Diva Dismayed: Chapter 19 – In the swim

When I awoke it was late evening. I could see that the sky was dark outside. I sat up on the bed to see my hostess across the room. She had a jacket on and was about to exit by the apartment door.

“You’re awake, sleepy. Sorry I disturbed you. How do you feel now?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Well, stay right there. I’m just about to put the car in the basement garage. I’ll be back directly, then we can get to know each other better.” The commanding tone plainly expected no refusal and I recognised that if I was not to become subservient to her every whim I would have to make a stand.

“No! Sorry, but no. Thanks for everything but I really have got to go.” My decisiveness surprised me, but my head had cleared and I could think again. “Would you drive me home, please? It isn’t very far.”

She came and sat on the bed beside me. She rested her hand gently on my thigh and began to stroke it.

“Well, sure I can. But your clothes are still wet. I figured you would stay the night. We’d iron your dress in the morning and I’d give you a ride to work.”

The hand caressed my thigh more insistently.

“You’re so kind, but if I can borrow this robe that will suffice for me to get home. I’ll call back for my dress in a day or so and return it then.”

She sighed resignedly. Thankfully it appeared I might carry my point.

“As long as it’s sooner than later. You realise you’re condemning me to a lonely night, don’t you? I think we’re good together. Another time we’ll make a date of it.” Her hand squeezed my thigh unnervingly close to my crotch. “Let me tell you, I can be a lot more persuasive than that Della ever could be!”

I didn’t doubt it!

Her assumption that my neighbour and I were an item was of course erroneous and laughably so, but I was far from seeing the funny side of things just then. I hid my mirth and stood up to disengage myself. In resignation Pete gave a rueful smile and sighed again. It was a relief to have shaken off the spell of this dominant woman. An even more profound one was that she seemed to regard me as female. Though I couldn’t be absolutely sure, I surmised that she couldn’t have noticed anything, after all.

It was just after 10pm when I got out of her car with my bundle of damp clothing and waved my benefactress goodbye. I resolved that when I went back to return my borrowed apparel I would take my best friend with me. That is, if she was willing to come. I couldn’t feel sure about Rachel right then. What had gone wrong?

As I walked towards the door of the building, I could see a group of three nurses in the lobby. They had entered before me and were on the point of getting in the elevator. When the last one glanced my way I was so thankful that it was the person I’d just been thinking about. Rachel must have recognised me in the same instant because she waved the elevator away and waited for me to come in the door.

“Jennifer!” she cried. “What are you doing our so late?” and then in a shocked tone, “and what on earth are you wearing?”

My friend stood back to eye my bare legs in consternation. “I hope you have got something on under that bathrobe!”

Thinking how skimpily I was clad under it I blushed to the roots of my hair.

My friend evidently perceived my guilty appearance. “What have you been up to? No, wait! Tell me in a moment.”

Rachel took my hand and urgently led me up the stairs to my room. Once we were safely inside she sat opposite me and encompassed her curiosity and concern with a single syllable. “Well?”

The next ten minutes were taken up with my description of my experiences earlier that evening. My friend listened to my rather breathless account with obvious dismay. After I had described where I’d fallen asleep on the woman’s bed she could contain her feelings no longer.

“How could this Petro… whatever she calls herself, take advantage of you like that?” she cried. “She knows how young you are. And don’t you ever learn? How could you let yourself be taken in so easily?”

I was gratified that she was displaying such a lively anxiety for my wellbeing but felt a little piqued by the injustice of her surmise. “I only let her think she was in charge. That was because I was worried she might have suspected something about… you know.”

Trying hard not to sound smug I went on to explain that I’d extricated myself from my compromising predicament.

At the end of my tale I had the pleasure of seeing Rachel look cautiously impressed.
“Okay. I have to allow that you did all right. I guess,” she admitted reluctantly “that you may have escaped without being discovered. Don’t count on it though. But I’ll tell you one thing for sure.”

She had my full attention.

“When you return that bathrobe to her, you are not to go on your own. I’m coming with you!”

Those words were music to me ears. Her resolution was what I’d been hoping for and now I wouldn’t even have to ask her! My delight was short-lived however.

“You know Jennifer, if you’re going to wear flashy red panties as small as those, you might want to pull your robe across. You can’t miss them from over here!”

I swiftly rectified my lapse of modesty but the remark signalled the end of our conversation.

