Two Can Play Ch. 05

"It's been nearly a month," Rachel ruefully admitted to Kate. They were looking through racks of clothes in a major store, though neither felt much enthusiasm. "This is all so dreary. Dark and dull colours."

Rachel plucked out a dress that fully answered to her description and held it in front of her.

Kate shook her head. "Awful."

The dress was replaced and they wandered away to investigate another rack.

"Do you include Paul when you say it's been nearly a month?" Kate enquired.

"Yes."

"Oh, dear. I don't think I could abstain from sex for a whole month."

"I haven't abstained. It hasn't been on offer." Rachel fingered a silver grey trouser suit. "What do you think?"

"No, doesn't suit your colour. They've got it in black."

Rachel considered it. "Um. Maybe. Eighty pounds. Worth it, would you say?"

Kate shrugged. "Try it on."

There was more critical contemplation followed by a sigh. "No, I think not." Rachel replaced it.

They wandered off.

"I didn't think you'd be bothered about price after your windfall." Kate briefly flicked up the hem of a skirt. "That's not very well made."

"Windfall?" Rachel frowned. "I'm not sure that's an appropriate word for my father's death."

"That's what it is. And you said he was suffering. Probably for the best."

"Oh, it was, I'm sure of it. Still..."

"And you told me you weren't very close."

"Not very," Rachel sadly admitted.

"At least he left you his fortune."

"Hardly that. A little over twenty thousand."

"Um. Not to be sniffed at."

"It won't last long now I've given up my job."

"Unemployment is not to become a permanent state, is it?"

Rachel shook her head. "Not at all. I simply couldn't stand that damned store any longer. I'm looking for something a little different. This money gives me breathing space."

"What about Paul? Does he get anything?"

"He doesn't expect a penny of my inheritance."

"Good job we live in the age we do. In the past a woman's money and possessions belonged to her husband. Fancy a coffee?" Kate asked as they approached the in-house self-service restaurant.

"Why not?"

Over the last few months a real friendship had grown between the two women. They partied together, went on a few joint dates - though not foursomes for sex; at least, not yet - and generally enjoyed each other's company.

There were not many customers and they were able to get a table set well apart from the nearest person. Apart from the coffee they had both selected a large piece of gateau containing far too many calories. To compound the felony, both had asked for cream to be added.

"What the hell," murmured Kate, her mouth full. "We can cut down on something else."

"We'd have to stop eating for the rest of the week." Rachel was gorging herself on chocolate and cream.

"It's worth it."

"Um." Rachel nodded agreement.

A few minutes later, the only evidence of their binge being a few crumbs on the plates, they sat back with satisfied smirks and drank the coffee.

"I was picked up last week," Kate announced.

"What's unusual about that?"

"No....I mean, picked up. On the street."

"I don't understand."

"It was night....street lights....not many people about and I was at a bit of loss about where to go, what I wanted to do. I was walking along, but not purposefully, then something in a shop window caught my eye so I stopped to look. After a moment I turned away, but hesitated, still undecided. This car slowly came along and stopped. Quite big and flashy. The window went down and a man's voice came out of the dark interior."

"What did he say?"

"He asked me if I was waiting for business."

Rachel looked shocked. "Do you mean he took you for...for a prostitute?"

"Exactly."

"Didn't you tell him where to get off?"

"I must admit it was on the tip of my tongue, but then I decided to play along and see where it led."

"Kate, you didn't!"

"I've seen all the films so I know how it's done. I leaned in through the open window and saw a not bad looking man. He asked me how much so I told him forty pounds in the car. I'd no idea whether that was too much or too little, but I had to come up with a figure. He didn't bat an eye, but told me to get in. So I did."

"But anything could have happened to you."

Kate grinned. "That was part of the excitement. I was wet just thinking of all the possibilities. I thought the odds of him murdering me were pretty small. Anyway, he asked where to drive, which caught me out for a moment. Then I remembered an alley not far away, one of these dead end places used for deliveries. No activity at that time. We drove there and he handed me the forty pounds; I'd forgotten about it. Have you ever done it in a car?"

Rachel shook her head.

"It's not easy, even in a big one. It was impossible on the front seat because of all the gears and control panels, so we got into the back."

"Then what did you do?"

"Unzipped his fly, found his cock and brought it out."

"Was it big?"

