Why Did It Have to Be Me Pt. 03

Susan and Charlene have had their first encounter but Susan is unsure and is also still questioning her sexuality. However, she hasn't been put off by apparent failure to launch. Part Three bounces between Australia 2001 and London 2024. Author's note: Arvo is short for afternoon, a doona is a duvet.

Wandsworth London 12 November, 08:00

Susan touched an icon on her phone and it started ringing and her eyes shifted to the smaller screen showing Taylor waiting on the other end of the line for Sierra to pick up. Her girlfriend, Louise had gone to Aldi to get a few things for dinner. Taylor and Louise both worked from home as call centre operators for the same company. Sierra's face appeared on the screen a few moments later, she had a white wall behind her and was on a hotel bed. The screen froze and Susan thought the connection had dropped and then Sierra waved and smiled.

"Hiya mum, hiya sis, hiya other mum," she waved at Sarah, "what time is it over there?"

"Eight in the morning."

"Three in the arvo here, we've just come back from a battlefield tour at Cu Chi, the connection here can be a bit flaky at times but I think we're okay."

"Yeah, you froze for a few seconds," Susan replied, "but how was the tour?"

"How was it?"

"Eye opening and we shot machine guns, Mackie was the best shot," she glanced up as Mackenzie settled down beside her and waved at the camera.

"Hiya everybody."

"Mackie," Susan grinned, "nice to see you again."

"Why aren't you wearing a jumper and coat, it's freezing over there, I checked the weather, you can do that these days with an app," she ran a hand through her hair.

"I know, we can even have video conference calls and share pictures."

"Oh, I didn't know that," Mackenzie smiled, "what'll they think of next, satnav?"

"Who, knows? But the heating in the hotel is beautiful, Sierra was just saying you were firing guns today."

"I did, I shot a, what was the big one I shot?" Mackenzie looked at her.

"The AK47?"

"No, it had a bullet belt thingy."

"The M60," Sierra replied, "that one was so fucking loud and we were wearing ear protectors," she paused, "wasn't our biological father's father in Vietnam too?"

"Yeah," Susan replied, "I never met him but apparently so, I think he was flying choppers but Al's father and one of his brothers were there."

"Yeah, we're going to the Long Tan memorial, wasn't grandpa David there?"

"He wasn't at the battle, he was on a training exercise at the time but he was in the same regiment so he was allowed to be at the annual commemoration."

"Cool, we're going there tomorrow, but I wanted to make sure."

"I'm going to go for a shower," Mackenzie spoke up, "so I'll say goodbye."

"Bye Mackie," Susan smiled.

"So, how was it with Janis?" Sierra asked a few moments later.

"It was good," she replied.

"Mum," Taylor smiled, "you can't say it was good and leave it, I want to know everything, I only spoke to her once over the phone when you went to the dunny."

"Too right," Sierra chimed in, "give us the oil."

Susan told them about the previous day and then leaned back and frowned.

"And that was it, we're meeting up with Janis so I don't want to be on the phone too long, but she seems really nice."

"Where are you meeting her?"

"The British Museum, she's going to take us on a guided tour for a few hours and then we're going for a late lunch and after that I think we're going back to her place for dinner. She wants to spend a little more time with us than she did yesterday but we were seeing her mum too so she wants us all to herself for a day, apparently."

"How do you feel about that?" Sierra asked.

"Okay to be honest, it's kind of cathartic talking to her sister. I can say things without feeling as if I'm betraying a confidence, although Sarah knows a lot about her for obvious reasons and you two have heard a bit over the years too."

"It was hard to know what to say to her that one time I spoke to her," Taylor replied, "Charlene was dying and I was trying to avoid the obvious, I probably came across as shallow."

"Not at all, she loved talking to you and she's always asked about you two but Charlene used to say she was manipulative. People evolve though and she confirmed her mother refused to acknowledge all her ex's crimes, but Janis won't raise the subject," she nudged her glasses.

"She said yesterday that her mum was too old to argue with these days."

"I get that," Sierra spoke up, "but it's amazing how some people can be so blind, considering she was so cooperative with the police from what I've read lately."

"I know, but some of that could just be self preservation."

"So where are you off to?" Taylor broke in.

"The British Museum."

"I'm so jealous, I could've spent a whole week there when you took us."

"Me too," Sierra chimed in, "we need to do that again one day, have another family holiday where we go somewhere exotic."

"That's a good idea, we'll talk about it when we get back but it won't be until next year, this trip has wiped out any more overseas holidays until next year."

They talked until Louise came home with the shopping and then said their goodbyes.

"I miss them already and it's only been a day or so," Susan leaned back against the bedhead.

"Me too," Sarah rolled over onto her side and propped her head on her palm, "so, what's the plan, ma'am? How are we getting to the museum?"

"Just wait a minute or ten," she brought up her map of the tube on the laptop and studied it for a few seconds and then looked up.

"Train to Clapham Junction, change to the Overground, change at West Brompton for the District line to Earls Court where we change to the Piccadilly Line and get off at Russell Square."

"How long will that take?"

"Let me ask the great god Google," she started tapping the keyboard.

"Thirty seven to forty minutes, I'll text Janis now to let her know we'll meet her there at nine."

However instead of texting back, Janis rang her instead.

"Janis," she smiled.

"I was going to reply to the text but I'm too old school, I prefer phone calls and face to face, texting is a bit like going to the dentist, necessary but usually unpleasant."

"I understand, Sarah's a bit like that when it comes to streaming services like Prime and Netflix and Spotify, she likes the feel of DVDs and CDs instead."

"Oh don't get me started on that subject, I've gone right back to vinyl now but getting back onto the museum, it's a huge place so if you want to go back tomorrow and explore some more then I could come again. I'm still on sick leave by the way but our cousin Tony wants to catch up with us today at some point but I said I had to check with you first. He wants to take us out to dinner at the Savoy later. His partner, Nico is a chef there, Tony was devastated when he found out she was dying and he wanted to see her but couldn't get time off."

"That's a shame, hang on a moment," she lowered the phone.

"Janis wants us to meet her cousin, Tony this arvo, he's taking us to the Savoy for dinner later on, his shout."

"Ooh, I'll be in that, thank you."

"Cool," she raised the phone again and smiled, "sorry, just had to check with my other half and yes, we'd love to meet him and his parter."

"Good, I think you'll all get along well, he's so easygoing unlike Michael."

"Your brother," Susan replied.

"Yes, he's my brother but seeing Michael is kind of like having a mammogram and a cervical swab at the same time, he'll be down the day after tomorrow but if you don't want to see him it's cool, he tends to spend most of his time with mum anyway. He's mummy's little boy who can do no wrong even when his hand is in the biscuit jar. He's on his third marriage and a little birdy told me that it's going down the toilet faster than a Russian oligarch out of a window."

"Ouch," she nudged her glasses, "okay, we'll see you at ten outside the museum?"

"Yeah, see you then."

~*~

Penny's house Friday night, 17 August.

The knee-length A-line skirt she was wearing now was similar to the one Robyn had worn recently, the hem was decorated with four coloured ribbons sewn into it. A strip of white lace was sewn into the bottom of the hem. On Robyn's skirt the buttons and zip were at the side but on hers the buttons and zip were at the front. Another addition was a fabric belt made of the same material as the skirt, the belt had metallic ringlets and a square black buckle. She'd also added two front pockets, which was yet another variation.

The skirt was matched with a cream-coloured satin polyester double-breasted blouse, one of four last minute orders over the phone. The rows of buttons were set fifty centimetres apart and the cuffs ended in three-button closures. The other two double-breasted blouses were on the table behind her along with her other orders. She'd already known what the blouses would look like but the mystery item was a tan cardigan. She hadn't given Robyn much description, just that she wanted to try out a cardigan and they'd certainly come through with a very thin woollen cardigan made on one of the knitting machines up here.

She turned to look at her profile as Robyn spoke up.

"What do you think?"

"It's beautiful, I love that the buttons match the coloured strips and the pink zip is nice."

"Good, I thought the pockets were a nice addition," she pulled herself up and sat on the cutting table in the centre of the room, "and the blouse?"

"It's very elegant, I'll wear one to work tomorrow, but you've started a trend now. As soon as mum sees it she'll be up to order some for herself."

"No worries," she grinned, "so, Kylie tells me you went to the sex shop with Charlene?"

"Yeah," she turned around, "it was a day of surprises, I didn't think she worked there and then there was the other surprise."

"What other surprise?"

Susan walked to the table and touched a blouse.

"We nearly did it afterwards."

"What stopped you?"

"My mother called."

"Ah," she grinned, "that'll do it."

Susan told her about the afternoon and Robyn listened. Penny came up halfway through with coffee and some biscuits and stayed to hear the rest and so she had to go back and fill in the blanks.

"Wow, it's almost like what happened to you," Penny glanced at Robyn.

"Pretty much," she smiled, "the phone tends to ring at the most inconvenient time, like when you're halfway through the orgasm from heaven."

"Oddly enough, I don't have any real regrets about it, well apart from a bit of guilt about Grant but I don't feel like I've shamed God or committed a sin."

"That may have something to do with your family and your living situation. The only problem that I had was with mum and that was stifled by dad who defended me, but I live with two non Christian women too and still have church friends," she sipped her coffee.

"Well, mum and Al are both atheists and so is my sister and brother in law, so there is that."

"Another thing might be the what the fuck factor," and in answer to her furrowed brow she went on to explain.

"It's what happens when you decide to break out of a routine that has become boring or restrictive and do something different. I was partly in that category, the other was the feeling I'd been living a lie. I didn't believe in creation, the flood or even the miracles of Jesus. It's the thing the churches try so hard to avoid, the credibility problem."

"I'm with you there," she touched her glasses, "Grant has been going to a baptist church at night for the last few months and I went one night and was like what have these people been drinking?"

Robyn giggled and then had another sip of coffee.

"The point is, you're evolving," Penny spoke up.

"It's something we all do, Christian, non Christian, young, middle aged, and old, we're changing if everything's working properly. I was the kind of woman who picked up one night stands at clubs for a few years and then I changed and became a hermit and now I'm with someone."

Susan had some coffee as she ran an eye over her most recent order, it was number four. Another six blouses, one of which was a pink version of the white ruffled blouse she'd bought recently. A dress, two pairs of jeans, one pair of trousers and a houndstooth tailored jacket with black lapels and cuffs. The jacket held her eye for a few more moments.

"I think that might be it," she smirked, "hate to admit it but Christians evolve too but what do I do now? Have another go at it or put it down to experience?"

"A friend of mine called it unfinished business when you don't go all the way," Robyn replied.

"Unfinished business," she touched her glasses, "yeah, that's a good way to put it, I feel as if it's an intermission or in legal jargon, a recess while the jury retires to consider a verdict."

"Good and remember she's not the only one, there are plenty more out there, it's one thing I wasn't entirely comfortable with at first even though it was obvious," Robyn paused.

