Bethany In My Life (Part 3)

Fatefull Decisions

After the leave-taking, and the kissing! We went up to our apartment and cleaned up, and got ready for bed, the spirit gum was still holding, so I just left them and pulled the nightie over my head, it seemed to fit better like that. Ashley had gotten two bowls of Ice cream while I was in the bathroom, and led us to the bed, where we sat cross-legged facing each other and started to eat.

“Mmmm… chocolate,” moaned Ashley, “There is nothing better after sex!”

“Yeah!” I agreed.

Things got pretty quiet so I looked up at Ashley and saw her looking wide-eyed at me and hastened to add, “Well, maybe it didn’t exactly qualify as sex, but it was awful sexy!” and grinned at her.

She started to grin back, and then got a little more serious, “So just how far did it go?” she asked me intently.

“Um, maybe a little too far, I mean, I almost got caught!” and got scared just saying it.

She could see the fear on my face, and ordered. “Tell me!”

I looked down and just mushed the ice cream in my bowl for a minute before answering, “Well, when he’s kissing me, or maybe when he’s holding me, or um, maybe when he’s looking at me with those big brown eyes…” I trailed off for a moment, then snapped myself back to what I was saying, “Well, I just, sort of, um, lose track, you know?” I looked up, and she nodded. “Well anyway, that sort of happened, and um, well, uh, his fingers kinda brushed me um, uh, down there you know?” I appealed to her, and her eyes got wider, but she nodded again, so I said, “well, that jolted me out of it, and I jumped out of his lap like I was on fire, which upset him, but I told him it was just me, and I think everything was ok after that. I mean” I said earnestly, “He didn’t try to uh, touch me down there after that, so I think it was ok?” I looked at her questioningly.

Ashley just looked at me contemplatively for a few minutes obviously thinking. She didn’t seem mad, but I was starting to worry when she sighed and said, “I think we’re playing with fire here.” Then she started tapping her teeth. I looked down and noticed the ice cream that was left in our bowls was all melted, so I took them and went to the kitchen sink, when I got done I went back to the bedroom and sat across from her again.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.

“You know I do Ashley, I’ll do whatever you say.”

She leaned over and hugged me, “Can you stand to never see Steve again?” She whispered in my ear. Blackness enveloped me as tears began to flow down my cheeks onto Ashley’s shoulder, my stomach seemed to drop, and not stop dropping.

“If you say I have to Ashley.” I sobbed.

She hugged me tighter and said, “There is only one way you can afford to keep seeing him.”

I pulled away and looked at her sniffling, and said “How?”

“You’ve gotta tell him the truth!”

“Oh no! I couldn’t, I, he, it, uh, HE’D HATE ME!” I moaned loudly in my fear and misery.

“Maybe so, but I’d stand by you.”

“Yeah, I love you Ashley, but I don’t know if I can stand his hating me!”

“How much worse will it be if he finds out later?” she asked reasonably, I could only look at her miserably, “AND, how much better will it be if he accepts you as you are?”

This gave me pause, and while it made sense, I doubted it would work out that way, so still miserable I heard her ask, “Do you like him enough to fight for him, take a chance for him? That’s what you’ve gotta ask yourself. If the answer is yes, then you gotta tell him.”

“Ok” tears started flowing, “I will, but it’s so HARD” I told her, and she gathered me in her arms and we lay back, I guess I cried myself to sleep after that.

A New Identity

“Hey there sleepy-head, time to get up.” Ashley said into the top of my head, and I lifted my face from her breasts and looked into her eyes.

“Do we have too?” I asked plaintitively.

“We do if you want to get ready and still cook breakfast for Helen before church.” She replied.

“Oh yeah, I guess we better then.” I said disentangling myself from her and sitting up.

“You go ahead and take the first shower hon,” said Ashley, “You’re the one cooking.”

I got up and went into the shower and removed my breast-forms, got in the shower and started soaping up.

Later when I came out of the shower she said, “Good girl, I like that you learn fast.” Waving at my towels to indicate what she meant.

I went over to her and gave her a big hug and said into her neck, “Thank you Ashley, I love you.”

“I love you too dear” she cooed into my ear, “now get crackin’ daylight’s awastin’.”

I got my makeup done by the time she came out from her shower so she helped me get dressed. Once the breast forms were attached she said, “You’ll need to use the bustier, to get this dress on, the bodice is a little snug without it.

Once dressed, I clacked across the floor in the heels that she said went with the dress and noticed the sensations that all the petticoats that filled the skirt out so much gave my legs, by the time I had on the apron and was getting out ingredients to cook with I had a smile on my lips and in my heart. ‘What a wonderfull way to spend a morning’ I thought getting out the pans.

Breakfast was almost done when a knock came at the door, and Ashley went to answer it.

“Good morning girls!” said Helen as Ashley let her in, “I heard you moving around up here, my, you look radiant this morning Bethany!”

“Doesn’t she!” exclaimed Ashley, “I wish necking with a boy would do that for me the next morning.”