Kate shook her head. "In different circumstances I wouldn't have given it a second look; puny, crumpled little thing. But he'd paid me money to do something about it, so I began masturbating it with my hands. It took a while, but eventually there were signs of life and it stiffened enough to make me think we might get somewhere."

"I wouldn't have bothered."

"I felt sorry for him. A bit pathetic, really. It became a matter of personal pride to do something for him. Anyway, it was up as far as it was going, though still a bit squidgy."

"Sounds great." Rachel pulled a face.

"I reckoned I wasn't going to get any more out of him, so I pulled down my tights and pants. There wasn't much room, so it was more of a wriggle, actually."

"How did you manage to do it?"

"I sat on him. He was just hard enough to get it into me. Unimpressive as he was, I felt well lubricated. The whole situation was such a turn on my juices were flowing down my legs. He slid in easily enough and I began riding him, trying not to bang my head on the roof. Then, miracle of miracles, he really started to harden. My warm, silky pussy really got him going. Soon over, though. Couldn't hold it at all."

"He came inside you?"

"Of course."

"Shouldn't you have used a condom?"

"Never crossed my mind. Didn't have one, anyway. Besides, what's the point when I don't use them on anyone else?"

Rachel looked doubtful. "Seems different, somehow."

Kate grinned. "Oh, it was different all right."

"Did you have an orgasm?"

Kate shook her head. "No. It was over too fast and the circumstances weren't right. Too uncomfortable. Wouldn't fancy doing it for a living, but as an experience it was great."

"Um. Don't think I'd fancy trying. Even once."

They finished their coffee and continued looking around the store, but ended up by buying nothing.

"Bang go their profits," murmured Kate.

They were walking along the street when Rachel suddenly stopped in front of a travel agency.

"Let's go on holiday."

"What?"

"I've got some time due and I could take it next month."

"Have you got the money?"

Rachel smiled as she tapped her bag. "A few thousand pounds from my father's estate."

Kate pulled a face. "You're lucky. All I've got is a credit card with a balance that's too high for my liking."

"Oh, come on, let's get away for a couple of weeks. Sunshine, sea and sand....."

"And men!"

They both laughed.

*****

"Yes!!!!"

Rachel's exuberant shout of joy was a reaction to stepping out onto the balcony of their self catering apartment in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria. The sun was shining out of a clear blue sky impregnating the gentle Atlantic waves with millions of sparkling pin-pricks of light, whilst a light breeze wafted nothing but warmth. Immediately below the balcony was an inviting swimming pool, whilst to the left and right other hotels and resort complexes climbed up the hillside on which the town was built.

"Come out here, Kate," Rachel called back into the apartment. "You've got to see this."

"Will it disappear in the next half minute?"

"I hope not."

"Then I'll go for a pee."

With a sigh of deep pleasure, Rachel leaned her elbows on the balcony rail and put her head between her hands as she gazed out over the vista before her. Fourteen nights of this. It was like a dream.

They had gone into the travel agency, plucked up half a dozen brochures and studied them whilst having another cup of coffee. It took an hour, by which time the management were on the verge of throwing them out, for the girls to decide where to go.

"Spoilt for choice, that's the trouble." Kate turned a page. "They're all beginning to look and sound the same."

"I fancy the Canary Islands." Rachel had stopped at a page headed GRAN CANARIA. "Puerto Rico sounds nice. Hottest of the south coast resorts, lively centre, deep curve of golden sand."

"Yes, but it's four hours flying time. We can get closer than that."

"I don't want to go anywhere that's full of kids."

"Difficult to avoid them. They seem to be everywhere, even when it's not school holidays."

Rachel tapped her brochure. "Young and livelies congregate at Puerto Rico. That's us, isn't it?"

"I like to think so, but sometimes I have my doubts, as far as I'm concerned."

"Don't be silly. You still look pretty good."

"Oh, thanks. That back-handed compliment cheered me up no end."

Rachel ignored her friend. "I'd like to go to Puerto Rico. Self catering. That way we can eat what we like when we like. And you don't have the same restrictions as in a hotel."

Kate shrugged. "I'm easy. Wherever we go I can't afford it."

Of course, Paul was far from pleased. "We've always gone on holiday together."

"I fancy one now. Can you get away?"

"You know very well I can't."

"So that's it."

"My God, I can't believe you could change so much."

"This is the new liberated Rachel. I've been a mouse too long."

"You were anything but a mouse."