"I had this idea from church that you married the first person you had sex with, and it took awhile to get used to the concept of trial runs. We wouldn't buy a car without a test drive so why should sex be any different?"

"I know, I look at some women in church who've been married a few years and can't imagine that they would've stayed virgins until their wedding night."

"Exactly," Penny cocked her head to one side, "fancy staying for dinner?"

"Um, sure, okay but I have to call mum first."

"Use the sewing room phone," Penny smiled at her at Robyn and left the room.

~*~

The Tunnel, Saturday night 18 August 2001

The last time Susan had been in a nightclub it was on her eighteenth. After her party at a scout hall hired by her mother, she went with her friends to the Croydon hotel and danced her feet off. At the time it was fun but she got tired of guys hitting on her and her friends, any single woman was fair game. There had been times since when she'd nearly gone to a club but cancelled at the last minute, because she was too tired. The city clubs were even more extreme with a reputation for drugs and violence. Some of Alastair's colleagues worked the city beat and thought it was just an asylum on steroids. He'd warned her that night to watch her drinks.

"I know she's your friend but you can't be on your toes all night. Watch your drinks, if you go for a piss buy a fresh drink when you come back and don't go anywhere on your own."

The club Charlene chose was The Tunnel in Little Bourke Street, just off King Street. The clientèle were a mixture of straights, gays and probably a few bisexuals. Two women at the next table were French kissing like they were going to ban it tomorrow and there were five guys at the table on the other side. They'd loudly announced to all and sundry that they were Healesville boys. They'd just picked up two attractive blondes, one had short hair and the other had straight hair that fell to the small of her back, the 'lucky' two were now getting free drinks. Prior to that however they'd hit on them first and didn't blink when Charlene told them that she was gay.

"That's fine miss, anything with a hole, how's about a threesome or we can watch?"

"Sorry, three's a crowd," Charlene rolled her eyes.

Charlene found the presence of the two blondes hilarious when she came back with two drinks, a lemon squash for herself and a wine for Susan.

"You watch," Charlene shouted in her ear, "they'll make some excuse about going to the toilet and then piss off."

"How do you know?" Susan shouted back in her ear.

"Because I used to go out with the one with short hair before she got hooked up with that one," she nodded at the woman with long hair.

"Evie is bisexual but Pauline is definitely gay, she's got a thirst to rival a room full of sailors, she'd drink a dozen pubs dry, so she'll say she's straight tonight."

They drank their round and then she tried to buy the next round but Charlene insisted on paying for all her drinks that night.

"Don't worry," she raised her voice a couple of decibels to compete with the music, "you'll get your turn to buy me drinks another night, but tonight it's my shout."

She shrugged and smiled blandly as Charlene rose and weaved between tables and then patrons who had formed a three deep line at the bar. It was going to take some time and she cast her eyes around the club trying to blend in with the rest of the women there. She wasn't sure if her outfit helped her stay relatively unnoticed or made her stand out instead.

After a bit of contemplation and several changes of clothes she chose a black cotton pinafore with a bib front held in place with straps and buttons, it had a button and zip at the waistband and was also cinched with a fabric belt made of the same material. The hem stopped five inches above her knees and the sides were open as well. Under it she had a white ruffled blouse with three rows of ruffles on each side of the placket, the blouse was decorated with a gold star-shaped brooch. A black jacket finished the outfit off. Charlene wore a white silk blouse, a black leather tie and leather trousers with a matching belt.

Susan nudged her glasses and fixed her gaze on a football jumper behind a glass cabinet attached to the wall, the black and white stripes indicated that the owner was a Collingwood supporter. She was so engrossed in the jumper because it was an inanimate object that she didn't notice the man in front of her until he sat down. He was wearing a white short sleeved shirt tucked into black jeans, his skin colouring and black hair suggested South Asian ethnicity.

"I am Rajesh," he smiled at her.

"Huh?"

"Rajesh, Raj. You are most beautiful girl I have ever seen, a goddess."

"Oh, thanks," she smiled wanly.

"You want drink?"

"No thanks," she shook her head.

"I have money, lots of money," he took out his wallet to show a stack of hundred dollar bills, "you want drink, I pay. Beautiful drink for beautiful girl?"

She was just about to reply when a woman with long auburn hair stepped up to the table and nodded at her, she was wearing a red cocktail dress and Susan had the distinct impression she was checking her out. A moment later she looked disdainfully at Raj and then back at Susan, she had a distinctive Scottish accent when she spoke.

"Is he bugging you?"

"Um, kind of," she touched her glasses nervously.

The woman turned and flicked her hand at him.

"Fuck off, pal. Go on, fuck off."

"I have money, you want drink?"

She leaned over and grabbing the wallet, tossed it behind him. He instinctively rose and turned to retrieve it and she pulled his chair away and sat down next to Susan. He grabbed his wallet and then turned back to them. She motioned for him to leave and a moment or two later one of the guys who was at the other table stood up and walked around the table towards him, Raj suddenly decided that retreat was the best policy and turned and walked away.

"He's been flashing his cash at every woman in the club, you're just one in a long line, I'm Kerry," she held out her hand, "Sinclair."

"Susan Goode, thanks," she hesitated, "you're Scottish?"

"Glasgow, born and bred, but you're a local."

"I guess so," she glanced over her shoulder at Raj who'd moved to the edge of the dance floor and was rotating his hips and trying to do some kind of weird '70s disco dance.

"I didn't know what to do when he took out his wallet," she turned back to her.

They shook hands and the man who'd been about to come to their rescue stopped at their table.

"You all right, luv?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, thanks anyway," she shouted back above the music.

"Sweet, but if he comes near you again let me know," he closed his fist and hit his palm, "I'll give him a Healesville sanger."

"No worries," she touched her glasses as Kerry winked at him.

"I'm batting for the other team, sweetie."

"Sure, no worries," he stepped back, "but remember," he held his fist up again.

"Guys," Kerry grinned a moment later, "so, you here on your own?"

"No, I'm with my girlfriend," she glanced at the bar and then spotted Charlene emerging from the crowd with two drinks in her hand, "there," she pointed, "Charlene's my friend."

Kerry turned around to look and then straightened up.

"Oh, I know her," she turned back to her, "I didnae know you were wi' her."

"You do?" Susan's eyes widened as Charlene drew nearer and she came to a stop for a moment but then kept walking to the table.

"Hey, bitchface," Charlene put the drinks down, "I thought I recognised that hair."

"Charley," she rose and threw an arm around her, "fuck, it's been too long."

"Yeah, you still in Fitzroy?"

"Naw, I moved out to Donvale and got my licence so I'm driving but no' tonight."

"Cool, me too," she sat down opposite Susan, "Susan was my teacher."

"Wow, so you're a driving instructor?"

"Kindy teacher but I took her for a lot of lessons."

"Braw," she raised her glass, "cheers," she had a mouthful and then turned back to Charlene.

"So, what're you doing here besides getting pished?"

"Paying her back for all my free lessons, at this rate she'll be getting pissed for a year."

"Excellent," Kerry grinned, "nothing like free booze."

"So, what do you do?" Susan asked.

"I work behind the bar at my local pub but on the weekends I'm in the bistro serving food they've made me the head waitress in the bistro."

"Wow, congratulations," Charlene raised her glass, "at this rate you'll be a manager."

"Hardly, getting promoted to head waitress is the highest I can go without fucking up my visa but if I decide to stay then who knows?"

"You think you'll stay?"

"It depends on the next twelve months, if I'm not totally bored out of my brains then I might get the visa extended or change it to a student visa."

"Studying what?" Susan asked.

"Finance or law, my dad and mum are both lawyers, dad's criminal law and mum's family law, so I guess you could say it's in my blood. My sister Kirsty is a cop and my older brother is a lawyer as well, he's transferred to London because the money's better."

"To match the cost of living," Charlene replied.

"There is that and all," she had another mouthful of her drink.

"Ooh, someone just got hit," Charlene's eyes shifted and Susan turned around to see Raj lying on his back with a guy walking backwards to disappear into the crowd of dancers.

"That's the bawbag who was hitting on Susan," Kerry spoke up.

Two bouncers stepped into their line of sight and one stared into the crowd and spoke into a walkie talkie whilst his colleague helped Raj up. As they watched, he was walked over to the other side of the dance floor, closer to the exit.

"He was chatting you up?"

"Yeah, he was putting the hard word on me," Susan replied and Kerry giggled.

"I love that saying, they kept using it at work and then someone explained it to me after I used it on a colleague, who had to explain what a hard word was and I was like, oh fuck, sorry, I didn't know what it meant."

They talked for a bit more about the cultural differences between England, Scotland and Australia but eventually Kerry looked at her watch.

"Fuck, is that the time? I better split, it's only ten but if I don't make a move pretty soon, I'll miss the last train."

"I'll drop you off," Charlene spoke up.

"Oh, right, braw, in that case I might have one for the road as they say."

They left the club half an hour later. Susan was feeling tipsy but settled down a bit on the way out to Donvale. Kerry lived in one of four units on a long block, the landlady apparently owned two units, her son owned the other two.

"She's a fucking bitch of a woman, she's got a face like a melted welly and thinks she's the queen of the manor," she paused as Susan leaned forward and smiled.

"What's a melted welly?"

"Oh, it's a wellington boot, a rubber boot."

"Oh," she giggled and leaned back.

"I'm only here because it's close to work but a pal's thinking aboot ditching her boyfriend, which would leave her short of rent," she picked up a bong. "You want a smoke?"

"No, not while I'm driving and Susan's stepdad is a cop."

"Oh fuck," she grinned, "now that was a stupid thing to do."

"It's cool," Susan replied, "I don't smoke but if you want a smoke then go ahead."

"Thanks," she glanced over her shoulder, "listen, I've got a bit of vodka left, you fancy a vodka and lemonade or I could make you a Black Russian if you want."

"What's that?" Susan nudged her glasses.

"Vodka, Tia Maria and Coke, if you drink too many of them you'll be on the dark side of the moon without a spaceship."

"Black Russian then," she replied, "but Charlene's having the Coke."

"I'm fine with that," she held her hands up.

Kerry rose to get the drinks and when she came back she packed a bowl with some dope and a bit of tobacco, something Susan found fascinating.

"Not that I'm into it but I've never seen it done."

"Nothing to it," she grinned, "just wrap your laughing gear around the top," she tapped it, "light the bowl and sook hard."

She demonstrated for her a few moments later. The smoke smelled bitter and Kerry waved it away as she stared past them and then leaned back and blew more smoke out and coughed.

"And that as they say, is how you fly like an eagle."

"You need some pictures in here, the walls are so bare."

"I asked about that but the fucking bitch won't let me put holes in her investment portfolio. I hope her next shite's a hedgehog."

Charlene chuckled and raised her glass.

"I've missed your insults. Glaswegian's have the best insults, they're a work of art."

"We do like cursing," she started packing the cone again.