My face heated up and I said, “Thank you Helen” then stuck my tounge out at Ashley whose smile didn’t seem dented in the least by my upset.

“Oh, leave her alone Ashley.” She told her, then to me she asked, “Steve?”

I turned back to the stove and got redder and just nodded.

“Well, seems nice, and very good looking,” she said, “and don’t you think he has a sexy voice too?”

I felt like I could die, but what I did do was nod again. “Go ahead and sit down you two,” I said, “and I’ll bring it over, I started coffee, and there is orange juice and milk, what would you like?”

“Oh, I’ll have some orange juice,” said Helen.

“Me too!” said Ashley.

I walked back and forth to the table setting up plates and silverware and getting drinks, and when the food was served I sat down with them and we started to eat. “Mmmm, this is good Bethany!” said Helen, “Is that green peppers and mushrooms?”

I nodded my head and said. “Yeah, and celantro and tomatillos.”

Ashley was making appreciative noises and smiled at me, I got the impression she liked it too. I just smiled as I ate, and felt the good vibes in the room fill me as much as the food.

After breakfast I started cleaning up and doing the dishes and pots in the sink while Helen and Ashley watched me and talked. “Well,” said Helen, “I think you are pretty lucky to have Bethany stay with you Ashley, she’s a treasure!”

“I think so too Helen, she’s like the sister I never had.” Replied Ashley.

“She’s so feminine, you could probably take some pointers from her on how a young woman should behave!” remarked Helen.

I almost dropped a dish, then Ashley said, “You know,” in a kind of wondering voice, “I think you may be right.” Then I did drop it.

“Oops! Oh, it’s alright, I didn’t even chip it” I said turning to Ashley and showing her the plate, and they were both looking at me with smiles on their faces.

As I turned back to the sink Helen said, “All that blushing must drive Steve wild.”

And Ashley said, “Oh, it does! It truly does!”

I looked over and said sternly, “Stop it you two! I’m trying to get the dishes done!” And turned back to the sink.

“It’s ok dear, we have plenty of time.” Helen said as they giggled, “So are you gonna see Steve again?”

I thought about what I was gonna have to tell him when next I saw him, and just nodded miserably. “Whats the matter dear? Problems already?”

“You have no Idea!” I stated, can we please talk about something else, please!” I begged.

So they discussed other things while I finished up and then went into the bathroom to fix my makeup, when I returned we all went downstairs and Helen led us out the back to a garage in the rear of the house I didn’t even know was there, and we all climbed into the car and left for church.

The Integral Fellowship Church was a very laid back and unusual place, but I found myself charmed by the people and atmosphere, a decided that spending Sunday mornings here would be good for the soul, after services we found ourselves out on the street in front of the car. “Well ready girls?” Helen asked.

“Um, actually Helen,” Ashley said, “We are gonna head someplace else nearby, so we’ll catch you later, thanks for the ride though.”

Helen smiled and said, “Ok dears, you do look nice, and it’s a beautiful day for a change, I’ll see you both later.” Then she surprised me with a little hug and a kiss on the cheek, did the same for Ashley, got in her car, waved and drove off.

“Wow, she is a sweetheart!” I declared as I watched her go.

“Yep! Cmon!” said Ashley as she grabbed my hand and headed off.

We headed east on Fulton Street and I asked. “Where now?”

“My friend that does the ID’s lives by the University, we’re headed over there now, it’s not far.” She replied.

“Oh, ok.” I said absently as we walked along, the sensations of fresh air on my ankles, the skirt swishing my legs, and the sun on my arms and shoulders was combining to lift my spirits to ever greater heights. Actually, I felt wonderful.

“Here we are!” Ashley said waking me out of my reverie, she led me up a little path to a small little house right near the University grounds and knocked on the door.

The door opened and a guy with curly black hair tied back in a bandana headband, with a paisly print shirt and blue jeans popped out and said, “Ashley! How are you man! Is this the girl you told me about? Wow! What a knockout! What you been up too? I got everything ready! Hey! How about this weather huh? Pretty cool, I mean it’s warm, but it’s really like, cool huh! You seen Bobby lately? Anyway come on in! Everythings ready!” He headed back into the house still jabbering away at us as I gave Ashley a questioning look.

She just shrugged and said, “He lives near the University so he can always get acid and whites, so he’s kinda screwed up, c’mon, he really does good work though.

We followed him into a tiny room in back that had an enormous desk with a small printing press, magnifying light, and some other arcane pieces of machinery perched on it. Against the opposite wall were a projector screen and a Peter Max poster. “So anyway, like I said, everything is ready, all I need is her signature and photo, and I can finish up and laminate, if she’ll just stand in front of the screen I’ll take her picture, “ as he continued to talk he picked up a polaroid camera.

After about thirty minutes we came out with an amazing trove of items, a social security card, which he said would work fine for me, I couldn’t figure how he managed that, a birth certificate, a drivers license, and a credit card with a five hundred dollar limit on it. “So what’s with the master card, you can’t forge that!” I asked.

