Lady Writer

by Abby Rhodes

5

  

More writing until Fifi returned late Friday afternoon. She reported that Aunt Blythe was not expected to survive beyond the weekend. I poured her a glass of serious alcohol and told her to take it easy and not to do anything around the house, but she said she would rather keep busy.

Danielle's BMW appeared in the driveway a half hour later. She stepped out of the car looking spectacular in a black Prada suit and I had the urge to knock her down and lick her all over. Danielle looked just as pleased to see me and there was a starry look in her eyes that told me she was very glad to see me again. We went inside and Danielle greeted Fifi warmly and kissed her affectionately on the cheek. Fifi was clearly touched by the gesture and smiled at me, then burst into tears.

I explained about Fifi's Aunt Blythe. Danielle instantly turned solicitous and hugged Fifi and talked to her quietly for a long time. Fifi responded by crying some more and Danielle assured me later that it was good for Fifi to let her emotions out.

I poured more drinks for everybody. I wanted to help but Danielle sort of took over. That's not a complaint. I felt genuinely sad for Fifi but I'd been looking forward to Danielle's visit as well. Never mind; if I wasn't good for anything else, I could definitely make a great drink, and that's what I did. All through the evening, Fifi cried, Danielle comforted her and I made drinks. At around nine, Danielle took a small bottle from her bag and made Fifi take two tablets. She was sent to bed and Danielle and I were left alone at last.

"Who's Aunt Blythe?" was her first question.

"I have no idea. Obviously someone Fifi cares very much for, but she's never mentioned her until this week."

"We need to get her to talk, honey. She needs to get it out of her system and I'm sure she'll feel better if she does. I'm sorry, honey. We haven't had time to talk. Kiss me, babe."

I did better than that. I took Danielle to the bedroom and kissed her some more and there was mutual fondling of body parts until I ripped off her suit and panties, ripped off my trousers and panties and took her on the bed. She was already wet and I had been hard with anticipation for quite a while, so it was a very fast encounter and we came together in little more than about three minutes.

"I needed that," said Danielle. "I've had my hand up my skirt since I left the city. I think I gave a couple of truckers a bit of an eyeful. Probably damaged them irreparably." She grinned again. "Or maybe not. I don't have to be back at the office until lunchtime Monday, Anna, so we have a whole three nights of being together. What you have to do is make my pussy meow the whole weekend.

"I've really missed you, Anna. I got quite depressed about not seeing you last week and sometimes a phone call just isn't enough. I'm falling in love with you, Anna, or Ryan, or whatever – it just doesn't matter. I need to be near you more often, and I'd like to talk about how we can arrange that without disrupting our lives too much. I don't want to be clingy either and I have a business to run best suited to the city, but maybe we can work around it all. Oh, just kiss me."

I did, and when we stopped I confessed that I felt the same way. I said, "I want you Danielle. I want you physically but I want your mind as well. I'd like to arrange a merger,

but right now I need to fuck you again, more slowly this time, with finesse and tenderness, not to mention without clothes." I stood up and took off what little clothing I still had on, leaving both of us in just a garter belt and stockings, which had become one of my favourite outfits for making love in. The feel of stocking on stocking is always sensuous. It took longer this time and once we finished I suggested we go downstairs and have another drink and think about eating. "Food, I mean," I said. "I'll attend to the other eating later."

"It's a promise I'll make you keep. Oh, your tongue on my clit drives me crazy, Anna. God, I can't wait."

 

I looked in the refrigerator and found Fifi had left some snacks and we ate those. I found some individual microwave chocolate puddings as well and after we ate one each we retired to the bedroom again. I produced the chocolate sauce bottle I'd brought up from the kitchen and proceeded to cover Danielle's body parts and lick her clean. (The next night it was chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Fattening, but somehow satisfying.) Danielle of course, returned the favor.

The sex that night was exciting, and more so because we were becoming closer all the time as real intimacy started to take over from the excitement of a new relationship.

 

We slept late and finally went to the kitchen for breakfast around noon. Unknown to me, Danielle had got up and looked in on Fifi a couple of times in the night. We found Fifi sitting at the table drinking coffee and looking divine but tear-stained in a white chiffon negligee over a white satin gown. Danielle and I were solicitous.

"Do you want me to drive you in to the city?" I asked.