"You can have a face like a skelped arse, a face that'd make a funeral turn up a side street, we say I'll turn you inside out, awa' and bile yer heid, and your da' sells Avon."

Charlene giggled but Susan looked confused.

"Avon?"

"Yes, the full statement is, yer maw's a welder and yer da sells Avon, your mum's a lesbian and your dad sells cosmetics, there's no coming back from that one," she finished packing the bong and picked up the lighter.

"Excuse me," she put her mouth over the pipe and lit the bowl. The marijuana caught alight and she sucked even harder, the water bubbled until she'd emptied the bowl and then she threw herself back against the couch and held her breath. She let it out slowly a few seconds later and then shivered as she drew a hand down her front.

"Oh, baby that's hit the spot."

Susan smiled and had some more to drink but as she put her glass down the phone beeped and she pulled it out of her handbag and stared at the name on the message.

"Grant," she murmured.

"What's he saying now?" Charlene asked.

She didn't answer as she read the text.

Grant: About tomorrow, I won't be at church. Can I come around before church? Or meet another day instead?

Susan: Tomorrow is fine, I can always do the night service.

Grant: I'll be there about 9:30, okay?

Susan: No worries, see you then.

She put the phone down and had another sip from her glass.

"It's cool, he wants to meet up tomorrow morning at half past nine."

"So, we'd better get going?"

"Okay, I guess so but I'm cool."

Nevertheless, they left about half an hour later at about ten to eleven.

~*~

Wattle Road, Saturday, 23:45

In some ways this felt like a return to the scene of the crime, if that was the right word to describe being back in Charlene's room. They would have been in the living room because Tony was often out Friday and Saturday nights but when they got back he was lying on the couch looking sick and when Charlene asked if he was alright he smiled weakly.

"Diarrhoea, sweetie. Been back and forth three times tonight, at this rate there'll be nothing left of me by this time tomorrow. Don't worry, I'm not contagious. I think it's that chicken I had last night."

"I told you it looked off but you wouldn't listen, would you?"

"I should've listened to you but I was so fucking hungry," he waved his fingers.

"Now go, let me die in peace."

Charlene took her through to the bedroom and went back through to get something to drink whilst Susan sat on the bed and stared up at the mirror or the wardrobe. She returned a minute or two later with two glasses of Jack Daniel's and Coke along with the Coke and whiskey just as Susan took one of her shoes off.

"How is he?" Susan pulled off her second shoe.

"Lying there groaning like a man child," she put the glasses on top of the bedside drawers.

"I knew it was off the moment I walked into the kitchen, it looked the wrong colour," she put the bottles on the floor and sat down on the bed.

"Where'd he buy it?" Susan asked her.

"He always shops at Woolies, he swears by it but if he dies then I'll have to retrieve the rest of it out of the fucking bin," she had a mouthful.

"Well that's it, I can't take you home now. You're stuck with me for the night," she had some more and smiled crookedly, "but I can fork out for a taxi if you feel like going home."

"No, that's fine," she sniffed the drink, "smells strong."

"Sorry, I'm terrible when I make someone a drink, I have a higher tolerance for alcohol. It used to be cool when I was younger and I could drink people under the table now it's kind of embarrassing because it makes me look like an alcoholic."

"But you're not though," Susan sipped her drink.

"Fuck knows, I might be but so far the only regrets I get are the morning when my mouth is like the bottom of a birdcage and my head is thumping," she shifted further back.

"But tonight I should be fine, it's too late to start drinking properly," she handed her the drink, "can you hang onto this while I take my shoes off?"

"Sure," she replied.

Charlene took her shoes off and then slid into the middle of the bed and leaned against the bedhead, Susan turned and handed her the drink and then pulled her feet up and eased back too.

"There, that's better," she undid the top button of her blouse, "home sweet home," she loosened her tie and smiled, "got a drink in one hand and a babe in the other," she patted Susan's leg.

"I guess so," she had another mouthful and closed her eyes, "whoa, head rush," she opened her eyes again, "I'd never manage to stay on the road if I tried driving tonight."

"Listen, you don't have to finish the drink, you've been drinking all night and you know what they say about mixing your drinks."

"I'm fine, I don't want to waste it, "Jack is expensive."

"Well yeah, but it's not like buying house... so far," she giggled.

They sat drinking in relative silence for the next few minutes and then Susan spoke again.

"So, what's Kerry like? How well do you know her?"

"I only met her when she flew in, she'd been here a week and walked into some city pub and we got on like a house on fire."

"Have you and her ever?" Susan had another mouthful.

"Yeah, I was actually her first woman, she'd been flirting with the idea for a couple of years before she came here after snogging a woman in a car one night."

"Kind of like me then," she drained her glass and put it down on the bedside drawers.

"I was doubtful until you and I got on together."

"Ah, so I'm the one to blame then," she drained her drink and then burped, "better out than in."

"So they say," she looked over at the bottle of Jack, "I don't think I want another."

"So don't but I will," she turned and straddled her.

"Don't move," she pointed at her and frowned, "or else."

Susan giggled.

"Or else what? You'll deport me?"

"I'll suck your nipples until they turn rock hard," she unscrewed the lid on the bottle.

"Ouch," she winced.

"And then," she poured a generous measure of Jack, "I'll lick your clit until you pass out," she put the bottle down and picked up the Coke.

Susan didn't reply as she watched her fill the glass to the top. She put the bottle down and held the glass up and stared at it.

"Ah, Jack," she smiled, "what've you got to say for yourself tonight?"

She put the glass to her lips and to Susan's amazement, drained it. She closed her eyes and then a moment later she shivered and rolled her head to one side and opened her eyes.

"Whoa, that hit the spot."

She stared at the bottle and then poured herself another drink whilst she watched on. This time however she didn't down it in one go but it still went down fairly quickly due to the larger gulps. She burped again and then slid off the bed and walked to a portable CD player on the chest of drawers that hadn't been there the other day. She put a CD in and then turned around and putting her hands on her hips, gyrated to The Cars Good Times Roll.

Susan giggled and felt the flush in her cheeks as Charlene tugged her waistcoat. The first two press studs popped open and she grinned and yanked hard. The rest of the press studs popped open and she parted the waistcoat to reveal the rest of her blouse and the tie. She wiggled her hips and slid the waistcoat off one shoulder and then the other as she pouted mockingly, to Susan's amusement. She tossed the waistcoat onto the bed and then squeezed her breasts slowly and methodically. Susan had a flashback to the other day and Charlene loosened her tie and walked over to the bed and knelt on the end.

"You want to see more?" Charlene tugged playfully at the tie.

Susan didn't reply but her eyes widened appreciably and Charlene knelt on the bed and slithered to her and straddled her.

"Gotcha in my power again," she tightened her legs slightly and grabbed her hands and leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

Susan tasted the whiskey on her lips and opened her mouth wider and pushed against her, she felt a familiar headiness and when she opened her eyes the room looked brighter but that could just have been because of her state of inebriation. Charlene let go of her hands but grabbed her wrists and put them against her breasts and then arched her back and locked her hands behind her head. Susan's eyes narrowed as she massaged her breasts. She had smallish breasts but they were firm and she let go a moment later and dropped them to her legs. Charlene looked down at herself and then smiled as she dropped her hands and leaned over again. Their lips met in a slow lingering kiss that left little to the imagination, she knew what was going to happen tonight and yet strangely, she had little fear of the result but that could've been the booze as well she realised.

Also called a social lubricant.

She blinked at the intrusive thought, wondering where it'd come from as Charlene pulled away and grabbing her right hand, raised it to the knot in her tie and formed her fingers into the shape of a gun and pulled at the front of the knot. Susan managed a lopsided smile as Charlene pulled a part of the tie out to form a loop and then slid the 'barrel' of the finger gun into the loop. Susan tightened her grip on the knot and Charlene pulled down on the outside to loosen it even more and Susan pulled the tie towards her. It started sliding out of the knot when Charlene loosened it a little more and as it came free of the knot Charlene grabbed both ends. Susan let go and watched her unravel the tie, she left it hanging freely and then reached down to her brooch and undid it. The ornament landed on the bed a moment later and she fingered a row of ruffles.

Susan thought at first she was going to undo her top button but then she got off her and slid off the bed. The two women eyed each other, Charlene had a sly smile on her face. She leaned down and grabbing her legs, pulled them towards her. Susan let out a gasp and tried to stop herself but she was too slow and drunk because she ended up flat on her back. The dress had been pulled past her arse to expose the rest of her pantyhose and part of her red silk panties. Out of an odd sense of modesty, considering what they'd just been doing she pulled it back down past her buttocks.

Charlene got back on the bed and crawled towards her and then put a leg over to straddle her again and they exchanged another few teasing kisses. Susan was feeling warm, heady, slightly giddy but there was still no guilt and she tried to remember if she'd felt guilty the other day when they were on the bed together. She couldn't recall feeling guilty. Was that because this was her normal? Susan had the sense that if she tried hard to feel bad about it then she would but what was the point of that anyway?

Charlene straightened up and grabbing her hands, raised them to her second button and hooked her fingers into the shallow vee. Not a word was said as Susan fumbled with the button but she felt the slightest feeling of queasiness but then that passed and the button fell through the buttonhole and as the vee deepened Charlene widened it. Susan dropped her hands to the third button and eased it out of the buttonhole.

She undid the fourth button and parted the blouse even more to reveal a black bra. She paused once again before sliding the fifth button through the buttonhole to reveal her belly, the sixth fell free of its constraint a second or two later. Charlene opened the blouse right up to reveal her bra and belly and then leaned over to kiss her on the lips passionately. Susan felt the queasiness once again but it faded when Charlene straightened up. She fingered her ruffles again and for a moment she thought she was going to unbutton her blouse but instead she tugged at her belt and winked. Susan stared at Charlene's belt, it had a pull through buckle and she pulled it into the buckle and then worked it out of the buckle and started pulling it past the keepers.

"There's definitely something in this undressing lark," Charlene undid her first cuff button.

"There is?" Susan kept pulling, working against the friction and Charlene undid the second button and moved onto the other cuff.

"Yeah," she undid a button, "I'd say so," she undid the second button and Susan finally managed to pull the belt past the last keeper, "thanks," she took it from her and tossed it onto the bed.

"Now, the pièce de résistance," she slid a hand behind her waistband at the front.

Susan felt the queasiness yet again as she stared up at one of the ceiling mirrors.

The nausea faded and she bit her lip and grabbing her trousers, pulled the press studs apart to part the waistband and grabbed the zipper tab. Charlene looked down and Susan unzipped her to show a blouse button and as she reached the limit of her travel Charlene slid her blouse up to show a pair of black panties.