“No, he used the other info to apply for it at my bank yesterday, I had the money transferred to cover it, it’s a secured card, so if you don’t make a payment they’ll take it out of the five hundred and your limit will go down.” Ashley replied.

“When did you do all that? And how did you do it so fast?” I wondered

“Oh, I did it by phone while you were in the shower,” said Ashley, “I’m not rich, but the bank considers me a valuable depositor.

We walked along for a minute, then she leaned over and whispered, “And of course, it doesn’t hurt that my dad OWNS the bank either!”

I almost tripped on my heels and looked at her wide-eyed and she just kept walking ahead with a smile on her lips.

We turned onto Ashbury Street and headed south until we got to the Panhandle, the part of the Golden Gate park that sticks out into the Haight-Ashbury district and took a footpath along it for a while, just appreciating the day.

“Here we are!” said Ashley

“Hm, where?” I asked.

“Well, it is a public place where you can talk privately, you’re dressed perfectly for it, and there is Steve sitting on the grass reading a book right there.” Ashley pointed, “He comes every Sunday and there is no time like the present to take care of a nasty problem and put it behind you. I’ll be waiting right here.”

I think I said something like, “Ulp”

The Moment Of Truth

I found myself walking towards Steve where he was sitting on the grass, and I felt as if I was pulling a large load behind me, with another large weight on top of me. I knew I had to do this for Ashley, and I suppose Steve too, maybe even for myself, but I felt like I could feel myself just draining away the closer I got to him.

Finally, about ten feet from him I stopped and hesitantly said, “Steve?”

He turned, his eyes got wide, and he jumped up and said. “Bethany, jeeze, you’re beautiful! Hey! It’s good to see you!” looking over my shoulder he noticed Ashley and waved at her, then looked at me and said, “What’s up?”

I just sort of collapsed until I was sitting on the grass, my skirts tried to float up over my head and I had to smooth them down to get them under control. “Um, I have to tell you something Steve.” I said in a tiny voice with a little catch in it.

He came over and sat next to me and said, “Ok, what’s wrong Bethany, is it about last night?”

“Um, no, well, indirectly I suppose, but it did make me realize that I was gonna hurt you if I didn’t tell you the truth about me.” I hesitated trying to figure out how to continue.

“Don’t tell me you are wanted by the FBI?” He said with a grin.

“No, it’s worse than that, I’m not what you think I am, I never wanted to hurt you!” tears started down my cheeks.

“Oh hey! It can’t be that bad!” he said as he started to hug me.

“No!” I stopped him, “you’ve gotta hear me out, then you’ll probably want to leave, and be happy you didn’t hug me!”

“Oh what could be that bad-“ he started.

The tension, and the pain was too much, and I just blurted out to end this, “I’m not really a girl, not underneath, underneath all this, I have a boys body.” There I said it, now I could die.

I sat there waiting for him to yell at me, or get up and walk away when he asked, “You’re not kidding are you?”

I just nodded miserably.

“Who knows about this?” he asked

“Ju- just Ashley” I got out.

He was quiet for quite a while, and I knew he was staring, probably glaring at me, there was no way I was gonna risk looking at him and check so I just sat there and let my stomach eat me from the inside out.

“Ashley!” he called, and I thought he might be mad at her too.

“Hello Steve” Ashley said as she came up, “Did she tell you?”

“Yeah, she did, she said you were the only other one that knew, is that true?” He asked her.

“Absolutely!” Ashley said.

“I’d like your promises that you’ll never tell anyone else while I’m going out with Bethany! Understood?” he said.

Ashley said, “Sure Steve, I swear it!”

“Bethany?” he inquired

What he asked made me realize what he’d said, and now I could look up at his big brown eyes, “Yes Steve, I swear.” I tremored out.

“Well then, come here,” he said. “God help me, but you are the most attractive girl I’ve ever met, and while I can’t imagine how this is gonna work out, I can’t let you go!”

I fell into his arms and looked at Ashley, who had this big, really big smile on her face just before I buried my face in Steve’s chest and let the tension out in tears.

“There, there, Bethany, don’t cry, we’ll work it out somehow” he rumbled to me as he held me tight.

After a while, my tears ran down and I pulled back and looked up at him, and said, “I think I’m starting to love you Steve.”

He looked down at me and said, “I think I’m beginning to love you too Bethany”

“I think you need to spend some time together to work all this out” said Ashley, I looked over at her where she had sat on the grass near us, and she smiled at me and said, “I think my little sister has had enough upset for one day, why don’t you come by and pick her up about six on Monday evening, and you guys can talk more then over dinner or something?”

“Yeah, ok, that sounds good.” Said Steve, then he turned to me and said, “Until tommorrow” and took me in his arms and kissed all the feeling in my limbs away. Then he got up, waved and walked away.

After he was gone Ashley looked at me, and said, “Well, that went well, feel better now?”

I cried in her arms for a while after that.