"Sometimes I felt like one. But I'm different now." Rachel patted his hand. "I'm going to Gran Canaria with Kate, so you might as well get used to the idea." She giggled. "Anyway, while the mouse is away, the cat can play."

Rachel sighed again as she contemplated her home for the next two weeks. She always got a kick out of being abroad in a country with lots of sunshine. Her pleasure was probably magnified because of deprivation as a child, her parents always choosing to go to Scotland for their holidays. It usually rained, a chilly wind blew and the temperature rarely rose above 65 Fahrenheit. Now here she was in the Canary Islands where the temperature was 80 and there was no sign of rain; she was determined to make the best of it.

"Um. Not bad." Kate had finally emerged onto the balcony.

"Not bad!" cried Rachel. "It's wonderful. I'm going to enjoy this holiday."

"If it kills you."

"You're being a bit of a damp squib. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kate patted her friend's hand. "Probably a touch of jet lag."

Rachel frowned. "I thought that was only supposed to happen on long haul flights."

"Believe me, four hours is a long haul as far as I'm concerned. I hate being cooped up on a plane. Shit scared it's going to fall out of the sky."

"That's silly."

"They do, you know."

"One in I don't know how many thousands."

"Just my luck to be on that one."

"You can mope about here if you like." Rachel went inside. "I'm going to have a shower, put on my bikini that hides almost nothing, and go down to the pool."

She was right about the bikini. The top covered her areolae and nipples and not much else, whilst the bottom hardly did more than hide her pubic hair. Little was left to the imagination and, judging by the stares of all the men, they were quickly filling in the blanks. Women, too, were giving Rachel the benefit of their attention, for different and more hostile reasons.

However, she refused to be fazed by their frozen looks, but joyfully jumped into the pool and swam from one end to the other. Having achieved that feat of endurance, she trod water and surveyed the scene around the pool, concentrating on the men who were obviously not accompanied by a female. She had no wish to rob anyone, despite what the other women might think, and was certain there would be enough of the opposite sex to go round. A fair number of them looked most inviting and she would enjoy getting to know them better.

Smiling to herself she resumed swimming, but this time with a gentle, lazy stroke. The water felt good, the sun was shining and everything was right in this best of all possible worlds.

*****

The holiday was more than half over. In the eight days since their arrival, the two girls had walked up and down the hillsides, lazed on the beach, swum in the pool, taken two excursions, danced in the discos, eaten a lot of the wrong food, drunk too much and been fucked by three men; each of them, that is, by three different men.

Now they had hired a pedalo and were trying, with little success, to get the wretched thing to go in the direction of their choice. It appeared to have a mind of its own and their navigation was proving less than admirable. A great deal of shouting, furious paddling and splashing was getting them nowhere very fast, the pedalo being determined to do nothing more than describe a circle.

"Stop peddling!" shouted Rachel.

"What difference will that make?"

"I don't know. Do it."

Kate did. It made no difference. Rachel stopped.

"Now we're not going anywhere," Kate grumbled.

"It's better than endlessly going round and round. We'll start again; gently. Together now. One, two, three."

They paddled.

And went round in a circle.

"Oh, this is hopeless."

"Need a hand?"

They had both been so occupied with their navigational failings that neither of them had noticed a pedalo swiftly and smoothly draw alongside. It was propelled by two young men; not bad looking young men, as Rachel was quick to notice. Better still, they understood how to work the bloody pedalos.

She smiled sweetly. "We can't get it to go straight."

"Nothing to it."

"Show us."

Without another word the two men peddled off.

"Oh, well done." Kate sounded peeved. "Rescue was at hand and you sent them away."

"I didn't do anything of the sort," Rachel protested. "Look." She pointed. "They're coming back."

Without the slightest hint of a problem the other pedalo once more came alongside.

"You see?" The young man grinned.

"Frankly; no. Showing off like that did nothing but boost your egos." Rachel's sharp tone drew a dirty look from Kate, but neither of the men seemed bothered.

"Tell you what," said the Captain; he must have been the Captain, for he had done all the talking. "We'll swop over. You come into this pedalo with me and Derek will join your friend. That way we might be able to get both of you going."

"Think you're up to that?" asked Rachel, with more than a hint of seduction in her voice.

"We're more than capable," replied the Captain.

"Let's try then."

Derek climbed out onto a small platform connecting the two halves of the pedalo at the front. Once he was clear Rachel began to climb over into his seat, but only succeeded in pushing the pedalos apart. Her hands were on the floor of one whilst her feet were still in the other. She gave a squeal.