She pulled her panties out as much as possible and grabbing her right hand, put it behind them. For a second she felt slightly out of kilter but then she felt pubic hair and a slightly moist hole. Charlene guided her finger into her vaginal passage and then laid her finger on top of hers and pushed both fingers up inside her. Feeling a little unsure of herself she kept her eyes on the mirror above her and Charlene purred as she shifted forward slightly. She kept the fingers in for a few moments and then eased them out only to put them in again. She repeated this several times before she guided their fingers out one last time. Susan pulled her eyes from the ceiling mirror and stared at the finger that had just been inside her. It was wet and she let her hand fall to the bed, she felt disconnected, it was the first time she'd touched anyone down there but at the same time Susan felt more confident and definitely in control.

"How was that?"

"Um, okay," Susan smiled and touched her glasses, "how was it for you?"

"Yeah, it's all good," she pulled at her top button and eased it through the buttonhole. Susan stared at the mirror again, almost out of habit she mused. The collar parted and Charlene moved down to the second button and undid it to deepen the vee. She caressed her skin and leaned over to kiss her gently and then straightened up and eased the first of the bib buttons through the buttonhole. The large button came free and she undid the other button, it took longer to undo but when it did she pulled the bib all the way down to reveal the rest of her blouse.

"Going to order one of these for sure," she undid a third button and deepened the vee, Susan's eyes shifted slightly as she felt the queasiness again. This time however it wasn't going away but neither was it getting worse but it sharpened her senses. The fourth button slipped through the buttonhole to reveal a pink bra and she felt the lacy material for a few moments before moving down to the fifth button. It came undone to reveal her belly and she undid the sixth button and opened the blouse all the way.

Susan's eyes flickered as she stared at herself in a ceiling mirror and Charlene pushed the bib back up and pulled the belt end back through the buckle and popped the prong out and Susan smirked as she watched her pull the belt past the keepers. It hit the bed a moment or two later and Charlene slid her hands under her dress and pulled her pantyhose over her hips but left her panties on as she got off the bed and worked them off her legs. She rolled the pantyhose into a ball and batted it at her face. Susan tried to catch it but she was too slow and missed.

Charlene pulled her trousers over her hips and turned and sat down to remove them. Susan felt her vagina, wondering if she was going to bleed or was that just an old wives tale. Before she could ask the question Charlene was on the bed again and crawling towards her. Her blouse was held partially closed by one button, she slid her dress up and pulled the pink panties past her buttocks and past her genitals to reveal the triangular patch of hair.

"Always nice to see dessert," she pulled them down her legs and then tossed them to one side and spreading her legs, got in between them and stared at her pussy.

"Is it alright?"

"Huh? Oh it's fine, luv, perfect symmetry," she undid the side button on her pinafore and tugged the zipper all the way down. "Just try to relax, some things might feel weird but you can stop me if you want and we'll talk it over or do something else."

"Okay," she replied and not knowing what to do closed her eyes.

Charlene got down lower and tickled her pubic hair with her fingertips and a moment later she felt a tongue pressing against her vulvae, the tickling and the tongue felt nice and she shivered, but when Charlene tickled her moist opening she winced.

The reaction wasn't just out of pleasure though, the queasiness had become more intense and then she felt something shift inside her. Charlene slid a finger inside her and Susan's eyes snapped open as she realised that she was about to throw up. She sat bolt upright as Charlene slid another digit in, she looked up at her with a half smile that vanished as she read the look on her face.

She sat up and rolled off her as Susan felt the bile rising up her throat. She put her hand over her mouth and Charlene got off the bed and ran for the door. By the time she reached it her mouth was filled with vomit. The door was yanked open and she stepped out of her dress and raced down the hall to the toilet. Thankfully it was empty and she got on her knees and let it all come out, it spurted into the bowl and she dropped to her knees and heaved. She didn't know how long she threw up for but at some point Charlene came in with her dress and leaned against the wall. Eventually however she sat up and stared blankly at the cistern.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," she rubbed her back, "I shouldn't have given you that Jack."

She leaned over and dry retched a few times but there was nothing more to bring up and she sank back on her knees and stared miserably at the cistern and Charlene got her hands under her armpits and lifted her up.

"Come on, let's get your face washed and some water into you."

"No, not water, I'll just spew again."

"That's okay," she led her out of the toilet and into the bathroom, "you're bringing up bile now."

It took a few minutes to get her cleaned up and then Charlene went through to flush the toilet and wipe the seat. She came back into the bathroom and leaned on the door jamb.

"You can crash the night in my bed or I can call a taxi but you're probably not feeling up to going any further tonight."

"I'm sorry about this," she nudged her glasses, "this wasn't on the agenda."

"It rarely is, been there, done that, got the tee shirt but it's cool."

"I'll phone mum, she'll come get me," she pushed away from the vanity.

"Will she be awake at this hour?" Charlene frowned.

"Of course she will, mum's always awake."

Valerie answered on the fourth ring and sounded a little sleepy but when Susan told her what had just happened she seemed to come alive.

"Okay, give me ten minutes to get dressed and I'll be there in another twenty minutes, what number is it again?"

Susan told her and Valerie farewelled her.

"She's going to be half an hour."

"Okay, get dressed then. I'll get you some water."

By the time Valerie arrived twenty five minutes later she was feeling a bit better but was tired and when Charlene led her to the front door.

"See you next week," Charlene gave her a hug.

She held onto her for a few seconds but then released her and stepped back.

"No worries, see you then."

She hurried down the stairs to the car. Valerie greeted her with a smile.

"You look terrible, how much have you had to drink?"

"Too fucking much, I mixed drinks but that's not the worst of it."

"You mean there's more?" Valerie shifted into reverse and released the handbrake.

It took Susan about five minutes to tell her what had happened immediately before she threw up and by then they were nearing the South Croydon shops.

"This'll have to do," she flicked her indicator and pulled over onto the dirt shoulder and braked, "I guess we'll have this talk now," she shifted into neutral and applied the handbrake.

"How long have you been attracted to women for? I've got no issue with it by the way but the way you've been the last couple of months I've been ticking boxes and you've ticked a lot."

"You've been keeping an eye on me?"

"Ever since you slid out of my womb, it's a mum thing, get used to it. You never really had much of an issue with your boyfriend but you've been even less interested in him once you started hanging out with Charlene."

"I'm seeing him tomorrow I think, we're going to have the talk."

"About time," she nodded, "and then?"

"I don't know, I can't exactly take her to church and introduce her as my new girlfriend."

"No, probably not a good move, they're more liberal than a lot of churches but even they'd baulk at that one but you don't have to come out and announce it to all and sundry. Plenty of straight people get involved and don't tell a soul, why should it be different for gays?"

"Penny and Robyn said the same thing."

"I like Penny and Robyn," she replied, "they've got their heads screwed on straight. As far as Al and I are concerned it's cool. You can bring her back to our place any time you like, she can stay the night too, same rules as applied to your sister."

"Thanks," she replied as her mother shifted into first gear.

"But on the subject of Robyn and Penny, seeing them together made me realise it's more normal than I ever thought."

"It's usually the way," she grinned, "come on, let's get you home so you can have a shower," she released the handbrake and accelerated.

~*~

Faraday Street Croydon South Sunday 19 August.

One night when Susan was asked to describe her relationship with Grant she called it complicated. He held her hand, kissed her on the cheek in public and put his arm around her if they were walking away from church. To their friends they seemed to be the perfect couple. However, once they were alone he'd find something else to do with his hands. He rarely came to her place for dinner and she never went to his house because of his father.

Arthur was a Charismatic lay preacher, one of several at a church in the northern suburbs and Grant was in a Uniting church. In Arthur's eyes it was a sin deserving of eternal damnation and he raged against the Uniting church for abandoning the gospel of blood and thunder that a loving God would unleash on the world for the cardinal sin of rejecting his son. The fact an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent deity was always surprised by the actions of humans was ironic.

When Grant explained the reason for not wanting to meet her at church she couldn't help but think that his father was reaping the whirlwind. It was almost comical when she thought about it later, the preacher who screamed about the evils of same sex marriage had a gay son.

Who said God didn't have a sense of humour?

"I've met a guy, we really like each other."

"A guy," she took her glasses off, "a guy?"

"Yeah, sorry. I meant to tell you earlier but I couldn't find the words to explain, every time I tried to I chickened out."

"Where'd you meet this guy?"

"At the baptist church in Lilydale, we were both in Boy's Brigade. Stefan's from Kenya," he bit his lip, "I'm sorry but there's no other way to say it. I've been trying for the last six weeks to find the right words to tell you," he trailed away.

"You know it's funny," she put her glasses back on.

"What's funny?"

"It seems we're on the same journey, I've been trying to find a way to tell you that I've been seeing a woman. We haven't gone all the way but it's only a matter of time."

"You have?" Grant stared at her, "oh," he straightened up, "you have."

"Yeah, I don't know if I'm gay or bisexual but I know I like women."

"Oh, he slumped down, "I thought you were just, you know?"

"Taking the piss?" Susan raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not, seriously but it is weird, you have to admit."

"I guess so," he looked past her, "so, what now?"

"I guess we say goodbye and wish each other the best but promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Invite me to the wedding if you and Stefan tie the knot?"

"Of course," he replied, "and you have to invite me to yours."

"I will," she leaned over and kissed his cheek, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks," he ran a hand through his hair.

Grant left not long after and after she'd seen him off she came back through to the kitchen and sat at the breakfast bar.

"Well?" Valerie asked her.

"He just admitted that he's gay," she smiled.

Valerie burst out laughing.

"Your boyfriend has come out as gay and you're relieved because you're gay or bisexual."

"There is that," she admitted.

"So what are you going to do? Go and see Charlene?"

"Maybe not, I'm probably still pissed from last night."

"Tell you what, I'll drop you off. I'm going to the Caribbean Market with my sister, I can pick you up later if you want or Al can come get you."

"Let me text her, when are you leaving?"

"It won't be until after eleven."

She sent the text a few minutes later and Charlene replied.

Charlene: I might be in the shower but if there's no answer at the door come to the back door, my housemate has gone to the hospital.

Susan: Is he alright?

Charlene: I think it's food poisoning, but we'll find out soon enough, see you soon.

She sent a smiley face back and put the phone down.

"Eleven's fine," she smiled crookedly, "I guess I'd better grab a shower and get dressed."

"Sounds like a plan," Valerie nodded.

Susan stared at herself in the mirror as she fastened the top button of her new cardigan, smiling as she remembered the dinner at Penny's place. The two women had worked their way into her heart in the short time she'd known them. Robyn because they'd come from similar places and she could understand her crisis of faith, Penny however had a maturity that came with experience but without the mother hen persona. She'd give you advice and leave you alone to work things out for yourself, which Susan really appreciated.

All the clothes she wore today were recent items made by either Robyn or Cindy. The cream satin double-breasted blouse with the black skirt with the lace trimming and coloured ribbons at the hem, along with the cardigan. The only exceptions were her bra, panties, stockings and a suspender belt she'd bought at Myer. She felt hungover but the shower had woken her up.

Valerie knocked on her door fifteen minutes later.