Domesticity

“Hello girls” Helen called out as we entered, the two sliding doors were back, and as we entered the parlour, the early afternoon sun was streaming in through the front bay windows, little crystals that I hadn’t noticed last time were hung by strings in front of them and catching the sunlight, sending little rainbows all over the room. Helen was sitting in the same chair as before with her legs pulled under her. We came and sat together on the divan and continued to hold hands. “You look like this nice day is seeping in and touching you Bethany.” She remarked.

I realized that I did have a rather uncontrolable smile on my face, so I just smiled some more and said without thinking, “Steve is going to see me tommorrow night!” and smiled a little wider. Ashley let go of my hand after giving it a little squeeze, and I just wrapped mine around myself happily.

“So you saw him this morning?” Helen asked.

I just nodded bursting with it, a gnawing goodness consuming my stomach, chest, arms, legs, and even my scalp, all of me screaming with it. “He’s gonna see me again” I said dreamily, almost to myself.

Helen glanced at Ashley, and raised an eyebrow, and Ashley smiled at her and said, “They just worked out a potential relationship killing problem, don’t ask what, and now I think Steve’s understanding has her a little emotional right now.” And shrugged still smiling.

“Steve seemed like a good man,” said Helen, “I’m very happy for you dear”

“It’s going to be forever till tommorrow night!” I declared plaintitively. Which of course I suppose, drew giggles from both of them.

“The way you are feeling right now, I’d say you’re better off having a little time away from him, or you might just let yourself get carried away with him,” Helen pontificated.

“Oh, he can carry me away anytime now!” I said, then thinking I might have upset Helen, I looked at her hastily and said. “Helen, I, well, I’m sorry, I just think I’m starting to fall in love with him.” That made me think of when I said the same thing to Steve in the park, and then what he had said back, and all my feelings exploded multiplying ten fold, “And he said he thought he was beginning to love me toooo!” I crooned.

Helen never lost her smile, and now it just got bigger and she said, “Well, I’m very happy for you dear, I think Steve must be the luckiest man on earth today, you have enough goodwill radiating from you to keep him safe today I’m sure.” And winked at me.

After a few minutes in which we all basked in my glow Helen said, “Well, I can’t sit here and read all day,” indicating a paper-back book on a small table next to her, “Sunday is cleanup day around here, and I have to get started I suppose,” she sighed.

“Oh Helen, you’ve been so kind to me, I’d be happy to clean for you!” I said happily.

“Personally, I’d rather go see Bobby,” said Ashley, “I HATE cleaning!” she stated emphatically, “So, if you’re going to keep Beth out of trouble here, I think I will change and go see him!” She said to Helen.

“You don’t have to help dear” Helen remarked to me, “You already made breakfast for me this morning, you don’t owe me anything.”

“Oh, but I want too! I don’t have anything else to do anyway, and besides,” I said with inspiration, “Ashley asked you to keep me out of trouble didn’t she?”

Helen warmly chuckled at me and said to Ashley, “Well, I guess you better go change, I think we’ll be fine here, I’ll look after her.”

“Great!” declared Ashley giving Helen a big smile as she jumped up and left in a flash.

“So what do you need done?” I asked.

“Would you like to change first?” Helen inquired.

“Um, well, this,” I said indicating my dress, “kinda seems real lucky for me, and I’d hate to change that, so if you have an apron?” I asked, and she nodded, so I went on, “So I can just get started, what all do you need done?”

“I can’t fight that kind of enthusiasm, the apron is in the tall cupboard in the kitchen, and first I suppose, will be the dusting, the dust rags and stuff are under the kitchen sink.”

“Great! Don’t even think of getting up, you read your book, and I’ll do everything, I’m sure you deserve a day off!” I called over my shoulder as I scampered off towards the kitchen.

“Would you like some more tea?” I asked as I checked in again on Helen, “the bathrooms are done, and I can take a moment to get you some before I begin vacuming the floors”

“Bathrooms?” she inquired.

“Well as long as I’m cleaning, I figured I’d do our rooms too.” I said, “Tea?”

“God! You are a treasure!” Helen said smiling at me “Ok, some more tea would be nice!”

“Ok” I said later, “the floors are waxed, is that everything?”

Helen looked up at me, then looked at her watch, then asked, “You’re done?”

“I think so, can you check and see if I missed anything?” I asked hesitantly.

Helen got up with a quizzical look on her face and started leading me through the house upstairs and down, and finally ending up back in the parlour where she sat back down and looked up at me with a blank expression.

‘Oh Oh!’ I thought, she doesn’t like something, “Um, if I did anything wrong, I’m sure I can redo it!” I said.

“No, no” Helen said starting to smile at me, “It’s perfect! You’ve done a better job than I do! It’s just that it usually takes me almost twice as long to do a poorer job, I’m amazed, and gratefull!” she finished beaming at me.

I beamed back at her and said, “Thanks, um, no problem”.

At which she laughed and asked. “Would you like to help me make dinner? And of course share it with me, we could talk some more.”