"Thank you, Anna. I appreciate the offer but, if I could, I'd just like to borrow the car again. I really have to be there for Aunt Blythe, but you two haven't seen each other for a few weeks and have a lot to catch up on as well as business to transact. I'd feel just as happy if I went on my own."

"Where is your aunt, Fifi? What hospital?" asked Danielle.

Fifi named the hospital, which I recognised as being close to Danielle's apartment.

Danielle said, "Here's my keys, Fifi. I'll write down my address and the alarm code. Please use my place. It's more or less around the corner from the hospital." Danielle passed over a bunch of keys and a piece of paper with everything written down.

"Take them, Fifi. I insist, no arguments."

"Fifi couldn't hold back the tears again and went off to change. She reappeared twenty minutes later dressed in blue jeans and a pink sweater and carrying a small case.

"I just want to say," she said as she left, "that you're the best friends I ever had."

 

"Wow, this is exhausting," I said to Danielle. "What say we have dinner in the village? Have I told you I don't enjoy cooking? There are a couple of girls I want you to meet and if you like them we could invite them to dinner as well. In the meantime we could examine each others points of interest. Oh, and I want your opinion about my hair as well."

By four we were downright sticky so we showered and went into the village in the BMW.

I asked Danielle what she thought I should do with my hair and she agreed with the need for Anna the erotic author and me to look different. On the other hand, she couldn't decide what would suit me best apart from the auburn tint. I was still thinking about shoulder length and she thought that something a little longer would be better, but I didn't get a definitive answer.

I explained about Beth and Suzanne on the way in. There was a park right outside the Bookstore and we went in. Danielle was relaxed in jeans and a white cotton top that showed an interesting amount of cleavage. I was wearing a short denim skirt and a black t-shirt with the D & G logo in silver studs across the front.

Suzanne looked up and saw me and raced over to greet me.

"Anna, how wonderful to see you. Beth," she called down the shop, "we've got visitors." Beth appeared from the back of a set of shelves and kissed me as well.

"Girls," I said, I want you to meet Danielle. Danielle and I are an item."

"For heaven's sake, Anna, we know that. Fifi told us all about her. Danielle, it's lovely to meet you at last," said Suzanne, as she kissed Danielle on the cheek.

"Likewise," said Beth. "Any item of Anna's is an item of ours. Fifi has given you her seal of approval, so you're in with us."

Danielle was looking a little stunned. The girls were wearing nearly identical outfits consisting of tight fitting black stretch trousers and flimsy camisole tops and they would have heated up any male not actually neutered. She said, "You two are grounds for divorce on the hoof. Anna told me about you and I didn't believe her. You're both gorgeous. How come I always find Anna surrounded by beautiful women? I'm starting to feel inadequate."

"Oh, pshaw," said Beth. "You stack up well, Danielle. I can see why Anna comes in here moping and fretting lately. (This was a lie!) Come and see what we've done with Quick Kill. We've had to re-order so we don't run out next week."

Berth took Danielle by the arm and led her away to look at the front window and the in-store display.

That left Suzanne and me alone at the front of the shop. She grinned at me. "She's nice, Anna, Fifi was right. Speaking of Fifi, did she stay home by herself?"

I explained about Fifi's aunt and, predictably enough, Suzanne's face fell.

"Oh, the poor girl. Let us know what the story is when you hear from her, Anna. We've grown very fond of Fifi." A moment later, Danielle and Beth reappeared and from the look on Beth's face I presumed she now knew about Fifi's aunt as well.

I was right. "Poor Fifi," she said. "That's so sad. Is she the only relative or something?"

I had to confess I didn't have the faintest idea.

"This calls for alcohol,' said Suzanne. "Would you ladies care to join us at the bar in the Candle for some refreshments? Beth, we're closing early to discuss Fifi's predicament."

"Cool. Let me lock up the cash and we'll go and examine the medicinal qualities of Jack Daniels."

 

Ten minutes later we were lined up at the bar inside the Candle in the Wind and Beth was trying to get the bartender to close his mouth and start pouring. The amount of cleavage Beth was failing to conceal inside the little top was quite astounding.

I don't want to go into all the details of that night – oh, all right. Despite gathering to feel sad for Fifi it was a brilliant and entertaining evening, which Fifi would have enjoyed. We drank toasts and speculated about Aunt Blythe, then drifted into the restaurant and attacked various meats and more Jack Daniels. My three dining companions got along fabulously well and I could see the restaurant staff were starting to worry about the amount of noise coming from our table. Not that the noise stopped them coming around constantly to see that the glasses were full and the cleavages hadn't shrunk.