"Wow, you're wearing all new clothes today."

"Yeah, for what it's worth, I may as well advertise their wares."

"Of course," she picked up the grey tie, "you haven't worn that in awhile."

"I know, I must've been twenty two, I like ties but the grey is a bit plain so I think I'll give it to her as a gift instead."

"A peace offering?"

"Not exactly, just giving away something I never wear. You think she'll think it's a peace offering?"

"Probably not," she checked her watch, "you ready to leave now?"

"Yep, pretty much," she stood up.

"Sweet, see you out there."

Valerie glanced over at her as she started the car a few minutes later.

"You look nervous."

"I am a bit," she put her seatbelt on, "it's like going back to the scene of the crime."

"It was hardly a crime, not even a misdemeanour," she disengaged the handbrake.

"It's called unfinished business," she shifted into reverse and nudged the accelerator.

"You don't have to do anything today, you can go for a walk or sit and watch the idiot box or just listen to music," she braked when she saw a woman with a pram coming along the pavement.

"Sex is still on the agenda," she continued, "but don't make it your main goal."

"Thanks," she nudged her glasses again.

Little more was said as they drove along Bayswater Road. Valerie commented that that it might be a half decent day but they were forecasting rain tonight.

"Now remember," she turned into Wattle Road, "when you want to come home just call me and it'll be me or Al who picks you up. Your blood alcohol level might be okay by now and hers might be as well but let's not take chances. The booze bus is usually down the bottom of the hill but it could be moved further up Baysie Road in a heartbeat."

"Okay, thanks mum." Robyn touched her glasses again, "wish me luck."

"Good luck, sweetheart, call me if you want to leave sooner."

She farewelled her and then got out and walked to the front door as Valerie backed out, there was a sign taped to the door.

Getting changed, back door's open. Bring the sign with you. Love. Me. X

She stepped into the kitchen a minute later and walked up the passageway to Charlene's room, and as she stepped into the room Charlene sat up and smiled.

"Oh my God, you look good enough to eat."

"Thank you," Susan ran an eye over her, "so do you."

Charlene wore a white long-sleeved blouse, a pair of braces, black leather trousers and a studded belt along with black combat boots with buckles and zips.

"Here," she held the tie out, "I never wear it."

"What's this a peace offering? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I thought you might say that," she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I've got ties at home but the grey is one of Alastair's old ties that he gave to me but I haven't worn that one for yonks but I might get Robyn or Cindy to make me a leather one."

"Cool, thanks," she looped it around her neck and proceeded to fashion a knot, "a leather tie would be something I'd buy, maybe as part of a suit."

Susan fell back and propped on her elbows, "I used to wear ties at school but ever since I left school it's always left me with a feeling of déjà vu."

"Tell me about it, I had the straw hat, blazer, blouse, school jumper and cardigan, kilt, tie and jacket pin, that cunt of a deputy head used to line us up like soldiers for our uniform inspections, I'm sure it was her personal perve."

"I went to Tintern Girl's Grammar but my teachers were okay."

"Lucky you, my sister went to a mixed school but I went to a girl's school and she's always blamed that school for turning me gay because my brother went to a boy's school and he's stayed straight," she fastened the top button, "but he'd shag anything with a pulse."

She turned and opened a wardrobe door. Susan stared at the clothes as Charlene reached in behind the door and took out a black waistcoat and held it up and frowned.

"Yeah, that'd work," she pulled it off the hanger and started to put it on whilst Robyn watched from her position on the bed. The cotton garment had five gold-coloured buttons and the back was made of satin, there were two fake pockets in the front. Charlene fastened the last button and opened the other door to take out a black leather jacket styled to look like a biker's jacket but the ruffled front marked it as a woman's jacket. Charlene closed both doors and took a backwards step and examined her reflection, eventually she turned to look at her.

"Well?"

"I like it, but why the leather jacket, why not a normal tailored jacket?"

"Don't know, I thought I'd try it out, I don't think it suits the waistcoat though."

"True, but maybe a leather waistcoat?"

"Ooh, now there's a thought, I could order a leather waistcoat and tie," she knelt on the bed, "would she do them as one item or two?"

"I have no idea, ask them."

"So tell me," she adjusted the knot, "am I still hot enough to eat?"

Susan giggled and touched her glasses.

"Um... maybe... possibly... okay, you do look hot, so what's your sister like?"

"Janis is very proper and more sophisticated, we get on but she takes after mum, which means I probably take after my dad, worrying considering that he's in jail for murder."

"Will you ever try to visit him?"

"I doubt it, I used to use that as a threat whenever I had a fight with mum. I'd threaten to live with my dad and she'd scream that the prison governor wouldn't let me and I'd say he will if I suck his cock. It was my way of telling her to get off my back, we don't really get along but she is my mum, so it's kinda hard to hate her all the time and she paid for the car."

"I couldn't imagine hating my mum," she stared at the ceiling mirror, "she's coming back to get me whenever I decide to go home."

"I can drive you," she nudged her side with her foot.

"No," she grabbed her foot, "it could be in your system and if the cops set up a booze bus between here and my joint you might register."

"Okay," she stared at the wardrobe mirror again and for the better part of a minute neither of them spoke until finally Charlene broke the silence.

"So, I guess you haven't spoken to Grant yet."

"Um, we have," she teased a lock of hair over her ear, "we're no longer together."

"I'm sorry, really."

"You are?" Susan stared at her reflection.

"Not really but it sounded authentic don't you think?"

"Kind of I guess," she bit her lip, "so now I'm footloose and fancy free unless he's told any of the guys at church and if that's the case I'll be fighting them off with a cricket bat."

"He wouldn't, would he?"

"He's not really best friends with any of the guys we know at church so maybe not," she fell back onto her back and locked her hands behind her head. A few moments later she closed her eyes and Charlene shifted slightly but didn't try to touch her.

"Now this is different," Susan spoke again.

"What is?"

"Me lying here on your bed and you haven't even tried to grab my boobs or kiss me."

"I could but to be honest I'm thirsty, after getting pissed I need water or soft drink the next day, it's like I'm dehydrated."

"Alcohol dehydrates you," she opened one eye, "at least beer does anyway, it's why we drink more and more, we're trying to quench our thirst, so Al says."

"You'd think someone at Carlton and United would do something about that."

"And cut into their profits?" Susan opened the other eye, "pig's arse to that."

"Fancy a spider?"

"Huh?" Susan stared at her.

"That's what you call it, don't you? Ice cream and Coke or creamy soda?"

"Yep, that's a spider, jeez. I haven't one of them since high school."

"We call them ice cream floats."

"Okay," she rose and leaned on her elbows, "spider it is then, through there?"

"Just wait here, he's feeling poorly and he's likely to get up and then lie on the couch."

"Cool, I'll just wait here on your very comfortable bed."

"Don't go away," she rose and wagged her finger at her.

"I'm staying, don't worry," she grinned.

The smile faded somewhat as she stared at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror. This was a bit like tempting fate, especially after last night, she stared at her crotch. What would it be like to lose her virginity? Would she feel more complete or was it all overrated? She hadn't asked anyone that yet and she fell back onto her back and stared at the ceiling mirror. It was one question she should have asked first but she'd been obsessed with methodology instead of ethics. Her phone beeped and she sat up and took the phone out of her bag.

Mum: Dropping in at Knox City after the Caribbean Market, are you alright? Answer when you can, love. X

Susan: Still fully dressed, she's gone to make us a spider.

Mum: I haven't had one in years.

Susan: Me too, I was still in high school, gotta go, love you. X

Charlene stepped into the room a minute later with two glasses and handed one to her.

"Here, hope I've done it the right way."

"Pretty much," she squinted at it.

"Why's it called a spider here?"

"Because the Coke makes a spider web shape when it's mixed with ice cream."

They sat drinking for a few minutes but eventually Susan put her empty glass on top of the bedside drawers and let out a contented sigh.

"That went down well," she glanced over as Charlene finished her drink.

"I think so too, to be honest I don't think I really appreciated them until I moved here. I thought I knew what heat was in London but your heat puts ours to shame," she put her empty glass next to Susan's.

"That and distance, when I was going out with Kerry, a mutual friend offered to take us to see the fairy penguin parade at Phillip Island, a three hour drive away and we were like, are we staying the night? And he was like, nah, we'll just be there for a few hours."

"Too right," she threw her arms back and leaned on her palms.

"When I was younger, mum and Al took us to Sydney by car, we stayed in Wodonga overnight and it took nearly the whole of the next day to get to Sydney."

"I like this skirt," Charlene tugged at it.

"Robyn made it, actually she made everything you can see, except for the boots of course."

"Fuck, even the cardigan?"

"Yeah, it was done on a knitting machine."

"I didn't know they had one."

"It's on the left hand side as soon as you walk in the door, a roundish type thing."

"Vaguely," she frowned, "I'm going back there in a couple of weeks, I might see about this skirt and a cardigan."

"Along with the leather waistcoat," she broke in, "but what about the blouse?"

"Yeah, that as well," she grinned, "very elegant."

"It's actually workwear," she stared at her reflection, "I could wear this tomorrow no problem."

"So, you're a trend setter," she squeezed her leg.

"Hardly," she grinned.

"I go to church and work at a kindergarten, if I'm what the fashion world is waiting for then they've bet on the wrong woman."

"Princess Diana worked at a kindergarten."

"My point exactly and look what happened to her? Married to a cheating husband with big ears and an older woman as a mistress."

"I laid flowers outside the palace after she died."

"It must've been quite the occasion, I saw the funeral on telly."

"I was depressed for days but before that I couldn't have cared less about the royals, the biggest benefit scroungers in history but at least she tried to change things."

"But on an entirely different subject, how do you feel about me now or is the jury still out on that one?" Charlene slid her fingers down to her belt.

"I um, I like you. I wouldn't be sitting on your bed letting you play with my cardigan if I didn't feel something for you but that's as far as it goes for now."

"That's fine, we've got on with each other a couple of times but been interrupted," her eyes shifted and she pulled her left knee up onto the bed and moved a little closer.

Susan didn't reply as Charlene fingered the top button of her cardigan.

"But seriously, how do you feel about this? Some people feel pressured to go all the way but they really shouldn't."

"I have no idea, I haven't given it much thought."

"I had a feeling about that, but some people hide a lot of stuff and it wouldn't be the first time I've misjudged the situation but you like to be undressed, or is that just anxiety?"

Charlene slid a hand up her front again.

"It's erotic, but I don't know much about my preferences," she sat up as Charlene dangled her hand from the top of her cardigan, "but at the moment everything's new, you've gone further than anyone has ever gone."

Charlene fiddled with her button and brought her hand further up to cup her cheek and leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. Susan opened her mouth as she broke free and Charlene kissed her again and halfway through the kiss she undid the top button on her cardigan. When she pulled away she had a crooked smile on her face as she adjusted the shallow vee.

"Slick," Susan murmured.