“That sounds great! I’d love too!” I enthused.

Later sitting at the kitchen table talking about what she was thinking of planting in the little garden she had in the backyard and smelling the good smells of the roast cooking, Ashley came in with Bobby in tow, “Hi! She said, “We were just coming by to see if Bethany wanted to grab something to eat, hey! What smells so good!”

Helen laughed, and said, “Roast beef, we were going to eat soon, and there is plenty, would you two like to join us?”

They both nodded, and Ashley looked inquiringly at Bobby, then he said, “That sounds great! We’d love to, thanks!”

“Ok, you girls set the table, you know where everything is Ashley, and I’ll start getting things ready to serve. Bobby, sit down and tell me how your band is doing dear” she finished.

We all started moving around getting busy as Bobby started telling Helen about some gig that they had coming up.

“That was fantastic!” Bobby declared putting his napkin on his plate and leaning back from the table, “My compliments to the cooks!” he said beaming at Helen and I.

“I’ll have to agree!” declared Ashley, sharing his sentiments.

“It’s been nice having dinner with all you young people, I don’t get to do things like this enough, it is really enjoyable!” said Helen.

“Well then,” I said, “If you really mean it, I’d be honored to do this every Sunday Helen.”

“Us too!” Bobby said after glancing at Ashley, “It was great, and good vibes too!”

Helen laughed, and said, “Sounds good, lets!”

I think we all surprised her with our enthusiasm because we gave a little cheer then, and I saw her eyes get a little watery.

Later, Ashley and Bobby were saying their goodbyes on the stoop, and I was in the parlour with Helen.

“Well, goodnight Helen, Thank you for a wonderfull day.” I told her.

She came over to me and gave me a tight hug and said in my ear, “You’re coming to live here is maybe the best thing that has happened to me in years, thank you so much Bethany.”

We hugged each other tighter as my heart sang to me, and as we finally separated, both our eyes were wet. “Goodnight Helen”

“Goodnight Bethany, sleep tight” she replied sweetly to me.

Later I had cleaned up and changed into a nightie when Ashley came in and asked, “Was Helen crying?”

“Uh, yeah I think so, but it was a good crying, she was just happy, she’d had a good time today I think.”

Ashley stood and looked at me a minute, then said, “Y’know, you seem to have that effect on everyone that meets you.”

“Oh come on! That’s never been true my whole life before.” I stated with certainty.

“You were never a girl before” she said, “It suits you.” And walked off to the bathroom.

I just stared at the closed bathroom door and tried, unsuccessfully to think about what she had just said.

“Goodnight Beth” Ashely whispered into my head.

Goodnight Ashley,” I whispered into her breasts as I hugged her a little tighter.

As I started to drift off I think I heard her say, “I love you girl”

Apprehension

“Good morning sunshine” Ashley said into my hair.

“Mmmm,” I said disentangling and stretching, “Good morning Ashley”

“What do you say about putting on one of those summer dresses you’ve got, and we walk down to the Panhandle and get some morning sun?” She asked.

“Okay” I said sitting up. “but you get the shower first, I feel like I’ve been hogging it lately”

“Alright,” she said with a smile in her voice, “We’ll stop by a little bakery off Haight Street that has wonderfull crullers we can have for breakfast”

“Sounds wonderfull!” I stated as we got up and started our morning.

“Helen must have been worn out by her evening” Ashley said as we clattered down stairs and the parlour was empty. “C’mon!” she continued, taking my hand and heading out the door.

As we walked along enjoying the cool air on our arms and legs the sun started to peep over the buildings and felt good on our shoulders. We meandered along several cross streets heading northwest, looking in some shops and enjoying a companionable quiet, when Ashley said, “Here we are!”

As we went in the little shop on Castro Street, I looked up and saw a sign painted on the transom window that said ‘Hot Grains’. Inside was a pocket-sized bakery that seemed to have just enough room for the two of us to stand in with a ‘U’ shaped glass-case counter wrapped around the room, inside the cases was pure baked heaven. “God, it all looks wonderful!” I said truly with wonder.

“Yeah, it is all good,” said Ashley, “but their crullers are to die for!” Then she proceeded to buy us each a cruller, and with each of us clutching one in the little white papers they gave us to hold them, we headed down to Haight and started west towards the Panhandle enjoying the morning, the smell of the sea air, and the taste of the crullers.

When we got to the Panhandle we wandered about a bit, then found a nice spot where the grass was thick and sat down, after a minute of basking in the morning sun Ashley said, “That area over there in front of the trees where the grass looks like it’s struggling to survive, is where they have open-air concerts sometimes,” she pointed, “Bobby’s band is playing there Friday evening, you want to come?”

“Sure, sounds like fun!” I said, then we sat for a while when something occurred to me, “Oh no!” I turned to Ashley, “What if Steve chickens out tonight and doesn’t come?” I cried.

Ashley looked over at me and said, “Don’t even think it, I don’t think Steve would do that!”