With a yawn and a curt “I’m going to bed, and it’s time you were too” my friend left me underlining the coolness that had developed between us. I decided there and then that I really would have to say something to put things right.

The following evening I plucked up courage. “Rachel! There’s something bothering me that I’ve been trying to tell you all week.”

“Have you?”

“It’s about Harvey.”

“Oh, really.”

My friend was busying herself at the other end of the room and didn’t stop what she was doing. She didn’t seem to want to get involved in my concerns or at least in this one. It was plain that I needed to do something to get her undivided attention. I put down what I was doing and walked across to her. Taking both her hands, I looked her full in the face and waited.

“Okay!” She was smiling brightly but her eyes looked suspiciously moist. “I’m all ears!”

“After what you’d said, I decided I wouldn’t see him again… at least in that way.”

I had the impression that she was trying her best not to look pleased. My heart skipped a beat. That meant… I needed to finish imparting my confidence however.

“I’m not ready to tell him that I’m really a boy underneath for one thing. Every time I imagine doing so… the outcome is all wrong. It isn’t that important but we’ll just have to be friends, that’s all.”

I wanted to add “He doesn’t mean the same to me as you do.” but I was strangely tongue-tied and the words wouldn’t come out.

After this revelation I was hoping that she might be more like herself. Her manner remained reserved, however. “In my view, you’ve made a wise decision.”

I wasn’t getting very much help from her.

“There’s more. The other day he asked me to go with him to a party. It’s on Sunday, a pool party at a cousin’s house, no less.”

“Oh well. I guess it was bound to happen, sooner or later. And how did you respond?”

“Well I fully intended to refuse, but he looked sort of appealing when he asked me, so… and this is the stupid part. I just said, yes. How dumb was that? Now unless I go, I’ll have to say I’ve changed my mind. But that will be so awkward. Oh, Rachel! What am I to do?”

My friend seemed to be trying to hide a smile.

“Please!”

In the end she gave up the attempt and her shoulders shook with laughter. “Jennifer, you’re not safe! I really don’t think you ought to be allowed out without a governess, or perhaps a nanny. Oh, Jennifer!”

I looked pleadingly at my confidante until she relented and contained her mirth. “Don’t be so anxious, dearest.”

That was nice! My idol hadn’t called me that before. I tried not to show I’d noticed.

“All is not lost” she exclaimed gaily. “You shall go to the ball, Cinders, and keep Prince Charming’s friendship to boot.”

I giggled in spite of myself. “But how?”

“Simple. All you have to say is that on reflection you won’t be happy to go unless I come along as well. Just imagine how a young girl would feel, going on her own to a party at a stranger’s pool and not knowing anybody. She would have to have much more aplomb than you could be expected to show. As it happens I’m available that day. I’ll go with you and play gooseberry, and Harvey… will have to lump it. He’ll be getting two gorgeous companions for the price of one so he shouldn’t mind too much. Anyway he wouldn’t dare say so if he does.” Rachel looked triumphant. “I believe I scare him, you know!”

She had solved my problem pretty neatly and seemed so childishly pleased with herself that I couldn’t resist giving her a squeeze. She responded in kind and it sort of lingered. For a moment I thought we might kiss. We didn’t, but nevertheless I felt a surge of contentment. Perhaps whatever had come between us had been dealt with

My friend’s turn of mind was evidently more practical than mine, however, as her next remark revealed. “Now our real problems start. We have to decide what to wear, and for a pool party that will be doubly demanding!” I knew what she meant. There would be two clothing choices that each of us would have to make, one for wearing in the pool and the other for out of it.

“And, isn’t there something that you should be busy with? You had better go and see to it!”

Rachel was right. There was a pressing matter that required my attention. Studying! My course started the following week and I had a pile of reading I’d set myself to do to get me off to a flying start. I hadn’t got very far up to now and I knew I really had to make amends. On the plus side the discipline itself was no chore. I could relate what I was reading to my experiences in the salon so it all made sense. There was such a lot of it to digest, however. I had to keep reminding myself “one spoonful at a time!”

The next evening we set about making preparations for the party. That afternoon I’d found an opportunity to tell Harvey that I wanted Rachel to come as well. To my relief he seemed perfectly happy to include her. One subject for curiosity dominated my thoughts.

“Rachel. What’s a pool party like?”

“Well, there will be food and drink and music like every other party, but around a pool.”

“Is that all?”