"Thanks," she stroked her front, "back in London my nickname was peaches and cream."

"Why?"

"It's a long story but the short version involved whipped cream on a woman's tits but there were no peaches," she turned and stared at their reflections.

"Someone threw that in afterwards but afterwards I had several women who wanted to know what it was like," she kept her eyes locked on the mirror as she fiddled with the second button and finally it slipped through the buttonhole and the vee deepened. Susan's eyes narrowed and she looked down at herself but didn't say a word as Charlene stroked her front slowly. Something had changed in the last few minutes and she thought it had to do with their kiss or was that just part of it?

Charlene kept her eyes locked on the mirror as she brought her other hand around and a moment or so later she undid the third button and Susan let her breath out slowly. Charlene smirked as she slid her hands down her front and then back up to her shoulders. She slipped down to the fourth button a moment later and she twisted it slightly to ease it free of its constraints. A sly smile nudged her lips as she tickled her belly through the satin blouse. Susan shivered and put a hand on her leg, Charlene dropped to the fifth button and undid it. The garment fell open and she chuckled.

"I had a girlfriend in Manchester who had a theory about doing things by staring in the mirror," her hands swept up her front. "She said it'd rewire your brain and make you smarter."

"And did it work?"

"Kelly learned to speak and read Russian and Gaelic, according to her theory it had something to do with developing your spatial awareness. She wrote a thesis on it at university," Charlene slid her left hand up under her cardigan and slipped it off her shoulder.

"Sounds, weird," she replied.

"There's a scientific method to her madness," she dragged her fingernails across the top of her back, "the brain is basically just a biological computer," she brought her other hand up to the left shoulder and eased the cardigan over it.

"And like all computers it can be reprogrammed," she scratched her way along her back again, "if a person has a stroke and recovers they find their brain has rerouted circuits to go around that part of the brain which is effectively dead."

"Okay," she stared at the mirror, "I guess so, I'd just have to take your word for it."

"Hey, I'm not entirely convinced myself but it was an interesting theory," she kept scratching her, "Kelly would do a lot of things in the mirror, peel potatoes, cut vegetables, cut her fingernails and a lot of other stuff."

"We don't understand the human brain as much as we like to think," she conceded.

"There is that too," she pulled the cardigan part of the way down her left arm, "so here I am, just testing her theory," she slid the garment down her right arm.

"So if you start speaking Russian we'll know her theory is correct?"

"Yes, but I'd need to do some kind of course," she kept her eyes locked on the mirror, using it as a guide as she pulled the cardigan past her elbows and down her forearms.

"Kelly learned it out of a Lonely Planet book but then she bought a more in depth book," she slid a sleeve over her hand and then did the same with the other hand.

"In the end she did do a course but she could already speak and read basic Russian," Charlene held the cardigan up in front of her, "I think I'll put one of these on my list but I want a black one," she tossed the garment onto the bed.

Susan leaned back on her palms and stretched her legs out as Charlene fiddled with the necklace, a moment later she spoke again.

"I love this though," she lifted it, "so light but it looks chunky, are they pearls?"

"Hardly, it'd be worth a fortune, they're some kind of plastic with a coating. It belonged to mum's mother. She gave it to me when I turned eighteen," her eyes narrowed as Charlene tried to undo the clasp but was having problems because she was staring at the mirror. Eventually however she undid the clasp and the necklace fell into her lap.

"Is she still alive?"

"Yeah, she's as bright as a button, she had a cancer scare awhile ago but that's all clear, just a couple of lumps in her breast that were benign."

"Good," she held the necklace against herself and turned to the wardrobe.

"I like it, I'm gonna scour every jewellery store until I find one like it," she put it to one side and moved forward and slid one hand up her front and the other up to her shoulder.

"I love the feel of satin under my fingers," she smirked.

Susan touched her glasses as Charlene scratched her way across her back to her left shoulder, when she reached it she slid her other hand down the hem of the blouse to her waistband and then along it as she scratched her way back to her right shoulder. She shut her eyes and shivered as Charlene kept scratching her back whilst tickling her front at the same time. She finally opened her eyes when the scratching and tickling stopped. She looked down at her phone, almost hoping it would ring and yet praying that nobody would call.

"Do you want to put the phone on silent?"

"I... um..." Susan looked up again, "it's cool, if mum calls I need to answer it."

"Fine, I understand, I always answer the phone if my mum calls too," she stared at the mirrors once again and slid her right hand up the hem of her blouse to the topmost button on the outer row and as she fiddled with it she frowned. Susan mentally prepared herself but then Charlene's hand dropped to her waistband and she tugged at the belt, drawing it past the keeper and into the buckle. It took a bit of time to pull it all the way in and then she undid the buckle.

"Nice touch with the belt though," she murmured.

"Yes, I thought so too," Susan replied.

The voice felt as if it came from somewhere outside herself. She had the distinct impression she was standing apart and looking on, which was somewhat true given she was staring at her reflection. As Charlene stared into the mirror she tried to feed the rest of the belt through the buckle but got stuck in a hole twice. Eventually however the buckle and belt end dangled freely and she grabbed the belt and started pulling it past the keepers.

"I like the front zip though, this is what I call a fuck me all night long skirt."

"Robyn's was different," she spoke up, "her zip and buttons were at the side and her skirt didn't have pockets, or a matching belt."

"Uh huh," Charlene kept staring at the mirror.

"And the one she's got was bought at a weekend market but it's become so popular it was included in their catalogues but with modifications," she went on.

"Cool," Charlene pulled the belt end past the last keeper and held it up for a closer look, "she put a lot of work into this, those holes need a punch and a hammer, my friend used to make belts for the weekend markets. She made my belt," she looked down at it briefly.

"Cool," Susan touched her glasses again and Charlene tossed the belt onto the bed.

Her reply seemed a little forced in her opinion but that was probably nervousness. She stared at the mirror as Charlene slid a hand up the outer row of buttons and rubbed the topmost one but then she brought her hand down to her breasts and squeezed one. Susan arched her back and let out a low, "oh," which earned a crooked smile from Charlene. She traced a figure of eight around her breasts, following the edges of her bra and Susan grasped the doona and closed her eyes. This was familiar but it was a little daunting because she still hadn't experienced an orgasm. Everything up until now had been but a rehearsal she realised but would the show be as dramatic and inspiring as she'd been told or would it be an anticlimax?

She opened her eyes when Charlene grabbed her left arm and pulled the cuff around a little to show the three-button closure. Once again, she stared at their reflections as she fiddled with the first cuff button and eventually slipped it through the buttonhole. Susan stared at her arm as she moved onto the second button and eased it into the buttonhole, a slight push saw it escape its confines and she moved onto the third button. As it came undone she felt something leave her, a reluctance to give in to what was clearly lust, she'd admitted that privately at least. The cuff fell open and she stroked her wrist gently and made to undo the watch strap but then decided against it.

"Too challenging," she smiled.

"What?" Susan's eyes narrowed.

"The watch," she let go of her left arm and picked up her right arm, "I was going to undo it but it's a metal clasp and I can't see it properly," she turned the arm slightly and twisted the first cuff button a moment later. Her fingers slipped off it but on the second attempt she managed to undo it and as she moved onto the second one Susan once again stared at her arm. It was hard to describe how she felt at the moment. On the one hand she was unsure of herself because she had no experience but on the other hand she wanted desperately to be naked and filled, a normal human response. However this slow disrobing was definitely heightening and deepening the arousal.

The second button came undone and her eyes shifted as Charlene eased the third button through the buttonhole and out the other side to part the cuff. She let her breath out slowly and their eyes met a split second later.

"Are you all right? We can stop and talk if you want?"

"Why?" Susan frowned, "you stripped me down to my underwear the other night and we would've gone all the way last night if I hadn't chucked up."

"I feel guilty about that, I must admit. I shouldn't have given you that last drink it tipped you over the edge."

"It's cool," she replied as Charlene drew her fingers up her backbone, "but drinking at Kerry's was kind of a bad idea too, thank God I didn't have any choof."

"I've never really taken to marijuana myself," she slid her fingers up the hem of her blouse, "I had it a couple of times back in London," she rubbed the topmost button on the outer row.

"But the first time I thought people were saying things behind my back, which was weird because I was with one person and she was in front of me," she dropped her hand to her waist.

"And the second time?" Susan asked as Charlene pulled her skirt over her knees.

"Ah, the second time was fucking horrible," she leaned down and pushing her left leg outwards, grabbed her left foot and raised it to her right leg.

"I spewed and spewed and spewed," she stared at their reflections and grabbed the zipper tab of the boot, "I had one girlfriend bringing me water," she pulled the zipper downwards.

"The other was on the phone to a doctor friend asking if I should go to the hospital," she pulled the zipper further down her leg and smiled.

"Fortunately I stopped throwing up and passed out," she kept pulling the zipper, "but when I woke up her doctor friend was sitting on the bed and she told me I was a heartbeat away from being taken to A and E," she let go of the zipper and pulled the boot off her foot.

"So, after that I decided to stay away from pot," she dropped the boot on the floor and pushed her foot off her leg, "just as well," she leaned down to pick up her other foot and this time Susan leaned back on her palms and lifted her right foot onto her left leg.

"I've been at parties where people smoked a lot of dope and it's boring as hell," she started to unzip the other boot, "I'd much rather be drinking," she pulled the zipper the rest of the way and then slid the boot off her foot and put it beside the other boot.

"You put on stockings today," she pushed her skirt further up to reveal the top of her stockings.

"Yeah, I bought the suspender belt and stockings from Myer."

"I love Myer but it's so expensive," she pushed her foot down, "slide back a bit."

"What's the British equivalent?" Susan pulled herself back to the middle of the bed, "Harrods?"

"Mm, maybe but Debenhams is more like it," she fixed her eyes on the mirror again and pulled her skirt right up and grabbing an elastic strap, pulled it outwards and then let it go suddenly, it snapped back and Susan flinched and then giggled.

"Stop that."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," she undid a clasp and the elastic strap shot upwards, "my bad," she undid the other snap and then leaned over to do the same with the other suspender straps.

"Now the challenging part," she turned to face the mirror and slid her fingers under a stocking and hooked her thumbs over the top. She smiled as she slid the stocking down her thigh, over her knee and down her calf, she reached the foot and pulled it off with a flourish.

"Now that impressed even me, and I'm hard to please," she slid back onto the bed and sliding her fingers under the other stocking, eased it down her leg and over her foot. Both stockings were then rolled up and tossed onto the bed.

Susan stared down at herself with a sense of amusement, so far she had lost her cardigan, necklace, belt, boots and stockings but Charlene was still fully dressed and in an odd way it was arousing if she was honest. Charlene pulled her right foot onto the bed, her skirt fell all the way down her leg and then she nodded at her.

"You can kneel if you want."

Somewhat hesitantly, Susan knelt on the bed and her eyes fell as Charlene slid further onto the bed but didn't take her boots off.