“Not if I was a regular girl, I know, but this may be different,” I said with worry, then I saw a speculative look come into her eyes and my voice started to crack, “You think he might too!” I accused.

“No, not really, I mean, Steve is a gentleman, he has always acted as one, with everyone, guys and girls. She stopped for a minute, then sighed, “He won’t stand you up, but I suggested Monday evening so you two would have time to think, now that he has, there is no way to know what he has decided since yesterday.” She looked at me in sympathy, “You’ll just have to wait and see what he thinks tonight, I’m sorry Beth, but you know I’ll be there for you don’t you?”

I nodded miserably and said, “I know Ashley, it’s just that I thought it was over, and now I have to go through it all over again!”

“It’s not so bad, at least it’s in the open now, the hard part is over right?” she said reasonably

Not feeling reasonable, just miserable, I said, “B-but what if he doesn’t want me!”

I broke down and started sobbing and Ashley gathered me in her arms and said, “There, there, girl. It’s gonna be alright. There, there.” and held me while I cried for the loss I may come to have.

Later, Ashley took me to a restroom where I could fix my makeup, and we started walking again hand-in-hand. The late morning sun, the sound of our heels on the pavement, and the little gusts of air that tickled my legs under my skirt with each step started to lift my spirits. “Sorry-“ I started.

“Hush” Ashley said before I could get started, and we just walked for a while.

We walked east for a while and then turned north to Page Street and went east again. Ashley said, “I have to stop in here for a minute.”

I looked up and saw a sign that said ‘Kelly-Mouse Studios’, then looked at her questioningly.

“Bobby is having some posters commissioned for his concert Friday, and he asked me to pick up a sample while I was out today” she said, “C’mon” and led me into the studio.

Inside were posters on the walls, and under them, racks of posters you could flip though. There were posters for concerts, and wonderful posters you could hang on your wall, dreamy, surrealistic posters that elicited deep feelings with strange images. I looked around at the ones on the wall, and then started going through some of the racks as Ashley dealt with someone at the back of the studio. “Ready to go?” She asked as she saw the poster I was holding up and stopped. The poster had an androgenous but feminine figure that seemed to be floating among the clouds, and had a swath of cloth curling around, with one arm raised.

“My God!” she said, “That makes me think of you!” Then she grabbed it out of my hands and went back to the guy she had been talking to before.

After a while she came up with a satisfied smile on her lips and a couple of rolls under her arm and said.”Let’s go!” and we left.

Walking along we headed south again towards home, and Ashley smiled to herself in a very satisfied way the whole time.

When we came in the door Helen called out from the parlour, “Good morning girls!” so we went in.

“Good morning Helen, you seem chipper today” remarked Ashley as we seated ourselves on the divan.

“I am feeling chipper,” Said Helen, “It’s a beautifull day again today, what have you two been up to this morning?”

“Oh, we had a little breakfast, and walked in the park, then I had to pick up a poster for Bobby, you know, nothing special” Ashley returned.

“Bethany, you don’t seem quite yourself this morning dear, is something wrong?” Helen asked.

“It’s just pre-date jitters.” Answered Ashley for me.

“So what are you two up to this afternoon? I think I’ll go out and work on the garden myself, can’t let a day as nice as this pass without getting out a little.” She said.

“I don’t know,” said Ashley, “I need to get this poster over to Bobby sometime today.”

“Why don’t you take it over to him,” I said, “and I’ll help Helen in the garden, if it’s ok with you I mean?” I asked Helen.

“That sounds fine! I’d like that very much, and we can talk some more.” She said to me.

“Ok! It’s settled then, I’m gonna change quick and get out of here, you two have fun!” Ashley called to us already up and heading out of the parlour and up the stairs.

“She’s a good girl” Helen confided to me.

“The best!” I returned, “I love her so.”

Helen smiled at me for a moment, and I smiled back, then she said, “well, come on, we better change too if we’re going to get dirty.”

The afternoon went fast as we enjoyed each others company, and the garden, when Helen said, “It’s getting late, you better go get cleaned up if you’re going out tonight.”

“Okay,” I said as we stood up “Thanks!”

“Thank you Bethany” Helen responded and gave my cheek a kiss, “now go!” So I did.

Second Date

I was still in the shower when Ashley got home, she stuck her head in the bathroom door, and called out, “I’m back!” over the sound of the water.

When I came out, she was in the bedroom, and had spread out some clothes for me on the bed. “Well come on, let’s make you irresistable!” She ordered.

“Well, what do you think?” She said into my ear from behind me as we stood in the bathroom and looked at me in the mirror.

She had done my makeup tonight, and it was a little darker and heavier that it ever had been before, it somehow managed to make me look kind of sultry. I was wearing a dark green silk mini with bared shoulders and a collar that went up in little cloth buttons and hoops up to about mid neck. The skirt on it flared a bit but managed to be almost snug where the hem met my thighs, which had on slightly green tinted nylons. Black saddle backed spike heels, about four inches high finished the esemble. “Is that really me?” I breathed.

