Several weeks later, it did. When I received the notice, I stared at it. I'd been married, and the marriage had ended without anyone knowing it had taken place. Finally I buried the legal document in a drawer and covered it up. I would have to forget Red, and my marriage to him.
I had visions of finding a completely different kind of job, perhaps working for a dress designer or something. However, after a few days of job. hunting, I was quickly yanked back down to earth. Because my only work experience was making out bills of lading at a warehouse, and because I was obviously too young-even if I lied about my age-to have had extensive work experience, I had to rely on what I already knew how to do to get another job. So I wound up working in another warehouse with exactly the same kind of job, and once again it was in an all-male situation.
And then one day things improved. Late one afternoon I was working like mad, trying to catch up with a lot of work that had accumulated when a number of deliveries had been made at once. It was always like this just before the weekend. My boss, a sixty-year-old gray-haired man named Mr. Fields, came over to my desk and asked me how I was doing.
'Well, I'm doing the best I can, Mr. Fields,' I answered, 'but I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish all of this by five o'clock. There's an awful lot of work here.'
'I know,' he said understandingly. 'I'll bet you could use some help.'
'I sure could,' I said, 'but until I get some, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to work or I'll never finish.'
'I'll tell you what,' he said. 'You've really worked hard for us, and I think we're going to reward you by getting yaw some help. How would you like an assistant?'
'I'd love it,' I said looking up in surprise from the stack of papers on my desk.
'Good,' he smiled, 'we'll start looking for a girl next Monday.'
When I went home that evening I felt better than I had in some time.
The girl they eventually hired was named Katrina Farrow. She was older than I was by about ten years, somewhere in her late twenties. She was thin, tall, wiry, and dark, with short black hair. She was attractive in a kind of no-nonsense way and seemed to exude efficiency.
We seemed to hit it off right away. She quickly revealed to me that she had quit her last job because she hadn't gotten along with her supervisor, a man, and took this one because they told her she would be working with a woman. It turned out that Katrina lived alone, too. 'I was married once,' she confided in me. 'I've had it with that whole scene. I don't need men.'
'How can you be so sure?' I said.
'Listen, when you get to be my age you'll realize that all men are out for themselves and they only use women.
Based on my experiences so far I certainly had to agree with that, but I had faith that she was wrong in the long run. Still, it was stimulating to talk with someone the way I talked to her, and I enjoyed our friendship which soon blossomed. After we had worked together for a couple of weeks Katrina invited me to spend the weekend with her in the mountains, and I quickly agreed. 'I have an uncle who has a cabin in the mountains,' she explained. 'It's only about fifty miles from here, beautiful country, and I'm sure you'll love it.'
The drive up to her uncle's cabin was peaceful and refreshing as we left the smoggy city and started the ascent through the clear air up into the mountains. It seemed like forever since I'd escaped from the rat race of the city. On the way we stopped at a tiny country store and bought some food for our weekend-steaks, wine, fresh fruit, cheese. It was quite a contrast to the TV dinners, hamburgers, and Kentucky Fried Chicken I'd been used to living on.
After we got to the cabin and had eaten, we sat beside the roaring fire in the fireplace, and I had never been more content. I was relaxing when Katrina asked, 'Would you like a smoke?'
'Thank you,' I said, 'but you know I don't smoke, Katrina.'
'Not that, kind,' she said. 'I mean I've got some great grass and I thought maybe you'd like to try some.'
I'd never tried marijuana, and ordinarily would have been shocked by her offer. However, I felt so loose and relaxed that I was definitely in an anything-goes type of mood. 'Why not?' I responded.
'Groovy,' she said as she took a foil pouch and some cigarette papers out of her purse. She quickly came up with an expertly made cigarette. 'I'll go first,' she said, lighting it. She took a large drag and inhaled deeply, holding the smoke inside her as long as she could. 'See how it's done?' she said after she finally released the smoke, filling the room with a sweet scent.
I nodded my head. When she reached over and handed me the cigarette, I took it without hesitation and inhaled, holding the smoke in my lungs as I had seen her do.
We continued to pass the joint back and forth, and when it was just a butt and I was having trouble holding it, I started to put it out in the ashtray. 'No, don't do that,' said Katrina. 'The roach is the best part. Let me have it.'
I shrugged and handed it over to her.
She had taken what looked like a pair of tweezers out of her purse and used them to hold what she called the roach as she dragged deeply on it. 'This stuff is expensive,' she said, 'can't waste it.'
'Gee,' I said, 'I feel thirsty. I think I'll go out to the kitchen and get a drink of water.' As I got to my feet and started to walk across the room I lost my balance and stumbled forward. I felt giddy. When I stumbled again, Katrina laughed.
'Why are you laughing?' I asked.
'Because you're stoned.'
'Is that what it's like,' I said, 'not being able to walk straight?'
'Just relax and enjoy it,' she said. 'That's what it's all about. If you're thirsty let me pour some more wine for you. Grass makes you thirsty and there's nothing better to quench it than a little vino.'
As I plopped back down into my chair I was acutely aware of sinking into the cushion, almost as though I were in a slow-motion movie and watching myself.
'Oh, what a feeling,' I had to admit, 'what a feeling.' I lay back in my chair and closed my eyes and watched a rainbow of colon swirl before me. As I relaxed with my eyes closed, I could hear Katrina say, 'Whew, it's hot in here. That fire's getting to be more than I bargained for. Don't you think it's hot in here?'
'Yes, now that you mention it,' I said, 'it is. Should we open a window?'
'No,' she said, 'it's too cold outside for that.'
'What should we do?'
'I'll tell you what let's do. If we took off our clothes,' she suggested, 'it would be just right. Not too cold and not too hot.'
In my stoned condition that seemed like a good idea and I quickly agreed to it. We both stood up and shucked off our outer clothing. I stood there in my bra and panties thinking that Katrina was right, that it was more comfortable with less clothes on.
Then I noticed that Katrina had stripped all the way and was completely naked. She had a trim, athletic- looking body with small firm tits and a triangle of pitch-black cunt hair beneath her flat, firm stomach.
'Come on,' she said, 'why don't you take them all off, there's nothing to be afraid of.'
'Okay,' I agreed, not being able to think of any reason why I shouldn't. I unhooked my bra and let it fall to the floor, and stepped out of my panties. I felt free and loose.
'Come on, let's sit down on the rug in front of the fire,' she beckoned.
We sat in front of the fire, side by side. The heat swooped up between my legs and sent a funny sensation through my body. I looked over at Katrina and saw that she was staring at me. 'Is something wrong?' I asked.
'Nothing, nothing at all,' she said quietly. 'In fact, everything's just perfect.' Then she moved toward me on her knees and embraced me, kissing me on the lips, our tits squeezing together, the nipples touching and rubbing each other. As her tongue flicked inside of my mouth, I suddenly felt a wet warm rush between my legs and pressed back against Katrina. I could feel Katrina's hand now stroking one of my tilt It felt so good the only thing I could think of to do was return the favor and begin fondling her tits.
Finally the kiss ended and Katrina whispered into my ear, 'Lie back on the rug.' As with everything else during the evening, I saw no reason not to and flopped onto my back.
'Now,' whispered Katrina, 'I'm going to show you why men are unnecessary. I'm going to teach you a way for a woman to drown another woman in joy. Spread your thighs.'