"My boots, my bed," she inched closer and knelt the beside her to squeeze one of her breasts. Susan arched her back and a low groan escaped her.

"I love the feeling of satin," Charlene drew her thumbnail across a nipple and Susan exhaled and closed her eyes as Charlene massaged her breast.

"It's so slippery," she went on, "don't you think?"

"Huh?" Susan opened her eyes and touched her glasses.

"Satin, it's slippery, isn't it?"

"Of course," she exhaled suddenly as Charlene moved onto the other breast and massaged it as well before coming back to the other one.

"You seem to have a preference for that style," Charlene raised her hands to the topmost button on the outer row.

"I do, everything looks smoother in the front," she replied as Charlene worked the button through the buttonhole, it fell out the other side to form a lopsided vee. Charlene drew one hand down the hem of her blouse and her left hand down her back, both hands traced circles that caused her to shiver once again.

"And it stops guys from trying to peer down your blouse," Charlene reached her waistband and slid a hand over her pussy.

"Oh fuck," Susan spread her legs wider and Charlene brought her hands up to the second button on the outer row and studied the mirror as she tried to undo it but in the end had to use her left hand as well. The button slid free of its constraints and the lopsided vee deepened, she slid her right hand down to the waistband before returning to the third button on the outer row. This one came undone fairly easily to deepen the lopsided vee and she smiled crookedly.

"Comfortable?"

"Yeah, I am," she replied.

"Good, being comfortable is important," she stared at their reflections as she fiddled with the fourth button on the outer row, it slid free of the buttonhole and she deepened the lopsided vee and brought her hands down to the fifth button.

"You can stop me any time you like, just say stop and I'll stop," she twisted the button and eased it into the buttonhole but this one was a little tighter but eventually it popped free and she deepened the lopsided vee and dropped her hands down to the sixth button. She pushed it into the buttonhole and out the other side and parted the blouse as far as possible.

"Understand?" Charlene turned to face the mirror as well and rubbed her back.

"Uh huh," she nudged her glasses.

"Good," Charlene moved around behind her and squeezed her shoulders firmly, eliciting a sudden flinching from Susan.

"You're a bit tight there," she massaged her shoulders as she kept her eyes on the mirror.

"I keep meaning to try and book time at a spa resort," she replied.

"It's a pity massage parlours don't do actual massages," Charlene found the topmost button on the inner row and twisted it slightly to ease it through the buttonhole.

"Tell me about it," she replied as Charlene pulled the hem across to even out the lopsided vee.

"Have you ever been to one?"

"What? A massage parlour?" Charlene eased the second button free of its constraints.

"You know, you're the first person to ever ask me that," she adjusted the deeper vee slightly, "hell, guys go to massage parlours in groups, why can't girls?"

"I've never thought about it," she replied as Charlene brought her hands over to the third button on the inner row, "but maybe one day, although I reckon an escort girl is better, massage parlours I'm not so sure about."

"Or two girls," Charlene pushed the button into the buttonhole, "one each that is," she tugged on the hem and the vee became deeper, the point rested just above her cleavage now.

"Do you want to, one day? Put in for a couple of ladies?"

"Um," Susan nudged her glasses, "no one's asked me that before."

"Sorry, it escalated quickly, my bad," she brought her hands over to the fourth button and eased it into the buttonhole and out the other side, a moment later she revealed a pink bra with satin inserts in the shape of flowers.

"You're forgiven," she replied.

"Thanks," she brought her hands along to the fifth button on the inner row and unbuttoned it, the vee became even deeper and she hesitated as she reached the sixth button.

"Do you want me to turn the phone off this time?"

"No, it's fine," she replied as Charlene undid the sixth button, "but thanks anyway," she continued as Charlene pulled the blouse out at the front to expose the last two buttons, "just letting you know," she slipped the blouse out at the sides and then the back.

"Do you want me to?"

"Not necessary," she propped her head on Susan's shoulder and stared into the mirror as she undid the last two buttons.

"There," she parted the blouse all the way, "just as mother nature intended."

Susan stared at herself in the mirror, the blouse hung loosely about her and her pink bra and the top of the suspender belt were visible as well. It was hard to describe her feelings right now, it was as if she'd been hypnotised she mused inwardly. Certainly watching herself being disrobed was hypnotic in and of itself but being undressed had a way of focusing your attention. She could see why Robyn and Penny favoured that form of foreplay.

Foreplay, her eyes shifted as Charlene brought her hands down to the first of her skirt buttons, was that the right word to describe this? She stared at their reflections as the top button slipped free of the buttonhole. She'd always thought of foreplay as having someone feel your breasts or finger you but not this.

"Three more to go," she twisted the second button and slipped it through the buttonhole to deepen the vee and then she brought her hands around to her buttocks and lifted.

Susan rose slowly and winced as Charlene's mobile phone rang.

"Ignore it," she spoke up and undid the third button.

She didn't reply but looked down as Charlene brought her hands down to the fourth button and slid it through the buttonhole. The waistband parted and she grabbed the zipper tab and stared at her for a few seconds.

"And you're okay with this? Still not too late to think about it."

"I'm okay," she patted her hand, "it's a bridge I have to cross sooner or later."

"I couldn't have put it better myself," she pulled the zipper down, it was longer than normal, ending about ten centimetres from her pussy.

She parted the garment all the way to show matching panties with a ruffle around the leg holes and a pale pink suspender belt made of a lacy material. The phone stopped ringing and she breathed out a moment later.

"Was it important?"

"Probably not," she pushed the skirt over her hips and gravity took care of the rest, it pooled on the bed around her knees.

"It's probably work wanting to know if I can come in to cover for someone who called in sick."

"Oh, so you're losing money."

"Yeah but this is more fun," she grinned.

She slid her hands under her blouse to undo the hook and eye fastenings on the suspender belt and it fell open a few moments later. She tossed it behind her and moved her hands up to her bra strap, she unclipped it and lowered her hands and left it sitting over her breasts and brought her hands out from behind the blouse.

"So, moment of truth, vibrator or dildo?"

"Um," she closed her eyes, "I don't know, sorry, I'm having a blonde moment."

"No, you're just nervous, that's all," she squeezed her shoulders and then slid the blouse off them, it slipped down her and she exhaled suddenly as the enormity of the situation dawned on her. She had just given her the green light but that didn't get rid of the anxiety. Charlene removed the blouse and put it behind her and then pushed the bra over her shoulders. The undergarment fell off her plump well-rounded breasts to reveal heart-shaped areolae and pert nipples, a dark brown mole was visible on top of her left breast. Charlene put the garment behind her and slid around to face her. Their lips met in a teasing kiss and she grabbed her jacket and went to push it over her shoulders but Charlene shook her head.

"I'll take care of that, just lie down and I'll wake mister vibrator up," she grinned.

"Okay," she lay down on her back as Charlene got off the bed. Everything seemed disconnected she stared up at the ceiling mirrors and slightly different angles of herself but it was not all she saw as Charlene pulled the jacket off her shoulders and down her back. A few seconds later she removed it completely and tossed it onto the bed with a flourish.

"Ta da," she put one foot up onto the bed and pulled the first strap end through the buckle and hard against it to pop the prong out while Susan watched in the mirror. She felt the warmth in her belly as Charlene unbuckled the next strap, sensing her attention, she too looked up as she undid the last buckle.

"Hello there, fancy meeting you here," she unzipped the boot and pulled it off her foot.

"Yeah, how about that," she locked her hands behind her head.

"So, tell me, on a scale of one to ten with ten being very disappointed," she pulled her sock off and lowered her foot to the floor and put the other one on the bed.

"How disappointed are you that Grant is now with someone else?" she pulled the strap through the buckle and popped the prong out.

"Hmm," she closed her eyes briefly, "maybe a five."

"Five, huh?" Charlene pulled the second strap through the buckle and undid it, "why?"

"Don't know," she replied as she pulled the third strap into the buckle and hard against it.

"I guess I had higher expectations of myself," she went on as Charlene undid the buckle and pulled the strap out of the buckle.

"Always a bad idea," she unzipped the boot and pulling her foot out of it, slipped the sock off, boot and sock wound up on the floor together.

"I was always setting unachievable goals for myself," she undid the first button on her waistcoat, "I think it's the so called benefits of a grammar school," she pushed the second button further into the buttonhole.

"The powers that be," she slid the button out of the buttonhole, "expect us private school kids to be politicians, or politicians' wives," she unbuttoned the third button.

"Or journalists, managers, actors and actresses," she eased the fourth button free of its constraints, "or whatever, but we're supposed to be the ruling class," she dropped to the fifth button.

"That's what I love about Australia," she undid the button and parted the waistcoat.

"You guys don't give a fuck about privilege," she pulled the garment over her shoulders and down her back, "it's so fucking refreshing," she threw it onto Susan's clothes a moment later.

"Is it really that bad?"

"Pretty much, they're trying to change it," she undid the buckle on her leather trousers and pulled the belt end out, "ever since Blair to be honest although he's a bit of a wanker."

She started sliding the belt past the keepers as Susan watched.

"I always thought Blair was okay."

"A lot of people do," she kept on pulling, "but I look at him and just think you're wet," she pulled the last of the belt past the keeper and dropped it onto the floor with a clunk.

"But people are just hungry for change after years of Tory rule," she loosened the tie and slid it out of the knot, "it stands to reason when I think of it," she undid the rest of the knot.

"These cunts stick together," she looked up, "you see them arguing in Parliament but behind closed doors it's just one big happy family," she let the tie dangle loosely about her neck and undid the top button on her blouse.

"It's much the same here," Susan looked up at the ceiling again.

"Alastair always says he's going to give birth to a politician whenever he goes for a shit."

Charlene giggled as she undid the first cuff button.

"I must remember that one," she fiddled with the second one.

"Now and then he comes back and says I reckon that one was a prime minister."

Charlene smiled as she undid the second cuff and then walked around the end of the bed. When she got to the bedside drawers she opened the bottom one and took out the vibrator, dildo and lubricant, they landed on the bed. Susan pulled her eyes from the mirrors and looked over at her as she knelt on the bed and folded the sleeves partway up her arms. She felt quite nervous now but that was to be expected she reasoned.

Everyone gets nervous, Robyn had told her, the first time I thought I was coming apart. I knew what to expect but even so it was nothing like the real thing.

"Anxious?" Charlene finished folding the other sleeve up.

"You could say that."

"I was shitting myself the first time," she undid a brace clip, "I remember looking at my white silk knickers," she undid the other clip," and thinking what the fuck was I thinking when I got dressed tonight?" She undid the back clip and held the braces up.

"I like them," Susan murmured.

"They're yours then," she tossed them onto her pile of clothes.

"You can't do that."

"My braces, my choice," she crawled further forward and grabbed the sex toys, "consider it a swap, you gave me a nice tie and I gave you braces," she came to a stop in front of her and straightened up and looked down at her.

"And you're sure you want to go through with this?"