“No man, especially Steve, is gonna be able to resist you looking like this!” Ashley declared.

Looking in the mirror I thought she just might be right, “Is that really me?” I breathed again, thinking, ‘I’m glad my underwear matches tonight’ as a little smile crept over my lips.

“C’mon” she said to me, “He’ll be here soon, let’s go wait in the parlour with Helen”.

She handed me a little clutch bag that she had already filled for me and said, “I put a pocketbook with your ID and some money in it, and also Helen’s number, you call if you have any trouble, and I’ll be waiting right here for you, ok”

“You’re not going out tonight?” I asked.

“No, I’m gonna be right here in case you need me, alright?” She said.

I gave her a big hug and said, “Thanks sis’, I love you” into her ear.

She replied, “I love you too” into my ear, took my hand and led me down to the parlour.

“Oh, You look spectacular!” Helen exclaimed as we came in, “Steve is a very lucky man I think.”

I blushed as I sat down on the divan and said, “I hope I’ll be the lucky one tonight!”

They both erupted in gales of laughter, which made me realize how what I’d said probably sounded to them, and blushed harder.

Still chuckling Helen said, “I don’t think you will have any problem realizing that hope if you keep blushing like that, it’s almost as irresistable as that dress!” Which set them both off again.

We sat and made small talk while the butterflies in my stomach did their best to lift me right off the couch, when there came a knock at the front door. “That must be him” Helen said as Ashley got up and went to answer the door. I stood, and almost sat back down as all the blood rushed to my feet, and my stomach exploded into my throat.

“Steve’s here for you Bethany!” Ashley said, and there he was in the doorway of the parlour, looking at me with those big brown eyes.

“So, where are you two headed?” Helen inquired.

Steve pulled back from kissing me, ‘How did I get over here?’ I wondered, and he said, “Well, Bethany looks so gorgeous tonight, I thought I’d take her to the Top Of The Mark for dinner.

‘He just wants to take me to the swankest, most expensive restaurant in town’ I thought happily, as Helen and Ashley made appreciative noises, then, ‘Me! He wants me!’

Steve took my hand, we said our goodbyes, and he helped me into his car, went around, got in and looked over at me and said, “You look beautiful tonight Bethany” and started the car. I clutched myself happily and watched his profile as he drove.

When we arrived, he parked got out and came around and helped me out, I managed to keep his hand so I smiled as he led me into the Mark and to the elevators. As we rode the express elevator up to the resturant I turned my face and he leaned down and kissed me, between the elevator’s motion, and the motion inside of me from the kiss, I was dizzy when we stopped and the doors opened. We walked over and Steve said, “We had reservations for two, the name is Helms?”

“Yessir, right this way”

We were led to a small table by a window, the city was laid out below us, with the bay and it’s bridges extending away, and the eastbay lights sprinkling the hills in the distance. “Is this alright Bethany?”

“Oh, Its perfect” I sighed back to Steve, and wondered how I would ever eat anything with my stomach in my throat. I turned from the window and looked across the table and saw him looking at me with his big brown eyes.

“That was wonderful,” I said, “I’ve never had beef like that, it literally melts in your mouth, what was it called again?”

“Kobe beef” Steve replied smiling back.

“Well it was wonderful!” I looked around, and said, “I need to go to the ladies room and fix myself up, I’ll be right back ok?”

“Ok, I’ll take care of the bill, we can go when you get back” he smiled at me.

I smiled back and then left and went to the restroom I’d spotted, once inside I had to stop and stare for a minute, all of the marble, and wood was so beautiful, I could hardly believe it was a bathroom. Then I thought of Steve waiting and hurried over and started working on my makeup, ‘How does it get so messed up just from eating?’ I wondered.

“Ready to go?” Steve asked when I got back, so I nodded and he led me hand-in-hand back out and down to the car.

Once he had gotten us in and started the engine he leaned back and looked over at me. “Well, what do you feel like next?”

“Um, so, uh, where do you live?” I asked in a small voice, blushing furiously.

We pulled up in front of a large two story victorian house with gingerbread wainscotting and bay windows on all sides, as I looked at it I asked, “You have an apartment in there?”

“No, Uh, actually, it’s all sorta mine.” He said.

I looked at him with big eyes and said, “You mean no one else lives here?”

“Yeah,” he said, “I mean, I know it’s kinda’ big, but it’s a great old house.”

He led me up and unlocked the door and led us in, “Here we are” he said a little uncomfortably.

“So do I get the five-cent tour?” I asked him.

“Yeah! Sure!” he said and started leading me around the house showing me all the rooms until we ended upstairs in the hall.

“What’s that room?” I asked, knowing the answer since that was the only room he hadn’t showed me.

“Uh, that’s my bedroom” Steve said.

“Really?” I asked as I stepped over twisted the knob and went in.