By ten the party was rolling along nicely and by eleven it was downright raucous. Danielle was telling stories about writers and agents and the girls were relating incidents involving men behaving strangely in the erotic fiction section of the Bookstore, including my own incident when I was so startled I dropped the books. We finally wound the party up around midnight and Danielle picked up the tab. ("It's got to be deductible; you're a writer aren't you?")

I was keenly aware Fifi wasn't in the house when we got back. It told me that she meant more to me than I'd thought.

 

I won't go into the incident of the chocolate sauce and the whipped cream, because even talking about will put on weight, but suffice to say the bed linen and the carpet round the bed were in a bad way and if you haven't tried chocolate sauce and whipped cream, you should.

 

Sunday, we talked about the future and more particularly about Fifi. Danielle was determined to get her to talk about herself, but I had my doubts about actually forcing the issue. If she didn't volunteer to tell the story herself it wasn't as likely to be as therapeutic as Danielle hoped.

I told her about Silk Skins and what that was about and let her read some of Say High to Heels.

She put the manuscript down and said, "I don't remember this part about the older woman who dressed you up like a policewoman and made you arrest her and treat her like a common criminal."

"Artistic license," I said.

"I'd like to meet the artist you got that licence from. You made this up, didn't you?"

"You're dead right," I said.

"Dead right. Dead Right? You know, that would make a great title for the new Ryan King. Dead Right. Dead Right? I like the sound of it. What do you think, Anna?"

"Sounds good to me," I said, "but I'll bet you a rice pudding it's been used before."

"I'm sure it has," said Danielle. "I like it though. I'll have a look around on Monday afternoon and see when it was last used, who by and what for. You might be able to use it even if there are several Dead Rights already in existence."

"Great," I said. "Tell you what, why don't we do the Cassandra contracts now so we can concentrate on food and sex and drink for the little that's left of the weekend?"

"Good thinking. I'll go and get them."

Danielle went back to the bedroom and returned with her briefcase and we went through the papers sitting in the living room.

"They're all here, lover. I'm really pleased with the deal and I know you will be too." She took out a sheaf of papers and spread them over the coffee table.

"Right. This is the book, this is the film rights and you've got the option to do the screenplay if you want to, the book sale is purely for the U S of A, all foreign rights still belong to you, and if Joel doesn't come up with a film within three years, the film rights revert back to you without forfeiting the original fee. I get to take you out to dinner in New York and fuck like a bunny at three weekly intervals and you have to perform unspeakable acts of oral sex on me. That's clause 15a, subparagraph three.

"If the party of the first part, that's you, does not comply, the party of the second part, that's me, has the right to tear off your best La Perla panties and burn them. Do you understand these conditions?"

"Will I be spanked if I step out of line?" I asked.

"Of course you will. Clause 24c. It's devoted entirely to the spanking clause.

"Where do I sign?"

"Here across my backside would be nice. Oh, there's an option on your second story. Joel has to pay you one hundred and fifty thousand if he wants it. It's strictly a first refusal thing, but if Silk Beginnings goes as well as he thinks it will, you should be able to buy as many panties as you could ever use. Or I could ever borrow. And you have to promote the book, but I got him down to a total of four weeks spread over six months. Is that okay?"

She was standing on the other side of the coffee table now, slowly lifting up her nightgown to expose the vivid pink tulle briefs she'd put back on to soak up the juices from our love-making. She was a distraction.

"Alright, I'll sign it, but I reserve the right to come into your office and put you over my knee if you don't behave yourself."

She was running her hand over her pubic mound now and I signed the documents while my cock swelled up inside my white lace panties.

"There, all done, "I said. "What about a drink to celebrate?"

"Great idea."

"Dead right."

I found champagne in the refrigerator next to a container of caviar. Fifi knew we were signing contracts and despite her own problems had thought ahead.

We decamped to the sunroom out the back, where it was warm despite the rain that seemed to be starting as we sat down. I set out the crackers, caviar and sour cream and filled champagne glasses and we toasted Silk Beginnings. Danielle was really happy with the deal and very outgoing and funny as the afternoon turned into evening.