“Let me finish. Though not everyone will want to go in the water, most will, especially the younger ones. We used to have pool parties all the time back home, so I expect they’ll have organised some games too. It ought to be fun!”

“Games?”

“Yes, games. Like water volley ball or chase the balloons. We used to play some good ones at our parties. My favourite was one called invisible bottles. So funny!” Rachel’s eyes were filled with mischief as she reminisced. I’d never seen her look more captivating. Spellbound, I sat and watched her chatter happily.

“Now to business” began my companion. “I’ve a new swimsuit I bought from a catalogue and I’m just dying to wear it. Wait till you see it!”

My own options for the pool were limited… to zero. I had no bathing costume among my clothing at all. Once again my provider came to the rescue without hesitation.

“For your suit you’ll need something that is quite concealing down below. I believe you usually secure your tuck with surgical tape, right?” She dealt with the embarrassing subject in a completely matter of fact way. “Well clearly that isn’t going to stay in place when you’re in the water. Fortunately I have just the costume for you. It’s ruched and stretchy and the bottom part has almost a skirt to it. So it ought to keep everything in place and well-hidden.”

Seeing my look of anxiety she put in quickly, “Don’t worry. It’s really pretty. You’ll look absolutely stunning.”

That wasn’t what I was concerned about, but I let it pass. “No it sounds wonderful. I’m grateful, honestly. What would I do without you?”

She smiled archly as I took the proffered garment from her. “What indeed?”

“I’d be completely lost.” I was on my way to the bedroom and said it so quietly that I wasn’t sure whether she’d heard, but I hoped she had.

Once alone, I was able to allay my fears. I wanted to be sure that the stretchiness and coverage of the fabric would suffice for my ‘needs’ so removed the aforementioned tapes and tried it on. I soon saw that I needn’t have worried. A critical glance in the mirror revealed that everything was concealed just fine and would stay that way. More worryingly, the image was much more eye-catching than I was aiming for. My intention was definitely not to look irresistible. I’d be happy just to look nice.

When I returned and posed rather self-consciously before Rachel, she gave a cry of approval.

That confirmed my surmise: I looked hot. Too hot! For reassurance I had to remind myself that, after all, I would be in company with my glamorous friend and I had no doubts that, whatever she wore, she would sizzle!

Sure enough when Rachel tried on her swimming costume for me the sight was heart-stopping. The garment was cut to reveal plenty and the overall effect was sensational.

“Wow!” was all I could say.

“Do you like it?”

“Like it? You will stop traffic in that!”

She still looked unsure so I tried to provide a more thoughtful critique.

“You have the most wonderful figure and this costume really shows it off. Also those colours really suit your hair and complexion. You look amazing!”

My friend didn’t share my degree of confidence. “You don’t think it’s too revealing?”

I had to admit that the neckline was a little low. “Well your boobs will definitely get some second looks but that’s only to be expected. In any case, they’re out of this world!”

“I didn’t mean that. I happy with my bust. I think it’s one of my good points so I don’t mind showing it off a little.”

A little!

“Well then?” I perched on the bed while she rotated in front of me.

“It’s the lack of coverage down below. It’s really skimpy. I seem to be all butt and thighs.”

I shook my head. “You’re so shapely, Rachel. You look stunning!”

“What about down here?”

I’d been trying not to pay attention to the area between the top of her legs though it was directly in front of my eyes. The high-cut suit barely concealed her crotch and I mean barely! It was difficult to keep from staring.

“I even had to shave before I could dare to try it on. It’s too much, isn’t it?”

Actually it was too little! A solution sprang immediately to my mind, however. “When you are in the water there won’t be a problem. When you’re not you could wear a scarf or something similar around your hips. Then you will be able to relax. Have you anything that would match?”

She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before her face lit up. “That might work. I’ll get a piece of chiffon and tie it around me as a cover-up. Clever of you to think of it! That’s one thing settled. Now we’ve only to decide what to wear to make our entrance!”

Determining those choices would have to keep for the following day, however. It was nearly time for bed. Besides I was in no mood for making wardrobe decisions after spending the last hour in intimate company with my idol and having been required to pay particular and minute attention to her glorious body. My own body seemed to be tingling all over. I looked up to see Rachel regarding me thoughtfully. Our glances locked as our eyes met. We seemed to have the same thing on our minds…

It was not to be however.

“I have some ironing to do before bed, and for you… study!” So spoke the voice of doom! I had no choice but do as she said.