I was surprised at how neat it was, the bed was even made, which I approved of, and it was big too! Which I approved of even more. I walked over, making sure to keep my back towards Steve, stood in front of the bed just as straight on my heels as I knew how, and slowly, very slowly, bent over at the waist ninety degrees, and patted the bed.

“Mmmm, comfy!” I said hoping the eyefull I was sure Steve was getting, was getting to him. Then I straightened slowly again, turned around, saw his eyes wide and him breathing through his mouth, and thought ‘hah!’

I sat back, rotated my legs up, laid back, and held my arms towards him and said gently, “Come here lover”

He came over, stood next to the bed, and I looked up into his big brown eyes.

I started to feel squeezed in an uncomfortable way, and realized that the dress was going to have to come off if we were going to go any farther, and while I had been lost in all the necking and petting, Steve was so hot by now I knew he would need more, so we’d need to go farther. With a sigh, I disentangled us and pushed him towards the middle of the bed. When he looked at me and seemed about to say something, I put my fingers to his lips and said, “Shhhh…”

Then keeping my eyes on his, I got out of the bed and looked at him as I began undoing the dozens of little buttons-and-eyes down the front of my dress. When they were all done down to my waist, I worked my arms out of the sleeves, slowly, then gave a tiny push on it at my hips, and it slithered to the floor around my feet. Keeping my eyes on his even though his eyes were no longer on mine, (little more smile) I left my hands on my hips where the bustier ended, and slowly, stepped out of my dress and walked around to the foot of the bed. Now, his eyes travelled up to mine, and I held them as I climbed up the bed between his legs and reached down to his belt.

“Ung!” I think was what came out of his mouth, and I just smiled some more and said, “Shhh…” again. Undoing his belt, I undid the button, carefully slid the zipper down, and then grasped his pants on either side at the hips. When I gave them a little tug down he helped by lifting his hips a little, and then again when I did the same for his boxer shorts. He was more than a little excited, and he caught a little on the waistband, but then popped out pointing right at my face. There it was, the object of my desire, and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to bend down a little farther and take it in my mouth. As I started to lick and suck on it I loved the little grunts, and groans I was making him emit. I listened to them and realized they could guide me, so I started to do what seemed to elicit the most heartfelt moans, which soon had me traveling up and down on his shaft as far as I could without choking, faster, and faster. Suddenly his hand grabbed the back of my head and shoved it down hard pushing him way back into my throat as he started to moan more loudly and constantly, my gag reflex was starting to make me want to retch, which I really didn’t want to do here, so as the bile started to come up, I naturally swallowed as hard as I could. I guess all those contracting muscles were too much for him because he made this keening sound and his shaft started pulsing, and I could feel myself swallowing more than my own bile. It had not stopped when his hands relaxed and I could pull back more comfortably. I didn’t want a mess all over the bed, so I just kept sucking on him until it stopped coming out, by then though, I was kinda enjoying it, so I just kept on ‘till he got soft.

Finally, I let him pop out of my mouth and looked up to see him laying with one hand tossed over his eyes still breathing harder than normal. “Mmm, did you like that lover?” I asked. He let his arm down and looked at me, and I smiled at him. He held out his arms to me, and I crawled up into them and let him hold me while I played with the hair on his chest, just enjoying his warmth and the smell of him.

“God!” He said, I thought he might say more, but when he didn’t I just smiled to myself and buried my face into his side under his arm and let him hold me for a while.

After a while, I glance over at the clock on the bedstand and said, “It’s getting late lover,” I got up and went around to where I’d left my dress on the floor, picked it up and stepped into it. “You’d better take me home if you don’t want to have Helen and Ashley sending the cops over here to see if you’ve murdered me or something.” I said with a smile as I did up the buttons-and-eyes again.

“I could watch you all night” he said looking at me from the bed.

I grinned at him and said’ “I love you too, but I gotta go fix my makeup, so get yourself together lover.” Then I picked up my purse from the nightstand and went to the bathroom to repair the damage enough not to be too obvious about what we had been doing.

When I came out he was ready to go, so I took his hand, and he led me out to the car.

When we pulled up at my place, before he could shut off the motor, I slid over and pulled him down for one of those toe-tingling kisses he was so good at giving me, then I said, “You do want to see me again, right?”

“Oh yeah!” he gasped, “I don’t ever want to let you go!”

My heart sang, and I said, “Well, I’m free tommorrow, how about you?”

“Yeah ok,” he said, “what time would you like me to pick you up?”

“You can pick me up anytime lover!” I said with a smile, “But how does, oh, five o’clock sound?”

“Ok” he agreed.

“Good, no expensive resturants this time, you’ve already impressed me, maybe tommorrow I’ll be able to impress you!” I said with a grin.

He gave me this little-boy-in-the-candy-shop look that made my heart jump, and I pulled him down for another toe-tingler, then slid over and jumped out of the car, leaned back in for a moment, and said, "Sleep well lover!” with a big grin, pulled out, closed the door, ran up the stoop, turned around, waved at him, and collected a wave from him, sighed, and went in.

Copyright BethanyDaWade

To Be Continued