We discussed Fifi again and I commented that it was interesting that since Danielle, Beth and Suzanne had become a part of our social circle, Fifi had become more inclined to behave more as a normal woman, if you can call someone who thinks a twelve-inch miniskirt may be a bit conservative normal, and I mean that in the sense that she was more regularly dressing in clothes other than French Maid uniforms. She still wore those some of the time but having met three women recently who simply didn't care how she dressed and treated her and addressed her as a friend, seemed to have made a difference to her outlook on life. I believed that something in her background was starting to recede and she was becoming less apprehensive, more living in the present rather than the past, or just moving on.

I presumed Aunt Blythe's imminent demise could set that back a bit, but I was wrong.

 

Fifi rang just after ten to say her aunt had died and she would stay on in the city until the funeral and her aunt's affairs were put in order. I wanted both of us to go and look after her, but Fifi was adamant that she could cope. Danielle talked to her and insisted Fifi should remain in the apartment until she was ready to come back home. The spare room was to be regarded as hers for as long as it took and Danielle would be back on Monday evening in any case. For a moment I'd forgotten about Danielle having to go back to the city the next morning and I was relieved that Fifi would have someone to talk to and take care of her.

That put a damper on the evening but didn't stop us making love in the sunroom, the bedroom and the living room.

Danielle left for the city at ten the next morning and I waited to hear from her that evening so I could find out what was going on with Fifi.

 

When the telephone rang I made a dive for it. I hadn't been able to concentrate on writing all day so what I did instead was start opening the pile of packages that arrived by UPS just after Danielle left. This was my first lot of deliveries from various eBay sellers.

I'd concentrated my first bidding on some vintage nightwear, spurred on by pure envy of Fifi's outfits, and there were some unreal peignoir sets in a variety of lengths in chiffon and nylon. Most impressive was a white set that was probably originally sold under the description 'Wedding Night Dream'. It was in perfect condition, layer after layer of white chiffon and encrusted with lace, tiny pearls and tiny ribbon bows. It was sensational and I left it until last to try on. First there were babydolls and three-quarter length dreamy gowns to try out as well as the long sets.

I was actually hard with anticipation as the white gown with its enormous fluff of chiffon drifted down around me and the robe as I slipped it on and fastened the ties increased the layering by what seemed like 200%. All I could think was, Fifi would be jealous. I didn't take that gown and peignoir off for a whole day. No one wearing it could help but feel fabulous.

The news from Danielle was fairly straightforward. Fifi had everything under control. The funeral was on Tuesday, the lawyer would wrap up the details of her estate on Thursday and Fifi expected to be back home on Thursday night or Friday. Danielle was being supportive but was surprised by how much strength Fifi was showing. She needed comforting, but wasn't a sobbing wreck. Once again, I offered to come into the city to help and was refused.

Danielle rang each evening and sometimes in the morning as well so she could talk from her office about Fifi without being overheard. By Wednesday, with Aunt Blythe suitably interred, Fifi was reasonably calm and by Thursday night she was what Danielle described as too calm. On Friday morning she rang to say they would both be at my place that day, Fifi around lunchtime, Danielle in the evening. Fifi had asked Danielle to come up, even though Danielle had only been there the previous weekend. She said she wanted to tell us her story.

 

In the meantime, Tuesday had arrived along with my hair appointment. I considered cancelling the appointment because Fifi and I hadn't had a chance to decide what I should do with it, but I thought some more about what the girls had said.

They were right – I was Anna Ryan most of the time and I should keep myself happy and Ryan could be dealt with when his need was greater than mine. I turned up at Hair Apparent and Judy, who had trimmed my hair many times, sat me down in front of the mirror and asked what I wanted. I'd dressed for this in a white cotton top with short sleeves and white pants, believing my new auburn cut would look good against the white.

"So, what will it be, Anna? Short, long, curly, blonde?"

"Shoulder length, auburn tint. I want wash and wear hair, to coin a phrase."

"It's a phrase I haven't heard for a long time, Anna. You're right about the hair color; an auburn tint will suit you very well. I think you should have it just a bit longer than shoulder though, maybe a couple of inches, but it's such thick hair I'm sure that thinning it out will make it easier to control. Let me show you a couple of pictures."

She went to the magazine rack in the reception area and picked out a recent Vogue. She turned to a picture of someone in a cosmetics ad – red hair, below shoulder length, pretty close to the colour I had in mind. Another page – red hair, a bit longer than shoulder. It was the same all the way through the magazine. Clearly I was about to move onto the cutting edge of hair fashion.