"Hang on!" yelled Derek, reaching across the gap to pull the pedalos together.

"Bring the rest of you across nice and easy," the Captain instructed. "Try not to rock us too much."

"It's not easy," muttered Rachel through gritted teeth.

She finally made the transfer and Derek nimbly jumped from his precarious perch to the seat in the other pedalo.

"Now we're off," said the Captain, who quickly introduced himself as Tony. "Pedal nice and steady and try to keep in rhythm with me."

"What about turning?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it. Right.... pedal."

The water churned beneath their paddles and the pedalo moved off in a straight line, miraculously turning at the right moment at Tony's behest.

"How do you do that?" Rachel asked.

Tony laughed. "Magic."

That was a supercilious reply guaranteed to make Rachel furious, but for some reason she found herself laughing with him. They spent the rest of the afternoon together and the evening, when they went to a disco in the town and consumed a large quantity of drink. Derek was barely able to keep his feet and had to be half carried by Kate and Tony, who were not all that capable themselves. However, they got him back to his apartment, dropped him onto a couch and left him to sleep it off.

"Looks like I'm in for a lonely night," murmured Kate.

"We'll keep you company." Rachel hiccuped. "Oops. Beg your pardon."

"Oo, good....a threesome." Kate suddenly grabbed a pole and held on to it. "I don't think...." She began to sag down, but jerked herself up. "I don't think I'm going to get any further. Maybe I should sleep here."

She began to slide down the pole, but Tony grabbed her. "Not far to go and we'll have you in bed."

"I fancy that." She kissed him on the lips. "I fancy you."

"Great. Let's get you home first."

"Home is a long way away." Kate waved her arms. "A long, long way. Four hours flying time."

"Your bed's nearer. Just a couple of minutes."

"How nice."

They staggered along to the girls' apartment and Rachel took her friend through to the bedroom. Kate flopped down onto the bed and was out like a light.

"She all right?" Tony enquired when Rachel emerged.

"Um. Fast asleep."

"Pity. I fancied a threesome."

Rachel lightly punched him on the chest. "You'll have to make do with me."

"I need the bathroom."

Tony quickly disappeared. Rachel went into the small kitchenette, filled the kettle and put it on the two ring hob. She heard the toilet flush followed by a rush of water from the tap. After a few moments Tony emerged from the bathroom, his hair dishevelled and face pale.

"I'm making coffee." Rachel looked critically at her guest. "You look as if you could do with some. Have you been sick?"

"As a dog."

"I wonder why we say that."

"Say what?"

"Sick as a dog."

"No idea." Tony groaned and doubled over.

"I think you'd better get back to the bathroom."

"Yes."

Rachel tried to block out the sound of him bringing up the contents of his stomach. She was not far off the same state herself and needed little encouragement. She made the coffee and went out onto the balcony. It was a beautiful, warm night and a myriad stars twinkled in the clear heavens. She sat down on a lounger, closed her eyes and fell asleep.

She woke when Tony joined her.

"Feeling better?"

"Think so."

"The coffee's probably cold by now." She took a sip and was surprised to find it still hot. Obviously she had not been sleeping more than a couple of minutes.

"Don't think I want any."

"It'll do you good."

"Um." Tony sounded far from convinced, but sat down next to her and picked up the cup.

It took a few minutes, but gradually Tony became a little more loquacious and they began to talk quietly. He was twenty-five and a furniture salesman. The pay was far from great, but he got some commission on sales and that helped.

"I'm pretty good, though I say so myself."

"Where are you from?"

"Bristol."

"Nice?"

Tony shrugged. "All right, I suppose." He looked at Rachel. "Have you sobered up?"

"Was I drunk?"

"I think we all were, but I'm feeling a whole lot better now."

"I feel great."

"Let's go for a swim," Tony suddenly suggested.

"I thought the pool was closed at night."

"It is, but if we're quiet who's going to know?"

"Yeh." Rachel opened her eyes wide. "We'll be quiet."

They slipped out of the apartment and down the steps to the pool area, trying to stifle their giggles. The perimeter was illuminated by lights set in the wall, but the pool itself was gratifyingly dim. Most of the apartments were in darkness, only three or four revealing their occupants to be up. There were only couples or singles in this block, no families, so it was unlikely anyone would make a fuss about a late night invasion of the pool.