-haired blonde.
Lorna had been an insatiable panter in Pat's arms the night before. When she had returned to the coffeehouse from the walk that led her to Karen's doorstep, Lorna was still there and eagerly accepted Pat's invitation to spend the night at her apartment.
'I've got to do it my way tonight,' Pat advised Lorna as soon as they reached the privacy of her living room. In her mind's eye she held the image of Karen, using a substitute blonde to act out her fantasy. 'And the first thing I want to do is feel those gorgeous tits.'
'Anything you say, sweets,' Lorna cooed as Pat began to open the buttons on her blouse. The dreamy, faraway look in Pat's eyes only suggested an inner bliss she had known herself – though usually with an innocent young girl.
With deft fingers. Pat eased the girl's bra from the full, pear-shaped mounds. Lorna's nipples fizzed out straight and hard. 'Such beautiful, delicious tits,' Pat sighed, her hands gliding feather-like over and around the milk-white globes of ivory-smooth flesh.
'Oh! Lick them, baby,' Lorna cried breathlessly.
'Shhh!' Pat scolded, then quickly added in a soft voice, 'Everything, my love. I won't disappoint you… you can be sure of that.'
Lorna's heart beat faster as the excitement of Pat's tantalizingly slow movements teased and toyed with her yielding flesh. She stood patiently in the center of the carpeted living room as Pat opened her slacks and eased them down to her knees, feeling the moisture seep out into the crotch of her sheer black panties when Pat's beautiful face approached within inches of the spot. Secretly, she hoped the fragrance emitted from her panting well of passion would spark Pat to tear off her panties and gobble up the oozing girl-flux. She knew she would, if their positions were reversed. But Pat simply straightened up again and looked deep into her eyes. Lorna felt her panties sliding down over her hips, with Pat bending before her as she slipped the garment to the floor.
'You're driving me nuts,' Lorna breathed in desperation, watching the corners of Pat's mouth curl into a knowing smile. 'Don't tease me, Pat! Eat me! Lick my cunt, baby! I need your tongue! Oh! I need it!'
But Pat paid no attention to Lorna's pleas. She only saw her innocent Karen stripped naked before her and told herself she mustn't rush the girl. It might frighten her. Then smiling into Lorna's pleading eyes, she once again fondled her large breasts, this time bringing the tip of her tongue to the quivering nipples, licking both before sucking the breast-meat into her mouth. At the same time she fed the tit into her mouth, her other hand slid over