"See what I mean, Anna? These are all similar styles. They're all below shoulder length, fairly close to where your hair comes to now. The difference is that they have their hair cut in layers and thinned where necessary. I think you would suit that look beautifully, and I want to try it out on you. In fact, I'm so sure it's perfect for you I'll do your hair free for a year if you don't love it. Deal?"

What could I say?

"Do it, Judy."

By the time I left the salon I could see Judy was right. My hair looked gorgeous. The colour was perfect, a positive auburn that she said I should look at lightening next time I went in. It was light and breezy and without doubt I'd never looked better.

The conversation had been interesting as well. I wish I'd had the foresight to realise people were curious about me, Ryan and Fifi so I could have answers ready for some questions that were, with the wisdom of hindsight, inevitable.

As Judy worked on me and chattered away, it dawned on me that she was as curious about our little household as anyone else locally and I had to give some information or be very rude to her, something I didn't want to do. Our talk with the girls the week before should have given me some warning about what to expect.

I was thinking frantically about how to explain the Anna/Fifi/Ryan interface when Judy gave me the idea I needed. She commented that she assumed, along with a few other locals, that I was a relative of Ryan's because there were some similarities in bone structure, etc. I confirmed that I was indeed a relative, a first cousin, and I was helping Ryan with administrative matters while he wrote so that he could just concentrate on his work.

Fifi? Fifi was helping around the house. Although she had just come for a visit originally, she had stayed on to help out. No, there were no romantic entanglements. The answers seemed to satisfy Judy and I knew that within hours the entire village would have been updated on the Ryan King household. I got the distinct impression the villagers thought Ryan was becoming something of a recluse, dedicated to his art.

 

When Fifi walked in the front door she was quite calm and I saw what Danielle meant by her being too calm. She should have been more emotional I thought, me being the great psychologist.

She hugged and kissed me and asked if Danielle had rung. I confirmed that Danielle would be there in the evening. Fifi said she was looking forward to talking to us and declared she was going to have a sleep. Then she stopped and said, "Your hair, Anna, it's brilliant." I didn't see her again until after eight and Danielle had been there an hour or more. Danielle said she thought that something had happened to Fifi on Thursday, but had no idea what it might have been.

She loved my hair too and I regarded it as something of a personal triumph. The only test I had to pass now was Suzanne and Beth.

Fifi appeared in the kitchen, yawning and looking less well put together than she had earlier. She was wearing a pale pink, lace-encrusted nylon gown and negligee in what they used to call waltz length. She was wearing marabou trimmed high-heeled mules in the same colour. I hadn't seen this outfit before, but it was a classic.

"Love the nightwear, Fifi," said Danielle. "That reminds me, my aunt said she still has the black outfit I was telling you about, the one like your pale green set, and she said you can have it if you want it. She says she's too old to appreciate it anymore, but it was too glamorous to throw away." I couldn't wait to show her and Fifi my new things.

Fifi came over and kissed Danielle. "Thank you, darling," she said. 'That's wonderful. You've been so kind to me, especially this week, and I really appreciate it. You've made me remember there are good people around. I'm sorry, Anna, that didn't come out right, because it was you who rescued me and gave me a home and unconditional, totally undemanding support and asked for nothing in return. I can never thank you enough for all you've done for me. I've been doing some thinking and, as I told Danielle, I'd like to tell you both my story."

Danielle smiled. "If you're prepared to tell it, we'd love to hear it Fifi, but only if you're sure."

"I am sure, and I need to get it off my chest so I can clear it out of my head and move forward. I already feel like I've started to alter my outlook on life, but I can either tell you two or I can go to a psychiatrist, and you girls would be a lot cheaper. On the other hand, if Anna turns it into a story, I'll want royalties." She looked at me with a smile and I said "Count on it. When would you like to do it?"

"What about right now? Let's do it here at the kitchen table close to the food and drink."

"Do we need anything?" I asked.

"Maybe a tissue. I'm ready when you are. I've even found a couple of photographs for show and tell afterwards." She passed us a glass of champagne each and offered a toast. "To me," she said, and we drank up, then she made a second toast. "To Aunt Blythe," she said and we drank again.

We made ourselves comfortable on the padded kitchen chairs. Danielle and I sat close together and were holding hands.

"Are we all sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin," said Fifi. "Once upon a time, there was this Fairy Princess …."

  

  

  

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