"Yeah, why? Is there an issue?"

"Nope, just checking," she grabbed her hands and guided them to the bedhead uprights.

She grasped the bedhead and Charlene kissed her a few times on the lips before moving down to her throat with soft, sucking kisses. She lay down beside her and moved onto a breast. Susan arched her back when she drew the nipple up into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it. A groan escaped her lips as Charlene suckled her whilst manipulating the other breast and then she moved onto that one too and sucked it. Her breathing became ragged and her cries turned desperate as Charlene left her breasts and headed down to her belly. She rose grabbed her head briefly but Charlene pushed her hands away and so she grabbed the bedhead again.

Charlene tickled her pubic hair as she licked her belly button and massaged each breast in turn and then she slid further down and slid her tongue between her lips. Susan yelped and arched her back at the same time as Charlene licked her again and again and with each pass she felt herself sliding closer to the abyss. She tickled her perineum and slid the clitoral hood back to taste her clitoris, it was too tender for that kind of attention at the moment but she enjoyed this very unique sensation. It was impossible to describe however but finally Charlene slid a lubricated finger inside. Susan got up on her elbows at that point and opened her mouth as a loud, "oh fuck," escaped her. Charlene's eyes flickered as she looked up at her and then she crooked her finger and drew it backwards to touch her g-spot.

That got yet another reaction and she repeated the process a few more times until Susan finally fell backwards and grabbed her own breasts and whimpered and her moans intensified when Charlene turned the vibrator on and slid the lubricated sex toy partway into her. She gasped and cried out as the vibrator filled her. It felt for a few seconds as if she was going to really split in two but then she felt herself adjusting to the greater girth. The vibrations travelled outwards to the mass of nerves between the front of her passage and her clitoris.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck," she cried out.

Charlene kept going, sliding it in further but then she withdrew and tilted the toy slightly to come in contact with her g-spot. That caused her to writhe and she let go of the doona and grabbed her head as Charlene went to work on her vulva, perineum and clitoris. The vibrating toy slid in and out in a constant fucking motion and Susan finally felt something shift as a spasm erupted inside her and it became the first of several. She was panting heavily now as Charlene continued her sensuous attack on her nether regions. She thought at first that it was going to continue until her heart gave out but then she had a final spasm and a warm feeling that started in her vagina spread out until it reached her head. Susan finally climaxed and she felt as if she was lying in the middle of a soft mattress that stretched from horizon to horizon. She blacked out briefly but came to as Charlene slid the vibrator out of her and grinned.

"Well, someone's happy."

"What just happened, was that a?"

"An orgasm? Yeah, I think so," she got up onto her knees and looked down at her, "feeling good?"

"That was, that was," she stopped, "I have no words."

"Few women do," she tossed the vibrator to one side, "and they all have different ways to describe a woman's climax."

"I need a piss," she sat up.

"Grab the dressing gown from the back of my door, probably a good idea to grab some knickers as well although Kevin's not going to care but it might embarrass you."

A couple of minutes later she dropped her panties and lifted the dressing gown up and sat down to let nature take its course. The last hour so had been the most consequential in years, she'd come in a virgin and would walk out a woman. She peered at herself a few minutes later, not knowing what to expect but there was no blood, but she felt a little stretched. As she was washing her hands though her phone rang and she winced at the tone. It was probably her mother and to her surprise and alarm Charlene answered it. By the time she got back to the bedroom however the conversation was over and Charlene was lying flat on her back with her arms and legs spread wide.

"That was your mum, she's coming to pick you up in twenty five minutes and she's invited me over for dinner," she propped on her elbows.

"Your auntie Fiona is flying to London and your mum asked if I could give her travel advice."

"Oh right," she knelt on the bed, "twenty minutes."

"Yeah," she squinted at her, "just enough time to get dressed, she was going to come in fifteen but I said I needed to have a quick shower," she sat up.

"So, I'll go and wash my face and wet my hair and you get dressed."

"What about you?"

"Welcome to the wild wicked world of lesbian love, sometimes you give her an orgasm from hell and then you've got to leave for work," she slid off the bed.

Even so, she still felt guilty as she got dressed. Charlene rearranged her wardrobe too but left the tie off and kept the braces on.

"If she wants advice about London I'd better look the part," she grinned.

"Whatever," she finished buttoning her blouse and reached for her skirt.

"Surprised you've put your suspender belt back on again."

"I know mum probably knows what I've done but I'm not ready to tell her yet," she slid her hands into the cardigan, "is that bad?"

"Nope, just discreet," she stared at the mirror, "but you're probably right, I think she suspects we've had our share of morning glory."

When Valerie arrived with, Fiona ten minutes later they were sitting on the front porch trying not to look as if they'd just been fucking.

~*~

Judd Street, Tuesday12, November 17:15.

Janis drained her second cappuccino and then glanced down at her phone as Susan eyed the remains of her snack, a cheesecake. Susan had just finished telling her a little more about what had gone on between her and Charlene years ago. Their visit to the museum had been fun but Susan and Sarah both agreed it'd take more than a day to see it all. Janis had taken them through rooms forty to forty nine, which covered Britain and Europe from the Iron age to the 1800s, she'd then taken them into the Ancient Egyptian section after pausing for coffee and cake in the coffee lounge. Tomorrow she promised to take them to see the famous Elgin Marbles, now renamed the Parthenon Sculptures in an attempt to fend off the Greeks who desperately wanted them back.

"Arguably they're right," she commented as they made their way to the café in Judd Street, "but it'd be a shame to see them go, I hate Greece with a passion, it's too fucking hot and the place is filled with tourists, one of my exes loved the place though."

"We haven't been yet," Sarah replied, "it's been discussed once or twice."

"Turkey's better, it's cheaper for a start and if you want old ruins there's plenty there or beaches, it's also friendlier for tourists. There's been a backlash lately against tourists in places like Venice and other big cities," she frowned.

"Which begs the question. What happens if we all just stay away? Venice would collapse, its main source of income is tourism."

"We haven't had that in Melbourne yet but I've heard about in other countries, mass tourism, I have little sympathy for them to be honest," she adjusted her glasses and squinted at the sign.

"Half cup? Okay, this should be interesting."

"I haven't been in here before but we're meeting Åsa here," she nodded at her.

"So, what happened when you and Charlene got back to your house after your um, encounter."

"Oh that," she smiled, "we had coffee and cake with auntie Fi and mum, Charlene told her all about London and gave her a few tips and then mum took auntie Fi home and we um," she smiled.

"Continued?"

"Yeah, it was the first time I'd gone down on anyone, let alone a woman and then we switched, by the time mum got back we were both dressed but needing a shower. I only found out years later that mum knew all along what we'd been doing at Charlene's joint and my room."

"Mums are like that, shall we?" Janis opened the door and waved her in.

"Thanks," she and Sarah stepped into the café and waited for someone to take them to a table, they didn't have to wait that long at that time of the day.

For the last forty minutes or so they'd been drinking tea and snacking although Janis warned her not to fill her boots.

"You'll get fed at the Savoy, the last time I went there I walked out feeling like a balloon."

She'd told her a bit more about that day and Janis confessed to being curious about sex between two women, it was something she'd never experienced but had plenty of friends who were gay. Later on she admitted that her sister's recent death had caused to her rethink a lot of things. Death, mortality, spirituality and sexuality.

"The whole kit and caboodle, I've lost my younger sister and I'm watching mum deteriorate, she's got early onset dementia and I know at some point my brother and I will have to make a decision but for now she's fairly happy."

"How do you get on with your brother?"

"Michael is like the turd you can't flush," she grimaced, "enough said there."

~*~

Susan looked up as a woman walked into the café, she looked to be in her late thirties or mid forties. She had thick blonde hair that fell past her shoulders, framing an oval-shaped face decorated with large spectacles with a rose frame. The woman fixed her eyes on them.

"Someone's just noticed you, is that her?" Susan asked Janis.

Janis turned around and looked at the woman and then waved and the woman made her way over to them. She was dressed for an office in a tan-coloured blouse and dark brown trouser suit.

"Hey, hello," the woman greeted them, "it's been so long."

"Åsa," Janis rose and gave her a half hug, "my God woman, what's your beauty regime," she eyed her a second later, "you haven't aged a day in five years."

"Healthy eating, a glass of red and I haven't had a cigarette in twenty years," she looked at Susan and Sarah on the other side of the table, "although I don't have kids so there's that too. You must be Susan," she fixed her eyes on her.

"She sent me a picture of you not long after you and her got together."

"I am," she held out her hand, "and this is my partner, Sarah," she introduced her.

"Nice to meet you," she shook her hand as well.

"It's been awhile since I've been in here," she took off her overcoat and hung it over the back of the chair and undid her scarf, "but it wasn't a café then," she hung the scarf over the chair too.

"I can't remember what it was," Janis sat down again, "wait, it was an Asian grocer."

"Oh that's right, I dropped in to pick something up," she picked up the menu.

"I am hungry but this won't have an impact. When're we meeting Tony?"

"Seven," she replied, "we didn't have much ourselves, we need to save room for the main course."

"Absolutely," she nudged her glasses, "ooh, blueberry muffins, I might murder one of them," Åsa glanced up, "see, I do know some Australian, courtesy of Charlene."

"How's Ingrid?"

"She's fine, she flew back to Copenhagen this morning. I'll see her again on Saturday," she smiled at Susan, "Ingrid's my partner, we've been together eighteen years and argued once."

"Just once?" Sarah raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, she wanted to stay in London and I wanted to move to Copenhagen. Thankfully I won," she smirked, "because when Brexit happened she had permanent residency."

"How long does it take to get that?" Susan wondered.

"Eight years, I had dual citizenship because of my dad and mum but she was English," she glanced at a waitress hovering nearby.

"Would you like to order?"

"Yes, I would," Åsa smiled.

After she'd ordered a blueberry muffin and a chai latte she leaned on the table and studied Susan for a few seconds.

"It's so good to finally meet you. Charlene used to go on about you and afterwards she told me she regretted the way it ended."

"She said the same thing about you, she just wasn't clear about who was at fault."

"I can answer that one," she glanced out the window briefly, "I gave her the option of settling down with me and giving up her other girlfriends or she could keep her tarts but say goodbye to me," Åsa nudged her glasses.

"She thought I was bluffing until I got a job in Copenhagen and moved there. We were never really that serious to be honest, we lasted five and a half weeks, six if you count the two and a half days I kept her in suspense."

"We lasted six weeks," Susan leaned her head against the wall.

"So we have that in common," she glanced at Sarah and smiled crookedly, "sorry, I hope you don't mind the comparisons."

"Not at all," she replied, "I didn't meet her until years later during a Covid lockdown but I knew all about her from Susan anyway."

Åsa nodded and looked down at the table for a few seconds.

"It didn't matter how badly she hurt me I was always glad to hear from her."

Susan nodded as she let her mind wander again.

To be continued...